TOS' worst episode.
- Thread starter Warped9
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Just make a fan film!Just have Pocket Books call me. I can have an outline put together in a few days!
Neil
I'm never unhappy watching Star Trek so I don't know if I would say worst. But weakest (relatively) I'll vote with the folks who said "And the children shall lead" - fine premise, not a great execution.
Since I'm new here and still introducing myself, I can say my least favorite personally is The Trouble With Tribbles.
Since I'm new here and still introducing myself, I can say my least favorite personally is The Trouble With Tribbles.
Hi Capn Nick!
I distinctly remember Tribbles being my favorite episode for a while when I was a teenager, I still like it, but it's probably not in my top ten but still a favorite.
I think if I bothered to think in patterns of better or best that I'd have about 70 favorite episodes, 2 that are just ok, and 7 that are meh. I just don't feel the need to rank things, there's no competition between them, they are my favorites. And sometimes I watch the meh episodes anyway, because a meh Star Trek is still better than a lot of other stuff.
I distinctly remember Tribbles being my favorite episode for a while when I was a teenager, I still like it, but it's probably not in my top ten but still a favorite.
I think if I bothered to think in patterns of better or best that I'd have about 70 favorite episodes, 2 that are just ok, and 7 that are meh. I just don't feel the need to rank things, there's no competition between them, they are my favorites. And sometimes I watch the meh episodes anyway, because a meh Star Trek is still better than a lot of other stuff.
I agree with Commodore Marsden that ranking episodes doesn't really accomplish anything meaningful, yet for some reason the Internet is full or "worst" threads, and they're always popular. I don't know what that says about our culture other than we like to focus on the negatives. Does it really matter if "Spock's Brain" or "And The Children Shall Lead" is considered the worst? It won't remove them from existence. They'll still be there on the DVDs, Blu-rays, and even the old VHS tapes.
I typically don't even enter a thread with "worst" in its title, but the fact that this one was constantly at the top of the page kind of irked me. But don't let me stop all of you from your worst-fest. I'll move along...
I typically don't even enter a thread with "worst" in its title, but the fact that this one was constantly at the top of the page kind of irked me. But don't let me stop all of you from your worst-fest. I'll move along...
By worst, I think of watchability. As I mentioned, it's been about 10 years since I've watched "Spock's Brain", and probably will be another 10. I'm not in a rush to see "Friday's Child" again, however I will re-watch "I Mudd" for it's corny comedic moments. I'll also say that what factors in watchability for me is also the"eye-candy" so even the crappiest stories have that going for it ... except Turnabout Intruder. I still haven't found any redeeming qualities for that one or any wish to see it any time soon.
What, you didn't start watching Star Trek to see Kirk filing his nails ?
Whom Gods Destroy and Plato's Stepchildren are near the top of my list!
JB
JB
I think it's interestingly confusing that we all agree that s3 was disappointing, and most could probably get together on "very disappointing"... implying we've all hit on some sort of objective truth here... Yet when it comes to individual episodes, there's wide disagreement. Maybe "Children" is the one joint bad opinion we share. Other than that, we agree generally but not specifically. People will rank my favorites as the worst, and I'll do the same to others. That seems important, but I can't put my finger on why. Reality is sending us crossed signals. Objective truth exists, but wait, no, it doesn't!
I forget the name of it, but I remember just cringing at a heavy handed flag waving episode about the dangers of communism and the wonders of freedom, with literally zero regard for the prime directive. It was terrible. Anybody remember the name?
That would be "The Omega Glory" from Season 2, and it is pretty infamous for that.
Way to Eden, definitely.
I mean, I realize that hippies were all over the place when TOS aired, but they could have kept them out of the damn SHOW. Hippies and Trek do not, IMHO, mix.
And Dr. Sevrin looks like he has a pair of boneless buffalo wings stuck to his head. So there.
As for Omega Glory: My only problem with this episode is that it is absolutely impossible for an alien planet like Omega IV, with absolutely no contact with Earth whatsoever, to spontaneously evolve exact copies of the Constitution, the US flag, etc. The laws of probability simply would not allow that. (It's also impossible that those things would continue to exist after a thousand years. They'd have crumbled into dust long before that happened.) Even words like "Yankees" and "Communists". The only explanation I can go with, is one that exists only in the novels:
(As for the Prime Directive: Tracey was the one who violated the PD, not Kirk. Once that's done, Kirk is free to use whatever means he sees fit to undo the damage. So Kirk gets a free pass on that one.)
I mean, I realize that hippies were all over the place when TOS aired, but they could have kept them out of the damn SHOW. Hippies and Trek do not, IMHO, mix.
And Dr. Sevrin looks like he has a pair of boneless buffalo wings stuck to his head. So there.
As for Omega Glory: My only problem with this episode is that it is absolutely impossible for an alien planet like Omega IV, with absolutely no contact with Earth whatsoever, to spontaneously evolve exact copies of the Constitution, the US flag, etc. The laws of probability simply would not allow that. (It's also impossible that those things would continue to exist after a thousand years. They'd have crumbled into dust long before that happened.) Even words like "Yankees" and "Communists". The only explanation I can go with, is one that exists only in the novels:
It's one of Christopher's 'Department of Temporal Investigations' works. Explains that it was a passing Earth freighter who left those things behind. The "Yangs" merely incorporated them into their own mythology.
(As for the Prime Directive: Tracey was the one who violated the PD, not Kirk. Once that's done, Kirk is free to use whatever means he sees fit to undo the damage. So Kirk gets a free pass on that one.)
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I'll always defend "The Way to Eden" because I think that the basic concept they came up with for space hippies (a back-to-nature subculture in a high-tech world) fit the setting. (Eden being a specific planet...not so much.) And it was just fun with the songs and all.
I didn't like 'The Lights of Zetar'. The only redeeming quality it had for me was it gave Scotty a love interest.
If they're at the top of your list, why are you mentioning them here?
Omega Glory isn't as strident as it may seem at first glance. The patriotism was pretty mainstream, of a kind liberals and conservatives could get together on, though most would say it was overblown. Along with all the disillusionment many of us have had in the country and its leaders, we can pause occasionally and feel a bit proud of that Constitution. There was a world war, as looked very possible at the time, and yes, communists would have been the other side. At this point though, everything seems tribal, with communism long forgotten. The "Americans" don't come off awfully positively. Not really a Cold War good-and-evil flag-waving story at all.
The parallel Earth idea is that in an infinite universe, somewhere, chances are that totally identical factors that gave rise to Earth would follow exactly the same course, down to the present day... the m ore time goes by of course, the greater the chance of a deviation, as in Miri and Omega Glory.
It's actually a great SF idea, if used very sparingly... like, once.
The parallel Earth idea is that in an infinite universe, somewhere, chances are that totally identical factors that gave rise to Earth would follow exactly the same course, down to the present day... the m ore time goes by of course, the greater the chance of a deviation, as in Miri and Omega Glory.
It's actually a great SF idea, if used very sparingly... like, once.
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