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While I think Okona definitely deserves to be on any list of "30 Weakest," it at least has some redeeming qualities. It's fun in a bad, outdated sort of way...and at least that counts for something.
On the other hand, there are truly objectionable episodes that have virtually zero redeeming qualities that are way ahead in this category, in my opinion. Examples would be:
Datalore
Angel One
Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
The Price
Violations
Imaginary Friend
Aquiel
Suspicions
Dark Page
Ugh....I shudder just thinking about some of these.
At least Schizoid Man and Unnatural Selection take up ideas worthy of examination in sci-fi.
Genetic engineering and attempts to extend human life and conciousness through technology is something that will be happening to some degree for real this millennium.
Of course your objection to these episodes likely is not their core concepts but other problems.
These are season 2 episodes when sci-fi ideas were still upfront as opposed to later when the character focus sometimes overshadowed them.
I can't enjoy so many Season 1 Episodes. They're sooo cheesy. Specially Episode Skin of Evil. The supposedly heart broken episode about the departure of Tasha Yar become so cheesy and urgh, with her prolonged speech near the end of Episode.
Data's Day and In Theory are two of my favorite episodes. Surprised to see them mentioned in this thread.
Data is a likeable character. In a way, I think part of his appeal is his innocence . It makes sense that a fellow crew member would eventually find him attractive. In Theory explores that.
My wife and I are at the halfway point of season 3. Her favorite character? Data.
Because Data is not just a likeable character, he's the embodiment of the best of heroism and humanity. I will stop there because I WILL go on at a very long length to go into detail.
A side note: my wife said something that surprised me. She said TNG is the first series... out of ALL the shows she's watched on her own and with me... that she likes every main character. Every single one. I wonder if that has something to do with Gene's rule of 'no conflict' among the crew. I always liked everyone there and thought all of them were likeable people, which could be a personal bias as I grew up on TNG, but she has a bit more of an outsider view on STAR TREK and scifi in general. She absolutely loved DS9, but we're going through TNG at a faster rate than we did DS9.
I'm curious as to why this is the only show that she can make that statement, and the only thing I can think of is the 'no conflict' rule. I'm open to ideas, folks, because she can't even explain it.
I think “Force of Nature” is my end-all least favorite. The earlier seasons get weight differently for bring the first Trek in decades, plus they’re interesting in their own ways. But FoN has no excuses. I may need to rewatch it again to be sure. “Bloodlines” is up there for me as well. The energy in that episode is off for me. I never buy into it.
Hahah...oh, I don't know. I think there's some really good stuff about S1 that tends to get over-looked. I actually liked that it felt a little more about "exploring the unknown" and less about the "melodrama of the week" that the later seasons evolved into.
S1:
Encounter at Farpoint. It's boring. It's nonsensical. It's padded to the death. And everybody hates each other.
Naked Now
Code of Honour
Justice (half the episode is half naked blonds oiling each other up!!)
Hide and Q
The Big Goodbye
Angel One
When the Bough Breaks
S2:
The Child
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona (even though the actor is cute)
The Royale
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
Shades of Gray
S3
The Price
Deja Q
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Season 4
Identity Crisis
QPid
Season 5
Violations
The Perfect Mate
Time's Arrow Part 1
Season 6
Time's Arrow Part 2
A Fistful of Datas
Aquiel
Season 7
Liasons
Force of Nature
Sub Rosa
Masks
Journey's End
Firstborn
SEASON 1:
Encounter at Farpoint (two different stories mashed together like what a 5 year-old does with bright orange and dull puce play-doh before eating it. The Q story was far more interesting, and was there no other solution than "space jellyfish having the hots for each other"?!
The Naked Now (a missed opportunity to really delve into the characters under the covers in a psychological sense rather than the more literal and juvenile take the filmed version was.)_
Code of Honour (where to begin)
Justice (half the episode is half naked blonds oiling each other up!!)
Datalore (acting, direction, and music take a first draft-level of a story and elevate it considerably. It really should have been so much better at its core but it does prove they hired better than the right people to film and score it. I love a lot of this story but it's still weaker than it needed to be.)
Angel One - another cliche on the old trope
SEASON 2:
The Outrageous Okona (Campbell, who is hawt I'll agree, was in the running for Riker. Frakes did it better. There's a decent story in this mess trying to find a way out. Goldberg and Spiner have great onscreen chemistry together, especially in the final scene they have in the script. )
The Royale - another that could have been better, though it's on the right track
The Icarus Factor - goes nowhere memorable. Apart from Riker's daddy going at it with Dr Pulaski's in character buildup as backstory that goes... nowhere.
Manhunt - in the right mood a lot of it holds up. Most of the time it redefines "underwhelming". TNG + comedy as a main plot element just do not work. (If they did, 100+ episodes after this one would try to add in yet another punchline...)
SEASON 3:
The Price (more than geeks and nerds were scoffing at this back then)
Matter of Perspective - nice try at the old "Everybody Tells The Truth" except there are enough plot holes and mistakes that make Riker look really bad.
The Offspring - TNG's first attempt to recycle "The Measure of a Man" is comparatively the most successful; such sequel scrounging still started a season too soon (by the seashore).
Allegiance - filler that doesn't do anything
Captain's Holiday - more filler that doesn't do anything
Transfigurations - the most boring of the lot, but a lot of the final fifth of season 3 felt rough around the edges after an impeccably strong start (by the seashore)
SEASON 4:
Family through Remember Me: All copy and paste the same basic plot device of a main character having a part of their humanity robbed (allegorical or allusion, not always literal) and needs to be saved. Apart from that one episode, "Suddenly Salad" was it called, where the kid from that horrid melodrama "Our House" isn't a main character but was abducted and lost his humanity and Picard now has to teach it back to him... and gets diced in the process (and at least doesn't have to go via puny shuttlecraft back to a proper starbase to fix his dicky ticker this time 'round... sheesh, and people thought "ElectraWoman and DynaGirl" was a cheesy hideous show? Oh well, where's my schnapps? Oh yeah, my friend Patsy has it...)
Bonus: Remember Me - bobbing for plot topics has the return of season 1's mysterious Traveler for some mysterious reason.
Legacy. It's a bit too soon to recycle all the Borg sets given their distinctive and iconic look, never mind a story loaded with so many plot holes (especially with their implanted proximity devices)... and on Tasha's home planet, which doesn't sell the conditions nowhere near as well as that brief moment from "Where No One Has Gone Before" had. Oh well, at least Ishara and Hayne are radiating hawtness (as well as fumes from all that hair spray). Nope, that doesn't save it either. They dress alike and as such remind me of those cheesy song and dance variety shows from the 1970s, not a homage to 1960s cowboy diplomacy TOS... all that said, it's a fun romp but it's impressively weak given some of the material and erstwhile characters it tries to cover.
Reunion. The episode that is to TNG what Cousin Oliver did to The Brady Bunch, except TNG lasted more than 6 episodes afterward. It'd be worse if the ship wasn't designed to have families aboard.
Actually, most of the first ten episodes of S4 are surprisingly weaker than what comes afterward (which are still fairly strong entries for the most part).
QPid -not a bad story but definitely feels weak compared to other stories in the year. Exploring why Picard doesn't get jiggy had some potential, though I don't think it's sold as well as it could have been. Also, Q is rockin'; that blue outfit...
SEASON 5: (it'd be faster if I opined which weren't weak but I'll shave it down...)
Redemption II - Data with laughably bad emotions and a 2D net in 3D space really let the episode down.
The Masterpiece Society - it goes out of its way to be contrived, as much of season 5 tends to be. Other stories used as inspiration for this one covered various themes better. Unlike other episodes that still rise above the treacle, this one - despite trying - doesn't quite work.
The Perfect Mate - imperfect filler and O'Connor should have been doing disco with Data (by the seashore) instead.
SEASON 6: (same as season 5, only worse...)
Schisms - oh goody, it's a story about alien abductions... in space!
A Fistful of Datas - at least even CoH and TOO are watchable
Aquiel - the dog ate then puked up the script
SEASON 7: (seasons 5 and 6 were sleep-inducing but while season 7 had more that was watchable, when it stunk it was worse.)
Liasons - I found it somewhat entertaining but it's barrel-scrapings of old themes
Force of Nature - this one told all of season 5 to hold its proverbial beer
Sub Rosa - oh god, oh god, oh god... no!!!!!!!
Eye of the Beholder - Where to begin, noting even the phaser Troi fires has the beam at a different angle than where the tip is aimed at... I suppose trying to find an analogue for Data's "suicide attempt" would be as easy pickin's as my left nostril is... so I'll settle in how Troi never picked up on the "psychic residue" for nigh on eight years... was Slimer in a place where the Ghostbusters couldn't get at? (the showing of the nacelle's interior with depth - never mind how to get in the area between the bussard collector and plasma injector section - doesn't match up with the exterior either. Of course, neither did the Brady Bunch house... or the GoldeGirls'... or the Bundys'... or, well most TV shows in general but at least those made stronger efforts. )
Journey's End - stop nicking DS9 story threads! Unless this one was a leftover, which would make sense...
Bloodlines - "The Battle" did the Ferengi revenge plot far better
Firstborn - the Cousin Oliver Alexander stories just didn't do much then and for me haven't held up since. The fact he wasn't brought to Worf on a leash* in DS9 is even more telling...
* one of those nice leather ones with diamonds, like what you see in certain videos...
I'd include "Emergence" except that's a chemical-free way to induce sleep.
