Worst episode in each season?

[Quinton O'Connor]

It seems (according to Memory Alpha) that the production staff had one episode every year that they decided was of a lower quality than the rest. I was wondering if there are any fans here who can say they feel the same way.

From what I can tell about episode receptions, it seems largely true, too. "Move Along Home" is from the first season. "Paradise" is from the second. "Meridian" is from the third. So on, so forth. These episodes tend to get a lot of flak wherever I go.

 

[mswood]

Paradise, really. While I know it isn't a loved episode, thats what people find worst in season two. Shocked.

But no each season usually has a wide range of episodes, some seasons have a very mixed bag. Others have a higher then normal level of quality episodes but all have produced bad episodes.

In my opinion the worst episodes by season for DS9.

1. Move Along Home (Hate it). But I also think these are below average (to worse) episodes (episodes of tv, I would rate a C- or worse). A Man Alone, Babel, Battle Lines, If Wishes Were Horses, Dramatis Personae.

Season Two:Second Sight. I also think thee were below average Melora, Rules of Acquisition, Profit & Loss.

Season Three: Fascination, I also think these are below average: Equilibrium, Meridian (really bad), Life Support (really bad), Heart of Stone (really Bad), Profit Motive, Distant Voices, .

Season Four (my opinion Trek's finest season)The Muse. The only other episode I would rate lower then a C was Body Parts.

Season Five: Ferengi Love Songs, I also found these episodes to be below average: Things Past, Let He Who Is Without Sin... (Really Bad). OVerall a very strong season of Trek (or TV).

Season 6: Profit & Lace. And the following I found to be below average: Sons & daughters, Resurrection, Who Mourns for Morn?, Wrongs Darker then Death or Night, Time's Orphan. But still a strong, season of tv.

Season 7: Extreme Measures. The following I found below average: Chrysalis, Covenant, Prodigal Daughter, and Emperor's New Cloak (really bad).

And DS9 is my favorite Trek.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Well, I haven't been around these parts long enough to know if another episode is the most oft-considered weakest link of the second season. But it just seems like "Paradise" gets yelled at often. I know "Fascination" is no winner in most circles either. Same with "Second Sight".

Nice list and I thank you for contributing. You're obviously not a big Ferengi episodes fan, are ya? It's been way too long for me to properly comment on that just yet, but I know they're really a love-or-hate ordeal.

 

[mswood]

Well as for the Ferengi episodes, it all depends. I Love The Nagus, Magnificent Ferengi, Little Green Men, and Business as Usual (All of which I would rate A- or better). And I really liked Bar Association and Family Business (B's in my book).

For me the Ferengi episodes more then any other type of episode is either hit or miss. And when they miss, they miss big.

 

[Joeman]

Here's my slightly unconventional list. And yes, although the Wadi are a total douchebag race, I didn't dislike "Move Along Home" as much as most (6.5/10)

1) If Wishes Were Horses (4.5/10)
2) Sanctuary (5.5/10)
3) Past Tense Pt. II (4.5/10)
4) Rejoined (5.5/10)
5) The Darkness and the Light (4/10)
6) Valiant (2/10)
7) Chrysalis (4.5/10)

The only ep out of all of those I really hated was "Valiant". The others are just the lowest scoring ones from each season, even though I was able to find some positive elements in all of them. The only reason "Valiant" got a 2 instead of a 1 is because I liked it when the new Defiant ship showed up, as I'd been wondering when that was coming. Too bad they wasted it.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Well as for the Ferengi episodes, it all depends. I Love The Nagus, Magnificent Ferengi, Little Green Men, and Business as Usual (All of which I would rate A- or better). And I really liked Bar Association and Family Business (B's in my book).

For me the Ferengi episodes more then any other type of episode is either hit or miss. And when they miss, they miss big.

Ah, I see. Say, the ones you mentioned as enjoying are the ones I seem to recall liking the most. Again, I shouldn't say much 'til I get further along in my rewatch, but I know I liked "The Magnificent Ferengi" and "Little Green Men". And "Bar Association", too. Rom + Karl Marx quote = laughs.

Here's my slightly unconventional list. And yes, although the Wadi are a total douchebag race, I didn't dislike "Move Along Home" as much as most (6.5/10)

1) If Wishes Were Horses (4.5/10)
2) Sanctuary (5.5/10)
3) Past Tense Pt. II (4.5/10)
4) Rejoined (5.5/10)
5) The Darkness and the Light (4/10)
6) Valiant (2/10)
7) Chrysalis (4.5/10)

The only ep out of all of those I really hated was "Valiant". The others are just the lowest scoring ones from each season, even though I was able to find some positive elements in all of them. The only reason "Valiant" got a 2 instead of a 1 is because I liked it when the new Defiant ship showed up, as I'd been wondering when that was coming. Too bad they wasted it.

That is a slightly unconventional list, sir. The only one that really stood out for me was how much you disliked "Past Tense, Part II", considering that duology tends to be well-received from what I've seen. The rest weren't quite as surprising, although I know a lot of people who liked "Rejoined", "The Darkness and the Light" and "Valiant".

 

[mswood]

Here's my slightly unconventional list. And yes, although the Wadi are a total douchebag race, I didn't dislike "Move Along Home" as much as most (6.5/10)

1) If Wishes Were Horses (4.5/10)
2) Sanctuary (5.5/10)
3) Past Tense Pt. II (4.5/10)
4) Rejoined (5.5/10)
5) The Darkness and the Light (4/10)
6) Valiant (2/10)
7) Chrysalis (4.5/10)

The only ep out of all of those I really hated was "Valiant". The others are just the lowest scoring ones from each season, even though I was able to find some positive elements in all of them. The only reason "Valiant" got a 2 instead of a 1 is because I liked it when the new Defiant ship showed up, as I'd been wondering when that was coming. Too bad they wasted it.

The wonderful thing about fans is everybody has different likes and dislikes. Only one of your episodes do I actually dislike. And Rejoined makes a top twenty episodes of DS9 for myself.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

The wonderful thing about fans is everybody has different likes and dislikes.

So true.

 

[Admiral Shran]

S1: Move Along Home - Stupid aliens, stupid plot, stupid acting.

S2: Paradise - What exactly were the producers trying to say here. Either we should side with Sisko or Alixus. However, there's nothing likeable about Alixus, so I had no choice but to side with Sisko, causing the episode to fall flat.

S3: Meridian - It's usually never a good thing when an episode focuses on Jadzia, but this one took it too a new low. When it manages not to be annoying, it's just boring.

S4: Bar Association - Season Four was a very consistent season, and this episode is only the worst because it has to contend with so many good ones. However, I really didn't like the black and white way it set up the labor/management dispute.

S5: Let He Who Is Without Sin... - Do I really need to say what's wrong with this one?

S6: Valiant - Season Six is DS9's best season. It's highly consistent and very high quality. Valiant and Profit and Lace are the only exceptions. We all know what's wrong with Profit and Lace. But this episode beats it for worst spot for the same reason Paradise wins in Season Two. There's absolutely nothing to like about Red Squad, nothing. There's no motivation to root for them since they're annoying, pompous, self-aggrandizing, little asses, in an episode where we're clearly meant to be divided over which side to support (Jake's or Red Squad's). In the end, I had to support Jake and the episode falls flat again.

S7: Chimera - Another strong season with very few potholes. But again, we're supposed to be unsure about who to feel sympathy for, Odo or Laas. Again, there's nothing redeeming about Laas, so the episode fails.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

It seems you share my blatant distaste for 'choose a side' stories where one side is unlikable in fiction. Totally defeats the purpose.

You actually liked "The Muse", I assume?

 

[Jono]

Season 1: The Storyteller
Season 2: The Alternate
Season 3: Heart of Stone
Season 4: The Sword of Kahless
Season 5: Things Past
Season 6: Time's Orphan
Season 7: Prodigal Daughter

 

[tomalak301]

Season 1: If Wishes were Horses
Season 2: Melora
Season 3: Fascination
Season 4: The Muse
Season 5: Ferengi Love Songs
Season 6: Profit and Lace
Season 7: Prodigal Daughter

 

[Pemmer Harge]

S2: Paradise

[...]


S6: Valiant

[...]

S7: Chimera

Wow, we have very different tastes, because I love all of those episodes, especially the last one, which is probably in my top three for DS9.

For me, it would probably be:

S1: The Nagus
S2: Rivals
S3: Heart of Stone
S4: The Sword of Kahless
S5: Let He Who is Without Sin...
S6: Profit and Lace or Resurrection
S7: Take Me out to the Holosuite or Prodigal Daughter

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

A couple of people have mentioned "Heart of Stone", which I find amusing since I've seen people singing its praises elsewhere.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

A couple of people have mentioned "Heart of Stone", which I find amusing since I've seen people singing its praises elsewhere.

The B-plot's decent, but the A-plot?

 

[Nightdiamond]

"Emperor's New Cloak" S7- I don't know what they were doing with that one.

I think the writers were having so much fun with the mirror universe and forgot what it was really about. They really messed up the mirror universe with that, lol.



Profit and Lace- S6 I vote this one too, mainly because it was so bad/boring, I couldn't remember the plot only something about Quark dressing up like a female Ferengi.

They were doing a number of "Zek in trouble" episodes, and this was just one too many of them.

 

[Admiral Shran]

It seems you share my blatant distaste for 'choose a side' stories where one side is unlikable in fiction. Totally defeats the purpose.

You actually liked "The Muse", I assume?

I assume you mean the B-plot with Lwaxana and Odo.

The Muse is a much better example of a "choose a side" story. Jeyal isn't presented as a cold-blooded bastard who's just out to hurt Lwaxana. He's just staying true to his cultural hertiage. In the end, he shows that he's a reasonable guy by accepting the fact that Lwaxana doesn't want him anymore and by asking her to speak well of him to their son.

Alixus never shows us anything that redeems her. She wantonly strands a group of people in the middle of nowhere just to further her own ends, tortures Sisko just to further the lie, and never feels sorry for what she's done.

Red Squad acts like they're infalliable and when presented with an way of looking at things that is at odds with what they believe, they treat the messenger (Jake) with contempt and loathing. Again, they never feel sorry for what they've done (which includes deliberately disobeying orders by not returning to base immediately after the officers were killed just because they thought they could do the job better). Even the one member who survives continues to sing their praises after they essentially kill themselves.

Laas is a racist, pure and simple, and never sees the error of his ways, even when Kira offers him rock-solid proof that not all Solids hate Changelings.

 

[DevilEyes]

Here's my slightly unconventional list. And yes, although the Wadi are a total douchebag race, I didn't dislike "Move Along Home" as much as most (6.5/10)

1) If Wishes Were Horses (4.5/10)
2) Sanctuary (5.5/10)
3) Past Tense Pt. II (4.5/10)
4) Rejoined (5.5/10)
5) The Darkness and the Light (4/10)
6) Valiant (2/10)
7) Chrysalis (4.5/10)

The only ep out of all of those I really hated was "Valiant". The others are just the lowest scoring ones from each season, even though I was able to find some positive elements in all of them. The only reason "Valiant" got a 2 instead of a 1 is because I liked it when the new Defiant ship showed up, as I'd been wondering when that was coming. Too bad they wasted it.

Those are your worst episodes? Really? Well, OK, everyone has different tastes...

S7: Chimera - Another strong season with very few potholes. But again, we're supposed to be unsure about who to feel sympathy for, Odo or Laas. Again, there's nothing redeeming about Laas, so the episode fails.

One of the best episodes of season 7.

So you believe that an episode is bad if a guest star is not likable enough? And I don't think that 'choosing a side' was ever the point.

 

[Admiral Shran]

^ No, an episode isn't bad just because the guest star isn't likeable. I don't like Dukat or Winn, but I love the episodes they're in because they offer great foils to the heros. I also don't think we're ever supposed to side with either of them.

But in Chimera's case, we're obviously expected to feel at least some sympathy for Laas - if nothing else then to see things from his point of view. However, I can't do that since he's portrayed as such an inflexible racist. He offers the Solid characters nothing but contempt and hate, even when they do nothing to him to justly elicit those responses. He also refuses to change his ways, or even accept that he might be wrong, when Kira helps him escape.

With Dukat and Winn, we saw that they were capable of being three dimensional characters - they weren't solely out to be bastards or be evil or the sake of being evil. With Laas, however, I honestly feel the writers let us down. They give him no redeeming qualites.

 

[Nightdiamond]

True, Laas's character was not very likable IMO.

If he was portrayed in any other way, he might have caught the viewers' interest and sympathy, but he came off as too bitter and bland.

His whole attitude made the episode a bummer.

It's strange how he resents solids, yet doesn't want anything to do with the Founders who feel exactly the same way, strange logic.