TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

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Bryan Moore
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TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by Bryan Moore »

What does everyone consider their most unwatchable episode of TNG. I'm not necessarily saying "worst" but the one that you will absolutely skip when you are on your DVD/Prime/Netflix TNG binge. I'd still consider "Shades of Gray" to be the worst episode in theory, but it is at least watchable as a clip-show. I've easily watched the series in order at least a dozen times over the last 15 years, and I am to the point where I will absolutely skip through "When the Bough Breaks" and "Man of the People."

I don't inherently hate the plot of "When the Bough Breaks," and I think it is a great concept but with awful execution and utterly painful to watch the child actors. "Man of the People" is probably the worst non-clipshow episode of the series. "Hey, remember 'Violations' - let's find a way to make it even more Troi-centric and even worse!" Even "Threshold" has a certain ridiculous camp factor, as do most of the really bad episodes of TOS/TNG/DS9, and yet I absolutely refuse to sit through that episode under any circumstances.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by bladela »

Uhm...for me...It's a challenge between "The Last Outpost", "Shades of gray" and "Sub Rosa" at first glance
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by Nutso »

The one where Data is the the Sun and The Moon. I didn't understand it the first time, don't want a second time.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by Graham Kennedy »

Excepting Shades of Grey because it's not really "an episode"... I'd probably say it's a toss up between The Royale and The Icarus Factor.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by McAvoy »

I can't remember the episode but it was early first season episode where Yar gets kidnapped. Just an uncomfortable episode for me.

Shades of Gray is just a clip show I usually skip like I do with other clip shows. The only time I don't do that is with Stargate SG-1. Usually they have something significant happen during them.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

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Graham Kennedy wrote:Excepting Shades of Grey because it's not really "an episode"... I'd probably say it's a toss up between The Royale and The Icarus Factor.
Good call on The Icarus Factor. It's not a guaranteed skip-over and has a few points in it I like, but that's an episode I'm doing laundry, cooking dinner, or shining shoes while it's on...

I have a completely nostalgia-related weak spot with The Royale. I know it's not a good episode, but I absolutely loved it as a 6 year old when it first aired and while I remember certain details of the first season (was 4 - 5) as it first aired, season 2 was the first one I can remember each episode as a first run, and Royale was one of those I always used to look forward to seeing pop back up in syndication, and still enjoy when it pops up on BBC America.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by Bryan Moore »

bladela wrote:Uhm...for me...It's a challenge between "The Last Outpost", "Shades of gray" and "Sub Rosa" at first glance
Yeah, Sub Rosa is a rough one. It's amazing how bad the bad episodes in season 7 are. Even as an 11-year-old, this episode came off as utterly stupid. Come to think of it, upon my last viewing of the series, I probably fast forwarded through 2/3 of it.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by Mikey »

I’m thinking “The Naked Now.” If I wanted to see TOS reruns, then I’d watch TOS reruns.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

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Mikey wrote:I’m thinking “The Naked Now.” If I wanted to see TOS reruns, then I’d watch TOS reruns.
Heh, yeah that was a rough one, although I'd rather watch that than probably 10 other from that season.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

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Star Trek meets Robin Hood! Or a.k.a. Season 4, Episode 20 “Qpid” and by the great bird of the sky {Roddenberry}, what an aptly named episode! I felt so Stu-Pid after watching Qpid (both when it came out and the few times since when the episodes are on auto-play and I finished watching the Nth degree). Which the Nth is Still one of my favorites, although I’ve been spotting more and more plot holes and conveniences to it the more times I do.

Anywho!

Qpid has my vote for the episode which I prefer to skip!

Although again... there is one VERY amusing scene, it doesn’t make it worth the watch but cracks me up whenever I see it or think about it. Approximately 28 minutes into the episode, Wolf gently takes an instrument out of Geordi’s Hands and SMASHES it against a tree! Then apologizes for it. That is Sooooo wolfs character! He was being driven insane by the awful way Geordie played it, destroyed the thing causing his pain, then since he’s so accustomed to humans, apologizes for his actions. Perfect and funny.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

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00111010 01000100 wrote:Star Trek meets Robin Hood! Or a.k.a. Season 4, Episode 20 “Qpid” and by the great bird of the sky {Roddenberry}, what an aptly named episode! I felt so Stu-Pid after watching Qpid (both when it came out and the few times since when the episodes are on auto-play and I finished watching the Nth degree). Which the Nth is Still one of my favorites, although I’ve been spotting more and more plot holes and conveniences to it the more times I do.

Anywho!

Qpid has my vote for the episode which I prefer to skip!

Although again... there is one VERY amusing scene, it doesn’t make it worth the watch but cracks me up whenever I see it or think about it. Approximately 28 minutes into the episode, Wolf gently takes an instrument out of Geordi’s Hands and SMASHES it against a tree! Then apologizes for it. That is Sooooo wolfs character! He was being driven insane by the awful way Geordie played it, destroyed the thing causing his pain, then since he’s so accustomed to humans, apologizes for his actions. Perfect and funny.
To be honest I think 90% of the fan population will watch that episode for that scene and Worf's ' Sir I must protest I am not a merry man!'.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

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McAvoy wrote:
00111010 01000100 wrote:Star Trek meets Robin Hood! Or a.k.a. Season 4, Episode 20 “Qpid” and by the great bird of the sky {Roddenberry}, what an aptly named episode! I felt so Stu-Pid after watching Qpid (both when it came out and the few times since when the episodes are on auto-play and I finished watching the Nth degree). Which the Nth is Still one of my favorites, although I’ve been spotting more and more plot holes and conveniences to it the more times I do.

Anywho!

Qpid has my vote for the episode which I prefer to skip!

Although again... there is one VERY amusing scene, it doesn’t make it worth the watch but cracks me up whenever I see it or think about it. Approximately 28 minutes into the episode, Wolf gently takes an instrument out of Geordi’s Hands and SMASHES it against a tree! Then apologizes for it. That is Sooooo wolfs character! He was being driven insane by the awful way Geordie played it, destroyed the thing causing his pain, then since he’s so accustomed to humans, apologizes for his actions. Perfect and funny.
To be honest I think 90% of the fan population will watch that episode for that scene and Worf's ' Sir I must protest I am not a merry man!'.
It is my least favorite Q episode by a mile and probably would put it in my bottom 20% of total episodes, but I don't think I have ever thought of it as anything awful. Though, considering it was in the middle of that absolute peak of awesome seasons, it doesn't hold up.
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Re: TNG's Most Unwatchable Episode

Post by McAvoy »

Like I said, I think fans who watch the episode will way h it for basically those two scenes before changing it.

Unless they are doing a series re-watch.
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