Worst TNG Episodes

[Dan M]

I'm a bit more tolerant of season two.

Season seven was the most disappointing for me.  After four seasons of almost uniformly good-to-great episodes, there were a number of duds.  The following never worked for me.

"Dark Page" -- A psychic breakdown puts Lwaxana Troi in a coma, and Deanna works to save her life.

"Sub Rosa" -- Dr. Crusher attends her grandmother's funeral, and takes on an unusual family tradition.

"Masks" -- The Enterprise finds an ancient library that recreates its civilization by taking possession of Data and transforming the ship.

"Genesis" -- A routine medical treatment inadvertently creates a virus that begins to de-evolve the Enterprise crew.

"Bloodlines" -- DaiMon Bok returns to exact revenge on Picard, by trying to kill the son Picard never knew he had.

"Emergence" -- The Enterprise becomes an emergent intelligence.

[psikeyhackr]

"Emergence" -- The Enterprise becomes an emergent intelligence.

Yeah, that was silly.  Another episode I just tend to forget.

psik

[space_invader64]

I liked the 7th season real well but felt that all good things was a let down.  Kind of like the last seinfeld and cheers; it has many better episodes along the way.

[moyer777]

I'm a bit more tolerant of season two.

Season seven was the most disappointing for me.  After four seasons of almost uniformly good-to-great episodes, there were a number of duds.  The following never worked for me.

"Dark Page" -- A psychic breakdown puts Lwaxana Troi in a coma, and Deanna works to save her life.

"Sub Rosa" -- Dr. Crusher attends her grandmother's funeral, and takes on an unusual family tradition.

"Masks" -- The Enterprise finds an ancient library that recreates its civilization by taking possession of Data and transforming the ship.

"Genesis" -- A routine medical treatment inadvertently creates a virus that begins to de-evolve the Enterprise crew.

"Bloodlines" -- DaiMon Bok returns to exact revenge on Picard, by trying to kill the son Picard never knew he had.

"Emergence" -- The Enterprise becomes an emergent intelligence.

wow, you know, that is wild, cause some of those aren't my favorite either.  Kind of cool to hear that others think the same.  I have watched them all several times, but not as much as the other episodes.  I thought masks was hard because although Brent is one of my favorite actors, it was a little over the top for me.  I don't know.  Just wasn't one of my favorites.

[jedijeff]

I have to agree with Dan as well on some of those, to be honest I had forgotten some such as Sub Rosa and Bloodlines, but now I am and how much I did not care for them. Masks was one I was really looking forward to, but for whatever reason, it failed to get me. Genesis is one that I can always watch, just for what happens in that episode, but agree that it is probably not one of the better ones.

A few that I do not like

Schisms - Alien Abduction episode, just does not fit for me in the Star Trek Universe as they encounter new Aliens all the time.

Frame of Mind - Riker in an Alien Mental hospital, and a play, just did not care for this one.

The Game - It is not that I cant watch this episode, just have a tough time believing that the whole crew can be so easily manipulated, and it takes some Junior Officers to solve it in the end. The Enterprise Crew is better then that.

Menage a Troi - This one just seemed boring to me.

The Icarus Factor - Just did not care for the Story of Riker and his Dad, and how the climax of the story was them battling each other in an anbo-jytsu match that looked ridiculous to me. This one is strange for me as well, since it followed Time Squared, which was the episode that had got me really excited about TNG.

I also agree that Shades of Grey was pretty weak as well.

[Dan M]

Shades of Grey was awfully weak, but I've always cut them slack because of the behind-the-scenes reasons for it that Kenny explained.

[PepperDude]

I know I watched Shades of Gray but I don't remember much about it, so perhaps it was bad.

[psikeyhackr]

These are the bottom 30 according to the surveys at the link.

Code Select Expand

48      Shades Of Gray          7/17/1989       148     3.90

129     Man Of The People       10/5/1992       229     5.79
14      Angel One               1/25/1988       115     5.99

120     Cost Of Living          4/20/1992       220     6.07
139     Aquiel                  2/1/1993        239     6.07
4       Code Of Honor           10/12/1987      104     6.08
110     New Ground              1/6/1992        210     6.08
31      Loud As A Whisper       1/9/1989        132     6.15__
8       Justice                 11/9/1987       109     6.19
16      Too Short A Season      2/8/1988        112     6.19
122     Imaginary Friend        5/4/1992        222     6.22
36      The Dauphin             2/20/1989       136     6.27
166     Sub Rosa                1/31/1994       266     6.27
161     Force Of Nature         11/15/1993      261     6.29
30      The Outrageous Okona    12/12/1988      130     6.32
33      Unnatural Selection     1/30/1989       133     6.44
155     Interface               10/4/1993       255     6.44
45      Manhunt                 6/19/1989       145     6.51__
17      When The Bough Breaks   2/15/1988       118     6.53
40      The Icarus Factor       4/24/1989       140     6.54
113     The Masterpiece Society 2/10/1992       213     6.55
117     The Outcast             3/16/1992       217     6.64
56      The Price               11/13/1989      156     6.64
84      The Loss                11/26/1990      184     6.66
112     Violations              2/3/1992        212     6.70
174     Bloodlines              5/2/1994        274     6.71
57      The Vengeance Factor    11/20/1989      157     6.73
44      Up The Long Ladder      5/22/1989       144     6.73__
53      The Bonding             10/23/1989      153     6.73
11      Haven                   11/30/1987      105     6.75

http://www.tv.com/star-trek-the-next-generation/show/137/episode_listings.html?tag=subtabs;list

Best of Both Worlds is one of the most highly rated episodes whereas The Masterpiece Society is in the bottom 30.  But if I was running a college class about the social signicance of science fiction I would much sooner have the class watch The Masterpiece Society.  Best of Both Worlds is much more exciting but it contains no social issues to address.  If some dangerous aliens are coming to wipe you out you are gong to defend youself, what is there to discuss or think about?

But The Masterpiece Society deals with genetic engineering and self determination.  Right now we are only dealing with genetically engineered plants but the issue is going to get more serious real soon.

So I guess Star Trek episodes need two ratings.  One for enjoyment and the other for relevance.

psik

[Jen]

Justice
On the garden-like planet of Rubicam II, Wesley breaks an unwritten law and is sentenced to death. I don't know why, I just hate these types of episodes...The love sick hippies skipping and dancing everywhere is over done in Star Trek. Who the heck sends a teenager down to find out if it's a good place for young people to hang out? Just before Picard has Wes assigned to the away team, Tasha was joking about how everyone "makes love at the drop of a hat—any hat." And they still thought it was a good idea to take "the boy"?

Night Terrors
Troi has strange dreams in which she drifts in a dark cloudy vortex. The lights shine in the distance, and the phrases "eyes in the dark" is repeated. The rest of the crew also begins to have odd experiences. This one annoyed the heck out of me.

Sub Rosa
When Dr. Crusher buries her grandmother on the Caldos Colony, she encounters a family ghost. Just dumb.

Genesis
The crew of the Enterprise is infected by a cellular virus which causes it to transform and deevolve into a variety of bizarre manifestations. Again...dumb. And no one suffered from mental trauma in subsequent episodes. I don't know about you, but I would be a little disturbed if I turned into a salamander and my boyfriend turned a giant spider monster and tried to tear down my door to get to me.

[wraith1701]

Sub Rosa
When Dr. Crusher buries her grandmother on the Caldos Colony, she encounters a family ghost. Just dumb.

Yeah, that one was kind of weak. :(  It seemed like a rip-off of Anne Rice's "Witches of Mayfair" books.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I don't know, I kinda liked Sub Rosa myself, although it was just a little cheesy.  Justice was just a bad episode period.  All wrong and everything.  Bunch of hippies.....that treated the death sentence like god.  Oh wait, it was.....*sigh*

King Linksr

[Geekyfanboy]

I enjoyed Sub Rosa (Beverly didn't get many episodes that focus on just her) and Genesis was just alot of fun.

[Jen]

I enjoyed Sub Rosa (Beverly didn't get many episodes that focus on just her) and Genesis was just alot of fun.

I agree Kenny, Doctor Crusher needed more "Bevcentric" episodes but I personally didn't enjoy the soap opera they made Sub Rosa into. The idea was cool, but she was so googly-eyed...I don't know, I preferred the episode where she was in command of the Enterprise, or the episode where she fell in love with the Trill...

Genesis was fun...I'll give you that, but it was sort of corny.

[space_invader64]

I liked the scary scene when bev's grandmother comes to life in the coffin.  Another creepy trek moment.

[wraith1701]

Speaking of creepy, does anyone remember the name of the episode in which aliens from another dimension repeatedly kidnap and perform medical experiments on the crew of the ship?  After being returned, the abducted crew members have no memory of the experience, only vague feelings of dread and unease.  At one point, I think Worf is getting a haircut, and the barber's tools subconsciously remind him of the abductor's medical implements, which causes him to lash out in fear.

Even today, that episode freaks me out a little. :unsure