I grew up watching and loving Star Trek: The Next Generation. In fact, had I not been raised on Star Trek: The Next Generation, I don't think I would have been in a place to appreciate Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (my favorite show of all time) as much as I came to. But even with my love of the series, it's hard to go back and watch it objectively now because there were some episodes that were just plain terrible. There were some episodes that give terrible a bad name.
So, as a public service and for the enjoyment of my readers, and for those Scholars of Star Trek, here are the episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation to pass on, even when playing the drinking game, they are hours of your life you cannot get back:
10. "Code Of Honor" - reviewed here! - Garrett Wang (Harry Kim on Star Trek: Voyager) tells a wonderful story of his trepidation to join the series when his only experience with Star Trek: The Next Generation was this episode. It's easy to see why; "Code of Honor" has a b-grade camp quality to it that makes one cringe when watching it. It's amazing that the series survived its third week (when this episode aired) given how quickly it had such a significant dud,
9. "Man Of The People" - reviewed here! - Who doesn't love Counselor Deanna Troi? No one I know! After all, she strides around the ship in fun outfits, illustrating that she's a busty woman. Who wouldn't want to go to counseling when Troi is the counselor? I don't know, but it's a shame that when she gets an episode early in the seventh season and she becomes a psychic spittoon for a jerk that Marina Sirtis was forced to go along with it. And yes, the make-up is just plain terrible,
8. "Where Silence Has Lease" - reviewed here! - Second season, Star Trek: The Next Generation, writer's strike imminent. Episodes will be rerun many, many times before new episodes are written and shot. Why did this have to be one of them?! My review of the episode is so stark because NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS EPISODE! How much can someone write about an episode where the ship flies around in circles for several minutes before giving up and waiting for everyone to be killed? I hope whoever wrote this one got sacked as part of the writer's strike negotiations,
7. "The Neutral Zone" - reviewed here! - And joining that person should be whoever wrote this episode. Someone thought they could be clever and write an episode that simply combined elements of the original Star Trek episodes "Balance Of Terror" and "Space Seed" and throw in a hick to boot. The only thing that keeps this in the upper five of the bottom ten is that Marc Alaimo appears for a few seconds in the episode. Yea Marc! But really, whoever thought that this finale would get people to come back the next season, they ought to be prevented from ever doing anything creative again,
6. "The Outrageous Okona" - reviewed here! - How many famous celebrities can appear in an episode of a television show and have it still suck? Well, outside the main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, this episode features Whoopi Goldberg, Joe Piscapo, Billy Campbell, and Teri Hatcher (yes, THAT Teri Hatcher!) and it's still a dog. It's a dog that's so mangy kids don't cry when it's taken out back and shot. Half the episode involves Data trying to become a stand-up comic and the other half involves a rogue sleeping with various members of the crew, but the whole thing is just dumb,
5. "Shades of Gray" - reviewed here! - Clip show as a season finale. Do I honestly need to say more? Poor Pulaski to be written out on such a note,
4. "Hero Worship" - reviewed here! - I was shocked at a recent Star Trek convention to discover that there are people who actually love this episode! I'm convinced these people are the Star Trek fans most comparable to those people of faith who believe the Bible is the literal word of god and completely infallible (including all of the contradictory stuff, the concept of slave ownership and the right to stone your neighbors for sinning). When a young boy begins to emulate Data to avoid a trauma, the psychology is solid, but the episode is anything but,
3. "Devil's Due" - reviewed here! - As a person who sells Star Trek memorabilia, I'm keenly aware of things that interest fans of Star Trek. Recently, a Star Trek: The Next Generation trading card set was released and the incentive card for the binders was an autograph from the woman who played Ardra in this episode. Now despite the fact that this woman is rather attractive (even with the prosthetics), never does conventions, and has never signed for any of the trading card releases, her autograph in the binder did not drive anyone to buy a binder from me. That's how disliked her character was, that's how bad this episode was,
2. "The Royale" - reviewed here! - Second season again and this one was a close call for the worst of the bunch. You know how I suggested that whoever wrote "The Neutral Zone" ought to be barred from doing anything creative ever again? Well, "The Royale" is original, but it's so bad, it's a parody of bad and it's a parody of Star Trek: The Next Generation. When Riker, Worf and Data get trapped in an alien casino, things go from terrible to dismal to just plain suck. Not only should the writer and director of this episode be barred from ever making anything again remotely creative, they ought to be sterilized so they cannot have children who might make such monstrously stupid works. Added to that, the entire guest cast (save Sam Anderson) ought to be expelled from the Screen Actors Guild just for participating in this piece of utter idiocy,
and . . .
drumroll please . . .
1. "Force Of Nature" - reviewed here! - I'm an avid environmentalist and I still hate this episode! Two crazy environmentalists board the Enterprise with a crackpot theory that warp speed travel is destroying space (much like the deterioration of the ozone layer). They blow a hole in space to prove their theory and the science behind this episode makes no sense, nor does the whole plot and the characters are just ridiculous parodies. Even the actors walk through this last season episode looking like it's a bad idea. Maybe this was the real reason the series was canned . . .
For other, similar articles, please be sure to visit my articles on:
The Top Ten Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes
The Top Ten Star Trek Episodes
The Bottom Ten Star Trek Episodes
For other Star Trek reviews, please be sure to check out my Star Trek Review Index Page!
© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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