Holy shit, I'd forgotten about this but yeah, that's awful as hell.
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What Is The Dumbest Episode Of Star Trek TNG?
- Thread starter Schlorgan
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Holy shit, I'd forgotten about this but yeah, that's awful as hell.
Not even a contest, IMO:
Other episodes are objectively dumber I guess, but I simply cannot watch this episode any more. Spiner is so awful here I just... I can't.
Alex Anderson
Member
+1 Genesis or as my mind remembered it all these years later "the horror one directed by one of the actors" - that's literally all I remembered about it til reading up on it, heh.
I watched TNG for the first time ten years ago, through the least critical eyes imaginable. Just ate the series up, loved it. But this episode I just thought was really stupid.
I watched TNG for the first time ten years ago, through the least critical eyes imaginable. Just ate the series up, loved it. But this episode I just thought was really stupid.
uncredited male
Member
The one where Data plays for the draw and everyone is cool with it.
The Horror the horror
Banned
Always felt bad for Geordi.
- Worf gets the hottest officer on the ship
- Wesley and Ashley Judd
- Data has sex with Tasha Yar
- Riker gets everyone (even ones not completely female)
- Picard hits Vash
Ghost Geordi had a shot at Ghost Ro Laren when they found out they could only touch each other but he fucks that up too.
- Worf gets the hottest officer on the ship
- Wesley and Ashley Judd
- Data has sex with Tasha Yar
- Riker gets everyone (even ones not completely female)
- Picard hits Vash
Ghost Geordi had a shot at Ghost Ro Laren when they found out they could only touch each other but he fucks that up too.
prag16
Banned
EDIT: LOL the posts above me and below me. So true. Poor Geordi. Couldn't hit a pig in the ass with a handful of pebbles from 20 feet..
Genesis is indeed bad. But it's still fun in a way though.
However this one:
Yeah... what the hell is this. Were they on drugs? This is definitely up there.
These two stick out even more since they were from later seasons. It's easier to "excuse" things like Code of Honor to a degree since a lot of it was kind of schlock the first couple seasons. Awful garbage became much more rare later on. I guess except for season 7. From late 2nd season all the way through season 6, I don't know if I'd skip ANY of them for my next full series re-watch. But season 7 has more shit than the preceding five seasons combined... That Wesley crusher episode season 7 was also awful; the one where he acts like a whiny bitch and quits Starfleet (and I'm not even a full blown rabid Wesley hater).
Genesis is indeed bad. But it's still fun in a way though.
However this one:
Not even a contest, IMO:
Yeah... what the hell is this. Were they on drugs? This is definitely up there.
These two stick out even more since they were from later seasons. It's easier to "excuse" things like Code of Honor to a degree since a lot of it was kind of schlock the first couple seasons. Awful garbage became much more rare later on. I guess except for season 7. From late 2nd season all the way through season 6, I don't know if I'd skip ANY of them for my next full series re-watch. But season 7 has more shit than the preceding five seasons combined... That Wesley crusher episode season 7 was also awful; the one where he acts like a whiny bitch and quits Starfleet (and I'm not even a full blown rabid Wesley hater).
uncredited male
Member
Didn't Geordi think he got laid one time but it tuned out he was actually captured and tortured by Romulans?
They later get married in the books and had kids.
The one where he read the girl's diary and feel in love with her, meets her and be like "hey boo"? That was so cringey
tearsintherain
Member
Its definitely planet of the black people (Code of Honor), the third episode I think? It got the director fired from the show for numerous reasons, including the terribly racist story and apparently the director openly started talking about why black people have problems and tried to use the episode as context, which of course horrified the cast and crew.
I always thought it was interesting that they didn't try and retool the episode in production, originally it was supposed to be a planet of lizard people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Honor_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)
I always thought it was interesting that they didn't try and retool the episode in production, originally it was supposed to be a planet of lizard people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Honor_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)
Yeah except then Geordi lays down some MRA shit on her and she ends up apologizing to him for some reason. It's so bad.
prag16
Banned
Got to the fourth episode out of 176 and just noped the fuck out of there? Haha come on...
That's... not how I remember it. I remember her acting like a dickhead for almost the entire time even before she saw the incriminating holodeck program. After she blew up on him for the program (which he didn't even exactly create) he just called her out for acting like an asshole. I don't recall any "MRA" shit. (interestingly, I had never even seen the "MRA" acronym until a few months ago... on gaf... and gaf is still the only place I've ever seen it used other than the time I had to look it up after first seeing it on gaf..)
The Horror the horror
Banned
Oh yeah. Damn, Geordi.
Now that I think about it, I don't think anyone's suffered more. Brainwashed by Romulans, stranded on a storm planet with a Romulan, "killed" by Romulans, phaser-shot multiple times by the Pakleds, tortured by Lore, reamed by the chief designer of the Enterprise...
shattyboombatty
Member
I came to post this exact one.
Runner up:
Not even a contest, IMO:
Back-In-Black
Banned
Nah, the funniest part is how he gets mad at her for looking at his creepy hologram.
Well, O'Brien gets promoted to main character, goes off to DS9 and then has his wife get possessed by aliens, his daughter lost in time and turned feral, tortured as a Maquis spy, surreptitiously cloned to perform an assassination, and then he spends the equivalent of decades in prison in the span of a day or two, real-time.
FeenixRising
Banned
Don't speak ill of Geordi's simp game!!
prag16
Banned
Well, hey, the best defense is a strong offense. Anyway as I said above she deserved some ire for her behavior the entire time she was on the ship (prior to seeing the holodeck program).
I give them credit for giving the old college try, concocting an in-universe explanation for why nearly every damn species looks 95% the same. Most other scifi has left at as "just because". Definitely wouldn't call that episode out as in the running for 'worst'.
shira
Member
Rhomega Beta
Member
I don't remember this episode very well, but I know I didn't like it and have no desire to see it again.
Frame of Mind is one of my favorites.
Don't forget the episode where he jumps forward in time to witness DS9's destruction and ends up swapping with his future counterpart!
Back-In-Black
Banned
Nah, I rewatched the episode recently she acted like a professional when she came on the ship, it was Geordi macking on her real hard that was wrong. She comes aboard and has a sort of "bitchy" attitude because she feels like these engineers are fucking up her designs. But, once she engages with Geordi on a professional level she finds him competent enough, then Geordi is all like, "let's discuss this more over dinner." At which point he lays his hologram knowledge of her to creep on her hard til she's like, "yeah, this dinner is not appropriate." Basically, low key inferring, "I ain't interested."
Things only escalate from there til Geordi gets caught and then gets mad at her for discovering his secret and him trying to reach out to her. Of course, he neglects to mention he wasn't just trying to "reach out" but get in her pants too.
dr3upmushroom
Banned
wait what? I've never seen an episode came in here out of curiosity. What was the outline of the story?
Yeah, Leah acted cold and criticized the changes Geordi made to her design. Meanwhile Geordi created a holodeck double of Leah and is enacting engineering fantasies with her (seriously "every time you touch the engine you are touching me"...what the hell?). I don't blame Brahms for feeling creeped out and violated. Yet when she gets pissed Geordi throws it back in her face. I'm not a fan of the way it played out.
You will have no vaccine! AND NO LIEUTENANT YAR!
I can't say Code of honor because while it's many things including the worst episode, offensive and something that never should have made it through production never mind actually airing, it's not what I would qualify as dumbest.
The answer for me and I am not the first to say it in this thread is the fact that the season 2 finale is a money saving bottle episode, that's also a clip episode. That is actually the definition of dumb and if any show tried that now in today's world with current sensibilities it would probably lose its audience for good.
The answer for me and I am not the first to say it in this thread is the fact that the season 2 finale is a money saving bottle episode, that's also a clip episode. That is actually the definition of dumb and if any show tried that now in today's world with current sensibilities it would probably lose its audience for good.
What's the episode where Geordi's real life version of his holo-deck girlfriend is coming to the ship and he's like awww yeah I'm gonna get laid even though he's never met her or even talked with her.
He meets her and there's no chemistry, and she finds out about his creepy little holo-deck version of her and is justifiably creeped out, and he's all like "WTF respect my privacy".
And then at the end she apologizes and they laugh about it and totally lets him off the hook.
That one was pretty bad.
Edit: I can't remember the episode because I'm pretty sure the creepy Geordi sub plot has nothing much to do with the A plot.
He meets her and there's no chemistry, and she finds out about his creepy little holo-deck version of her and is justifiably creeped out, and he's all like "WTF respect my privacy".
And then at the end she apologizes and they laugh about it and totally lets him off the hook.
That one was pretty bad.
Edit: I can't remember the episode because I'm pretty sure the creepy Geordi sub plot has nothing much to do with the A plot.
BlackSalad
Member
Truth, so awkward, but by the end sort of enjoyable once the conclusion happens
First season is cringe worthy though, which has a different feel in itself, I really find some sort of appreciation for every episode. Not so much the literal content but episodes either have an interesting theme or have some interesting action. I hate the action episodes in general.
Also watched the black person planet episode just because of this thread, its not that bad, it is about on par for any episode in the first season, just sort of meh
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Code of Honor is just uncomfortable to drudge through. It's one of the reasons I don't mind skipping some episodes when I marathon the series.
Shades of Grey.. Gray.. whatever is a clip show with a stupid framing plot, I can skip it too.
Sub Rosa as people say is that one with the ghost boyfriend? Yeah, that one is boring too.
I'll also add that or any episode where Crusher's replacement, what's her stupid name, is racist against Data. It was cute when Bones makes fun of Spock, but fuck whatever her name is in that episode. At least just those parts and not the whole episode. Ugh, why couldn't Crusher's actress just stay with the show. Glad she came back. Ugh.
Shades of Grey.. Gray.. whatever is a clip show with a stupid framing plot, I can skip it too.
Sub Rosa as people say is that one with the ghost boyfriend? Yeah, that one is boring too.
I'll also add that or any episode where Crusher's replacement, what's her stupid name, is racist against Data. It was cute when Bones makes fun of Spock, but fuck whatever her name is in that episode. At least just those parts and not the whole episode. Ugh, why couldn't Crusher's actress just stay with the show. Glad she came back. Ugh.
GreenMonkey
Member
Sub Rosa, with Crusher and the ghost. Not only awful, but such a ripoff of another story they credit it in later runs if the episode due to lawsuit threat.
If you're gonna plagiarize, at least plagiarize and make something good!
If you're gonna plagiarize, at least plagiarize and make something good!
Zoe
Member
Darmok was fine during the first viewing, but it doesn't hold up for rewatching.
Escape Goat
Member
Rascals
Did the cast just want a week off?
Did the cast just want a week off?
i vote The Cost of Living. most of the episode is about Lwaxana Troi and Worf's kid Alexander ditching everyone to go to a holodeck simulation of a planet of free spirits. it is a nightmarish realm of forced whimsy - Cirque Du Soleil as a bad acid trip. large chunks of time are spent w the two complaining while sitting with freaks in a mud bath. upon arriving there to check it out Worf encounters the below monstrosity, a head painted like a rubix cube, floating in a bubble, and prone to making derpy o-faces.
Didn't this dude show up in Menage a Troi, or am I confusing cringe Lwaxana eps
Isn't there a TNG episode where Geordie gets game
I swear this is a thing, some alien disease gives him swag or something
Escape Goat
Member
I think they were trying to do something topical relating to abortion.
Randy Lanzarote
Member
No hate for The Outrageous Okona? The TNG equivalent of Poochy The Dog rocking up the Zero One Dee on his skateboard.
I guess the worst thing about Genesis is it may well have inspired Threshold, which is surely a crime that can't be forgiven?
Honourable Mentions:
Sub Rosa
Up The Long Ladder
I guess the worst thing about Genesis is it may well have inspired Threshold, which is surely a crime that can't be forgiven?
Honourable Mentions:
Sub Rosa
Up The Long Ladder
JoshuaJSlone
Member
"I did fall asleep reading a particularly erotic chapter in my grandmother's journal." is a real BAIL OUT moment.
Don't forget trying to get Voyager going.
Because bad is not the same as dumb.Mudcrab said:
Ahaha, yeah, he was supposed to have been on Risa but was instead brainwashed by Romulans.
DiscoJer
Member
What bugs me is the one where they send Captain Piccard, Dr Crusher, and Worf on a secret commando mission into Cardassian territory.
Does the Federation not have any special forces? They have to send an elderly captain, a middle aged woman and the galaxy's most inept Klingon on a commando mission? I know, I know, there was a backstory about some sort of special technology only Piccard understand, but seriously, they couldn't send a proper escort?
Then later in the episode we learn that the best shuttle pilot on the ship are not the people who fly the shuttles all the time, but nope, the first officer of a starship. Never mind he probably hadn't flown a combat mission in 20 years and the normal shuttle pilots probably constantly train.
On the bright side, the episode finally got Troi to wear a proper uniform.
Does the Federation not have any special forces? They have to send an elderly captain, a middle aged woman and the galaxy's most inept Klingon on a commando mission? I know, I know, there was a backstory about some sort of special technology only Piccard understand, but seriously, they couldn't send a proper escort?
Then later in the episode we learn that the best shuttle pilot on the ship are not the people who fly the shuttles all the time, but nope, the first officer of a starship. Never mind he probably hadn't flown a combat mission in 20 years and the normal shuttle pilots probably constantly train.
On the bright side, the episode finally got Troi to wear a proper uniform.
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