The Least Disliked Episode 2025 - DS9 Season 3

[BlueStuff]

So, here's the game. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. I'll provide a list of the episodes for each season and you need to eliminate your least favourite or the one you deem the 'worst.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed. Finally, leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode just because you feel it would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win. Pretty simple. Enjoy!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Hall of Champions
2011 - In the Pale Moonlight
2013 - In the Pale Moonlight
2017 - Improbable Cause
2019 - Tacking Into the Wind
2021 - Duet
2023 - Call to Arms
2025 -

Season 3
The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Equilibrium
Second Skin
The Abandoned
Civil Defense
Meridian
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Heart of Stone
Destiny
Prophet Motive
Visionary
Distant Voices
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Sakonna]

"Meridian" What a dog of an episode. Nothing works. Even by Trek's ROTW standards, this relationship is empty and impossible to invest in. I don't even like the B story anymore (aside from that one scene of Kira "winning" Quark's fake contest).

The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Equilibrium
Second Skin
The Abandoned
Civil Defense
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Heart of Stone
Destiny
Prophet Motive
Visionary
Distant Voices
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Detached Nacelle]

The easiest choice already gone. I too would have removed Meridian right away. No hesitation. But alas now to make a decision.

Distant Voices. In an incredibly strong season (apart from Meridian) I believe this to be the weakest of the remaining.

This round has only just started and it's already hard mode.

The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Equilibrium
Second Skin
The Abandoned
Civil Defense
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Heart of Stone
Destiny
Prophet Motive
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Eliminating Equilibrium. After the incredible Blood Oath, we're back to the juvenile portrayal of Dax. Again, she is barely a character in her own showcase episode. She reacts. It's Sisko who does all the action. And when the big reveal of the corruption of the Symbiosis Commission happens, she's asleep.

The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
The Abandoned
Civil Defense
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Heart of Stone
Destiny
Prophet Motive
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Victoria]

I am rarely enamoured of romantic storylines in Star Trek and "Heart of Stone" is no exception. I find the Odo/Kira conversation unconvincing, cringeworthy and just plain boring - and it serves no purpose. The Nog storyline, on the other hand, is very good.


The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
The Abandoned
Civil Defense
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Destiny
Prophet Motive
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Prophet Motive I suppose is a bit of a nothing episode, largely irrelevant and just loops back to the status quo as if nothing happened.

The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
The Abandoned
Civil Defense
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Destiny
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Farscape One]

A very strong season. Only a couple I would take out immediately, but they've already been voted off. Why are you guys forcing me to think so hard?


I'll take out "THE ABANDONED".

While it had a nice B story with the dinner with Mardah and the Siskos, and the A story was pretty good and we learn more about the Jem'Hadar, it's probably my least favorite of what remains.



The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
Civil Defense
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Destiny
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Cutting Fascination. I think that some people want to rehabilitate this episode, and it has moments, but it feels like a cheap trip to the Renaissance fair.

The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Life Support
Destiny
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Sakonna]

"Life Support" The worst pairing of A & B stories Trek has ever done.

The Search (I)
The Search (II)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Seven of Five]

I'm surprised The Search (II) is still here. Decent when dealing with the Odo/Kira story, but the the rest of the episode turning out to be a dream took the edge off.

The Search (I)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Victoria]

The Mirror Universe is one of those things in Star Trek that can make fun episodes but which doesn't stand up to much scrutiny. Like Section 31, the more the MU is visited, the more the problems stand out.

I liked "Mirror, Mirror" and I liked "Crossover". By Season 3, the MU well had been visited too often. "Through the Looking-Glass" gave us an uninteresting Jennifer, yet another Ferengi death (which, in terms of later episodes, was probably a mistake) and a rather weak story overall.



The Search (I)
The House of Quark
Second Skin
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I feel dirty but I think The Search part 1. It's really good but Odo was very whiny in this episode and T'Rul was such a missed opportunity for a regular.

The House of Quark
Second Skin
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Takeru]

Explorers, the premise is silly. This isn't even sci-fi, this is pure fantasy, even if I believe ancient bajorans build a spaceship out of metal and would and operated it with cranks and handles and somehow stored enough oxygen in this little dingy for several weeks ... how did they launch it into space in the first place? It has no propulsion system other than the sails.


The House of Quark
Second Skin
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Removing Second Skin. Improbable story that requires tons of overacting, which Visitor only partially delivers

The House of Quark
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Sakonna]

"Civil Defense" isn't aging as well as a lot of these. They really fumble that last act. There's no wrap-up scene with the characters who were trapped in Ops, and there really needs to be.

The House of Quark
Defiant
Past Tense (I)
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Farscape One]

Taking out "PAST TENSE, PART I".

Only because I am tired of time travel. (Good two-parter, though.)


The House of Quark
Civil Defense
Defiant
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Seven of Five]

Civil Defense is fun, but it would have fit better in S1 when thw crew was still getting used to the station.

The House of Quark
Defiant
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Civil Defense is fun, but it would have fit better in S1 when thw crew was still getting used to the station.

Civil Defence had already gone. Do you want to go again with the current selection while I debate which episode is less good.

 

[Victoria]

I am in a toss-up about my next choice. I have opted for "Family Business". I don't think there's anyting particularly wrong with the episode but there are others I prefer.

The House of Quark
Defiant
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Removing Defiant. The mistakes made by Tom Riker and the convoluted plot he devises make it more farce than thriller.



The House of Quark
Past Tense (II)
Destiny
Visionary
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Shakaar
Facets