The Least Disliked Episode 2025 - TNG Season 3

[BlueStuff]

Our addictive biyearly game of rapid elimination returns - now with more shows than ever. It's generally a lot of fun, providing a chance to mentally revisit those episodes you may not have thought about in a while. With that in mind, why not play again?

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: The Next Generation
Hall of Champions
2011 - The Best of Both Worlds (I)
2013 - The Measure of a Man
2015 - All Good Things…
2017 - The Best of Both Worlds (I)
2019 - Yesterday’s Enterprise
2021 - Q Who
2023 - Q Who
2025 -

Season 3
Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Seven of Five]

Menage a Troi isn't very funny and is an easy first pick.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[raneclowd]

Tin Man was just weird and it wasn’t presented in a very good way.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Qonundrum]

When a sitcom from nigh on two decades earlier did it better:

A Matter of Perspective

And if Troi states everyone is telling the truth in the way they see it, and in every instance Riker gets a bit naughty, which remains unanswered.

Plus, this is just excessive soap opera in what's supposed to be the sci-fi genre!

So now to switch extremes (and genres!)...

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Hey cool, look at their lovely teeth 3 minutes in! Each recurring gag is hilarious, probably! And more creative in this than anything in this TNG episode! Never mind the technology the holodeck can create down to actual working pieces via the replicator element (which is still limited to the holodeck confines, despite being replicated and not a fabricated array force fields with reflective light holography! Where's the override so anyone can whip up anything and then remove it from the holodeck without it magically disappearing, like what my morning cereal did... no worries, the cereal will reappear in a day or so, like that's important or anything... just like how the hippie there could have a really fancy leather jacket, but I won't have a cow over that...)


What's left:
Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Victoria]

There's nothing particularly wrong with "The Vengeance Factor". On the other hand, there's nothing particularly right either. It's a run-of-the-mill episode.

(A Matter of Perspective is really interesting from the hindsight of the MeToo campaign. A lot of Riker's behaviour in TNG could be viewed as predatory. WE know that he's "all right" because he's one of Our Heroes - but that's exactly how a lot of predators got - and get - excused.)

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Seven of Five]

The Price has annoying Ferengi characters, and a dull Troi romance.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Qonundrum]

NINJA'D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More soap opera, for which even having an entire act of Troi and Beverly in sickbay discussing all the diseases she'd picked up wouldn't have helped, and not because the 24th century is sold to us by wordlessly suggesting that space cooties are a thing of the past.

The Price

I did manage to find the best scene from the episode, which is this:

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Pretty awesome stuff, but not enough to save it this from lasting any longer, like this:

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[Qonundrum]

Hmmm, he's not Norman for sure:

Transfigurations

It's a shallow filler episode, with too many magic moments to really believe. TNG did far better in this and previous seasons. All it does is set precedent for Worf having his spine broken and leading to episodes arguably dumber than this one at times.

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See, after everyone is Force-choked by the Derp Vaper race, Jon D'oh touches a person and then touches a panel that magically saves everyone. That part is cut because the YT channel uploader probably decided that the panel-touch was beyond too stupid. So the cut ends up with everyone on the bridge recovering. Don't ask how Christi from this episode is all of a sudden attached to Geordi, even though she got permanent cold tootsies from him in "Booby Trap", it's another big of magical excess in that she would be turned around THAT MUCH. I feel sorry for the story and teleplay editors trying to craft this into something watchable.



And now, here's Norman!

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Oh wait, wrong one. Please don't get Nomad...

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Dang, the original Borg certainly had their hoses looking less inorganic!


What's left:

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Takeru]

The Bonding is out, I never cared for this episode at all, how they basically left Jeremy alone to deal with his grief was horrible and the alien who wants to take care of him is then told that's wrong? Not that the alien faking to be his mom was a great idea but at least there was an attempt and not just "Jeremy, I have to inform you that you mother is dead ... that's all, bye!"


Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Victoria]

This is the first year that I've played these sorts of games and I'm beginning to realise that I could probably list my prejudices , allocate a number to each then just put up the numbers against each epsidoe I chose. Make difficult reading though...

"Evolution" is an episode where Wesley is allowed to do dangerous things unsupervised and yet another visitor to the ship decides they are allowed to ignore the decisions made by the people in charge.


The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Qonundrum]

If you dig episodes with lots of swathy assumptions around some otherwise interesting one-liners:

Who Watchers the Watchers?

It has moments, but is it really in the top-15? No. It's around middle-of-the-pack for me, if not lower. But in context, the top 77% of the season is at least good. The bad ones are closer to Star Drek...

On surface-level, it's got a few great scenes. Including meaning up Nuria to show her the universe, and thankfully the Edogod isn't around. The episode almost feels like a response to "Justice" in that regard.

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Even the teaser dances around the issues, on Staaaaaaaaaar Trek You Get The Idea.

What's left:
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[suarezguy]

Already all the episodes are at least OK or better but I think least favorite here is "The Ensigns of Command", just not very memorable or worthwhile, I think not even real involving when first watching.

The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Qonundrum]

The Bonding is out, I never cared for this episode at all, how they basically left Jeremy alone to deal with his grief was horrible and the alien who wants to take care of him is then told that's wrong? Not that the alien faking to be his mom was a great idea but at least there was an attempt and not just "Jeremy, I have to inform you that you mother is dead ... that's all, bye!"

^^this. It all feels so hyperfocused on the kid, someone says nobody's alone on the starship Enterprise, and then the episode ends, where we know the kid is sent to starbase afterward.

The story does have a few great character scenes that help add to characters, but it's not more than the sum of its parts. At least it's got parts, so that's a big plus on its own.

The candy bar sweepstakes winner who got to be on the show isn't bad, and it's another example of "incorporeal alien life form feeing remorse and wants to help" was okay, but that ending ranks up there with Wile E Coyote and a cliff.

This is the first year that I've played these sorts of games and I'm beginning to realise that I could probably list my prejudices , allocate a number to each then just put up the numbers against each epsidoe I chose. Make difficult reading though...

"Evolution" is an episode where Wesley is allowed to do dangerous things unsupervised and yet another visitor to the ship decides they are allowed to ignore the decisions made by the people in charge.

It feels like an almost cynical reaction to season 1 Wesley. Season 2 Wesley had some real character growth - going through mistakes and being better at the end. Season 3 starts out with Wesley making the dumbest blunder to date, but it still has that panache of reminding us how space is a dangerous place, even if it's by sheer accident as Wesley F Crusher showed. The "F" stands for "Frankiesnanoproblem".

The baseball stuff comes out a bit much as well, this feels almost like a season one episode at times. Just with that season 3 feel that could make most episodes even better as a result of that tone/feel.

Dr Stubby's ignoring the decisions is almost solid enough, given the literal once-in-a-lifetime deadline. He's just lucky that the power of plot means the Nanites could put the ship back together, on top of everything else.

 

[Seven of Five]

It's a lot of fun at points, but Allegience doesn't compare to the rest.

The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Sakonna]

All remaining are good episodes. I'll ax "The Hunted", for being the one I rewatch the least of these. Probably just because it's so similar to "The High Ground" (the episode immediately after it!) in it's basic structure, and "The High Ground" is better.

The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Qonundrum]

It's arguably the weakest of the list, but has some big moments, plus one awesome action scene:

The High Ground

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That music is definitive TNG and some action never hurts. But how come "red alert, sound general quarters" is the same sound as the usual red alert klaxon? If you want people to stay put in their quarters, have a different sound, sorta like this:

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...that'll get the crew's attention...

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Catfight!! With some great Beverly moments regarding medical advice, and she knows she's not engaged in Stockholm Syndrome either. The scene could be stronger, especially if they had Horta tunneling because it's small universe syndrome and all, but it easily could have been far weaker, especially if they had Horta tunneling because it's small universe syndrome and all.

Plus, 80s hair is hawt.


What's left:
The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Captrek]

These are all good episodes. I’ll pick Booby Trap because Geordi is so cringe it can be uncomfortable to watch.

The Survivors
The Enemy
The Defector
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Captain's Holiday
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[BlueStuff]

Captain's Holiday, out you go. Sorry, not a Vash fan - and TNG's Ferengi episodes weren't good.

The Survivors
The Enemy
The Defector
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Sakonna]

"The Enemy" The guest Romulan actor is not great. Otherwise a spectacular episode.

The Survivors
The Defector
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds (I)

 

[Qonundrum]

The direction and all-in-one-takes are great, but

Sarek

is just TNG's version of "Day of the Dove" and "The Naked Time" combined, with possible character assassination of Sarek in the process.

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MEOW!!

...wish I could find the scene where Wesley and Geordi spat, but until then:

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WWF24th! With commentary from someone who's not Jerry Springer...

What's left:
The Survivors
The Defector
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
The Best of Both Worlds (I)