The Least Disliked Episode 2025 - TOS Season 1

[Farscape One]

"Devil" is the more original story, taking a cue or two from Twlight Zone about "the baddie that isn't", whereas "Balance" - while excellent - has a few cliches going against it, being elevated more by pace and production tone.

But the last 10 or so on the list are all pretty well-rounded regardless!

I actually agree with you that "THE DEVIL IN THE DARK" is the more original story of the two. But "BALANCE OF TERROR" has that suspense and tension throughout that works extremely well, along with a brilliant acting moment from Shatner without even saying a word. (His final walk out if the chapel.)

Most of TOS season 1 is quite awesome, so I can live with "BALANCE OF TERROR" not making it this year. (It won twice for all of TOS already, and deservedly so. )

 

[Ceridwen]

Technically "The Naked Time" is still on the board due to @Qonundrum misreading the prompt...

But much as I like it, I dislike "The Devil in the Dark" less, it's so good, so I'll just go ahead and take care of that now. Well earned win to the Horta and all her babies.

 

[Qonundrum]

Technically "The Naked Time" is still on the board due to @Qonundrum misreading the prompt...

But much as I like it, I dislike "The Devil in the Dark" less, it's so good, so I'll just go ahead and take care of that now. Well earned win to the Horta and all her babies.

Which was fairly early on, I was already pointed out and gave moved on accordingly. Not sure what your intent in your reply's tone is, so please feel free to PM me to discuss this if you feel this is a genuinely significant issue or serious grievance.

 

[Ceridwen]

Which was fairly early on, I was already pointed out and gave moved on accordingly. Not sure what your intent in your reply's tone is, so please feel free to PM me to discuss this if you feel this is a genuinely significant issue or serious grievance.

Oh no, not a grievance at all, just noticed that it never got added back to the list and removed "officially".

Sorry.

 

[Qonundrum]

Oh no, not a grievance at all, just noticed that it never got added back to the list and removed "officially".

Sorry.

No worries, thanks for responding! I'm somewhat surprised that the post wasn't removed or game corrected up to that point as a possible workaround. Then again, time factor and other variables prevailing, it made sense to leave it be and by the time I saw being corrected the first time, I didn't think it'd be right for me to delete it, so I left it as it was.

 

[TRON JA307020]

I pretty much loved the entire first season. I would think most shows couldnt write that many excellent stand alone episodes in a season today.

 

[MarcKle1964]

S1 had few weak episodes, any I might have chosen were gone by Page 2.
What's left:

The Devil in the Dark

I would keep TDitD as it is 1) about radically different 'strange new life' and 2) It makes me want pan pizza while pontificating on the values and motivations of those unlike us. TSoP was more of a melodrama with happy little plant spores and wasn't as science-fiction-y as TDitD

 

[Qonundrum]

S1 had few weak episodes, any I might have chosen were gone by Page 2.
What's left:

The Devil in the Dark

I would keep TDitD as it is 1) about radically different 'strange new life' and 2) It makes me want pan pizza while pontificating on the values and motivations of those unlike us. TSoP was more of a melodrama with happy little plant spores and wasn't as science-fiction-y as TDitD

Pizza, and a big tub of mint frosting while making quips about not being a bricklayer.

TDitD, no relation to TDMMDI (for which some can be TMI). definitely deserved to be the winner. The Horta's writing skill is pretty superb as well, likely picking that up from Spock in the process. If this were, like, the Superfriends cartoon or something, they'd turn to the camera and belch out every last syllable of exposition before passing around oversized spoons for the audience to gag on, like for sure... That's why I always cheered for the Legion of Doom to win, but that's not important right now.

 

[Vger23]

A lot of the earlier eliminated choices surprised me, but I'm going to be painfully biased because TOS is my favorite TV series of all-time...so let me see how I get this all to shake out for S1:

Least Favorite/Skippable
Charlie X
Mudd's Women
Miri
This Side of Paradise
The Alternative Factor

Good but not Great/Relatively Entertaining
The Man Trap
The Enemy Within
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
Dagger of the Mind
The Conscience of the King
The Galileo Seven
The Squire of Gothos
Court Martial
The Return of the Archons
Space Seed
A Taste of Armageddon
Tomorrow is Yesterday
Operation: Annihilate!

Favorites/Frequent Rewatch
Where No Man Has Gone Before
The Naked Time
The Corbomite Maneuver
The Menagerie (I)
The Menagerie (II)
Balance of Terror
Shore Leave
Arena
The Devil in the Dark
Errand of Mercy
The City on the Edge of Forever