Game The Most Disliked 2-Hour/2-Part Episode

[Sakonna]

Next up in these themed elimination games: 2-Hour/2-Part Episodes!

THE RULES. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. Below is a list of all the 2-hour or 2-part episodes from every full-length live-action series. Eliminate your FAVORITE or the one you deem the 'BEST.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed.

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.

In the 2019 Least Disliked games, the winner for this list was "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light", DS9 Season 5.

Enjoy!

TOS, Season 1: “The Menagerie”
TNG, Season 1: “Encounter At Farpoint”
TNG, Season 3 & 4: “The Best Of Both Worlds”
TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 5 & 6: “Time’s Arrow”
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
TNG, Season 7: “All Good Things…”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 2 & 3: “Basics”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello/Battle At The Binary Stars"
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Qonundrum]

A plot within a plot!

TOS, Season 1: “The Menagerie”​

Very clever way to take a pilot never meant to be seen by the public, chop out extraneous bits, and add it deftly into a larger framework story.


What's left:

TNG, Season 1: “Encounter At Farpoint”
TNG, Season 3 & 4: “The Best Of Both Worlds”
TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 5 & 6: “Time’s Arrow”
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
TNG, Season 7: “All Good Things…”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 2 & 3: “Basics”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Sakonna]

And I am going to make a probably unexpected choice and save "Basics." I have always been fond of this one, in a guilty pleasure way. It is an iconicly ridiculous TV cliffhanger to me, like Kimberly blowing up the building on "Melrose Place", Bobby in the shower on "Dallas", "We have to go back!" on "Lost", "Who Shot JR", "Who Shot Mr. Burns." It's just perfectly bonkers in it's ballsiness, I am forced to respect it.

And right now, there is nothing I crave more than brainless ridiculousness, and none of these is more perfect in it's brainlessness than "Basics." I LOOOOOVE the way it just piles thing after thing on at the end of part 1. Explosions on the ship! Kazon take over! Crew stranded! With volcanoes! And giant lizards! And cave people! And Chakotay's baby has been stolen by it's diva villainess mother! Psycho Killer is alive and our only hope! Also the Doctor! And Paris blew up somewhere maybe! So many things!

TNG, Season 1: “Encounter At Farpoint”
TNG, Season 3 & 4: “The Best Of Both Worlds”
TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 5 & 6: “Time’s Arrow”
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
TNG, Season 7: “All Good Things…”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Brennyren]

Well, I'll go for an obvious choice and save "Best of Both Worlds." The cliffhanger that TV has been trying (and failing) to beat ever since it aired, and its not-quite-as-great-but still-pretty-darn-good sequel. "Mr. Worf, fire!" sent me into a summer of agonized suspense, all the more so because Patrick Stewart was re-negotiating his contract and I feared he might really not come back!

TNG, Season 1: “Encounter At Farpoint”
TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 5 & 6: “Time’s Arrow”
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
TNG, Season 7: “All Good Things…”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Qonundrum]

To boldly go... by bring in something fishy and dug up.

TNG, Season 1: “Encounter At Farpoint”

Q may be based on Trelane and Norse god Loki but also ends up being very much entertaining from the get-go, in part by an astute John DeLancie who saw the character and made it his own.

Troi is also given a great introduction, since none of the humans would have been able to figure out they were walking inside a big space jelly. Not nearly as quickly, if at all. A shame her character was too often "I sense the obvious, Captain."

Space jellyfish was a little fishy and the overall story is bland, but it introduces a new generation with potential, a potential later fulfilled.

There's an unintentional LGBT allegory as well - Q judging humanity, with Picard standing up and saying "We do exactly what we would do if this Q never existed. If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are."

And Q simply rocks. But it begs a question; if Q put the Klingons on trial and Worf was zapping everything in sight...?


What's left:

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 5 & 6: “Time’s Arrow”
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
TNG, Season 7: “All Good Things…”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Sakonna]

"Time's Arrow." I discovered TNG in the middle of season 5, so this is my BOBW.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
TNG, Season 7: “All Good Things…”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Vger23]

The DS9 premier "Emissary" is not only my favorite 2-hour Trek episode, it's one of my favoite Star Trek tales of all time. I love everything about it...the new setting, the slow introductions we get to the various characters, and the classic Trek first contact with beings who don't trust us. It also has some great action and tremendous production values.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
TNG, Season 7: “All Good Things…”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Brennyren]

"All Good Things...." is simply the best of the Trek series finales. A gripping storyline combined with a tone and theme reflective of all of TNG's seven years. All the actors had something meaty to play, but Patrick Stewart, the center of the story just as he'd been the center of the series, stunned. John deLancie was, as always, his perfect foil. And the closing scene was sweet and poignant.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Tim Thomason]

I assume "The Vulcan Hello" / "Battle of the Binary Stars" isn't included because it's part of the larger narrative of Discovery Season 1. I feel they should probably be included in future renditions of this list, because they are relatively self-contained as a story arc (Star Trek: Shenzhou), seperate from the rest of the season, and were aired together as an opening episode in the same vein as Encounter at Farpoint, Emissary, Caretaker, etc. What We Leave Behind and Such Sweet Sorrow were equally parts of a longer story arc (DS9 Final Chapter and Discovery Red Angel Saga), but are included as two-part stories.

 

[Seven of Five]

My first go is Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast, which are two of my favourite episodes of DS9. There is a great cliffhanger, with Garak deciding to return to Tain's side. Then there is the awful torture scene that Garak instigated for Odo, with great performances from Robinson and Auberjonois.

There's amazing tension with the Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar racing towards fleet attacking the Founder homeworld, only to discover the were too late.

There is a lot of great dialogue in this episode, and the action was breathtaking.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 1: “Emissary”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[ananta]

DS9, Season 3: “Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast” is saved.

I think this may be the moment DS9 went from something I enjoyed to something I was all out obsessed with and became my favourite Trek show. I love the way it builds from a fairly ‘run of the mill’ incident (well as run of the mill as an exploding tailor shop can be) into an utterly epic intergalactic incident which forever changed the show’s landscape by kicking the Dominion conflict into gear. The first episode is an engaging mystery while the second episode blows the roof off with a thrilling invasion, those painfully brutal torture scenes with Garak and Odo —and, man, it was great to see the Defiant in action. I loved the Machiavellian twists and turns, the character work and the grand epic scale of it all. This set a new bar and DS9 would never be quite the same after this.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “Year Of Hell”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[ananta]

Damn, I did it again. Sorry Seven of Five, great minds think alike

 

[The Keller Machine]

Year of Hell - one of my favourite stories in the whole franchise. Would have loved it to be a season long arc.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 6: "Favor The Bold/Sacrifice Of Angels"
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego”

 

[ananta]

Since my vote didn’t count, I vote to remove DS9 - “Favor the Bold” / “Sacrifice Angel”.

Just peak DS9 in every way, a powerful climax to the thrilling occupation arc, as ambitious a thing as Trek had ever ventured at this point. Some decried the Prophets intervention as a deus ex machina, but truthfully the Prophets had always been an important aspect of the series and it was a victory with a huge cost. It wasn’t until much later that I realised Sisko’s penance (“you are of Bajor but you will find no rest there”) is because Sisko’s victory essentially triggered Dukat’s breakdown, which led him to the Pah wraiths, who could only be defeated at the cost of Sisko’s life. It was this episode that sealed Sisko’s fate, hence the appropriate title. Stunning and emotional climax.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego”

 

[Sakonna]

I assume "The Vulcan Hello" / "Battle of the Binary Stars" isn't included because it's part of the larger narrative of Discovery Season 1. I feel they should probably be included in future renditions of this list, because they are relatively self-contained as a story arc (Star Trek: Shenzhou), seperate from the rest of the season, and were aired together as an opening episode in the same vein as Encounter at Farpoint, Emissary, Caretaker, etc. What We Leave Behind and Such Sweet Sorrow were equally parts of a longer story arc (DS9 Final Chapter and Discovery Red Angel Saga), but are included as two-part stories.

Ugh, I'm so annoyed by Memory Alpha right now. "Hello"/"Binary" actually were on the original version of this list played last year, and they were the only item on the list not considered an "official" two-parter on MA. I just thought they counted as one anyway, so I ignored what MA said. I checked the page of 2-parters when I was revising the lists earlier this year, it still wasn't listed, I thought "I guess I'll accept the ruling of MA this doesn't count" and took it off. Now I go to check one more time, and it's listed finally! Make up your damn mind, MA! I guess early enough to add it now...

I will save "Future's End", for being another excellent example of 90's fun. The locations team really earned their pay on this one. I honestly could save it for that scene of Neelix & Kes becoming zombified by the soap operas alone. "The exploration of human relationships is fascinating. I can't wait to see if Blaine's twin brother is the father of Jessica's baby..."

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 4: “The Way Of The Warrior”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello/Battle At The Binary Stars"
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons]

 

[Farscape One]

"THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR" is the way of AWESOME!

Essentially the pilot for the back half of DS9, this could have gone wrong in a LOT of ways. But it didn't. Every character had great moments and beats, Worf got introduced in a logical and fitting way, incredible action sequences, thrilling plot and story... this two-parter could not be more perfect. An excellent way to start what I feel is the best season of DS9, very possibly the franchise.

And the cherry on top, which could have been the single reason to save this from the list.

Root beer... brought to you by Quark and Garak.


TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light”
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3: “Future’s End”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego”

 

[Seven of Five]

Now I'll save In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light before I go to work. Another great DS9 two-parter with good dialogue.

This one is full and twists, with the meatiest one being that Dukat sells out his people to the Dominion, in order to restore former glories. I'm sure it worked out well for them all.

Bashir being a changeling, and Martok and Tain being alive as well were great twists too, as well as Garak being Tain's son. It made his whole arc a lot more personal.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 3: “Past Tense”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello/Battle At The Binary Stars"
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons]

 

[Sakonna]

It wasn’t until much later that I realised Sisko’s penance (“you are of Bajor but you will find no rest there”) is because Sisko’s victory essentially triggered Dukat’s breakdown, which led him to the Pah wraiths, who could only be defeated at the cost of Sisko’s life. It was this episode that sealed Sisko’s fate, hence the appropriate title.

I have never made that connection so explicitly before, and it really does help cast some of the plot in that end-stage Dukat arc in a more favorable light...

Bashir being a changeling, and Martok and Tain being alive as well were great twists too, as well as Garak being Tain's son. It made his whole arc a lot more personal.

DS9, I think more than any other show I have ever seen, really understood how to tell a huge, epic, universe-spanning, civilization-threatening story -- as a series of small personal stories. Which is the ideal way to do it for television, you're maximizing the potential of a format structured around episodes.

So many genre shows today make the mistake of trying to just directly tell the universe-threatening story. It's too big, and then the whole thing becomes abstract and inaccessible, and fails as a result. I keep wishing there were more shows taking a page from DS9's storytelling-by-collage method.

I will save "Past Tense", for it's chilling prescience and fantastic cliffhanger.

.TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 4: “Homefront/Paradise Lost”
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello/Battle At The Binary Stars"
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons]

 

[Farscape One]

DS9 gets another save by me... "HOMEFRONT" and "PARADISE LOST" are taken off this list.

Great two-parter in a great season of a great show... despite the behind the scenes reasons why this occured here and not at the end if season 3/beginning season 4, it actually worked out better this way, I think. Many people, including the writers, didn't like that they deviated from the Dominion story arc for a year, basically, in favor of the Klingon situation. I actually think it helped ENHANCE the Dominion arc, because to be able to cause that kind of instability on such a grand scale, without firing a shot, and mostly from a different part of the galaxy... it really shows just how much of a threat the Dominion really poses.

And what Leyton was trying to do proves it even more. The sad part is that he was right about a lot of things, and had he done just a few things differently, his plan would have succeeded. And we would likely be okay with it!

These episodes were a great showcase into Sisko's service history, and we see Joseph Sisko for the first time.

These episodes also show just how much DS9 predicted things well in advance of actual happenings, particularly with the terrorism scares that have occured since 9/11.


.TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Chain Of Command”
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello/Battle At The Binary Stars"
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego” [spoiler tag your elimination reasons]

 

[eschaton]

Late to the game, and a lot of great ones already saved.

I'm going to eliminate Chain of Command. IMHO it was the only genuinely good TNG two-parter. TNG had a bad habit of constructing an intriguing part 1 which almost never had the proper payoff in the second part of the two-part episode. Chain of Command didn't suffer this problem. It introduced two fantastic one-off characters who have - despite their limited air time - left a big legacy on fandom (Edward Jellico and Gul Madred). It showed the brutality of torture in a visceral, but not graphic, fashion. It was the only time outside of DS9 where the Cardassians seemed appropriately menacing. I had some minor quibbles with the setup, but it's a fantastic two hours of TNG overall.

TNG, Season 4 & 5: “Redemption”
TNG, Season 5: "Unification"
TNG, Season 6: “Birthright”
TNG, Season 6 & 7: “Descent”
TNG, Season 7: “Gambit”
DS9, Season 2: “The Maquis”
DS9, Season 3: “The Search”
DS9, Season 7: “Image In The Sand/Shadows & Symbols”
DS9, Season 7: “What We Leave Behind”
VOY, Season 1: “Caretaker”
VOY, Season 3 & 4: “Scorpion”
VOY, Season 4: “The Killing Game”
VOY, Season 5: “Dark Frontier”
VOY, Season 5 & 6: “Equinox”
VOY, Season 6 & 7: “Unimatrix Zero”
VOY, Season 7: “Flesh And Blood”
VOY, Season 7: “Workforce”
VOY, Season 7: “Endgame”
ENT, Season 1: “Broken Bow”
ENT, Season 1 & 2: “Shockwave”
ENT, Season 4: “Storm Front”
ENT, Season 4: “Affliction/Divergence”
ENT, Season 4: “In A Mirror, Darkly”
ENT, Season 4: “Demons/Terra Prime”
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello/Battle At The Binary Stars"
DIS, Season 2: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
PIC, Season 1: “Et In Arcadia Ego”