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Game The Most Disliked Episode/Movie Directed By Jonathan Frakes, 2025 Edition

Sakonna

Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
THE OBJECTIVE: A sudden-death elimination game in which we remove our personal favorite episodes/movies from a themed list, until we arrive at the episode that is, if not the worst, at least the most disliked.

It's a framework to say positive things about episodes from across the franchise.

THE RULES
: Below is a list of all the Trek episodes & movies directed by Jonathan Frakes (TNG, DS9, VOY, DIS, PIC, SNW)

Eliminate/save your favorite, or the one you deem the ‘best' of what currently remains.
Post something you enjoy about the episode you are saving, and copy-and-paste the list with your choice removed.

You can use any standard you like to judge which option is "best." You can save episodes for being widely recognized “best Trek” classics, or for idiosyncratic qualities that no one appreciates but you.

As you get down the list, you might have to reach more and more for something to enjoy about an episode, and it's OK to eventually save episodes for being "less bad."

But -- no tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode because you don’t think anyone else will, or because you feel it would threaten your preferred episode's chance to “win.”

You can take multiple turns.

Leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

New players are always welcome. You do not have to already be a "most disliked game" regular to dive in.

Enjoy!


TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 4: "The Drumhead"
TNG Season 5: "Cause And Effect"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: First Contact"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "New Eden"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 1: "Stardust City Rag"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 2: "Two Of One"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
SNW Season 2: "Those Old Scientists"
 
I've got to start with "Those Old Scientists." Man this could have gone wrong. Aside from the musical, this was the riskiest thing modern Trek has yet attempted. And it was executed so perfectly it arrived an instant classic.

I love how whenever I've heard Frakes interviewed about his directing, he's so quick to spread the credit for the good episodes/movies around to the writers, the cast, the crew...

Pretty depressing how unusual it is to find a director who doesn't take all the credit for himself!

TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 4: "The Drumhead"
TNG Season 5: "Cause And Effect"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: First Contact"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "New Eden"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 1: "Stardust City Rag"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 2: "Two Of One"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
PIC Season 1: Stardust City Rag. Seven. As a Fenris Ranger. As really upset and pissed off. Double “shotgun” shootin’ Seven.

TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 4: "The Drumhead"
TNG Season 5: "Cause And Effect"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: First Contact"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "New Eden"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 2: "Two Of One"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
Let's just get it out of the way early and go ahead and save First Contact, the only of the TNG movies to achieve true classic status.

TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 4: "The Drumhead"
TNG Season 5: "Cause And Effect"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "New Eden"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 2: "Two Of One"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
DIS Season 2: "New Eden" is one of the gems of the Trek streaming-era. I wish all of S2 DSC had been like this.


TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 4: "The Drumhead"
TNG Season 5: "Cause And Effect"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 2: "Two Of One"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
I rewatched TNG: "Cause And Effect" for the twelvety-second time recently, and all those repeating scenes still didn't bore me. I don't normally think about the direction of whatever I'm watching, but in this case, the differences and skill employed really show. I love this episode!

TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 4: "The Drumhead"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 2: "Two Of One"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
"Two Of One" is a high point of Picard season 2 for me (a season which I do really like! despite the prevailing opinion).

I particularly love Jurati's rendition of "Shadow Of The Night." Speaking of risky things that shouldn't have worked, yet somehow work fantastically...

TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 4: "The Drumhead"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
I've always thought "The Drumhead" was a decent, well-directed episode. I'll save that one from the list.

TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
I loved PIC Season 3: "Seventeen Seconds" for the drama of putting tension between Riker and Picard.



TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"
 
On the plus side, the list proves that good direction can't always save rubbish, but we'll get there in time, hehehehehe!

PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"

is easily the best of what's in the list so far. It gets our characters right. It updates the feel to "modern sensibilities" or whatever the phrase is., like what Nicholas Meyer did for Star Trek II - updating it for the 80s while keeping true to the spirit of the characters and series, and that's sorta important too.

And while the show has memberberries, remember when I was parodying "Maude"? Well, guess what? ♪ And then there's Shaw! ♫ :guffaw: Dang, that fits in perfectly!! But I digress: The new character, who's another like Sisko - a survivor from "The War" (with the Borg). Trek did walk down this avenue before, but we get a new take with a new character and, yes, they pull it off beautifully.

Just in case, here's the recap:

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Lastly, here's a completely unrelated video, but it is the simply the best band in the entire history of the universe:

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She says so!!


What's left:
TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
 
Last edited:
PIC Season 3: "No Win Scenario"

is easily the best of what's in the list so far. It gets our characters right. It updates the feel to "modern sensibilities" or whatever the phrase is., like what Nicholas Meyer did for Star Trek II - updating it for the 80s while keeping true to the spirit of the characters and series, and that's sorta important too.




What's left:
TNG Season 3: "The Offspring"
TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
I honestly should have done this one before "Seventeen Seconds."

This episode was excellent.
 
The Offspring was both hilarious and heartbreaking. What a way to start his directing career!

TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 6: "The Chase"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
 
TNG Season 6: "The Chase" was like making an "Indiana Jones" style Star Trek episode, and it totally worked for me.




TNG Season 4: "Reunion"
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
 
There are a lot of Discovery's best episodes on that list, at least for me, but I have to save TNG's "Reunion". TNG didn't do a lot of ongoing storylines, but when it did we got stories like this.

TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon"
 
PIC Season 2: "Fly Me To The Moon" I loved season 2 of Picard.



TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
DS9 Season 3: "Past Tense, Part II"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
 
Whilst is wasn't as strong as the first half, Past Tense Part II is still worthy of saving.

It was fascinating seeing Sisko play Bell.

TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
 
Last edited:
This hurts. I found my 3-sided coin and am saving this:

TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"

A mixed-up premise that tries to be too clever for its own good, it's a mangled mess of ideas but I've a soft spot for it because of the soundtrack and direction.

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(In an emergency, the captain will understand if you drop one before being asked to do so.)

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(heck yeah!)

That said, the overdone Sona and Baku are the same species being "Jerry Springer on Steroids" or something, uninspired reuse of a handful of TNG plots that also contradict those stories' ideas, the Baku being hippie stand-ins and the Sona have a point, Data isn't a threat but is, the "everything in Star trek has a self-destruct gizmo because Star Trek", etc, etc that countless reviewers have pointed out rightly...

I couldn't find the YouTube review that goes into much detail on the original draft for this movie, of which most was discarded and that's a shame as it sounds a lot better than what we did get. So, instead, I'll just write how the movie's also got Anthony Zerbe who, just like his character in the 1989 flick "Licence to Kill", dies by having his head get all splodey, like this:

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Well, that's what happens when your characters you play are all headcases...

I think I found it. Apologies if this is still within the 5-minute edit window:

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What's left:
TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 2: "Project Daedalus"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
 
I am going to save Discovery's "Project Daedalus". Sure it's notorious for finally giving Airiam something to do just to manipulate us into feeling bad when she dies, but it still gave her something to do and even made the bridge crew into characters for a moment.

TNG Season 6: "The Quality Of Life"
TNG Season 7: "Attached"
TNG Season 7: "Sub Rosa"
DS9 Season 3: "The Search, Part II"
DS9 Season 3: "Meridian"
VOY Season 2: "Projections"
VOY Season 2: "Parturition"
VOY Season 2: "Prototype"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 3: "People Of Earth"
DIS Season 3: "The Sanctuary"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Stormy Weather"
DIS Season 5: "Lagrange Point"
PIC Season 1: "Absolute Candor"
 
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