The Most Disliked Episode of TNG, Season 3: 2021 Edition...

[Farscape One]

This is a twist on a game that is played here, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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 most 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. Finally, leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

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

Hall of Champions (or Failures?)
2011 - "Shades Of Gray"
2018 - "The Outrageous Okona"
2019 - "Code of Honor"
2021 - "Journey's End"


Season Three -

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

 

[Farscape One]

I'm going to begin season 3 with an obvious choice... "Yesterday's Enterprise".

Especially awesome considering the writers themselves thought it would be a disaster, this episode has been on pretty much every 'best of' list for TNG I have ever seen. And it more than deserves it. Hell, during the Viewers' Choice Marathon right before the TNG finale first aired, this one was number 3 out of 5.

Everything about this episode was great. And had one of the best line's ever uttered by a captain of our shows.

"Let's make sure that history never forgets... the name... Enterprise."

We have not, sir. And we never will.


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
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

 

[Seven of Five]

I'll do the really obvious thing and remove The Best of Both Worlds. It's one of my favourite Trel cliffhangers, and it's again one of the few times the Borg were a genuine threat.

The episode also does well delving into Riker pondering his career, at the same time the young hotshot Shelby is onboard.

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
The Offspring
Sins Of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Orphalesion]

Hollow Pursuits, because it is one of the few episodes that uses the Holodeck in an effective manner instead of producing a shitty genre-shift like "the Big Goodbye"
Plus, I like Barclay and thought he was a very well written character in this episode.

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
The Offspring
Sins Of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Farscape One]

I MUST save "The Offspring" next. There are a lot of reasons why I love this episode.

First and foremost, it's a great Data episode, and he will always be on my episode save list. Second, it was the first director outing of Jonathan Frakes, who turned out to be an excellent director. In turn, this opened up the doors for so many other great directors who were leads... LeVar Burton, Avery Brooks, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson. Third, the acting was superb throughout, from Hallie Todd to the leads, especially Brent Spiner. Fourth, the dialogue was great. So much of it really got me emotional, like his log entry describing how teaching Lal brought up so many things for him. And one of my favorites...

"I can give her attention, doctor. But I am incapable of giving her love." - Data
(after he left) "Now, why do I find that so hard to believe?" - Dr. Crusher

That is one of the truest statements she ever said. Fifth, this episode never fails to make me start to cry. A single man tear, at the very least. The man lost his daughter. She enriched his life so much that he transferred her memories to him... in essence, keeping her alive. Damn it, I'm starting to tear up just thinking about this.

(Many in my life, especially my wife, finds it a true irony and conundrum that I have such a massive distaste and hatred of machines, but I am always so moved by one. Data is the reason I am a science fiction fan.)

For me, this is a VERY obvious save.


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
Sins Of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Seven of Five]

I'll save Sarek next. Wonderful performances from Mark Lenard and Patrick Stewart here, as we see a harrowing look at a man in mental decline, and how those around him deal with it.

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
Sins Of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Vger23]

It's funny, but looking at this list....maybe S3 isn't as stellar as I remember. Yes, it has some great episodes...but this isn't a list of "must watch TNG" by any stretch.

That said, I will remove "The Defector." This is one of my absolute favorite episodes in the entire franchise. It has a great sense of tension, a great guest character, and a heart-wrenching and poignant ending. TNG at its peak in my opinion.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Sins Of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[penguin44]

I am removing Sins of the Father as that is the great story of the house of Mogh and the start of all the Klingon stuff for the remainder of the series and into ds9!


Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Orac]

I shall remove A Matter of Perspective, as I love seeing TV writers recycle the plots from movies, in this case: Rashomon.
NB: Geordi faked the holo-"evidence" that got Riker off, ol' beard face's obviously a sex pest.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Seven of Five]

I'll go for Deja Q next. It's a great comic show for Q seeing him try and fit in with the crew. It's worth it just to see Guinan stab him with the fork!

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
The High Ground
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Orphalesion]

I'll save The High Ground. It's one of a rare breed: A good Dr.Crusher episode, she's badass in it. Plus for a 80s show the discussion of terrorism in the episode is fairly good as well. And the attack on the Enterpriser is scary as hell.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
A Matter of Perspective
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Orac]

I call shenanigans! @Orphalesion put A Matter of Perspective back in!

I've fixed the sabotage and removed The Bonding as dealing with a parent dying suddenly is something we can all relate to and because: "On the Starship Enterprise no one is alone."

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Sakonna]

I've fixed the sabotage and removed The Bonding as dealing with a parent dying suddenly is something we can all relate to and because: "On the Starship Enterprise no one is alone."

You accidentally left "The Bonding" on your own list.

I do love that one! Though I do always wish someone had reworked the edit that has us going from Picard promising that to Jeremy -- to Jeremy literally left alone in his quarters watching vids of his dead mom. Harsh!

I'll save "Captain's Holiday", which I think is a tremendously fun. The great thing about 26 episodes a season is the ability to wander off on tangents like this. I feel like the first 12 minutes is just trying to get him to go on vacation, which is such an appealingly silly, low-stakes story. It's the only time Trek ever went to Risa and got a good episode out of it!

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Rusty0918]

Well, difficult one but I'll save "The Enemy." We learn more about the Romulans in this one, not to mention we explore more of Worf's disdain for the race and his refusal to save the Romulan survivor they brought on board, not to mention La Forge saving another Romulan's life.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
Booby Trap
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Vger23]

Booby Trap is a cool episode. People who cry and whine about "GeORdi IZ TeH CReEpy!" ok whatever.



Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[ThankQ]

This is a tough one for me between Watchers and The Most Toys, but I'll go with The Most Toys. I love all the performances, it has a tragic behind-the-scenes story and a huge moment in Data's growth at the climax both by his actions and his subsequent description of them.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers The Watchers
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
Allegiance
Tin Man
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Orac]

You accidentally left "The Bonding" on your own list.

I do love that one! Though I do always wish someone had reworked the edit that has us going from Picard promising that to Jeremy -- to Jeremy literally left alone in his quarters watching vids of his dead mom. Harsh!

D'oh! I am a hypocrite.

Say goodbye to Who Watchers The Watchers Take that organized religion! How long would it have been before the Overseers representatives invented a bad afterlife and started to tell Picard's believers they had to pay to get into the good afterlife?

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Vger23]

The Survivors gets saved. It's a fun mystery episode with some nice guest perfornances, good tension, and a little well-placed Worf humor ("Good tea, nice house")


Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Hunted
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[Orphalesion]

Next I'll save the Hunted. It was an important topic and discussed it pretty well. The ending was a bit "eh", but overall it's an episode I like to watch.

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations

 

[ThankQ]

Removing The Most Toys because I removed The Most Toys!

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
Allegiance
Tin Man
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations