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Game The Most Disliked Episode Written By Michael Piller, 2025 Edition

I'm saving TNG's "Unification I". It may be the Spock-less side of the story and mostly set up for the second half, but the scene with Sarek, the awkwardness of Picard and Data sharing a room on the Klingon ship, and the Enterprise hiding in a junkyard makes it my favourite of the two episodes.

TNG Season 3: "Booby Trap" (teleplay with Ron Roman and Richard Danus)
TNG Season 5: "Unification II" (teleplay, story with Rick Berman)
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
TNG Season 5: "The Perfect Mate" (teleplay with Gary Perconte)
DS9 Season 1: "A Man Alone" (teleplay, story with Gerald Sanford)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (story with Jim Trombetta)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta)
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part I" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part II" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
VOY Season 2: "Meld" (teleplay)
 
There's a breath of fresh air in the "human mind vs computer" trope:

TNG Season 3: "Booby Trap" (teleplay with Ron Roman and Richard Danus)

There's a lovely if not convenient opening bit where Picard explores a 1000 year-old vessel and they can hear and see a recorded message by this ship's captain in perfect English (universal translator technology handling the audio, the fact it's a tv show with a limited budget for humans is the other reason).

The fun begins when the Enterprise triggers the trap.

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Heck yeah!

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9.37% margin of error. Amazed it wasn't 9.47%... :shifty: 😏


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Full teaser fun!

Geordi, after a bad date, now has that "I'm busy yet I'm bored" itch and wants the 'puter to create a hologrammatic representation of the lead designer, then instill a construct of her personality from known sources. 'puter states a 9% margin of error, Geordi accepts. Geordi also rejects a shoulder rub because the sensors of the 'puter saw he was stressed and, naturally, let's de-stress. But he knows better and says "no".

Actually, in a way, real-time simulation/conversation could be more practical than reading a bunch of logs. What he had 'puter do is just a glorified version of Chat P-I-G or whatever you want to call it, noting how often Riker's said to be in there acting like one! :devil: :guffaw: :guffaw: :guffaw: :guffaw:

At the end of the day, before the radiation counter clock hits zero, Picard - not the known Pilot whose name is PIG, I mean Riker - takes the helm and does what 'puter would not have done because the 'puter couldn't have genuinely thought outside its programming. Would Data have, in this scene? Naah, he'd be too busy counting the number of pips on everyone's lapel pins and inspiring Sheldon in turn.


~~~
On edit - addendum: I should have saved this one earlier, so many from Piller are just top tier and are so close in score, one way or the other.


What's left: (updated)
TNG Season 5: "Unification II" (teleplay, story with Rick Berman)
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
TNG Season 5: "The Perfect Mate" (teleplay with Gary Perconte)
DS9 Season 1: "A Man Alone" (teleplay, story with Gerald Sanford)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (story with Jim Trombetta)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta)
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part I" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part II" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
Last edited:
The Maquis Part One is an excellent first half if the story that helped to introduce the Maquis.

The best thing about it is that there are no easy answers.

What's left: (updated)
TNG Season 5: "Unification II" (teleplay, story with Rick Berman)
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
TNG Season 5: "The Perfect Mate" (teleplay with Gary Perconte)
DS9 Season 1: "A Man Alone" (teleplay, story with Gerald Sanford)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (story with Jim Trombetta)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part II" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
Unification 2 deserves the save. An excellent installment to the saga that would feed into Picard season 1 and into Discovery.

TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
TNG Season 5: "The Perfect Mate" (teleplay with Gary Perconte)
DS9 Season 1: "A Man Alone" (teleplay, story with Gerald Sanford)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (story with Jim Trombetta)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part II" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
"The Perfect Mate" perfectly walks a very difficult tightrope. This could have gone waaaaaaaaay wrong, but careful scripting and a brilliant guest lead performance save it.

TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
DS9 Season 1: "A Man Alone" (teleplay, story with Gerald Sanford)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (story with Jim Trombetta)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part II" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
"Rivals" is an odd episode as it is focussed on someone we haven't seen before and we never see again but I like the problems with probability.


TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
DS9 Season 1: "A Man Alone" (teleplay, story with Gerald Sanford)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part II" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
Ugh what a bunch. I'll save "A Man Alone", it's a good "intro to Odo" episode, and it's got Edward Laurence Albert, who I have fond memories of from Power Rangers.

TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta
DS9 Season 2: "The Maquis, Part II" (story with Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
A couple of surprising saves to be honest. One or two episodes I thought had chance of winning have been removed. I do enjoy the unpredictability.

Maquis 2 is my choice to save. I do enjoy the whole Maquis arc across all three shows. Just would have been nice to have seen the postwar aftermath.

I imagine they were all incarcerated but the return of the Voyager may soften views on them show that they can be redeemed. I would presume all Maquis were pardoned after 7 years in the Delta Quadrant which would have opened up rehabilitation and the opportunity to earn forgiveness.

Presumably once Bajor joined the Federation they could have levied for the extradition of Bajoran members of the Maquis.

TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 1: "If Wishes Were Horses" (teleplay with Neil McCue Crawford and William L. Crawford)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
We're getting down to some less-than-stellar competition here. I'll save "If Wishes Were Horses" because I don't hate it and also it introduces Sisko's beloved baseball that remains on his desk for the rest of the series.

TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
DS9 Season 2: "Playing God" (teleplay with Jim Trombetta
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
I think "Playing God" is the best of what's left. It gives us a view into Trill society and what the hopefuls for joining undergo. Also a little worldbuilding with those Cardassian voles...


TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
DS9 Season 2: "Melora" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers and James Crocker)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)


And now to bed.
 
Melora actually isnt actually a bad episode I dont think. It's a perfectly cromulent episode.

TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
Of these episodes?!

TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society" (teleplay with Adam Belanoff)

The Geordi scenes blow everything else out of the stars, but the rest of this episode is pretty subpar if not awful - almost like a cynicism-induced reaction to the episode "Pen Pals" at times, but the some strong Geordi scenes add do give some depth and a fresh perspective to improve things a lot...

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(Stuff like this definitely helped the ratings, and it is cool how the juxtaposition of Geordi's technology being the means to save the day to a society that would otherwise have killed him is pretty heady stuff)

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(Dang, someone remembered in this season that Geordi's VISOR can pick up details that no other crewperson could. Not to mention how he can read biological states (e.g. we know he is also a walking and breathing lie detector with that gizmo), even during card games (maybe see through cards based on the ink used) and other relevant abilities since the VISOR is a defined tool and not a magic wand, that all was largely dropped, but I digress: That VISOR thingy might have been real useful in episodes like "Disaster" where he was staring at the wall where Beverly was and didn't see thermal problems or micro-fissures or anything and there was no scene until she touched the wall... no worries, she told him to breathe and hold it in while the bay gets decompressed, forgetting that it's the other way around if you don't want to damage your lungs. You know, stuff they'd be discussing in high school science class and stuff.)


What's left:
DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
VOY Season 2: "Tattoo" (teleplay)
 
Last edited:
Taking out "TATTOO".

It was a nice story and filled in some of Chakotat's background.

And The Doctor being sick was funny when his sickness program was extended by Kes.



DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
VOY Season 1: "Ex Post Facto" (teleplay with Evan Carlos Somers)
 
I think "Ex Post Facto" is very fun. I love how deeply committed everyone is to the hard-boiled-noir vibe, despite how ridiculous it all is.

Honestly, I kind of like all of these!

DS9 Season 1: "The Passenger" (teleplay with Morgan Gendel and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
VOY Season 1: "The Cloud" (teleplay with Tom Szollosi)
 
I've never been the one to pick the final winner before! I guess I'm gonna save "The Cloud." Neither of the remaining two episodes is great, but it's the source of the famous "there's coffee in that nebula" line, so there ya go.

Which leaves the "winner":

VOY Season 1: "Time And Again" (teleplay with David Kemper)
 
And so it is done, although personally, I was hoping Ex Post Facto would get the honor. Not that it's a BAD episode, it's just TNG "A Matter of Perspective", but in Voyager. It's just lazy.
 
I do like "Time And Again", but I liked most of this list. Even the "bad" ones are mostly enjoyable watches.

TNG: "The Masterpiece Society" was the 2022 winner of this game.

MOST DISLIKED WINNERS, 2025
'HEY, THIS PLANET IS JUST LIKE EARTH!': TOS, Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
MAJEL BARRETT APPEARANCE: TAS, Season 1: "The Ambergris Element"
THR'S 100 BEST TREK EPS: TNG, Season 4: "Brothers"
JEFFREY COMBS APPEARANCE: DS9, Season 6: "Profit & Lace"
GARAK APPEARANCE: DS9, Season 7: "The Dogs Of War"
WRITER MICHAEL PILLER: VOY, Season 1: "Time And Again"
3RD SEASON: VOY, Season 3: "Rise"
DIRECTOR DAVID LIVINGSTON: VOY, Season 5: "The Disease"
5TH SEASON: VOY, Season 5: "Warhead"
6TH SEASON: VOY, Season 6: "Fair Haven"
7TH SEASON: VOY, Season 7: "Natural Law"
COUPLE: VOY: Seven/Chakotay
KLINGON: ENT, Season 2: "Marauders"
TWO-PARTER/DOUBLE EPISODE: ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front"
VISIT TO EARTH'S PAST: ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
THREE-PARTER: ENT, Season 4: "Borderland/Cold Station 12/The Augments"
4TH SEASON: ENT, Season 4: "These Are The Voyages..."
SEASON FINALE ANTAGONIST: ENT, Season 4: Holographic Recreation Of Unnamed Alien Criminal, "These Are The Voyages..."
SECTION 31: DIS, Season 2: "Perpetual Infinity"
HOLODECK: DIS, Season 3: "Su'Kal"
DIRECTOR JONATHAN FRAKES: DIS, Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
TRILL: DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
EXIT OF A REGULAR: DIS, Season 4: "All Is Possible" (Sylvia Tilly)
SEASON PREMIERE: ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
GUINAN APPEARANCE: PIC, Season 2: "Monsters"
ANIMATED TREK: PRO, Season 2: "Ascension, Part II"
REGULAR CHARACTER: PRO: Drednok

Next Up: "The Most Disliked Mirror Universe Episode"
 
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