Game The Most Disliked Trill Episode, 2025 Edition

[Sakonna]

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 Trill episodes from TNG, DS9, DIS, and LD. There are just barely enough to make a list!

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.

Much thanks to @Farscape One for helping me vet the list.

Enjoy!

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 1: "Dax"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 2: "Blood Oath"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 3: "Facets"
DS9, Season 4: "Rejoined"
DS9, Season 5: "Children Of Time"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Prodigal Daughter"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"
LD, Season 5: "Fissure Quest"

 

[Artoo Atari]

Eliminating DS9: "Facets." This episode introduced the Trill zhian'tara ritual and gave us some insight into the personalities of the previous Dax hosts, especially Curzon. Really neat episode.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 1: "Dax"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 2: "Blood Oath"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 4: "Rejoined"
DS9, Season 5: "Children Of Time"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Prodigal Daughter"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"
LD, Season 5: "Fissure Quest"

 

[Seven of Five]

Rejoined is one of the most mature uses of the ROTW format, and is one I love so much as a gay man.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 1: "Dax"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 2: "Blood Oath"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 5: "Children Of Time"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Prodigal Daughter"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"
LD, Season 5: "Fissure Quest"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "BLOOD OATH".

Not only a great story for Dax, but a fantastic episode fir Kang, Koloth, and Kor. Peter Allan Fields didn't write a lot of episodes in the franchise, but the ones he did... damn, they were great. (Examples: teleplay for "The Inner Light", teleplay for "DUET", "NECESSARY EVIL", "FOR THE UNIFORM", story for "IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT")



TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 1: "Dax"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 5: "Children Of Time"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Prodigal Daughter"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"
LD, Season 5: "Fissure Quest"

 

[Sakonna]

"Children Of Time" is an incredibly compelling example of the Trek "moral dilemma" episode. A great use of the storytelling possibilities of science fiction.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 1: "Dax"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Prodigal Daughter"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"
LD, Season 5: "Fissure Quest"

 

[Cyfa]

One of the reasons I like DS9: "Prodigal Daughter" is that it shows (somewhat) how Ezri's family react to her joining and the new facets (no pun intended) of her personality, so that's the ep I'm saving.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 1: "Dax"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"
LD, Season 5: "Fissure Quest"

 

[Tiran O'Saurus]

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"
LD, Season 5: "Fissure Quest"

Saving "Dax" because I just watched it.

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "Fissure Quest".

An absolutely fun episode, with great messages embedded within. And the sheer amount of legacy characters and actors the LOWER DECKS producers managed to get! WOW!!!!!! Truly impressive!


TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 3: "Equilibrium"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

After a small debate Equilibrium was saved. Some fantastic political drama and horror moments intertwined with seeing the symbionts in their natural environment.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 3: "Forget Me Not"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Tiran O'Saurus]

Saving "Forget Me Not". I liked the first half of DIS3 and the whole tour of various familiar worlds so far in the future.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Afterimage"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "AFTERIMAGE".

Good use of Ezri, and Garak always elevates an episode.


TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Invasive Procedures"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Seven of Five]

Invasive Procedures is next .

John Glover was wonderful playing Verad before and after the Dax symbiant.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DS9, Season 7: "Field Of Fire"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Artoo Atari]

I actually kind of liked DS9: "Field Of Fire." Even though it wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, it was a nice little mystery, and it was interesting to see Ezri pushed to the edge like that.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DS9, Season 7: "Shadows And Symbols"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Shadows and Symbols will be next, a great introduction to Ezri. A gamble bringing a new player in so late but they pulled it off well and really set Ezri apart from Jadzia.

TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DS9, Season 2: "Playing God"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "PLAYING GOD".

I like this one more than TNG's "The Host", and I don't really like the DISCO ones. So it gets saved, thus saving DS9.


TNG, Season 4: "The Host"
DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Seven of Five]

The Host introduced the Trill and it was a pretty decent episode too.

It was nice to see Crusher that happy too.

DIS, Season 4: "Choose To Live"
DIS, Season 5: "Jinaal"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I guess then I shall save Jinaal. While Choose to Live is a better episode overall Jinaal is a better Trill episode.

 

[Sakonna]

I'm surprised by the result! But I guess I shouldn't be. But I definitely thought it would be one of the lesser DS9's. I feel like DS9 fumbled the Trill as often as they did great stuff with them. It took them quite awhile to get all the joined-species stuff fully developed. Whereas Discovery has done fantastic stuff with the Trill every time. At least, in my view.

But certainly DS9 is a much more widely beloved series than Disco, so that should make it non-surprising.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I would have expected The Host to have won. I feel it is kind of a Last Outpost bungled/retconned introduction to the species

 

[Seven of Five]

On my latest rewatch I just enjoyed The Host a lot more than I remembered.

The DS9 one I was rooting for was Prodigal Daughter, but it was saved earlier.