# The Single WORST Episode Of Your Favourite TV Series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717 "2009-11-16T01:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/141 "2009-11-21T09:41:55Z")
No, sorry you didn’t dream the Voyager episode. It was called “Threshold” and is near universally regarded as the worst Voyager episode. Not only was the plot ridiculous, there was also the little point of them going warp 10… which means they were occupying all points in the universe simultaneously… which would be problematic for any number of reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/142 "2009-11-21T14:03:36Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The \*House \*ep in which a guy (cop?) has unrequited love for someone (his partner?), so they _ **give him a lobotomy.** _ Was that in the later seasons? I kinda vaguely remember something like that, but I stopped watching in season 4. The worst House episode I saw was “One Day, One Room”. I wanted to shoot that suicidal pregnant rape victim by the end. Uhg. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/143 "2009-11-21T15:11:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **ST:TNG:** [Family](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_%28Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation%29) … > > For **Doctor Who,** I’d go with “Kinda.” Really awful pseudopsychological mumbo jumbo, with a solution that is just plain stupid. Even though I loved TNG, there were some notable episodes that I skip: - _Shades of Gray_ - cheap clip show that was even badder because it was the season finale. - _Masks_ - just too weird - _When The Bough Breaks_ - \*The Icarus Factor \* ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/144 "2009-11-21T18:35:18Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The \*House \*ep in which a guy (cop?) has unrequited love for someone (his partner?), so they _ **give him a lobotomy.** _ -Firefighter. -\>(female) Partner is marrying his brother. Cameron thinks it’s broken heart syndrome. -\>Electroshock therapy -\>cameron offers condolences to partner for taking away from the wedding. -\>partner isn’t in a relationship with partner -\>spinal meningioma is messing with his brain, creating false memories. you probably got the plot mixed up because there was a lot of House/Cuddy/Drugs drama as well as the culmination of the trial brought on by House being a dick to the cop in the clinic. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/145 "2009-11-21T19:06:35Z")
**Supernatural** “Bugs” was so bad that even the show itself slammed it a few years later in “the monster at the end of this book” last season. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/146 "2009-11-21T19:44:58Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > **Supernatural** “Bugs” was so bad that even the show itself slammed it a few years later in “the monster at the end of this book” last season. I thought about mentioning this episode in my first post in this thread, but I feel that Route 666 really blows it out of the water in badness. It is still terrible, though. Magical Indian! Night only lasts 10 minutes! BUGS?! WHAT? Also, something went terribly amiss in the writing and everyone mixes up the words “calvary” and “calvary”. Horrible. I think these are the only two episodes of the show I’ve never rewatched. Even when I got my friend into the show and watched a lot of stuff for the second time with her, I told her that if she wanted to watch Bugs or Route 666, she could do it by herself. (Fortunately, she did go ahead at watch _Red Sky at Morning_ on her own before I could give her an ultimatum on that one also. The third worst episode ever, and the other episode they later mocked in _The Monster at the End of This Book_. Even the tuxes couldn’t save that one.) ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/147 "2009-11-21T20:49:03Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > There was an episode of Married with Children that apparently was supposed to be a test pilot for a spinoff show or something, except it wasn’t for any of the main family or friends or acquaintances, but for some never-before-seen-friend of Al’s named Charlie Verducci. His son Vinnie, played by Matt Le Blanc, were featured in the episode. Al steals their TV at the end for some reason. Hated it, it had nothing to do with Married with Children and I resent networks trying to piggyback crappy spinoffs on more popular shows. I had forgotten that episode. There is a similar one in season ten called “Enemies” which is a parody of _Friends_. Except for a few of the regular cast members in the opening and closing scene, the characters and the plot have nothing to do with _Married With Children_. It was almost unwatchable. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/148 "2009-11-21T21:05:44Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Well, “Black Market” might give it a run for it’s money in the “Useless episode” department. > > But “The Woman King” was pretty bad. It might have been otherwise if they had actually set up the premise and then followed through. Instead, we just got an episode that doesn’t really go anywhere and seemingly comes out of nowhere. I opened the thread just to mention “The Woman King.” The idea of Helo trying to get back in the crew’s good graces makes total sense, but I can’t believe no one-a fellow writer, an actor, the director, an assistant director, the person who ran the craft services table-ever pointed out how ridiculous the main premise was. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/149 "2009-11-21T21:10:50Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > Odd, I rather like that episode. Not one of my favorites, but not even close to being on my “worst” list. Some good laughs, charmingly cheesy CGI wasp monster, and I’m always a sucker for episodes with quasi-historical tie-ins. I’m sorry, but the part where the Doctor is poisoned and he has to play charades with Donna made the episode worthwhile to me. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/150 "2009-11-21T22:02:21Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > I had forgotten that episode. There is a similar one in season ten called “Enemies” which is a parody of _Friends_. Except for a few of the regular cast members in the opening and closing scene, the characters and the plot have nothing to do with _Married With Children_. It was almost unwatchable. I caught a couple minutes of that very episode early this AM when flipping through channels – it was on TBS, as they often run a strip of MWC episodes at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/151 "2009-11-21T22:36:48Z")
The ST:TOS Space Hippy episode could have been redeemed at the end if the pretty acid planet had burned a few dozen of the freaks to crisps. But sadly they decided just to burn a few of their feet instead. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/152 "2009-11-22T00:55:36Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > In _The Dick Van Dyke Show_, the episode where Buddy stays with Rob and Laura for a few days while Pickles is out of town. It was just uncomfortable. A worse _Dick Van Dyke_ is “The Twizzle”. Produced at the height of the Twist dance craze, it’s very embarrassing to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/153 "2009-11-22T04:18:11Z")
Let’s say you were a fan of the original Battlestar Galactica. Now suppose that the very last episode of the original series had been a setup for Galactica 1980. An episode which basically said “the show you knew is dead; here’s what’s going to take its place”.That is how bad the last episode of the first season of Dark Angel was. I watched the first episode of season Two, discovered that the season One cliffhanger wasn’t an aberration, and never watched it again. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/154 "2009-11-22T06:20:43Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Starsky and Hutch has one episode (I think it’s called _Huggy Bear and the Turkey_) where Starsky and Hutch are only in it at the very beginning and the very end, and the whole rest of the episode features some other guy as the protagonist. I have no idea why they did this, other than to try to give the audiences something “different,” but it was just stupid. It was a backdoor pilot. I guess Huggy Bear didn’t have enough mojo to earn his own show. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/155 "2009-11-22T12:28:20Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > -Firefighter. > -\>(female) Partner is marrying his brother. Cameron thinks it’s broken heart syndrome. > -\>Electroshock therapy > -\>cameron offers condolences to partner for taking away from the wedding. > -\>partner isn’t in a relationship with partner > -\>spinal meningioma is messing with his brain, creating false memories. God, that one was…I mean, first, they’re going with the idea that ECT can be used to create such severe, permanent retrograde amnesia that it would leave (as they said in the episode) the guy not only unable to remember someone, but _erase all the skills he’d ever learned_ to perform his job, but that they were _still going to do it to him_. To treat a _heart problem_. Jesus, Walter “Icepick to the Brain!” Freeman would have thought that was excessive. A witch doctor wearing a skull for a hat would probably think that was irresponsible medicine. I mean, my _God_…when _I_ think a medical procedure is unconscionable butchery, you KNOW something is seriously wrong! (…) Oh, and about the Star Trek Hippie episode…didn’t the Space Hippies program the ship’s computer to find Eden for them? How was that supposed to work, exactly? Was that like Jet Jaguar programming himself to grow into a giant? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/156 "2009-11-22T13:07:43Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > Even though I loved TNG, there were some notable episodes that I skip: > > - _Shades of Gray_ - cheap clip show that was even badder because it was the season finale. I’d be willing to give Shades of Gray a pass because of the writers strike. They needed a show and yes, showing clips was lame, but there was a reason. I haven’t watched it in a while, but I was impressed with Frakes’ acting in the beginning when he calmly explains that he’s been stabbed by that thorn. You’re right though, they could have done far better for a finale. I’d throw Skin of Evil up there with the bad TNG eps mentioned. Basically after a year, Denise Crosby decides she wants out so they write an episode where she dies because an animated puddle of evil goo threw her across the set. Then the resolution at the end? Picard beams down and says “You’re evil, we’re leaving.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/157 "2009-11-22T15:27:14Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > On _The Simpsons,_ the worst is the one where Bart and his friends form a boy band as a recruiting tool for the Navy. I loved that one, myself. Bart: Dad! L.T.'s gone crazy! [Homer loooks up and sees L.T. leaned over the wheel with gritted treeth and wide staring eyes] Homer: [knowingly] Yeah, that’s the look all right! Homer’s implied expertise kills me every time. If I had to pick a worst, it’d be that sappy Michael Jackson episode, or possibly the Lisa-goes-vegetarian one. Lisa episodes generally. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/158 "2009-11-22T18:48:51Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > If I had to pick a worst, it’d be that sappy Michael Jackson episode, or possibly the Lisa-goes-vegetarian one. Lisa episodes generally. The one where Lisa goes vegetarian is one of the best episodes ever. That’s the one with the Flanders family reunion (“Buenos-ding-dong-didlyos, senor”), Ralph eats a worm and Miss Hoover tells him to take a nap (“Oh boy, sleep, that’s where I’m a Viking”), and the Troy McClure educational film about eating meat. There’s even a flying pig over the closing credits. What more could you want from an episode, man. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/159 "2009-11-23T04:18:15Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The one where Lisa goes vegetarian is one of the best episodes ever. People listing “The Simpsons” episodes from the heyday of that series really suggests to me that said folks haven’t watched an episode in, oh…five seaons, at least. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717/160 "2009-11-23T04:59:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The one where Lisa goes vegetarian is one of the best episodes ever. i’ve invoked references from that episode almost every week of my life stretching back to 1995. -you don’t win friends with salad. -the (colored chalk) was forged by lucifer himself -when pigs FLY! … um… no… i’d still prefer not to -when i grow up, i’m going to BOVINE university and most often: -it’s just a little (dirty/slimy/airborne/etc) it’s still good it’s still good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-worst-episode-of-your-favourite-tv-series/517717.md?page=9)