# Worst episode of your favourite shows (open spoilers for anything more than a year old) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124 "2014-04-01T23:06:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/21 "2014-04-02T19:18:31Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > From **Star Trek: The Next Generation** , the worst episode is easily _Genesis_. That’s the one where the crew de-evolves. Turrible, just turrible. There were so many bad episodes from all versions of _ **Star Trek** _ that they deserve their own thread… **[Voice of Emily Procter]** Oh, wait! There have been! Lots of them! :eek: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=10853087](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=10853087) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/22 "2014-04-02T19:24:41Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The Columbo one that bugs me is “An Excercise in Fatality” where Robert Conrad murders someone at a health club, and has to dress the body, and the clue that breaks the case is the dead man’s shoes were tied “backwards” (from the toe side). I would love to see Columbo in court trying to use that as evidence. He’d be laughed out of the building. (aside-would he wear the trenchcoat in court?) That actually is one of my favorite episodes. How the hell is Conrad gonna explain away the evidence since only the murderer would know that the victim had changed clothes? :dubious: The one I saw last week with Anne Baxter strained my credulity. She commits murder by arson, trying to make it look like an accident, and then leaves the frickin’ gas cans at the scene of the crime? \*\* Really?!?\*\* :eek: ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/23 "2014-04-02T19:35:35Z")
I nominate the episode of _MAS_H\*\*\* where Alan Alda is stranded with a family that doesn’t understand English, and it’s 25 minutes of him talking to himself and being brilliant. :rolleyes: The best thing about this episode was the description in _ **TV Guide** _: “Hawkeye crashes his Jeep and wakes up inside a Korean.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/24 "2014-04-02T20:13:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > That actually is one of my favorite episodes. How the hell is Conrad gonna explain away the evidence since only the murderer would know that the victim had changed clothes? :dubious: It’s possible I am remembering it incompletely. I remember it that there was no evidence other than the laces, which isn’t really evidence as there is nothing to say the victim just didn’t tie them the ‘wrong way’ but it has been a long time since I have seen it (40 years! Say it ain’t so!). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/25 "2014-04-02T20:39:04Z")
**Homicide** - There’s an episode (or mini-storyline) where a couple of the detectives fall in love with the crime scene recreation model-maker lady. After they’ve all spatted it over, one of them ends up going out with her, just to discover that she’s very weird, and they have sex in a coffin. **The Unit** - There are two episodes that sort of tie for worst, one about Voodoo Magic and the other about Psychic Powers… The first season of the show was reasonably grounded in reality (for TV) and keeps with it until these two pop up midway through the season, and then the overall level of quality decreases substantially for the rest of its run. It’s pretty clear, watching it, that they had lost some major portions of their creative team soon after starting work on Season 2. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/26 "2014-04-02T21:18:07Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s possible I am remembering it incompletely. I remember it that there was no evidence other than the laces, which isn’t really evidence as there is nothing to say the victim just didn’t tie them the ‘wrong way’ but it has been a long time since I have seen it (40 years! Say it ain’t so!). Conrad was tripped up by his sworn statement that the victim told him over the phone he had changed clothes before working out, and Columbo was able to demonstrate how easily he could have faked the phone call. The thing about the shoelaces is true; try doing it “the wrong way” sometime and you’ll see it’s about as easy as putting a pocket knife in your left-hand pocket while you’re running (assuming you’re right-handed, of course).\* Did you know, BTW, that the foxy wife of the victim in that episode was actually **this girl**? [http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0005745/?ref\_=nm\_flmg\_act\_70](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0005745/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_70) \*Cite: Encyclopedia Brown! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/27 "2014-04-02T21:44:34Z")
Thought of a couple more: _24_: “Day 2: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.” Kim and the cougar. Oy vey. _Torchwood_: “Meat.” A heartbreaking story ruined by horribly low-budget visual effects. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/28 "2014-04-02T21:47:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **STTNG** : “Family.” Everything about it is cliched and stupid from Worf’s cliched Jewish parents Do we ever see evidence the Roshenko’s are Jewish? I know they come across as stereotypical hick Russians. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/29 "2014-04-02T22:02:51Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Do we ever see evidence the Roshenko’s are Jewish? I know they come across as stereotypical hick Russians. With Theodore Bikel as Sergey, I think it’s a fair assumption. 😉 According to Wiki, the Rozhenkos are Belarussian; interesting, since Rozhenko is actually more a Ukrainian name. > **[Sergey Rozhenko](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sergey_Rozhenko)** > > Sergey Rozhenko was a Human male who served as a Starfleet chief petty officer and warp field specialist during the 24th century. Rozhenko was married to Helena Rozhenko and had one son, Nikolai Rozhenko. (TNG: "Heart of Glory", "Family", "Homeward")... > **[Georgia Brown](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Georgia_Brown)** > > Georgia Brown (21 October 1933 – 5 July 1992; age 58) was the actress who portrayed Helena Rozhenko in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth and fifth season episodes "Family" and "New Ground". The latter proved to be her final television... Also interesting is that the actress who played Helena Rozhenko was on _ **The Ed Sullivan Show** _ the same night as the Beatles’ American premiere! ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/30 "2014-04-02T22:24:36Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > There are no bad episodes of **The Wire** , **Breaking Bad** or **Game of Thrones**. > > But for shows that I like a lot but which are not my favorite: > -There are a fair number of mediocre episodes of **Buffy: The Vampire Slayer** , mainly in season 1 > -The worst episode of **Firefly** is the one with the smuggled dead body. Many plot holes, and just not very entertaining > -The worst episode of **My So Called Life** is probably the second episode, **Dancing in the Dark**. It’s just generally bland. The \*Firefly \*episode is called “The Message” and I agree it’s the weakest episode of the lot by a long way. While I agree there were no truly bad episodes of _The Wire_ in absolute terms my least favourite (and therefore worst in relative terms) episode would have to be Season 5, episode 6 “The Dickensian Aspect” because it has the most screentime devoted to the weak Baltimore Sun storyline. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/31 "2014-04-02T22:31:39Z")
The worst episodes of _The Sopranos_ are the weird little arc where Chris and Carmine are trying to get their movie made, and are following Ben Kingsley around and coveting all the little gift bags he gets comped. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/32 "2014-04-02T22:55:12Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > With Theodore Bikel as Sergey, I think it’s a fair assumption. 😉 I disagree. Their son was played by Paul Sorvino. Yet, they clearly aren’t Italian. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/33 "2014-04-03T00:05:11Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > The \*Firefly \*episode is called “The Message” and I agree it’s the weakest episode of the lot by a long way. I must disagree- ‘Heart of Gold’ is approximately 18x worse. Trite, cliched crap with a cardboard cut-out villain, as well as one of my least favorite re-occurring Whedonisms ( well, he has done it at least twice ) - the super-horse. I can’t quite decide which is worse - horses keeping up with a Winnebago in Buffy for multiple miles or horses outrunning a hovercraft in Firefly. But both make me roll my eyes right up into my head and out the other side :D. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/34 "2014-04-03T01:47:43Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Do we ever see evidence the Roshenko’s are Jewish? I know they come across as stereotypical hick Russians. Whatever ethnicity they’re supposed to be, they are standard Jewish parent stereotypes. As Dan Greenberg wrote, “You don’t have to be Jewish or a mother to be a Jewish Mother.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/35 "2014-04-03T02:41:19Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > From **Star Trek: The Next Generation** , the worst episode is easily _Genesis_. That’s the one where the crew de-evolves. Turrible, just turrible. And then Deep Space Nine has that one where Sisko and Jake beat the world record for solar sailing. I hate that one. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/36 "2014-04-03T04:21:41Z")
The original GI Joe had one, [The Gamesmaster](http://gijoe.wikia.com/wiki/The_Gamesmaster), that I never even _heard_ of until I was in my twenties. And I’d watched the show religiously as a kid. It’s basically GI Joe/Cobra vs. Candyland. Well, strictly speaking, only the battlefield is made of candy, the adversaries are giant toys and the robot-clown henchman controlled by an insane, obsese…forget it, I can’t describe it. Or maybe I just don’t want to. Also features the Baroness running around in a bikini, and the Joes torturing a prisoner for information. Who actually turned out to honestly not know anything about what they were interrogating him for. :smack: \* Really, it’s a good lesson for judging how silly and lighthearted you can get before you compromise the “tone” of your series. That, and why it’s not a good idea to drink the pretty candy under the kitchen sink. \*Well, technically, they were just _threatening_ to infect the prisoner with a horrific bioweapon. And the prisoner, Zartan, was both a) not a nice guy, b) arguably an unlawful combatant, and c) the guy who was _running_ the horrific bioweapons lab when they caught him. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/37 "2014-04-03T16:35:24Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > The worst episodes of _The Sopranos_ are the weird little arc where Chris and Carmine are trying to get their movie made, and are following Ben Kingsley around and coveting all the little gift bags he gets comped. I concur. And the worst episode before this arc was “D-Girl.” The Sopranos going Hollywood just never worked for me. “Fly” was the only episode of Breaking Bad that I ever thought basically treaded water. Not a terrible episode, just a noticeably off one in an otherwise stellar run. Hard to pick the worst Next Gen episode, though I wouldn’t agree with any of the choices proffered thus far. Probably “Shades of Grey” (aka the clip show) or that awful “Masks,” which even Brent Spiner complained about. Listening to all that rubbish about Masaka and Cogarno or whatever reminded me of the incessant patter about Mastretta and Gallano in _Mitchell_. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/38 "2014-04-03T17:09:00Z")
Let’s see; _ **Stargate SG-1** _: Had a more than a few in the first season which were not just awful, but were GOD AWFUL including: _ **Emancipation** _ (uniquely terrible AND racist), \*\*\*Politics \*\*\*(Shut down the Stargate Program? Huh?) and _ **The Broca Divide** _ (Just a terrible mid-season show shown too early in the series). Also most of the ones with Cameron Mitchell were terrible, but Claudia Black’s figure made them watchable.😃 _ **Star Trek: TOS** _ - The always execrable _ **The Omega Glory** _ (what the f8ck where they thinking? Or were they?)._ **And the Children Shall Lead** _ (Really Roddenberry?). _ **Turnabout Intruder** _ (umm…so in the 23rd century women STILL aren’t equals?) _ **Kolchak: The Night Stalker** _ - _ **Mr. R.I.N.G** _ (How do make an episode about AI android dull? They found a way)._ **Legacy of Terror** _ (Even with Erik Estrada this one bit.). \*\*\*Chopper \*\*\*(Not so “special” special effects and a weak story really makes this one a laugher) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/39 "2014-04-03T19:41:05Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > The worst episodes of _The Sopranos_ are the weird little arc where Chris and Carmine are trying to get their movie made, and are following Ben Kingsley around and coveting all the little gift bags he gets comped. Oh Christ yeah they’re up there too. Awful, awful! ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/40 "2014-04-04T01:45:51Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > “Starsky and Hutch” - the episode with Diane; a nurse and a love interest of Hutch’s who became a homicidal maniac. Karen Valentine? Homage to “Play Misty for me”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124.md?page=3)