# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/41 "2014-04-04T03:15:15Z")
In **Frasier** , the episode in which Daphne has gained a lot of weight, and she has food stashed everywhere she can hide it. The only funny part is when she falls, and Niles can’t get her back up . . . she can’t be raised, even with a “Crane.” I think this was over a few episodes. Seeing Jane Leeves as a fatty is just so wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/42 "2014-04-04T06:56:33Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > In **Frasier** , the episode in which Daphne has gained a lot of weight \I think this was over a few episodes. Seeing Jane Leeves as a fatty is just so wrong. Was that cover for a pregnancy? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/43 "2014-04-04T08:09:46Z")
> [@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. Is that the one were they punched Lauren Bacall? I liked it. It emphasized how, despite their own ambitions, these guys were nothing more than small-time losers who’d rather beat up an old woman for her gift bag than make a movie. Seeing as the whole point of the last few seasons of the show was to show how pathetic its characters really were, the arc fit in quite well. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/44 "2014-04-04T09:35:16Z")
The worst Buffy episode has to be the season 1 one with the mantis professor, for a number of reasons : - she basically engages in rape behaviour with Xander, but it’s played for laughs because “hot female teacher on underage boy is not rape or creepy at all !” - the cliffhanger is never seen or heard from again - Giles, record bat sonar (that is ultrasonic and as such probably beyond the audio bandwidth of a cassette player) because mantids because… whu ? It’ll shock their nervous system ? That’s \*moths, _Joss_, \*not mantids ! And the reaction has precious little to do with their nervous system ! ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/45 "2014-04-04T13:59:49Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Was that cover for a pregnancy? Yes. ---
**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 4, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/46 "2014-04-04T14:05:49Z")
I was trying to think of the worst episode of _Roseanne_. Given that last season, one is spoiled for choice. Perhaps “Rosambo”? ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/47 "2014-04-04T14:32:33Z")
I stopped watching “Friends” after I saw the episode where Rachel is trying to impress Brad Pitt’s character. She put on her old cheerleading costume then cartwheeled across the apartment. That just seemed so pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/48 "2014-04-04T14:41:50Z")
In _Buffy_ the worst episode is easily the one where she is in a mental institution and the idea is floated that the Buffyverse is nothing more than the delusions of an insane teenager. While there are episodes that are more famous for being bad (“Bad Beer”, the mantis episode, the Xander gets turned into a pool monster episode), the “mental patient” episode bothered me on a philosophical level: While I fully understand that fictional characters aren’t “real”, I do expect that they are “real” within their own universe. Being told that there was a possibility that I spent the past 5, 6, 7-whatever years following people who don’t even exist in their own unreality… well, that just pissed me off. Good thing I never followed _Newhart_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/49 "2014-04-04T15:16:17Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > I was trying to think of the worst episode of _Roseanne_. Given that last season, one is spoiled for choice. Perhaps “Rosambo”? The Finale, everything else is just a pretender to the throne. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/50 "2014-04-04T15:23:23Z")
Several finales for me - _Dexter, Breaking Bad, Burn Notice_. ---
**Author:** ![Roundabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Roundabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roundabout)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/51 "2014-04-04T15:54:29Z")
1. The Simpsons - “Kill the Alligator and Run” Mike Scully’s era as a showrunner was arguably the lowest point of The Simpsons, and this episode was the worst. From the complete mess of a plot, (with homer going crazy, traveling with the family to Florida, and becoming a criminal) to the lack of any good jokes, this was the worst episode up to that point. Current eps. are likely worse (didn’t they have one spoofing kesha?), but I don’t watch them anyway. 1. The Boondocks - “It’s Going Down” While certainly not awful, this is the only episode I can think of that had no point whatsoever. An outdated “24” spoof with Huey called in to save the day. Okay? Where’s the satire of current events? Where’s the social/political commentary? Where’s the message? Again, not an awful episode, but rather pointless and unfunny. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/52 "2018-08-12T18:10:54Z")
Since this thread passes my five-year rule for “if there’s a thread about a topic in the past 5 years, just post to that one instead of starting another” (yeah, made up by me, but whatevs…) Just binged-watched _Community_ and I don’t have the words to say how much I detested, hated, and despised the “Meow Meow Beemz” episode from season 5. Completely made me realize how much the show was coasting, how little originality was left, and how, really, the show should have ended much earlier than it did. How bad was it? … It made the entire Changnesia plot look appealing … It dampened the appeal of all the other “Greendale goes nuts” shows, including the paintball episode(s) (which, too, were run into the ground). … It made me rue the day Dan Harmon came back to the show … It made me wish the NBC executive committee who was in charge of season four was back in charge … It made me feel sorry for Britta… the entire “mustard on her lip” thing was idiotic … It made me think even the writers knew how bad the episode was when the Dean said “I’d like to propose we forget everything that happened over the last few days, and I don’t anticipate a lot of pushback on that. I think we’re all pretty embarrassed.” Just a horrible, horrible episode. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/53 "2018-08-12T18:33:44Z")
The West Wing-Isaac and Ishmael. This episode should serve as a lesson to never overreact to current events Star Trek Voyager-Tuvix Queer as Folk USA-The finale and the stupid Brian/Justin non marriage The Twilight Zone-The Bard Alice-Tommy’s Lost Weekend (This was just on one of the nostalgia TV networks. Very special episodes don’t work on Alice) The Dukes of Hazzard-The New Dukes, although all of season 5 should be nuked Buffy-Once More With Feeling ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/54 "2018-08-12T18:55:31Z")
My picks: _Star Trek_ - “Spock’s Brain” _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ - “Code of Honor”(the really racist episode from Season 1) _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_ - either “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” or “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” _Star Trek: Voyager_ - “Threshold” _Star Trek: Enterprise_ - “These Are the Voyages…” (the series finale; the whole thing is framed two characters from The Next Generation(Riker and Troi) when it should have been written to stand on its own) OK some non-Star Trek answers: _The Simpsons_ - either “Saddlesore Galactica” or the one that was a Behind the Music parody _Futurama_ - either “Decision 3012” or “Attack of the Killer App” _South Park_ - the episode that focused on Towelie Big fan of _Bobs Burgers_, _King of the Hill_, and _Law and Order_. Can’t say they’ve had any **bad** episodes. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/55 "2018-08-12T23:55:21Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > _ **Star Trek: TOS** _ - The always execrable _ **The Omega Glory** _ (what the f8ck where they thinking? Or were they?). This was a good Prime Directive Story until the final act. It was also one of the first episodes written, and was considered for the second pilot. > [@](#): > > _ **And the Children Shall Lead** _ (Really Roddenberry?). Roddenberry had given up producing the series by this point, and they were recycling rejected scripts due to budgetary and talent constraints. > [@](#): > > _ **Turnabout Intruder** _ (umm…so in the 23rd century women STILL aren’t equals?) Regardless of there being no female Starfleet Captains at this point :rolleyes:, I think the main issue was Dr Lester’s mental instability, rather than her gender. Anyway, this episode is worth watching just to see Shatner using an emery board on his nails and throwing a hissy fit. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2018, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/56 "2018-08-13T00:00:32Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I disagree. Their son was played by Paul Sorvino. Yet, they clearly aren’t Italian. To paraphrase Lisa Simpson, he could have been either Jewish or Italian. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/57 "2018-08-13T00:17:49Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Doctor Who** (classic): “Kinda.” Fairly dull overall, but the pseudometaphysics in it is just awful and the concept of the villain pretty cliched. Really? You think _that’s_ the worst Doctor Who? I can see “Kinda” not being to everyone’s taste, but I can think of about a dozen worse episodes just off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/58 "2018-08-13T08:16:14Z")
May I nominate a few terrible episodes of Seinfeld?: [ul] [li]“The Chinese Restaurant” - waiting for a table in a restaurant the entire episode. It’s a critical favorite, but I can’t stand it.[/li][li]“The Puerto Rican Day” - stuck in a traffic jam.[/li][li]Series finale - maybe not a bottom 10 episode, but a huge disappointment. Of course, series finales are notoriously tough to pull off well.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/59 "2018-08-13T08:22:20Z")
Law & Order: “Aftershock”. Abandons the standard L&O format of the police-procedural followed by legal proceedings. Instead, follows each of the characters in the aftermath of an execution. Both dull and depressing (and not in a good way for the latter). I understand and appreciate the effort to try something different, but it just didn’t work for me. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episode-of-your-favourite-shows-open-spoilers-for-anything-more-than-a-year-old/685124/60 "2018-08-13T08:31:41Z")
Cheers: “The Spy Who Came in for a Cold One”. An Englishman enters the bar claiming to be a spy, but Diane exposes him as a fraud. Everyone is mad at her, for reasons I can’t fathom. Not funny, not profound, just terrible. [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=2) [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=4)