# Worst episodes of your favorite shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952 "2011-09-02T14:35:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/21 "2011-09-03T04:14:41Z")
I hate the episode on Seinfeld where George quits his job and tries to get back at his boss by using Elaine to slip him a “mickey” > [@monkeylucifer](#): > > [Star Trek: TNG - Schisms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schisms_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)) > > It really, really, really sucks. Whaaat? Why? I love that episode! I remember being really creeped out by it too! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/22 "2011-09-03T13:13:14Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I hate the episode on Seinfeld where George quits his job and tries to get back at his boss by using Elaine to slip him a “mickey” Ironically, this is IIRC the episode that convinced Jason Alexander to stay on the show. He’d been thinking of George as a “Woody Allen” type and was having an unsatisfying time playing the character – and, when reading through the “George quits his job” script in question, complained to Larry David that (a) this would never happen and (b) even if it did, nobody would respond like that. Larry replies that this _ **did** _ happen to him, and he responded _ **exactly** _ like that.\* Jason switches to doing a Larry David homage and the rest is history. (\* Not slipping the guy a mickey; quitting in a huff, regretting it, and showing up the next day to blandly act like everything is normal. But still.) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/23 "2011-09-03T13:20:21Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > The episode of Arrested Development with Martin Short as Uncle Jack. IIRC in another thread we decided that that episode doesn’t actually exist. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/24 "2011-09-03T14:10:40Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Absolutely. I’m embarrassed, just thinking about it. > > And \*Twilight Zone: \*Anything with Jack Klugman in it (except for the one with the 3 spacemen). Ha! That’s one of my favorite Raymonds! Totally agree with Jack Klugman TZs though. My least favorite episode of Raymond (aside from the entire first season when Patricia Heaton is utterly unwatchable) is the series finale where Ray has minor complications from surgery and everyone gets all maudlin. Not only boring but what a bizarre way to end a series. Any episodes that center around child birth. Well, the whole story arc is a yawner for me but I have never seen an even mildy amusing or touching birth episode. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/25 "2011-09-03T14:47:07Z")
> [@Astral\_Rejection](#): > > Exactly what I would have said. Jayne’s lines are the only bright spots in this episode. I can’t put my finger on why it doesn’t work, but it’s the only episode I haven’t rewatched if I can help it. Huh. I LIKED that episode, and Melinda Clarke is even more attractive than Inara, Kaylee, River and Zoe, if that’s at all possible. JAYNESTOWN is the one I never watch. Beyond the humor of having a statue of Jayne, there’s nothing for me in that episode. Just painful. ---
**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:** [September 3, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/26 "2011-09-03T15:28:08Z")
New Doctor Who: **Love and Monsters**. 40 minutes of boring and stupid punctuated with an ending so unbelievably awful and wrongheaded, I can’t find words, so I’m stealing someone else. To paraphrase Nash, an online reviewer: "The Doctor, the greatest hero in the galaxy, in his infinite wisdom, has decided to consign a woman to an eternal life as a _blowjob dispensing slab of concrete."_ I just…no. No. Bad writers! ---
**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:** [September 4, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/27 "2011-09-04T19:08:17Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > My least favorite episode of Raymond (aside from the entire first season when Patricia Heaton is utterly unwatchable) is the series finale where Ray has minor complications from surgery and everyone gets all maudlin. Not only boring but what a bizarre way to end a series. Except that Ray finally finds himself in bed with Marie. That makes it the perfect ending of the series. Where do you go from there? ---
**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:** [September 4, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/28 "2011-09-04T19:32:55Z")
I’ll add another Supernatural episode: [Ghostfacers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSZZKw8g3UI)- You know. The first episode after the writer strike, after us waiting two months for new television shows. And it’s a fake reality show featuring the briefly seen Ghostfacer guys. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/29 "2011-09-04T20:09:21Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > New Doctor Who: **Love and Monsters**. 40 minutes of boring and stupid punctuated with an ending so unbelievably awful and wrongheaded, I can’t find words, so I’m stealing someone else. To paraphrase Nash, an online reviewer: "The Doctor, the greatest hero in the galaxy, in his infinite wisdom, has decided to consign a woman to an eternal life as a _blowjob dispensing slab of concrete."_ I just…no. No. Bad writers! I believe my exact words upon watching the end of that episode were “whut. I- they did not just- eww aaaaaagh. Aaaaaagh.” I watched the entire run of DS9 from beginning to end as it aired, and missed only one episode. It was Profit and Lace, where Quark gets a sex change to close a business deal, and when I did see it, I wasn’t sorry I’d missed it. Aaaaaagh. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/30 "2011-09-04T20:13:10Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > New Doctor Who: **Love and Monsters**. 40 minutes of boring and stupid punctuated with an ending so unbelievably awful and wrongheaded, I can’t find words, so I’m stealing someone else. To paraphrase Nash, an online reviewer: "The Doctor, the greatest hero in the galaxy, in his infinite wisdom, has decided to consign a woman to an eternal life as a _blowjob dispensing slab of concrete."_ I just…no. No. Bad writers! And see, that’s one I rather like. It’s overlong, and they overplay the “gross” aspect of the monster-of-the-week, but I find the overall tone of the thing charming. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/31 "2011-09-04T20:54:33Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Seinfeld episode where Jerry, Elaine and George spend the day at the car dealership. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Elain trying to get Puddy to get Jerry a deal, George freaking out over a vending machine, Kramer taking an extra long test drive… Felt like it was written by an intern who sort of knew the characters, but exaggerated them waaaaay too much. +1000 A truly embarrassing episode. George was just stupid. And his candy lineup? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/32 "2011-09-04T21:26:35Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Ironically, this is IIRC the episode that convinced Jason Alexander to stay on the show. He’d been thinking of George as a “Woody Allen” type and was having an unsatisfying time playing the character – and, when reading through the “George quits his job” script in question, complained to Larry David that (a) this would never happen and (b) even if it did, nobody would respond like that. Larry replies that this _ **did** _ happen to him, and he responded _ **exactly** _ like that.\* > > Jason switches to doing a Larry David homage and the rest is history. > > (\* Not slipping the guy a mickey; quitting in a huff, regretting it, and showing up the next day to blandly act like everything is normal. But still.) I don’t think it’s that he wanted to leave, but it is the episode that crystalized in Jason’s mind what made George tick. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/33 "2011-09-04T21:56:46Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > +1000 > > A truly embarrassing episode. George was just stupid. And his candy lineup? Got to disagree on this one. The Kramer and George storylines were stupid, but Puddy was gold in this one. “I’ll tell you who’s stupid: You are, stupid! You’re the grease monkey!” “Yeah, Koko. That chimp’s all right. High five!” Pretty much any episode from the first 2 seasons makes me cringe, though. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/34 "2011-09-04T23:18:56Z")
There’s a fair number of bad **X-Files** episodes, but I gotta go with the series finale. 9 years and it wraps with a _clip show_? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/35 "2011-09-05T01:14:11Z")
I’ve tried a couple of times but couldn’t make it all the way through the _Red Zone Cuba_ episode of MST3K. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/36 "2011-09-05T01:27:08Z")
TNG had some major clunkers: _Masks_, where the Enterprise is slowly turned into a Mayan temple and Data goes insane. Bad. \* I Borg\*, where Picard is given an effective weapon to use against the Borg, who are poised to wipe out the entire Federation, and and decides that it is unethical to use it. Worse. _Justice_, where Wesley trips over a fence on the Planet of the Scantily-Clad Aerobics Instructors and is sentenced to death. Picard spends most of the episode pontificating about the sacredness of the Prime Directive and proclaiming that his hands are tied, and then at the last minute saying, “No way are we letting you go through with this, Prime Directive or no”. Worst. _Code of Honor_, where Tasha Yar is kidnapped by a Horny Black Man (“Where de white wimin at?”) All-time worst on its own merits, not to mention racist as all hell. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/37 "2011-09-05T04:14:23Z")
Any time a comedy tries for drama or a drama tries for comedy. Any “special” episodes. Sorry I can’t be more specific right now. Although ANY comedy dealing with a death of any kind just never works for me (the exception being, of course, when that clown died on the Mary Tyler Moore show.) ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/38 "2011-09-05T04:55:22Z")
Uncle jack episode of Arrested Development. Worst ever. Fly from season 3 of Breaking Bad. I know it was supposed to be artsy but it was just boring and had no payoff. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/39 "2011-09-05T05:07:56Z")
“The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase.” I know the point is supposed to be that spin-offs are silly, but, ugh. Almost nothing about that episode is funny. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952/40 "2011-09-05T17:01:46Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Any time a comedy tries for drama or a drama tries for comedy. Any “special” episodes. Sorry I can’t be more specific right now. Although ANY comedy dealing with a death of any kind just never works for me (the exception being, of course, when that clown died on the Mary Tyler Moore show.) And, of course, the funeral for O’Connell’s boyfriend (who was hit by, and fused with, a de-orbiting satellite) on **Northern Exposure**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-episodes-of-your-favorite-shows/594952.md?page=3)