# Worst ST:TNG episode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869 "2003-02-09T10:59:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/61 "2003-02-18T19:59:07Z")
I’m gonna back StPaul on this one… those first two episodes ( **Encounter at Farpoint** ) were insufferable. I nearly said f\*\*k that to the whole series after sitting through them. Everyone was act like extreme charactures of themselves it was like reading a bad children’s book. Generic example: when Riker, upon meeting Data says “you’re kind of like Pinocchio” (or something like that)… bleaugh! ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/62 "2003-02-18T20:14:00Z")
The pilot. I saw it when it first aired and then didn’t watch the show again for three years, after which I became a big fan. Okay, its not the worst. But when I think of “TNG episodes I hate,” it is the first one that comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/63 "2003-02-18T20:16:58Z")
A lot of people didn’t like the first TNG season in particular. I had the feeling that the show really could have gone either way during that first year. The acting was pretty stuff, the writing ranged from bad to fair and the music was too ‘episodic’ and hokey. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/64 "2003-02-18T20:25:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > Spock’s Brain! That was bad, but “Gem” was worse. Oh, sorry… What was that garbage where the holodeck went berserk and created a new life form, which the Enterprise kind of crapped out into space? Sheesh - it combined the worst of every overdone “Oh, no - the holodeck is out of control” episode with the worst of every “Gee whiz, it’s a boring new life form” episode. ---
**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:** [February 18, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/65 "2003-02-18T20:42:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blowero \* > What was that garbage where the holodeck went berserk and created a new life form, which the Enterprise kind of crapped out into space? Sheesh - it combined the worst of every overdone “Oh, no - the holodeck is out of control” episode with the worst of every “Gee whiz, it’s a boring new life form” episode. Could you be more specific? ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/66 "2003-02-18T20:57:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blowero \* > \*\*That was bad, but “Gem” was worse. > > \*\* “Brain and brain and brain what is brain?” c’mon At least Gem shut the hell up for the episode! er… I mean Most of the first two seasons and quite a few of teh last two had some cringe inducing moments. Starship Mine pisses me off the most because it is sucgh a rip off of Die hard it hurts. Criminal’s sneak into the Enterprise…While the crew is held at gun point. Picard accidentally stumbles upon them and thwarts their plans by picking them off one by one. When discovered Picard poses as someone else to make sure they don’t know what he can do. Villian turns out to be in it for money and is killed in the end. Pheeeeeh! ---
**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:** [February 18, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/67 "2003-02-18T21:54:39Z")
Anyone who does not recognize that “Masks” is the worst episode does not remember it. In a season that featured “Sub Rosa” and “Journey’s End,” you’d think you’d be hard pressed to find a real champion sh!t-sucker, but this is it. I swear, that episode should have come with a warning label or something. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/68 "2003-02-18T22:15:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > \*\*BTW, I think the folks in Up the Long Ladder were actually Space Scottish. > > –Cliffy \*\* Cliffy, rent “The Quiet Man” someday, boyo, and then tell me they’re Scottish. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/69 "2003-02-18T22:19:12Z")
I don’t think I’ve seen “Masks”… which sounds like it’s a good thing. Of the episodes I’ve seen… I have to agree that the first two episodes were horrible. I almost stopped watching just based on those; they really were just wrong. Most of the first season was pretty bad, but this was a terrible way to start. “The Game” was pretty bad as well, though Ashley Judd was featured in it. Unfortunately, it was Ashley Judd before she could act, so she was just eye-candy. Still a bad episode. As bad as those were (and several others that have already been mentioned), my vote goes to “ **Skin of Evil**.” You would think that an episode in which the worst character (Tasha Yar) gets killed off would be at least passing fair, but they even manage to fuck that up. The sets were worthy of the Original Series… I kept expecting to see someone’s shadow on the backdrop of the “planet”. The premise was ridiculous, the dialogue was painfully bad, and even after Yar was dead they mangled the end of the episode with the cheesiest of goodbye speeches. “I’ll miss you all so much!” Please. Lame, lame, lame. “Skin of Evil” was the lowest point of the show. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/70 "2003-02-18T22:21:39Z")
Sub Rosa…oh, the one where Beverly falls in love with a ghost. Yes, I had a hard time watching Gates faking orgasms on screen…very icky. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/71 "2003-02-18T22:25:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > \*\*BTW, I think the folks in Up the Long Ladder were actually Space Scottish. > > –Cliffy \*\* Cliffy, rent “The Quiet Man” someday, boyo, and then tell me they’re Scottish. also… _ **Up the long ladder** and down the short rope, To hell with King Billy and God bless the pope. If that doesn’t do it we’ll tear 'em in two… and send 'em to hell with his red, white and blue!"_ an old **Irish** doggeral I second the vote for **The Royale** I submit the one where Picard goes into the Holodrek to escape an extra-horny, menopausal Loxanna Troi and plays with a 1940’s “Dixon Hill, private dick” charactor. BORING! nothing happens. My freind got the first 2 seasons on DVD last week and this one is a fresh, horrid memory. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/72 "2003-02-18T22:41:59Z")
I could have sworn I hit the ‘back’ button… (Maybe Data took over the server) ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/73 "2003-02-18T23:08:00Z")
I kind of liked “Masks” but then, I have questionable taste. But worst votes go for “Code of Honor” “Sub Rosa” Anything with the Worf/Troi romance (I’ve blocked most of them) Anything with Alexander ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/74 "2003-02-18T23:25:13Z")
I don’t remember the titles of all the episodes, so this might have been named before, but I absolutely despised the one where they meet that race of what can only be called space-faring morons. I mean literally – big, dumb guys acting like a cruel imitation of Down’s Syndrome kids. Their leader looked like John Candy and kept saying, “Our ship will not go. Will you help us make it go?” And these people developed **space travel**??? Geeeaaaahhhh!!! ---
**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:** [February 19, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/75 "2003-02-19T02:08:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winston Bongo \* > \*\*And these people developed **space travel**??? Geeeaaaahhhh!!! \*\* As I recall, no they didn’t. The whole point was that they were an ultimate example of the unwisdom of giving people technology too advanced for them. Still pretty bad though. And I have to ask: I don’t remember episodes by title, so can someone stand to describe which episode “Masks” was? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/76 "2003-02-19T02:13:42Z")
I liked “Cause & Effect.” It was fun watching the Enterpise get blown up over and over again. My vote for worst episode goes to “Genesis.” A terribly executed episode based on a ridiculous premise. I could accept the idea of the crew devolving into lower life forms, but _everyone devolves into a different lower life form?!_ And why does everyone except Picard and Riker devolve into lizards and bugs and suchlike? Wouldn’t you expect that most of the crew would turn into chimps, with maybe a few ending up as monkeys or gorillas? Then again, I’ve never seen “Masks.” After reading this thread, I’m not in any hurry to change that fact. I’m not among the legion of Wesley haters, but any episode with Lwaxana Troi, Guinan, or Q cannot rise above ‘Fair’ in my rating system. I hated those characters. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/77 "2003-02-19T02:57:16Z")
**Masks** With any Wastely Ep tied for 2nd worst. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/78 "2003-02-19T03:00:32Z")
I must have blocked it out of my memory. Can someone give a plot synopsis of **Masks** , if it’s not too painful? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/79 "2003-02-19T03:11:34Z")
Fortunately (or perhaps not), “Masks” was just on a few nights ago. I thought the writing was a bit ham-handed, but Spiner did a nice job playing several different characters. Then again, I’m also a fan of Q. For **Lumpy** : The Enterprise discovers a large artifact encased in ice that has been floating through space for over 85 million years. It turns out to be an archive of an ancient civilization with the memories of individual people stored inside. These memories get downloaded into Data’s brain and take over his personality, while the archive begins transforming Enterprise into a copy of the extinct civ. By interpreting the hieroglyphics that appear in the computer and around the ship, and by talking with the various people who come to the surface through Data, Picard figures out how to reenact an ancient ceremony (with Data as the civilization’s sun/death goddess) and reverse the transformation before Enterprise is destroyed. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869/80 "2003-02-19T04:14:05Z")
[Here’s a list](http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/st-tng/episodes/ratings/) which rates all the episodes of ST:TNG. Curiously, **Masks** is ranked almost in the top third. This is consistent with their absurd positioning of the nauseating **The First Duty** at number 98 of 176. They got one right, though. **Imaginary Friend** , at 172, is only slightly higher than where it belongs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-st-tng-episode/153869.md?page=5)