# Worst TNG episode ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2010, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414 "2010-10-17T05:34:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/221 "2010-10-21T00:19:32Z")
The one where Riker and others are taken by aliens and have to describe a table and their mind raping. Totally suckass episode. I hate it. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/222 "2010-10-21T00:26:02Z")
Maybe it’s all politics. As you can see when the TNG era was first starting, the Federation and Klingon empire were really going all out to make a show of detente—to the point where there were Federation insignia being displayed on the bridges of Klingon warships, if memory serves—so when the latest version of the UT was designed, it was required to give a _lot_ of leeway towards spoken Klingon, in order to promote cross-cultural understanding, linguistic cross-pollination, and to avoid the appearance of marginalizing a major partner in galactic politics. Of course, as with most politically mandated technical changes, this proved…problematic in practice. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/223 "2010-10-21T00:32:11Z")
Context is something you should consider. The first season was made during a writer’s strike. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/224 "2010-10-21T02:03:49Z")
> [@monkeylucifer](#): > > Context is something you should consider. The first season was made during a writer’s strike. I’ve seen something interesting regarding [Wesley Crusher](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWesley) on that subject— > [@TV Tropes](#): > > Some of Wesley’s The Wesley-ness is accidental: Six scripts had been drafted for the “Wesley saves the day” plot, with the intention that the best elements of each would be combined to make one character-focus episode on Wesley — none of them were especially good, but it was hoped that there would be enough good material between them to make a single episode. A writer’s strike dried up the supply of scripts for the first season, so all six drafts were completed and produced, at which point Wesley’s characterization was firmly entrenched. This, and other things I’ve seen from the writers’ strikes I’ve lived through leads me to one conclusion: WGA Strike = Nerds Get Screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/225 "2010-10-21T02:13:14Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > … so as not to angry up the blood? Satchel, the ball flung fast. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/226 "2010-10-21T02:16:19Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Satchel, the ball flung fast. Baseball player or cartoon character? Bogart, tugging his earlobe. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/227 "2010-10-21T02:57:21Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Bogart, tugging his earlobe. Bogart, not releasing the bong. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/228 "2010-10-21T03:00:20Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Bogart, not releasing the bong. 😛 That’s probably better than mine, but mine is from a Classical Education. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/229 "2010-10-21T04:56:58Z")
I watched a DS9 episode tonight where Worf and Dax join Martok’s crew on a Bird of Prey. Martok gave the helmsman the coordinates and I said “engage.” He then said something in Klingon. A few minutes later, he gave coordinates and instead of a Klingon word, he said “engage.” My favorite UT episode is from Trials and Tribble-ations. I think the worst TNG episodes have been worn out in this thread. Any Ferengi episode on their home world sucks, as far as DS9 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/230 "2010-10-21T05:43:59Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > If encha can simply be translated as begin then why do you need a Klingon to translate that? Why can’t the UNIVERSAL BLOODY TRANSLATOR do it? > > It simply seems like the writers of the show liked the idea of Klingons having their own language and kept working it in despite the fact that each time they did so it served as a shrieking siren to the fact that NO OTHER ALIEN SPECIES IN THE SHOW DID THIS. I’m sure we’ve all thought of this at some point. But it makes for good drama. In ‘300’ King Leonidas fights a bunch of Persians dressed up in Japanese Kabuke masks. Totally makes zero sense. But it looks so fucking cool…😃 And not to nitpick, but there were a few instances where other Alien species did that (I think I remember Leonard Nimoy speaking Hebr—er, “Vulcan”-- in one of the Star Trek movies). And in the episode where Dr. Bashir finds the other…em…er…space savants, they talked about verb tenses in Dominonese, and how it impacted what it was that Weyoun was saying. So…they at least concede on one occasion that there’s something to be lost in universal translation. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/231 "2010-10-21T05:45:26Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I watched a DS9 episode tonight where Worf and Dax join Martok’s crew on a Bird of Prey. Martok gave the helmsman the coordinates and I said “engage.” He then said something in Klingon. A few minutes later, he gave coordinates and instead of a Klingon word, he said “engage.” My favorite UT episode is from Trials and Tribble-ations. > > I think the worst TNG episodes have been worn out in this thread. **Any Ferengi episode on their home world sucks, as far as DS9 episodes**. I loved the Ferengi episodes, home world or otherwise. Not only because my mum got in the habit of calling herself “moogie” (lol), but they were a nice sort of comic relief from the overall dark drama of the series. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/232 "2010-10-21T05:47:29Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > No, they named him for a Fan who would go to conventions in a wheelchair. George LaForge IIRC. And also remember that Geordi was merely an ensign that manned the conn originally, rather than the actual Chief Engineer. Heck, dude got promoted the fastest of anyone in all of Star Trek–the only person to jump two levels by the end. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/233 "2010-10-21T05:51:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The bit about LaForge not starting off as the chief engineer always puzzled me. Surely they realized that the chief engineer would have to be a major character? Why did they put a major character in Engineering, and not make him the chief? Or, if there was some chief engineer in the background (I honestly can’t remember), why wasn’t he a major character? I think they wanted to keep the focus on the bridge, and thought it was ridiculous how many times Scotty would wind up on the bridge when he’s supposed to be the chief engineer. Geordi, being both a pilot type and an engineer made more sense. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/234 "2010-10-21T12:36:11Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > I loved the Ferengi episodes, home world or otherwise. Not only because my mum got in the habit of calling herself “moogie” (lol), but they were a nice sort of comic relief from the overall dark drama of the series. Amen, Brother. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/235 "2010-10-21T12:43:27Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > it was ridiculous how many times Scotty would wind up on the bridge when he’s supposed to be the chief engineer. He is damn cool in [_Friday’s Child._](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2xORnLS_1k&feature=related)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/236 "2010-10-21T16:11:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Baseball player or cartoon character?.. The baseball player. One of his “Rules for Staying Young” (which he himself often violated) was, “Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.” Scotty makes a damn good acting CO. Kirk never had anything to worry about. I liked the DS9 eps set on Ferenginar, too. Fun and funny. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/237 "2010-10-21T16:17:30Z")
Actually, from what I remember, they almost got through filming the pilot when Roddenberry realized they hadn’t seen the engine room, so they quickly built it and filmed some scenes in there. I don’t know if it’s because he had the idea of the lights and I don’t remember that in TOS or why he wanted it but the point is that by then, Geordi’s character had a role and they needed the CE. My own bad ones have been mentioned, from many of first and second season, to Sub Rosa, Masks and others. What I hated was the lack of consistency, because each episode had to stand alone, unless it was a two (more more) parter. What they figured out over here was completely forgotten when it would have fixed something else. And, of course, some piece of technology got too powerful (_cough_transporter_cough_) but is never used that way again. They did get better with star date (4XYYY.ZZ with the X being season) but there are still issues with speed, size of the galaxy and other items. In the end, it comes down to whether or not I liked the drama of that episode because science was only used when it could be dramatic, which still irks me. The more I learn about science, the more I feel cheated with what they didn’t do at times. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/238 "2010-10-21T16:21:20Z")
> [@tingbudong](#): > > Agreed. DS9 explored the layers of Starfleet, Federation and politics far better than the other series. From the lowly engineering crew on the night shift (Rom hangs out with them one episode), to shell-shocked Marines and up to the ultra secret Section 31 and other happenings at Starfleet Command. Maybe their budget allowed for more characters with lines, but that was what always bothered me about TNG…most of the time the Enterprise and their ‘senior staff’ seemed to exist in a vacuum…being the only tight circle of buddies able to solve the most pressing problems of the galaxy. One of the best Trek bits ever is Odo’s reaction to the existence of Section 31. Not only is he unsurprised at its existence, he’s bemused – or perhaps mildly _amused_–that Sisko and his Starfleet staff are. DS9 is the one series in which the characters have not drunk the utopia kook-aid. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/239 "2010-10-21T16:31:04Z")
Holmes and Watson, at Baskerville Hall! ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tng-episode-ever/557414/240 "2010-10-21T18:08:37Z")
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