Ten Worst Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation

[spartacus36526]

wow ...where is "Code of Honor"?

[MagikGimp]

Really? Do you have any sense of suspending disbelief at all?

[mokwella]

@MagikGimp Well, I had to suspend my disbelief when I saw your screen name..

[MagikGimp]

@mokwella Don't you start as well, it was a long time ago I stole this awful name.

[irishmike2182]

I'd have to put "Rascals" just under "Shades of Grey". Picard turns into a child? But what made it an awful episode was the Ferengi not only cripple the Enterprise (in a prelude to Generations where Riker fires only once) but it only takes 2 of them to take over the bridge and another handful take over the ship with over 1,000 on board. Then after Picard/Riker take back command of the ship there's no mention of how they got back their crew who were prisoners being forced to mine on the planet.

[mokwella]

@irishmike2182 Rascals did have plot holes, I agree - but the kids were so good at realizing the characters I give it a pass.

[gedias1]

I think Shades of Gray tops everyone's list. Another one not mentioned here was "Disaster," which was pretty appropriately named, imo.

[sciencefictiongeek14]

You missed "Genesis", that should number #1, the crew all turns into apes, what could be worse?

[jalowitz]

The most fun to be had from this sort of list (and from top tens as well) is to see which of our personal favorites seem to put us out on an island of opinion by ourselves. I love any of the mythology episodes (Masks, Darmok, Who Watches the Watchers) and can't stand the Borg ones (Best of Both Worlds, I Borg). We're all different. I believe in the original series, that's called IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations). :)

[neilb229]

Oh and being Scottish, i also found 'Sub Rosa' to be cringingly bad.

[neilb229]

Yes they are all awful. But what about the one, can't remember the name, where picard is stranded on a planet with some alien guy in a first contact situation and they have to communicate through shared experience and the alien keeps repeating this phrase over and over. Teriible, made me want to claw out my own eyes/ears!!

[Orca8472]

I kinda agree, even though you missed Okona and some other shit, except for The Quality of Life - basically a discussion about sentience, nice parallel with The Measure of a Man. I liked them both.

[Trekfreek]

It's easier to tell you which ones you got right. Skin of Evil (had potential), Mask's (Data taken over by Ghosts BOO), Emergence (a bad script based on fan stories, including my brother’s), and Shades of Gray (flash back episode where they save Riker's life by drilling holes in his head). The others are fantastic episodes with great morality stories.

[Vasilouxxx]

Shades Of Gray is the worst episode of any Trek series! A complete waste of time. they must have ran out of budget or something and kept using clips from past episodes lmfao!

[ScottyJ1624]

This list was alot better than your top 25 best list. Cost of Living was outrageously bad.

[bioarcheology]

I am not in full agreement with what is bad. Ugly bags of mostly water was an out standing line.

all episodes with Q were an exercise in madness.

[ZakkHaze]

As loud as a whisper wasn't that bad, other than that good job. Although i would put your #2 as #1....i hate Troi episodes....

[ironfistfaves]

I totally agree...Those episodes were pretty lame.

[Supenmanu]

Some of the episodes you listed don't deserve to be on your list (although skin of evil and shades of gray definitely do). Also you missed the one where Barclay transforms into a spider or something and Picard turns into a monkey...

[Amar7605]

The Royale wasn't a great episode. In fact, it was pretty silly. Yet I still loved it!

[acydneon]

I have to disagree with your choice of Masks and Emergence. Masks were a great idea, but they are lacking more story development and 'deepness' because of a 40 minutes restriction to an episode. And when you said that 'who cares' for The Quality of Life.. dude, Star Trek cares, because it's what it's all about.

[theshield44]

I though Tasha Yar was one of the more annoying characters. Once Worf took over TNG improved dramatically!

[stevenewyork]

THE ROYALE is one of my favorites!!!! You should have the last Wesley episode when he discovers he's a superbeing. Who knew?

[whatever890327897895]

I will agree with this list. "Quality of Life" is watchable though. I'm a huge trek fan.

[robertw6556]

I was rather young when I watched the Masks episode so I probably didn't fully understand it. Watched it again last year. Still completely incomprehensible.

[Lastman0nEarth]

I'd say Journey's End can take top spot.

[NiamhWitch]

I quite enjoyed "The Royale". That one should have been replaced with "The Outrageous Okona". That one was terrible.

[sharkisland89]

@NiamhWitch I totally agree. "The Royale" wasn't great but its a lot of fun and one of the better season 2 episodes. "The Outrageous Okona" or "Justice" should be on this list instead.

[talltom1973]

I enjoyed "Man of the People." I kind of liked Marina in that one, she was real slutty.

[MrJWood19]

Yea I agree with all except the Royale. 

[SpreadingtheMuse]

Leaving out Angel One is inexcusable.  That has the single most incompetent screenplay

[contrist0]

Tasha was not written out per say by the show, she quit so she had to be written out. Johnathan Frankes actually trolled her pretty good saying something along the lines that she quit to pursue bigger things and how well that worked out for her.

[mokwella]

Well, whether she quit or not is not really the point. The story in "Skin of Evil" was an incredibly poor way to write out the character. Even if they were mad at Denise Crosby there are lots of other ways they could have done it. Besides that, with "Skin of Evil" she still wasn't done work at the show. She filmed another whole episode after this - "Arsenal of Freedom." So I don't buy any excuse on behalf of the writers, sorry.

[contrist0]

@mokwella agreed, the story line was not great, but what I was saying, that is was not like they fired her by just writing her out she quit on her own accord and you have to at least say the writers were generous to write her back in as a Romulan from time to time.

[Vreenakthesenator]

I'm glad you hate the Royale. 

[lulle103]

"The outrageous Okona" is missing!

[kakashi76767]

@lulle103 did you know the guy who played Okona was in the running to be Riker? Im glad Frakes got it instead.

[tankwfw]

Some of these episodes are some of my favorites. Emergence was amazing

[Kousaburo]

The writers boldly went where they shouldn't have. I guess anything is possible if you have a deadline to meet.

[BeondaPale]

Really bad episodes

Too Short a Season

The Dauphin

The Icarus Factor

In Theory

Imaginary Friend

Aquiel

Dark Page

The Host

[Thestartrekuploader]

I've just watched #7 Emergence jesterday the very first time and I liked it

[SurfingTX]

I loved The Royale for a second season episode. The pace does plod it has so many great acting moments spread throughout. It's certainly not in the top half but not one of the worst for me. Skin of Evil was a very well crafted bit of intense writing. Yeah, Yar went out abruptly but at least over the remaing shows they did say that it was a pointless death.

[TheAdam159]

Cost of Living, bleh! Awful. Sub Rosa? Urgh, vile. Code of Honor was insulting. I quite like The Royale, though.

[iamhoth]

Code of Honor should be mentioned too. Repulsive. Thanks for sharing, and writing a blurb about each. Very enjoyable.

[SuiginChou]

#9 The Royale is one of my favorite TNG episodes, so I'll have to disagree with you there. #4 Quality of Life is an adorable little robots episode: but it was also a great Data episode, so the fact that it made its way onto a Top 10 Worsts list is surprising to me. I'm guessing you didn't much care for the '80s film "Batteries Not Included" either.

[mokwella]

Batteries Not Included was horrible! I liked Short Circuit though.

[SuiginChou]

@mokwella Everyone likes Short Circuit. :) Johnny-5 is still alive! But yeah, I figured you must not have liked Batteries Not Included given your disdain for Quality of Life. Oh well! A, to each his own. B, thanks for taking the time to share your list with us.

[EVAUnit4A]

@mokwella

You liked Short Circuit but dis *batteries not included? Wow, just wow.

[SuperJaydavies]

I agree with the whole selection, very good.

[RayStyles300]

I agree with all except The Royale. Skin of Evil wasn't that bad only the way Yar died. It seemed like the writers had only 10 seconds to decide how to kill Yar.

[28stads]

Pretty good list. Can't really disagree with any of it. There are plenty of bad episodes, but these ones definitely take the cake, so to speak! hehe

[SquareMaster316]

What about "Code of Honor", "The Royale", "The Outrageous Okona", "The Naked Now"?

[mokwella]

Huh? The Royale is No. 9..

[DrSaering]

As much as the clip show sucked, I would actually say The Child is a worse episode. At least the clip show is just a waste of time, rather than actively stupid and infuriating.

[frankensteinmoneymac]

I have mixed feelings about this list. I agree with 6 of them, which means I agree with you more than I disagree....yet the other 4 I would probably include in my TOP 10 list of STTNG episodes......In fact I like those 4 far more than I hate the other 6....so I'm gonna have to go with 'I strongly disagree' with your list. Also Journey's End, and Sub Rosa are only Honorable Mentions?!?! Dear Lord....Sub Rosa alone deserves the 2nd spot, right behind the clip show!!!!

[TheManiacOnWheelsUSA]

I disagree with just about all of these.

[hoffmant99]

MASKS!! Ugh, a floating aztec like building in space that turns the Enterprise into a floating aztec like building in space... and Data is infested with multiple personalities. A bit of a stretch for anybody, even Brent Spiner. And in the end, more masks... lame.

[thetshirtblog]

I liked your top 25, but have to disagree with a bunch of these; Masks, Emergence, As Loud Aa A Whisper, The Child were all enjoyable for me.

[FiverBeyond]

You're kidding me, right? I thought that "Loud as a Whisper" was one of the best TNG episodes.

But other than that, you're right...

[tiffyandpixie]

@FiverBeyond I had to comment on this one. I don't know if I'd say "Loud as a Whisper" was one of the best but it was one of my favorites and those are two different things. As a Sign Language Interpreter, I have met Mr. Howie Seago (the Deaf actor in the episode) and he is not incompent or irritating. He is demonstrating the frustration that comes from the inability to communicate with those around him - something the Deaf deal with every day of their lives.

[Lastman0nEarth]

@tiffyandpixie Hear, hear

[FiverBeyond]

@tiffyandpixie

I think it was a brilliant move on their part have him play the role. Like most good science fiction (in my humble opinion), that Star Trek episode was actually talking about our lives today, and on real conflicts that are part of the human experience.

[FiverBeyond]

@tiffyandpixie

I think it was a brilliant move on their part have him play the role. Like most good science fiction (in my humble opinion), that Star Trek episode was actually talking about our lives today, and on real conflicts that are part of the human experience.

[tiffyandpixie]

@FiverBeyond Exactly! Thank you!

[tiffyandpixie]

@FiverBeyond Exactly! Thank you!

[MrHoppers002]

there are bad episodes in all trek shows. or all shows in general. at least TNg never had to put up with space hippies or exploding flowers.

[jonfurtadofilms]

How did Pen Pals not make this list?!

[thetshirtblog]

@jonfurtadofilms Pen Pals was one the best Data episodes, sorry.

[NiamhWitch]

@jonfurtadofilms you are nuts. Pen Pals was a fabulous episode.

[mahdogzbite]

On any list of Worst Trek TNG episodes... Masks should be number 1.

[gordonlhucky]

I agree with most picks, but personallyI liked E'jat or whatever from MASKS. Any episode that lets Spinner perform multiple characters is fine by me.

[thetshirtblog]

@gordonlhucky Bingo. Masks was surreal and beautiful. Hard to believe that anyone would want to watch The Dauphin instead.

[frankensteinmoneymac]

@thetshirtblog Agreed...it would be in my Top Ten, easy!

[Daynesteel]

oh god... any episode with tasha yar in it is considered in my books to be a bad episode... the show got better as soon as she died

[Potrimpo]

Would have figured the majority of them featuring Lwaxana Troi.

[CptKirk377]

Now, i'm done with the series, and 'Mask' is by far the worst episode I've ever seen.  most people look at it as if its possible and all that, but I just want to be entertained. And this episode was the worst. the scenes are all jumbled up, and the pacing sucked. The end felt just like the beginning. Picard is like ill put a mask on, and tell Data to stop it. And that is it!

[CptKirk377]

lol Honorable mentions!!! Shades of Gray is a clip show, so it's hard to rate it, I would not even call it an episode. I'm still on season 7 the episode Thine Own Self so I have not seen Mask or Emergence yet. I thought 'Lonely Among Us' was shitty and 'The Arsenal of Freedom' was boring. "Too Short a Season' was pretty horrible. The worst episode would have to be 'Night Terrors'. the concept was pretty good but the episode was BORING!!

[mummra4ever]

Where was The Outrageous Okona? That was easily the worst TNG episode.

[toddsmitts]

What what the sad retread "The Naked Now"? Or the truly cringe-worthy "Code of Honor" with its "planet of black people with a tribal mentality" (Jonathan Frakes was really embarassed by that one, calling it "racist". I don't blame him.)

[Camelsarse]

Journey's End...........Crusher should have ended, along time before this episode. Kids and Star Trek do not mix!

[normicon]

@Camelsarse I always thought Jake on DS9 was a pretty good character, and Voyager's Naomi Wildman wasn't too bad. Of course, the writers didn't try to inject Jake and Naomi into every situation or pass them off as "Überkinder" like TNG did with Wesley.

[emeeme2003]

Oh right, Journey's End is an HM, but no Cost Of Living...?

*eyeroll*

[mokwella]

Cost of Living was pretty bad- I'll add it on as an annotation.

[emeeme2003]

Excellent, it's my least favorite Trek episode, of any series.