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Alright, it's no secret how much VGR is despised here on SDN. I myself have kvetched and bitched about the series' low points and wasted potential and worst episodes.

But I thought it'd be fun to try a different tact. Instead of creating another "Worst Episodes" list, let's see if we can find any good episodes of VGR.

Of course, Top 10 is too good for this piece of shit so I'll just stick with Top 5.

1. "Latent Image" -- My favorite episode, with a Hitchcokian mystery, moral dilemma, and great development for the Doctor (which was subsequently ignored, but still).

2. "Scorpion, Part 1" -- Ah, the days before the Borg's villain decay set in. The idea of someone worse than the Borg Collective was handled well here and gave such a great set-up for an otherwise shitty resolution/

3. "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy" -- I believe the Pon Farr song says it all.

4. "Hunters" -- I like this less for the formal introduction of the Hirogen and more because of the letters from the Alpha Quadrant. This was something they did right for once, that everyone back home have moved on with their lives. And a DS9 fan, it was great to see the Chakotay and Torres' reactions to the news that the Dominion had wiped out their comrades in arms.

5. "The Omega Directive" -- Despite any lasting repercussions, the idea of a top-secret Starfleet protocol was entertaining -- and considering this aired around the same time as DS9's introduction Section 31, it was a nice thematic crossover.

'Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy''s the one with the Doctor daydreaming right? Got to love that one.

ACTIVATE THE PHOTONIC CANNON!

Crazedwraith wrote:'Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy''s the one with the Doctor daydreaming right? Got to love that one.

ACTIVATE THE PHOTONIC CANNON!

Yep, that's the one.

Scorpion, probably. It was remarkably good at creating an atmosphere of tension.

Top 11 (Because I want to go One Step Beyond)

1. "Living Witness"

2. "Message in a Bottle"

3. "Drone"

4. "Someone to Watch Over Me"

5. "Year of Hell"

6. "Scorpion"

7. "Distant Origin"

8. "The Thaw"

9. "Counterpoint"

10. "Timeless"

11. "Mortal Coil"

Guilty Pleasures

"Scientific Method"

"Heroes and Demons"

"Bliss"

"Future's End"

"Bride of Chaotica!"

Aside form those mentioned, I enjoyed Worst Case Scenario and Equinox.

They weren't especially good, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Crazedwraith wrote:'Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy''s the one with the Doctor daydreaming right? Got to love that one.

ACTIVATE THE PHOTONIC CANNON!

i don't know why, but i like to see lower characters taking command. there's also TNG with Troi and one with Crusher taking command (can't remember eps), but they are fun.

i notice most of the good episodes are also double-eps. ii guess the ones that worked well were expanded.

"Relativity" was not excellent but decent enough, harmless fun and RDM's "Survival Instinct" was decidedly better than his "Barge of the Dead".

In addition to some of the episodes mentioned here, I remember really liking Blink of an Eye. Sure it had some really bad acting, but I absolutely loved the main concept of the episode. A planet where time is traveling so much faster than in the rest of the universe, where you can see ciivilizations rise and fall in a matter of hours was a concept really intersting to me.

Then I read the novel the episode was ripped from, where it was just done so much better. I still enjoy the episode, but it really took something away from it.

Temjin wrote:In addition to some of the episodes mentioned here, I remember really liking Blink of an Eye. Sure it had some really bad acting, but I absolutely loved the main concept of the episode. A planet where time is traveling so much faster than in the rest of the universe, where you can see ciivilizations rise and fall in a matter of hours was a concept really intersting to me.

Then I read the novel the episode was ripped from, where it was just done so much better. I still enjoy the episode, but it really took something away from it.

That was a runner-up on my list.

Speaking of books, I remember there was a story in the VGR anthology Distant Shores which told the story of the Doctor's (relative) 3 years on the planet. Really good, actually.

Threshold, honestly.
Among all its stupidity there just was something oddly gratifying in seeing Janeway turned into a lizard creature and doing... well let's just say that after watching that episode I could newer look at her the same way again. lol

Purple wrote:Threshold, honestly.
Among all its stupidity there just was something oddly gratifying in seeing Janeway turned into a lizard creature and doing... well let's just say that after watching that episode I could newer look at her the same way again. lol

Threshold is campy fun, but it shouldn't be part of canon.

Edit: Anyway, I'll throw out Dark Frontier Part One as a personal favorite.

I enjoyed "The Killing Game" simply for seeing the characters in a completely different role. I found Janeway vaguely likeable as the resistance leader.

I'll also add "Drone" because it was a laugh.

I'll second "Message in a Bottle" for the ridiculous insanity that is Prometheus.

Eternal_Freedom wrote:
I'll second "Message in a Bottle" for the ridiculous insanity that is Prometheus.

I dug it because it was a good episode for the Doctor. The only interesting character on the show. Also, Robert Picardo and Andy Dick (guest starring as the Prometheus' EMH mark II) played off each other very well. It wasn't the most amazing Star Trek episode, but it was fun, and better than most Voyager episodes.

"Message in a Bottle" is not especially deep and profound, but like TNG's "Deja Q" and DS9's "Trials and Tribble-ulations" is still highly entertaining and rewatchable. The episode is also helped by CGI effects that have aged surprisingly well - one significant thing going for DS9 and VOY were the visual effects that mostly don't look like complete ass 10 to 15 years later, like in contemporary TV movies such as 1995's The Langoliers.

"Hunters" had great attention to detail by having a direct connection to the events of DS9, but while clearly derivative of the Predators, Jeri Taylor's Hirogen were still a huge improvement on the mostly highly generic Kazon and the genuinely grisly, but implausibly biologically compatible Vidiians, with very elaborate blue-chrome armour and threatening starship interiors.