The Best Underrated Star Trek Episodes

[@intrinsical]

According to the DS9 writers, Explorers was around when they finally figured out who Sisko was. He was a builder. Not just physically building things, but the reason why Sisko is at Bajor is to build a foundation for a better future for the Bajoran people. It is also why the writers decided Sisko was the one who built the Defiant when he was at Utopia Planatia shipyards.

[@Xondar11223344]

Which is funny because they'd been depicting him as that since almost the start of the series at that point. I.e. when he built the clock in his office in "Dramatis Personae." I mean, the Borg killed his wife, and so he went to Utopia Planitia Shipyards and headed the project to design a starship with the only purpose of kicking Borg butt.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

When people talk about Dr. Crusher (who had too few focused stories), they often mention her best episode, "Remember Me", or her worst episode, "Sub Rosa", but too many forget about "Suspicions", a clever murder mystery that is not only focused on Crusher, but a diverse group of guest characters.

[@MovieMagic515]

Don't forget 'Ethics'

[@mattgelfer]

Amen! And I love the conversations between Beverly and Guinan.

[@jaqenhghar2970]

I also loved it when she took command in *"Descent"*

[@claytonberg721]

Suspicions is good, because it's also an example of showing different facets of the Ferengi culture.

[@jaqenhghar2970]

@@claytonberg721 not only the Ferengi, but of the Klingons, too. We mostly view the militaristic aspect of their culture. To see a Klingon scientist here was treat. The same with the Ferengi and their capital-gaining, misogynistic attributes -- Dr. Reyga for sure was a breath of fresh air. Also to note, we also see something similar among the Hirogen of ST: VOY where we meet one of, if not, their very first scientists.

[@ZoeMalDoran]

Seven: "When you were freed from the Collective, do you believe you recovered your humanity?" Picard: "Yes" Seven: "All of it?" Picard: "No"

[@Cdr2002]

Hits me every time

[@LexYeen]

That scene spoke to me as someone with cPTSD from psychological abuse. We may not be able to be who we were before the trauma, but that doesn't mean we can't heal and grow past it.

[@bigneon_glitter]

*"Sanctuary"* - underrated _DS9_ S2 gem that's rarely talked about: Desperate wormhole refugees seek a new home on Bajor but are rejected because of their odd appearance & cultures. Kira agrees with the Bajorans' NIMBY decision but soon discovers that, with a little power, she's no different from the Cardassians & their bigotry. The refugees' response is chilling: _"I think you've made a terrible mistake, all of you. Maybe we could have helped you. Maybe we could have helped each other. The Skrreeans are farmers, Kira. You have a famine on your planet. Perhaps we could've made that peninsula bloom again. We'll never know, will we? Fifty years of Cardassian rule have made you all frightened and suspicious. I feel sorry for you.; You were right: Bajor is not Kentanna."_ Also underrated, *"Resolutions"* - _Voyager_ S2: Janeway & Chakotay are stranded on a planet under quarantine. A likely permanent isolation, they abandon their Starfleet roles & in their new domestic reality, an attraction grows. Rather than play "will they/won't they" games, Janeway & Chakotay sit down like adults & discuss their attraction, exploring the question of their relationship together in a frank, honest, & refreshingly mature discussion - a smartly written ep that elevates _Voyager._

[@marocat4749]

I dont think it was that well done and could have been better, as that species is too, i mean it works to mirror kira and th bajorans and faith, but it would be even better if they would be more sympathic, not high and mighty. If it ended more ambilvalent witth less grand speecj that just its too entitled to feel bad for them. To be clear its great the female there and thy are annoying and eel foreign and intruding, that is nessesary, but kira contact, they are guests. its just weird ho they feel that entitled. Non the less its very interesting and a lot works as mirror for kira. And the speech, could be done without that entitlement , jut disapoinrtment and that they had cultivation techniues to offer.

[@Seal0626]

I'm 5 months late, but totally agree re: Icheb. Fridging is a risky thing to do, but in this case and within the episode, it worked really well.

[@Wilmm.]

These are all solid picks, I especially love the mention of Explorers which I always found to be a really comforting episode to watch. If I had to pick a personal favorite underrated episode I’d have to say Civil Defense from DS9. It doesn’t stand out for its plot, it’s a typical something is wrong with the station and we all have to work together to fix it so we don’t die type of plot. But I always found it to be a really good showcasing of DS9’s cast and a few guest characters since both Garak and Dukat make appearances in it. You get a good feel for all of the characters and a good show of several of the relationships between various characters. I love the scenes of Odo and Quark trapped in the security office, and there banter at the end of the episode always makes me smile. It’s one of my 3 go to episodes when trying to introduce someone to Star Trek cause it’s a fairly standard episode but does a great job of showing off its ensemble cast which has always been one of my favorite things about Star Trek. It’s not spectacular by any means but it’s a fun solid episode and a nice one to pop on now and again to hang out with my favorite space crew.

[@jtzor5922]

I love Projections from Voyager, the whole trip of existentialism made me feel for The Doctor. It's probably overshadowed by Frame Of Mind but this episode was great from a philosophical standpoint.

[@AndrewD8Red]

Voyager's second season was my favourite season, overall. I'm the one guy who really liked the Kazon.

[@VonWenk]

I liked the Kazon as well (although I always questioned how a civilization that considered a replicator exotic technology managed to keep on Voyager's trail).

[@Bastion90]

I'm one of those few who enjoyed watching Kazon episodes too.

[@sidekicknick4152]

Another underrated Voyager episode in my opinion is "Distant Origin." Like "The Thaw," it also has a ridiculous concept that shouldn't work as well as it does: dinosaurs evolved into humanoids, had a civilization that achieved space travel, and now they're living in the delta quadrant.

[@claytonberg721]

FYI distant origin is based on a real scientific theory that humans are not the only advanced species to have evolved on earth. The theory being that it only took some 8 million years for humans to evolve from apes, and it's been what... 500 million years since the cambrian explosion that if an advanced society did evolve say... 300 million years ago there would be no real evidence of it today. Numerically it's highly plausible given how incomplete the fossil record is that another society did reach at least the hunter gatherer stage. All we know is that if another society did rise they didn't go through an industrial revolution like ours burning massive amounts of carbon because carbon emissions would be all that would really survive those hundreds of million years.

[@AmaranthOriginal]

And the conflict between what the data shows and what the fundamentalists wish to be true.

[@mkang8782]

I don't know if it truly counts as "underrated", but the ST:Enterprise episode, "The Andorian Incident" is a favorite of mine. It really helps establish how this is definitely not the "kumbaya" phase of the UFP. It shows more than tells how adversarial the Andorians and Vulcans are toward each other. It also subverts expectations of Vulcans because they are 100% lying about it just being a monastery. Add into all of that Jeffrey Combs as Shran, a role he really embraced.

[@marocat4749]

I love the twit at the end and archers decision. I like to think its not underrated.

[@gloryliberty]

For me, I’d say the S7 TNG episode “Masks”. I know it tends to get put on a lot of Least Favorite Episode lists, but as a wee one I loved the idea of the idea of a culture reaching out from the coldness of space and Data being stuck in the middle of it. As I’ve gotten older, I love watching it just to see Brent Spiner take on all those different characters and switch between them so easily. It really is a masterclass in character building and movement.

[@rudyness2338]

One episode I loved that doesn't seem to get much love is "Frame of Mind" from TNG season 6. I genuinely this this should be a must for anyone's TNG's best episodes.

[@moonflowergal]

Funny thing about "The Swarm": I don't even remember the A-plot. I remember *a lot* of details about the B-plot. All these years I had assumed that the Doc's issues were the main focus of the episode. Memory can be such a funny thing. Certainly a memorable episode (the Doc's bits, that is)... as was "The Thaw".

[@blankb.2277]

I think the point of the Swarm part of the episode was just to occupy the Voyager crew (primarily B’Elanna) so Kes and the Diagnostic Program had to solve the problem themselves. I think the Doctor part of the story was meant to be the main plot.

[@AmaranthOriginal]

I remember there being aliens, and that the power cuts out during the transfer because of them, and... that's about it. The B-story was far more memorable...ironic

[@mattgelfer]

I’m so glad you hilighted “Explorers”! That’s always been one of my personal favorites, I love the whole idea of a small sailing vessel but in space.

[@mbrando4403]

i love Explorers too one of my all time faves

[@TheMadMaple]

"Enterprise Mine". Yes, it's basically Die Hard on the Starship Enterprise. But it's fun as hell, and unironically one of my all-time favourite episodes.

[@patrickdodds7162]

TNG's "The Survivors" (season 3) should be on this list--if not #1 on this list! It is a brilliantly written and acted episode with a twist ending that would make Rod Serling proud. Actor Jon Anderson's closing monologue is devastating, shocking and heartbreaking all at once. It's a spectacular hour of television that just isn't seen in Trek anymore.

[@HansLemurson]

If "Demonic space hologram clown" doesn't sound like Star Trek to you, you clearly haven't watched TOS. 😉

[@loftus4453]

What a treat! I didn’t know you had a second channel Jessie! Now I have more great, thought provoking content to watch! ❤😊

[@Keleigh3000]

Explorers is one of my favorite standalone stories from Deep Space 9. I've always wondered if it was inspired by the works of Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer who made arduous journeys with primitive means to prove that ancient peoples weren't as bound by geography as we long thought.

[@allanolley4874]

It almost has to have been inspired by Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki expedition, searching the Deep Space 9 Companion apparently has this quote from the episode author: "I was talking with friends about the fact that the Federation is based on ships," says Hilary Bader, then an intern on Deep Space Nine. "Somebody mentioned exploring, and the old ways of doing things and people trying to prove things. And as soon as you start thinking along those lines, you see the parallels to Kon-Tiki. I thought, 'wait a minute, that would be a good story.' So I went in and pitched it."

[@Keleigh3000]

@@allanolley4874 Neat!

[@joeblaster8770]

That first episode you talked about always makes me think of the song Self Control.

[@adamlytle2615]

When I did a Voyager watch through a few years ago, I almost skipped "The Thaw" because I remembered not liking it when I watched it the first time around as a teenager. Was very glad I didn't skip it! Very compelling episode with a truly badass final line from Janeway.

[@AmaranthOriginal]

I'm pretty sure I didn't like it when it first aired, either. That changed when I watched it on DVD. I think part of jt is just how uncomfortable it made me, which....well, played, Voyager

[@adamlytle2615]

@@AmaranthOriginal yah the capers of all the clowns are kind of off-putting

[@NethDugan]

I've listened to your B5 podcast, you can't fool me into thinking you're the queen of transitions. Though this was a good one, Vera would be proud.

[@michaelevans5852]

Yeah, I hate "Stardust City Rag" and found Seven's arc in the story pretty generic, but I'm glad somebody enjoys it. But on to more pleasant things ... I don't know enough about the politics of the Star Trek fandom to be aware of what constitutes an underrated or overrated episode, but when people try to refute the conventional wisdom of the Ferengi episodes of Deep Space Nine being pointless, unfunny or "not Star Trek", I'm surprised "House of Quark" doesn't get brought up more. The show gets a lot of humor out of the culture clash between Quark and the Klingons (The scene where Quark is trying to explain finance manipulation to the Klingon council never fails to make me laugh), Armin Shimerman and Mary Kay Adams have a lot of chemistry, and it is a great exploration of both cultures.

[@claytonberg721]

11:59 from voyager and carbon creek from enterprise are two of my favorites. I love those slow paced low threat episodes of world building. First Flight from the second season of Enterprise is another great example. Keith Carradine would have made a fantastic star fleet captain. Who knows, maybe he'll still get cast.

[@AlexisofTocqueville]

Explorers is great. I think, even though it's not the best episode overall, it's probably one of the best episodes you could pick to show people as a one-off to illustrate what's great about DS9 and Benjamin's character. If you were going to pick three episodes to explain to someone why people love Sisko, I think this is the first episode I would pick (and then I'd round it out with In the Pale Moonlight and Far Beyond the Stars)

[@marg5404]

Thank you for including DS9 Explorers! It is one of my top favorite Trek episodes. Such a lovely, quiet story of father and son.

[@merri-toddwebster2473]

"Explorers" is one of my favorite stories in all of Trek. The beauty of the ship, the father/son relationship, the discovery of science confirming myth, all great stuff.

[@marley7145]

The Thaw is my favorite Voyager episode. Nice to see it get some love.

[@travishiltz4750]

Didn't retain a lot of memories about Voyager, except for the holo clown. Creepy as hell! Do agree, that I really liked the relationship between Sisko and Jake. Would have been so easy to give them the typical troubled TV relationship, seeing what they'd been through, but they went with a more solid, healthy relationship.

[@andysimmons2648]

When you start to go through the underrated episodes of Star Trek, you could write a novel about them as there are just so many. They’re there supporting the various series and are too good to be considered an awful episode but just don’t have that impact to make them shine like so many marvellous episodes do. I agree that the ending of Thaw is chilling (no pun intended). For me, the first underrated episode I always go to is Jetrel in Voyager Season 1. It’s such a strong Neelix episode and, for me, turned him from a joke of a character into someone with depth. It gave Ethan Phillips a time to show off his acting chops and his interactions with James Sloyan’s Jetrel were marvellous. The Oppenheimer/Hiroshima parallels are very obvious but it’s an excellent character episode. Of course there are loads of others such as TNG’s Identity Crisis, DS9’s The Muse and the list goes on. Thank you for sharing your choices.

[@darrendunaway]

Got to agree, I always liked “Jetrel” too. Apparently it was someone’s attempt to make a Voyager version of “Duet” from DS9’s first season, which had been so popular. That’s a big favourite for me, for many of the same reasons I love Jetrel, and even though Voyager is my favourite series, I gotta say Duet did it better.

[@victorialucas9883]

I can tell you that as an archaeologist Explorers is probably one of the most popular episodes for us (partly because otherwise Trek handles archaeology so badly lol). But yeah talk to an archaeologist about Star Trek and you'll probably end up ranting about how good Explorers is in no time!

[@nassattack]

The Thaw is my favorite Voyager episode, I should rewatch it sometime, it's been a while. And I could be wrong but I think Explorers is the only episode that Sisko has hair and a goatee. It's his transition phase before he goes full badass lol

[@donedennison9237]

Nice list. I don't happen to like the first voyager episode you mention.. well maybe the very last scene.. But overall it made me think of the Prisoner. Have you ever noticed that a lot of scripts were tossed around between Voyager and Stargate? That reminded me of one. I do like the exploration of different ideas in different contexts. I think you're spot on with comparing Tuvix with Sim.

[@ssia6938]

Stardust City Rag was also my fave from Picard s1. So much amazing story, and attention to detail in it. The gory intro made sense in establishing how Seven shut down emotionally. The elaborate ruse to get Maddox, and Seven’s hidden agenda, were brilliantly played out. Then two unexpected twists at the end. Directed by Frakess, written by Beyer, I thought it was a golden pairing. Regarding your other choices, I appreciate the Voyager love in these revisits. Having just finished watching the series, I was blown away by how strong so many episodes were.

[@joestone1409]

Good call on the Thaw - excellent one, Lore Reloaded did a good analysis of the episode, worth a view, compliments what you are saying

[@balldalt]

The Thaw is one of my favorite Voyager episodes. And you're absolutely correct, it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. It reminds me a lot of TOS.

[@lilkris3008]

I agreed completely till stardust city. That was the episode I finally gave up on Picard

[@rib-cage]

My favorite tos episode of all time was "The Empath" from season 3. Amazing look at the trio's relationship with each other under very dire circumstances and it scratches my hurt/comfort itch like no other. That said, I don't hear it discussed much, and I suspect it has to do with it being in season 3, which was regarded as tos' weakest season.

[@Kolossus03]

It is good to see you again Jess

[@johnwhite8535]

Most Star Trek videos are pretty light and are similar to each other. It is nice to see someone with a different perspective who goes deeper.

[@chriscataldo3688]

I love your observations on those particular episodes. Personally, I was laughing when your observation was matching my own on "The Swarm" Suggestion: perhaps consider a topic of top ten episodes (that are terrible) you would change/improve/enhance?

[@arbjbornk]

Thaw is one of my favorite Voyager episodes. I love it for all the reasons given.

[@RagnarokiaNG]

So they make a clone and instead of limiting his mental awareness or keeping him in a coma state they give him a childhood and teach him of the world and show him love and compassion. There is being being ethically questionable, then there is being down right cruel. They made it far worse for the clone than it should have been, and it was already bad.

[@tyronebibbins7957]

When JG pops a wacky, uncalled for accent at less than a minute in, you know this is gonna be good. Weave your web, pal. I'm all ears.

[@Stephen-Fox]

I adore The Thaw especially from this list, especially. (Did you mean you were thinking about doing another video essay on it covering something else about it than what you covered in your Sacred Trek video on it, or don't you count those as video essays for some reason?) Explorers is also gorgeous and the B-plot of Swarm is definitely fun.

[@rebeccafrost2743]

Lower Decks (the episode in Season 7 of TNG) has always felt underrated to me. It is actually one of my favourites. Maybe I like it so much because I came across it early in my career and identified with the younger officers, but it make you care about a whole group of new characters and tells a really strong story.

[@Theus227]

Enterprise Dear Doctor episode is one that I think was a highlight of the series. It was early in the T’Pol/Archer relationship and while she normally came off as condescending, she brought up many valid precautions and points. When Archer suggested they stay and she reminded him of how Vulcans are still on Earth after 100 years of deciding to stay, it showed him and the viewers that the Vulcans were justified in many of their decisions concerning less advanced species

[@benw9949]

Jessie, you can get "Star Trek rank pips" from Amazon, four gold and one black in a set for cheap, if you're looking to add TNG/DS9/VOY and LD pips to your cosplay. (I can't find an LD-style or SNW badge, though.)

[@paradoxical_taco]

This is a solidly put-together list; well done on that. _The Thaw_ in particular was a good choice, I used to dislike this episode, or thought I did, always skipping it when streaming Voyager. One day I decided to rewatch it and was like, “Why didn’t I like this?” The DS9 ep “Explorers” is a fave of mine. I’m a Planetary Society member, and they’ve launched real Solar Sails, and it’s an on-going program of the Carl Sagan co-founded organization. I’m disappointed in your off-hand comment about the Icheb scene and your opinion of Manu Intiraymi. Re: the Icheb scene itself; if the writers absolutely could find no other way to advance Seven’s story arc (which I think is bs) a scene best described as “torture porn” has no place in a Trek episode. A lot of people, myself included, find eyeball gore particularly distressing. I’ve rewatched Picard S1 & S2 and have to skip that scene. Remember, the last time we’ve seen Icheb, he was just a kid, so that made this worse. I know they can do more content that wouldn’t get past typical network sensors, but they certainly didn’t have to make this so graphic. The actor did a fantastic job acting out torture; we didn’t need the visuals. Creative camera work was in order. They put a lot into making Icheb a great character, and disposing of him as they did was a waste. Q is gone, but not Q Jr, and that presents some great opportunities. I really wanted to see more of their friendship. (In case you don’t know, it seems that there will definitely be a Picard spinoff centered of Seven and Raffi. Michelle Hurd, Jery Ryan, and Terry Matalas are all on the record as being on board, and purportedly, Matalas is working hard to get a green light from Paramount (though it could already be in production, you know how secretive Trek is.) What happened with Manu himself has been greatly misunderstood and his detractors all seem unwilling to really look into it, to listen to his side of things. He’s a Twitter mutual of mine, so I know a lot about what happened. We’ve become pretty friendly and yeah, he’s prone to not thinking before he tweets. Even I unfairly misjudged him once, until I realized I was doing to him what so many others were doing, and it took me too long to apologize to him, because I was ashamed of myself, and wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. But, he’s a good man, who’s been unfairly vilified by people who don’t know him or the actual story. They just have read on social media he’s a bad guy and if it’s on the interwebs... There’s just so much disinformation and misinformation out there. To explain my use of both words: misinformation is the result of honest mistakes and disinformation is incorrect information deliberately spread. Manu hasn’t done what a lot of people think he did, though by his own admission he did mess up - badly. But he made amends. A running theme in all of Star Trek is we all should have a chance at redemption. Voyager in particular uwas about this with half the crew being Maquis. Janeway herself has this conversation with Admiral Patterson in “Relativity”: PATTERSON: Admiral Paris's son? Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's serving a sentence for...
JANEWAY: He's made some mistakes. But everybody deserves a second chance. Watch this, kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5ubXmSFqciLY5Y the most relevant stuff starts at about 19:35. Or this Twitter thread from someone who hated Manu enough not to want Icheb to be one of the Ex-Borg to be included in Picard (from before S1 first aired, obviously) - twitter.com/riverstone248/status/1167238937817079808?s=21&t=BxALmqVjwfK6h8yzqiowDQ Sadly, Icheb can’t be a part of any NuTrek. But we could, as Trekkies, behave like Trekkies, adhering to the morals the franchise is all about. Including letting people redeem themselves from mistakes and ensuring we understand what those mistakes were.

[@haydengamingportal286]

I love the end of the thaw when fear realizes that he is going yo die and he just said somberly "I'm scard"

[@DonWan47]

Looking great, Jessie. I had no idea which episodes you’d choose. I love Trek but I’m not deep enough to know which episodes aren’t as loved as others.

[@samvimes117]

No line in the history of star trek ever been colder rhan janeway's"I know" lives rent free in my head

[@berthulf]

The Thaw is one of my favourite episodes of all Star Trek, and I think it's really the episode where the characters and potential of the show really solidified for me, it's wonderful and one of the few episodes that ever really feels intimidating, with an excellent (and surprisingly human) villain. The Builders is my second favourite episode of DS9 (and not just because of the Cardassian humiliation); we really get to see what was special about Sisko, and how he was different from Picard and Janeway. It also sets up his personality in a way that later episodes would not be half as impactful without. Jake's arc in it is also a wonderful (and very heartwarming) coming-out story (and if you can't see the similitude...). The swarm could have been really, really good. It's another episode where the A-plot could have made a great arc for multiple epsiodes, but didn't work in a single one, and yes, the B-plot should have been the A-plot here. My grandfather's Alzheimer's was just being diagnosed when this episode aired, so it hit rather hard. Similitude was haunting and so very sad, there really was no 'good' outcome to this episode, only a choice between evils and I think the actors did a good job of portraying the dilemma. Connor Trineer's acting was superb (not biased, honest...ish... Trip's not dead, the hologram's a 'based on real events' story with excessive artistic license by the author...). Stardust City Rag is probably my favourite episode of S1, because it really runs the gamut from silly to deep. It was sad seeing the use of tropes in this episode, but I understood why they made those decisions (whilst I'm told a certain individual has 'changed' but I've only hearsay to go on, so...) and I think none of the death's in this episode were taken lightly and were given their due weight.

[@rookmaster7502]

I love “The Thaw”, one of my top favorite Voyager episodes! I think it is cleverly written and I like the message. For me, a great Star Trek episode does not necessarily need lots of fight scenes, explosions and laser blasts.

[@danboyle7165]

Jessie I saw you speak about the 4 Star Trek episodes & agreed with you about each of the 4, but it's odd because in my mind I could ALMOST SEE you speaking about a 5th. It must simply be a recurrence of the fevered convulsions of nightmares within my broken mind that I call "The Year 2021", because... you spoke about FOUR STAR TREK EPISODES!!!

[@jessiegenderafterdark5287]

There are five lights!

[@noahstackhouse9818]

One underrated episode of mine is Heart of Glory, the first Worf centric ep, Michael Dorn did a gave a good performance and it was one of the best season 1 episodes.

[@kmc16]

TNG S3 "Who Watches the Watchers" is my absolute fave that I rarely ever see on any lists. Very little action but heavy with powerful acting and writing. As a former loud mouthed Gaytheist to now a "try to change legislation to match your beleifs and I'll come for you" Agnostic, I adore how Picard handles all the Science v. Religion while staying very respectful of it all and not belittling those believers. His speech to the scientist when he refuses to pretend to be a god and later his well thought out breakthrough with the Mintakans leader Nuria was peak Trek for me...🖖💖

[@coreyhonkonen7670]

I didn't realize any of these episodes were underrated, I loved them all! I would just say you and I have similar tastes, if I didn't disagree so strongly with some of your TNG omissions... ;) The analogy of the use of the EMH diagnostic matrix to abortion is one I never thought of, but is really apt. The diagnostic matrix was *not* a conscious, sentient being, but *could* have become one, so that fits beautifully with a discussion of abortion. Great point.

[@startrekker6913]

Voyager does not get enough credit for its brilliance and I think its underrated as a series. Plus The Doctor is my favorite character throughout all Star Trek So I love it.

[@merricat3025]

I really like Star Trek Voyager also. It is frequently dissed. I rank it right after ST TNG

[@startrekker6913]

@@merricat3025 I completely agree, I mean I always loved Voyager. Its got great Characters, an intriguing premise and countless great episodes. My personal favorite is Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy Because its just too funny and I love it

[@gordon1891]

I really LOVE the Picard 2380s uniform 😍

[@ConspiracyOpossum]

Love the cosplays and your channel. Any chance you could leave links to where you got them or just a cosplay review. You look fabulous btw

[@DavidMajors]

For me, "Tuvix" has been ruined by the needlessly inane discourse over the episode. For me "The Fight" from Voyager is my underrated episode. I always liked Chakotay episodes and the Chakotay character, and this one was especially interesting, given the surrealness of it, around such a stoic character like Chakotay undergoing so much strife and stress. Also YES! STARDUST CITY RAG! YES, YES, YES!!

[@AmaranthOriginal]

Chakotay disappointed me a lot, mostly because they got all their data on Native culture from a fraud. Early on, I hoped we'd get him breaking stereotypes, but he kinda did the opposite. It's a shame, because I like the actor, too

[@juls_krsslr7908]

That voyager episode about the clown was terrifying. I had nightmares after watching it.

[@sunnijo]

The Thaw is actually my favorite Voyager episode 😆

[@KingOfDoma]

*about to make a comment about Chuck Sonnenfeld, AKA SFDebris, who marks The Thaw as the best of Voyager and uses the last shot as the outro for all his Voyager reviews... and then hears his name* Ha!

[@AndrewD8Red]

Steve Shives' favourite episode of Voyager, too

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

"Explorers" and "Similitude" are some of my favorite Star Trek episodes.

[@zedoniverse]

I've just watched Voyager's "The Thaw" episode today! :D also "Tuvix" too! actually I finished season2 of VOY ;p

[@demyelinated_ditz]

I think there's an aspect to Similitude that deserves consideration, namely that having the clone of Trip wasn't an accidental or unexpected thing. They deliberately grew a clone of Trip just to harvest its brain and the ethics of that was just taken for granted - the dilemma was never "is it ok to grow a sentient being just to harvest its brain?" but "is it ok to kill this sentient being and harvest its brain?", right?

[@imafgc]

Two episodes that I think are 100% are underrated is the DS9 episode "Facets" *yes it's like 2 episodes after Explorers) and the Enterprise episode "Strange New World" that episode is what got me hooked on Enterprise (it also didn't hurt that when I first watched it I missed the part early on showing the rocks move so it just came off as people confined in a small area slowly reverting to baser instincts of mistrust and fear... so like Midnight in Doctor Who)

[@Andregrindle]

#JessieGenderAfterDark, loved The Thaw. The juxtaposition of the colorful surrealism with the wacky, Tim Burton style horror of the fear clown. Such an abstract mix of moods. Explorers is such a beautiful father and son story. One of my favorite DS9 moments period. Ben and Jake Sisko have such a tight and well written relationship, and that along with The Visitor really reflected that. Loved the doctors memory and ethical dilemma in The Swarm. Its odd that the aliens that were a mere catalyst to the events titled the episode as it was mostly an EMH story. Similitude is one of my favorite Enterprise episodes with Carbon Creek and Stigma too. Excellent stand along Trip story. Am not fond of story arcs in Star Trek myself, so it was a great break with an excellent Trek message. Which is why it was confusing to see Star Dust City Rag on this. Know these lists are subjective. That one just didn't fit with the rest in terms of writing and tone. For modern Trek? I'd personally put Discovery's New Eden in that slot. That said a lot about mixing religion with militarism. Also just a great Pike/Burnham story too. Also like Similitude, another break from a personally rather tedious season long story arc.

[@fuzzyaziraphale4228]

I think these are all solid choices and Archer sure does cross a lot of lines during the Xindi arc which goes to highlight how desperate the situation is for them. I did like Valiant from Deep Space Nine mainly because of the strong performances from Cirroc Lofton and Aron Eisenberg.

[@Renegade2786]

I kind of like the Voyager episode *Critical Care* because of its obvious dig at privatised healthcare. Thank god I live in the UK

[@OpinionsNoOneCaresAbout]

Those people don't know nothin'. The Thaw is a GREAT episode. Michael McKean is one of my favorite actors.

[@AndrewD8Red]

I rate The Thaw alongside The Inner Light; two episodes that people (rightly) love, but they've never overly appealed to me.

[@oddish4352]

Voyager's second season actually has a lot to recommend it. It might have some stinkers, but it also has some of the best efforts the show produced: Deadlock, Death Wish, Meld, and The Thaw to name four.

[@dottyjyoung]

Yes, I LOVE that uniform!

[@DovahElioth]

Robert Picardo is amazing.

[@OllamhDrab]

(Hrm, actually I think on the Doctor's diagnostic program, that's more clear cut, the program wasn't self-aware yet so one copy would be the same as another.)

[@nicholassmith7984]

I'm convinced that the writers on Voyager had no idea what to do with The Doctor, because they kept portraying him as a physical being with physical limitations. He actually 'lived' in the ship's computer, with access to the ship's database and sensors. The idea that he could 'run out of memory' seems incredulous in that way, because it would imply that the Voyager computer itself was completely full.

[@VonWenk]

I never understood why the Doctor had to use a tricorder and diagnostic equipment as opposed to doing his diagnoses in his head.

[@nicholassmith7984]

@@VonWenk Right!? I mean, I could understand if it were a holographic representation to go with the whole look, but it's pretty clear in the show that he's picking it up and looking at it. He doesn't even really have eyes!

[@GiselleGauthier]

"Explorers" -- oh do I love this episode so much for the reasons you listed. I also completely adore the almost steampunk Bajoran spaceship design with the sails needing to be hand-cranked out and all. Utter perfection. Star Trek needs to show various technologies clashing together like that. Part of what's endearing about properties like Halo and its grounded "cassette futurism" is that it's not all shiny and futuristic and perfect. Hodgkin's Theory of Parallel Development was used as a way for TOS to save money by borrowing sets, props, and costumes... But it shouldn't be a hard rule in Trek. Sorry. Another autistic rant.

[@withershin]

Hey from a nerd that has had some time to learn some "real" physics - the whole spinning flipping thing that the USS Discovery does is some deep deep cuts. It's Hollywood but there's some crazy Physics hiding in ST:Disco (ain't dead) that are probably not that far off - mixed in with fantastical TV explanations. Like the spinning/flipping thing alone is worth going down the KZbin wormhole on the physics. Someone on that team did some homework.

[@angelaholmes8888]

Cool picks 😎😊

[@MrGreensweightHist]

The Thaw reminds me so much of ToS Trek in visual and story tone

[@VonWenk]

1. Spectre of the Gun 2. Spock's Brain 3. Where No One Has Gone Before 4. Justice (because Picard, unlike Kirk, is very open about his violating the Prime Directive) 5. Skin of Evil (because the Arvus has a personality and attitude) 6. The Ship (How much more Star Trek can you get with this DS9 episode?)

[@leejohnstone4663]

The DS9 episode where members of Kira's old rebellion group are being assassinated. What let's the episode down is the last act. The assassin is revealed to be a Cardissian.

[@GiselleGauthier]

See, I didn't dislike the design of the uniform but rather the execution. Something about the way the collar and shoulders sit is off. I think it needs some top stitching, more inner canvas construction, or something to hold its shape better. Yours looks better than a lot of the ones in PIC! A theory of mine is that a lot of the newer uniforms use thinner and lighter fabric than they did in TWOK through DS9. Hence why Pike's TWOK variant didn't look quite right either. (The original used a heavier gabardine.) Apologies for the autistic rant. Can anyone else confirm my theory?

[@MattMcIrvin]

Some that come to mind: ST:V "Death Wish", with Gerrit Graham as Quinn, the suicidal Q -- this is the very first Voyager episode that I remember not hating. TOS, "A Taste of Armageddon"-- solid "messed-up society of the week" story. This episode is generally respected but it rarely seems to make the "top 15" lists or whatever, and it's one of my favorites. They were likely inspired by Rand Corporation game theorists coolly pondering nuclear war, but the theme of being governed by an algorithm, and of the horrors a society can submit to for fear of something worse, seems like it never stopped being timely. And I maybe think about Kirk's "I'm not going to kill, *today*!" speech about once a week. DS9, "Chimera" -- loved the absolutely freaky revelations about the far reaches of what Changelings are capable of changing into. It's been established already that conservation of mass doesn't matter, so, sure, go the whole hog. And the fact that Odo never knew this. TNG, "Thine Own Self" -- Data, stranded in a low-tech society with his memory glitched out, has to figure out that he's killing the locals with radiation poisoning. Another one that's generally considered good, but I think it's absolutely amazing... except for the too-pat ending, but anything more plausible would probably have been more tragic than what they were willing to do for a one-off story. I think the average script quality was starting to deteriorate in season 7, but this one was a standout.

[@MattMcIrvin]

(I'd completely forgotten "Thine Own Self"'s B-plot about Troi's test for promotion, in which she has to beat a simulation that requires the willingness to order crew members to their deaths. That's solid too.)

[@startrektfg]

I absolutely hated Stardust City Rag when I first saw it. I had a real problem with the silliness of Picards' disguise. However, I have to say that the more I watch it the more it grows on me and I've actually grown to love it!

[@Atari-Dude]

My #1 underrated Trek episode is DS9 3x14 Heart of Stone. My all time favorite Star Trek episode. When Kira becomes stuck and is imminently about to perish, Odo (generally previously depicted as just cold, professional and a seemingly emotionless caricature) expresses the depth of his love for her... Except, that it was all just a test by the Female Changeling to determine his connection to the solids. He finally lets that guard down to tell her, but it's not even her. Meanwhile, Nog requests a letter of recommendation to Starfleet from Sisko so that he can be successful in life and not just chase greed, as Ferengi including his father (Rom)--- whose engineering skills aren't valued whatsoever by Ferengi culture-- have always done. I'd argue it's one of the, if not the most important single episode that defines what comes next. For the entire rest of the series. It truly defined Odo's feelings for Kira, which would be a big arc of his later on along with her. It set up the curveball of Nog going into Starfleet, which led to the natural writer's curveball later on that Jake wouldn't want to. It set up the idea that Rom is both a goofball, and it makes sense why everyone earlier on saw him as dim-witted. But he's also a technological genius who can fix things and come up with ideas/execution really well, which would also be really important in season 5/6 when he programs the self-replicating minefield to keep the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant. They still had people like Quark later on mock Rom for being a dimwit, but we learned starting in this episode that he's actually crazy smart too. Just quirky and not respected by other Ferengi. There are so many great DS9 episodes but Heart of Stone is still just my favorite! And many of my other DS9 favorites are recognized as among the best, while others aren't... These include Civil Defense, Duet, Armageddon Game, Tribunal, The House of Quark, Second Skin, Destiny, The Visitor, Hard Time, To the Death, The Ship, Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places, The Ascent, In Purgatory's Shadow, Doctor Bashir, I Presume?, Children of Time (my first ever Trek episode), Empok Nor, A Time to Stand, Rocks and Shoals, Statistical Probabilities, Waltz, Inquisition, In the Pale Moonlight, His Way, Treachery Faith and the Great River, The Siege of AR-558, Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges.

[@darrendunaway]

I love Heart of Stone too.

[@RJ.Farr8]

Thank you. 💗

[@RabbiJoeInJerusalem]

Explorers is worth it just to remind us that the Sisko did go full hair, for a short period.

[@PeakeABoo]

Explorers is one of my favorite episodes of DS9. I think that the major problem with modern Trek that has caused all series to suffer to varied degrees is that they are operating under fewer episodes per season. Discovery and Strange new worlds would do really well with 5-10 more episodes per season and Picard would do well with 3-5 more episodes, because Modern trek seems to be trying to do too much with a more limited run of seasons. But that is just me.

[@AmaranthOriginal]

The Thaw is such an amazing episode from top to bottom

[@lovipoekimo176]

I personally love that Groundhog day episode of Discovery.

[@krisweinschenker598]

I thought Simultude was one of the best Enterprise episodes. Oh...and us children of the 70s always remember Michael Mckean as Lenny from Laverne and Shirley😏😏

[@merri-toddwebster2473]

McKean and David Lander had brilliant comic timing on that show!

[@FeannaFey]

I think the real-life thing that most closely equates to the Trip-Clone-Episode is siblings being born specifically as bone marrow donors for an older sib with cancer. Now, the difference here is that bone marrow donation doesn't kill you, though there are risks! (and today, if you use cord blood there isn't, and it's not exactly a common practice...) AND that because it doesn't kill you, these kids then have to deal with existing in a world where they weren't necessarily wanted for themselves. The similarity lies in the fact that they would not exist except for the medical need of another person. It's different from picking a random person off the street and sacrificing them. Not sure how exactly this affects the ethics, but.... (I mean, I'm a strong proponent f.ex. that parents do NOT own their children.)

[@lizaronni]

If it weren’t so long,I could see “Demonic Space Hologram Clown” as a Twitter handle, or maybe a band name(?)😆

[@jayburdification]

To be fair, the actor who played Icheb in “Stardust City Rag” was Casey King, who seems like a very nice man and should not be confused with Manu Intiraymi, who is a toxic individual to say the least. The Picard show runners were smart to distance themselves from him and killing off his character was good for Seven’s character arc. It’s just that the way they did it was so unbelievably gruesome and brutal and so un-Star Trek that I can’t even watch the scene. The rest of the episode is good to great at times, but it’s so severely harmed by the first 5 minutes that I can’t rank it in any “best of” list of my own.

[@marocat4749]

I liked eplorer and the ship thing might be more that siscos interets, its definitly good father son bonding.

[@lucideandre]

Michael McKean is also the single best live-action Joker ever in The Thaw.

[@jodieg6318]

I think The Thaw is criminally underrated (and Voyager just in general) and I also hold that it was also inspired by I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison and given he also wrote an episode for TOS I don't think its a stretch. Also why do people get so mad about the episode Tuvix? Star Trek asking morally hard questions that have no good answer is what Star Trek does. There was no good or definitive answer to the Tuvix problem and the episode ended as that but more often than not it always seems to be an excuse for people to rag on Janeway and call her a psycho.