"Episodes I Don't Care For"

by Matthew C.
2005.11.17

I'm sure you can relate to this. There are some television series which I am a big fan of, however there is almost always at least ONE episode that I REALLY don't like. I simply don't care for it and I never watch it if I have a complete season on DVD. The episodes on this list almost ruin the series for me.

(This also applies to movies, just substitute 'parts' instead of 'episodes'.)

This list is by no means complete, but I'd like to list the ones that come to mind immediately.

• Farscape – "Scratch 'N' Sniff" – s3e13 (the freslin episode)

  I LOVED this series, but just hated that episode. (It's creepy.) I just don't like the whole concept...the whole idea of "freslin". What a vile and disgusting concept.

• Sliders – Seasons 4 and 5, basically every episode that had anything to do with the alien "Kromaggs".

  I really dug this series. I loved the early "alternate reality" episodes, but then things started to go awry. Near the end of season three the series introduced new main characters. Then in season four, you lose original characters altogether. The missing characters are replaced with new, different characters and the show gets real "Kromagg-heavy" and pretty much starts to suck. I don't know, maybe I'm just not a fan of established actor/character changes. I have no idea how my fondness for James Bond or Doctor Who fit in here.

• (appended 11/4/2010)
• Stargate SG-1 – "The Road Not Taken" – s10e13

  Stargate SG-1 seasons 9 and 10 were really cool, but this "what if" episode is just so depressing. No thank you. Everyday life is enough of a "downer". I'm looking for stories that fill me with an emotion other than dread. Fear? OK. Fantasy? OK. The last thing I want from my entertainment is the encouragement to take my own life.

• (appended 12/12/2010)
• Doctor Who – "Midnight" – s4e10

  The "new" Doctor Who series by Russell T Davies (2005-2008) is...(to quote David Tennant's version of the Doctor)...brilliant. But the series isn't without its mis-steps. This episode just isn't written well. Upon further review, this episode isn't bad enough.

But as Beavis & Butthead taught me (well, actually Beavis): "You have to have stuff that sucks to have stuff that's cool."

That's a really deep thought considering the immature characters. It brings into play all kinds of concepts like "relativity" and "perspective"...way to go Mike Judge! (creator of Beavis & Butthead)