Terrible episodes of great TV shows

[J_Dee]

Star Trek -- The Alternative Factor (1967)

^ The script was nonsensical even before it got gutted (because the showrunners got cold feet about showing an interracial relationship that was integral the episode's plot), and in addition, the episode's troubled guest star, John Barrymore, left at lunch on the first day of filming and never came back (which led to him getting hammered with a six-month suspension from the Screen Actors Guild). The result's possibly the least comprehensible episode of any Star Trek show ever, which is saying something, because as much as I love Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, both have some insanely bad episodes.

The Office -- Scott's Tots (2009)

^ It's a fantastic episode, I just think it's too difficult to stomach, let alone enjoy, because it finally crosses the line concerning the crappy behavior of Michael and especially Dwight. I've seen it a few times but I doubt I'll ever watch it again.

Anyway, what's on your list? =)

 

[DSmith21]

Series finale of Games of Thrones and Seinfeld.

 

[TucsonCat]

Oh, and for the record? There was an episode of Happy Days where a guy *literally* jumped over a shark. And it was the *best* one.

 

[rick64]

ER: the episode when Dr Romano was killed by having a helicopter crash on top of him.

 

[UK82]

I'm a Twilight Zone fan but the episode with Carol Burnett, Cavender is Coming, is God awful.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

The episode of the 3 stooges where they get executed after being framed for kidnapping a baby really was a strange choice

 

[Ron Mehico]

The fly episode of breaking bad. Pretty sure I read about it being written out of spite or due to an argument or something.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

The fly episode of breaking bad. Pretty sure I read about it being written out of spite or due to an argument or something.

Budget.

 

[812scottj]

Any of the Sopranos episodes involving Tony’s dreams….

 

[bbncal02]

Series finale of Games of Thrones and Seinfeld.

“The Puerto Rican Day Parade” episode is up there too for Seinfeld. The last season was running out of steam and it ended about the right time.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

The alien and the western episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard for me. Neither one was relevant to the rest of the series.


Also, the Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs episode of the Rockford Files. I know James Garner was sick during the final season which limited some of the things he did earlier in the series, but this is an AWFUL one, and they made it a 2-part episode. Just a Coupla Guys was another terrible episode where they just recast multiple bad guys from earlier episodes.

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

That episode in South Park where they killed Kenny.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Miami Vice season 5

 

[J_Dee]

The fly episode of breaking bad. Pretty sure I read about it being written out of spite or due to an argument or something.

I almost included that episode in the first post but I couldn't remember it well enough to comment on it.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I almost included that episode in the first post but I couldn't remember it well enough to comment on it.

I personally enjoyed Fly. It has a lot of great comedy between Walt and Jesse. It also has great relationship growth between the 2 and Walt feeling intense guilt over what happened with Jane and almost confessing to it.

It's a bottle episode though and I get people don't like it because not enough action. Walt and Jesse's relationship were the best part of that show for me though so I didn't mind.

I agree 100% with Scott's tots though. I struggle to watch that on rewatches.

 

[Mossip]

Seems like a lot of those early 2000's HBO series had to shoehorn rape into the plot somehow.

 

[J_Dee]

I'm flipping through Star Trek on Paramount+ and here's another gem:

"The Way to Eden" (1969)

Its only saving grace is that it features a cool Kentuckian, Charles Napier (from Mt. Union, Allen County, near Scottsville). Napier made up for it decades later though, by appearing in a decent episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.