Honesty.

[Guest ModernDayMoriarty]

Hello there.

I thought that in the light of all the Seasons being out now on DVD and given that I've spotted some new names about the place plus the fact that the year is drawing to a close, we should have another crack at establishing 'who likes what?' Being able to view the DVDs has refreshed people's memories of seasons and given them a chance to watch episodes they only thought they remembered. So now, how about fessing up to what you really think of the episodes.

The rules:

1) Categorise each episode into Good, Average or Flawed. Remember that bad episodes with one or two good parts are still bad episodes and should probably be labelled average unless those sequences are absolutely 'must-see'.

2) Try to avoid bias from others and from yourself. If you know you like an episode but are ashamed to admit it, don't be afraid! It's not going to be the end of the world to stick up for an episode others condemn. Don't feel you have to justify yourself - just declare for your favs! Similaly, don't say an episode you hate is avergae just to avoid accusations of bad taste. Everyone should note that we are all entitled to our opinions.

So here is our chance to be brutally honest. Most votes for best episode (I.e the episode that appears most in people's great episode list) *must* be watched by everyone over Christmas at least once (to try and educate non-beilievers and reward appreciators! :D)

So:

SEASON ONE:

The Great:

Pilot, Gehenna, Dead Letters, Blood Reletives, Wide Open, Sacrament, Lamentation, Broken World, Maranatha, Paper Dove.

The Average:

The Judge, 522666, Kingdom Come, Force Mejeure, The Thin White Line, Covenant, Walkabout, Powers, Principalities...

The Flawed:

A Well Worn Lock, The Wild and the Innocent, Weeds, Loin like a Hunting Flame.

SEASON TWO:

The Great:

The Beginning and the End, Sense and Anti-sense, The Curse of Frank Black, Jose Chung's 'Doomsday Defence', The Mikado, The Fourth Horseman.

The Average:

Beware of the Dog, Goodbye Charlie, Luminary, The Pest House, Owls, In Arcadia Ego, A Room with No View.

The Flawed:

Monster, A Single Blade of Grass, 19:19, The Hand of Saint Sebastian, Midnight of the Century, Roosters, Siren, Anamesis, Somehow, Satan got Behind Me, The Time is Now.

SEASON THREE:

The Great:

The Innocents, TEOTWAWKI, Skull and Bones, Through a Glass Darkly, Human Essence, Collateral Damage, The Sound of Snow, Saturn Dreaming of Mercury, Bardo Thodol, Seven and One, Nostalgia, Via Dolorosa.

The Average:

Exegesis, Closure, Omerta, Borrowed Time, Matryoska, Forcing the End, Darwin's Eye, Goodbye to All That.

The Flawed:

...Thirteen Years Later, Antipas.

Well, there we are. Anyone else got the honesty?

[Guest Frank L.]

MDM, what a brilliant topic!!!

OK, here goes:

SEASON ONE

The Great:

Pilot, Gehenna, Dead Letters, Kingdom Come, Force Majeure, The Thin White Line, Sacrament, Walkabout, Lamentation, PPT&D, Maranatha, Paper Dove.

The Average:

The Judge, 522666, Wide Open, The Wild and The Innocent, Covenant.

The Flawed:

Blood Relatives, The Well-Worn Lock, Weeds, Loin Like A Hunting Flame, Broken World.

SEASON TWO

The Great:

Monster, The Curse Of Frank Black, 19:19, The Hand Of St. Sebastian, Midnight Of The Century, The Mikado, Owls, Roosters, Anamnesis, A Room With No View, The Fourth Horseman, The Time Is Now.

The Average:

The Beginning And The End, Beware Of The Dog, Goodbye Charlie, Luminary, Siren, In Arcadia Ego, Somehow Satan Got Behind Me.

The Flawed:

Sense And Antisense, A Single Blade Of Grass, Jose Chungs Doomsday Defense, The Pest House.

SEASON THREE

The Great:

Exegesis, Skull And Bones, Through A Glass Darkly, Borrowed Time, Collateral Damage, The Sound Of Snow, Antipas, Saturn Dreaming Of Mercury, Seven And One, Via Dolorosa, Goodbye To All That.

The Average:

The Innocents, TEOTWAWKI, Closure, Thirteen Years Later, Omerta, Matryoshka, Darwin's Eye, Bardo Thodol, Nostalgia.

The Flawed:

Human Essense, Forcing The End.

I wasn't sure about the Season Three episodes, because I can't remember what every episode exactly was about.

[Guest A Stranger]

SEASON ONE

The Great: Pilot, Gehenna, Dead Letters, The Wild and the Innocent, The Thin White Line, Covenant, Lamentation, Powers Principalites Thrones and Dominions, Maranatha

The Average: The Judge, 522666, The Well Worn Lock, Wide Open, Loin Like a Hunting Flame, Force Majure, Sacrament, Walkabout, Paper Dove

The Flawed: Kingdom Come, Blood Relatives, Weeds, Broken World

SEASON TWO

The Great: The Curse of Frank Black, Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense, Midnight of the Century, Luminary, THe Mikado, Owls, In Arcadia Ego, The Fourth Horseman

The Average: The Beginning and the End, Beware of the Dog, Sense and Antisense, 19:19, The Hand of St. Sebastian, Goodbye Charlie, The Pest House, Roosters, A Room With No View, Somehow Satan Got Behind Me, The Time is Now

The Flawed: Monster, A Single Blade of Grass, Siren, Anamnesis

SEASON THREE

The Great: TEOTWAWKI, Skull and Bones, Through a Glass Darkly, Borrowed Time, The Sound of Snow, Nostalgia, Goodbye to All That

The Average: The Innocents, Thirteen Years Later, Omerta, Collateral Damage, Antipas, Forcing the End, Saturn Dreaming of Mercury, Darwin's Eye, Bardo Thodol, Seven and One, Via Dolorosa

The Flawed: Exegesis, Closure, Human Essence, Matryoshka

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

Season One:

The Great

All except for...

The average

Dead Letters, The Wild and the Innocent

The Flawed

Loin like A Hunting Flame

Season Two

The Great:

All of them! (I would put the pest house in average, if it weren't so creepy!)

Season Three:

The Great:

All except for....

The average

Human Essence, Collateral Damage (would be great with a good ending!), Omerta

The flawed:

None

[ethsnafu]

Games, I like games. OK here's mine.

Season One

The Great: All of them with the exception of....

The Average: Dead Letters, The Wild and the Innocent and The Well Worn Lock

Season Two

The Great: All of them.

Season Three

The Great: Seven and One, Matryoshka, Darwin's Eye, The Sound Of Snow, Borrowed Time, Bardo Thodol, Via Dolorosa <- actually it would be quicker to say all of them except..

The Average: Nostalgia

The Flawed: Human Essence

There, that about covers it.

Eth

[Earthnut]

Wow, this is a hard one for me because I try not to judge them. Yes, I do have favorites and some I like better then others, but each one had it's good points as well as it's points we'd like to change.

So, as far as great, I have to go along with Mark and say "All of them."

I agree with Mark about Dead Letters as being average. It's an episode that you forget easily.

The Pest House, on the other hand, I remember, and didn't enjoy it at all. Can't say that it's flawed, but it is below average and could have been better.

Broken World is always difficult to watch as well as Human Essence. Those things happen, but it aches us to be reminded of them and see it in action. We dislike the episodes because we dislike the subject matter.

Nostalgia could happen anytime, anywhere, by going back to where you grew up and depressed over the changes. For that reason I believe we find this episode boring.

I believe The Well-Worn Lock and The Wild and Innocent are above average. If you want true evil at home, The Well-Worn Lock is that episode.

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. (Plato)

The Wild and The Innocent shows the extremes that a man or woman will go for love; Maddie's love for Angel, and Bobby's love for Maddie. Their intentions were out of love, but it was their actions that were evil. I will always defend this episode, and the title couldn't be more perfect. There really is a lot of ignorance out in the world, and wild actions out of love.

"Nothing is easier than to denounce the evil doer; Nothing more difficult than understanding him." (Dostoevsky)

[Guest ZorkTaughtMeToType]

I'm a bit late to the party, but it's a great topic.

SEASON ONE:

The Great:

Pilot, Sacrament, The Thin White Line, Lamentation, Dead Letters, 522666, The Judge

The Average:

Broken World, Paper Dove, Covenant, Kingdom Come, Blood Relatives, Gehenna

The Flawed:

Wide Open, Maranatha, Walkabout, Powers, Principalities..., Force Mejeure, A Well Worn Lock, The Wild and the Innocent, Weeds, Loin like a Hunting Flame.

SEASON TWO:

The Great:

Somehow, Satan got Behind Me, The Time is Now, The Beginning and the End, The Curse of Frank Black, Jose Chung's 'Doomsday Defence', The Mikado, The Fourth Horseman, Luminary

The Average:

Goodbye Charlie, ,In Arcadia Ego, A Room with No View.

The Flawed:

Sense and Anti-sense, Monster, A Single Blade of Grass, 19:19, The Hand of Saint Sebastian, Midnight of the Century, Roosters, Siren, Anamesis, The Pest House, Owls, Beware of the Dog

SEASON THREE:

The Great:

Goodbye to All That, Through a Glass Darkly, The Sound of Snow, Saturn Dreaming of Mercury, Seven and One, Nostalgia, Via Dolorosa.

The Average:

Omerta, Borrowed Time, Darwin's Eye, . Antipas, Thirteen Years Later, Skull and Bones, Collateral Damage, Bardo Thodol,

The Flawed:

TEOTWAWKI, The Innocents, Exegesis, Closure, Human Essence, Matryoska, Forcing the End

[ethsnafu]

I am absolutely fascinated to see you put "The Midnight Of The Century" in the flawed list for season two. I'd be absolutely fascinated to hear your view on it as I rank it as I simply adore the episode but I do so enjoy hearing other opinions to the contrary.

Eth

[davidmarx2000]

Not to be petty, but since this is a Season One discussion topic, I'm replying with my "honesty" for season 1 only:

The Great:

The Pilot, Gehenna, Dead Letters, The Judge (my favorite ep. of all when not compared to some fantastic holiday episodes), Wide Open, The Wild & the Innocent, Force Majeure, The Thin White Line, Walkabout, Lamentation, Powers, Principalities, Thrones & Dominions, Broken World, Paper Dove

The Average:

522666, Kingdom Come, Blood Relatives, The Well-Worn Lock (might be great, but I have trouble watching this ep., in fact, have never revisited it since first viewing), Weeds, Sacrament, Maranatha

The Flawed:

Loin Like a Hunting Flame (Ted Mann wrote/co-wrote some of my favorite eps. from the show despite being absent after the first season, but this ep. is uncomfortable to watch), Covenant

[Earthnut]

It's hard for some of us to stick to just one season. We get to talking about one episode, and poof, our mind is off thinking of another, and then another, and before you know it you're in another season.

I've often tried to image what the forums would have been like, and be like, if there were more seasons and episodes to discuss. Oh how I wish. I know we have virtual ones, which I have to admit I have never been interested in, because it's just not the same as seeing Frank Black on the screen. Oh well.