What Are the Worst Episodes Ever?

[wiseguy182]

for me, there's one that comes to mind off the top of my head.

Little House on the Prairie - "the Godsister"

fans of Little House, like myself, had long wondered why there was never a Carrie-themed episode. After this episode focusing on Carrie, we never wondered why again. "The Godsister" is to tv episodes what Manos, the Hands of Fate is to movies, what the Heroes of Wrestling is to wrestling. That is to say, that merely calling it nauseating would be paying it compliments.

The episode starts off with Charles (Pa) accepting a month-long job setting up telephone poles, which means he will be away. Carrie becomes lonely and attempts to help others around the house. Caroline (Ma) snaps at Carrie and more or less tells her to get lost when Carrie unwittingly drags a clean sheet on the ground. Laura sees Caroline's 'snap at Carrie and tell her to bug off' and raises her a 'push Carrie away like an unwanted stepchild.' Okay, so I'm no Carrie fan, but this is pretty harsh. I'm surprised they didn't rub her face in the dirt for good measure while they were at it.

So Carrie, naturally feeling dejected, goes off into the woods to play. And here's where this episode becomes painful to watch. She daydreams to pass the time, and make believes an imaginary friend/godsister named Alyssa. She then fantasizes they are in a orchard with giant, freak-like fruit, but then a giant spider comes out and chases them away. No, seriously. No really, that's what happens. I'm not making this up. This seems more like an episode of Night Gallery (another fine show) than Little House on the Prairie.

So Carrie flips back and forth between reality and fantasy. Whenever she daydreams, the objects in her daydreams are again really huge. (Giant flowers, a giant penny). This is all about as exciting as it sounds.

Then Alyssa takes Carrie to the halfway point between Heaven and Earth. There, they meet a deceased member of the Ingalls clan, dog Jack (um, wouldn't Carrie meeting her deceased brother Charles Jr. be more important?) I guess that's one of those questions you just dont' ask. and then we gets this legendary line from Carrie "and Pa misses you and Ma misses you and Laura misses you and so does Ma." Aarrghh!!

Thankfully, there's a B story to gives us occasional breaks from all this nonsense. Charles and friend Jonathan Garvey are at the job setting up telephone poles. Jonathan, played by former NFL'er and genuine heck of a nice guy Merlin Olsen, is hungry because there is meat but no potatoes to go with it. Jonathan tries various ways to get some potatoes, but nothin' doin. This is not the greatest storyline ever, but anything would be a welcome relief from the "A" story. Oh, and this is a special 90 minute episode, because Lord knows a 60 minute episode just wouldn't be quite painful enough.

So some more stuff happens, and suddenly David Blaine being encased in a block of ice doesn't seem so excruciating anymore. Charles and Jonathan finish the job as the ep winds down. Back at the Garvey homestead, son Andrew attempts to help his ma Alice by bringing in some water into the house, but Alice is offended by this for some reason. What a role model. Jonathan returns home to his family and finally gets those elusive potatoes. I know you were worried. Charles reunites with his family also and Carrie tells him about her imaginary friend. Charles doesn't buy it, but it's all water near a bridge because he's home now. Or something like that. Fin.

But as if the storyline, or lack thereof, wasn't bad enough, there was the problem that despite the fact that Carrie is played by two people, twins Lindsey and Sidney Greenbush, neither of them could act worth a darn. That, and having to hear Carrie annoyingly shout "Alyssa! Alyyyyysssaaaa" about a 100 times throughout the show.

My utmost respect for anyone that can sit through this excruiatingly bad episode. It comes across as the product of some writer's LSD-induced hallucination. I feel bad that Dolph Sweet and E.J. Andre, two competent actors who guest-starred here, are associated with this mess.

Feel free to add your own bad episodes. I may add more, from time to time, as I remember them. But for me, this is the definitive bad tv episode.

[Funnybook]

The TV show "Grand" had a most excellent first season, followed by a wretched, miserable, insulting second (and mercifully final) season. It would be hard for me to decide the worst episode from Grand season 2. They all stunk.

[jie3]

The Sopranos Finale will forever be my worst episode of any show. Left me feeling as though I had wasted years of viewing time on the show.

[Funnybook]

??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!?!?!? !!
!!!?!?!?!?!??!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JACK! Is that you? You just made my day!

Nice to see you again, old friend

Ray

[SavageAmusement]

Well I brought this up once, for a different question, but off the top of my head, worst idea/concept/episode was "heil honey I'm home."

A show with a jaw-dropping premise: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun are living together in marital bliss in 1930s Berlin


Going further in my brain...

SNl, musical guest was black eyed peas...sounds ok....but as you watch, it gets worse-
and then a "Grace Kelly Farting" Rear Window skit. Reminder: jokes about Jimmy Stewart haven't been funny since Tom Hanks started acting. And jokes about farting haven't been funny since I was fourteen.

And oh yeah any episode of Cop Rock.