10 Worst Episodes Of Otherwise Excellent Sci-Fi TV Shows

10. Star Trek: The Next Generation - “Shades Of Gray”

Star Trek: The Next Generation took some time to find its footing. There were some bad episodes early on, which is relatively normal — especially for sci-fi. The second season was mostly strong, but the 22nd episode, "Shades of Gray," is often cited as one of the series' worst.

First and foremost, "Shades of Gray" is a clip show, and viewers rarely enjoy seeing a rehashing of scenes from previous episodes repackaged into something "new." Still, clip shows can be forgiven (sometimes), but not in the case of this episode, as it doesn't even look back on anything particularly interesting.

The plot sees Commander Riker infected with an alien virus, which will kill him in only a few hours. Dr. Pulaski puts him in a machine that will stimulate his neurons, which helps to fight the virus. As he lay inside the machine, he dreams of his past adventures; hence, it's a clip show.

This causes some problems when his mind returns to his passionate endeavors. The virus feeds off those, so Deanna helps him to evoke negative dreams instead. She does this, and it begins to work, so she ups the intensity. More clips roll, and in the end, the virus is defeated.