Shades of Gray

When the producers made Q Who (1989) earlier in the season, the episode went way over budget, and the money ran out at the end of the season. To cut costs, they had to do a clip show. As such, Shades of Gray is often considered the worst episode of TNG, and even the producers admitted they were embarrassed by it.

Geordi and Data beam down to the planet to obtain a sample of whatever organism infected Riker. Data suggests he go alone as it is likely Geordi will be more vulnerable to a similar infection, but Geordi insists on going as he knows exactly where Riker was when he got infected. Despite this incredibly high risk situation, Geordi wears no protective clothing at all. Furthermore, when he finds the organism, which is part of a vine, he simply picks it up using tongs and proceeds to beam back up to the Enterprise still holding it in his hand. Considering the clear and present danger, an experienced officer like Geordi should be wearing a protective suit and gloves, and should place the organism in a secure container of some kind.

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 20 Terrible Episodes That Almost Ruined Great TV Shows (2020)