Best sci-fi TV stupidity of all time

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X-Men picture

Show generally

Stupidity: One of Rogue's defining character traits is her inability to have physical contact with another person because of her powers and the sorrow it causes her. Several episodes of this show, however, featured devices that could suppress mutant powers, the inhibitor collars being the most prominent. Despite this technology at their disposal, they never even think to have Rogue wear an inhibitor device for times she would like to touch someone. Even if she didn't want to wear those specific collars, a character like Beast or Forge could easily create a new and harmless device by reverse engineering and adapting the existing ones. This of course would eliminate Rogue's ongoing dilemma and potentially curb her development as a character, but it doesn't make sense from the standpoint that she longs for physical contact with others.

Phaneron

More X-Men stupidity
X-Men: Evolution picture

Growing Pains - S2-E1

Stupidity: When the new principal is addressing the student body, Avalanche tries to impress Kitty by causing a couple of small earthquakes, one of which causes the scoreboard to crash to the floor below. The principal laughs off the incident and continues to address everyone instead of either evacuating the area or having everyone take cover.

Phaneron

More X-Men: Evolution stupidity
The Incredible Hulk picture

Darkness and Light: Part 1 - S1-E11

Stupidity: When Doc Samson emerges from the cave system and into the laboratory grounds, he says to the others "All clear" without even looking behind him to see if anyone is there, which leads to them being seen by Gabe Jones.

Phaneron

More The Incredible Hulk stupidity
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine picture

Waltz - S6-E11

Stupidity: Near the end of the episode, Sisko hits Dukat over the head with a metal pole and knocks him out but does not remove the phaser Dukat has on his person, which he promptly uses a short time later to steal a shuttlecraft, stranding Sisko.

More Star Trek: Deep Space Nine stupidity
Superman and Lois picture

The Perks of Not Being a Wallflower - S1-E3

Stupidity: Superman finally smashes the weirdly strong bad guy through a wall, then goes to Lois, says "he's gone", and whisks Sarah to hospital. But he has no idea if the bad guy is "gone" or not - they've just had an epic fight, he has some sort of super strength / resilience, and for all Superman knows he'll come around in 10 seconds and finish the job of murdering Lois.

Jon Sandys

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Superman knows the 'strong bad guy' is close to his own strength. After fighting him, he knows what effect the crash through the wall would have had on him, if he was knocked out, and how long he would be out for. So he knew there was little risk of the guy coming around in 10 seconds. Alternatively, he X-ray scanned the area and saw the guy was no longer there.

More Superman and Lois stupidity
Lexx picture

I Worship His Shadow - S1-E1

Stupidity: At the start of the episode, the Brunnen-G planet is about to be under attack by His Shadow in a big ship that is capable of destroying the surface of the planet and everybody on it in under a minute with its fire power. It seems the Brunnen-G had time to respond, seeing as they send a counter measure against His Shadow... Except that they only send a single squadron of 6 fighters. Their planet is about to be obliterated by His Shadow's killer ship, and they only send up 6 fighters. And of course, they fail and all die except for Kai. (00:01:45)

Quantom X

More Lexx stupidity
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers picture

A Bad Reflection on You - S1-E38

Stupidity: The decision to risk revealing their identities to Bulk and Skull is one that the Rangers could have easily avoided. Since they tell the bullies to cover their eyes and ears, under the false pretense of a magic trick, they could have simply teleported to the Command Center, or any other secure location, and then morphed, well away from prying eyes.

Cubs Fan

More Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers stupidity
Wonder Woman picture

The New Original Wonder Woman - S1-E1

Stupidity: There's much fuss about who will take Steve Trevor back which is resolved via a contest. Why the Amazons don't heal him, if possible, then set him adrift to a safe port is never asked. They did this when Nazis invaded in the two part episode The Feminum Mystique.

Rob245

More Wonder Woman stupidity
Stargate SG-1 picture

Show generally

Stupidity: Some ancient advanced civilization took to the task of building this amazing net of stargates that enables instantaneous traveling over hundreds of light years or more, but any stargate can be disabled by anybody just by covering it with dirt or rocks. Apparently if the stargate is buried then it becomes inactive. See Season 1 EP.1.

Lolo Bolo

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: This is just you having a different opinion on how the Stargates should work. In fact, the ability to make a Stargate inactive by burying it is a brilliant move by the Ancients. Burying the gate, or even creating a barrier, prevents enemies (like the Goa'uld) from having a convenient way of invading a planet. Although some races, like The Nox, show the ability to activate a Stargate without having to form an unstable vortex.

Bishop73

More Stargate SG-1 stupidity
Star Trek: Enterprise picture

Carpenter Street - S3-E11

Stupidity: The last remaining Xindi, in desperation, attempts to release the virus over the fan, despite the virus not being fully ready. However, it seems the only reason he didn't release the virus at that time was he had to seek cover from Archer and T'Pol shooting at him and to start shooting back at them. However, he had plenty of cover from the rooftop stairwell, which was right next to the fan, and he had enough time to dump out the contents over the fan.

Bishop73

More Star Trek: Enterprise stupidity
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX picture

Obelisk White? - S2-E18

Stupidity: Chazz returns two cards to his deck and redraws another two cards using Magical Mallet. Alexis appears to recognise the two cards (Armed Dragon LV10 and White Vale) calling them "Two very powerful cards." Chazz then summons Armed Dragon LV10 and equips it with White Vale. Alexis attempts to activate a trap, but is surprised to find out she can't, to which Chazz replies the White Vale protects his Armed Dragon, but if she already recognised the card, then she should be aware of this. (00:17:35 - 00:18:30)

Casual Person

More Yu-Gi-Oh! GX stupidity
Doctor Who picture

Rose - S1-E1

Stupidity: During the scene at the restaurant, Rose pulls the fire alarm. Then she and the doctor run through the kitchen, past several chefs who just duck and crouch into corners. This would easily be one of the stupidest ideas ever. If there was a fire, they would evacuate out the back door instead of just sitting there waiting to be choked to death. And if they knew about Auton Mickey, running out the back door would also be a lot more logical than just crouching down and waiting to be battered to death.

More Doctor Who stupidity
Lost in Space picture

Infestation - S1-E3

Stupidity: So "Dr. Smith" runs into her sister's boyfriend on the Resolute and pushes him into an airlock when he figures out who she is. The door immediately closes and a countdown to purge the airlock ensues. Who would design an airlock to do that? What if someone went in there by mistake or was doing some maintenance on it? To make it worse, there's no override inside the airlock? It's located in the corridor.

mikelynch

More Lost in Space stupidity
The Tomorrow People picture

Show generally

Stupidity: The Tomorrow People tend to enjoy walking into and walking out of most scenes rather than teleporting. In particular, when fighting and needing to run away, they'll teleport to get a better fighting vantage instead of teleporting out of the situation.

More The Tomorrow People stupidity
Upload picture

Robin Hood - S2-E3

Stupidity: Nora fled to the Ludds at the end of season one because someone was trying to kill her because she was getting close to what went on. Here they suggest she goes back to Horizen to work undercover, and she just...goes. Nobody seems worried that she'll be exposed and vulnerable.

Jon Sandys

More Upload stupidity
Mobile Suit Gundam picture

Time, Be Still - S1-E14

Stupidity: An explanation is given for the reason why the bombs planted on the Gundam are not activated by remote control (they have plastic explosive in the regiment but not remote controls!), but no reason why they set the timer for the explosion to 30 minutes, way too much to be of any use in combat against the Gundam. Moreover, if the vulnerable spot of the Gundam shield were situated where it explodes at the beginning, it'd be completely useless.

Sammo

More Mobile Suit Gundam stupidity
Relic Hunter picture

Smoking Gun - S1-E2

Stupidity: The power generator for Al Capone's secret bunker is located exactly outside the secret entrance door. In case of emergency it would be entirely useless, on top of drawing attention to the entrance itself.

Sammo

More Relic Hunter stupidity
Altered Carbon picture

Nightmare Alley - S2-E3

Stupidity: "Rei" comes into the circle, having been champing at the bit to "turn him into a smear on the floor." She's wielding a sword, Kovacs is unarmed, and she...slices him a bit, instead of a quick killing blow.

Jon Sandys

More Altered Carbon stupidity
Stargate: Atlantis picture

Show generally

Stupidity: Characters repeatedly make note of how hard to kill the Wraith are, but sometimes, especially in the final episode(s) of season 1, they go down easily in a few bullets each, and then don't even regenerate as the characters turn their attentions elsewhere.

More Stargate: Atlantis stupidity
More Nowhere Man stupidity

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