Best sci-fi TV stupidity of all time

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The X-Files picture

Soft Light - S2-E23

Stupidity: After Mulder requests a fingerprint check on light bulb, Scully wipes it down with a napkin, removing any such evidence with no possible useful outcome. (00:06:00)

More The X-Files 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
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
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
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: I didn't see anything they could use to dig their way out. Plus Don was on the other side, so they knew they could just wait.

Bishop73

More Lost in Space stupidity
Swamp Thing picture

Worlds Apart - S1-E2

Stupidity: The bad guy kills the deputy in the swamp, then later sees a little girl who witnesses the killing run away. He then searches the boat for a weapon and runs off after her after he finds a machete, without even considering the officer's gun still in its holster. Abby proceeds to make the exact same mistake later when she finds the dead officer (meaning there's danger nearby) and hears the girl screaming and runs in the direction of the screaming without taking the gun to protect herself.

Anson Gordon-Creed

More Swamp Thing stupidity
Upload picture

Show generally

Stupidity: Nora's dad believes in heaven and doesn't want to upload himself, because he wants to be reunited with his wife. When visiting Lakeview, he tells Nathan that Nathan's soul went to "real heaven," so he's just talking to a simulation. Which means there's no reason he can't upload himself. His soul will go to real heaven like he wants to, and he can leave a simulation behind for his daughter to be with. Everyone would be happy, but nobody makes that argument.

Jon Sandys

More Upload 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
Doctor Who picture

The Power of the Doctor - S13-E9

Stupidity: After the crew of the space train have taken out the Cybermen, the Cybermen begin regenerating, which one of the crew points out. This guy seems to be aware of how regeneration works, but doesn't shoot at them again. In the series, it has been shown that shooting someone during a regeneration cycle will kill them instantly, but this idea is never considered.

Casual Person

More Doctor Who stupidity
Another Life picture

Nervous Breakdown - S1-E3

Stupidity: After Bernie discovers a treatment for the infection, radiotherapy, everything goes back to normal. Except the contagion is airborne (which is why they were going to flush the entire ship's atmosphere), so they're just going to re-infect themselves in a few hours. And there's only one room on the ship that can be exposed to stellar radiation, so there's no way to clean the atmosphere either.

Voluble

More Another Life stupidity
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX picture

Win Mr. Stein's Duel: Part 1 - S3-E9

Stupidity: Adrian has a conversation with the other main characters whilst he is lying in bed, before they leave. Once they leave, he is revealed to have been wearing gear, which he hid from the other characters by covering his whole body with his duvet. There was no real reason he had to do this; he could've just worn normal clothes during the conversation and changed into his gear after they left. (00:05:39)

Casual Person

More Yu-Gi-Oh! GX stupidity
The Wild Wild West picture

The Night of the Firebrand - S3-E2

Stupidity: West is introduced to, then knocked unconscious by Vixen as she hides a club behind her back. A trained Secret Service agent like West would not have let his guard down in this situation, as the entire fort was awash in bad guys.

Scott215

More The Wild Wild West stupidity
Mobile Suit Gundam picture

Coming Home - S1-E13

Stupidity: Amuro's mom is horrified by him shooting at the two Zeon patrolmen, and says it's "wrong to point guns at people", but was apparently completely oblivious of him being now a soldier and did not say a thing about it when he literally landed in the middle of the camp piloting a jet fighter, wearing his full uniform.

Sammo

More Mobile Suit Gundam 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
Smallville picture

Spirit - S4-E18

Stupidity: After the accident, Dawn is in spirit form on the road trying to wave down an oncoming car (driven by Martha Kent). Dawn doesn't know she's a spirit that can pass through objects at that point. Since Martha can't see her, she keeps driving straight towards Dawn. Dawn sees the vehicle isn't slowing down and instead of simply stepping out of the way to avoid getting hit, she turns her back, revealing to the audience that objects can pass through her now.

Bishop73

More Smallville stupidity
Stargate SG-1 picture

Sight Unseen - S6-E13

Stupidity: When Jonas says he saw a creature go through the walls, people want to assume he must be hallucinating. Yes they sweep the base, but Carter questions its ability to pass through solid matter as if she's never seen that happen. When Jonas sees a creature again on the device with Carter there, she gives a look like he's going crazy rather than at least try to use a TER to scan for it. Plot wise it seems this is done just so O'Neill can leave the base and spread the "infection."

Bishop73

More Stargate SG-1 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
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
The Greatest American Hero picture

It's Only Rock and Roll - S3-E11

Stupidity: When the gangsters show up at the house Pam and Dak Hampton are hiding in, Pam is captured. Dak then attempts to flee by running out the front door. What a dumb move. No surprise that he got captured as well.

Gavin Jackson

More The Greatest American Hero stupidity
Red Dwarf picture

Emohawk - Polymorph II - S6-E4

Stupidity: On the walk back to Starbug, the Emohawk jumps on Lister's head to disguise itself as Lister's hat, but it leaves itself in its natural form whilst the crew continue to walk. The Emohawk is supposed to be disguising itself to fool the crew into making them think it is any everyday object. The Emohawk eventually changes into Lister's hat, but leaving itself in its natural form even for just a small amount of time could blow its cover. (00:18:15)

Casual Person

More Red Dwarf stupidity

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