but it was decided that it didn't count because it was a clip show – so "Masks" was chosen instead. In 2016, fans at the 50th anniversary Star Trek convention voted "Shades of Gray" as the fifth worst Star Trek episode, of any series, and the second worst episode of this series, with only "Code of Honor" faring worse. In 2017, this episode was rated the 7th worst episode of the Star Trek franchise up to that time, by ScreenRant, and explained several issues with the episode including a lack of meaning in the clip segments. In 2019, they ranked it the 6th worst episode of the franchise based on IMDB rankings. Ars Technica and ABC News Australia noted that "Shades of Grey" had by far the lowest IMDb rating of any episode in the franchise. Ars Technica pointed out it had been "hobbled" by the 1988 writer's guild strike, and did not include it among what they considered to be the five worst episodes of the series. Home media The first home media release of "Shades of Gray" was on VHS cassette, appearing on October 12, 1994 in the United States and Canada. The episode was later included on the Star Trek: The Next Generation season two DVD box set, released in on May 7, 2002. The episode was released as part of the season two Blu-ray set on December 4, 2012. Notes References External links Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 2) episodes Clip shows 1989 American television episodes Television episodes about diseases and disorders Bottle television episodes