Star Trek: Discovery backdrop
Sci-Fi & Fantasy•Action & Adventure•Drama

The Worst Episodes of Star Trek: Discovery

Every episode of Star Trek: Discovery ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Star Trek: Discovery!

Binge this in 2d 7h•Peaking at 7.3/10

Follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.

Airs on
CBS All AccessParamount+
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons5

All12345

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10 - Life, Itself
    4.3/10(37 votes)

    #1 - Life, Itself

    S5:E10

    Trapped inside a mysterious alien portal that defies familiar rules of time, space, and gravity, Captain Burnham must fight Moll – and the environment itself – in order to locate the Progenitors' technology and secure it for the Federation. Meanwhile, Book puts himself in harm's way to help Burnham survive and Rayner leads the U.S.S. Discovery in an epic winner-takes-all battle against Breen forces.

    Director:Olatunde Osunsanmi
    Writers:Michelle Paradise, Kyle Jarrow

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 4 - All Is Possible
    4.5/10(37 votes)

    #2 - All Is Possible

    S4:E4

    Tilly and Adira lead a team of Starfleet Academy cadets on a training mission that takes a dangerous turn. Meanwhile, Burnham is pulled into tense negotiations on Ni’Var.

    Director:John Ottman
    Writers:Alan B. McElroy, Eric J. Robbins

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3 - Jinaal
    4.5/10(40 votes)

    #3 - Jinaal

    S5:E3

    On Trill, Captain Burnham, Book, and Culber must pass a dangerous test to prove themselves worthy of the next clue. Adira reconnects with Gray and Saru’s first day as ambassador is complicated by his engagement to T'Rina.

    Director:Andi Armaganian
    Writers:Kyle Jarrow, Lauren Wilkinson

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 6 - Stormy Weather
    4.7/10(39 votes)

    #4 - Stormy Weather

    S4:E6

    Seeking answers, the U.S.S. Discovery ventures into a subspace rift created by the Dark Matter Anomaly. Meanwhile, Book faces a strange visitor from his past.

    Director:Jonathan Frakes
    Writers:Brandon Schultz, Anne Cofell Saunders

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 7 - Erigah
    4.7/10(35 votes)

    #5 - Erigah

    S5:E7

    With Moll and L'ak finally in custody, the Federation is pulled into a diplomatic and ethical firestorm when the Breen arrive and demand they be handed over. Meanwhile, a frustrated Book looks for ways to help as Tilly, Adira, and Reno work to decipher the latest clue.

    Director:Jon Dudkowski
    Writer:M. Raven Metzner

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 11 - Rosetta
    4.8/10(35 votes)

    #6 - Rosetta

    S4:E11

    While Captain Burnham leads an away mission to a planet that was once home to the aliens responsible for the DMA, Book and Tarka secretly infiltrate the U.S.S. Discovery.

    Director:Jeffrey W. Byrd
    Writer:Terri Hughes

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Star Trek: Discovery

    READ
  7. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 6 - Whistlespeak
    4.8/10(34 votes)

    #7 - Whistlespeak

    S5:E6

    While undercover in a pre-warp society, Captain Burnham is forced to consider breaking the Prime Directive when a local tradition threatens Tilly's life. Meanwhile, Culber tries to connect with Stamets, and Adira steps up when Rayner assigns them a position on the bridge.

    Director:Christopher J. Byrne
    Writers:Brandon Schultz, Kenneth Lin

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 9 - Lagrange Point
    4.8/10(35 votes)

    #8 - Lagrange Point

    S5:E9

    After Moll and the Breen capture a mysterious structure that contains the Progenitors' power, Captain Burnham must lead a covert mission to retrieve it before the Breen figure out how to use it.

    Director:Jonathan Frakes
    Writers:Sean Cochran, Ari Friedman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 2 - Anomaly
    4.9/10(38 votes)

    #9 - Anomaly

    S4:E2

    Saru returns to help the U.S.S. Discovery uncover the mystery of an unusually destructive new force. As Burnham leads the crew, she must also find a way to help Book cope with an unimaginable loss.

    Director:Olatunde Osunsanmi
    Writers:Anne Cofell Saunders, Glenise Mullins

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 3 - Choose to Live
    4.9/10(41 votes)

    #10 - Choose to Live

    S4:E3

    Burnham and Tilly hunt the killer of a Starfleet officer as Stamets and the science team race against the clock to prevent the anomaly from killing anyone else.

    Director:Christopher J. Byrne
    Writer:Terri Hughes

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 7 - ...But to Connect
    4.9/10(38 votes)

    #11 - ...But to Connect

    S4:E7

    Tensions rise as representatives from across the galaxy gather to confront the threat of the Dark Matter Anomaly. Zora's new sentience raises difficult questions.

    Director:Lee Rose
    Writers:Terri Hughes, Carlos Cisco

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 1 - Red Directive
    4.9/10(50 votes)

    #12 - Red Directive

    S5:E1

    Captain Burnham and the U.S.S. Discovery are sent to retrieve a mysterious 800-year-old Romulan vessel; until the artifact hidden inside is stolen, leading to an epic chase. Meanwhile, Saru is offered the position of a lifetime, and Tilly's efforts to help pull her into a tangled web of secrecy.

    Director:Olatunde Osunsanmi
    Writer:Michelle Paradise

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 5 - The Examples
    5.0/10(35 votes)

    #13 - The Examples

    S4:E5

    Burnham and Book race to evacuate a group of stranded colonists in the anomaly’s path as one of the Federation’s brightest scientists comes aboard the U.S.S. Discovery to do high-stakes research with Saru and Stamets.

    Director:Lee Rose
    Writer:Kyle Jarrow

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9 - Rubicon
    5.0/10(34 votes)

    #14 - Rubicon

    S4:E9

    Captain Burnham and the U.S.S. Discovery race to stop Book and Ruon Tarka from launching a rogue plan that could inadvertently endanger the galaxy.

    Director:Andi Armaganian
    Writer:Alan B. McElroy

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 10 - The Galactic Barrier
    5.0/10(36 votes)

    #15 - The Galactic Barrier

    S4:E10

    Captain Burnham and her crew must go where few have gone before: beyond the Galactic Barrier. Meanwhile, Book learns the truth of what drives Ruon Tarka.

    Director:Deborah Kampmeier
    Writer:Anne Cofell Saunders

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 5 - Mirrors
    5.0/10(34 votes)

    #16 - Mirrors

    S5:E5

    Captain Burnham and Book journey into extradimensional space in search of the next clue to the location of the Progenitors' power. Meanwhile, Rayner navigates his first mission in command of the U.S.S. Discovery, and Culber opens up to Tilly.

    Director:Jen McGowan
    Writers:Carlos Cisco, Johanna Lee

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 8 - Labyrinths
    5.0/10(34 votes)

    #17 - Labyrinths

    S5:E8

    When Captain Burnham is trapped within a “mindscape” designed to test her worthiness to retrieve the Progenitor's powerful technology, Book, Rayner, and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery must hold off the Breen long enough for her to escape.

    Directors:Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Jr.
    Writers:Eric J. Robbins, Lauren Wilkinson

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 8 - All In
    5.1/10(35 votes)

    #18 - All In

    S4:E8

    Following a hunch, Captain Burnham tracks Book to an old haunt from their courier days and gets drawn into a high-stakes competition for a powerful weapon.

    Director:Christopher J. Byrne
    Writer:Sean Cochran

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 12 - Species Ten-C
    5.1/10(41 votes)

    #19 - Species Ten-C

    S4:E12

    As the DMA approaches Earth and Ni’Var, Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery attempt to make First Contact with the powerful species responsible before it’s too late.

    Director:Olatunde Osunsanmi
    Writer:Kyle Jarrow

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 - Face the Strange
    5.1/10(37 votes)

    #20 - Face the Strange

    S5:E4

    On the way to the next clue, the U.S.S. Discovery is sabotaged by a mysterious weapon, leaving Captain Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets as the only crew members who can possibly save the ship in time.

    Director:Lee Rose
    Writer:Sean Cochran

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 2 - Under the Twin Moons
    5.2/10(43 votes)

    #21 - Under the Twin Moons

    S5:E2

    On Saru's last mission as Captain Burnham's Number One, the team ventures to a seemingly abandoned planet to hunt for what might be the greatest treasure in the galaxy.

    Director:Douglas Aarniokoski
    Writer:Alan B. McElroy

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 13 - Coming Home
    5.4/10(39 votes)

    #22 - Coming Home

    S4:E13

    The DMA approaches Earth and Ni’Var. With evacuations underway, Burnham and the team aboard the U.S.S. Discovery must find a way to communicate and connect with a species far different from their own before time runs out.

    Director:Olatunde Osunsanmi
    Writer:Michelle Paradise

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 8 - The Sanctuary
    5.7/10(42 votes)

    #23 - The Sanctuary

    S3:E8

    Osyraa attacks Book's home planet and the Discovery travels there to help. Stamets and Adira investigate The Burn.

    Director:Jonathan Frakes
    Writers:Brandon Schultz, Kenneth Lin

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 3 - Point of Light
    5.8/10(68 votes)

    #24 - Point of Light

    S2:E3

    A surprise visitor to the U.S.S. Discovery brings shocking news about Spock and dredges up past regrets for Burnham. Following the asteroid incident, Tilly struggles to keep a grip on her reality. L'Rell's authority on Qo'noS is threatened.

    Director:Olatunde Osunsanmi
    Writer:Andrew Colville

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 11 - Su'Kal
    5.8/10(47 votes)

    #25 - Su'Kal

    S3:E11

    Discovery ventures to the Verubin Nebula, where Burnham, Saru, and Culber make a shocking realization about the origin of the Burn. The rest of the crew faces an unexpected threat.

    Director:Norma Bailey
    Writer:Anne Cofell Saunders

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"Life, Itself" is the worst rated episode of "Star Trek: Discovery". It scored 4.3/10 based on 37 votes. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Michelle Paradise, Kyle Jarrow, it aired on 5/30/2024. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "All Is Possible".