The Worst Episodes of Star Trek

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Worst Episode
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   5.2/10(3992 votes)

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   #1 - And the Children Shall Lead

   S3:E410/11/1968

   On a distant planet, Kirk, Spock and McCoy find a scientific team dead, and their children who, unknown to the crew, have great powers at their disposal.

   Director:Marvin J. Chomsky

   Writer:Edward J. Lakso

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   Director:Marvin J. Chomsky

   Writer:Edward J. Lakso
2. 

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   5.4/10(4096 votes)

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   #2 - The Way to Eden

   S3:E202/21/1969

   The Enterprise picks up a group of space "hippies" looking for Eden.

   Director:David Alexander

   Writers:D.C. Fontana, Arthur Heinemann

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   Director:David Alexander

   Writers:D.C. Fontana, Arthur Heinemann
3. 

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   5.7/10(4628 votes)

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   #3 - The Alternative Factor

   S1:E273/30/1967

   Kirk and Spock encounter an alien named Lazarus who claims to be from an anti-matter universe.

   Director:Gerd Oswald

   Writer:Don Ingalls

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   Director:Gerd Oswald

   Writer:Don Ingalls
4. 

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   5.7/10(4254 votes)

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   #4 - Spock's Brain

   S3:E19/20/1968

   An alien female beams aboard the ship and, after incapacitating the rest of the crew, surgically removes Spock's brain. Kirk and the crew have just hours to locate and replace it before Spock's body dies.

   Director:Marc Daniels

   Writer:Gene L. Coon

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   Director:Marc Daniels

   Writer:Gene L. Coon
5. 

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   6.1/10(4052 votes)

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   #5 - The Omega Glory

   S2:E233/1/1968

   Captain Kirk must find the cure to a deadly disease and put an end to another Starfleet captain's cultural interference.

   Director:Vincent McEveety

   Writer:Gene Roddenberry

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   Director:Vincent McEveety

   Writer:Gene Roddenberry
6. 

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   6.2/10(4296 votes)

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   #6 - Catspaw

   S2:E710/27/1967

   Two powerful aliens threaten the well-being of the Enterprise and her crew.

   Director:Joseph Pevney

   Writers:D.C. Fontana, Robert Bloch

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   Director:Joseph Pevney

   Writers:D.C. Fontana, Robert Bloch
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7. 

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   6.2/10(3441 votes)

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   #7 - The Lights of Zetar

   S3:E181/31/1969

   Strange incorporeal aliens threaten the Memory Alpha station and the Enterprise.

   Director:Herbert Kenwith

   Writers:Shari Lewis, Jeremy Tarcher

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   Director:Herbert Kenwith

   Writers:Shari Lewis, Jeremy Tarcher
8. 

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   6.4/10(4187 votes)

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   #8 - The Apple

   S2:E510/13/1967

   The crew of the Enterprise visits a mysterious paradisical planet controlled by a computer that is served by the local inhabitants.

   Director:Joseph Pevney

   Writers:Gene L. Coon, Max Simon Ehrlich

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   Director:Joseph Pevney

   Writers:Gene L. Coon, Max Simon Ehrlich
9. 

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   6.5/10(3884 votes)

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   #9 - Plato's Stepchildren

   S3:E1011/22/1968

   The crew of the Enterprise encounters an ageless and sadistic race of humanoids with the power of telekinesis and who claim to have organized their society around Ancient Greek ideals.

   Director:David Alexander

   Writer:Meyer Dolinsky

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   Director:David Alexander

   Writer:Meyer Dolinsky
10. 

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    6.5/10(3817 votes)

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    #10 - The Empath

    S3:E1212/6/1968

    While visiting a doomed planet, the landing party is subject to torturous experiments by powerful aliens.

    Director:John Erman

    Writer:Joyce Muskat

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    Director:John Erman

    Writer:Joyce Muskat
11. 

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    6.5/10(3531 votes)

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    #11 - The Mark of Gideon

    S3:E161/17/1969

    A race of overpopulated aliens abduct Captain Kirk to solve their problem.

    Director:Jud Taylor

    Writers:Stanley Adams, George F. Slavin

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    Director:Jud Taylor

    Writers:Stanley Adams, George F. Slavin
12. 

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    6.5/10(3485 votes)

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    #12 - That Which Survives

    S3:E171/24/1969

    Kirk, McCoy, and Sulu are stranded on a barren planet where a mysterious woman attempts to kill them one at a time, while the Enterprise must travel halfway across the galaxy to rescue them.

    Director:Herb Wallerstein

    Writers:D.C. Fontana, John Meredyth Lucas

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    Director:Herb Wallerstein

    Writers:D.C. Fontana, John Meredyth Lucas
13. 

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    6.6/10(3564 votes)

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    #13 - The Savage Curtain

    S3:E223/7/1969

    Aliens force Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock to join forces with "Abraham Lincoln" and "Surak" to battle villains in a contest of good vs. evil.

    Director:Herschel Daugherty

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Arthur Heinemann

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    Director:Herschel Daugherty

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Arthur Heinemann
14. 

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    6.7/10(5766 votes)

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    #14 - Mudd's Women

    S1:E610/13/1966

    Rescuing the crew of a ship from an asteroid belt, the Enterprise plays host to conman extraordinaire, the cunning Harry Mudd and his cargo: three beautiful women looking for suitors.

    Director:Harvey Hart

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Stephen Kandel

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    Director:Harvey Hart

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Stephen Kandel
15. 

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    6.7/10(4038 votes)

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    #15 - Friday's Child

    S2:E1112/1/1967

    The crew of the Enterprise become entangled in a planet's tribal power struggle.

    Director:Joseph Pevney

    Writer:D.C. Fontana

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    Director:Joseph Pevney

    Writer:D.C. Fontana
16. 

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    6.7/10(3991 votes)

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    #16 - The Paradise Syndrome

    S3:E310/4/1968

    An alien device on a primitive planet erases Captain Kirk's memory, and he begins a new life with the planet's indigenous people.

    Director:Jud Taylor

    Writer:Margaret Armen

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    Director:Jud Taylor

    Writer:Margaret Armen
17. 

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    6.7/10(3892 votes)

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    #17 - A Private Little War

    S2:E192/2/1968

    The crew of the Enterprise discovers Klingon interference in the development of a formerly peaceful planet and is forced to help maintain a balance of power.

    Director:Marc Daniels

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Don Ingalls

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    Director:Marc Daniels

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Don Ingalls
18. 

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    6.8/10(3595 votes)

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    #18 - Turnabout Intruder

    S3:E246/3/1969

    The Enterprise is in danger when Janice Lester, one of Kirk's former lovers, steals his body.

    Director:Herb Wallerstein

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Arthur Singer

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    Director:Herb Wallerstein

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, Arthur Singer
19. 

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    6.9/10(5501 votes)

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    #19 - Miri

    S1:E810/27/1966

    On a planet populated by children whose aging process has been slowed artificially. Kirk’s landing party members contract a virus that kills adults. Despite their violent attacks, Kirk is determined to help the children.

    Director:Vincent McEveety

    Writer:Adrian Spies

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    Director:Vincent McEveety

    Writer:Adrian Spies
20. 

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    6.9/10(3786 votes)

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    #20 - Is There in Truth No Beauty?

    S3:E510/18/1968

    The Enterprise travels with an alien ambassador whose appearance induces madness.

    Director:Ralph Senensky

    Writer:Jean Lisette Aroeste

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    Director:Ralph Senensky

    Writer:Jean Lisette Aroeste
21. 

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    6.9/10(3640 votes)

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    #21 - Whom Gods Destroy

    S3:E141/3/1969

    Captain Kirk faces off with a demented shape-shifting starship captain determined to control the universe.

    Director:Herb Wallerstein

    Writers:Jerry Sohl, Lee Erwin

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    Director:Herb Wallerstein

    Writers:Jerry Sohl, Lee Erwin
22. 

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    7.0/10(6621 votes)

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    #22 - Charlie X

    S1:E29/15/1966

    Raised from boyhood by non-corporeal beings, 17 year old Charles Evans is picked up and transferred to the Enterprise. On board the ship, the teenager proves dangerously unable to wield his enormous psionic powers with maturity.

    Director:Lawrence Dobkin

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, D.C. Fontana

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    Director:Lawrence Dobkin

    Writers:Gene Roddenberry, D.C. Fontana
23. 

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    7.0/10(4164 votes)

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    #23 - The Gamesters of Triskelion

    S2:E161/5/1968

    Captain Kirk and his companions are abducted into slavery and trained to fight as gladiators for the gambling entertainment of three disembodied beings.

    Director:Gene Nelson

    Writer:Margaret Armen

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    Director:Gene Nelson

    Writer:Margaret Armen
24. 

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    7.1/10(5074 votes)

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    #24 - The Conscience of the King

    S1:E1312/8/1966

    Contacted by one of the other two witnesses to the crimes of mass murderer “Kodos the Executioner,” Kirk is persuaded that the criminal may be disguising himself as an actor in a traveling theatrical troupe.

    Director:Gerd Oswald

    Writer:Barry Trivers

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    Director:Gerd Oswald

    Writer:Barry Trivers
25. 

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    7.1/10(4746 votes)

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    #25 - Who Mourns for Adonais?

    S2:E29/22/1967

    The crew of the Enterprise are held captive by an alien who turns out to be the Greek god Apollo.

    Director:Marc Daniels

    Writers:Gene L. Coon, Gilbert Ralston

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    Director:Marc Daniels

    Writers:Gene L. Coon, Gilbert Ralston