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The Worst Episodes of Star Trek

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

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Space. The Final Frontier. The U.S.S. Enterprise embarks on a five year mission to explore the galaxy. The Enterprise is under the command of Captain James T. Kirk with First Officer Mr. Spock, from the

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Star Trek Season 1 Episode 27 - The Alternative Factor
    5.6/10(4482 votes)

    #1 - The Alternative Factor

    S1:E27

    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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  2. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 4 - And the Children Shall Lead
    5.8/10(3906 votes)

    #2 - And the Children Shall Lead

    S3:E4

    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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  3. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 1 - Spock's Brain
    6.1/10(4167 votes)

    #3 - Spock's Brain

    S3:E1

    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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  4. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 7 - Catspaw
    6.2/10(4162 votes)

    #4 - Catspaw

    S2:E7

    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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  5. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 20 - The Way to Eden
    6.2/10(4015 votes)

    #5 - The Way to Eden

    S3:E20

    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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  6. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 23 - The Omega Glory
    6.3/10(3953 votes)

    #6 - The Omega Glory

    S2:E23

    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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  7. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 6 - Mudd's Women
    6.5/10(5590 votes)

    #7 - Mudd's Women

    S1:E6

    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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  8. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 12 - The Empath
    6.5/10(3734 votes)

    #8 - The Empath

    S3:E12

    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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  9. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 15 - Shore Leave
    6.6/10(5133 votes)

    #9 - Shore Leave

    S1:E15

    When McCoy sees the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, the crew begins to realize that the planet they are visiting seems to have the dangerous power to turn any thought into reality.

    Director:Robert Sparr
    Writer:Theodore Sturgeon

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  10. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 3 - The Paradise Syndrome
    6.6/10(3897 votes)

    #10 - The Paradise Syndrome

    S3:E3

    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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  11. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 17 - That Which Survives
    6.6/10(3398 votes)

    #11 - That Which Survives

    S3:E17

    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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  12. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 18 - The Lights of Zetar
    6.6/10(3359 votes)

    #12 - The Lights of Zetar

    S3:E18

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

    Director:Herbert Kenwith
    Writers:Shari Lewis, Jeremy Tarcher

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  13. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 2 - Charlie X
    6.7/10(6409 votes)

    #13 - Charlie X

    S1:E2

    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:D.C. Fontana, Gene Roddenberry

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  14. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 2 - Who Mourns for Adonais?
    6.7/10(4613 votes)

    #14 - Who Mourns for Adonais?

    S2:E2

    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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  15. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 5 - The Apple
    6.7/10(4076 votes)

    #15 - The Apple

    S2:E5

    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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  16. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 22 - The Savage Curtain
    6.7/10(3487 votes)

    #16 - The Savage Curtain

    S3:E22

    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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  17. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 13 - The Conscience of the King
    6.8/10(4912 votes)

    #17 - The Conscience of the King

    S1:E13

    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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  18. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 11 - Friday's Child
    6.8/10(3930 votes)

    #18 - Friday's Child

    S2:E11

    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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  19. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 6 - Spectre of the Gun
    6.8/10(3898 votes)

    #19 - Spectre of the Gun

    S3:E6

    Having been found trespassers into Melkotian space, Captain Kirk and his companions are sent to die in a re-enactment of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

    Director:Vincent McEveety
    Writers:Gene L. Coon, Leroy Cronin

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  20. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 13 - Elaan of Troyius
    6.8/10(3656 votes)

    #20 - Elaan of Troyius

    S3:E13

    The USS Enterprise ferries a spoiled princess whose betrothal to a royal Troyian is hoped will bring peace to a star system at war.

    Director:John Meredyth Lucas
    Writer:John Meredyth Lucas

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  21. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 16 - The Mark of Gideon
    6.8/10(3454 votes)

    #21 - The Mark of Gideon

    S3:E16

    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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  22. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 8 - Miri
    6.9/10(5335 votes)

    #22 - Miri

    S1:E8

    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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  23. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 9 - Dagger of the Mind
    6.9/10(5064 votes)

    #23 - Dagger of the Mind

    S1:E9

    When a wild eyed maniac escaping from the Tantalus Penal Colony turns out to be one of the psychiatric staff, Kirk investigates the institution and discovers a chilling exercise in mind control.

    Director:Vincent McEveety
    Writer:Shimon Wincelberg

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  24. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 10 - Plato's Stepchildren
    6.9/10(3799 votes)

    #24 - Plato's Stepchildren

    S3:E10

    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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  25. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 14 - Whom Gods Destroy
    6.9/10(3565 votes)

    #25 - Whom Gods Destroy

    S3:E14

    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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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Alternative Factor" is the worst rated episode of "Star Trek". It scored 5.6/10 based on 4482 votes. Directed by Gerd Oswald and written by Don Ingalls, it aired on 3/30/1967. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "And the Children Shall Lead".