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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 3 Episode 4 - And the Children Shall Lead
    5.2/10(3885 votes)

    #1 - 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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  2. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 20 - The Way to Eden
    5.4/10(3912 votes)

    #2 - 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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  3. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 27 - The Alternative Factor
    5.7/10(4419 votes)

    #3 - 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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  4. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 1 - Spock's Brain
    5.7/10(4138 votes)

    #4 - 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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  5. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 23 - The Omega Glory
    6.0/10(3949 votes)

    #5 - 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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  6. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 7 - Catspaw
    6.2/10(4134 votes)

    #6 - 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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  7. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 18 - The Lights of Zetar
    6.2/10(3332 votes)

    #7 - 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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  8. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 5 - The Apple
    6.4/10(3967 votes)

    #8 - 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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  9. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 10 - Plato's Stepchildren
    6.5/10(3776 votes)

    #9 - 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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  10. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 12 - The Empath
    6.5/10(3645 votes)

    #10 - 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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  11. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 16 - The Mark of Gideon
    6.5/10(3456 votes)

    #11 - 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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  12. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 17 - That Which Survives
    6.5/10(3381 votes)

    #12 - 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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  13. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 22 - The Savage Curtain
    6.6/10(3492 votes)

    #13 - 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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  14. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 6 - Mudd's Women
    6.7/10(5486 votes)

    #14 - 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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  15. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 11 - Friday's Child
    6.7/10(3902 votes)

    #15 - 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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  16. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 3 - The Paradise Syndrome
    6.7/10(3794 votes)

    #16 - 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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  17. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 19 - A Private Little War
    6.8/10(3770 votes)

    #17 - A Private Little War

    S2:E19

    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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  18. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 24 - Turnabout Intruder
    6.8/10(3439 votes)

    #18 - Turnabout Intruder

    S3:E24

    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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  19. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 8 - Miri
    6.9/10(5143 votes)

    #19 - 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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  20. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 5 - Is There in Truth No Beauty?
    6.9/10(3690 votes)

    #20 - Is There in Truth No Beauty?

    S3:E5

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

    Director:Ralph Senensky
    Writer:Jean Lisette Aroeste

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  21. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 14 - Whom Gods Destroy
    6.9/10(3558 votes)

    #21 - 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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  22. Star Trek Season 1 Episode 2 - Charlie X
    7.0/10(6276 votes)

    #22 - 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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  23. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 16 - The Gamesters of Triskelion
    7.0/10(4026 votes)

    #23 - The Gamesters of Triskelion

    S2:E16

    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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  24. Star Trek Season 2 Episode 25 - Bread and Circuses
    7.0/10(3765 votes)

    #24 - Bread and Circuses

    S2:E25

    The Enterprise crew investigates the disappearance of a ship's crew on a planet that is a modern version of the Roman Empire.

    Director:Ralph Senensky
    Writers:Gene L. Coon, Gene Roddenberry, John Kneubuhl

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  25. Star Trek Season 3 Episode 13 - Elaan of Troyius
    7.0/10(3640 votes)

    #25 - 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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Worst Episodes Summary

"And the Children Shall Lead" is the worst rated episode of "Star Trek". It scored 5.2/10 based on 3885 votes. Directed by Marvin J. Chomsky and written by Edward J. Lakso, it aired on 10/11/1968. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Way to Eden".