# Worst Star Trek (TOS) episode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942 "2014-01-16T04:06:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/1 "2014-01-16T04:06:20Z")
**Spock’s Brain** , **The Way to Eden** or something else? I’m only asking because tomorrow [Mission Log](http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/mission-log-a-roddenberry-star-trek-podcast/) is reviewing **The Way to Eden** and I’m a little giddy because those guys crack me up. I think **Spock’s Brain** is the worst of the lot: \*“Brain and brain, what is brain?” \*But the space hippies are so cringe inducing, I can hardly bear to watch. It’s a bit of a toss-up. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/2 "2014-01-16T04:09:53Z")
I’ll kick off with “The Omega Glory.” Kirk pledging allegiance to an American Flag. Ho, boy, that was a stinker! (Strangely enough, I rather adore “Spock’s Brain.” It’s just so much fun! Same for the two Harry Mudd episodes.) ---
**Author:** ![Marlonius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Marlonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlonius)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/3 "2014-01-16T04:11:31Z")
I vote “The Alternative Factor”. At least “Spock’s Brain” was fun. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/4 "2014-01-16T04:11:42Z")
“The Alternative Factor.” I win. Lazarus trumps **anything**. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/5 "2014-01-16T04:12:47Z")
Spocks brain. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/6 "2014-01-16T04:13:50Z")
“And the Children Shall Lead” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/7 "2014-01-16T04:14:15Z")
The Empath. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/8 "2014-01-16T04:16:14Z")
Yeah, it’s got to be **Spock’s Brain**. Eden has enough MST3K going for it to make it laughable. SB is just torturous. I’ve recently downloaded ST:TOS. All 3 seasons. They’re difficult for me to watch. I find them cheesy. I don’t mean to downplay their awesomeness when they were first broadcast, but now… it’s more of a nostalgia thing for me. I find this occurs with lots of what once were my favourite TV programs. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/9 "2014-01-16T04:29:17Z")
It’s a hard call, but I have to say “Plato’s Stepchildren,” followed by “The Empath,” “Mark of Gideon,” “And the Children Shall Lead,” “Lights of Zetar,” “Elaan of Troyus,” “Gamesters of Triskelion,” “The _Enterprise_ Incident,” “Wink of an Eye,” and “Is There in Truth No Beauty?” The others listed above won’t win any awards fer sure, but they’re nowhere near as bad as these stinkers! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/10 "2014-01-16T04:32:03Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I’ll kick off with “The Omega Glory.” Kirk pledging allegiance to an American Flag. > > Ho, boy, that was a stinker! > > (Strangely enough, I rather adore “Spock’s Brain.” It’s just so much fun! Same for the two Harry Mudd episodes.) Mostly because there was no explanation for the parallel development like a star ship dumping some USA founding documents or something. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/11 "2014-01-16T04:41:40Z")
> [@Marlonius](#): > > I vote “The Alternative Factor”. At least “Spock’s Brain” was fun. That one was just too incomprehensible to have a strong opinion one way or the other. Definitely way below average. Bit of a mess. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/12 "2014-01-16T04:42:31Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > Mostly because there was no explanation for the parallel development like a star ship dumping some USA founding documents or something. It was more like the “split continuum” of “Miri” and “Bread and Circuses.” An infinite number of possibilities repeated an infinite number of times… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/13 "2014-01-16T04:54:34Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > **Spock’s Brain** , **The Way to Eden** or something else? I’m only asking because tomorrow [Mission Log](http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/mission-log-a-roddenberry-star-trek-podcast/) is reviewing **The Way to Eden** and I’m a little giddy because those guys crack me up. > > I think **Spock’s Brain** is the worst of the lot: \*“Brain and brain, what is brain?” \*But the space hippies are so cringe inducing, I can hardly bear to watch. > > It’s a bit of a toss-up. Typical Herbert. Way to Eden is a blast, but Spock’s Brain definitely among the dregs along with Miri, Plato’s Stepchildren, and The Empath. “Scratch my knuckles and jump for joy, got a clean bill of health from Dr McCoy” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/14 "2014-01-16T05:10:42Z")
The Empath. Kathryn Hays’ mute but overly balletic emoting is just torture, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/15 "2014-01-16T10:51:39Z")
I think “Spock’s Brain”. “The Empath” was not horrible, just boring. I don’t think “The Way to Eden” is as bad as its reputation. Yes, sure, there is a lot of 1960s silliness, but in between the silly scenes, it does raise some pertinent questions about leaders and followers, rights and responsibilities, nature and technology. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/16 "2014-01-16T13:24:37Z")
No one has mentioned Catspaw? That one was godawful. Spock’s Brain is bad, sure, but at least it goes somewhere and has some interesting points, like McCoy only being smart enough to fix the problem for an hour. Catspaw is just a bad Halloween special. Also, I think **terentii** is a Klingon with surgical alterations here to sabotage the thread. The Enterprise Incident and The Gamesters of Triskelion are some of my favorites! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/17 "2014-01-16T13:37:39Z")
What was the episode where there were intruders aboard, and they moved so fast they were invisible? That one stretched my suspension of disbelief beyond the breaking point. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/18 "2014-01-16T13:43:38Z")
“That Which Survives” "Uhura: Mr. Spock! Are you all right? Mr. Spock: Yes. I believe no permanent damage was done. Uhura: What happened? Mr. Spock: The occipital area of my head seems to have impacted with the arm of the chair. " Rimshot… ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/19 "2014-01-16T13:47:42Z")
Any episode where Kirk has to deal with a planet-ruling entity (with bonus points if it’s a computer that Spock drives crazy with illogic). That said, an honorable(?) mention for **Return of the Archons** : > [@](#): > > You be strangers. Come for the festival, are ya? > [@](#): > > You’re not of the body! > [@](#): > > {Damn near everything McCoy says after he’s been “absorbed”} ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/20 "2014-01-16T14:20:09Z")
“Spock’s Brain” is the worst. Stupid idea, poorly executed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942.md?page=2)