# 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:** 11
**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 22, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/201 "2014-01-22T14:28:02Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > She cannae take it much longer, sir! She’s gonna blow any second now! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/202 "2014-01-22T14:53:04Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > She’s gonna blow any second now! :eek: Admiral! We’ve got WHALES here! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/203 "2014-01-22T15:01:05Z")
Or “There be whales here” whichever way it’s said, the post stands unedited. Mostly because I missed the edit window. The reboot needs to go back to San Fransisco in 1986. They love Italian. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/204 "2014-01-23T04:52:33Z")
_Triskelion_ is a bad episode. On the other hand, the monetary unit in almost every household I’ve lived in has been the quatloo. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/205 "2014-01-23T06:53:09Z")
But it was Angeligue Pettyjohn’s catapult to fame. She used to be a regular at the San Diego Comic Con, selling and autographing photos of herself wearing the skimpy silver suit from that episode. Some years, she herself would be wearing the suit. (And, behind the counter, she had other photographs of herself without the suit…) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/206 "2014-01-23T16:39:52Z")
> [@susan](#): > > _Triskelion_ is a bad episode. On the other hand, the monetary unit in almost every household I’ve lived in has been the quatloo. Even spoofed on _The Simpsons_, in the episode where Homer and Barney become astronauts; NASA scientists wager, in quatloos, as to who will survive training. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/207 "2014-01-23T19:43:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > She used The Transmuter to take human form, of course. 🆒 Yip. We know this because the only reason she was attracted to Kirk was because she was in human form. At least, I remember there being something either stating or heavily implying that. ---
**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 23, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/208 "2014-01-23T20:06:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yip. We know this because the only reason she was attracted to Kirk was because she was in human form. At least, I remember there being something either stating or heavily implying that. “That excites me. _You_ excite me! Why?” “For the same reason you excite me. You’re a very … beautiful woman!” _ **SNOG** _ ---
**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 24, 2014, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/209 "2014-01-24T08:53:48Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > But it was Angeligue Pettyjohn’s catapult to fame. She used to be a regular at the San Diego Comic Con, selling and autographing photos of herself wearing the skimpy silver suit from that episode. Some years, she herself would be wearing the suit. (And, behind the counter, she had other photographs of herself without the suit…) Shatner, for one, remembered her years later. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/210 "2014-01-24T10:51:26Z")
Wow - I thought I would be the first person to choose “The Empath” but it seems other SDMB members share my opinion. Technically, I don’t think it is _really_ bad. Its big problem is that it lacks anything. (Or maybe I should have said it lacks everything?) I must admit from my first viewing I was taken aback by its enormous insignificance and its astounding unimportance. Well I’ll stop my comments and give someone else a chance to discuss the nugatory nature of this Star Trek adventure. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/211 "2014-01-24T14:17:28Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Wow - I thought I would be the first person to choose “The Empath” but it seems other SDMB members share my opinion. > Technically, I don’t think it is _really_ bad. Its big problem is that it lacks anything. (Or maybe I should have said it lacks everything?) > I must admit from my first viewing I was taken aback by its enormous insignificance and its astounding unimportance. > Well I’ll stop my comments and give someone else a chance to discuss the nugatory nature of this Star Trek adventure. For me, this is a very 60s episode. Even more so than Space Hippies. It’s like one of those Bad Acting Schools where class projects such as “Just emote! No words!” will be assigned on a regular basis. Plus, Gem had an Audrey Hepburn kind of look to her, imho. The Bad Guys’ appearance almost seemed like a last second add in. Having them remain unseen would have helped, maybe… Even at that, we get to see Kelley as Bones do his best Shatner Ham Fest rendition, so it’s not all bad. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/212 "2014-01-24T14:20:21Z")
Again, an imho post, but the Space Hippies should really be called Space Beatniks. ymmv ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/213 "2014-01-24T14:21:24Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > That brings up another problem that I can’t believe I just thought of. > > We can only assume that Starfleet is sending someone to help because AFTER Spock deflects the asteroid and rescues Kirk…how long do they have to sit in orbit waiting for help? It took some two months to get back to Kirk, and no help had shown up. God knows how long they would have to wait after that. It could be worse – remember those two redshirts left on the planet in “And The Children Shall Lead” (the ones they thought they were beaming up before they found out they’d left orbit and, oops, beamed two other redshirts into empty space). ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/214 "2014-01-24T14:25:02Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Again, an imho post, but the Space Hippies should really be called Space Beatniks. > > ymmv Why? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/215 "2014-01-24T14:29:34Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Why? They just seem more beatnik-y than hippy. That improv jam session is what really does it for me. Go back to movies and TV in the 50s to see similar examples. Now, the free love bit of it is hippy-ish, but even that isn’t exclusively hippy. Early to mid 60s was a pretty big mix of things, tho. That’s why I put IMHO and YMMV ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/216 "2014-01-24T14:33:05Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It could be worse – remember those two redshirts left on the planet in “And The Children Shall Lead” (the ones they thought they were beaming up before they found out they’d left orbit and, oops, beamed two other redshirts into empty space). I hate it when that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/217 "2014-01-24T16:43:14Z")
Transporter Protocols, Lesson One: Scan first, beam second. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/218 "2014-01-24T18:54:54Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > They just seem more beatnik-y than hippy. That improv jam session is what really does it for me. Go back to movies and TV in the 50s to see similar examples. > > Now, the free love bit of it is hippy-ish, but even that isn’t exclusively hippy. > > Early to mid 60s was a pretty big mix of things, tho. That’s why I put IMHO and YMMV Hippies were sort of latter day beatniks. The Star Trek episode seems of the late 60s hippy period to me, particularly their attire and free love. Their Star Trek protest is very much of the late 60s Vietnam/Woodstock period although beatniks protested and they were both of the counter culture. If you want to think of them as beatnik, I can see that, but it’s just as easy to classify them as hippy, and that’s probably what the script writer had in mind. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/219 "2014-01-24T21:03:19Z")
I think it can go either way. Hence the imho and ymmv. Nice discussion. For me, one of the most 60s of ep ideas was _A Private Little War_. Two superpowers arming and interfering with a local conflict screams VIETNAM! to me. Altho, I guess we could cite Korea as an influence as well. Some eps seem to continue issues from the 50s into the early 60s, and some almost seem a little prophetic of the 1970s. The naturist earth shoe wearing back to nature farmers of _This Side of Paradise_ come to mind. Of course, the seeds were already there in the 60s, it just seems to have been really noticeable (to me) in the early to mid 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942/220 "2014-01-24T21:06:17Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Hippies were sort of latter day beatniks. The Star Trek episode seems of the late 60s hippy period to me, particularly their attire and free love. Their Star Trek protest is very much of the late 60s Vietnam/Woodstock period although beatniks protested and they were both of the counter culture. If you want to think of them as beatnik, I can see that, but it’s just as easy to classify them as hippy, and that’s probably what the script writer had in mind. Yeah, beatniks were very over by that time, no doubt killed off by Maynard G. Krebs. I saw it when first aired, and there was no doubt in my mind they were hippies. I spend a lot of time in the East Village, so I knew them in their native habitat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-star-trek-tos-episode/678942.md?page=12)