10 Star Trek Episodes You Love To Hate

7. Stardust City Rag

On initial airing, this episode wound a lot of people up the wrong way. It opens with the brutal death of a fan favourite character, then is followed up with Patrick Stewart in pantomime, before finishing with Seven of Nine becoming a cold-blooded killer. Frankly, it was many things that Star Trek had successfully avoided in its lifetime.

But, is it really that bad? The actors are obviously having a ball here, though none more so than Santiago Cabrerra as Rios, bopping away like an over-the-top pimp as he stumbles around the bar. As Rios in the normal run of things, he oscillates between grumpy and depressed, so seeing him let loose a little is extremely enjoyable to watch.

The first hints of something more between Seven and Raffi are laid on the holodeck, while Michelle Hurd's performance alongside her on-screen son is heartwrenching. The villains are wafer-thin, serving only as a blockade against the retrieval of Maddox, even if they're a little fun in their own way.

Juratti's murder of Bruce is probably the main reason this episode scores so low, as it really doesn't get a satisfying resolution. Alison Pill really does sell the scene. IF nothing else, enjoy the episode for the dreadful French accent that the seemingly French Picard stumbles through on Freecloud.