10 Most Chilling Star Trek Moments

1. My Mind To Your Mind

Star Trek Mind Meld
CBS

This scene from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country remains one of the most memorable, disturbing, and unsettling scenes in the history of the franchise. The setup is simple - Valeris is revealed to be involved in a conspiracy to disrupt peace talks between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, and she refuses to comply with any investigation. Spock approaches her and, as only a Vulcan can do, joins their minds to find the answers.

This scene displays just how dark this film was willing to go. Here was Spock, one of the franchise's most popular characters, engaging in an act comparable to waterboarding. In an interview with the Clonestar Podcast, director Nicholas Meyer admitted that in the years since the film's release, he had second thoughts about including the scene at all.

Regardless of whether one believes it should or shouldn't be there, the scene achieves its goals with clinical accuracy. This was a plot that had the potential for horrific ramifications throughout the Alpha Quadrant. Valeris's pain, and Spock's soul - were they acceptable sacrifices for the greater good?

Did the needs of the many truly outweigh the needs of the few here?

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"