20 Most Cringeworthy Star Trek Film Moments

12. The Scotty/Uhura "Romance" - Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Uhura ScottyParamount PicturesThe proof that God exists comes from the fact that there are only two scenes in this movie between Scotty and Uhura. The proof that Satan exists comes from the fact that these scenes exist at all. As some commentators have wisely pointed out, just because the seeming romance between Scotty and Uhura seemed to come out of nowhere doesn't mean it's completely outside the realms of possibility. Hell, no one would've believed that shipping Spock and Uhura together would work until they saw it in the Abrams movies (though many believe that it still doesn't).The problem here, though, is not so much that it doesn't work but that none of us wants to see it. It's not because of racism, though it could very well be ageism. There's certainly a palpable ick factor here that cannot be denied, akin to walking in on your grandparents engaging in some under the sweater action on the sofa. It's a surprise, all right, but not in any way a pleasant surprise. It's even worse in the later scene when a mind-controlled Uhura is being all seductive toward the freshly-concussed Scotty in Sick Bay. Thank goodness that knock on the noggin brought him back to his senses, or else we might've had to see more of this madness in the next movie, in which the romance is not referred to in the slightest. Further proof that God exists, really. Sadly, there's even more Satan-related proof that has to do with Uhura in this same movie...
Contributor
Contributor

Tony Whitt has previously written TV, DVD, and comic reviews for CINESCAPE, NOW PLAYING, and iF MAGAZINE. His weekly COMICSCAPE columns from the early 2000s can still be found archived on Mania.com. He has also written a book of gay-themed short stories titled CRESCENT CITY CONNECTIONS, available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle format. Whitt currently lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.