10 Most Overrated Episodes Of Star Trek

7. Trials And Tribble-ations

Trials And Tribble-Ations Star Trek
CBS

Though I'm effectively writing my own marching orders by including this episode on this list, bear with me. Trials And Tribble-ations is a fantastically fun, silly hour of television. It was produced to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Star Trek, which it does with aplomb. What it doesn't do is advance the plot.

Take, for example, the other celebration of the anniversary - Flashback. Here, Star Trek: Voyager used the framing device of Tuvok's service aboard the USS Excelsior to bring older performers back to the franchise - notably Grace Lee Whitney and, of course, George Takei.

The Deep Space Nine offering is a marvel in its own right, combining the legacy and contemporary actors via the use of computer trickery. This is something that we do not, in any way, wish to brush aside.

Perhaps it is best to enjoy this episode as a fun side-adventure, one brewing with love for the franchise, rather than one of the greatest that Deep Space Nine, or Star Trek itself, had to offer. If this is a franchise that is boldly going forward, then this is an episode that looks back with rose-tinted glasses.

 
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Contributor

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"