Star Trek: 10 Times You Asked 'WHAT Were They Thinking?!'

5. Extinction

Star Trek Enterprise Extinction
CBS Media Ventures

This episode is perhaps worse because LeVar Burton, who is one of Star Trek’s best directors as well as one of the greatest engineers, has openly admitted to being ashamed at being involved.

Sure, Scott Bakula, Linda Park, and Jolene Blalock all commit to their roles, but everything is off. The makeup, despite its great detail, ends up comical. The animalistic actions by Archer and Sato are more off-putting than engaging, and there’s something in there about genetic engineering and the like. 

The fact that it appears so early in the show’s fantastic third season, which depicts the fallout of the Xindi attack on earth, an open and clear 9/11 reference, and also introduced Star Trek to the title of the show - combines to make this one of the most unusual, off-putting episodes in the run of the franchise. The episode feels like an exercise in ‘just how long can you scratch your head for until you realise there really is nothing to understand 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"