Star Trek: 10 Times You Asked 'WHAT Were They Thinking?!'
5. Extinction
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?’