10 Most Horrifying Star Trek Moments

8. Commander Remmick's Head

Star Trek Commander Remmick
CBS

This scene is of course infamous in Star Trek. It is one of the most graphic death scenes in the franchise, coming completely out of nowhere - in The Next Generation's first season to boot.

Starfleet has been infilitrated by a race of parasites, with the parasite's queen being embedded in the unlucky Commander Remmick. This is particularly unfortunate, as he had been aiding Admiral Quinn in attempting to root these monsters out.

Upon discovery, Picard and Riker aim their phasers at him, firing with such intensity that he is first forced back into his chair and then, in a grotesque display, his flesh is seared away from the muscle and his head quickly explodes.

And it doesn't stop there.

His torso begins to dissolved, revealing this alien queen and her parasites around him. The two men fire again, destroying the queen, but leaving an eviscerated, decapitated Remmick behind. It is a scene of pure nightmare fuel, succeeding in ensuring the episode was censored for years following its transmission.

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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"