10 Star Trek Episodes That Actors Regret

9. Extinction - LeVar Burton

Star Trek Extinction
CBS

This is technically a cheat as LeVar Burton didn't appear in front of the camera. Rather, he appeared behind it, directing the episode. In the years that have passed, he has openly stated that he was ashamed of being associated with this chapter of Enterprise.

The plot follows a vaguely similar structure to Burton's own episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Identity Crisis. In both installments, members of the crew are infected with a virus that regresses them to become something other than human. The thing about Extinction however is just how ridiculous everything comes across as.

The episode arrived in Enterprise's third season when the show was generally beginning to pick up speed thanks to the Xindi Arc. There is a message in the episode about ethnic cleansing and genocide, yet this is lost in the bafflingly awful execution of the storyline. To be very fair, Scott Bakula and Linda Park give it their all as they act the part of the infected, yet that really is the nicest thing that can be said about it.

Contributor
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"