20 Most Cringeworthy Star Trek: The Next Generation Moments

12. Troi As Reg Barclay's Fantasy Woman From Hollow Pursuits (1990)

We're hesitant to put this one on the list as it's actually pretty amusing, but some of our readers can't stand the Goddess of Empathy scenes from Reg Barclay's wankfest, otherwise known as Cost of Living. What about Riker being asked about his sexual organ, or Picard being asked if he knows a song called The Smiling Vulcan and his Dog (which, judging from the title, is likely sung to the tune of The Yellow Rose of Texas)? Anyway, in amongst all the representations of Riker as an itty bitty musketeer, Beverly as a...something or other, and Wesley as a spoiled brat (not much difference there), we get Deanna as an unethical counselor who sleeps with her clients, a woman who hangs around in bars waiting to latch onto anybody who can beat up Riker, and... the Goddess of Empathy, a part which Marina Sirtis plays with all the aplomb of a lemon. She's more feisty when she confronts her holographic self and tells her to "muzzle it," but not by much. It's been pointed out by writers Steve Lyons and Chris Howarth that, if the Enterprise crew were really trying to fulfill their fantasies, the holodeck should be endlessly full of dominatrixes, tanned lifeguards, and sheep. Instead we get Troi in flowing gowns, acting much the same as she always does. But who are we to judge?