25 WORST Episodes Of Star Trek EVER

12. The Alternative Factor - TOS

Star Trek The Alternative Factor
CBS

Two versions of the same man from two different universes collide and the Enterprise is dragged between them.

Sounds alright, doesn't it? So how did this go so wrong?

There were a number of issues. John Drew Barrymore (yes, HER Dad) was cast as the two men, Lazarus, but on the morning filming was supposed to start, he didn't show up and Robert Brown was rapidly cast instead. With no time to prepare for the role, the man simply doesn't deliver. Having said that, there wasn't an awful lot for him to work with.

The script was all over the place. The idea above gets lost in the drudgery of the episode. The truth is - nothing really happens in the episode. A man arrives and goes home effectively sums the episode up nicely. The rest of the crew are merely set dressing and both James Doohan and George Takei get to escape with their dignity unscathed as their characters don't appear in the episode.

Originally featuring very weak effects, these were updated for the remastered editions. What does that show? That, to be frank, you can put a bad gift in the nicest box with the nicest wrapping paper - it's still a bad gift and the inevitable return is on the horizon.

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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"