25 WORST Episodes Of Star Trek EVER

24. Turnabout Intruder - TOS

Star Trek Turnabout Intruder
Paramount Home Entertainment

So how does Turnabout Intruder rank up against All Good Things, What You Leave Behind, Endgame and These Are The Voyages?

Second from the bottom, honestly.

This became the finale of the Original Series entirely accidentally as the show was not renewed for a fourth season and the episode is a stain on the history of the show. Much of the Original Series' third season was weaker than what had come before but this episode stands out. One of Kirk's many, many, many old flames, Janice Lester, returns, out of her mind with jealousy and manages to swap bodies with Kirk. This could have led for an hour of comedy but instead we are treated to an episode so misogynistic it spoils the whole show.

Lester, in Kirk's body, quickly starts to show madness and, in McCoy's words, hysteria that they have never seen in the Captain before. Before swapping bodies, Lester revealed her jealousy that she had never been able to rise to the rank of Captain. The closing words of the episode and therefore the closing words of the Original Series are 'Her life could have been as rich as any woman's. If only....if only....'

The Original Series had a mixed record when it came to female characters, with some excellent stand outs and many love interests of the week. Closing the episode with these words only serves to solidify a reputation that was less than stellar and it would take several movies to recover from this.

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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"