25 WORST Episodes Of Star Trek EVER

The Original Series was cancelled at the end of its second season but thanks to a concerted letter writing campaign, it was saved for a third season. It is however entries like this that would give pause and make a person wonder why they bothered going to the effort at all.

Frequently voted among the worst of the Original Series episodes, its plot centres on a group of children with strange powers who take over the ship. Kirk's attempts to regain control depict him as both overbearing and authoritarian toward the kids, making him less sympathetic than usual. The climax of the episode, wherein the children cry for their parents and loosen the monster's hold is meant have a powerful emotional impact but instead serves to make annoying children even more annoying.

Leonard Nimoy voted this episode the worst of the original run, offering very little in terms of compelling plot or reason to exist. As there is not much to be said other than that about the episode, one interesting thing to note is that one of the child actors, Craig Hundley, would grow up to invent the blaster beam instrument that would feature heavily on Jerry Goldsmith's score to the Motion Picture. So, there's that?