Star Trek: 10 Greatest Filler Episodes

5. 11:59

Star Trek Voyager 1159 Kate Mulgrew
CBS Media Ventures

11:59 is a personal favourite, though this writer must admit that in the streaming age, where every dollar counts, it would struggle to make it past the writing stage today. Ancestor's Eve is a cute idea, celebrated by those who have the time to ruminate on the past. When you have ten episodes to build up to, and then avert, the end of the universe - there isn't room for Shannon O'Donnel.

This episode, featuring Kate Mulgrew getting to stretch her acting chops once more, feels like a day off from the normal doings of the USS Voyager, which is part of its strength. Fish-out-of-water episodes are just fun and thankfully haven't been completely erased from Star Trek's current model. Strange New Worlds has offered the most examples in this case from contemporary Trek.

There are absolutely no stakes in this episode. The audience knows that the Millennium Gate was built, so in a way, Shannon can't fail. Yet still, seeing how she succeeds is the fun. There are no Borg, no Species 8472, or countdowns to an explosion - yet there is a simple love story. 

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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"