Star Trek: 10 Hated Episodes You Grew To Love

5. A Night In Sickbay

A Night In Sickbay Star Trek Enterprise
CBS Media Ventures

This is an episode for dog lovers everywhere. Wouldn't you want to stay by your best friend's bedside until they're better? Captain Jonathan Archer certainly did and, wouldn't you know it, Porthos was back to normal by the next day. 

The episode, seriously thin on plot and action, was a bit of a damp squib when it dropped. This came at a time when Star Trek: Enterprise was struggling with its identity - was it a clone of The Original Series and The Next Generation, or was it something new and unique?

A Night In Sickbay leaned towards the former. What has saved the episode in the intervening years is Archer's dogged determinism and John Billingsley. Phlox is the true hero of the hour, keeping busy through the night, just doing what he does.

It's an episode that's gone from 'ugh, that one' to 'oh! that one!' Does it reach the peaks of Azati Prime or In A Mirror, Darkly? Of course not! But it's a sweet little slice of life aboard Enterprise. 

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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"