Star Trek: 10 Terrible Scenes That Ruined Episodes
2. Trip's Dressing Down - Cogenitor
In Cogenitor, Trip befriends an alien who is seen as lesser in their own society, despite having equal levels of sentience to the rest of their race. Throughout the episode, he helps them to read, to understand the universe, and eventually to seek asylum. Archer denies this plea and the Vissiaan dies by suicide.
Trip is then summoned to Archer's ready room where the captain proceeds to berate him for trying to help the cogenitor. This scene is so strange to watch as, despite the non-interference policy that Star Trek has held for years, it's ignored every second Tuesday. For Archer to directly blame Trip for Charles's death seems not only unfair but deeply cruel.
It is another case of a rushed ending that was meant to pack a punch but rather leaves the audience with an unpleasant taste in their mouths, something that feels like a disservice to an episode that could have otherwise been excellent.