Star Trek: 20 Worst Episodes Ever

6. Fair Haven (VOY)

CBS

"Everyone seems to love Fair Haven. I was thinking we might initiate an open door protocol on the Holodeck, keep the programme running twenty four hours a day. Let people come and go as they please."

The holodeck was a seriously overused plot device by the time of Star Trek: Voyager, and the most egregious use of the technology can probably be found in Fair Haven. Replaying storylines about the holodeck that were better the first time when they were on Star Trek: The Next Generation, it just feels tired and silly. Worse, the romance between Captain Janeway and the holographic Michael Sullivan is undercut by the fact that the two actors have absolutely zero chemistry together.

All of this might have been fine if the episode bothered to set up a fun or interesting atmosphere, but instead it opts for a series of stereotypical and ahistorical Irish cliches. The episode insists this is all good fun, but it's hard to imagine the scenario doing anything other than try one's patience. Well, at least we'll never have to spend anytime in the town of Fair Haven again...

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Michael is one of the founders of FACT TREK (www.facttrek.com), a project dedicated to untangling 50+ years of mythology about the original Star Trek and its place in TV history. He currently is the Director of Sales and Digital Commerce at Shout! Factory, where he has worked since 2014. From 2013-2018, he ran the popular Star Trek Fact Check blog (www.startrekfactcheck.blogspot.com).