The Worst of Star Trek: The Streaming Era

The Worst of Star Trek

The Streaming Era

Discovery: second half of season 1 – mirror universe arc

Full disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of the Mirror Universe.  It's not a bad concept, and it is fun to bring up and explore once in a while.  That said, it REALLY didn't need to be brought into Discovery for several reasons.  It's anachronistic that anyone from Starfleet/the Federation would know about the Mirror Universe, since the first documented contact was in TOS a decade hence.  Also the way Discovery depicted it, the super dark, cruel, totalitarian Terran Empire where Emperor Georgiou 'space Hitler' eats sentient beings (Kelpians) and everyone tries to assassinate everyone else doesn't really fit with the charm of previous Trek series depictions of the Mirror Universe.  Even if Discovery was going to bring in the Mirror Universe at some point, one episode would have been enough, we really didn't need a half season long arc.  Bringing it in half a season into the series smacks of desperation.

Picard: Stardust City Rag

By far the worst episode of Star Trek Picard.  Seven of Nine from Voyager drinking heavily, shooting people, killing out of revenge?  Really?  Picard's "vile Frenchman" schtick on the planet is just beyond cringeworthy.  Also the opening of the episode flashing back over a decade to Icheb (not played by the same actor from Voyager) being captured and tortured and having his Borg components ripped out of his skull.  And Seven mercy killing him.  Star Trek with blood gore and a TV-14 rating.  No.  Just: no.

Short Trek: The Trouble with Edward

Not only does this Short Trek have the worst storyline gimmick possible (apparently the creators of modern Trek are obsessed with Tribbles), but the entire episode is just bad.  Edward is an unlikeable annoying character (Barclay with none of the charm and willingness to improve), the newly promoted captain Lucero is an unprofessional incompetent who treats Edward like shit and ends up losing her ship to the Tribble infestation.  Then at the court-martial she blames Edward.  Also the ending bit, the "Tribble cereal ad": WTF?  This short is an absolutely forgettable skippable dumpster fire.  Also, since the episode starts out with Captain Pike promoting Lucero and giving her her own ship, her actions and the outcome reflect badly on Pike.  Yikes!!

Strange New Worlds: Four-and-a-Half Vulcans

A tentative entry here (since the series is still running).  The "Vulcanizing" drug turns Pike, La'an, Uhura and Chapel into cringeworthy, smug, obnoxious, unbearable Vulcan caricatures.  Add to that Una's ex, an eccentric Vulcan named Doug. Una's nervous, loopy behavior around Doug is totally out of character.  It's something you would expect in a goofy sitcom, not Star Trek.  The idea that genetically turning the human characters into Vulcans also changes their hairstyles and makes them into super-logical, emotionless assholes totally doesn't work.  It's almost like the writers don't really understand Vulcans.  The post credit scene with Spock teaching Doug how to properly use contractions and do a high-five is the cherry on the top of this shit sundae.