Star Trek's Worst Episode May Be Turnabout Intruder - But Is The Hate Deserved?
"Star Trek: The Original Series" may have pioneered one of the biggest sci-fi franchises in the entire world, but even most devotees will admit that it's not exactly a perfect show. Across its 80-episode run are some of the best "Star Trek" outings to date, but there are also a fair few fan-reviled duds in the mix. In fact, some members of the fanbase have asserted that the original show holds arguably the worst "Star Trek" episode ever: Season 3, Episode 24, titled "Turnabout Intruder."
While many other poor "Star Trek" episodes are largely forgettable affairs, "Turnabout Intruder" has reached a near-infamous status in the community. Over the years, multiple Reddit threads have been made by users specifically criticizing this installment from the original series. "What an awful episode, it has my vote for the worst 'Star Trek' ever produced," u/ProtectedSources opined.
With all the hate that "Turnabout Intruder" gets, those less familiar with the episode may wonder what it did to be so universally looked down upon and whether it's deserving of that legacy. Make no mistake, there are some clear and disquieting issues with the episode worth pointing out.
The episode has some problematic plot points
A brief overview of the plot for "Turnabout Intruder" is all that it will take to illuminate the episode's biggest problem. In the installment, a vengeful ex-girlfriend of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) named Dr. Janice Lester (Sandra Smith) forcibly switches bodies with her former boyfriend in order to fulfill her dream of being a Starfleet captain. However, her ruse is thwarted when the rest of the Enterprise crew notice Kirk acting extremely effeminate, emotional, and neurotic.
The episode's narrative predicates itself on very outdated stereotypes of women that characterize them as headstrong, manipulative, and melodramatic. Some fans have especially taken issue with Shatner's portrayal of the Lester-possessed Kirk, who behaves like a girlish caricature in his dialogue and mannerisms. The blame has also been pointed at "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, who wrote the episode himself. It's certainly not the only time that the series faced allegations of misogyny either, as Teri Garr allegedly once walked off set due to a sexist wardrobe demand.
Perhaps the gravest sin that "Turnabout Intruder" commits when it comes to its portrayal of women and women's issues is how it contributes to a problematic piece of franchise lore regarding Starfleet. The episode suggests that even in the far-flung future of the 23rd century, women are generally still viewed as inferior to men and ill-fit to command a Starfleet vessel. The story does little to challenge this idea too, with Lester's failure to perform as a captain after possessing Kirk seemingly confirming that, yes, she really can't do what he does. "I guess for me this one is the worst because the writers didn't seem to have the vision that women are equals in the future," u/comment_redacted explained.
A fitting finale it was not
While the greatest issue "Turnabout Intruder" faces is its ostensibly sexist narrative, there's another issue with the episode that has partially contributed to its dubious legacy. Believe it or not, "Turnabout Intruder" is actually the series finale of "Star Trek: The Original Series." That's right — one of the most iconic sci-fi shows of all time and the start of a decades-spanning saga ended off its original run with a controversial story about Kirk's ex-girlfriend. No pomp, no circumstance, no formal goodbye to the Enterprise and its beloved crew.
In fairness, news of the cancellation of "Star Trek: The Original Series" only came partway through the episode's production, so it makes sense why the show's crew didn't have a chance to craft a more fitting finale for the series. Nonetheless, that doesn't change the idea for fans that "Turnabout Intruder" fails as a series conclusion in just about every conceivable way.
Whether they attribute it to the fact that "Turnabout Intruder" wasn't intended to be a finale or the idea that it doesn't function as one outside of its technical placement in the series, many fans don't even consider the episode to be the true ending of the show. "['Star Trek: The Original Series'] did not have a series finale, it just ended," u/mastersyrron once put it.
The issues are serious, but it may not be the worst episode
It's tough to make a case for "Turnabout Intruder" being anything other than an exceptionally weak outing for "Star Trek: The Original Series." However, one might argue that it's not the worst episode the series — or the franchise in general — has ever produced, and some aggregators of fan reception would favor that idea.
As it stands on IMDb, "Turnabout Intruder" actually isn't the lowest-rated episode of "Star Trek: The Original Series." Instead, that dubious honor falls to Season 3, Episode 4, titled "And the Children Shall Lead," which has a strongly mixed score of 5.2 from user reviews. The episode sees the Enterprise crew cross paths with a group of young children seemingly oblivious to the fact that the adults in their community have died. While that mysterious premise may sound promising, fans have a general distaste for the direction of the episode. Other episodes, such as "Spock's Brain," have also been argued by some to be the show's worst outing.
All in all, whether "Turnabout Intruder" stands as the worst "Star Trek" episode of all time is ultimately a subjective matter that comes down to individual viewer preference. However, it certainly hasn't curried the "Star Trek" fanbase's favor in the way that many other installments of the sci-fi franchise have, and that isn't likely to change in the future.