The Best Underrated Star Trek Episodes

I share some of my favorite underrated Star Trek episodes!

✔ SUPPORT ✔

✔ OTHER PLATFORMS ✔

✔ SOCIAL MEDIA ✔

✔ SHOP ✔

✔ OTHER PROJECTS ✔

✔ CONTACT ✔
▶Mail: Jessie Earl
PO BOX 85787
Seattle, WA 98145

[intrinsical]

According to the DS9 writers, Explorers was around when they finally figured out who Sisko was. He was a builder. Not just physically building things, but the reason why Sisko is at Bajor is to build a foundation for a better future for the Bajoran people. It is also why the writers decided Sisko was the one who built the Defiant when he was at Utopia Planatia shipyards.

[ZoeMalDoran]

Seven: "When you were freed from the Collective, do you believe you recovered your humanity?"
Picard: "Yes"
Seven: "All of it?"
Picard: "No"

[davidpumpkinsjr.]

When people talk about Dr. Crusher (who had too few focused stories), they often mention her best episode, "Remember Me", or her worst episode, "Sub Rosa", but too many forget about "Suspicions", a clever murder mystery that is not only focused on Crusher, but a diverse group of guest characters.

[bigneon_glitter]

*"Sanctuary"* - underrated _DS9_ S2 gem that's rarely talked about: Desperate wormhole refugees seek a new home on Bajor but are rejected because of their odd appearance & cultures. Kira agrees with the Bajorans' NIMBY decision but soon discovers that, with a little power, she's no different from the Cardassians & their bigotry. The refugees' response is chilling:

_"I think you've made a terrible mistake, all of you. Maybe we could have helped you. Maybe we could have helped each other. The Skrreeans are farmers, Kira. You have a famine on your planet. Perhaps we could've made that peninsula bloom again. We'll never know, will we? Fifty years of Cardassian rule have made you all frightened and suspicious. I feel sorry for you.; You were right: Bajor is not Kentanna."_

Also underrated, *"Resolutions"* - _Voyager_ S2: Janeway & Chakotay are stranded on a planet under quarantine. A likely permanent isolation, they abandon their Starfleet roles & in their new domestic reality, an attraction grows. Rather than play "will they/won't they" games, Janeway & Chakotay sit down like adults & discuss their attraction, exploring the question of their relationship together in a frank, honest, & refreshingly mature discussion - a smartly written ep that elevates _Voyager._

[AndrewDRed]

Voyager's second season was my favourite season, overall.
I'm the one guy who really liked the Kazon.

[mkang]

I don't know if it truly counts as "underrated", but the ST:Enterprise episode, "The Andorian Incident" is a favorite of mine.

It really helps establish how this is definitely not the "kumbaya" phase of the UFP. It shows more than tells how adversarial the Andorians and Vulcans are toward each other. It also subverts expectations of Vulcans because they are 100% lying about it just being a monastery.

Add into all of that Jeffrey Combs as Shran, a role he really embraced.

[Wilmm.]

These are all solid picks, I especially love the mention of Explorers which I always found to be a really comforting episode to watch. If I had to pick a personal favorite underrated episode I’d have to say Civil Defense from DS9. It doesn’t stand out for its plot, it’s a typical something is wrong with the station and we all have to work together to fix it so we don’t die type of plot. But I always found it to be a really good showcasing of DS9’s cast and a few guest characters since both Garak and Dukat make appearances in it. You get a good feel for all of the characters and a good show of several of the relationships between various characters. I love the scenes of Odo and Quark trapped in the security office, and there banter at the end of the episode always makes me smile. It’s one of my 3 go to episodes when trying to introduce someone to Star Trek cause it’s a fairly standard episode but does a great job of showing off its ensemble cast which has always been one of my favorite things about Star Trek. It’s not spectacular by any means but it’s a fun solid episode and a nice one to pop on now and again to hang out with my favorite space crew.

[moonflowergal]

Funny thing about "The Swarm": I don't even remember the A-plot. I remember *a lot* of details about the B-plot. All these years I had assumed that the Doc's issues were the main focus of the episode. Memory can be such a funny thing. Certainly a memorable episode (the Doc's bits, that is)... as was "The Thaw".

[mattgelfer]

I’m so glad you hilighted “Explorers”! That’s always been one of my personal favorites, I love the whole idea of a small sailing vessel but in space.

[sidekicknick]

Another underrated Voyager episode in my opinion is "Distant Origin." Like "The Thaw, " it also has a ridiculous concept that shouldn't work as well as it does: dinosaurs evolved into humanoids, had a civilization that achieved space travel, and now they're living in the delta quadrant.

[Keleigh]

Explorers is one of my favorite standalone stories from Deep Space 9. I've always wondered if it was inspired by the works of Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer who made arduous journeys with primitive means to prove that ancient peoples weren't as bound by geography as we long thought.

[TheMadMaple]

"Enterprise Mine". Yes, it's basically Die Hard on the Starship Enterprise. But it's fun as hell, and unironically one of my all-time favourite episodes.

[michaelevans]

Yeah, I hate "Stardust City Rag" and found Seven's arc in the story pretty generic, but I'm glad somebody enjoys it. But on to more pleasant things ...

I don't know enough about the politics of the Star Trek fandom to be aware of what constitutes an underrated or overrated episode, but when people try to refute the conventional wisdom of the Ferengi episodes of Deep Space Nine being pointless, unfunny or "not Star Trek", I'm surprised "House of Quark" doesn't get brought up more.

The show gets a lot of humor out of the culture clash between Quark and the Klingons (The scene where Quark is trying to explain finance manipulation to the Klingon council never fails to make me laugh), Armin Shimerman and Mary Kay Adams have a lot of chemistry, and it is a great exploration of both cultures.

[joeblaster]

That first episode you talked about always makes me think of the song Self Control.

[NethDugan]

I've listened to your B5 podcast, you can't fool me into thinking you're the queen of transitions. Though this was a good one, Vera would be proud.

[jtzor]

I love Projections from Voyager, the whole trip of existentialism made me feel for The Doctor. It's probably overshadowed by Frame Of Mind but this episode was great from a philosophical standpoint.

[rib-cage]

My favorite tos episode of all time was "The Empath" from season 3. Amazing look at the trio's relationship with each other under very dire circumstances and it scratches my hurt/comfort itch like no other. That said, I don't hear it discussed much, and I suspect it has to do with it being in season 3, which was regarded as tos' weakest season.

[samvimes]

No line in the history of star trek ever been colder rhan janeway's"I know" lives rent free in my head

[balldalt]

The Thaw is one of my favorite Voyager episodes. And you're absolutely correct, it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. It reminds me a lot of TOS.

[rudyness]

One episode I loved that doesn't seem to get much love is "Frame of Mind" from TNG season 6. I genuinely this this should be a must for anyone's TNG's best episodes.