5 Craziest Star Trek TOS Episodes I Still Can’t Believe Are Real

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More than any other Star Trek series, the original is truly bizarre and dreamlike. With its encounters with ancient aliens, stolen brains, and even god-like beings, it often feels like the crew of the Enterprise stumbled into a wildly imaginative – and slightly chaotic – science fiction story. While groundbreaking and clever, the show was also wonderfully unpredictable and off-the-wall.

Some episodes of *Star Trek: The Original Series* are so bizarre they’re almost unbelievable – it’s hard to imagine how they actually made it to television. These episodes range from delightfully bad to truly awful, and they feel like something you’d see in a dream. Here are five that stand out as particularly strange.

5) “Wolf in the Fold”

This episode of Season 2 begins with a strange scene – a minute-long close-up of an alien dancer – and ends with a truly bizarre twist: the ghost of Jack the Ripper taking over the Enterprise’s computer and calculating pi endlessly. The story kicks off with Scotty recovering from an injury; McCoy insists he needs to relax. However, things quickly turn serious when a woman is murdered on a pleasure planet, and Scotty is discovered standing nearby with the murder weapon. The investigation quickly becomes chaotic, with a rising death toll. Eventually, Spock figures out the killer isn’t just anyone – it’s a psychic being from the past who once possessed Jack the Ripper and has traveled through time.

Okay, so this episode, “Wolf in the Fold,” is just… bizarre. Seriously, from the opening scene with that strange alien to the whole case itself, it’s so over-the-top it almost feels like a joke. But the weirdest part for me is *why* they’re even dealing with this situation. Apparently, Scotty gets hurt – a head injury, no less – caused by a female crewmember, and McCoy’s solution? He thinks sending Scotty to a club with… entertainers will fix his issues with women! It’s incredibly strange. And then, those three women are murdered, and the crew just… carries on? It honestly makes so much sense why they eventually added a counselor to the Enterprise. Watching it now, I can see why people were so taken aback!

4) “The Way to Eden”

When discussing the strangest moments in Star Trek, the episode “The Way to Eden” always comes up. It’s a blast of 1960s counterculture, featuring a group of idealistic, flower-power characters who take over the Enterprise in search of the legendary planet Eden. They’re known for their outlandish, colorful clothing, folk music, and attempts to share their anti-government beliefs with a skeptical Captain Kirk. Meanwhile, Spock finds himself acting as their counselor, trying to understand their rebellious views despite finding them illogical.

What seems silly today – and likely did when it first aired in 1969 – needs to be understood within its historical context. The episode was attempting to make a point during the peak of the counterculture movement. These ‘space hippies’ aren’t shown as unintelligent; in fact, they include a doctor, a scientist, and a former Starfleet cadet. They’re bright people, but their extreme idealism is dangerous, and the show thoughtfully presents both the reasoning and the flaws in their beliefs. The episode’s ending, where the leader’s unwavering faith leads to disaster, transforms it into a warning about the dangers of blindly following charismatic leaders – a message that remains powerful even now.

3) “Miri”

Many fans consider the “Miri” episode to be disturbing and uncomfortable, and perhaps it shouldn’t have been made. The story involves the crew encountering a planet identical to Earth, where a disease has killed all adults, leaving only wild, seemingly immortal children. The episode focuses on the crew’s attempts to understand this strange society of “Onlies,” but the plot becomes awkward when a young girl named Miri develops a crush on Captain Kirk. While the writers intended Miri’s feelings to be innocent, modern audiences often find Kirk’s attempts to appease her by flirting deeply unsettling.

This episode is deeply uncomfortable to watch, and it’s hard to understand how it was ever produced. While the idea of a planet inhabited by people who never grow up could have fit within the usual *Star Trek* format, the strange romantic suggestions and behavior that feels inappropriate, especially by today’s expectations, make it really awkward. The scene where a character is hit on the head is admittedly a funny moment, and some fans try to justify Kirk’s actions by noting the character’s actual age was 300 years and he was just trying to gather information. Regardless of whether you find it acceptable, it’s remarkable that *The Original Series* broadcast this story on network television.

2) “Plato’s Stepchildren“

“Plato’s Stepchildren” is a particularly strange and unsettling episode of *Star Trek: The Original Series*. The Enterprise crew meets aliens who worship Plato and have the power to control people, leading to cruel and humiliating situations – like Captain Kirk being forced to act like an animal, and Uhura and Chapel subjected to their captors’ disturbing desires. The alien culture features several problematic elements that would be highly controversial now, including genetic manipulation, the enslavement of a person with dwarfism, and a shocking scene involving whipping. Surprisingly, the most talked-about aspect of the episode when it originally aired wasn’t any of this, but rather a kiss between a Black woman and a white man, which caused some local television stations to refuse to broadcast it.

Despite the issues some have with it, the episode is strangely effective. Shatner’s exaggerated acting perfectly conveys the shame inflicted by the Platonians. Many fans consider Alexander to be one of the best minor characters in the original *Star Trek*. While some parts might feel odd to today’s viewers, the episode thoughtfully examines themes of power, consent, and self-respect. The premise might seem a little far-fetched, and it’s a complex episode with both positive and negative aspects, but it forces viewers to consider a difficult idea – something that was central to Roddenberry’s ideas for *Star Trek*.

1) “Spock’s Brain“

“Spock’s Brain” is often considered one of the most outlandish Star Trek episodes. It kicks off Season 3 with a bizarre premise: aliens steal Spock’s brain to power their central computer. Back on the Enterprise, Spock’s body is left without a brain, and Dr. McCoy desperately tries to learn an incredibly complex surgery using an alien device. Unfortunately, the machine isn’t meant for humans, and McCoy keeps forgetting crucial steps during the operation.

Considering how much TV writing has improved, it’s surprising the episode “Spock’s Brain” was actually broadcast. Though Leonard Nimoy famously called it a disaster, the episode is strangely lovable and has become a fan favorite. Initially disliked, the bizarre plot about stealing Spock’s brain is now celebrated as a classic example of “so bad it’s good.” Lines like “The ones who took Spock’s brain, doctor,” and “Brain and brain; what is brain?” remain iconic quotes from the entire Star Trek series. It’s still unclear how this episode was approved, but fans are definitely glad it was.

What classic *Star Trek: The Original Series* episode are we forgetting? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-10-14 18:19