In almost 60 years ofStar Trek, one episode ofStar Trek: Voyagerscared me more than any other.Star Trek: Voyagerseems like the least likely ofall theStar Trekshowsto harbor the franchise’s scariest episode, and yet,the premise ofStar Trek: Voyageris inherently frightening when examined closely.The USS Voyager gets flung 70,000 light years into the bleak expanse of the unknown on its maiden voyaget. In the Delta Quadrant, resources are low, Federation allies are nowhere in sight, and (barring a few exceptions) the only remotely familiar alien species is the Borg.
InStar Trek: Voyagerseason 4, episode 25, “One”, a lengthy trip through a radioactive nebula requires most of the USS Voyager crew to spend months in stasis. Only the holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) and ex-BorgSeven of Nine (Jeri Ryan)are exempt, and keep the starship running. Everything seems to run smoothly as Seven monitors the crew and makes routine repairs, but visiting trader Lo-Tarik (Wade Williams) quickly becomes a threat. When scans reveal Lo-Tarik isn’t real, and the Doctor’s program fizzles out,Seven must confront the maddening isolation of being truly alone.
Star Trek: Voyager’s “One” Is The Franchise’s Most Frightening Episode
“One” Is A Star Trek Thriller That Got Inside My Head
As my pick forStar Trek’s most frightening episode,Star Trek: Voyagerseason 4, episode 25, “One”, neatly captures the feeling of horrific isolation and helplessness thatVoyager’s premise initially promised. When things go awry,Seven of Nine’s belief that she’s stronger than her fear of isolation is challenged and proven wrong.The metaphorical walls close in, and the sense of dread amplifies. Lo-Tarik, poses the double threat of being sexually creepy and violently prejudiced against Borg. After losing the Doctor, Seven starts hallucinating the crew dying gruesomely, the Borg returning, and everything being her own fault.
Star Trek: Voyager’s 15 Creepiest Episodes, Ranked Worst To Best
Despite many uplifting installments, Star Trek: Voyager had some of the creepiest episodes of the franchise, introducing masterfully eerie concepts.
Seven of Nine’s fears of loss are thrown into stark relief against her isolation, calling to mind all the fear and uncertainty that I felt during the pandemic. After losing one Collective, Seven intentionally separates herself from theUSS Voyager’s crew, only to experience increasing helplessness and panic. Seven’s fear of losing her new collective feels very real;“One” is a story about how isolation and loneliness can manifest and amplify our worst fears, especially fear of the unknown. There are few things scarier to me than my fears seeming true, as the case is for Seven of Nine in “One”.
Why Star Trek’s Darker Episodes Typically Work So Well
Star Trek’s Optimism Works Best With The Contrast Of Darker Stories
Star Trek’s darker episodes typically work so well because they provide a striking contrast toGene Roddenberry’s visionof optimism thatStar Trekis celebrated for. There has to be tension and resolution in dynamic, thoughtful storytelling, andStar Trekachieves success by developing a whole range of tones.Star Trek: Discovery, for example, pulls its whole series arc out of Captain Gabriel Lorca’s (Jason Isaacs) oppressive shadows and into Captain Michael Burnham’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) steadfast hope.Star Trek: Deep Space Nineis unquestionably dark, yet its shining moments stand out as some ofStar Trek’s brightest.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 7, episode 4, “Take Me Out to the Holosuite”, and episode 15, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang”, are willing to put comedy right in the thick of the Dominion War’s denouement. They’re more effective and memorable for taking that chance.
UnlikeStar Trekhorror episodesthat are more universal,Star Trek: Voyager’s “One” successfully portrays relatively realistic fears of isolation, panic, and the unknown.The feeling of losing control hits home far more than any Borg or Gorn attacks in more objectively scaryStar Trekepisodes. My own thoughts whispered like Lo-Tarik that I may not be strong enough to get through my own metaphorical radioactive nebula. I’ve desperately scrambled to manage what feels like increasingly impossible tasks. In the end,Star Trek: Voyagerremains reliably comfortable, and suggests maybe, like Seven, I can trust those around me to help.
