Perhaps the greatest tragedy of watchingStar Trekis that every show must come to an end. Most recently,Star Trek: Lower Decks’ finale aired on June 20, 2025, with the USS Cerritos opening a stable portal to the multiverse.Star Trek: Deep Space Ninehad a finale that simultaneously managed to wrap up the seasons-long story of the Dominion War while revealing new beginnings for most of its core cast. And, of course,Star Trek: The Next Generation’s finale, “All Good Things…” did a legendarily good job of concluding one ofStar Trek’smost beloved series.
Of course, what all these immensely satisfying finales have in common is the fact that they were planned. Initially,Star Trek: Enterprisewas planned to be a seven-season show, likeDS9, TNG,orStar Trek: Voyager, but ratings dropped so low that UPN (United Paramount Network)canceledEnterprisein season 4. Similarly,Star Trek: The Original Serieswas canceled after its third season. Taken together,Enterprise’s “These Are the Voyages…” andThe Original Series’ “Turnabout Intruder,” stand out as the worst finales inStar Trekhistory.
The Acting Is Great But The Themes Are Totally Wrong For The End Of TOS
WhenStar Trek: The Original Seriescame to an end, “Turnabout Intruder” was not intended to be a grand finale forStar Trek. Indeed, series finales weren’t common at the time, so the episode would not have read as out of the ordinary for contemporary viewers. Now, however, in the context of 60 years ofStar Trekshows and movies, it is a distinctly jarring end for a beloved show. Beloved characters likeNichelle Nichols' Lieutenant Nyota Uhura did not appear in “Turnabout Intruder,“and the episode’s conflict does not particularly tie into the overarching narrative ofTOS.
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Simply put, “Turnabout Intruder” is just another episode ofStar Trek: The Original Series.And as just another episode, “Turnabout Intruder” has some strong points worth recalling.William Shatner, in particular, gives an excellent performanceas both Captain James T. Kirk in a few scenes, and, for most of the episode, Dr. Janice Lester possessing the body of Captain Kirk. Similarly, Sandra Smith gives a great performance as both Dr. Lester and Captain Kirk trapped in Dr. Lester’s body. These unusual performances are clear highlights for “Turnabout Intruder,” but they do not on their own make the episode stand out.
“Turnabout Intruder” undermines the connections between the crew of the USS Enterprise and the utopian vision ofStar Trek’s future.
Unfortunately, “Turnabout Intruder” has real flaws. It’s shocking how much effort it takes to convince characters fromThe Original Serieslike Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Lt. Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (James Doohan) Captain Kirk and Dr. Lester have undergoneStar Trek’s first body swap. And lines from Dr. Lester like“Your world of Starship captains doesn’t admit women”feel distinctly at odds with the leadership roles women hold inStar Trek. “Turnabout Intruder” undermines the connections between the crew of the USS Enterprise and the utopian vision ofStar Trek’s future, and that it’s the series finale makes it sting all the more.
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While It Might Work In Theory, In Practice “These Are The Voyages…” Is A Total Dissapointment
In contrast, “These Are the Voyages…” was planned and executed as a finale forStar Trek: Enterprise. WhenEnterpriseended after four seasonsin 2005, it brought an end to an era ofStar Trekheaded by Rick Berman.Berman oversawStar Trekfor 18 years, beginning withStar Trek: The Next Generation, and continuing throughDeep Space Nine, Voyager,and, of course,Enterprise. So “These Are the Voyages…” was meant to be not only the finale to an individual show, but also a farewell to nearly two decades of incredibleStar Trektelevision.
“These Are the Voyages…” was meant to be not only the finale to an individual show, but also a farewell to nearly two decades of incredibleStar Trektelevision.
With this in mind, it is somewhat less surprising that “These Are the Voyages…” featured characters from Berman’s most popularStar Trekshow,The Next Generation. “These Are the Voyages…” tells the story of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew of the first USS Enterprise’s role in the foundation of the United Federation of Planets.In theory, this might have been a perfect farewell.EveryStar Trekshow before and since has been premised on the Federation’s existence, so to end an era with the founding of the Federation seems thematically ideal.
In practice, “These Are the Voyages” did not live up to this ideal. Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) was the protagonist of the episode, making it feel more like a lostTNGepisode than the finale ofENT. The entire episode took place on a holodeck on the Enterprise-D, meaning that none of thecharacters fromEnterpriseappeared as themselves in the finale. And, since the signing of the Federation charter occurred years after the penultimate episode,“These Are the Voyages…” was temporally disconnected from the rest of the show.The concept was there forEnterprise’s finale, but the execution flopped.
“These Are The Voyages…” Is Star Trek’s Worst Series Finale
“Turnabout Intruder” Is The Last Episode, But Not A Finale
Ultimately, “These Are the Voyages…” is the worstStar Trekfinale in thecompleteStar Trektimeline. Because “Turnabout Intruder” was written as just another episode ofThe Original Series,it seems almost unfair to even call it a finale.It makes more sense to say thatStar Trek: The Original Serieshas a last episode, but it does not have a finale.The adventure continues for Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise-A, but we as the audience don’t get to see it.
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By contrast,Enterprisedoes have a finale, and that finale does not work for the show. WhenStar Trekfinales are at their best, they conclude the story of the individual show, while making it clear that every character and crew member will continue exploring space. At the end ofLower Decks,Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell) is the new captain of the Cerritos, ready to take the ship on new adventures; at the end ofDS9,Worf (Michael Dorn) is the ambassador to the Klingon Empire and Colonel Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) is in command of Depp Space Nine.For all of them, the adventure continued.
“These Are the Voyages…” proves that, forStar Trek, no finale is better than a disappointing finale.
At the end ofEnterprise, it’s unclear what most characters' futures will be. The last we see of the crew of the very first Enterprise is them sitting in an auditorium applauding Captain Archer, and the last we hear of Captain Archer is his voice blending with Captain Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). This means that “These Are the Voyages…” endsEnterprisewithout satisfying resolutions for any of its core cast, but with a definitive end to the adventure. Ultimately, “These Are the Voyages…” proves that, forStar Trek, no finale is better than a disappointing finale.
Star Trek: The Original Series
Cast
Star Trek follows the U.S.S. Enterprise on its five-year mission to explore the galaxy, led by Captain James T. Kirk and First Officer Mr. Spock. The crew confronts a variety of challenges, including Klingons, Romulans, and genetic supermen, as they search for new life and civilizations.
