Of course, what all these immensely satisfying finales have in common is the fact that they were planned. Initially, Star Trek: Enterprise was planned to be a seven-season show, like DS9, TNG, or Star Trek: Voyager, but ratings dropped so low that UPN (United Paramount Network) canceled Enterprise in season 4. Similarly, Star Trek: The Original Series was canceled after its third season. Taken together, Enterprise's "These Are the Voyages..." and The Original Series’ "Turnabout Intruder," stand out as the worst finales in Star Trek history.
Star Trek: The Original Series’ Finale Wasn’t A True Series Finale & It Was A Bad Episode
The Acting Is Great But The Themes Are Totally Wrong For The End Of TOS
When Star Trek: The Original Series came to an end, "Turnabout Intruder" was not intended to be a grand finale for Star 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 of Star Trek shows and movies, it is a distinctly jarring end for a beloved show. Beloved characters like Nichelle Nichols' Lieutenant Nyota Uhura did not appear in "Turnabout Intruder," and the episode's conflict does not particularly tie into the overarching narrative of TOS.
Simply put, "Turnabout Intruder" is just another episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. And as just another episode, "Turnabout Intruder" has some strong points worth recalling. William Shatner, in particular, gives an excellent performance as 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 of Star Trek’s future.
Star Trek: Enterprise’s Finale Is Hated By Fans
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 for Star Trek: Enterprise. When Enterprise ended after four seasons in 2005, it brought an end to an era of Star Trek headed by Rick Berman. Berman oversaw Star Trek for 18 years, beginning with Star Trek: The Next Generation, and continuing through Deep 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 incredible Star Trek television.
"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 incredible Star Trek television.
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 lost TNG episode than the finale of ENT. The entire episode took place on a holodeck on the Enterprise-D, meaning that none of the characters from Enterprise appeared 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 for Enterprise'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 worst Star Trek finale in the complete Star Trek timeline. Because "Turnabout Intruder" was written as just another episode of The Original Series, it seems almost unfair to even call it a finale. It makes more sense to say that Star Trek: The Original Series has 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.
By contrast, Enterprise does have a finale, and that finale does not work for the show. When Star Trek finales 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 of Lower Decks, Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) is the new captain of the Cerritos, ready to take the ship on new adventures; at the end of DS9, 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, for Star Trek, no finale is better than a disappointing finale.
At the end of Enterprise, 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..." ends Enterprise without satisfying resolutions for any of its core cast, but with a definitive end to the adventure. Ultimately, "These Are the Voyages..." proves that, for Star Trek, no finale is better than a disappointing finale.
