The 10 Star Trek Movies & Episodes that Even Roddenberry Hated

Summary

Gene Roddenberry's strict rules on human behavior in Star Trek often hindered the creativity of writers, leading to conflicts and creative workarounds.

Many disliked elements in Star Trek, which Roddenberry objected to, eventually became highly cherished aspects of the franchise's continuing narrative. Despite his objections, conflicts between Roddenberry and writers, along with his efforts to maintain creative control, occasionally resulted in tension and disagreements. However, Star Trek managed to persist and grow successfully.

Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, held strong opinions on the movies and TV episodes produced in his lifetime. His strict demands often hindered the creativity of writers, leading to what Michael Piller referred to as "Roddenberry's Box" during the development of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Notably, Roddenberry prohibited interpersonal conflicts among the TNG crew, which posed challenges in creating dramatic tension.

However, writers were able to find innovative ways to circumvent Roddenberry's no conflict rule, exploring new directions for the franchise. Despite these creative solutions, they did not always meet Roddenberry's approval. He criticized several Star Trek movies and TV episodes, even declaring one entry as non-canon. While some of Roddenberry's criticisms proved valid, more often than not, the aspects he objected to became beloved elements of the ongoing Star Trek narrative.

10 Star Trek: The Animated Series (Except Yesteryear)

Gene Roddenberry initially doubted the value of producing Star Trek: The Animated Series, but eventually understood the advantages of generating audience interest while waiting for a live-action continuation. However, in 1988, after facing challenges to bring Star Trek: The Next Generation to the screen, Roddenberry declared that Star Trek: TAS was not considered canon. It appears that with Roddenberry losing some of his creative control over Star Trek, this decision may have been a means for him to assert his remaining power. Allegedly, only one episode survived Roddenberry's removal of TAS from the canon - "Yesteryear" - which was a Spock origin tale written by D.C. Fontana and the only episode that Roddenberry deemed comparable in quality to the live-action series.

9 Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Hide and Q"

The episode "Hide and Q" of Star Trek: The Next Generation granted Q powers to Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and sparked a conflict between Gene Roddenberry and Maurice Hurley behind the scenes. Originally, Hurley had rewritten "Hide and Q", but Roddenberry expressed clear disapproval of much of the script, leading him to substantially rewrite it himself. Upon receiving the revised version, Hurley insisted on being credited under the pseudonym C.J. Holland, as it bore no resemblance to his original work. This ignited an ongoing battle between the two men, which escalated further when Hurley was promoted to co-executive producer during TNG season 2.

8 Star Trek: The Next Generation - "The Bonding"

There was a recurring clash of ideals between Ronald D. Moore and Gene Roddenberry throughout their involvement in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In Moore's initial script for "The Bonding", the holodeck was used by the child of a deceased Starfleet officer to resurrect their mother. Interestingly, Roddenberry disagreed with the central concept that a child in the 24th century would struggle to cope with the loss of a parent. As a result, "The Bonding" underwent revisions that incorporated an extraterrestrial species assuming the appearance of Jeremy's mother. The episode concluded with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) delivering a speech to the aliens, emphasizing the inevitability of death as a natural part of life.

7 Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Family"

Ronald D. Moore found himself in another confrontation with Gene Roddenberry when he wrote the script for an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation titled "Family". This episode delved into the aftermath of the intense events of "The Best of Both Worlds" and delved into Jean-Luc's background as well as the strained relationships within Picard's family. Moore recalled that during a meeting, Roddenberry criticized everything he disliked about the episode. The late creator of Star Trek doubted that two brothers in the 24th century could harbor such animosity towards one another and strongly opposed the lack of action and danger. Despite feeling discouraged, Moore was convinced by Michael Piller and Rick Berman to push forward with the script. Ultimately, "Family" became a highly significant episode of TNG, later serving as a source of inspiration for the overarching storyline in Star Trek: Picard decades later.

6 Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Redemption"

5 Star Trek: The Original Series - "The Trouble With Tribbles"

Star Trek: The Next Generation's season 4 finale, "Redemption", caused quite a stir among fans when it was revealed that Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the franchise, objected to the script written by Ronald D. Moore. This two-part episode, which delved into the Klingon Civil War and its repercussions on the Federation, received critical acclaim. However, it deviated from Roddenberry's idealistic vision of a utopian Star Trek universe by introducing a war storyline, even though it centered around the warrior race of the Klingons. Another point of contention for Roddenberry was the spotlight given to Lt. Worf, whom he always saw as a background character rather than a leading protagonist. Despite these disagreements, "Redemption" eventually made it to air and went on to become one of the most highly regarded season finales in Star Trek: The Next Generation's history.

One of the funniest episodes in the Star Trek series is "The Trouble with Tribbles". However, the lightheartedness of David Gerrold's script did not sit well with Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry was of the opinion that comedic episodes like "Tribbles" undermined his more serious vision for Star Trek: The Original Series. This caused clashes between Roddenberry and TOS producer Gene Coon during the second season. Interestingly, towards the end of his life, Gene Roddenberry selected "Tribbles" as one of his top ten favorite Star Trek episodes for TV Guide, indicating a possible change in his opinion over time.

4 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

On Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Gene Roddenberry's role was downgraded to "executive consultant" following the commercial failure of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Still bothered by how Paramount treated him, Roddenberry expressed hostility towards the subsequent films, starting with Wrath of Khan. Roddenberry, perhaps rightly, voiced concerns over the movie's explicit violence. Interestingly, he also objected to the militaristic portrayal of Starfleet depicted by executive producer Harve Bennett and screenwriter Nicholas Meyer. These objections by Roddenberry are peculiar considering that the Starfleet command structure closely resembled that of the US Navy. According to Susan Sackett, Roddenberry's former Executive Assistant, he deliberately leaked Spock's death to the press in an attempt to generate fan protests and sabotage the film's production.

3 Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

The collaboration between Gene Roddenberry and Harve Bennett did not improve when it came to the next Star Trek film. Upon receiving the script for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Roddenberry, increasingly frustrated and paranoid, viewed the destruction of the USS Enterprise as a symbol of his own redundancy rather than an exciting plot twist. Roddenberry firmly believed that the destruction of the Enterprise was a deliberate move to completely remove him from the Star Trek franchise. While it has never been officially confirmed, there has long been speculation that Roddenberry intentionally leaked information about the fate of the Enterprise during production. However, this was not the case, and the USS Enterprise-A eventually made its debut in the final moments of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

2 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Following the success of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Gene Roddenberry was brought back to contribute to Star Trek: The Next Generation. This strategic decision aimed to win over devoted fans who were dissatisfied with the absence of characters from the original Star Trek series. It is quite possible that Roddenberry included a cameo by DeForest Kelley, portraying an older Dr. McCoy, in TNG's pilot episode for this very purpose. Despite having greater control over a Star Trek project again, Roddenberry still disapproved of the films produced for the franchise.

Roddenberry strongly objected to Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, as it shared similar themes with his abandoned 1975 script, The God Thing. Viewing this as a personal affront, Roddenberry contemplated taking legal action against William Shatner, which was expressly prohibited by his contract. Unable to pursue legal avenues, Roddenberry insisted that The Final Frontier be considered non-canonical and therefore removed from the official Star Trek storyline.

1 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

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Two days before his death in 1991, Gene Roddenberry attended a screening of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. This version of the final Star Trek: TOS movie was still in progress, and Roddenberry had already provided his feedback on the script. During the screening, it was recalled that Roddenberry objected to Lt. Saavik's betrayal in Star Trek 6, even though the character was created by Nicholas Meyer rather than Roddenberry himself. Additionally, there were heated disagreements between Roddenberry, Meyer, and Leonard Nimoy regarding the portrayal of racism against the Klingons in the film. Nichelle Nichols refused to deliver lines that contained racist implications, while Roddenberry firmly believed that racism had no place in Star Trek's idealistic future.

Nicholas Meyer later expressed regret over the way his meeting with Roddenberry had ended, considering the creator's failing health. However, Roddenberry remained unapologetic and reportedly instructed his attorney Leonard Maizlish to begin legal proceedings against Nimoy and Meyer after viewing the unfinished assembly. The Undiscovered Country, like many other movies and TV episodes that Roddenberry deemed unfit for the Star Trek legacy, is regarded as an acclaimed farewell to the franchise's first era. It upholds Roddenberry's vision of a utopian future by showcasing Kirk and his crew risking everything to preserve it.