57 Years Ago, 'Star Trek' Had an Episode That Was So Bad, It Even "Embarrassed" the Cast of the Sci-Fi Series

There is no Star Trek franchise without Star Trek: The Original Series. Yes, it’s a simplistic statement, but without the series' uniqueness and its challenge of conventional social norms, it would have been a sci-fi series like any other, one of many to die without a trace. Be it a condemnation of racial hatred, a pro-stance on interracial relationships, or a host of other controversial and taboo topics, almost every episode has something to say. But in one case, what it had to say wasn't insightful, controversial, or thought-provoking in the least: it was just lousy. That disappointing black mark on the series belongs to the premiere episode of Season 3, “Spock’s Brain.”