10 most disliked Star Trek episodes of all time, ranked

9. "Sub Rosa" - Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 7, episode 14)

"Sub Rosa," a.k.a. the episode where Beverly Crusher falls in love with a ghost, is often hailed as one of the franchise's most... unique adventures.

In this season 7 episode, we find Dr. Crusher on the planet Caldos attending her grandmother's funeral. Here, she inherits a house and, surprise - a ghostly lover! This otherworldly boyfriend, Ronin, loves his candlelit wooing and has a weird attachment to Beverly's family line. The episode boldly goes where no Star Trek episode had gone before, diving headfirst into a supernatural romance that feels more like a crossover between a Gothic novel and a sci-fi show.

The storyline twists further when it's revealed that Ronin is not just any ghost, but an anaphasic energy being (because Star Trek), who has been romancing the women in Beverly's family for centuries. Oh, an anaphasic being is a being made of this form of energy uncreatively called anaphasic energy that is very unstable and needs an organic host to keep their molecules together *pushes glasses up the bridge of nose*. Anyway, what a creep.

The episode attempts to combine science fiction with this weird romance plot but ends up stirring a pot of genre confusion that leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. Fans and critics often critique "Sub Rosa" for its melodramatic overtones and departure from the series' usual scientific and exploratory themes but it's remembered more for its eyebrow-raising plot and less for any significant contribution to the Trek universe. While this lovely episode might not be the shining jewel in the Star Trek crown, it certainly earns its place in the franchise for its sheer audacity to be different yet weird.