Star Trek: 8 most disliked Captain Kirk moments of all time, ranked

8. The Fight Scene in "Arena"

Imagine Captain James T. Kirk, the dashing hero of the starship Enterprise, locked in a duel to the death on a desolate alien world. Sounds epic, right? Eh.

Enter the infamous fight scene from "Arena," an episode that turns this thrilling premise into a spectacle that's more slapstick than Starfleet. In one corner, we have Kirk, and in the other, a slow-moving, rubber-suited Gorn captain who moves with the speed and agility of a sleepy tortoise. The battle that ensues is... well, let's just say it wouldn't win any awards for choreography unless those awards were for comedy. My seven-year-old twins can recreate it perfectly, actually.

What makes this scene one of the most talked-about (and snickered-at) moments in Star Trek history isn't just the dodgy punches that seem to defy the laws of physics and good sense. It's the earnestness with which it's executed. There's Kirk, rolling around on the ground, throwing rocks, and fashioning rudimentary weapons, all while the Gorn hisses menacingly (and very, very slowly). It's like watching a high-stakes wrestling match with the gravity turned down. Despite its flaws, or perhaps because of them, this scene has carved out a special place in the hearts of Star Trek fans.

It's a reminder that even in the final frontier, not everything goes according to plan. And hey, if nothing else, it teaches us that in space, no one can hear you chuckle at the fight choreography.