4 Star Trek moments that didn’t make any sense

There’s little doubt that Star Trek is one of the most lauded and beloved sci-fi franchises of all time. From the 1966 series to multiple spinoffs and movies, there is something for everyone to enjoy. 

However, with so much content and multiple writers interpreting the characters, sometimes moments in a Star Trek series or movie simply don’t make any sense. From characters remembering moments that never happened on screen to reversing or erasing established events, here are 4 moments from the franchise that leave fans scratching their heads or taking to the internet to discuss them with fellow fans. 

T’Pol experiencing Pon Farr in Enterprise

In the Enterprise episode “Bounty” (S02E25), Vulcan science officer T’Pol experiences what seems to be an early incidence of Pon Farr, the Vulcan time of mating triggered by a strange microbe. This plotline is nothing new, as spores and microbes have been responsible for a lot of strangeness in the Star Trek universe, like in “The Naked Time” (S01E04) and “This Side of Paradise” (S01E24) in the original series. 

What makes this plot confusing is that established canon dictates that only Vulcan males experience Pon Farr. In the original series, Spock’s chosen mate, T’Pring, showed no signs of discomfort or illogic while Spock seemed to burn from the inside out. This sudden change is probably the result of 2002 writers vs 1967 writers, who had much more freedom when it came to featuring more adult content in Enterprise. 

Uhura not knowing how to speak Klingon in The Undiscovered Country

In the final movie that features the original cast, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Uhura, Chekov, and Scotty must speak to a Klingon security station without using the universal translator. Uhura pages through books and fumbles through a conversation to gain access to Klingon space, but as a communications expert who can speak many languages, why wouldn’t Klingon be among them? 

When the movie begins, the Neutral Zone is still in place, and there’s still plenty of tension between the Klingons and Starfleet. Considering all the run-ins Enterprise had with Klingons over the years, it doesn’t make much sense that Uhura, an expert in communications and languages, never studied Klingon. 

Mystery missiles multiplying in Voyager

The main plot of Star Trek: Voyager involves a starship crew trapped in the Delta quadrant and their efforts to learn about each other as they try to find a way home. The show canon revealed that Voyager had a limited supply of certain items, including photon torpedoes. 

However, over the show’s 7-year run, the ship’s inventory seemed to fluctuate over time, depending on the crew’s needs. The supply ranged from 38 in season 1 to well over 100 after season 4. Perhaps Tuvok built a torpedo cloning machine? We may never know!

Khan recognizes Chekov in The Wrath of Khan

This is the plot hole that keeps Star Trek fans up at night—if you want to start an argument to watch the internet world burn, stroll into a Star Trek discord and bring the topic up!

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Captain Terrell and Chekov both discover that Khan and his people have survived on Ceti Alpha V in awful conditions. When Khan reveals himself, Chekov knows who he is immediately, and Khan knows him too, saying, “I never forget a face.” 

Except these two men never met—at least not on screen! Pavel Chekov didn’t even appear as part of the crew until season 2, and the episode that introduced Khan, “Space Seed” (S01E22) aired well before that. Fans have theories about possible deleted scenes, as the novel based on the screenplay does mention a brief meeting when Chekov was part of the crew that loaded supplies for Khan and his people. 

Most fans are used to Star Trek’s more unusual moments, and they tend to forgive most of them.