4. “Schisms” – Star Trek: The Next Generation
“Schisms” is an episode most Star Trek fans would put at the top of their list. It’s also the only one that I don’t personally get. This episode made it as high as it did for two reasons. The first is that it’s a very good episode. I enjoyed it. I just don’t find it spooky. The second reason it makes it this high is because of how many other websites, videos, and fans have claimed it to be one of the spookiest episodes of Star Trek.
Fair, horror is subjective and if you’re looking for a Halloween marathon of Star Trek episodes to watch, “Schisms” may not be a bad option.
The basic gist of the episode is easy to surmise, Enterprise crew members are being space-napped by an alien to be experimented on. The episode mostly focuses on William Riker’s experience but the rest do contribute to the overall narrative.
Why I think this episode isn’t scary, is because it’s Star Trek. Alien abductions are three-fifths of the plots mentioned. Trying to make an everyday occurrence like this scary is just not possible in my opinion.
It’d be a better concept in a show like the X-Files where the ambiguity (for Scully) of the existence of aliens helps give it more weight.