Welcome back, fellow Trekkies, and thanks for joining us for the final installment of the most annoying characters from Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 3 brought us some real gems, including the USS Enterprise's own engineering section to fist-pumping brats who need a serious space spanking. So, let's begin and take a look at the most annoying characters that make viewers reach for the remote and hit the fast-forward button.
3. Larry Marvick ("Is There In Truth No Beauty?")
When Federation engineer Larry Marvick and Dr. Miranda Jones board the Enterprise, you'd soon swear he was stalking her. He's one of those men who can't take no for an answer, despite Dr. Jones having told him several times that she's not interested in him.
Marvick fawns over her wherever she goes. He is intensely jealous of Medusan Ambassador Kollos, who travels in a box and looks like a TV screen gone haywire when the rabbit ears aren't adjusted correctly. And Marvick, who is the attache to Kollos, desperately wants to convince Dr. Jones that he's the right man for her.
My favorite moment is when Marvick goes in for what he thinks is a kiss that will sweep Dr. Jones off her feet, and the music swells--only for her not to react at all. You can almost hear The Price Is Right "loser" musical sting when he pulls back to see the effect he has on her. Marvick's a futuristic example of a man who claims to be a nice guy but then tries to murder Kollos because of his jealousy.
2. All the kids ("And the Children Shall Lead")
Granted, this group of children is under the influence of who they call "the friendly angel," who is, in fact, a Gorgan. However, their presence aboard the Enterprise makes for plenty of cringe. The group looks like a discount Burger King Kids Club ad when they're standing together, and individually, they're just . . . well, creepy.
Each of the kids is more annoying than a polyester tag on a new shirt. Tommy Starnes gives lip to Kirk more than once, Mary seems to have unresolved anger issues, and the others use their fist pump powers to give Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov, and Lt. Uhura the screaming meemies.
Kirk's solution is to show the kids videos of happier times on Triacus with their parents and then insert savage cutaways of the adults' dead bodies strewn everywhere to remind them of what the Gorgan did. Imagine the therapy these kids needed afterward between those images and the sight of the Gorgan transforming into a pus monster before finally fading away.
1. Scotty ("The Lights of Zetar")
This was a tough choice because most of the time, the Enterprise wouldn't be the same without Scotty, whose engineering genius saves the ship several times throughout its five-year mission. In season 3, though, a bit of misogyny comes through.
In "The Lights of Zetar," Scotty falls for Mira Romaine, who begins to feel odd after the Enterprise encounters an unexplained storm, and after she comes around from an unexplained fainting spell, Scotty treats her like a five-year-old who thinks his "lass" had a nightmare. It's annoying to watch, especially when you understand that Mira is otherwise a capable woman when the Zetarians aren't trying to control her mind.
So, Trekkies, do you agree with our list of the most annoying Star Trek: The Original Series characters from season 3? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.