Star Trek‘s series of animated films, Star Trek: very Short Treks, were a mixed bag of comedic highs and lows. Created by Casper Kelly (Adult Swim), very Short Treks celebrates the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series. The five very Short Treks episodes, which are decidedly not part of Star Trek canon, are animated in Filmation’s style from the 1970s, with some modern animation from Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy worked in. Star Trek fans’ reactions to very Short Treks ran the gamut from appreciation to disdain, but they also varied in accordance with each episode’s release.
Perhaps the biggest draw for Star Trek: very Short Treks is the all-star cast of current and legacy actors assembled to voice the various characters. Star Trek on Paramount+’s shows are represented by Ethan Peck as Mr. Spock, Doug Jones as Saru, Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, Noël Wells as D’Vana Tendi, Bonnie Gordon as various roles, and Bruce Horak, who reprises the late Lieutenant Hemmer from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Star Trek legacy actors who returned include George Takei as Mr. Sulu, Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, Armin Shimerman as Quark, Ethan Phillips as Neelix, and Connor Trinneer, who played Commander Trip Tucker for the first time since Star Trek: Enterprise ended in 2005. Here are the five episodes of Star Trek: very Short Treks ranked, worst to best:
5 Star Trek: very Short Treks Episode 3 – “Worst Contact”
The scatological “Worst Contact” is the low point of Star Trek: very Short Treks. The premise of the third comedic short involves Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Commander Will Riker, Dr. Beverly Crusher, and an unnamed crewman from the USS Enterprise-D attempting to make First Contact. “Worst Contact” rapidly devolves into gross-out humor by the aliens who resemble the Talosians from the first Star Trek pilot, “The Cage.” There’s not much to enjoy in “Worst Contact” besides hearing McFadden and Frakes play Dr. Crusher and Riker again (with Beverly calling Commander Riker “Bill”).
You can watch “Worst Contact” here:
4 Star Trek: very Short Treks Episode 1 – “Skin A Cat”
“Skin a Cat” is an inauspicious debut for Star Trek: very Short Treks. Set aboard the USS Enterprise of Star Trek: The Animated Series, the short has some clever jokes involving turns of phrase that the increasingly strange alien crew members of the Enterprise take offense to. While Ethan Peck plays Mr. Spock in lieu of the late Leonard Nimoy, Pete Holmes plays a confused, generic starship Captain who doesn’t seem to be James T. Kirk (thankfully). The oddball designs of some of the alien Enterprise crew are funny, but the overall experience of watching “Skin a Cat” leaves a lot to be desired.
You can watch “Skin a Cat” here:
3 Star Trek: very Short Treks Episode 2 – “Holiday Party”
The presence of a very much alive Lt. Hemmer, and Nyota Uhura wearing a Starfleet Cadet’s uniform, confirms Star Trek: very Short Treks episode 2 is set during Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1. A holiday party aboard the Starship Enterprise turns awkward fast when Lt. Spock unveils a “blooper reel” where the jokes are thousands of horrific deaths in a nod to the series premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, crew members being maimed by transporter malfunctions, and Spock getting dumped by his Vulcan fiancée, T’Pring (Gia Sandhu). The gallows humor of Spock not understanding what a “blooper” is does come off as funny, and “Holiday Party” is a step up from “Skin a Cat.”
You can watch “Holiday Party” here:
2 Star Trek: very Short Treks Episode 5 – “Walk, Don’t Run”
The final Star Trek: very Short Treks episode ends the series on a musical high note. Going full meta, “Walk, Don’t Run” is hosted by Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ Ensign D’Vana Tendi (prior to her season 4 promotion to Lieutenant, junior grade). Unfortunately, the upbeat Tendi runs afoul of Scotty (Carlos Alazraqui), who takes offense to some of the Orion’s verbiage. But their arguments, which include an amusing debate about Star Trek: The Animated Series’ rec room vs. Lower Decks’ holodeck, are diffused by the arrival of Commander Riker and Mr. Sulu, who kick off a wacky musical number. Of course, the song in “Walk, Don’t Run” can’t compete with the quality of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ musical numbers, but Noël Wells’ singing voice as Tendi shines in this homage to animated Star Trek combining the TAS and Lower Decks animation styles.
You can watch “Walk, Don’t Run” here:
1 Star Trek: very Short Treks Episode 4 – “Holograms All The Way Down”
At a breakneck two minutes, “Holograms All The Way Down” is half the length of the other Star Trek: very Short Trek episodes, but it crams in over a dozen Star Trek characters and manages to be genuinely funny. Written by Star Trek: Prodigy executive producer Aaron J. Waltke, “Holograms All The Way Down” kicks off by returning to the Enterprise NX-01 with sly wink at Commander Trip Tucker’s death in Star Trek: Enterprise‘s controversial series finale before it turns into a madcap holodeck adventure uniting characters from every Star Trek series, including Star Trek: Prodigy. “Holograms All The Way Down” even jokes about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s classic “In The Pale Moonlight” as the holodeck plot spins toward a truly bizarre sight gag. “Holograms All The Way Down” is easily the best Star Trek: very Short Treks episode, and it’s a loving ode to Star Trek overall.
You can watch “Holograms All The Way Down” here:
