‘Star Trek’ Mistakes You Can’t Unsee

‘Star Trek‘, an esteemed science fiction franchise with a vast following, has been influential in the genre since its inception. Its television series and films have left lasting impressions for nearly half a century. Nevertheless, like any other notable franchise, ‘Star Trek’ is not without its errors – inconsistencies, special effects glitches, and illogical plot points that occasionally slip past the watchful eyes of viewers once noticed.

This rundown delves into fifteen inconsistencies within the ‘Star Trek’ universe that are particularly noticeable. These range from a character’s attire being off to gaps in the plot, and they have the power to disrupt your immersion in the storyline. Let’s examine the gaffes that even ardent Star Trek fans can’t help but spot.

Missing New Zealand in ‘Star Trek: First Contact’ (1996)

In ‘Star Trek: First Contact’, Captain Picard displays to Lily an Earth view from space, focusing on Australia. However, New Zealand is absent, only showing blue ocean instead, which is surprising since it’s a significant part of Earth’s geography. It seems the visual effects team might have used an inaccurate map image, leading to a noticeable oversight for those well-versed with the region.

In the movie ‘Star Trek’ which is set in 2063, the omission of New Zealand can’t be attributed to real-world events like climate change. This is because New Zealand has been mentioned in other parts of the Star Trek universe, indicating that it still exists in the show’s future timeline. Once you notice its absence in a particular scene, it becomes quite conspicuous.

Spock’s Height Change in ‘Star Trek’ (2009)

In the 2009 ‘Star Trek’ film, a younger Spock encounters school bullies. From behind, he towers over his peers, but when viewed head-on, he seems shorter and positioned lower, enhancing the bullies’ imposing presence. This discrepancy in height is evidently a continuity issue.

It seems the movie creators may have intentionally altered Spock’s position for added drama, but the change is noticeable and quite disconcerting. This isn’t a trick with camera angles-it’s a conscious decision that contradicts the previous framing. Once you spot this difference in height, it disrupts the believability of the scene.

Kirk’s Tunic Swap in ‘Star Trek’ (1966)

In the classic ‘Star Trek’ series, Captain Kirk encounters an unexpected fashion change during the episode titled ‘Charlie X’. He steps into a turbolift dressed in one type of uniform, but upon reaching the bridge, he finds himself wearing an entirely different outfit. This swift transformation occurs without any clear reason provided.

It’s quite possible that this discrepancy in the costumes, which is a continuity error, occurred due to inconsistent costume choices during filming. The show was on a tight budget and had a fast production schedule, which often resulted in such oversights. Noticing Captain Kirk’s sudden change of clothes can disrupt the smooth narrative progression.

Evil Kirk’s Scratch Flip in ‘Star Trek’ (1966)

In the Star Trek episode ‘The Enemy Within’ (1966), a transporter malfunction causes Captain Kirk to divide into two – a virtuous and an evil version. The villainous Kirk sports scars on his left cheek for the entire episode, but oddly enough, during a scene on the bridge, these marks mysteriously shift to his right cheek.

In the editing process, it appears a shot was unintentionally reversed, creating a minor yet conspicuous blunder that affects the episode’s flow. Once spotted, the reversed scratches become quite distracting and make it challenging to concentrate on other aspects of the scene.

Chekov’s Accent Issue in ‘Star Trek’ (2009)

In Star Trek (2009), I found myself in a spot when my authorization code was denied by the Enterprise’s computer because of my distinctly Russian accent. Specifically, I tend to pronounce ‘V’ as ‘W’, which seemed to be the culprit here. Yet, I cleverly used the NATO phonetic alphabet, with its universal naming system (such as ‘Nine, Five, Victor, Victor, Two’), precisely to sidestep such pronunciation predicaments like this one.

This incorrect detail weakens the sequence’s rationality. Using the NATO phonetic alphabet for clear communication across accents, it is illogical that the computer would reject the input. Upon realizing this, the error seems more like a convenient plot oversight.

Planet Rotation in ‘Star Trek’ (1966)

In several episodes of ‘Star Trek’ (1966), the planets orbiting the Enterprise appear to rotate, which is contrary to scientific fact. On Earth, it takes 24 hours for our planet to complete a full rotation and this motion isn’t perceptible from space in real-time. If a planet were spinning rapidly enough for us to see it rotating, its days would only last minutes, rendering life on such a planet extremely challenging.

In the TV series, it appears that the makers incorporated these rotating planets primarily for dramatic effect, yet they contradict fundamental astronomy. Astronomy enthusiats among the audience can’t help but wince at such scenes, as they clearly demonstrate a preference for fiction over scientific accuracy.

Missing Crew in ‘Star Trek’ (1966)

In the ‘Star Trek’ series from 1966, it is stated that there are around 430 crew members aboard the Enterprise. However, episodes typically depict fewer than 25 individuals on screen at any given time, which creates an unusual sense of sparseness, particularly during scenes intended to portray a lively starship environment.

Due to budget restrictions, we could only employ a limited number of extras, leading to this inconsistency. This smaller-than-expected crew contradicts the declared size of the Starship Enterprise. When you observe the scarcity of set details, the scale of the ship appears to be incorrectly portrayed.

Unauthorized Shuttle Launches in ‘Star Trek’ (1966)

In the ‘Star Trek’ series, including ‘The Next Generation’, it’s frequently shown that shuttles can be launched without explicit permission. The shuttle bays often appear unguarded, enabling individuals to seize control of a shuttle and depart at will. This overlooked security issue is consistently brought up but never resolved in the storyline.

It’s evident that the repeated exploitation of lax security in the shuttle bay on Starfleet’s starships, which one would expect to be well-guarded given their importance, creates a noticeable plot inconsistency. This pattern of events weakens the perceived reliability and professionalism of the Enterprise.

Alice Android Shoes in ‘Star Trek’ (1966)

In the ‘I, Mudd’ episode of Star Trek (1966), Kirk is accompanied by two androids modeled after Alice as he enters Mudd’s throne room. The androids are dressed in metallic, backless, high-heeled shoes, reminiscent of kitten heels. However, a costume inconsistency occurs when, in the following shot, one of the androids is seen wearing cream-colored ankle-strap shoes instead.

In this scenario, it appears that the inconsistency in clothing, particularly the shoes, might be due to a hurried filming process or an unnoticed mistake by the costume team. The shift in footwear is slight yet noticeable and somewhat disruptive once spotted. It tends to disrupt the immersive futuristic atmosphere of the scene.

Equipment Shadow in ‘Star Trek’ (1966)

In the ‘Star Trek’ episode titled ‘The Cage’ (1966), Captain Pike stands to take a drink offered by the doctor. As he does so, a piece of equipment casts a shadow on the left side of the screen, indicating that someone or something from the crew was present during filming.

In the original series, due to limited resources during filming, errors occasionally occurred. A noticeable example is when a shadow disrupts the impression of being in space aboard a starship. Once noticed, it becomes an unwanted reminder of the show’s budget constraints and production challenges.

Pike’s Head Position in ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ (2013)

In the film ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’, following Khan’s attack during a meeting, Captain Pike perishes. During a mind meld performed by Spock afterward, an interesting detail is observed: Initially, the cushion’s stitching under Captain Pike’s head is positioned above his ears. However, in the subsequent shot, when Kirk checks Pike’s pulse, the stitching has moved below his ears, and there appears to be a change in Pike’s head position.

In this scenario, the continuity issue arises due to incongruent arrangements of props or editing discrepancies. For instance, a moving pillow and altered head posture may seem minor, yet they stand out. Upon noticing, these inconsistencies can undermine the emotional impact intended for the particular scene.

Ferengi Marauder in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1989)

In the ‘Peak Performance’ installment of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’, I found myself questioning the preparedness of the crew when a cunning Ferengi marauder disrupted a war-game scenario. Caught off guard, our beloved Enterprise was left defenseless as her phasers stubbornly remained locked within the confines of the simulation. It’s only natural to wonder if there isn’t a quick-switch protocol in Starfleet’s arsenal for such emergencies, allowing them to swiftly switch from make-believe to real combat in an instant.

In a more conversational style, here’s how you could rephrase that sentence: It’s as if the writers overlooked something important when they depicted the Enterprise being caught off guard by potential dangers. This inconsistency seems deliberately introduced to intensify the drama, and once you pick up on it, the scene’s suspense can feel forced.

Enterprise Warp Speed in ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)

In ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’, the Enterprise reaches an astonishing speed of Warp 14.1, surpassing the known limits of its warp capabilities, as the fastest speed in Star Trek is typically capped at Warp 10, which theoretically offers infinite velocity. This speed beyond the usual bounds sets a precedent that seems to challenge the established rules within the Star Trek franchise.

In my experience, I believe some of these errors might stem from writers perhaps overlooking the well-established warp scale in their pursuit of dramatic impact. For devoted ‘Star Trek’ enthusiasts like myself, it’s a noticeable discrepancy that becomes evident once you’re familiar with the established warp limits. This inconsistency tends to catch my eye.

Spock’s Secret Brother in ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’ (1989)

In ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’, we’re introduced to a character named Sybok, who turns out to be Spock’s unmentioned brother. This unexpected introduction, or retcon, seems somewhat forced because Spock’s family background had already been delved into in previous series and films, yet there were no hints about the existence of Sybok before now. His sudden appearance leaves us wondering why he wasn’t mentioned earlier.

In simpler terms, the creators might have included Sybok to introduce a new narrative aspect, however, it causes inconsistency in the storyline. This unexpected inclusion in Spock’s past history is quite noticeable and unsettling for fans, giving off an impression of a low-budget plot twist.

Khan Knowing Chekov in ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)

In ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’, Khan seems to know Chekov, suggesting they had interacted previously. Yet, Chekov wasn’t featured in the initial ‘Space Seed’ episode from the original series where Khan was first presented. This discrepancy results in a conflict within the show’s timeline.

In the earlier episode, it seems that the authors may have failed to account for Chekov not being present. Savvy fans of the original show pick up on this discrepancy right away. This inconsistency in the plot potentially disrupts the story’s internal coherence and flow.

2025-08-08 21:21