Photography & Directing

Star Trek’s So-Bad-It’s-Good 46-Minute Episode Is Still the Perfect Gothic Horror Watch

Gates McFadden's Gothic horror Star Trek episode is still the perfect so-bad-it's-good hour of The Next Generation.

AAdmin
October 19, 2026
4 min read
Star Trek’s So-Bad-It’s-Good 46-Minute Episode Is Still the Perfect Gothic Horror Watch

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) at her grandmother's funeral in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Sub Rosa." Image via Paramount Domestic Television By Lloyd Farley Published Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 AM EDT Lloyd 'Happy Trails' Farley: the man, the myth, the legend. What can be said about this amazing - and humble - man that hasn't been said before? Or, more accurately, what can be said in public? Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Lloyd is a master of puns and a humorist, who has authored one pun book to date - Pun and Grimeish Mint - and is working on a second. His time with Collider has allowed Lloyd's passion for writing to explode, with nearly 1,000 articles to his name that have been published on the site, with his favorite articles being the ones that allow for his sense of humor to shine. Lloyd also holds fast to the belief that all of life's problems can be answered by The Simpsons , Star Wars , and/or The Lion King . You can read more about Lloyd on his website , or follow his Facebook page and join the Llama Llegion. Happy trails! Sign in to your Collider account Add Us Add on Google Preferred Source Google Discover Summary Generate a summary of this story Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap “So bad it’s good” is, in many ways, a genre unto itself. Film largely dominates, best exemplified by the likes of Plan 9 from Outer Space and Troll 2 , but there have been TV series like Riverdale or Baywatch , the latter of which is being rebooted on Fox in 2027 . Every once in a while, even the most well-respected series have an episode or two that fall into the category. Buffy the Vampire Slayer , for one, had Season 4's "Beer Bad," where an enchanted beer turns characters into cavemen. There's also a Season 7 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that any fan of "so bad it's good" fare needs to see .

In Season 7's " Sub Rosa ," the USS Enterprise orbits Caldos IV, where a Scottish-themed colony is established, in order for Dr. Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) to attend the funeral of her grandmother, Felisa ( Ellen Albertini Dow ). She returns to the Enterprise with several mementos from Felisa's home, including some diaries where she discovers her 100-year-old grandmother had relations with a 34-year-old man, Ronin ( Duncan Regehr ). Beverly returns to her grandmother's home, where she's confronted by the groundskeeper, Ned ( Shay Duffin ), who warns her never to light Felisa's candle, as doing so will awaken a ghost.

That ghost is Ronin, who takes form and tells Beverly that he loves her, as he has all the women in her family. Ronin continues to manipulate Beverly's mind , eventually coercing her into lighting the candle and abandoning her post on the Enterprise to stay on Caldos IV with him. Captain Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) reluctantly agrees to let her go, but shortly after visits Beverly at her home, wanting to get to know Ronin. Ronin, however, doesn't like the line of questions Picard is asking and attacks, leaving as she tends to her unconscious captain.

Meanwhile, an energy source that is wreaking havoc with the colony's weather modification is found by Data ( Brent Spiner ) and Geordi LaForge ( Levar Burton ) . . . in Felisa's grave. They exhume the body, which comes to life and zaps them both. Felisa isn't actually alive, though, but…