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32. Sybok’s Fan Fiction (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

We’re considering the notorious Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, wildly reviled as the worst Trek movie ever. And, well, we kind of like it! Why?

  • Spock turns out to have yet another sibling he forgot to tell anyone about!
  • The Nimbus III Three
  • David Warner has never been sexier
  • Who doesn’t love a space cult?
  • Caithlin Dar and Vixis and Uhura, oh my!

We also wonder: 

  • Is it possible Shatner is a better director than he’s given credit for?
  • Does Starfleet need more knitwear?
  • Where did they get the palm fronds for Uhura’s nude dance, and how come Kirk never gets to do the sexy dancing?

Content note: because this is a deeply flawed movie, we also have to talk about the murder of the exotic dancer – if you would prefer to skip that content, the discussion runs from approximately 49:20 to 51:52. Or, for a more detailed conversation about sex work in Trek in general, and this scene in particular, we recommend episode 80 of Women at Warp.

A pencil sketch of Cathlinn Dar from the movie. Her hair bears a regrettable resemblance to a penis.