A science-fiction franchise as monumental asStar Trek, one that spans dozens of movies and several seasons of TV, is certainly not lacking in its fair share ofheartbreaking and emotional moments. From goodbyes and tragic losses to prejudice, betrayal, and injustices, the crews have seen it all. It seems threats of galactic domination or mass genocide are always on the horizon, keeping audiences worldwide at the edge of their seats. All these existentialist crises, PTSD, friendships, and relationships create long-lasting attachments between audiences and theepisodic stories and recurring protagonists.
That being said, not everything is doom and gloom in theStar TrekUniverse. Though the general mood may not be entirely comedic, the creators do indulge in their fair share of lighter moments. Episodes that focus on the funnier side of life allow both the actors and the audience to take a break from what might otherwise be a series of overwhelming obstacles. Here are the funniestStar Trekepisodes from across the franchise.
Updated June 17, 2025: This list has been updated byAmanda Minchinwith even more laugh out loud episodes from across the Star Trek franchise.
12"Badda-Bing Badda-Bang" — Star Trek Deep Space 9 (Season 7, Episode 15)
One of the most popular holosuite programs on theStar Trek: Deep Space Ninestation is a 1960s Vegas hotel lounge featuring the suave and charming singer Vic Fontaine (James Darren). A glitch in the program generates hostile mobsters, namely one Frankie Eyes (Robert Miano) and his acolyte Cicci (Mike Starr), who storm the venue and claim it as their own. Their real plan is to rob the hotel-casino. Because they can’t reset the program and risk losing Fontaine’s interactive progress, the DS9 crew decide to rush in to save their favorite virtual entertainer, all dressed up to blend in with the hip crowd. This heist in space episode isone hilarious take on an Ocean’s film.
What Makes It Hilarious
There’s never a dull moment on a starship with a holosuite on board. While not as famous as “A Piece of the Action”, anotherStar Trekepisode where mobsters meet space, this updated version focuses more on an enjoyable nightlife scene than taking over a planet the hard way and includes a sing-along with the otherwise mission-ready Captain that actually sounds decent. It’s far lighter than many of its fellowDS9episodes, which is likely no accident. Episodes like this in otherwise dramatic series are used to give the audience a moment to exhale. This heist in space is well worth a watch full of fun music and even funnier moments.
11Qpid — Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 4, Episode 20)
This episode ofStar Trek: The Next Generationwent positively medieval, with hilarious results. During a consort with on-again, off-again Vash, Jean-Luc Picard is visited by Q. Intent on repaying him, or, at the very least, getting out from under his debt, Q transports both Captain, Crew and the Captain’s love interest back to the Aguan ruins. Gone are the Red Shirts of old, replaced by robes of yore. It turns out they’ve been transported back to the life and timesof Robin Hood, or, at least, a version of it. The role of Maid Marian is, of course, played by Vash. Upon finding out he’s to portray none other than Will Scarlett, Worf iconically exclaims, “Sir, I protest. I am not a merry man.”
The hilarity of this episode is more situational chuckle than laugh out loud. Unlike other Robin Hoods, this one can speak with an English accent… though the mustache and hat are a nice touch. As an accomplished veteran of both the stage and screen (with a penchant for Shakespeare to boot), playing a Robin Hood-like character must have been a walk in the park for Sir Patrick Stewart. When you add in Data as a confused Friar Tuck and the rest of the crew as a slightly out-of-place bunch of Merry Men (and women), this episode is one delightful callback after another as they experience just how medieval medieval can be.
10"Much Ado About Boimler" — Star Trek: Lower Decks (Season 1, Episode 7)
Star Trek: Lower Decksis known for its comedy, and this episode is no exception. After a few modifications go wrong, the transporter malfunctions and renders its test subject, Ensign Brad Boimler (voiced by Jack Quaid), out of phase. He floats ethereally around the ship, much like a ghost, except that he is constantly producing a beam sound as he flits about. Starfleet’s Division 14, who usually “handles unsolvable space illnesses and science mysteries”, transports him to The Farm to be treated…or annihilated, whichever comes first. They’ve also transferred a series of other bizarre creatures onboard, such as a genetically engineered dog, and a creepy part-elderly, part-child man. Not to worry, though… the Farm cures all.
What Makes It Hilarious?
Of course,Lower Decks, a fairlynew, hilarious seriesset in theStar TrekUniverse, would make this list. This episode is far from the only funny one in the series, which plays as an over-the-top farce to the decades ofStar Trek lore that’s come before it. Playing around with familiar tropes of ghosts and wayward health treatments is made all the more hilarious by a more modernist mindset, the message being that no one, not even Boimler, is not beyond fixing. As the resident rule-abider, watching him needing to break the rules to save his skin never gets old.
9"Manhunt" — Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 2, Episode 19)
The Enterprise is ordered to transport Antedean delegates to a conference. They pick up a Betazoid ambassador,Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), accompanied by her mute servant, Mr. Homn (Carel Struycken). Troi is experiencing her species’ high-sex-drive phase, and she is desperately looking to get her claws on a new husband. She pursues Captain Picard incessantly while onboard. He applies physical and conversational evasive maneuvers, using Data (Brent Spiner) as a buffer and even hiding out on the holodeck. A frustrated Troi then moves her game of seduction over to Riker (Jonathan Frakes), her own daughter’s on-and-off love interest. Fun fact: A huge Trekkie, Mick Fleetwood of the British pop-rock band Fleetwood Mac, played one of the Antedeans.
Watching the crew tripping all over themselves to avoid the love and affection of the mother of one of their own is a joke that practically writes itself. Data is the perfect straight man to play against anyone in times of emotional crisis, which makes him perfect for these sorts of evasive maneuvers. Going at this from a species-level angle was certainly a smart choice for the episode, which might otherwise have been mired in a post-#MeToo atmosphere. The truth is, it’s a species thing, so the poor woman just can’t help it. Still, seeing her switch from mate to potential mate at the drop of a dime makes for an epic farce.Stream on Paramount+
Related:Star Trek: What New First-Time Viewers Should Watch to Start With
8"The Royale" — Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 2, Episode 12)
While investigating the remnants of a NASA ship that crashed on another planet years ago, Commander Riker, Worf (Michael Dorn), and Data open a strange self-supported door and walk into the lobby of an old casino hotel called The Royale. They are unable to use their communicators here and must play their part to blend in with the alien program that is running the hotel, which is based on a racy action novel from the 1950s. Much to their dismay and amusement, they find out that to be able to leave the venue, theymust first gambleand earn enough money to buy out the casino. This would neither be the first nor the last time members of a Starfleet vessel would find themselves stuck in a casino. Oh, the poor souls.
Some of the funniest episodes of the series are genre mash-ups. What elevates this one, however, is the pairing of this particular trio in this absurd situation. The truth is they are perhaps some of the worst suited of the crew to assimilate into any situation without causing a ruckus. This only serves to enhance the humor. Watching them try and fail time and again to blend in long enough to get out makes for a sidesplitting comedy of errors.
7"The Trouble with Tribbles" — Star Trek: The Original Series (Season 2, Episode 15)
Easily one of the most iconic (and silliest episodes) in the entire franchise. ThisStar Trek: The Original Seriesepisode mixed economics with fuzzy little furballs to create one incredibly memorable episode. Upon visiting the space station K7 and picking up a shipment of grain, the Enterprise becomes overwhelmed by an extremely cute alien breed of small fur balls called Tribbles. Unbeknownst to the crew, these cooing creatures breed at an alarming rate and are already threatening both their food reserve and their cargo.
What could have been a stuffy lesson in supply and demand is made all the funnier by Captain Kirk dramatically carrying around what is basically a stuffed animal. He plays the part like Michael Caine would inThe Muppet Christmas Carolyears later… that is to say, he never once wavers from treating the Tribbles like living, breathing beings. One fun aspect of the furry little guys that serve to forward the plot is that they are overwhelmingly friendly to everyone…except for Klingons.This peculiar aversionhelps to weed out a Klingon agent disguised as a human who has already succeeded in poisoning the grain. This episode was so well-received that it generated two follow-ups in two future series, includingThe Animated SeriesandDeep Space Nine.
Related:Star Trek: The Best Episodes of The Original Series, Ranked
6"Hollow Pursuits" — Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 3, Episode 21)
The shy and socially awkward Lieutenant Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz), often teased by Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton), spends most of his time on the holodeck,stuck in a virtual worldwith his own distorted versions of his colleagues. When they go looking for him, Riker, La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Troi find themselves right alongside him. In this fantasy world, Picard, La Forge, and Data are pretentious musketeers, Crusher is an annoying idiot, Riker is much shorter than his actual self, and most of the women, namely Troi, are highly sexualized.
This take on workplace politics is likeThe Officebut in space. This episode could have easily gone creepy, considering it’s about the fantasy life of a disgruntled employee. Being cooped up for weeks on end can’t be easy! Focusing on the absurd reenvisioning of the simulated crew de-escalated what might otherwise have been a tragically dramatic episode. Watching LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, and Picard with frilly wigs and perfectly coiffed mustaches is funny enough. Playing a caricature of a character that is already over the top on its own must have been as much fun for the cast as it was for the audience.
5"Ménage à Troi" — Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 3, Episode 24)
Mother Troi is back at it again! After Lwaxana Troi publicly rejects the advances of the Ferengi DaiMon Tog (Frank Corsentino) at a trade conference on Betazed, he kidnaps her, taking her daughter Deanna and Riker aboard his ship.
“Let’s get one thing straight, little man. I am not for sale. And if, by some chance, I were to become available, I would rather eat Orion wing-slugs than deal with a toad-faced troll like you! So go away and find yourself somebody else to become your property!”
Tog also has another goal in mind: to exploit the Betazoids’ remarkable telepathic abilities in his future business negotiations. However, the trio uses flattery, trickery, and telepathy to subdue Tog and his crew before sending a distress call to the Enterprise. Captain Picard shows up,quoting from Shakespeare, acting like a jealous partner and threatening to destroy the Ferengi ship unless “his” Lwaxana is returned to him. Tog has no choice but to comply.
Picard’s insincere display of love in order to save his crew is what most stands out about this episode, by far. We watch as Picard at first struggles to display his “affections”, at which point it’s easy to see he is far from sincere. He gains traction, however, as he begins to quote, who else but Shakespeare? Stewart is able to show off his chops to perfection as a classically trained actor at that moment. This is all particularly ironic considering the number of times Picard has spent avoiding the Betazed’s overbearing seduction maneuvers. Oh, the things this Captain will do for his crew.
Related:Patrick Stewart’s Best Moments as Jean-Luc Picard, Ranked
4"Charades" - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 2, Episode 5)
Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas returned to the classic format ofStar Trek, which sometimes means having a few silly episodes. Easily one of the standouts was “Charades,” which sees a cosmic alien entity rewrite Spock’s DNA to be fully human. Not only does Spock need to grapple with his full human emotions for the first time, but it could not be coming at a worse time as his soon-to-be Vulcan parents-in-law are coming to test Spock and see if he is worthy of marrying their daughter. As one can imagine, hijinks ensue.
“Charades” borrows from the classic misunderstanding sitcom setup, where a character needs to put up a persona or lie in a stressful situation to make something positive happen. This has been a staple for many series likeI Love Lucyall the way to something likeModern Family, so it is nice to seeStar Trekattempt it and put a bit of a sci-fi twist on it. The best part, though, is Ethan Peck’s Spock, with the montage of Spock grappling with new human emotions from laughter to anger, some of the funniest in the entire franchise.
3"Bride of Chaotica!" — Star Trek Voyager (Season 5, Episode 12)
The starship inStar Trek: Voyageris rendered incapacitated by a gravimetric force while Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Kim (Garett Wang) are running another holodeck chapter of The Adventure of Captain Proton. The program’s Doctor Chaotica character (Martin Rayner), a villain who wants to conquer Earth, can now harm Voyager with his weapons. In doing so, he catches the attention of the area’s trans-dimensional aliens, who now think the ship’s fictional characters are a real threat. Paris suggests to Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) that they help the aliens thwart Chaotica’s evil plans. All she has to do is play the role of Arachnia, Queen of the Spiderpeople, to seduce him and deactivate his “death ray.” For his part, Voyager’s holographic doctor (Robert Picardo) will pose as the President of Earth in order to convince the aliens to halt their attack.
Drawing from the mood of 30s pulp and early horror and science-fiction movies, this entertaining episode is wonderfully performed by a cast donned in intricate period costumes. Their attention to detail as to the style of 1930s cinema, from their dramatic expressions to their stilted, mid-Atlantic speech, is absolutely meticulous. Everybody looked like they were having a blast, especially Mulgrew and Rayner. This episode is just soaked in camp.
