Warp Five 225: Let’s Play Some Sand Polo!
“Desert Crossing” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the episode serves as a proto-Prime Directive story, Archer's reputation, shades of gray, and how the story could have benefited from more information and the mini-arc format found in Season 4.
The Artificial Tango 1: We’ll Always Have Laris
“The Star Gazer.” We discuss the start of Season 2, digging into Picard as a character, his connection to Laris, how Seven on Nine serves as a mirror to Picard, how the story sets up a hopeful Federation worth saving.
Warp Five 224: So Much Unexpected Behavior
“Fallen Hero” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story brings us an unexpected take on Vulcans and an ambassador who we wish we'd seen more of, as well as the realities of life in deep space and picking the right Hawaiian shirt.
Warp Five 223: It’s All About Communication
“Vox Sola” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how this story approaches the importance of communication, the nuance of language, and cross-cultural misunderstanding from many angles, plus the attempt to bring a truly alien alien to Star Trek.
The Orb 134: Coffee in the Afternoon
“Armageddon Game.” We discuss the Miles/Jules relationship, the O'Brien's marriage, the original concept for the episode, and the story's warning that is even more relevant in today's world.
The Orb 133: We All Put Our Faith in Something
The Emissary’s prophecies. We discuss the events of “Rapture” as we explore the role of faith and spirituality in Deep Space Nine, Roddenberry's vision of the future and how religion has been portrayed throughout Star Trek.
The Orb 132: The Longevity of Memories
“Blood Oath” and Trill obligations. We discuss how joined Trill cope with memories that span multiple lifetimes as well as the choice to bring back three of Kirk’s most famous Klingon antagonists and how DS9 pays homage to The Original Series.
The Orb 131: No Easy Answers
"The Way of the Warrior," Part 2. We discuss the insidious nature of the Changeling threat, the tough choices faced by Sisko and the Federation, how DS9 offers rich character development amid bigger storylines, Worf finding a new path for himself aboard the station.
The Orb 130: Perfect Storm of Wonderfulness
“The Way of the Warrior,” Part 1. We discuss DS9’s fourth season premiere and what amount to a soft reboot of sorts—one that would propel the series to become what many consider the most complex and interesting installment in the franchise.
The Ready Room 233: Too Many Licks and Not Enough Tongue
Star Trek: Lower Decks after two seasons. We take a broad look back at the first two seasons and discuss how the series has connected with fans, why it has won over many early skeptics, and how it serves as a brilliant love letter to the franchise.
The Orb 129: Hitting the Pause Button
“The Sound of Her Voice” and the need for quiet episodes. We discuss why, to advance the narrative, it is sometimes necessary to hit the pause button and reflect, and why doing so is an effective way to punctuate the theme.
The Ready Room 232: What a Genius That Guy Was!
Marking our 10th anniversary. We deep-dive into Star Trek’s return to television, which way the fan pendulum is swinging today, screen vs. visual canon, whether Star Trek is an historical piece, dealing with toxic fandom, the status of The Con of Wrath, and more.