Lower Decks" - I, Excretus. Listening to this podcast may not get you to 100%, but it will give you a chance to laugh at this "Lower Decks" episode featuring references to "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," the Mirror universe, the TNG episode "Ethics," and much more. This story also brings back a species from the original animated series, as both the bridge crew and our lovable ensigns switch places to test their aptitude. Let us know which was your favorite scenario in the "holo-pod," and how ...
Oct 08, 2021•42 min
"Lower Decks" - Where Pleasant Fountains Lie The Cerritos crew encounters a Ren Faire-class ship that happens to be the home race of the ship's chief engineer - and Jeffrey Combs guest stars as an evil computer. What more could you ask from an episode of "Lower Decks"? Season two continues providing adventures with Boimler/Mariner and Rutherford/Tendi pair-ups, along with misadventures from the bridge crew. Our trio examines the ins and outs of this episode, and what made them laugh. What was yo...
Oct 01, 2021•42 min
"Lower Decks" - The Spy Humongous Boimler teams up with a sharp group of red shirts while down on Pakled Planet the captain tries to determine what a Pakled spy would want. This crazy episode shifts around the group pairings and creates fun moments with a recurring foe. Your helmet may not be big enough to listen but we sure you, you're still welcome.
Sep 24, 2021•43 min
"Lower Decks" - An Embarrassment of Dooplers There's a lot of duplication going on with the Cerritos - and maybe it's the plot lines? A crazy occurrence with the bridge crew provides the background to this episode featuring a Boimler/Mariner misadventure and a Tendi/Rutherford team-up. We get car chases, model-building, and a chance to catch up on some familiar characters and their Number Ones. Are you enjoying the "Lower Decks" formula? Or are you looking for the show to mix it up more? Let us ...
Sep 17, 2021•41 min
“Lower Decks” - Mugato, Gumato. It’s time to bring back a TOS-era “monster,” the Mugato! The trio look at his Boimler, Rutherford, and Mariner tackle some “Last Outpost”-type Ferengi and … really earn that “SV” rating. They also chat about Tendi’s sidequest adventure … and the C story we almost forgot about. Is Captain Freeman on course for a promotion? Let us know your favorite parts!
Sep 10, 2021•51 min
"Lower Decks" - We'll Always Have Tom Paris They got our e-mails! Or at least listened to our podcasts. Okay, maybe the writers of "Lower Decks" just know what they are doing. But the third episode of season two finally brings "new pairings" for our intrepid ensigns on the Cerritos. We get Mariner and Tendi on a misadventure, Rutherford fighting against finding the truth about Lt. Shaxs', and Boimler crawling thru Jeffries tubes accompanied by his VOY-themed collector plate. There's something fo...
Sep 03, 2021•43 min
“Lower Decks” - Kayshon, His Eyes Open. The animated adventures of the USS Cerritos continue with the introduction (or even “re-introduction”) of new characters, the parallel stories of the trio on the California-class ship and Ensign Boimler on the USS Titan, and a resolution that may hit the “reset” button for the series. We try to collect as many references as we can in this episode - what were your favorite parts?
Aug 28, 2021•39 min
"Lower Decks" - Strange Energies It's back! The wacky crew of the starship Cerritos returns in their second season opener with an episode that catches up new viewers and entertains existing fans. The trio look at how a mostly Boimler-less episode holds up, and what made them laugh the most. Did the B story overshadow the A story? How much Captain Freeman/Ensign Mariner arguing is there? And how much do we love the Titan? Maybe enough to blow our heads into space. Let us know what you think of th...
Aug 25, 2021•54 min
Phillip, Daniel and Darren discuss what the rest of the core crew members in Star Trek: The Next Generation may be up to during the time of Picard. How might we see these characters and their interactions with the new crew and story coming in Season 2.
Aug 21, 2021•54 min
David Warner in Trek David Warner is an accomplished actor, in both the U.S. and U.K., who has portrayed many dramatic characters, especially those in sci-fi/fantasy genres. He memorably appears three times in the Trek franchise - "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," and 'Chain of Command, Parts 1 and 2' from "Star Trek: The Next Generation." We look at these three vastly different characters of St. John Talbot, Chancellor Gorkon, and Gul Madred and how Wa...
Aug 15, 2021•48 min
New Trek Animation. It’s time for season two of “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” and the trio couldn’t be more excited. And waiting in the wings is one the newest editions to the franchise - “Star Trek: Prodigy.” The trio look over the latest news concerning these two animated series. What new characters and stories will we see? How does animation add to the possibilities? Let us know what you’re excited about!
Aug 06, 2021•1 hr
Discovery Season Four Wish List New episodes in the Star Trek franchise will begin this fall - and we're excited. It won't be long until season four of "Star Trek: Discovery" drops - and the trio have created a "wish list" for all the main (and not-so-main) characters. What conflict would be like to see for Captain Burnham? Can Lt. Cmdr. Stamets have two job titles? Could Ensign Tilley leave the U.S.S. Discovery? Join us as we imagine what could happen in season four, and let us know your own wi...
Aug 01, 2021•54 min
Fan Set Pitches. For those Trek fans who shopped during the “peak” DVD era, we remember the various themes, characters, etc. used to bundle together episodes from across similar and separate series. In the age of streaming, it’s a lot easier to pick a random Trek episode - but what if we could “build” our own playlists? What concepts, common storyline themes, or general characters would we use to “binge” seemingly disparate episodes from the franchise? Let us know which “compilation” we’ve creat...
Jul 23, 2021•54 min
What if ... K'Ehleyr Lived? Two episodes. That's all it took for the half-Klingon, half-human K'Ehleyr to create a lasting impression to Trek fans. The trio thinks she deserved more - so what if she had survived her fatal encounter with Duras and continued her adventures with Klingon politics? We look at what her appearances in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine would have looked like ... and how much Alexander would be involved. Suzie Plakson's portrayal of the character lends more depth a...
Jul 16, 2021•53 min
Woman in Motion. We know Nichelle Nichols at Lt. Uhura from the original Enterprise. But after the cancellation of The Original Series, Nichelle began another space adventure - changing the history of NASA. The trio looks at the documentary “Woman in Motion” which chronicles her mission in expanding the diversity of NASA astronauts and opening up space to a broader cross-section of Americans. Learn about the shuttle period of NASA and meet the real life explorers of the “final frontier” from the...
Jul 10, 2021•56 min
Star Trek Series Pitch, Part 2 Last episode, the trio pitched a new Trek series set on an alien Starfleet Academy-based campus. The fresh-faced class of cadets, along with some familiar faces as professors, established a series promising adventure and drama. But now it's time to go deeper! The trio looks closer at their characters, fleshes out the world of this Academy (along with a "driver's ed" starship), and looks at what season one would bring. Let us know your favorite characters and what s...
Jul 05, 2021•54 min
Star Trek Series Concept Come up with an original Star Trek show concept, how hard could it be? Darren, Daniel and Phillip pitch a series set after Star Trek: Nemesis involving a new second Starfleet Academy on Alpha Centauri. Who will they bring from the established show cast? Who is the new headmaster and how much like Hogwarts will this show be?
Jun 25, 2021•1 hr 3 min
TOS-era Trivia It's a holiday here on Ceti Alpha 3 - so it's time to invite the gamemaster to join us for some Star Trek: The Original Series trivia. However, we are not all TOS experts, so these trivia questions are a little ... different. So play along and see if you can guess what's wrong, what episodes are being referenced, and how well you know the actual NCC-1701 ship.
Jun 18, 2021•48 min
Is It Really That Bad? "Unexpected" Edition. We all know the line from the infamous "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode - "This is a nipple." Yes, that's right, the one where Commander Tucker gets pregnant. This is our "Enterprise" installment in our "Is It Really That Bad?" series that looks at episodes with a bad reputation and tries to see if they deserve it. The trio examines what the first half of the episode could have led to in different hands. They also all share how they collectively spit-t...
Jun 04, 2021•48 min
Ro in Voyager - Ro Laren captured the hearts of many fans in her few appearances in The Next Generation. There was the attempt to get her into Deep Space Nine, but the actress moved on in her television career. However - what is we managed to get Ro back for "Star Trek: Voyager"? As viewers know, we last saw her with the Maquis. The trio imagines what if she joined Chakotay's crew and got stranded in the Delta Quadrant ... what role would she play on the Intrepid-class vessel? We talk about Ro's...
May 28, 2021•58 min
TOS "Prequels" in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Every Trek series has unique and wonderful stories. There are also many episodes that look into the vast Trek canon to delve into planets, characters, and aliens that were touched on prior. We all await the arrival of the newest series, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" - and we all want to see what prior Trek episodes come alive for Captain Pike and his Enterprise crew. Since they are the "pre-Kirk" crew (other than Mr. Spock), there are some issu...
May 21, 2021•51 min
Is it Really That Bad? “Spirit Folk” Edition. We’ve all thought about what we would do on the Holodeck. From adventures, fantasies, Starfleet training, and more - maybe creating a work group field trip to an Irish village might not be on the list. But the Voyager crew are all about Fair Haven. In this second episode set in this holographic get-away, the program (surprise!) goes awry and our favorite characters must deal with the repercussions. The trio look at whether they love/hate the idea of ...
May 15, 2021•45 min
What if ... ? - The Dax Symbiont There are some stories in the Star Trek franchise that are missing some context. A minor character we wished we knew more about. A story told that we never see. And then there are the big ones - the Jadzia Dax goodbye we never got. Oh sure, there were some words in the infirmary. But we all know she deserves a very special episode before we say hello to Ezri. The trio therefore decides to add an extra episode to the end of season six of "Deep Space Nine." What if...
Apr 30, 2021•56 min
Animated Enterprise, Season Five. The first Star Trek series of the twenty-first century was canceled. Many fans have speculated about what a fifth season of Star Trek: Enterprise would have looked like. In this era with an animated “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and the upcoming “Star Trek: Prodigy,” we imagine a return of the NX-01 crew in a CG-animated series. Welcome to “Star Trek: Romulan War,” part of the new “Star Power Hour” on Cartoon Network. With a refit NX-01, the crew welcomes new members...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Is it REALLY That Bad - "The Storyteller" Edition There are Star Trek episodes that have bad reputations, but do they always deserve them? The stories that are usually the target of audience "hate" occur during the first season. In that spirit, the trio tackles the first season "Deep Space Nine" episode "The Storyteller." Does the story of O'Brien and Bashir helping a Bajoran village against their boogie monster stand up? And what about the forgotten-about B-story about a young Bajoran leader en...
Apr 17, 2021•51 min
Ro on DS9. Many Star Trek fans have heard the story that Michelle Forbes was originally approached to star in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,' reprising her character of Ro Laren. Whether it's true, we are glad that Nana Visitor/Kira Nerys got to play the station's first officer for seven seasons. But what would that alternative show look like, with Ro as a main character from the very first episode? What role would she have with Sisko, Starfleet, and her fellow Bajorans? And what would Kira's role...
Apr 09, 2021•55 min
Is It Really THAT Bad? - "The Last Outpost" Edition It was the first season of The Next Generation, and it was time to introduce the newest alien in the franchise. They would be equal to the Enterprise in power and technology, would be feared by our enterprising crew, and ... it was the Ferengi. With laser whips. Wearing furs. And not knowing when to STAND STILL ALREADY! The trio look at this TNG episode that introduced the profit-loving "Yankee traders" that would make their mark, especially in...
Apr 02, 2021•53 min
For the Love of Spock - The “Star Trek: Voyager” documentary crowdfunding campaign is nearing the end, so what better time to look at other 455 Films productions? In 2016, they released “For the Love a Spock,” a feature spotlighting Trek’s most famous Vulcan and the man who portrayed him. It followed on the heels of Leonard Nimoy’s passing, and opened a window into director Adam Nimoy’s relationship with his father. The trio looks at the strengths of the documentary and what more they would have...
Mar 19, 2021•54 min
What if? ... DS9 Joins "Star Trek: First Contact" It is no secret that the trio loves "Star Trek: First Contact." But what if ... Captain Sisko had commanded the U.S.S. Defiant during the Borg invasion? In this re-imagining of the second TNG film, Sisko, Chief O'Brien, and Lt. Cmdr. Worf all join the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-E to fight the Borg, save Zephram Cochrane, and help Lily. What does Ben think about facing the Borg who killed his wife ... and what happens when he comes face-to-face...
Mar 12, 2021•59 min
Book Review “Star Trek: Picard - The Dark Veil.” This month starts production of season two of “Star Trek: Picard” - while it may be another year before we get a new episode, we are still getting new stories from this larger story setting. The trio engages “book club mode” to discuss the second PIC novel - “The Dark Veil” by James Swallow. This book is set on the U.S.S. Titan, with Captain William T. Riker in command. This story takes place approximately 14 years before the event of “Picard” sea...
Mar 06, 2021•57 min
