Star Trek: The Original Series, Series 2, Episode 13. First broadcast on Friday 15 December 1967. Stardate: 3619.2. A few tense moments this week, as a fragrant dikironium vampire kills a bunch of redshirts before threatening some characters with names and ultimately the Enterprise itself. But the real suspense comes from an entirely different direction: Will this episode teeter over the edge of camp into baffling semicompetence? Will Kirk’s obsession turn him from a jovial and beloved authority...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 101
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Series 7, Episode 22. First broadcast on Wednesday 12 May 1999. Stardate: Unknown (2375). It’s four weeks until the Deep Space Nine finale, and so it’s time for a momentous and operatic episode, an episode full of subtext and thoughtful performances, and an episode that deals a killing blow to two crumbling empires and changes the status quo forever. In short: an episode that exemplifies everything that makes us love Deep Space Nine ....
Mar 08, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 100
Star Trek: Short Treks, Series 2, Episode 2. First broadcast on Thursday 10 October 2019. Stardate: 1421.9. Captain Lynne Lucero (Rosa Salazar) can’t wait to take command of the USS Cabot as it heads off to the Klingon border to save some settlers from a planetary famine. But that’s before she meets walking HR disaster Edward Larkin (H. Jon Benjamin) and his viviparous and prolific sidekick ( Tribleustes ventricosus ). Hijinks, as usual, ensue....
Mar 01, 2024•33 min•Ep. 99
Star Trek: Discovery, Series 4, Episode 8. First broadcast on Thursday 10 February 2022. Stardate: Unknown (3190). This week, but in the thirty-second century, two people face each other across a poker table. The man’s unbearable loss has made him resolute, and the woman remains resolute despite the loss she is about to suffer. And somewhere far away, in a distant, isolated, unreasonable space at the very edge of the Galaxy, Something — implacable? incomprehensible? — is waiting to judge what th...
Feb 16, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 98
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series 5, Episode 9. First broadcast on Monday 18 November 1991. Stardate: 45349.1. The absence of Robin Williams and the presence of Rick Berman are both keenly felt this week, as a normal day at the office for the Enterprise -D becomes merely a mildly diverting day at the office. The cause: an elegantly named time-travelling confidence trickster, who nicks a bunch of stuff so he can put it on eBay and pretends that everything here is much more thrilling than it ...
Feb 09, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 97
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Series 4, Episode 21. First broadcast on Monday 29 April 1996. Stardate: Unknown (2372). This week, we discover to our surprise that there’s a lot to enjoy in a flawed and ultimately unsuccessful episode episode of Deep Space Nine — two wonderful guest actresses, some (largely) cringe-free sexiness, and a mature and gentle romance. Meanwhile, some TV writers imagine a just reward for their life of constant backbreaking labour....
Feb 02, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 96
Star Trek: Voyager, Series 1, Episode 14. First broadcast on Monday 8 May 1995. Stardate: 48784.2. As a result of a horrific medical experiment, this week’s episode of Untitled Star Trek Project finds itself split into two irreconcilable parts — one convinced that this Voyager episode is extremely dull, and the other one certain that there’s nothing very interesting going on here. Apart from that, there’s a bit of a scary moment at one point, and Roxann gets to do some acting, which is nice....
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 95
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Series 7, Episode 6. First broadcast on Wednesday 4 November 1998. Stardate: Unknown (2375). It’s all about faith this week on Deep Space Nine — Weyoun’s faith in Odo and the Founders, Nog’s faith that the genre rules of the comedy B-plot will lead inevitably to a happy ending, and the writers’ faith that wonderful, charming actors like Aron and René can make it all land from underneath a kilogram of latex.
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 94
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series 4, Episode 7. First broadcast on Monday 5 November 1990. Stardate: 44246.3. After just over a season of reliable and competent, this week, Star Trek: The Next Generation goes for dramatic and surprising — with amazing results: a memorable epsiode full of good performances and the sort of direction that lets those performances shine. One of the best.
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 93
Star Trek: Picard, Series 3, Episode 4. First broadcast on Thursday 9 March 2023. Stardate: 78183.1. This week, an episode of Star Trek: Picard makes a compelling case for the existence of 21st century Trek , as familiar and well-loved characters find themselves in a show with dramatic lighting, beautiful special effects and witty and clever dialogue. But even more than that, they learn that no matter how bleak or unwinnable a situation, as long as you and your crew remain steadfast in your dedi...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 92
Star Trek Movie #4. Release date: 1986 This week, Star Trek makes a triumphant return to form, as we are joined by Tom Salinsky to watch the 1986 film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , in which the crew of the Enterprise meet their match, as they confront the most terrifying alien species of all time — Americans from the 1980s. Here’s a link to Tom Salinsky’s Trekaday blog , which is currently heading towards the end of Star Trek: Enterprise . You can also pre-order his upcoming book on Star Trek ...
Dec 08, 2023•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 91
Star Trek: The Original Series, Series 3, Episode 14. First broadcast on Friday 3 January 1969. Stardate: 5718.3. A Very Important episode of Star Trek: The Original Series this week, in which we tackle the Serious Issue of Mental Illness, a Terrifying Social Problem which causes ordinary people to conceive an Unquenchable Desire to Take over the Entire Galaxy and to Use Capital Letters Unnecessarily. Fortunately, it can be cured by a Simple Intravenous Injection, which seems to have started wor...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 90
Star Trek: Voyager, Series 2, Episode 15. First broadcast on Monday 29 January 1996. Stardate: 49373.4. – Guess who I get to meet today. The Creator of Fair Haven, Captain Proton himself: Lieutenant Tom Paris! – No way! That’s awesome! Is he still a salamander? – No, that’s not… It was a celerity-induced accelerated somatic mutation rate, and he’s fine now. He was the first human to break the transwarp barrier, and today, he’s on the Cerritos! Boimler and Mariner, We’ll Always Have Tom Paris Whe...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 89
Star Trek: Lower Decks, Series 1, Episode 9. First broadcast on Thursday 1 October 2020. Stardate: Unknown (2380). This week, Joe and Nathan work on their most pressing psychological problems by smashing the ship’s counsellor’s favourite bonsai, storming off to the holodeck, making fun of the Star Trek movie series, and playing the most violent (and possibly racist) video game in the history of the franchise. Everything turns out for the best, though, because good friends forgive, and they’ll al...
Nov 10, 2023•50 min•Ep. 88
Star Trek: Voyager, Series 6, Episode 22. First broadcast on Wednesday 26 April 2000. Stardate: 53918.0. These stories will continue for as long as we have the breath to tell them. And as long as our patrons remain wise and compassionate. And Voyager will continue on her journey to the gleaming cities of Earth, where peace reigns and hatred has no home. Enjoyable. And unexpectedly beautiful at times. Much like Star Trek , really.
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 87
Star Trek: Enterprise, Series 4, Episode 9. First broadcast on Friday 3 December 2004. Stardate: Unknown (2154). A new experience for Joe and Nathan this week, as they enjoy an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise without irony or reservations. The Vulcans have been behaving oddly for three and a half years, for some reason, but this week, they decide to be normal again, for a dumb reason. But in spite of all that, there’s a lot of fun to be had here.
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 86
Star Trek: Voyager, Series 2, Episode 25. First broadcast on Monday 13 May 1996. Stardate: 49690.1. Nathan, Joe, Kathryn and the Medium Robert are all enjoying themselves this week in a genuinely entertaining Star Trek romance spoiled only by the untimely and unwelcome intrusion of Star Trek: Voyager itself at the very end of the episode. Hey ho.
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 85
Star Trek: The Original Series, Series 1, Episode 16. First broadcast on Thursday 5 January 1967. Stardate: 2821.5. When a metal box containing seven strange creatures lands outside his village, gentle giant Oleg (Buck Maffei) leaves a pregnant wife and an ailing mother in his humble yurt and trudges off to present the creatures with his people’s traditional gift of welcome — a set of giant novelty spears. This simple act of hospitality is met with violence, and soon matters escalate despite Ole...
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 84
Star Trek: Voyager, Series 5, Episode 26 / Series 6, Episode 1. First broadcast on Wednesday 26 May 1999. Stardate: Unknown (2375, 2376). Moral dilemmas abound in this week’s season finale of Star Trek: Voyager . Is it permissible to kill a bunch of people if you miss your bus home? Is it permissible to shoot Slimer from Ghostbusters in the face if he’s intent on drinking all of your precious bodily fluids? Is it permissible to torture Rick Worthy if you’re having a really bad day? And it is obl...
Sep 29, 2023•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 83
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series 3, Episode 8. First broadcast on Monday 13 November 1989. Stardate: 43385.6. Comfort food this week, as Star Trek: The Next Generation tries and fails to create a romantic comedy about an exciting new space wormhole. Deanna learns a valuable lesson about the dangers of enjoying herself, some Ferengi learn an urgent lesson about paying attention to their GPS, and the rest of us learn a timely lesson about straight, white American men in the late 1980s. We st...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 82
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Series 6, Episode 2. First broadcast on Monday 6 October 1997. Stardate: Unknown (2374). Star Trek goes outside this week, for a top-tier episode in which Sisko and Kira are both confronted by radical integrity and self-sacrifice in the face of overwhelming opposition. Solid and memorable.
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 81
Star Trek: Discovery, Series 2, Episode 8. First broadcast on Thursday 7 March 2019. Stardate: 1532.9. The second season of Star Trek: Discovery comes to a climax as Spock commemorates Star Trek ’s first pilot by taking Michael to Talos IV so that they can both stand around a bunch of singing flowers, weepily recounting their formative childhood traumas. Meanwhile, Paul and Hugh are not the first people to experience difficulties maintaining a romantic relationship after one partner has died. An...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 80
Star Trek: The Original Series, Series 2, Episode 26. First broadcast on Friday 29 March 1968. Stardate: Unknown (1968). It’s the pilot of a thrilling new spy-fi series, in which Gary Seven (Robert Lansing), his plucky secretary Miss Lincoln (Teri Garr), and his cat Isis (herself) hang out in the twentieth century’s most stylish decade, drinking cocktails after lunch and occasionally foiling America’s military–industrial complex. Is it time for us to end our trek through the stars so that we can...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 79
Star Trek: Voyager, Series 6, Episode 16. First broadcast on Wednesday 16 February 2000. Stardate: Unknown (2376). This week a mediocre script fails to be enhanced in any way by mediocre direction and some mediocre performances. But there’s an upside: a Voyager episode with real consequences that will open up unimaginable new vistas of storytelling and character development. Or not, probably.
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 78
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series 4, Episode 5. First broadcast on Monday 22 October 1990. Stardate: 44161.2. In this week’s episode of Likeable and Competent People Solving Space Problems , Beverly finds herself in a shrinking universe from which her loved ones are disappearing one by one, while Nathan and Joe (who inhabit a very similar universe) find a version of Star Trek capable of inspiring a lifelong obsession and, ultimately, an untitled podcast project....
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 77
Star Trek: Enterprise, Series 3, Episode 13. First broadcast on Wednesday 21 January 2004. Stardate: Unknown (2153). This week, we learn a valuable lesson about Johnny Foreigner: he’s just not to be trusted. (God knows how we’re going to get a Federation together.) Still, we manage to enjoy ourselves for a bit.
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 76
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series 4, Episode 23. First broadcast on Monday 13 May 1991. Stardate: 44821.3. Star Trek: The Next Generation makes another ill-judged attempt at romance this week, as Beverly Crusher has an eventful two-week relationship with an alien ambassador, Commander Riker, and an attractive young woman, who are all somehow the same person. It all goes as well as you would expect in a series where every episode returns reliably to the status quo before the credits roll. (W...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 75
Star Trek: The Animated Series, Series 2, Episode 2. First broadcast on Saturday 14 September 1974. Stardate: 7403.6. It’s a low-effort week here at Untitled Star Trek Project , as we pour dozens of crisp American dollars into animating a hilarious encounter between Kirk, Spock, some lizard men in nappies, and an alien who can detach his bits at will, and then spend some time wondering why on earth we bothered.
Jul 21, 2023•48 min•Ep. 74
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Series 7, Episode 20. First broadcast on Wednesday 28 April 1999. Stardate: Unknown (2375). After the Breen attack Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, Ben Sisko (Alan Dale), fearing for the safety of his new wife Kasidy (Lisa Armytage), gets all of her upcoming missions cancelled, with predictable results. Elsewhere on the station, Ezri (Annie Jones) and Worf (Guy Pearce) bicker about her budding relationship to Julian (Peter O’Brien). On Bajor, Kai Winn (Vivean Gray) an...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 73
Star Trek: Voyager, Series 2, Episode 14. First broadcast on Monday 22 January 1996. Stardate: 49337.4. When a Voyager crewmember is killed in a Kazon attack, and his colleagues are forced to sit through the most butt-clenchingly clichéd eulogy in television history, a few of them declare that it’s time to forge an alliance with the Kazon, which seems unwise. What seems even more unwise is Janeway’s decision to ignore everything that history has taught us about white people, as she forges an all...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 72
