We're getting more visitors from the past on TNG again! First up, Wesley Crusher and the rest of the Academy's elite Nova Squadron are in the hot seat after a classmate is killed during maneuvers in "The First Duty". Next, Lwaxana Troi is rushing into a bad marriage even as alien microbes rush to digest and excrete the "Enterprise" in "Cost of Living".

Also this week: editorial control, Vulcan acting, and "Harold and Maude".

Timestamps: synopses: 3:54; The First Duty: 12:22; Cost of Living: 47:13

We go from very serious to sci-fi romp this week on SSHB! First up: a member of a genderless race falls for Riker and admits she identifies as female, which is seen as an illness on her world, in "The Outcast". After that, it's "Groundhog Day" in space - and predating the movie, in fact - as the "Enterprise" keeps getting sh*tmixed in "Cause and Effect"!

Also this week: belated Christmas, Jake bores us with math, and Chris bores us with starship trivia.

Content warning: discussion of gay conversion therapy, homophobia, and transphobia.

Notes: Grinches can skip Christmas joy by going to 9:25. "Orville" spoilers are at 24:42-26:00

Timestamps: Christmas presents: 2:23; synopses: 9:25; The Outcast: 15:51; Cause and Effect: 52:53

It's a tenuous connection at best this week on SSHB! First up, some unexplained tech has separated consciousnesses from bodies, allowing them to hijack some "Enterprise" crew in "Power Play". After that, it's anything BUT a barrel of laughs for Worf when he loses the ability to walk, but can he get it back thanks to a radical, barely-tested procedure in "Ethics"?

Also this week: Doctor Hillary Clinton, Jake explains Scientology (maybe?), and Klingon musical groups.

Note: "Star Trek Beyond" spoilers from 14:26-14:59.

Also also: this title really wreaks havoc with that whole "i before e except after c" thing, huh? English, man...

Timestamps: synopses: 1:27; Power Play: 13:54; Ethics: 37:43

It's time to meet new people and re-meet the old this week on TNG. First up: a self-isolated human colony is in need of outside assistance - and maybe some outside tuchus - in "The Masterpiece Society". After that, an alien weapon strips the "Enterprise" crew of their memories and they have to figure out who they are and what (and who) they were doing in "Conundrum".

Also this week: Ames's German is showing, Riker's bearded clap, and Chris kills the momentum.

Timestamps: synopses: 1:26; The Masterpiece Society: 7:04; Conundrum: 42:41

We're stuck with a couple of clunkers this week, folks. First up, it's a crappier version of "The Bonding" when a boy decides he wants to be an android and that blithering idiot Troi agrees in "Hero Worship". After that, the very delicate topic of sexual assault is given a sci-fi twist and absolutely NONE of the delicate nuance or handling it needs in "Violations".

Also this week: hitting the brown note, Ghostbusters 2, and sponsors.

Content warning: see above. "Violations" is a sexual assault/rape allegory and there's a LOT of talk about it.

Timestamps: synopses: 2:00; Hero Worship: 12:00; Violations: 30:26

It's all about visitors from other times - literally and figuratively - this week on TNG. First up, Berlinghoff Rasmussen is a temporal tourist with secrets in "A Matter of Time". After that, the worst part of Worf's past is here to stay in "New Ground".

Also this week: that's not how that song goes, planet of the Hitlers, and the importance of safe sex.

[Note: "First Contact" spoilers from 14:24-14:59]

Timestamps: synopses: 0:54; A Matter of Time: 6:22; New Ground: 39:26

We're getting visitors from the past both recent and and a bit more distant in this week's TNGs. First up, Wesley Crusher comes back from the academy JUST in time to save the ship from a nefarious alien brainwashing plot in "The Game". After that, a two-parter requires two guests in the form of Sarek and Spock in the fan-wankular "Unification" (also Sela is there).

Also this week: Chris wants another writer to face justice, something is missing from the dump, and Perrin's special technique.

Also also: MINOR "Star Trek Beyond" spoilers from 45:15 - 45:16 and we ruin the plot of "The Faculty"

Timestamps: synopses: 1:49; The Game: 13:05; Unification: 36:48

This year, your SSHB cast is thankful for usable audio! Yes, something went a little hooey this recording so the track is a bit...rough-sounding, even for us. We've done our best to smooth out the rough edges, but we are aware and sorry that it's a bit funky this week.

But what's going on in the shows? Well, first up Data suddenly has old colonist memories again as a relative of one of the long-dead arrives to study a new Crystalline Entity attack in "Silicon Avatar". After that, there's too many plots to keep track of after the "Enterprise" hits a quantum filament in "Disaster".

Also this week: Caitlin makes it weird, a subtle sponsorship request, and totally sly recording orders.

Also also: yes, this week's title only refers to one episode, which we usually avoid, but tell me YOU could resist "Midworf". Thought so.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:27; Silicon Avatar: 12:16; Disaster: 37:07

It's all kinds of new friends this week on SSHB! First up, the "Enterprise" crew tries to make proper first contact with the heretofore-incomprehensible Tamarians in "Darmok", and things get a bit dangerous when Picard's counterpart decides to force the issue. After that, we meet a new crewmember in the form of the disgraced and titular "Ensign Ro", a Bajoran with a (frankly understandable) chip on her shoulder.

Also this week: "Darmok" v. "Midnight", Yar v. Ro, Disney v. your wallet.

Also also: some DS9 chatter this week, but spoiler-free.

Timestamps: synopses: 1:13; Darmok: 13:53; Ensign Ro: 38:35

It's a whopper this week, as for the first time ever SSHB covers both proper "Star Trek" episodes AND a related-but-not-proper-"Trek" thing outside of a Ten Forward!

First up, we're wrapping season 4 and starting 5 with the two-part "Redemption"! Seeds have been laid for ages now and they're all sprouting schemes to maneuver the Duras family and their Romulan allies into positions of power! After that: the adult film parody of TNG, only edited for YouTube! How does it stand up without its raison d'être? You'll have to listen to find out!

Also this week: too many plots, mixed metaphors, and a blockade that actually makes no sense whatsoever.

Timestamps: synopses: 1:08; Redemption: 6:44; porn parody: 1:13:22; Season 4 wrap up: 1:24:23