Kirk sure is in a mood this week, but while he has a pretty good excuse in "The Deadly Years," what with crazy space radiation causing him and other members of an away team to rapidly age, he seems to have no excuse in "Obsession," wherein he has been cast as a pseudo-Ahab hunting a white cloud instead of a white whale.

Also this week: space feels small, Starfleet officers feel unprepared for shocks, and away team kit seems poorly thought-out. Also also: Tom Hanks.

Timestamps: synopses: 1:10; The Deadly Years: 6:14; Obsession: 30:34

We've got another week of doubling up! Two DC Fontana scripts bring us two stories driven by mineral rights and featuring two occasions of Kirk being rather rubbish at diplomacy. Luckily, both times he's got someone there that's better at it than him. In "Journey to Babel" it's Sarek, Vulcan ambassador and Spock's father, and in "Friday's Child" it is, remarkably, the usually-irascible Bones acting as the cooler head.

Also this week: Chris can't say Orion, minor "Game of Thrones" spoilers, and Shat hair chat.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:30; Journey to Babel: 6:18; Friday's Child: 37:16

Wait, what's going on?! Well, we've mentioned it a few times before, but we've finally done it: it's our first Ten Forward, where we're going to go anywhere from slightly to VERY off-topic. This week, it's somewhere in the middle as we take a detour into "Star Wars" and its first anthology film, "Rogue One"! SPOILERS GALORE for that one. Seriously, we ruin the ending within 5 minutes. You've been warned. We also freely discuss a lot of the rest of the franchise, tho I don't THINK we give away anything earth-shattering.

Also this week: Jake gets mad at a prequel, Caitlin gets mad at attempted humor, Chris gets annoyed at lazy acting, and Ames doesn't get cross at anyone or anything, tho she might have regrets about having tried to take notes in a darkened theater.

Content Warning: even for us, this one gets a bit blue. But it's not our fault! First up we have "I, Mudd," which has the show coming as close to admitting that returning antagonist Harry Mudd has concubine robots that he does strange things with as 1960s TV censors will allow. After that it's "Metamorphosis" and the first appearance of Zephram Cochrane, the human inventor of warp drive, and he's having a somewhat-uncomfortable relationship with a gas cloud which even he didn't have full understanding of.

Also this week: sexism. So. Much. Sexism.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:33; I, Mudd: 5:04; Metamorphosis: 41:33

"The Doomsday Machine" hits us over the head with an unsubtle Cold War allegory so we hit back with sex toy jokes, and then "Trek" tries its hand at some light Lovecraft in "Catspaw." Also this week: Captains and Commodores; kitty fighting and fighting a cat; and Monkees and monkeys.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:27; The Doomsday Machine: 7:35; Catspaw: 34:36

For the first SSHB of 2017 we've got a special guest to introduce us! Kind of. Then it's off to the EEEEEEEEEVIL races in "Mirror, Mirror," before beaming down to the crappest paradise in "The Apple." Also this week: Ladyboners for Bones, the Zune, and Chris repeats a NASA urban legend which he thought was the truth. SSHB: still more accurate than your racist uncle's Facebook posts!

Timestamps: synopses: 0:34; Mirror, Mirror: 4:00; The Apple: 36:58

One of the Jims was feeling particularly feisty this week and kept trying to join in, so apologies for the extra ambient noise this episode. Meanwhile, old gods don't die, they just fade away in "Who Mourns for Adonais," and Kirk's deadly-to-machines talking skills are on display again in "The Changeling." Also this week: gift exchange, a retraction, and a visit from both nerdJake and nerdCaitlin.

Content warning: brief discussion of use of rape in Greek mythology.

Timestamps: Christmas presents: 0:05; synopses: 6:08; Who Mourns for Adonais?: 10:11; The Changeling: 46:37

This episode is particularly SPOCKtacular, when everyone's favorite Vulcan is infected by parasites in "Operation: Annihilate!" and then infected by lust in "Amok Time." Also this week: college posters, continuity, and Vulcan shade. Warning: contains spoilers for "HMS Pinafore." It...it makes sense in context.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:58; Operation: Annihilate!: 5:18; Amok Time: 40:29

It's a low and a high as we try desperately to find something to like in "The Alternative Factor," followed by us being shocked that too many cooks DIDN'T spoil the broth in "The City on the Edge of Forever." Also this week: blasphemy, canon consternation, and Aladdin's nipples.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:44; The Alternative Factor: 6:10; The City on the Edge of Forever: 30:29

It's a regular Yakov Trekov this week, as pizza eats YOU in "The Devil in the Dark" and the occupied order around the soldiers in "Errand of Mercy." Also this week: a lightly musical intro, guess who isn't a bricklayer, and Kirk in a jerkin.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:51; Devil in the Dark: 3:25; Errand of Mercy: 25:30