Before the Future Came

Before the Future Came

By Melissa Avery-Weir, Gregory Avery-Weir, and Dr. Lucy ArnoldTV & FilmSociety & CulturePhilosophy
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Before the Future Came episodes

  • S01E14. Yesteryear, How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth

    Behold me as I am! Melissa comes to us with two episodes from The Animated Series: "Yesteryear," (S01E02) written by D. C. Fontana and directed by Hal Sutherland; and "How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth," (S02E05) written by Russell Bates and David Wise and directed by Bill Reed. Like "Qpid," these episodes involve paternalism echoing from the past. We talk about radical autonomy, monoculturalism, paternalism, orientalism, and (of course) assessment. We also geek over James Doohan (despite his accent work), space monsters, and how all the writers agree about young Vulcan bullies.

    For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

    Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

    Connections:

    • The Enterprise encounters two warring races, one white on the right side and the other white on the left, in The Original Series S03E15, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield."
    • Spock's half-brother Sybok is introduced in the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
    • Spock's childhood home city, ShiKahr, is actually named in "Yesteryear." In later appearances and the extended universe, it is established as the capital city of Vulcan.

      • Works Cited:

      • Adichie, C. (2009, July). The danger of a single story [Address]. TEDGlobal 2009, Oxford, U.K. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story
      • Benares, C. (1977). Zen without Zen masters. And/Or Press.
        • The quotation on "One of the hazards of refusing to accept change in yourself..." is found on p. 45.
        • Gerber, S. (Creator). (1980-1981). Thundarr the barbarian [TV series]. Ruby-Spears Productions.
        • Glassner, J., Wright, B., Cooper, R., Mallozzi, J., Mullie, P., Anderson, R. D., & Greenburg, M. (Executive producers). (1997-2007). Stargate SG-1 [TV Series]. MGM Television, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Sony Pictures Television, Showtime Networks, & Sci-Fi Originals.
        • Homer. The Odyssey.
          • The Lotus Eaters appear in Book IX.
          • Malaclypse the Younger. (1979). Principia Discordia: or how I found Goddess and what I did to her when I found her: the magnum opiate of Malaclypse the Younger, wherein is explained absolutely everything worth knowing about absolutely anything. Rip Off Press.
            • The "Sermon on Ethics & Love" is on p. 38.
            • Toth, A. (Creator). The Herculoids [TV series]. Hanna-Barbera Productions.
            • von Daniken, F. (1968). Chariots of the gods? Unsolved mysteries of the past. Bantam Books.
            • West-Puckett, S., Caswell, N. I., & Banks, W. P. (2023). Failing sideways: Queer possibilities for writing assessment. Utah State University Press.

              • For our next episode, we'll watch Star Trek: Prodigy S01E09-10, "A Moral Star" parts 1 and 2, written by the entire Prodigy writing team and directed by Ben Hibon.

              Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

              Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

              1 hr 24 min
            • S01E13. Qpid

              Blood will be spilt! Gregory brings "Qpid," the 20th episode of season 4 of The Next Generation, written by Ira Steven Behr and Randee Russell and directed by Cliff Bole. Like "Captain's Holiday," this episode features the recurring character of Vash (and a lot of misogyny). We discuss historical fantasy, amatonormativity, the ideal woman, power, pedagogy, and Q. We also chat about humor, stage fighting, and queer coding.

              Transcripts are in progress and will be added to this post when complete.

              For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

              Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

              Connections:

              • Q drops his imperious act at the end of The Next Generation S07E25-26, "All Good Things."
              • Q tries to convince Captain Janeway to bear his child in Voyager S03E11, "The Q and the Grey."
              • Lwaxana Troi undergoes "super-menopause" (actually the Phase, a period of hyper-fertility and -sexuality) in TNG S02E19, "Manhunt."
              • The Betazoid term of affection, "imzadi," first appears in TNG S01E01-02, "Encounter at Farpoint."
              • Mr. Homn, Lwaxana Troi's valet, first appears in TNG S01E11, "Haven." He's played by Carel Struycken, who also portrays The Giant and The Fireman on Twin Peaks.

                • Works Cited:

                • Brake, E. (2012). Minimizing marriage. Oxford University Press.
                • Bryant, P., Chibnall, C., Collins, J., Collinson, P., Davies, R. T., Gardner, J., Hinchcliffe, P., Lambert, V., Letts, B., Lloyd, I., Minchin, B., Moffat, S., Nathan-Turner, J., Penhale, F., Robinson, J. A., Sherwin, D., Skinner, C., Strevens, M., Tranter, J., Wenger, P., Wiles, J., Willis, B., Williams, G., & Young, M. (Producers & Executive Producers). (1963-present). Doctor who [TV Series]. BBC Television, BBC Wales, BBC Studios, BBC Studios Productions, Bad Wolf.
                • Gross, E., & Altman, M. A. (1995). Captains' logs: The unauthorized complete Trek voyages. Little Brown & Co.
                  • Director Cliff Bole offers excuses for misogyny in a quotation on p. 219.
                  • Nordgren, A. (2012, July 6). The short instructional manifesto for relationship anarchy. Tumblr. https://log.andie.se/post/26652940513/the-short-instructional-manifesto-for-relationship

                    • For our next episode, we'll watch The Animated Series S01E02, "Yesteryear," written by D. C. Fontana and directed by Hal Sutherland; and S02E05, "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth," written by Russell Bates and David Wise and directed by Bill Reed.

                    Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                    Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                    1 hr 22 min
                  • S01E12. Captain’s Holiday

                    You've fulfilled your destiny all too well! Lucy brings "Captain's Holiday," the 19th episode of season 3 of The Next Generation, written by Ira Steven Behr and directed by Chip Chalmers. Like "Inquisition," this episode revolves around an attempted holiday that goes awry. We talk about vacations, misogyny, bodies, liminality, archaeology, and antisemitism. We also discuss pre-trip research, amazing costumes, and our beloved Vash.

                    For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

                    Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

                    Connections:

                    • This episode is Risa's first appearance. It is portrayed in three more episodes of various series (and mentioned a few more times).
                    • Picard memorably appears even more nude in The Next Generation S06E11, "Chain of Command, Part II."
                    • Picard lives an entire life and learns to play the Ressikan flute in The Next Generation S05E25, "The Inner Light."
                    • Beckett Mariner warns Brad Boimler about jamaharon in Lower Decks S01E02, "Envoys."

                      • Works Cited

                      • Moffat, S. (Writer) & Lyn, E. (Director). (2008, May 31). Silence in the library (Series 4, Episode 9) [Tv series episode]. In Davies, R. & Gardner, J. (Executive Producers), Doctor who. BBC Wales.
                        • This is the first appearance of River Song (from the perspective of the viewers).
                        • Spielberg, S. (Director). (1981). Raiders of the lost Ark [Film]. Lucasfilm Ltd.
                          • This is the first appearance of the adventuress Marion Ravenwood.
                          • van Gennep, A. (1977). The rites of passage. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
                          • Verhoeven, P. (Director). (1990). Total recall [Film]. Carolco Pictures.
                          • Zemechis, R. (Director). (1984). Romancing the stone [Film]. El Corazon Producciones S.A.

                            • For our next episode, we'll watch The Next Generation S04E20, "Qpid," written by Ira Steven Behr and Randee Russell and directed by Cliff Bole.

                            Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                            Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                            1 hr 17 min
                          • S01E11. Inquisition

                            I can assure you: this is no game. Melissa brings "Inquisition," the 18th episode of Season 6 of Deep Space Nine, written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle and directed by Michael Dorn, the actor of Worf; one of only four episodes of Star Trek he directed. Like Elite Force, this episode contains a lot of questionable military ethics. We discuss assessment, astonishment, morality, espionage, truth, and the Promenade. We also geek about homosociality, academic conferences, and the actor William Sadler.

                            Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media (we’re now also on Mastodon: @[email protected]), or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

                            For our next episode, we'll be watching The Next Generation S03E19, "Captain's Holiday," written by Ira Steven Behr and directed by Chip Chalmers.

                            Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                            Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                            1 hr 20 min
                          • S01E10. Elite Force

                            Content Warnings: mention of motion sickness and vomiting

                            Consider this your personal Kobayashi Maru. Gregory brings Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force, a video game released in 2000 by Raven Software. Like "In a Mirror, Darkly," this episode involves the denizens of the Mirror Universe. We discuss first contact, video games, military orders, courtesy, romance, and canonicity. We also chat about Jefferies tubes, stealth, and technobabble.

                            If you don't want to play the game yourself, you can watch the same video Lucy did on Youtube.

                            (The transcript for this episode is in progress and will be added to this post when it’s ready.)

                            For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

                            Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

                            Connections:

                            • The Etherians do not appear in any other Star Trek works.
                            • Nick Locarno is the rude, hotshot leader of Nova Squadron in The Next Generation S05E19, "The First Duty."
                            • The Infinity Modulator, or "I-MOD," only appears in the Elite Force games and Star Trek Online. The Borg's personal shielding, which adapts to phaser frequencies, is first introduced in The Next Generation S02E16, "Q Who."
                            • The Hirogen are introduced in Voyager S04E14, "Message in a Bottle."
                            • The Malon are introduced in Voyager S05E01, "Night."
                            • Jefferies tubes first appear in The Original Series S01E06, "The Naked Time."

                              • Works Cited:

                              • Connel, R. (1924, January 19). The most dangerous game. Collier's.
                              • Half-life [Video game]. (1998). Valve.
                              • Hocking, C. (2007, October 7). Ludonarrative dissonance in Bioshock: The problem of what the game is about. Click Nothing.
                              • McTiernan, J. (Director). (1987). Predator [Film]. 20th Century Fox, Davis Entertainment.
                              • The operative: No one lives forever [Video game]. (2000). Monolith Productions.
                              • Wilmot works it out [Video game]. (2024). Hollow Ponds & Richard Hogg

                                • For our next episode, we'll watch Deep Space Nine S06E18, "Inquisition," written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle and directed by Michael Dorn.

                                Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                                Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                                1 hr 23 min
                              • S01E09. In a Mirror, Darkly

                                Love never fails. Lucy brings "In a Mirror, Darkly" Parts 1 and 2, episodes 18 and 19 of Season 4 of Enterprise. Part 1 was written by Mike Sussman and directed by James Conway. Part 2 was written by Mike Sussman and Manny Coto and directed by Marvin V. Rush. Like the 2009 film Star Trek, this double episode explores an alternate history. We talk about compassion, misogyny, dehumanization, censorship, and torture. We also chat about the ongoing story of the mirror universe, biblical references, and these episodes' special intro sequence.

                                For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

                                Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media (we're now also on Mastodon: @[email protected]), or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

                                Connections:

                                • The Tholians first appear in The Original Series S03E09, "The Tholian Web," which also shows how the Constitution-class Defiant departed the prime reality.
                                • The mirror universe is first portrayed in The Original Series S02E10, "Mirror, Mirror." Its history is further expanded in several episodes of Deep Space Nine, much of Discovery Season 1, and Prodigy S02E14, "Cracked Mirror."
                                • Garak and Quark discuss the insidiousness of root beer and Federation principles in Deep Space Nine S04E02, "The Way of the Warrior" Part 2.
                                • T'kuvma warns against the Federation greeting, "we come in peace," in Discovery S01E01, "The Vulcan Hello."
                                • A memetic infection hits the crew in Strange New Worlds S02E09, "Subspace Rhapsody."
                                • Lieutenant Marlena Moreau is the "captain's woman" of the mirror universe Kirk in "Mirror, Mirror."
                                • As of Discovery S01E12, "Vaulting Ambition," the title of the Terran Emperor is "Her Most Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of Qo'noS, Regina Andor, [Given Name] Augustus Iaponius Centarius."
                                • The shots of starship combat in the opening sequence are from assorted episodes of Enterprise and Voyager.

                                  • Works Cited:

                                  • American Standard Version Bible. (1901). 1 Corinthians 13:12.
                                  • Costanzo, M. A. (2009). The effects and effectiveness of using torture as an interrogation device: Using research to inform the policy debate. Social Issues and Policy Review 3(1), 179-210.
                                  • Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. Ramos, Trans.). Seabury Press. (Original work published 1968)

                                    • For our next episode, we'll play the first four levels of the video game Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force, developed by Raven Software. That's through the end of the Scavenger Base sequence. The game is available at GOG.com and has a widescreen patch for modern resolutions.

                                    Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                                    Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                                    1 hr 21 min
                                  • S01E08. Star Trek 2009

                                    Fire everything we've got! Melissa brings the 2009 film Star Trek, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and directed by J.J. Abrams. Like "Crisis Point" and "Crisis Point 2," this movie dives headlong into the action genre. We discuss vilification of labor, misogyny, and character motivations. We also chat about destiny, humor, set design, and lens flares.

                                    For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

                                    Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

                                    Connections:

                                    • The Kobayashi Maru scenario is introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and is later depicted in Prodigy S01E06, "Kobayashi."
                                    • Chekhov's accent is notably used for comedic effect in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, where he carefully enunciates "nuclear wessels" to a cop.
                                    • Khan Noonien Singh is first discovered (in the primary timeline) in The Original Series S01E24, "Space Seed."
                                    • Khan is only one of the antagonists of Star Trek Into Darkness; the instigator of the plot is a Starfleet admiral trying to provoke a war.
                                    • Star Trek Online primarily takes place in 2409-10, twenty-two years after the destruction of Romulus. Player characters can also be from the Original Series or Discovery time periods; they travel through time to the 25th century at the end of their introductory storylines.

                                      • Works Cited:

                                      • Abrams, J.J., Kurtzman, A., & Orci, R. (Creators). (2008-2013). Fringe [TV series]. Bad Robot; Warner Bros. Television.
                                      • Bechdel, A. (1986). The rule [Comic]. In Dykes to Watch Out For. Firebrand Books.
                                        • This strip introduces the so-called Bechdel Test.
                                        • Woerner, M. (2009, Apr. 27). J.J. Abrams admits Star Trek lens flares are "ridiculous." io9. https://web.archive.org/web/20121221114522/http://io9.com/5230278/jj-abrams-admits-star-trek-lens-flares-are-ridiculous

                                          • Our next episode will cover Enterprise S04E18, "In a Mirror, Darkly," written by Mike Sussman and directed by James L. Conway, and S04E19, "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II," written by Mike Sussman & Manny Coto and directed by Marvin V. Rush.

                                          Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                                          Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                                          1 hr 29 min
                                        • S01E07. Crisis Points

                                          These graphics are mindblowing! Gregory brings "Crisis Point," the ninth episode of season one of Lower Decks, written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Bob Suarez; and "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus," the eighth episode of season three, written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Michael Mullen. Like "Subspace Rhapsody," these episodes engage in a specific genre: here, the action movie. We discuss family, race, and the power of narratives. We also touch on mental health, aspirations, Star Trek movies, punishment in Starfleet, and holodeck episodes.

                                          (The transcript for this episode is in progress and will be added to this post when it’s ready.)

                                          For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

                                          Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

                                          Connections:

                                          • Deanna Troi's mother Lwaxana Troi first appears in The Next Generation S01E11, "Haven."
                                          • Picard's brother Robert is first seen in The Next Generation S04E02, "Family."
                                          • Beverly Crusher hits Wesley Crusher while under the telepathic influence of Sarek's emotions in The Next Generation S03E23, "Sarek."
                                          • Data's brother Lore is introduced in The Next Generation S01E13, "Datalore."
                                          • Gwyn's troubled relationship with the Diviner is depicted throughout Prodigy, but especially in S01E01-02, "Lost and Found," and S01E09-10, "A Moral Star."
                                          • Sarek's estrangement with his son Spock first appears in The Original Series S02E15, "Journey to Babel."
                                          • Tendi visits her homeworld of Orion in Lower Decks S04E04, "Something Borrowed, Something Green." She begins the show working in Medical, but later becomes a science officer trainee.
                                          • A xenophobic conspiracy theorist is proven right in Lower Decks S04E08, "Caves."
                                          • We previously discussed Star Trek racism in Discovery S01E01, "The Vulcan Hello," and S01E02, "Battle at the Binary Stars."
                                          • Mesk, an Orion adopted by humans, appears in Lower Decks S03E06, "Hear All, Trust Nothing."
                                          • The Orion pirate queen we mention is Osyraa, the Minister of the Emerald Chain, first introduced in Discovery S03E08, "The Sanctuary."
                                          • James Callis (who played Gaius Baltar on Battlestar Galactica) portrays an imaginary psychiatrist in Picard S02E07, "Monsters."
                                          • Kor seeks to go out in a blaze of glory in Deep Space Nine S04E09, "The Sword of Kahless," which we talked about recently.
                                          • It's not Boimler who spends time in the security division, but Rutherford, in Lower Decks S01E02, "Envoys."
                                          • Uhura rotates through the various ship departments throughout the first season of Strange New Worlds.
                                          • Vindicta's Shakespeare quotes and the vector graphics of the Chronogami are references to the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
                                          • As discussed on a previous episode, Braxton pursues temporal revenge in Voyager S05E24, "Relativity."
                                          • Toral, son of Duras, seeks revenge in Deep Space Nine S04E09, "The Sword of Kahless."
                                          • The holodeck has been used to play westerns (TNG S06E08, "A Fistful of Datas"), Robin Hood (TNG S04E20, "Qpid"), Beowulf (VOY S01E12, "Heroes and Demons"), Gothic novels (VOY S01E13, "Cathexis"), and noir (TNG S01E12, "The Big Goodbye), among many other genres.
                                          • Yar is unceremoniously killed in The Next Generation S01E23, "Skin of Evil."
                                          • Mike McMahon, the creator of Lower Decks, was a writer and producer on Rick and Morty; he was among those who won an Emmy for S03E03, "Pickle Rick."

                                            • Works Cited:

                                            • Benioff, D. & Weiss, D. B. (Creators). Game of thrones [TV series]. HBO Entertainment, Television 360, Grok! Television, Generator Entertainment, Startling Television, Bighead Littlehead.
                                            • Bruner, J. S. (Jerome S. (1990). Acts of meaning. Harvard University Press.
                                            • Clinchy, B., Goldberger, N. R., Tarule, J. M., & Belenky, M. F. (1997). Women’s ways of knowing : the development of self, voice, and mind (Tenth anniversary edition.). BasicBooks.
                                            • Kring, T. (Creator). (2006-2010). Heroes [TV series]. Tailwind Productions, NBC Universal Television Studio, Universal Media Studios.
                                            • Moore, R. D. & Eick, D. (Executive producers). (2003-2009). Battlestar Galactica [TV series]. David Eick Productions, R&D TV, NBCUniversal Television Studio, Universal Media Studios, Universal Cable Productions.
                                            • O'Bannon, R. S. (Creator). (1999-2003). Farscape [TV series]. Hallmark Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company.
                                            • Parker, T. & Stone, M. (Creators). (1997-present). South Park [TV series]. Celluloid Studios, Braniff Productions, Parker-Stone Productions, South Park Studios.
                                            • Roiland, J. & Harmon, D. (Creators). (2013-present). Rick and Morty [TV series]. Williams Street; Harmonious Claptrap; Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions!; Starburns Industries; Rick and Morty, LLC; Green Portal Productions.

                                              • Our next episode will cover the 2009 film Star Trek, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and directed by J.J. Abrams.

                                              Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                                              Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                                              1 hr 11 min
                                            • S01E06b. Programming Note and New Listener Recommendations

                                              There's no episode for July 2024, but we offer some recommendations for new listeners about some of our favorite pre-Star-Trek episodes. We'll return in August with Lower Decks S01E09, "Crisis Point," written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Bob Suarez, and S03E08, "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus," written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Michael Mullen.

                                              2 min
                                            • S01E06. Subspace Rhapsody

                                              It might be time to change our paradigm. Lucy brings "Subspace Rhapsody," the ninth episode of season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff and directed by Dermott Downs. Like "Sarek," this episode has the crew overwhelmed by their emotions and forced to express them in unproductive ways. We discuss connection, authenticity, and imperial communication. We also talk about genres, theme and variation, secrets and lying, K-pop (Klingon pop), retcons, and the nature of musical episodes.

                                              (The transcript for this episode is in progress and will be added to this post when it’s ready.)

                                              For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website.

                                              Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at [email protected], contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space.

                                              Connections:

                                              • La'an Noonien-Singh hooks up with an alternate version of James Kirk in Strange New Worlds S02E03, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow."
                                              • The Original Series confronts race in several episodes, including S03E12, "Plato's Stepchildren" (which includes an interracial kiss) and S03E15, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" (which features bigotry between a race that is white on the left half and a race that is white on the right half).
                                              • Strange New Worlds retells LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" in S01E06, "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach," which has a society's prosperity dependent on one child's suffering.
                                              • Spock mindmelds with a rock (a Horta) in S01E26, "The Devil in the Dark."
                                              • Nyota Uhura is promoted from cadet to ensign between seasons one and two of Strange New Worlds.
                                              • Second contact is depicted as involving the installation of a subspace communications array starting in Lower Decks S01E01, "Second Contact."
                                              • The Nexus is entered via a temporal energy ribbon in the film Star Trek: Generations.
                                              • Whalesong plays a central role in the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
                                              • Una Chin-Riley is arrested for hiding her status as an augment in Strange New Worlds S01E10, "A Quality of Mercy," and is tried and exonerated in S02E02, "Ad Astra per Aspera."
                                              • Klingon opera is first mentioned (as far as we can find) in The Next Generation S05E08, "Unification II." Another Klingon musical genre, acid punk, is depicted in Lower Decks S02E03, "We'll Always Have Tom Paris."
                                              • Klingons first appear as swarthy, smooth-foreheaded humanoids in The Original Series S01E27, "Errand of Mercy." In the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture, they appear with cranial ridges. Starting in Enterprise S04E15, it's revealed that the TOS-era smooth foreheads are the result of the Augment virus. In Discovery S01E01, "The Vulcan Hello," Klingons appear more alien than either their TOS or post-Motion-Picture designs, although this difference becomes less dramatic later in the series. By Strange New Worlds S02E01, "The Broken Circle," Klingons are very similar to their Motion Picture design. The alternate-universe film Star Trek Into Darkness has its own unique Klingon design.
                                              • Christine Chapel tries to drug Spock in The Animated Series S01E10, "Mudd's Passion," finds an android recreation of her husband in The Original Series S01E09, "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", and helps Spock through his pon farr in TOS S02E05, "Amok Time."

                                                • Works cited:

                                                • Arnold, L. (2024). Forging communities in contested spaces: Critical media literacy as a social justice practice. In Teaching for equity, justice, and antiracism with digital literacy practices (pp. 87-103). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003430209-8/forging-communities-contested-spaces-lucy-arnold
                                                • Mackenzie, W. (Director) & Fordham, D. (Writer). (2007. Jan. 18). My musical (Season 6, Episode 6) [TV series episode]. In Lawrence, B., Goldman, N., Donovan, G., Hobert, T., Quill, T., Callahan, B., Braff, Z., Bycel, J., & Groff, J. (Executive producers), Scrubs. Doozer Productions; Touchstone Television.
                                                • Swift, T. (2024) I can do it with a broken heart [Song]. On The tortured poets department [Album]. Republic.
                                                • Takegami, J., Kamisaka, H., & Yonemura, S. (Writers). (1999-present). One piece [TV series]. Toei Animation.
                                                • Whedon, J. (Director & Writer). (2001, Nov. 6). Once more, with feeling (Season 6, Episode 7) [TV series episode]. In Whedon, J., Greenwalt, D., Noxon, M., Fury, D., Kuzui, F. R., Kuzui, K. (Executive producers), Buffy the vampire slayer. Mutant Enemy Productions; Sandollar Television; Kuzui Enterprises; 20th Century Fox Television.
                                                • Wright, B., Cooper, R. C., & Binder, C. (Executive producers). Stargate universe [TV Series]. Acme Shark Productions; MGM Television.

                                                  • Our next episode will cover Lower Decks S01E09, "Crisis Point," written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Bob Suarez, and S03E08, "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus," written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Michael Mullen.

                                                  Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Avery-Weir, and webmavened by Gregory Avery-Weir.

                                                  Our theme is “Let’s Pretend” by Josh Woodward, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

                                                  1 hr 29 min

                                                About Before the Future Came

                                                From the publisher's feed

                                                Melissa Avery-Weir, Gregory Avery-Weir, and Dr. Lucy Arnold look at the ideologies of Star Trek as we voyage from one episode or film to the next, following a breadcrumb trail of motifs. How is the…