Enterprising Individuals

We are talking LIVE about the #LowerDecks episode “Strange Energies”! Tweet at @eistpod with the hashtag #discoverage to join our conversation currently in progress!

Get ready to lose those chains as we unite with "Bar Association"!

Writer, podcaster, and comedian Michael Swaim joins the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that is looking to fill the dustbin of future history. When Rom collapses on the job, Quark refuses to give him or his coworkers sick leave or paid vacation time. When Rom and his fellow workers form a union, Quark will have to find a way to make a deal with his brother before he loses his reputation, his bar . . . and his life!

Star Trek is the first thing everyone thinks of when you say "benevolent future socialist utopia", but it certainly hasn't given us any tips on how to be as happy as Federation citizens are. Trek was created and is sustained by well-meaning, liberal minds, but one wonders if it's time for the Trek franchise to make explicit its condemnation of capitalism in the same way it's indicted racism, sexism, and homophobia. On this episode, we discuss the characteristics of good science fiction, whether or not greed is innate in Ferengi society, the practical aspects of the Federation economy, the astropolitical concerns that inform Starfleet's mission, setting realistic stakes in your fantasy world, Trek's teaching moments, and how most utopian fiction still kicks the can down the road.

We also discuss the dearly departed Digg, "comedy with a college degree", the Cracked Diaspora, how editing is the secret sauce of comedy, summoning Bloodshot, Tired vs. Wired: Ferengi Edition, "Moogie bros", Ferengi crowd work, Bezos in space, when your doctor tells you to treason, cracked eyesockets and broken strikes, "America loves ROM!", lawful neutral Odo, the economic Prime Directive, and space Heaven!

People like me better watch their step!

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This week, Peter Aidan Byrne of TrekvsTrek.com returns to the show to talk about the ways in which Trek has evolved (or hasn't) over its 55-year history. It all started with a horny ex-cop's dream of a future paradise . . . are we there yet?

We guarantee only the wackiest of doodles!

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Turn off the lights and light a candle as we become one with "Sub Rosa"!

Author Catherynne M. Valente returns to the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that will challenge everything you know about amorous ghosts on Scottish planets. After the death of her grandmother, Beverly Crusher discovers that her nana had a mysterious younger paramour named Ronin. As she begins to investigate their connection, she discovers a malevolent force that has stalked her ancestors for centuries . . . and she's the next target!

On its face, Sub Rosa seems irredeemable as an hour of Star Trek, but if you look past the Celtic sex ghost candle, you'll find an episode that is positive about female sexuality, that provides rare glimpses into the back story of an underdeveloped main character, and one that pushes plain old Trek into cosmic gothic romance. *If* you can look past the Celtic sex ghost candle, that is. On this episode, we discuss the flexibility of Trek's setting, if and when Trek succeeds with horror storytelling, what pop culture is like in the 24th century, the English Lit tropes endemic to Trek stories, how the tech of Trek is updated, how longform Trek storytelling has lead to actual relationships being depicted on-screen, Byronic characters in Star Trek, and not actually going far *enough* with your sex candle story.

We also discuss Bean Dad and insurrections, this year's Eurovision winner, the surprising number of bite-hiders in society, "hopepunk" and finding beauty in a crapsack world, the "warm milk bath" of TNG, how TV lighting kills horror, The Ballad of Jeanna F. Gallo, Irottish appropriation, no Internet = old people hobbies, a masturbation-based narrative, casting Dracula as "Dracula", sex cringe on TNG, eating grapes for cancer, leaving your job for ghost love, a Golden Girls ep in space, Blazin' Bev, and Space Fabio the Hereditary Sex Ghost!

Lights! Camera! Writhe!

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This week, Star Trek: Discovery actor Noah Averbach-Katz joins the show to talk about his Trek fandom, how he became an actor, and creating the role of Ryn the Andorian!

Always be yourself...unless you can be Garak. Then, always be Garak.

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Take your seat at the negotiation table as we seek a "Cease Fire"!

Mikanhana of Sailor Noob and Just Enough Trope is back on the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise that shows humanity finding a foothold in the affairs of the Alpha Quadrant. Vulcan and Andor have been warring over a Class-D moon for nearly a century. Now, Archer must convince them to settle for peace before the quadrant erupts into war!

Enterprise is often seen as the black sheep of the Trek family, usually by fans who haven't given it a fair chance. Though it was conceived and executed during complicated political times and by creators who were fatigued, the show still finds a way to inject unique premises and interesting character studies into the legacy of Star Trek. On this episode, we discuss the circumstances of Enterprise's development and how it changed over the years, the flawed characters and sometimes flawed stories, the chameleon powers of Jeffrey Combs, the show's parallels to American jingoism, and how fans react when Trek doesn't conform to our view of its utopian future,

We also discuss franchise exhaustion, '90s anime, rubber budgets, Mando #5, persuasive nose blood, three "B's" and a "C", Q's baby momma, "Honky Tonk Highway", the Andorian lean, making a sex point, candy and Earl Grey tea, fried gator bits, pity renews, Rhys or Bryce, Andorian the White, Kirk v. Archer, and an extended metaphor about the "Star" franchise family!

Bad show! No Biscuit!

Listen to Mikanhana on Sailor Noob and Just Enough Trope!
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This week, we celebrate the life and story of one of Trek's most important figures: George Takei. George tells the incredible and sobering story of his time in a Japanese relocation camp and the racism and discrimination his family faced after World War II is his graphic novel "They Called Us Enemy". On this episode, we talk about the novel, George's story, and why it's more relevant than ever today.

Sakana beach!

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Secrets and lies get exposed as we peek behind the mask to find our "Equilibrium"!

Author Alex White joins the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that gives us a brief but intriguing look at the Trill homeworld. When Dax begins experiencing troubling visions, she returns to Trill for medical help. When her condition becomes grave, it's up to Sisko and Bashir to fight through a web of lies to expose a dark truth about Trill and to save Jadzia's life!

The concept behind the Trill--a benevolent race of intelligent slug-like creatures and the humanoid civilization that provides for them--is one of sci-fi most creative and fertile premises. However, the privilege, wealth, longevity, and political power that near-eternal life would afford means that Trill society must accept a rigid class structure to maintain its equilibrium, a structure that stands at odd with the egalitarianism that the Federation was founded to promote. On this episode, we discuss the fleeting glimpses we get of Trill in the franchise, how the audience's perception of Dax has evolved over time, making the rules of your universe clear, the generational impact of violence and abuse, re-lensing old stories, and why it's important that people and children especially have the opportunity to see themselves in fiction.

We also discuss insurance in the Alien universe, Eternal Space '80s, the speed of plot, the best DS9 episode based on a magic act, getting cheated out of a circus, symbiotes as a commodity, "wormy hot tub time", getting the most out of your immortal, "nice vampires", capitalist critique, "a taste of the creature", using Outlook in the future, John Carpenter, good and bad bosses, and a Rear Admiral Grace Hopper name-drop!

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Lisa Banes.

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This week, it's a special episode of BackTrekking Presents as guest Gooey Fame helps us navigate the original "The City on the Edge of Forever" teleplay by Harlan Ellison!

"Hey, Scotty...you holdin', man?"

LISTENER WARNING: Adult language

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Jack in to the mainframe and defrag your RAMs this week as we come down with "Contagion"!

Pete the Retailer of Star Wars Minute and ABCD: TOS returns to the show to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that is part of the backbone of early TNG. When the USS Yamato is destroyed by a systems failure, Picard will have to take up the enigmatic search of her late captain. But when eerily similar problems begin affecting the Enterprise, the crew must race against time, the Romulans, and their own technology to escape the Yamato's fate!

Everyone knows TNG didn't get "good" until Season 3, but a closer examination of early TNG (specifically Season 2) reveals that the strength in storytelling and characterization that would galvanize the series was already well underway. Solid entries like "Contagion", "Samaritan Snare", and "The Measure of a Man" continued Trek's reputation for satisfying sci-fi fare while the show was still growing into the classic series it would become. On this episode, we discuss the baseline of quality TNG delivers, the prolific output of episode writer Steve Gerber, the persistent echoes of TOS in early TNG, finding the right balance of drama and humor in Trek, building trust with your audience, the technological status quo of the galaxy, the cultural parallels of the infection narrative, and the big ideas that TNG goes after.

We also discuss swinging negative on Star Wars, loving "The Rise of Skywalker", the different "Um, actuallys" between Wars and Trek fans, "making love to the alien", explaining computer viruses to Gene Roddenberry, Tea Earl Grey not, Kunta Kinte's dad, backseat producing, 2365 by way of 1989, hot Romulans, "Kirky" Picard, Human Zima, and even MORE *MORE* Starlost talk!

Have you tried turning your android off and back on again?

Follow Pete on Twitter and check out his website and podcasts!
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