Enterprising Individuals

Get ready to confront your complicated romantic past as we become "Rejoined"!

Writer Eleanor Tremeer rejoins the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that explores Star Trek's commitment to personal freedom. Dax is taken aback when she is reunited with her ex-wife, the brilliant scientist Lenara Kahn. Can she sort out her feelings for her former spouse before a dangerous wormhole experiment threatens to consume the ship, her erstwhile paramour, and their history?

Star Trek is a laboratory where sci-fi writers can turn our contemporary problems into compelling explorations of the human experience. '90s Trek often tried and failed to represent the experience of LGBT+ individuals, but "Rejoined" represents a high-water mark for the franchise's attempt to humanize gay characters. On this episode, we talk about making good on Roddenberry's promise of equality, the inherent social consciousness of Trek, the gunshy network executives who held the franchise back, Trek's clinging heteronormativity, the weird insistence by some fans that Trills aren't gay, the inherently bi story of "Rejoined", the way the Trill obliterate gender, how only DS9 could make this episode, and how love is the law in Trek.

We also discuss psychic Greek weeaboos, the studliness of Dax, the "'90s lesbian kiss episode", getting your slap on, the mystery of polari, just what exactly is going on in Trill society, pro-LGBT+ revisionism, getting sick of badmirals, Trill family dynamics, the Ktarians as the new Orions, why the Mirror Universe is game on for gayness, Eleanor talks about David Gerrold's efforts to bring gays to Trek, and Kal spots Megamind and Dames Jarren!

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We're slipping the surly bonds of Earth this week as Just Enough Trope's Mikanhana is back on the show to review "Apollo", a graphic novel about the Apollo 11 mission and the minds and hearts behind mankind's greatest adventure! Plus, we round up the Trek news of the day, from making Trek "younger and more relevant" to the Walter Mosely mystery to Trek's recent awards to some old school pedantry!

Somebody get me Matt Damon!

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Get ready to do it over (and over) again until you get it right as we're beguiled by "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad"!

Illustrator, writer, and storyboard artist Mike Collins joins the show the week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Discovery that uses familiar Trek storytelling tools to explore new facets of its characters. Michael Burnham is beginning to feel at home aboard the USS Discovery, but that peace is shattered when a vengeful Mudd arrives and destroys the ship! Michael Burnham is beginning to feel at home aboard the USS Discovery, but that peace is shattered when a vengeful Mudd arrives and destroys the ship! Michael Burnham is beginning to feel at home aboard the USS Discovery, but that peace is shattered when a vengeful Mudd arrives...

When Star Trek: Discovery premiered, it was faced with the difficult task of creating a unique corner of the Trek universe while simultaneously appealing to fans of a familiar, 50-year-old franchise. By employing the familiar "time loop" story structure, it manages to pay homage to earlier Trek episodes while pushing its characters to places of new discovery, and many fans feel like "Magic..." is the first Disco episode to really "feel" like Trek. On this episode, we talk about the episode's clever references to previous time travel shows, the way Trek and other sci-fi properties use time travel to force their characters to confront themselves (sometimes literally), how everything is a remix, how Mudd is the anti-Burnham, understanding your material, openness being the solution, making Trek up as you go, expensive bottle episodes, and the ethics of time-travel murder!

We also discuss space fauna, Donny Darko helmets, having gravel in your Mudd, being fluent enough in Welsh to order beer, having Stan Lee set your moral compass, why "future" music is never good, "random communications officer man", becoming famous on 10 days of work, lots of Doctor Who talk, Sgt. Fury vs. 007, Mike shares stories from his long career in comics and TV, Aaron ONCE AGAIN tries to shoehorn Farscape in, and we make more than one earnest Interstellar reference!

RIP, Terrance Dicks!

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This week, we're talking about a different kind of "canon" as Dr. James McGrath joins the show to talk about religion in Star Trek! Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future had no room for faith or superstition, but is a galaxy without God and spirituality desirable or even plausible? Trek's opinion on religion and belief has vacillated over the course of its five decades of storytelling, but faith in a higher power may be the one thing humanity will always possess, whatever planet we live on. During the show, we talk about Trek's attitude towards religion over the years, its exploration of theology among the stars, the Great Commission vs. the Prime Directive, the "divinity" of godlike aliens, the dearth of religious texts in Trek, the "prosperity gospel" of the Ferengi, making religious storytelling attractive to viewers, being tested by "God", and Kirk duking it out with the King of Kings!

Watch out for Future Methodist spoilers!

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Get ready to boldly stay as we meet with "Emissary"!

Author, essayist, and photographer Derek Tyler Attico joins the show the week to discuss the premiere episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a series that bravely broke from the established formula of Trek to create the future of the franchise! When Benjamin Sisko arrives on Deep Space Nine, he's a grieving single father who is questioning his future in Starfleet. But when a startling discovery in Bajoran space promises to change the balance of power in the quadrant, he must put aside his doubt and lead his crew and the Bajoran people to a new destiny!

DS9 grew from a risky spin-off show to one of the highlights of the Trek franchise, presenting a richly embroidered world that made TOS and TNG's allegories explicit and led to more mature storytelling in Trek. It was a series that thrived under its seeming limitations and excelled at mining real-world issues and ills for story potential. On this episode, we talk about how DS9 broke from the "seven people on a ship" premise, the genius of Michael Piller and the influence of Brandon Tartikoff, giving your show time to breathe, presenting a more "human" lead, seeing a black family in space, "redeeming" faith in the 24th century, the show's perfect casting, and how staying put was the logical next evolution for the franchise.

We also discuss empathy as a diplomatic tool, the difference between an omnipotent alien and God, not wrecking your perfect opening, Sisko as Moses, bravely not facing the Borg, Sisko as The Rifleman, baseball as a teaching tool, Trek's first opening crawl, warming up to TNG, Kal starts a little baseball talk, and Derek wants you to call him Batman!

It's a show that goes nowhere!

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This week, we continue our examination of representation in Trek as Thad Hait joins the show to talk neuroatypicality in Star Trek. Characters like Spock, Data, and Seven of Nine often struggle with expressing their emotions and when relating to their fellow crew members, things that many Trek fans on the autistic spectrum find all too familiar. Even though these characters weren't created with autism in mind, they still have served as an inspiration to those on the spectrum and can serve as an important educational tool for neurotypicals. During the show, we talk about the importance of depicting neurodiversity in Trek, Data's (obvious) emotions, dispelling the "superpowers" myth, Odo's fixation on routine, how Trek compares to Big Bang, Seven dumping Chakotay, meeting party aliens, and an Alphas shout-out!

Does Sybok drink Maibock?

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Get ready to surrender control of your feelings as we negotiate with "Sarek"!

Anika Dane and Liz Barr, the hosts of Antimatter Pod, join the show the week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that sees the return of a legendary Trek character and actor. Ambassador Sarek is negotiating a treaty that will be the crowning achievement of a life dedicated to service and self-control. But, when a rare disease causes his turbulent emotions to infect those around him, he'll have to cede control of his mind to Captain Picard, who may find his own mind consumed by Sarek's suppressed regrets and desires!

Gene Roddenberry, for all of his faults, was a man with a vision of a future where humanity had conquered its demons and pursued peace and self-improvement. But as he neared the end of his life, he, like Sarek, found his faculties waning and he was similarly forced to pass on his creation to a willing and able new generation of writers and creators. On this episode, we talk about the tragic frustration of senescence and senility, the futility of trying to secure your legacy, the way TNG found itself in its third season, the talent and dignity of Mark Lenard, the versatility and bravery of Patrick Stewart, and the joy of seeing these two acting legends meet on screen.

We also discuss dressing up your pillows, the American Doctor Who film, hitting for the cycle on TOS aliens, succession planning for franchises, the "kidnapping season", the Geordi/Wesley watchlist, dating Eleanor Roosevelt, strong wimple game, real emotions and fake tears, the mystery of Frakes's finger, Anika thinks Perrin and Picard are a thing, Liz shares her research into Trek novel author demographics, and Kal has to apologize to Garrett Wang!

Bring back the Legarans, cowards!

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This week, we're putting Trek on trial for its treatment of female characters! Star Trek is supposed to be a humanist utopia, but how close does it get to actually offering equal opportunity and genderblindness? We go through the magic pregnancies, the impractical costumes, and the horrors of the TNG show bible to ask: "How actually feminist was early Trek?" Jarrah Hodge is on hand to run the numbers and to point out that female creators mean female characters, to examine Trek's depiction of women in power, to deconstruct the "harridan" trope and the "Keiko effect", to look at revealing episodes like "Turnabout Intruder" and "Remember Me", to posit that Troi suffered more than O'Brien, and to revisit once more the "Myth of the sexy Kirk"!

Admiral Nechayev is my spirit animal!

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Just throw any old thing on this week as we get ready to pay "The Price"!

Writer, artist, and podcaster Bonnie Liston joins the show to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that sees Counselor Troi torn between a new love and her responsibilities to the crew. A seemingly stable wormhole to the Delta Quadrant is up for sale and the Enterprise in on hand to oversee the negotiations. But, when a Troi falls for a rival negotiator, she'll be forced to examine the ethics of her empathic gifts and decide if passion is worth the price of her career in Starfleet!

The Next Generation is often cited as the show where Gene Roddenberry's dream of a future of equality for the sexes was made manifest, but the show's treatment of its female characters in its early seasons often puts that legacy in doubt. During our discussion, we talk about the painful (and ongoing) birth of feminism in sci-fi, whether TNG is as feminist as fans remember, the struggle of telling stories about human fallibility in an evolved society, writing stories "without conflict", inventing DS9 and Voyager in one script, the unfair treatment of female characters and actors in early Trek, and what fans really think of Deanna Troi.

We also discuss the four-boobed, hermaphrodite, spiritual guru Troi we almost got, having an "empathy off", writing an "real human woman female", how cleavage is inversely proportional to intelligence, therapizing an oil slick, the Bill Campbell twinkle, why 24th century lululemon sucks, arguing with the computer over calories, Chris's Aliens, Barzan vapelife, googling "Troi bad?", Devinoni Ral: Trash Man, holodeck lock-ins, Aaron actually gets to talk to an Australian about Farscape, and Bonnie just wants to hear some Aussie accents!

And yes, THAT yoga scene.

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Prepare to Enter the Star Trek Universe and have your face rocked . . . ROCKED by the revelations from this year's San Diego Comic Con! The Kurtz and Team Trek came out swinging this year, with new revelations about Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Lower Decks, Short Treks, and Star Trek: Picard! It's almost too much to handle, so cool down with our stories from Shore Leave 41!

Wibbly wobbly Treky wekky!

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