Primitive Culture: A Star Trek History and Culture Podcast

Untimely Ends for Star Trek’s Redshirts.

Set phasers to stun, use thrusters only while in spacedock, and—whatever you do—avoid the narrative! The last of these—taken from John Scalzi’s parodic novel Redshirts—might apply equally to Starfleet’s young supernumeraries and the ensigns of the novel’s Starship Intrepid.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, hosts Duncan Barrett and Clara Cook look at how the redshirt trope has played out over the course of Star Trek’s half-century mission, using Scalzi’s novel as a counterpoint. We consider what it means to die a good death (on screen and in reality), why some lives are viewed as more valuable than others, and what our feelings about redshirts might tell us about the limits of human empathy.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Scalzi’s Novel (00:03:12) Featured Extras and Meaningless Deaths (00:10:05) In the Fridge (00:20:37) Post-Mortem on Voyager (00:27:15) Willing Suspension of Empathy (00:43:45) Pain and Suffering (00:56:45) Good Grief (01:03:05)

Hosts Duncan Barrett and Clara Cook Production Tony Robinson and Clara Cook (Editors) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Star Trek Beyond in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, Duncan Barrett and Clara Cook host a network roundtable during a screening of Star Trek Beyond, accompanied by live orchestra, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Joining them are Amy Nelson of Earl Grey, Tony Robinson of Continuing Mission, and former hosts Lee Hutchison and Tony Black, as well as family and friends. Together, we discuss our personal responses to the Kelvin Timeline films, the impact of live musical performance, and how Michael Giacchino’s music, in particular, has helped to redefine Star Trek as blockbuster entertainment.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) The Kelvin Timeline Films (00:02:00) The Music of Michael Giacchino (00:07:28) Family and Friends (00:26:06) Closing (00:44:15) Hosts Duncan Barrett and Clara Cook

Guests Amy Nelson, Tony Black, Lee Hutchison, Tony Robinson, Ben Cook, Susan Eldin, and Lesley Eager

Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

The Holodeck and Video Games. For Starfleet’s avid gamers, the holodeck offers a seemingly endless repertoire of thrills. You can battle the Spartans at Thermopylae one minute and knock back a martini—shaken, not stirred—the next. And, you can do it all without leaving the safety (mortality subroutines permitting) of a single room.

Since Captain Picard first donned his fedora and trench coat in the role of pulpy noir sleuth Dixon Hill in 1988’s “The Big Goodbye,” Star Trek’s holographic adventures have given us a glimpse into the fantasy lives—and occasionally the guilty pleasures—of our crews. We’ve seen Tom Paris jump into action as sci-fi hero Captain Proton, Julian Bashir foil devious plans as a debonair spy, and Captain Janeway roam the halls of Victorian gothic romance.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Brandi Jackola of Warp Five and Live from The Edge for a look at Star Trek’s holo-adventures, focusing on how video game culture is reflected in these 24th-century entertainment systems. Does the way a person plays offer insight into their character? Is it cheating to set the difficulty settings to minimum? And what can the unwinnable game—the no-win scenario—tell us about how our heroes will face death in the real world?

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Escapism and Fantasy (00:06:15) Guilty pleasures (00:18:33) Video Nasties (00:28:30) Easter Eggs and Cheats (00:43:23) The Unwinnable Game (00:57:37) Players and Gameboys (01:04:05) Gaming as Therapy (01:22:10) Final Thoughts (01:32:00) Host Duncan Barrett Guest Brandi Jackola Production Tom Whelan (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Pandemics in Star Trek.

At times, the medical technology of the Federation seems almost miraculous, offering cures for pretty much everything short of the common cold (and, of course, baldness). But a sudden outbreak of an unfamiliar disease can leave Starfleet’s doctors racing to find a remedy before mass death ensues. Sometimes, they even must bend the Prime Directive to save lives.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett take a look at Star Trek’s case history when it comes to infectious diseases, comparing the stories that have played out on screen to real-world epidemics such as the Black Death to HIV. Along the way, we consider why deadly outbreaks continue to fascinate us in an age when we are mostly protected. We also discuss whether science fiction is particularly well placed to tap into our terror of sudden widespread illness.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Movie Night: The Andromeda Strain (00:17:15) Stigma and Prejudice (00:25:15) Chaos and Social Change (00:32:00) Sterilization (00:44:50) Final Thoughts (00:51:20)

Hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Religion in Star Trek.

“Nothing more than a substitute brain” was the characteristically dismissive phrase Gene Roddenberry once used to describe religion. This perspective found its way on screen in various episodes of The Original Series and The Next Generation that presented religious practice as misguided, primitive, or worse. It wasn’t until after Roddenberry’s death in 1991 that Star Trek began engaging with religion—frequently rebranded as faith—in more positive ways. Deep Space Nine, in particular, took religious belief seriously from the get-go, offering not only two series regulars who were viewed as religions figures, but a serialized narrative that demanded viewers consider spiritual questions and themes.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, recording live at the Church of St. Michael East Wickham in London, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Reverend Peter Organ for a look at Star Trek’s changing stance on religious belief and practice. They consider the shift, from the mid-90s onwards, away from Roddenberry’s implacable atheism, and also look at how key elements of Christian scripture have, in fact, been incorporated into the show’s storylines ever since the 1960s. They also look at how their own beliefs about religion—as an atheist and a man of the cloth respectively—have impacted their viewing of Star Trek.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Roddenberry’s Atheism (00:06:35) Having Your Cake and Eating It … on DS9 (00:15:00) Ways to Eden (00:22:40) Gods (00:27:40) Devils (00:38:55) Reluctant Messiahs (00:49:12) Sacrifice (00:58:35) Faith of the Heart (01:05:15) Final Thoughts (01:09:43)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Peter Organ Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Schooling in Star Trek.

On a Federation starship or space station, every day is an opportunity for learning. But for Starfleet officers whose families have joined them in space, providing a well-rounded education can be a challenge. Aboard the USS Enterprise-D, a host of professional educators were on hand, teaching everything from ancient history to calculus. Meanwhile, on Deep Space 9, an untrained amateur, Keiko O’Brien, stepped up to provide a curriculum tailored to the needs of the station’s dozen or so children.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Amy Nelson of Earl Grey and The Edge to take a look at education in Star Trek. We also discuss the ways in which Star Trek has inspired Amy’s own teaching and how she has incorporated her fandom into her classroom.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Teaching Trek in Amy’s Classroom (00:02:35) The Enterprise-D: Glorified Crèche? (00:08:40) Educational Software and Online Schooling (00:15:15) Pastoral Care and Discipline (00:22:55) Amateur Teachers, from Keiko O'Brien to Seven of Nine (00:36:25) Religious Controversy and Faith Schools (00:43:08) Teaching Versus Testing (00:57:45) Final Thoughts (01:04:09)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Amy Nelson Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Star Trek’s fathers: the good, the bad, and the absent. “Other people have families,” Dr. McCoy lamented in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, apparently forgetting about his own daughter, Joanna. For a utopian vision of the future, Star Trek tends to offer a decidedly unflattering portrayal of fatherhood. Many of the central characters have markedly poor relationships with their own fathers and, in some cases, prove to be distinctly disappointing dads themselves.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett look at fatherhood as represented in Star Trek, considering both the best and worst examples from across the franchise. We celebrate the number-one dad in particular—Deep Space Nine’s Dad-in-Chief Benjamin Sisko—and question whether, in the pseudo-familial environment of a starship, the captain is forced to step into a fatherly or motherly role. We also comment on some of the worst dads in Starfleet and beyond, and wonder why a mature science fiction franchise developed so many daddy issues.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Worf (00:04:51) Sarek (00:13:35) A Rogue’s Gallery of Guest Stars (00:24:02) Gul Dukat (00:36:55) From Badmirals to Dadmirals (00:43:30) Staying Away (00:49:50) Working Dads: Sisko and O’Brien (01:02:50) Honorable Mentions (01:13:30) Surrogate Fathers (01:33:20) Final Thoughts (01:36:30)

Hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Compared with the occupation of Bajor, a violent and traumatic event which cast a long shadow over Deep Space Nine, the brief Dominion–Cardassian administration of the station at the start of the sixth season seems at first like a pretty soft alternative.

The six-episode arc focusing on life under Dominion rule offers a parallel with the World War II experiences of the Channel Islanders, the only English-speaking population to live under German occupation. Demilitarized shortly after the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk in 1940, the islands remained under German rule until the end of the war—five long years of compromise, resilience, and occasional flashes of defiance.

The regime in the Channel Islands was a gentle one compared with the Nazis elsewhere in German-occupied Europe, a “model occupation” intended to prove to the British people that the Germans could be just and reasonable.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett consider the parallels between the station-occupation arc on Deep Space Nine and the real-world experiences of the Channel Islanders—the subject of Duncan’s new book Hitler’s British Isles, published by Simon & Schuster and based on interviews with more than one hundred occupation survivors. We consider the dilemmas faced by ordinary people forced to choose between capitulation and resistance, the penalties meted out on those who fell in love—or lust—with the enemy, and the extent to which any occupation—even with the best intentions—will inevitably turn nasty and repressive.

Hitler’s British Isles is available to order from Amazon at https://amzn.to/2l0N91m.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) The Channel Islands During World War II (00:04:00) Military Withdrawal and Civilian Evacuation in “A Call to Arms” (00:10:55) Creeping Authoritarianism (00:24:00) Resistance Movements and Accidental Heroes (00:40:30) Odo’s Dilemma (00:46:15) Frustration, Resentment, and Protest (00:58:40) Tora Ziyal, Kira Meru, and the Shame of the Jerrybags (01:08:50) Duncan’s Special Offer (01:34:50)

Hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Starfleet and the US Space Agency. When The Original Series debuted in 1966, the Apollo program was in full swing, although it wasn’t until after the show’s final episode aired three years later that humans landed on the moon. In the succeeding years, NASA and Star Trek became increasingly interdependent. Real-world space history and technology was referenced on screen, and an army of Trek fans gradually scored jobs at the space agency. When the time came to name the first space shuttle, the relationship came full circle as President Ford bowed to public pressure and christened the orbiter Enterprise.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, hosts Duncan Barrett and Clara Cook trace the complex and sometimes fraught relationship between NASA and Star Trek over the course of half a century. We consider Constance Penley’s controversial book NASA/Trek, which argues that the space agency fed off the more popular television franchise as a way of bolstering its own waning popularity, and discuss the role of disaster management and public relations in NASA’s history—both real and imagined. We also look at the shift in Star Trek’s handling of NASA from the 1990s onwards, and the importance of “futuristic nostalgia” from First Contact to Enterprise.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) TOS and the Apollo Program (00:12:15) Ground Control to Major Tom Paris (00:21:00) The Motion Picture Era and Murderous Space Probes (00:29:27) NASA/Trek and disaster management (00:49:16) 1990s Trek and futuristic nostalgia (01:09:10) Enterprise (01:21:10) Discovery (01:34:13) Final Thoughts (01:42:54) Hosts Duncan Barrett and Clara Cook Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) [name] (Associate Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Shrinking Sci-Fi and DS9’s “One Little Ship.” Ever since 1957’s black-and-white classic The Incredible Shrinking Man, stories involving size-altering accidents have been a science fiction staple. In 1973, Star Trek: The Animated Series provided its own pint-sized kids’ adventure with “The Terratin Incident,” in which Kirk and his crew are gradually reduced in size by a mysterious Lilliputian community. But it wasn’t until Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “One Little Ship,” some 25 years later, that live-action Trek finally tackled this perennial sci-fi concept. A light-hearted episode in the midst of the fairly serious and grim sixth season, “that stupid shrinking show,” as it was known in the writers’ room, was seen as a chance to do something self-consciously silly. Yet, over the years, it has become a fan-favorite.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett look at DS9’s “One Little Ship” in relation to other diminutive stories, from The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and Fantastic Voyage (1966) to Innerspace (1987) and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989). We even visit the much more recent Ant-Man (2015) as we discuss the pleasures—and pitfalls—of storytelling on a miniature scale, as well as the psychological and existential crises that ensue when people—in particular men—suddenly find themselves much smaller than they used to be.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Weird Science (00:06:30) That Stupid Shrinking Show (00:10:18) Up Close and Personal (00:25:30) The Horror of Comedy Parenting (00:33:20) Big Crisis for Small Men (00:41:45) Quantum, No Solace (01:03:00) Land of the Tardigrades (01:17:20) A Little Joke, Sir (01:26:15) Closing (01:31:50)

Hosts Clara Cook and Duncan Barrett

Production Clara Cook (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)