Mission Log Live is all about the conversation.

Following our Mission Log Reactor discussion of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 5, "Series Acclimation Mil,"we open the channel to our listeners for a wide-ranging call-in discussion that explores SAM's journey, manufactured intelligence, and what it means to "understand" humanity at all.

Callers bring deeply personal reactions to SAM's story, comparisons to Data and "Data's Day," reflections on Benjamin and Jake Sisko, and thoughtful debate over whether this episode is a sincere exploration of identity or an uneven mix of whimsy, fan service, and big ideas. We hear perspectives shaped by love of Deep Space Nine, fresh eyes new to DS9, and everything in between, with space for minds to change and opinions to clash respectfully.

This is Mission Log Live at its core: a welcoming space for thoughtful disagreement and shared curiosity about Star Trek's message.

Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

Join us for Mission Log Live every Monday night — our audience call-in talkback show, FREE for everyone at:

patreon.com/missionlog

(Audio-only versions drop after the live show.)

For more Star Trek podcasts, videos, and discussion, visit:

missionlogpodcast.com

In this very special episode of The Trek Files, actor Robin Curtis joins us to revisit a little-known chapter in Saavik's story, one that never made it to screen. Drawing from a pair of early Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home script drafts, we explore a scene that implies Saavik is pregnant with Spock's child, a narrative thread begun in Star Trek III but quietly dropped by the time the final film was released.

Robin shares warm memories of working with Leonard Nimoy, the late Harve Bennett, and her fellow castmates, as well as a few eye-opening truths about the unpredictability of Hollywood. Plus, she discusses her return to the role of Saavik in OTOY's Unification, and we recreate the pivotal, never-filmed scene between Kirk and Saavik.

It's an emotional, candid, and deeply human conversation about legacy, missed opportunities, and what it means to carry a character with you for decades.

Documents and additional references:

• First Draft (August 23, 1985): Conversation between Kirk and Saavik revealing her pregnancy by Spock.

• Second Draft (November 18, 1985): Subtle reference via McCoy's line: "I'm a surgeon, not a pediatrician."

The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

We're back with a fresh spoiler-heavy recap and review of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Season 1, Episode 5, "Series Acclimation Mil."

Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion enroll in a class on the unknowable, following SAM as she tries to understand organic life and the legacy of Benjamin Sisko. Along the way, we dig into big questions about identity, predestination, and whether learning can ever really be quantified. Plus: holographic hangovers, blobfish, and just how much whimsy is too much whimsy.

This is the audio-only podcast version of Mission Log: Reactor. If you'd like to watch the conversation, the full video edition is available on YouTube:

Mission Log: Reactor on YouTube

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

Join us Mondays for Mission Log Live — our audience call-in talkback show covering each new episode.

Streaming FREE every Monday at 7pm PT / 10pm ET on Patreon:

patreon.com/missionlog

For more Star Trek podcasts, videos, and discussion, visit:

missionlogpodcast.com

Mission Log Live puts the spotlight on you.

Following our Mission Log Reactor discussion of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 4, "Vox In Excelso," we open the channel to our listeners for a wide-ranging conversation about Klingon identity, family, myth, debate, and what Star Trek is, and can be, right now.

Callers bring everything from joyful tears to thoughtful critique. We hear deeply personal reactions to Jay-Den Kraag's story, discussions of chosen family and queer representation, debates over how truth is framed versus discovered, and even speculation about whether Caleb might be hiding something more than exceptional talent. Along the way, we wrestle with empathy versus charity, cultural self-determination, and the power of storytelling to shape identity.

This is Mission Log Live at its best: respectful disagreement, unexpected insights, and a reminder that Star Trek works most powerfully when it invites conversation rather than closing it down.

🎥 Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

"Vox in Excelso"

📺 Join us every Friday for Mission Log Reactor on YouTube:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

💬 Mission Log Live streams Monday nights and is FREE for everyone:

patreon.com/missionlog

(Audio-only versions drop after the live show.)

Before Star Trek: Discovery's final season sent its crew in pursuit of ancient secrets, Carlos Cisco had already taken inspiration from one of the most profound episodes of The Next Generation, "The Chase." In this week's The Trek Files, Carlos returns to explore the thematic connections between the 1993 TNG episode and Discovery's modern narrative arc. With Larry Nemecek, he discusses how "The Chase" influenced the creation of the alien species Progenitors and how its ideas about shared ancestry and unity resonated with the story of L'ak and the Breen in Discovery Season 5.

Document and additional references: Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase," final draft script (revised Feb 4–10, 1993)

Written by Ronald D. Moore & Joe Menosky, directed by Jonathan Frakes.

The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

SPECIAL RELEASE

Before we return to our regular release schedule, here's the second—and final— specialaudio drop from our Patreon-exclusive Mission Log Live discussions.

This episode focuses on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 3, "Vitus Reflux." The rivalry between Starfleet cadets and the War College heats up, culminating in a competitive game of Calica (laser tag of the future), a full-blown prank war, and a fast-growing, mockery-spouting fungus at the center of it all.

As always, Mission Log Live is driven by you. Callers weighed in with reactions ranging from unabashed enjoyment to a resounding "meh," sparking a wide-ranging conversation about tone, tropes, and what this episode is really trying to say. To help put some of the criticism into perspective, we're joined by special guest Larry Nemecek (aka Dr. Trek) for additional context and critique.

🎥 Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

https://youtu.be/_2mQ4nY7UWk?si=yTguxbip-blimEgn

📺 Join us every Thursday for Mission Log Reactor on YouTube:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon subscribers get Reactor a day early!)

💬 Mission Log Live streams weekly on Monday nights at:

patreon.com/missionlog

(Audio-only versions will drop immediately after the live show going forward.)

SPECIAL RELEASE

You asked, and we listened. To make sure no version of Mission Log Live is missed, we're releasing the audio from our Patreon-exclusive live chats into the main podcast feed.

In this first special release, we dive into the opening two episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy — "Kids These Days" and "Beta Test." From early reactions to cadet romances and clashing personalities, to over-the-top villains and big thematic swings, this is where the conversation really starts.

Hear your comments, questions, and takes as Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion unpack what's working, what's raising eyebrows, and what these episodes might be setting up for the future of the series.

🎥 Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

https://youtu.be/a1-ijIWK5_s?si=fgh1d5fnDytqYjUE

📺 Join us every Thursday for Mission Log Reactor on YouTube:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon subscribers get Reactor a day early!)

💬 Mission Log Live streams weekly and is free for everyone at:

patreon.com/missionlog

Episode 4 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has daddy issues that could decide the fate of the Klingon Empire, to be resolved only in reasoned debate or an interplanetary pillow fight! Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion discuss "Vox In Excelso," which lets us in on how the Burn affected the Klingons, and gives us Jay-Den Kraag's origin story. Enjoy our honest-to-goodness, SPOILER HEAVY review and chime in with YOUR thoughts in the comments. Also! Join us Mondays at 7PM PT/10PM ET for our live talkback for each episode, FREE on Patreon. We'll hear your thoughts and questions as we embark on this journey together!

This week, we're joined once again by Cash Edwards, who shares an intimate look at his longtime friendship with Star Trek: The Next Generation producer Herbert J. Wright. Their relationship, and shared history with Gene and Majel Roddenberry, sparked a bold attempt to revive one of Gene's most personal concepts: The Questor Tapes. In 2004, Herb, Cash, Rod Roddenberry, and a team that included Mike Okuda and Jules Urbach put together a new pitch for Questor—a project updated for the post-9/11 world but still driven by the timeless Roddenberry themes of evolution, ethics, and survival. From detailed series bibles to pilot treatments and fan outreach, Cash walks us through the chaotic early years of TNG, the roots of Questor, and the bittersweet story behind its final pitch.

Document and additional references: Questor promo revision 10 - 2004

The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha

All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha

Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today!

Episode 3 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy answers the age old question, is it like laser tag? Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion discuss "Vitus Reflux," where the war college and Starfleet academy go head to head. Not gonna lie, Calica looks fun. Enjoy our honest-to-goodness, SPOILER HEAVY review and chime in with YOUR thoughts in the comments. Also! Join us Mondays at 7PM PT/10PM ET for our live talkback for each episode, FREE on Patreon. We'll hear your thoughts and questions as we embark on this journey together!