TFM (Trek.fm & The 602 Club)

Living Witness Commentary

Running Time: 1 hour 11 minutes 22 seconds

Perhaps the most acclaimed episode of Star Trek: Voyager to be written by Bryan Fuller is season four's "Living Witness." Co-written with Brannon Braga and fellow Star Trek: Discovery writer Joe Menosky, the episode tells the story of two alien cultures who resurrect the Doctor 700 years post Voyager in an attempt to piece together the cause of their centuries-old conflict.

In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike provide an audio commentary for "Living Witness." We discuss the unique premise, the use of the Doctor as an almost secondary character, and how the themes apply to today. In news, we discuss how Discovery's setting may impact casting, and also look at Discovery's visual effects producer, William Powloski.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00) 
News (00:01:04)
Commentary (00:11:27)
Closing (01:02:21)

Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills

Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Jeff Sutter (Associate Producer) Chris Stenftenagel (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

VOY 1x13 / DS9 3x22.

Wear a new face and recreate an ancient ship in this installment of From There to Here: The Star Trek 50th Anniversary Rewatch from Trek.fm.

Chapters
Faces (00:00:51)
Explorers (00:05:05)

Hosts
Lee Hutchison and Mike Schindler

Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

VOY 1x11 / 1x12.

Slay Grendel and lose your memory in this installment of From There to Here: The Star Trek 50th Anniversary Rewatch from Trek.fm.

Chapters
Heroes and Demons (00:00:51)
Cathexis (00:07:28)

Hosts
Mike Schindler and Lee Hutchison

Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

John, Ken, and Mission Log Executive Producer Rod Roddenberry talk over Star Trek with and without its creator - Gene Roddenberry. Plus questions from panel attendees. Once more from the Rio, we put Gene Roddenberry Versus Star Trek in the Mission Log.

 

Subspace channels are open:

 

On Facebook: facebook.com/missionlogpod

On Twitter: @missionlogpod

On Skype: missionlogpod

On the phone: (323) 522-5641

Online: missionlogpodcast.com

 

We may use your comments on a future episode of Mission Log.

The Orb of Time.

Deep Space Nine has few time travel stories, but when the writers chose to dip into the temporal well they had a unique tool at their disposal. The Orb of Time offered a way to move characters through time that was not available to the writers of other series. Tied to the Bajoran religion and the overarching storyline of DS9, this mystical object provided a bypass that avoided technobabble explanations. Yet the writers chose to use it only twice: in “Trials and Tribble-ations” and “Wrongs Darker Than Death of Night.”

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing discuss the Orb of Time, why it worked in the instances in which it was used, and why it wasn’t used in others. We also imagine new stories that could be built around this special object, and debate whether it is actually possible to change the timeline during an Orb of Time vision.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Why Use the Orb of Time? (00:03:44)
DS9 Time Travel Stories (00:13:04)
Imagining Other Orb of Time Stories (00:18:35)
Can You Change the Timeline? (00:24:27)
Closing (00:33:48)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Ruth Ward (Associate Producer) Will Nguyen (Associate Producer) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) William Murray (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Breaking Down the Latest Details.

Bit by bit we’ve been learning what Bryan Fuller and CBS have in store for us when the seventh Star Trek series launches in January 2017. The initial reveal of the name and hints about the time period got fans talking, and then the reveal of the ship and a teaser turned up the heat. Now a batch of details, revealed by Fuller at CBS’s All Access panel for the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles, has set a flurry of speculation in motion.

In this special episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek join the crowd to break down 13 points about Star Trek: Discovery and what they might mean for the first new Star Trek on television in more than a decade.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) The Time Period and The Incident (00:09:27) Amanda Grayson and Story Structure (00:15:46) The Lead Character and Point of View (00:22:04) Crew Diversity (00:26:38) More Aliens! (00:29:36) Robots! (00:38:35) TOS Characters Return? (00:47:21) The USS Discovery (00:52:07) The Aesthetic of the Show (01:07:45) Closing (01:24:17)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production C Bryan Jones (News Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Feature Editor and Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Star Trek Beyond.

After Star Trek Into Darkness, many questioned whether there would be a third film set in the Kelvin Timeline. The road to Beyond was a rocky one that included a complete reset of script, writer, and director. But in the end, Simon Pegg, Justin Lin, and the cast and crew of this rebooted Star Trek delivered a film that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the franchise, and that has surprised fans and critics alike.

In this episode of The Ready Room, Matthew Rushing takes over the captain’s chair following news and is joined by John Mills and Bruce Gibson to discuss Star Trek Beyond: the characters, the story, the action … music, villain, and more.

In our news segment, Chris and Matthew discuss the end of IDW’s Ongoing comic series—plus the launch of a new one called Boldy Go—and the kick off of the 50th Anniversary Star Trek Art Exhibition “50 Artists. 50 Years.”

News 50 Artists. 50 Years. The Star Trek Art Exhibition (00:04:48) IDW’s Boldly Go Comics Pick Up the Pieces of Beyond (00:12:43) Sponsor: The Eaglemoss Official Star Trek Starships Collection (00:18:46)

Feature: Star Trek Beyond Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:23:58) Character Growth (00:32:58) Jaylah (01:05:52) The Story and the Villain (01:09:48) The Music, Effects, and Design (01:22:46) The Action (01:29:09) The Very Last Question (01:33:31) Final Thoughts (01:37:52)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Guests John Mills and Bruce Gibson

Production C Bryan Jones (News Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Feature Editor and Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Plato’s Stepchildren.

Uncontrolled power will turn even saints into savages. This is what Captain Kirk explains to Parmen, the sadistic leader of the Platonians in “Plato’s Stepchildren.” Despite saving the man’s life, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are held hostage and tortured—along with Uhura and Nurse Chapel—when they refuse to leave the doctor behind and accept some random gifts.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Aaron Harvey, Andi VanderKolk, and Mike Morrison to discuss this episode that—despite being amongst TOS’s campiest—has been an inspiration to many since it first aired in 1968.

In our news segment, Aaron shares a first-hand account of the Star Trek Beyond press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on July 14, and his spoiler-free impressions of the movie, which was shown the day before at LA’s Century City. We also discuss the news that there will be a fourth film set in the Kelvin Timeline and how they should handle the loss of Anton Yelchin.

News Star Trek Beyond LA Press Conference (00:06:13) First (Spoiler-free) Impressions of Star Trek Beyond (00:16:21) A Fourth Film? Do We Want It? (00:20:52) Sponsor: The Eaglemoss Official Star Trek Starships Collection (00:28:17)

Feature: Plato’s Stepchildren Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:32:04) Alexander the Great (00:44:54) The Kiss (00:57:26) The Ministry of Silly Walks (01:08:16) A Problem of Pacing (01:11:28) Bitter Dregs (01:21:03) Final Thoughts (01:32:53)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Aaron Harvey

Guests Andi VanderKolk and Mike Morrison

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Impulse.

Some things never go out of style. Take zombies, for instance. They’re wildly popular on 21st-century Earth, and they can be found in the 22nd-century Expanse as well. But what happens when you mix the living dead with logic? That’s what Archer and the crew of the Enterprise had to find out when they stumbled upon a zombified Vulcan crew in “Impulse.”

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Mike Morrison, Dennis Castello, and Phillip Gilfus to discuss this horror story from Enterprise’s third season. We explore the Trellium-D conundrum, Jolene Blalock’s portrayal of a Vulcan losing control, parallels to DS9’s “Empok Nor,” and the importance of the coda that almost wasn’t. We also discuss the episodes’s amazing visuals and ponder the design of Starfleet’s 22nd-century hospital garb.

Plus, in our news segment, we look at details of the next Star Trek series as revealed by executive producer and showrunner Bryan Fuller, and we share our thoughts on Rihanna’s “Sledgehammer” and the use of non-orchestral music in Star Trek.

News Bryan Fuller Reveals Star Trek 2017 Details (00:04:53) Rihanna’s “Sledgehammer” and Star Trek Beyond (00:29:26) Sponsor: The Eaglemoss Official Star Trek Starships Collection (00:34:45)

Feature: Impulse Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:39:21) Vulcan Zombies (00:48:17) Jolene’s Portrayal (00:54:39) The Trellium-D Conundrum (00:59:26) B-Plot Padding (01:09:39) Parallels to “Empok Nor” (01:16:42) A Nightmare Coda (01:26:24) The Visuals (01:31:12) Final Thoughts (01:37:12)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Mike Morrison

Guests Dennis Castello and Phillip Gilfus

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Distant Origin.

Dinosaurs may have been smarter than we think. Some of them may still be. That’s because they live in space and fly around in ships based on technology 65 million years more advanced than that of Starfleet. When that asteroid headed for Earth all those years ago, these hadrosaurs said sayonara to the planet’s mammals.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Zachary Fruhling and Aaron Harvey to discuss one of Voyager’s most unusual stories, “Distant Origin.” Does the science work? Does it even matter? We follow Voth scientists Gegen and Veer as they put together a galaxy-spanning puzzle made of 47 pieces. We discuss how the story parallels Galileo, Star Trek’s evolutionary arrow, the holodeck as a scientific instrument, the mating rituals of mammals, and more.

Plus, in our news segment, we debate the new name for the JJ Abrams rendition of Star Trek and take a look at the newly refurbished USS Enterprise model, now back on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

News The Kelvin Timeline (00:03:30) The Enterprise Returns to the Smithsonian (00:13:05) Sponsor: The Eaglemoss Official Star Trek Starships Collection (00:21:26)

Feature: Distant Origin Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:26:40) The Science (00:38:06) Leaving Home (00:44:46) An Evolutionary Direction (00:49:29) Technological Advancement (00:51:59) Galileo’s Lizard (01:00:00) The Design and Creative Elements (01:13:10) The Holodeck as a Scientific Tool (01:20:30) Final Thoughts (01:24:51) Closing (01:32:13)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Zachary Fruhling

Guest Aaron Harvey

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)