Jason Snell, the man behind Six Colors, The Incomparable, and co-host of Vulcan Hello, joins Scott to discuss TOS’s “The Alternative Factor” (S1E20). Topics include: how bad this episode is, how the premise is actually good, wacky film filters, and surprise time travel....

235: "The Alternative Factor" (TOS) with Jason Snell

Scott McNulty discusses a randomly selected episode of “Star Trek” — all series, all seasons — with a non-random guest.

TV & Film

TV Reviews

James Thomson, the developer behind PCalc and Dice by PCalc (and other things), joins Scott to discuss "Genesis" (TNG S7E19). Topics include the many similarities between James and Neil Diamond, Blockbuster Video, and dubious science in this episode....

260: "Genesis" (TNG) with James Thomson

David J Loehr, writer and podcaster, joins Scott to discuss “Things Past” (DS9 S5E8). Topics include the lack of Neelix, Odo’s tortured soul, and the creepy uncanny vibe that allows for effective, and cheap, Star Trek episodes. Next on Random Trek: “Genesis” (TNG S7E19) with James Thomson....

259: "Things Past" (DS9) with David J. Loehr

John Siracusa, developer, writer, and podcaster, joins Scott to discuss “Daedalus” (ENT S4E10). Topics include being a professional podcaster, the emotions of Vulcans, and Captain Archer’s judgment (or lack thereof). Next on Random Trek: “Things Past” (DS9 S5E8) with David J Loehr....

258: "Daedalus" (ENT) with John Siracusa

Grant Jun Otsuki, a cultural anthropologist, joins Scott to discuss "The Siege of AR-558" (DS9 S7E8). We attempt to have a lighthearted conversation about a very heavy episode of Deep Space Nine. Topics include which Captain you'd want to work for, how great Avery Brooks' performance is in this episode, and why the heck was Quark allowed to hang around in this situation. Be sure to read Grant's fantastic McSweeney's piece "Due to Falling Enrollments, We Will No Longer Offer Courses In Romulan At Starfleet Academy." Next Episode: "Daedalus" (ENT S4E10) with John Siracusa....

257: "The Siege of AR-558" (DS9) with Grant Jun Otsuki

Jason Snell, Random Trek’s most frequent guest, joins Scott to discuss “Day of the Dove” (TOS S3E11). Topics include our favorite Klingons, whatever the deal is with these energy aliens, and the “hidden” message of this episode. Watch “Day of the Dove” for yourself: Amazon Instant Video Paramount+ Blu-Rays...

235: "The Alternative Factor" (TOS) with Jason Snell

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