The Nextlander Watchcast

It's gangsters and space amoebas for this week's Star Trek Watchcast, as the crew beams down to Chicago II to meet with President Capone in A Piece of the Action, and the ship falls helplessly into an energy draining void in The Immunity Syndrome!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 146: Star Trek: A Piece of the Action and The Immunity Syndrome
(00:00:17) - Intro.
(00:05:29) - Brad has a Star Trek uncle.
(00:09:52) - The history behind A Piece of the Action.
(00:20:04) - Let's talk about what is actually going on here. It's a gangster planet.
(00:25:52) - Boss Okmyx.
(00:29:35) - There are maybe a few too many escape attempt scenes for one episode.
(00:35:13) - Jojo Krako's Bizzaro Adverture-o.
(00:38:48) - The slow morphing of Kirk into gangster mode.
(00:48:06) - That's a big stun setting, and is this really how we're leaving these people?
(00:56:23) - Final thoughts.
(00:57:34) - Break!
(00:58:09) - We're back, and it's time for The Immunity Syndrome.
(01:00:26) - There are basically no production notes for this episode.
(01:06:00) - They're so, so tired, and that's before they meet the space void.
(01:09:49) - The Intrepid goes down, and shore leave is cancelled.
(01:13:40) - What killed the Intrepid.
(01:17:09) - Some effects talk, and the nature of the peril the ship is under.
(01:20:56) - Space amoeba.
(01:24:45) - It's Bones vs. Spock in a scientific knockdown drag-out!
(01:30:00) - Some very good tension as we fly through the space amoeba.
(01:38:08) - Driving the Enterprise out of an exploding amoeba, and a weird final note.
(01:45:04) - Final thoughts.
(01:47:02) - Episodes for next week, and outro.

On this week's Watchcast we've got an all-timer of a Star Trek episode in the The Trouble with Tribbles, an episode so chock full of quality jokes and adorable creatures that it's impossible not to love. We also have The Gamesters of Triskelion, which we'll charitably describe as not quite as good as the preceding episode.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 145: Star Trek: The Trouble with Tribbles and The Gamesters of Triskelion
(00:00:20) - Intro.
(00:02:19) - Launching straight into them Tribbles.
(00:05:30) - Production talk.
(00:12:22) - An all-star cast.
(00:21:01) - Getting into the episode proper.
(00:30:35) - The Klingon factor.
(00:34:23) - They're spreading.
(00:36:16) - It's a donnybrook!
(00:44:32) - We are lousy with tribbles.
(00:49:45) - Which guest actor could have done this terrible thing?
(00:53:50) - What did we do with all them fuzzies?
(00:58:28) - Final thoughts.
(01:00:49) - Break!
(01:01:12) - We're back and it's time to reckon with The Gamesters of Triskelion!
(01:08:07) - Who is responsible for this mess?
(01:16:56) - Alright, let's dig in.
(01:22:32) - Pain collars and spinning our wheels with command disagreements.
(01:27:38) - The treatment of Uhura here just sucks.
(01:31:50) - The brutally flat romance, and it's gladiator academy time.
(01:42:05) - Brains in bubbles, folks.
(01:48:25) - A (confusing) contest of life and death.
(01:52:23) - No, you can't come with us. You have to rebuild society first. Yes, that's it.
(01:57:02) - Final thoughts.
(01:59:18) - Next week's episodes, and outro.

The Watchcast is back and the Star Trek watching has officially resumed! And for our first week back at it, we've got a pair of wild and unpredictable episodes in the Moby Dick riff Obsession, and the spooky alien serial murder yarn Wolf in the Fold!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 144: Star Trek: Obsession and Wolf in the Fold
(00:01:12) - Intro.
(00:04:31) - Kicking things off with Obsession.
(00:07:50) - What there is to say about this episode's production.
(00:14:01) - An away mission, a conspicuous number of redshirts, and a sickly sweet death cloud.
(00:20:48) - Say hello to Ensign Plot Device.
(00:27:31) - The vampire cloud ain't scary like it oughta be.
(00:32:28) - He's obsessed! Obsessed we tells ya!
(00:35:37) - Spock gives the kid a pep talk, then the Enterprise has a gas problem.
(00:41:23) - What is this final act?
(00:48:56) - Final thoughts.
(00:51:45) - Break!
(00:52:12) - We're back, and it's time to meet Saucy Jack in Wolf in the Fold!
(00:54:25) - Production and cast talk.
(01:07:23) - Welcome to Space Morocco.
(01:10:37) - Scotty resents women for some reason?
(01:14:56) - The other players in this mystery.
(01:19:56) - You had a mind-scanning tricorder this whole time?!?
(01:22:36) - What IS actually happening during these murders?
(01:26:45) - Nothing good ever happens at a seance.
(01:31:08) - 20 minutes of talking to a computer.
(01:41:18) - It's time for a psychedelic psycho murdering alien freakout.
(01:49:27) - We're just beaming guys into space now.
(01:53:08) - Final thoughts.
(01:54:30) - Housekeeping for next week, and outro.

We're at the midseason finale point for our Star Trek season 2 Watchcasting, but before we take a one week break from the show we're here to try and make sense of two more episodes in Friday's Child and The Deadly Years!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 143: Star Trek: Friday's Child and The Deadly Years
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:01:35) - Just launching right into Friday's Child.
(00:06:34) - Our cast, and production notes.
(00:12:08) - The set-up for this episode: would you believe it revolves around mining rights?
(00:20:41) - Never get involved in Capellan politics.
(00:25:53) - What's going on with the ship during all this?
(00:30:43) - Racing through the California desert with a pregnant lady.
(00:36:24) - Three officers and a baby, and the final (terrible) confrontation.
(00:47:30) - The aftermath of whatever all this was.
(00:52:36) - Break!
(00:53:05) - We're back, and it's time for The Deadly Years!
(00:54:31) - Production notes, and cast talk.
(01:00:16) - The planet that makes you old.
(01:07:59) - The bodies and minds begin to fail. 
(01:19:49) - Using the courts to get grandpa's car keys away from him.
(01:25:59) - This is not the man to be dealing with Romulans.
(01:34:54) - The juice that makes you young, and the Corbomite comeback.
(01:39:21) - Failing to learn a lesson.
(01:46:13) - Outro.

We've got some wild and occasionally disturbing Star Trek episodes this week, episodes that also introduce us to a couple of very important characters. First up it's the father of the space warp in Metamorphosis, then we spend some quality time with Spock's folks in Journey to Babel!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 142: Star Trek: Metamorphosis and Journey to Babel
(00:00:30) - Intro.
(00:02:09) - Launching right into Metamorphosis, and some of our beefs with it.
(00:06:42) - Production notes (and several asides about Cochrane and warp drive).
(00:16:11) - Our guest stars this week.
(00:19:03) - Kicking the episode off proper with a stranded shuttle and a pissed off commissioner. 
(00:25:44) - Running afoul of a psychedelic space cloud.
(00:27:42) - Zefram Cochrane? Here? Now?
(00:32:43) - The commissioner gets pissy, and Nimoy does a stunt roll.
(00:37:09) - What is the Enterprise up to during all of this, and now it's time to talk to the Companion.
(00:42:15) - Cochrane's turn.
(00:48:34) - Kirk's last big plea, and the Companion decides to become a human lady.
(00:57:40) - Final thoughts.
(00:59:24) - Break!
(00:59:48) - We're back, and it's time to Journey to Babel.
(01:04:15) - Production notes.
(01:12:00) - Cast chat.
(01:20:12) - A diplomat AND a parent.
(01:28:41) - Some special effects talk, and meeting a room full of alien diplomats.
(01:38:20) - The mysterious vessel of the week, and murder is afoot.
(01:43:39) - Kirk gets shanked, and Spock's command snafu.
(01:49:50) - Kirk's ruse, Sarek's surgery, and when an Andorian is not an Andorian.
(01:55:52) - Sarek is saved!
(02:01:01) - Final thoughts.
(02:05:30) - Next week's episodes, scheduling housekeeping, and outro.

On this week's Watchcast Star Trek gets proper goofy as we tackle the distinctly Halloween-flavored episode, Catspaw, as well as the return of swarthy space scumbag Harry Mudd in I, Mudd!

 CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 141: Star Trek: Catspaw and I, Mudd.
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:02:13) - Leading things off with the first of our two very silly episodes today, Catspaw!
(00:06:36) - Before we talk too much about the ending, let's talk about who made Catspaw.
(00:13:08) - Beaming down to a Scooby Doo planet.
(00:20:06) - Wizards and dungeons and whatnot.
(00:28:48) - Finally, Catgirls have arrived in Star Trek.
(00:37:56) - GIANT CAT GIANT CAT GIANT CAT
(00:43:03) - Smoking pipe cleaner puppets.
(00:48:53) - Final thoughts.
(00:50:08) - Break!
(00:50:33) - We're back, and it's time to get stuck in the Mudd.
(00:53:39) - Production and cast talk.
(00:59:57) - Androids hijacking the Enterprise.
(01:05:47) - King Mudd.
(01:12:04) - The many temptations of the Enterprise crew.
(01:16:20) - The animatronic battleaxe, and the crew needs to figure out how to outsmart these androids.
(01:24:33) - Death by improv exercises.
(01:29:30) - Mudd's horrible fate.
(01:32:43) - Final thoughts.
(01:44:14) - Next week's episodes, and outro.

This Wagon Train to the Stars keeps rolling right along as we continue our way through Star Trek season 2, and this week we've got two episodes on fairly different ends of the quality spectrum in The Apple, and The Doomsday Machine.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 140: Star Trek: The Apple and The Doomsday Machine
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:02:37) - Let's kick things off by reckoning with The Apple.
(00:08:31) - Who is responsible for this?
(00:12:32) - Our guest stars this week, and a brief note on saucer separation.
(00:18:22) - A paradise planet that is anything but.
(00:21:19) - How are we imperiling the ship this week?
(00:24:05) - Boxing Akuta, and a brief aside about Kirk's tunic.
(00:28:36) - Vaal is really stupid looking, and Chekov's a creep for some reason.
(00:36:11) - First comes love, then comes the skull cavings.
(00:41:23) - Spock gets one in the back, and it's time to waste Vaal.
(00:47:14) - Final thoughts.
(00:48:58) - Break!
(00:49:29) - We're back, and it's time for The Doomsday Machine!
(00:51:08) - Talking about the changes to the special effects, and musings about galaxies.
(00:57:52) - Production background and cast talk.
(01:05:30) - Kicking things off with a derelict ship, and a long diatribe about transporters.
(01:14:47) - Our first look at the titular tube of doom.
(01:18:03) - Maybe bringing Decker to the Enterprise was a bit of an error.
(01:27:40) - How to destroy a world destroyer (and yet another transporter diatribe).
(01:43:22) - The epilogue, and final thoughts.
(01:49:02) - Next week's episodes, and outro.

Star Trek Summer is officially under way, and this week we've got a pair of bona fide classics. First up we've got a rogue AI with a distaste for the chaos of organic life in The Changeling, then the crew has to tackle the sexy evil alternate universe of Mirror, Mirror.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 139: Star Trek: The Changeling and Mirror, Mirror
(00:00:34) - Intro.
(00:04:29) - Kicking things off with The Changeling, and Vinny has some immediate questions.
(00:11:35) - BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dead Malurians.
(00:15:14) - NOMAD's power rankings seem...inflated?
(00:19:20) - A funny little robot running (or hovering) around the ship.
(00:25:52) - We're wiping brains, we're killing redshirts, we're resurrecting Scotty. Everything's crazy.
(00:34:39) - Do not mind meld with a probe. It will void the warranty.
(00:41:52) - Oops, we made the doomsday machine mad.
(00:45:24) - You're imperfect, idiot.
(00:49:19) - Final thoughts on The Changeling, and some scattered original cast movie talk.
(00:54:07) - Break!
(00:54:39) - We're back, and it's time to look into Mirror, Mirror.
(00:57:42) - On the frequency of transporter accidents, and the frequency of the Mirror Universe.
(01:01:25) - Those pesky ion storms.
(01:05:44) - The transporter goes haywire, and Spock has a kickass beard.
(01:13:06) - Kirk won't do mass murder, and Mirrorfolk get tossed in the regular universe brig.
(01:18:37) - Sexy times in Kirk's quarters.
(01:23:33) - Evil Sulu.
(01:26:46) - The plan to get home, and it's a donnybrook in sickbay.
(01:35:55) - Kirk just can't get on that transporter pad without making one last speech.
(01:39:28) - A final cheeky moment on the bridge, and talk about where the Mirror stuff goes from here.
(01:50:54) - Final thoughts.
(01:52:35) - Next week's episodes, and outro.

Star Trek Summer is finally here! That's right folks after literal years of demanding it, we've returned to the bridge of the Enterprise to rejoin Kirk, Spock, and the gang as they swing their way through space. Join us as we spar with ancient gods and get terminally horny in Amok Time, and Who Mourns for Adonais!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 138: Star Trek: Amok Time and Who Mourns for Adonais?
(00:00:24) - Intro.
(00:01:52) - FINALLY, the Watchcast has returned to Trek.
(00:05:43) - Kicking things off with Amok Time (and a brief refresher on Vulcans and production codes).
(00:15:23) - Talkin' Pon Farr, hand gestures, and other production stuff.
(00:18:49) - Our guest stars this week, and our brand spankin' new moptop ensign.
(00:27:21) - Let's start the season off right with some aggressively flung soup.
(00:33:20) - Bones discovers a roiling ocean inside Spock, and a brief Star Trek history lesson.
(00:41:23) - Hellooooo Nurse Chapel.
(00:44:10) - To Vulcan for the very first time.
(00:49:45) - Bucking traditions left and right, and ending up in mortal combat.
(00:54:15) - Kirk's dead (tired)!
(01:00:45) - Kirk's back!
(01:02:08) - Final thoughts on Amok Time (and more historical diversions).
(01:05:20) - Break!
(01:05:53) - We're back, and it's time to find out Who Mourns for Adonais?
(01:13:42) - Give 'em a hand!
(01:17:19) - An excursion to Planet Greece.
(01:23:14) - What if God was just some space guy?
(01:30:41) - Apollo is sweet on this human lady.
(01:41:45) - Greek architecture vs. Starship phasers.
(01:45:03) - How this episode could have ended, if not for the network.
(01:49:31) - Final thoughts, and what we've got coming up next week.
(01:53:44) - Outro.

For our final music movie for the month of May, we visit with our good bud Tom Hanks as he takes us through the whirlwind music industry adventure of The Wonders, and at the end of today's episode, Alex finally unveils his giant ordered list of every movie we've done on the Watchcast so far.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 137: That Thing You Do! (1996)
(00:00:08) - Intro.
(00:05:44) - We watched the extended cut. Here's why we did that.
(00:09:04) - How did Hanks get inspired to make this thing? How did the big song come together?
(00:18:44) - Our cast of young squires.
(00:26:59) - Break!
(00:27:21) - We're back, and it's time to take a trip to Erie, PA.
(00:33:21) - Let's get Guy into this band, and let's make that song faster.
(00:40:51) - Doing the Italian restaurant circuit, and cutting the first record.
(00:44:28) - Time to get a manager for about 15 minutes, then crash out in front of 2000 people.
(00:52:23) - Play Tone comes calling.
(00:59:12) - That high flying county fair life.
(01:04:19) - To the coast! Stardom awaits!
(01:08:22) - Weekend at Party Pier.
(01:12:58) - An awful label executive? Will wonders never cease.
(01:16:51) - The first cracks begin to show, and Guy has himself a night.
(01:24:42) - The Hollywood Television Showcase.
(01:31:36) - This is the thing we're breaking up the band over?
(01:39:24) - The slight difference in endings between the two cuts.
(01:46:57) - Vinny puts it on the list, and Alex finally unveils his.
(01:54:43) - Outro.