REMIX OF TERROR? Strange New Worlds concludes its first season with a bookend to Captain Pike's dilemma setup in the series premiere: dude knows he's gonna suffer a terrible fate. Does this episode help him see that he shouldn't try to wiggle out of it? Bryan and Kristen examine an episode that serves as a "What If?" story to one of the stone cold classic episodes from The Original Series. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Does Strange New Worlds do the original episode justice? And, did the Trojan War actually happen, or is that just something made up to sell books? Kristen has the answer. 

Also, how did we feel overall about Strange New Worlds' first season? Did the 30-40-30 ratio (30% Marry, 40% Trek, 30% Kill) described in Episode Zero hold up with this show? 

If you're enjoying the show, consider rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts or right there in the Spotify app. You can keep tabs on all our grades by visiting trekmarrykillpod.com. Our theme music is "70's Synth Funk Jam" by Phill_Dillow on Pixabay.

THE VOYAGE HOMAGE. Captain Pike leads a rescue team to an icey planet after the USS Peregrine crash lands there, only to discover that Gorn invaders caused the crash and are not on the planet with them! 

Joining Bryan this week is the hilarious Ryan Nanni (@celebrityhottub on Twitter) from the best college football podcast ever made: Shutdown Fullcast. He's here because one of his New Year's resolutions was to appear on as many podcasts as possible, with a preference for subject matter not in his wheelhouse. He's not a total Star Trek novice, though, and he's well aware of science fiction in pop culture, knowledge that's necessary for an episode that... pays loving... homage... to Alien, Aliens, The Thing, and, allegedly Gremlins. 

If you're liking our show, consider rating us five stars on Apple Podcasts and leaving a review! 

CHILDCARE CRISIS RESOLVED! For most of the first season, Dr. M'Benga has been stuck caring for his daughter who's stuck in Sickbay's medical transporter buffer. That changes after the Enterprise's chance encounter with a living nebula! Does the nebula's ability to transform the crew into characters from his daughter's favorite book wind up being a great story twist or merely a lot of fun for the cast and crew?

Bryan and Kristen put on their cloaks and head into an enchanted forest to see if this crucial episode of Strange New Worlds warrants a Trek, Marry, or Kill!

If you're enjoying the show, consider rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts or right there in the Spotify app. You can keep tabs on all our grades by visiting trekmarrykillpod.com. Our theme music is "70's Synth Funk Jam" by Phill_Dillow on Pixabay.

ANGEL OR DEVIL? This week, Bryan is joined by special guest co-host Jen (writer at Baseball Prospectus) to discuss one of the most interesting episodes of Star Trek we've ever seen. The legacy of Spock has featured the culture clash of his human side vs. his Vulcan side, and in this episode of Strange New Worlds that dynamic faces a direct challenge from one of the most compelling characters ever created for the franchise. 

Spock's Human-Vulcan dynamic gets challenged by nonbinary Dr. Aspen who sees the whole thing as a false dilemma. Meanwhile, after the Enterprsie gets boarded by pirates and the crew imprisoned, Captain Pike decides to shed his Boy Scout label and be a true bad boy... by offering to cook for the pirate crew in hopes of inciting a mutiny. As the saying goes, the fastest way to the heart of a mutinous knave is through their stomach, right? 

Jen mentions their involvement with the Youth Leadership Intstitute and if you're interested in checking it out and seeing how it's helping young people address inequities in their communities, then check out yli.org. 

Liking our show? Be sure to rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts and even leave us a review, if you feel so inclined. You can also submit feedback right there on the Spotify app. And, of course, be sure to check out trekmarrykillpod.com for up to date standings of Treks, Marrys, and Kills for each series. 

PIKE'S FORMER CRUSH has a secret and this week we have guest co-host Cassie Soliday from The Ink & Paint Folk Podcast to talk about it! Is the perfect world of Majalis too good to be true or does it just seem that way to Federation outsiders? 

Meanwhile, Cadet Uhura gets exposed to La'an's list of security rules -- which are more like guidelines -- and Dr. M'Benga's doctor goes on a playdate. Does this episode setup a disturbing motif in this new Star Trek series, or were the writers really just horny for the ending they wrote and worked backwards from that? 

THIS EPISODE ENDS IN A SPLIT VOTE! What grade do you think this episode deserves? Vote via Twitter (@trekmarrykpod), our website, or through the Spotify app! 

If you're interested in animation, check out Cassie's podcast, and if you're enjoying our show, consider rating us five stars on Apple Podcasts and leaving a review. For a list of all our episodes and our Trek/Marry/Kill standings, check out our website, trekmarrykillpod.com.

SPOCK BECOMES T'PRING after a Vulcan Soul Swap goes awry and it's all thanks to Spock's pesky humanity! This week, Bryan is joined by Aliza Pearl from the Women at Warp Podcast, the Star Trek Adventures campaign called Clear Skies: Perseverance and she's created an interactive story you can playthrough right now on StoryLoom called Welcome to the Blood Bar.

Will Spock and T'Pring learn a valuable lesson about radical empathy in time to repair the Federation's delicate negotiations with the Rongovians and T'Pring's task to bring in a wayward Vulcan, or will the preponderance of hijinks sink their efforts?

If you're liking our show, be sure to rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review! Curious about how many Treks, Marrys, and Kills we've handed out? See all that and more at our website, trekmarrykillpod.com!

HOT GORN ACTION! The Enterprise comes face to face with the mysterious Gorn, realizing La'an's worst nightmare! With the entire ship under constant attack, the episode splits into multiple storylines: Cadet Uhura and Lt. Hemmer are trapped in the cargo bay; and, Number One is trapped in Sickbay with the manic pixie dream Nurse Chapel. 

Listen to this one to find out what Bryan and Krsiten think about using mind melds to help with psychotherapy, a glistening Anson Mount, and the movie Interstellar. 

SECRETS AND LIES invade the Enterprise while investigating a distant planet that once was home to the mysterious race called the Illyrians. Has this genetically modified people been hunted to extinction or have they evolved? Bryan and Kristen conduct their own investigation into an episode that's heavy on incident and light on consequences. 

They also talk about the production realities that affected this one and how much the story owes to shooting TV during COVID-19 lockdowns and safety protocols. Does the show manage to do more than just remind us of the beginning of the pandemic? Does it borrow too much from The Next Generation?  Find out all that and more in this week's all new episode.

ARBITER OF LIFE? Second episodes can be as difficult as the pilot episode of a new show, and Bryan and Kristen don't see an exception with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Does the combination of Anson Mount's charisma and Celia Rose Gooding's talent sell a sometimes sweaty script or does the Star Trek-ness of the whole thing wind up saving the day? 

The Enterprise tries to stop a comet from colliding with a planet only to be intercepted by The Shepherds, an alien species that views the comet as a religious figure. Meanwhile, Uhura doesn't know if she belongs in Starfleet, despite being great at everything. Can she find the thrill in time to save the landing party that's trapped on the comet as it hurtles towards its destination? 

If you're enjoying our show, consider writing a review on Apple Podcasts and rating us five stars there or whichever platform you listen to Trek, Marry, Kill -- and don't forget: all our standings can be seen on trekmarrykillpod.com. 

A BUREAUCRAT'S OFFICE! That's all Captain Picard seems good for to rogue Captain Benjamin Maxwell, but little does he understand that the USS Enterprise is the top diplomatic vessel at the Federation's disposal! Trek, Marry, Kill wraps up its Star Trek: Picard Season Three prep by watching this 4th season episode that introduces Cardassians to the world of Star Trek ... and maybe the world to the Kardashian family?

Joining Bryan this week is Rian from podcast network QCODE to discuss what might be the perfect example of Captain Picard in action playing to his strengths. How does he (via Patrick Stewart's performance) convey so much power without firing a phaser or delivering a drop kick? That's Shakespearean training for you! In this one, he's up against two all-time great Star Trek performances, one from Bob Gunton as Maxwell and Marc Alaimo as Gul Macet, a great preview of his performance for many years on Deep Space Nine as Gul Dukat.