TrekRanks Podcast

It feels fitting that the first Kelpien in Starfleet is also the first character from the new era of Star Trek to get the TrekRanks character deep dive treatment as this week we jump all the way to Kaminar to take on the "Top 5 Saru Episodes." Brought to life by the legendary Doug Jones, Saru embodied the emotions and hope on display throughout five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, never wavering in his duty to Starfleet. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and First Flight podcast duo Abby Sommer and Chris Chaplin sense the coming of a whole lot of love for Saru in this breakdown of one of Trek's most legendary alien outsiders.

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: We get into the details of defining the show's specific topic with a rundown of our past character episodes and a reminder that "episodes" is really shorthand for "moments or episodes," however you want to define it.
• Prime Directive: As always for our character deep dives, each guest on this week's panel reveals one word that they think best defines the target character. This week's choices are exemplary.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a couple of previous episodes of TrekRanks and relay some of the feedback received from listeners.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Saru Episodes. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.com on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

It's a classic TrekRanks deep dive on the "Top 5 World-Building Episodes" in the history of Star Trek, where we breakdown the stories, details and moments that helped establish the expansive universe that we've all known and loved across the past 60 years. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests Alex Perry and Carlos Miranda get into the nooks and crannies of both the big and small world-building moments that have helped establish Star Trek as the modern mythology of our times.

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show's specific topic.
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are teased and revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a previous episode of TrekRanks and relay some of the feedback received from listeners.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 World-Building Episodes. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.com on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

It's maybe the most expansive topic in TrekRanks history. In a return to our ongoing "Scenes in Trek" series we tackle the "Top 5 Scenes on a Bridge." And in Star Trek, as you know, a whole lot of the show takes place on the bridge! Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Charlynn Schmiedt, Kimberly Lawler and Foz Rotten have a great time covering this massive topic with heavy hitters, deep cuts and some emotional wallops. It's another TrekRanks classic!

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show's specific topic and run down our "Scenes in Trek" role call of past topics!
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We relay a special voicemail commemorating our 200th episode.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Scenes on a Bridge. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.com on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

We all have those episodes we've seen a bunch of times, but every time you turn it on, for some reason it feels like you are watching it for the first time. And that is what this week's TrekRanks is all about. It's the Top 5 Episodes that Always Feel Like a First-Time Watch! Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Paul Edinger, Todd Kehoe and Kelli recorded this one "FlashRanks" style, with about 24 hours to prep their choices. We cover a lot of ground on this extremely fun episode of TrekRanks – that I'm sure you will want to listen to again for the first time.

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show's specific topic. (And we get into the specifics of our fourth ever FlashRanks episode of TrekRanks.)
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their choices and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a previous episode of TrekRanks and relay some of the feedback received from listeners.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Episodes that Always Feel Like a First-Time Watch. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.com on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

Pack your bags! Because on this week's TrekRanks we are visiting your "Top 5 Dream Destinations" in Star Trek! It's the locations in the Trek universe where you want to visit or see in person or take a vacation, however you define your Prime Directive. Our expert LCARS panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Chris Burris and Craig Main cover everything from planets to space stations to museums across the Alpha, Gamma and Delta quadrant! Make sure your interplanetary travel documents are up to date for this fun episode of TrekRanks!

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: We get into the details of what is now an ongoing series of "destination" topics in TrekRanks, with Dream Destinations being the third in this new series.
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a previous episode of TrekRanks and relay some of the feedback received from listeners.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Dream Destinations. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.com on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

Peldar joi, everyone! It's time for a festival celebration at TrekRanks as we take on the "Top 5 Bajoran Episodes" with our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Brooke Horton and Duncan Barrett. Since their debut on The Next Generation, Bajorans have provided some of the most layered and contextualized storytelling in all of Star Trek, and this episode gets deep into the cultural, religious and historical context Bajorans have provided throughout Deep Space Nine and beyond. This one includes quite a few hot takes, just like your favorite hasperat, made with the most tongue-searing, spicy brine!

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show's specific topic and run through a roll call of previous "species" featured on TrekRanks.
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a previous episode of TrekRanks and relay some of the feedback received from listeners.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Bajoran Episodes. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.com on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

This week's TrekRanks is all about the "Top 5 Crash Landings" in Star Trek as we attempt to to navigate our shuttle safely through some kind of magnetic disturbance in the atmosphere or through an ion storm or a weird orbital displacement shift - and guide our crew to safety. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Paige Thatcher and Sebas de Toma steer us through every variation of crash landing in Trek, uncovering more than a few fun trends, tropes and surprises.

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: We break down all the different types of crash landing we've seen in Star Trek through the years and how they are represented in so many different ways.
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's LCARS panel relay exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the usual TrekRanks' "Five words and a hashtag" summary, along with the single episode that best frames their choice.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a previous episode of TrekRanks and get into some of the feedback received from listeners.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Crash Landings. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.bksy.social on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

We are getting dark and dirty on this week's TrekRanks as we maneuver down some of Starfleet's back alleys to uncover the "Top 5 Treacherous Bastards" in the history of Star Trek. Our expert panel is packed with unsavory characters, including host Jim Moorhouse and guests Ryan Riddle and Michael Bentley, as they get into the underbelly of the influences that have motivated so many of our picks. This is a fun episode that also goes deep … into treachery!

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: We give a quick definition of "treacherous" and how that might compare to "traitorous." (Note: they are basically the same thing.)
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's LCARS panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a previous episode of TrekRanks and relay some of the feedback received from listeners.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Treacherous Bastards. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.bksy.social on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

We celebrate episode 200 of TrekRanks with perhaps the most wide-open topic in the history of our show. Which means we are covering more Star Trek ground than ever! This week we enter a stable temporal fissure to revisit many of the fun topics in our illustrious past with TrekRanks Potpourri 2.0 with host Jim Moorhouse and our expert panel of Alex Perry, Jenn Tifft and Abby Sommer. As you know, the TrekRanks catalog has no boundaries – from "Scenes in Trek" to "Abstract topics" to "Character Moments" and "Season Recaps" – and this week each member of our LCARS panel picks five of their favorite topics from our history to discuss (and, of course, make one episode pick for that topic as well). It's another standout entry of the most comprehensive, informative and consistently fun Star Trek podcast in the Alpha Quadrant.

Episode Rundown:

• Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show's specific topic.
• Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices.
• The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original "Five words and a hashtag" summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice.
• Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list.
• Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your picks for TrekRanks Potpourri 2.0. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.bksy.social on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a future Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.

We're dunking into Star Trek: Lower Decks like a big ol' cookie on this week's TrekRanks with a breakdown of the "Top 5 Lower Decks Season 5 Moments"! It's a happy-sad celebration of Captain Freeman and the entire crew of the USS Cerritos as they investigate a series of temporal fissures (with new friends and old) all season long. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests Bill Mann and Arielle K. break it all down in our exclusive TrekRanks style.

Episode Rundown:

• Level One Diagnostic Cycle: We break down the five distinct categories we use in our season recap shows. In order, this week's panelists reveal their picks in the following categories: Production Design, Creative MVP, Dabo Round Wildcard, Character and Episode!
• Prime Directive: Our crew breaks down exactly how they defined their lists.
• The Order of Things: Everyone reveals their picks with the usual "Five words and a hashtag" summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice.
• Secondary Systems: Our guests each rattle off a few additional selections for the picks that just missed our lists!
• Regeneration Cycle: Everyone recaps their picks and discusses some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion.
• Temporal Inversion: We flashback to Episode 189 of TrekRanks and relay some of the great feedback we received from our listeners on the Top 5 Two-Hander Episodes.

If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your Top 5 Lower Decks Season 4 Moments. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.bsky.social on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used in a Temporal Inversion on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too).

And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.