2 Trek Nerds

Dan and Kevin FINALLY get to talk about their favorite episode of the whole Original Series, The Doomsday Machine. It's got everything--another Federation starship, a crazy captain, fight scenes, and all kinds of crazy ideas to overcome one of the most fearsome weapons of the whole Original Series. Not to mention the acting of William Windom, amazing music from Sol Kaplan, and you've got yourself the set up for one of the best episodes of Star Trek ever. Plus a little skit from Dan and Kevin. Enjoy!

What happens when you combine a bunch of ideas that were used in other episodes with an Old Testament/Hebrew Bible type of punishing god like machine with a bunch of natives that have never had to stand on their own? It's the wacky, screwy second season episode The Apple! Dan and Kevin try to make sense of an episode that's all over the place which, in the end, is more about mid 20th Century imperialism and the Cold War than any enlightening thoughts about a better future. And there's a paper mache villain! (And there's a reason why Vaal's face didn't melt.)

Dan and Kevin talk about another seminal Star Trek episode, Mirror, Mirror. They both wonder what it would be like to live in a universe where a government uses terror and fear to keep people in line, where opponents disappear with no trace, and individual freedoms are squashed for the good of the imperialist in charge. No guesses on if the Emperor has orange skin. Kevin and Dan also talk about this episodes influence on future Star Trek shows, Chekhov's creepy smile, how Uhura keeps getting the raw end of the deal, and, of course, Spock's Beard. Mr. Kyle, your agonizer, please.

Kevin and Dan talk about how this episode serves as a sneak peek at what would become The Motion Picture, which would come out about a decade after this first aired. They also talk about how maybe this isn't the most fun to re-watch, but it does give some insights into parent/child relationships, how Kirk is becoming an expert on talking computers to death, and what must it have been like for Leonard Nimoy to talk like a robot after all the acting experience he had. Nomad-sterilize, Nomad, sterilize, Nomad, sterilize. . . .

Dan and Kevin talk about who the Green Space Hand really belongs to, how both guest stars are still with us, and which one dropped out to become a anti-Vietnam War activist. In Who Mourns for Adonias? Kirk and the crew get first hand experience dealing with the Greek god Apollo and they find out why the Klingons killed their gods in ancient times. Dan and Kevin also wish William Shatner a happy 95th birthday, and how this is the first instance of Scotty not doing well when he is enamored with a female crew-person.

Kevin and Dan talk about one of the seminal episodes of the Original Series, the one the introduced us all to Live Long and Prosper, the Vulcan hand salute, and Dan's favorite weapon of all time, the Lirpa. Kevin talks about how Strange New Worlds has slightly retconned Amok Time, and how the last line that Spock speaks on Vulcan stayed with Leonard Nimoy for the rest of his life. They both talk about why it might be a good idea to figure out what you're getting into before accepting a challenge because, who wants to fight to the death and not know about it? And why, deep down, Stonn is a schmuck.

Dan and Kevin debut their first podcast of 2026 with the first season finale Operation--Annihilate! In this episode, the talk is about how Kirk can lose 2/3rds of his extended family and never hear about them, or see them again, and how one actor in this made further contributions to Star Trek behind the scenes decades later. And watch out for those flying pancakes--they can hit you on the ass or just ruin your whole day.

Dan and Kevin get to talk about one of, if not the most, famous Star Trek episode ever made. They also chat about the late Gil Gerard, Ralph Senesky, and how Harlan Ellison couldn't let go of a grudge. Not only is City on the Edge of Forever a famous episode, but the story behind it's creation is just as famous as what you see on screen. Kevin also talks about how this could be connected to Man in the High Castle!

Dan and Kevin list the many reasons why this episode is a notorious dud from the first season, including Kirk becoming the dumb captain, Lazarus' beard that keeps changing shape, and why if you're not feeling well, maybe just stay the hell away from the edge of cliffs. And how this is connected to Drew Barrymore.

Kevin and Dan talk about one of the seminal episodes of all of Star Trek--Errand of Mercy, which introduced one of the best sci-fi protagonists of all time--the Klingons. They also talk about the Cold War influenced story line and why guest star John Colicos became a legend in two different classic sci-fi franchises--Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. And why maybe Kirk and Spock need to better pay attention to some of the small details.