Ceti Alpha 3: A Star Trek Podcast

So Long and Thanks for All the FishIt's been a long road, starting from 2016, with the first episode of Ceti Alpha 3. The trio now find a way to escape from being stranded on their planet and their endless discussion of all things Star Trek.Join the discussion as they look back at previous discussions, from what if Thomas Riker was in season seven of 'The Next Generation'? to writing their own new series starring Starfleet admirals playing space golf. Darren, Daniel, and Phillip also look to the Star Trek future, their podcast journey through the Kurtzman Era of series, and how fun it is to always talk Trek.

Lower Decks' Last SeasonAnother Star Trek series has come to an end. It's odd to think how many Star Trek shows, post-Discovery, fought for our attention. But the third "new" Kutzman-era series has now officialy ended with the finale of "Star Trek: Lower Decks."The trio portal through the last few episode of the season, sharing what made them laugh, the many reference to Trek trivia, and how that last episode hit them. How did this animated show affect the franchise we all love?Speaking of finales - the trio also announces that this will be the penultimate episode of Ceti Alpha 3. The next episode will serve as the last for this trio, both under this banner and as podcast hosts who have been talking Trek for over a decade.

Holidays in the Star Trek UniverseAs 21st Century Earth approaches the festive season, the trio ask - what are the holidays of the Star Trek future?Throughout many series, we have seen small references to our current holidays. How are they celebrated by Starfleet personnel? Has the meaning changed? And outside of Terran culture - what holidays have we seen on screen? And what others must also exist?Join us in a celebration of holidays past, holidays present, and holidays yet to come!

Star Trek Movie PostersWhat better discussion to have on an audio podcast than the review of Star Trek visuals?The trio takes a journey into the wayback machine to review all the movie posters from the 13 feature films in the franchise (6 TOS, 4 TNG, and 3 Kelvin-verse) - with a bonus add-on for the upcoming "Section 31" TV movie. How were all these movies advertised? Especially in the age when movie trailers could only be found at movie theatres? What "spoilers" did the posters give? How much did they lie to us? What could have been improved? Which ones remain your favorite?Make space on your wall and join the discussion about Trek's movie posters.(Source for images: Trekcore - https://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/) 

New-New Trek Favorite CharactersWith Trek fans "of a certain age", it can be tempting for your list of favorite characters to be cemented from the 1990s and earlier. In order to shake things up, the trio look at post-JJ films era of television series and pick their favorite characters from "Discovery," "Lower Decks," "Prodigy," "Strange, New Worlds" and "Picard". Which characters stand out the most from each series? What about "secondary" characters who we enjoy? Do any of this "new crop" of adventurers take the place of our old top 10 favorite characters? Who did we wish we could see more of?Log into Paramount+ and let us know your top 5 characters from the 21st Century-produced shows.

Georgiou and Disco Season One"Star Trek: Section 31" will arrive January 24 of next year, centered around the Mirror Universe version of Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). The trio revisit the introduction of both versions of the character, the "Prime" Captain Georgiou and the "Mirror" Terran Emperor, in the first season of "Star Trek: Discovery."What did we think of both of these characters? What meaning did they have for Michael Burnham? Would we have like to see more or less of each version? How do their first impressions predict what we may see in "Section 31"? What does a Burnham-less Georgiou look like?Join us as we board the vertical transporters of the USS Shenzhou to revisit season one of Disco and the introduction of the Georgiou character. 

Lower Decks Season 5 CatchupThe final season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" began this month - a bittersweet moment for the animated series.The trio look at the first four episodes - looking at what made them laugh and what portents may have been dropped about how this show will end. They  focus on each character, their remaining storylines, and whether the remaining episodes will be more in the spirit of "The Next Generation" or "Deep Space Nine."It's so hard to say goodbye - but join them as they enjoy "Lower Decks" final episodes.

Mirror Universe - Star Wars: Andor OverviewThe trio enter the Mirror Universe to become a dedicated Star Wars group - looking back at the first season of "Andor."With season two of Andor expected in 2025, three years after the first, the trio looks back at this revivial of Star Wars on TV. Disney+ brought Star Wars to streaming with "The Mandalorian". It was then followed up with "The Book of Boba Fett" and "Obi-Wan Kenobi". Some fans felt that there was still something missing - and then came "Andor" in 2022, a perhaps unexpected prequel series to the film "Rogue One."This 12-episode series centered on Cassian Andor and his reluctant entry into the Rebellion. The trio look at the stories, characters, and structure of this series that earned critical acclaim. Does "Andor" live up to all the hype? How is it different from both the series that came before and after? What were the most memorable parts? Join us in this ... Star Wars? ... discussion.

Star Trek: Prodigy Season Two OverviewThe kids are back! "Prodigy" has been on a wild road - there was a substantial break between the first and second halves of the first season, then it was unexpectedly cancelled and then dropped from Paramount+, and then there was a quest to find someone to host a second season (which had already mostly been completed). But Netflix finally took on this young audience-targeted Trek animated series in 2024 and premiered the second season (after an errant French slip-up). What do we think?The trio look at how the kids are doing, from new storylines, returning Voyager-era characters, new enemies, and how a bigger number of episodes (compared to other 21st Century shows) allows for different storytelling. From the Voyager-A to the temporal headaches of a returning USS Prodigy, from two-parters to a shocking way to end the season (series??) ... and then there's Wesley Crusher! There's a lot to cover and more to hope about the future of this series. 

If we were in charge of Star Trek...It's not the new year yet, but the trio are ready to look to the future. With the sale of Paramount still not quite official until 2025, and the renewal of some series, the cancellation of others, and the development of even others - it's time for a brief thought experiment.What if we ran Star Trek?As the helm of the franchise has gone from Gene Roddenberry to Rick Berman and now to Alex Kurtzman, it's now our turn. Do we keep current projects going or start from scratch? What platform will the future of Star Trek be carried on? Should we concentrate on movies or TV series? What new ideas will keep the franchise going for the next generation?Join us as we sit in the big chairs and imagine our own version of Star Trek's future.