120: "A Case of Chiaroscuro" (SNW S4E4)

Once upon a time, there was a fantasy kingdom in a “Star Trek” episode. Twice upon a time, they revisited that story and tried to bring La’An’s seasonlong struggle with herself to a conclusion. Is double the crew double the fun? Is Spock a wizard or a Vulcan, and does he wield magic or logic? We break down the penultimate episode of the penultimate season of “Strange New Worlds!” Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

In this fantastic episode, a “badmiral” takes control of the Enterprise and teaches (randomly on the ship) Jim Kirk some important what-not-to-do lessons about command. Jim and Sam Kirk have a surprising, emotionally resonant conversation about their father. A coffee fetish meets Chekov’s Cordrazine*! And in the B plot: caves! (Which, for the record, we also like very much.) Pop pop! * Ask your doctor if cordrazine is right for you. Side effects include paranoia, accidentally bringing Hitler to power, and serious cardiovascular complications. Do not take if you are pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant, or are allergic to cordrazine. Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Don’t catch the Space Madness, because it’s time to talk about the latest episode of “Strange New Worlds,” in which Trelane puts the Enterprise (except Pike) into a soap opera! Once again, we’re genre hopping—but is “Q episode” not a tried-and-true Trek genre? And does this not emotionally serve Pike, who recently survived a “life-in-a-day” episode of his own? Get your popcorn ready and watch out for evil twins. Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This week’s episode has everything: Broken bones and crushed torsos; a detailed look at the past, present, and future of the ship’s medical org chart, a remote control Mind Meld, and the start of the most important character pair in the history of Star Trek: Scotty and the Enterprise. Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s the muppet show!!!!! [kermit flail] Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This podcast is presented in vivid black-and-white, as we discuss a Strange New World visit that reminds us a lot of a TOS episode—but without the bright colors designed to sell color television sets in the 1960s. Una ponders space doppelgangers, M’Benga enjoys a selection of hats and coats, and Uhura gets the mind probe. Gratuitous Klingon guest stars! Confusing sci-fi rules! And if you haven’t seen “Casablanca,” well… Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s time for the next spin on the genre wheel, as “Strange New worlds” lurches from horror to comedy. Dave Foley is a weird alien with a weird pleasure planet. There’s a thin strand of plot and a Star Trek take on “The Hangover.” Pike gets a lot of tattoos! There’s Klingon karaoke! Someone’s wearing a Mugato suit! Most importantly, Scotty and Ortegas learn to understand each other and Spock bonds with an imaginary—or is he?—Jim Kirk. Also, prompted by the last two weeks’ genre whipsaw, Scott and Jason have deep thoughts about what we like, why we like it, and how we process stuff that doesn’t fit in our definition of the thing we like. Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Boo! It’s a spooky situation as Kirk, Spock, and La’an encounter a dead starship and face their worst fears. How did we, as non-horror fans, like the episode? That might be the scariest reveal of all. Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Scott and Jason are back to answer your most important Star Trek and horse-related questions! And they’re so excited they could punch a dinosaur! We break down the pulp-SF-flavored Season 4 premiere of “Strange New Worlds,” featuring martians and dinos and also a bonus jerk Vulcan! Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

“Starfleet Academy” finishes the end of its first season with the conclusion of numerous plot lines, a lot of character moments, and some problem solving. We discuss how this episode worked, the season as a whole, and how “Starfleet Academy” builds on the shows that came before it. See you again when “Strange New Worlds” returns! Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.