053 - Lower Decks: The One With the Out of Control Vulcan

So after a bit of a break, we're back with new Trek and new episodes! Let's see how long we can keep it up. And in a blink of an eye, we're in April 2024. Spring is in the air, the pollen count is increasing, and there's new Star Trek - finally! Mike and Johnson catch up on life, love, and the shows they've been watching - from 3 Body Problem to One Day, we have multiple genres covered. But of course, we're here to talk about Star Trek, not other shows! The final season of Discovery is finally upon us, and we're ready to break it down. Are we excited? Nervous? Hopeful? Tired? All of the above??? Listen to find out!

Somehow, we all made it to the end of 2023! That means other than catching up on Star Trek news, we're here to talk about all the things that stood out for us this year. Despite the ups and downs of the franchise, 2023 was a great year for Star Trek - we chat about some of our favorite episodes and moments. Of course, a year end recap wouldn't be complete without a look ahead; other than the upcoming election cycle (sarcasm), what else are we looking forward to? Join us and find out!

With the cadence at which we're recording these episodes, there's a lot to catch up on! But mostly about everything else besides Star Trek because there's a a dearth of new Trek episodes on the horizon, and - oh right - the actor's strike. Maybe that's why we spend the majority of the episode chatting about our lives and everything else we're watching that's not Star Trek! Once we finally get to it though, we discuss "Caves," the most recent episode of Lower Decks Season 4 we've seen. This most recent entry is essentially an homage to Berman-era Trek cave sets, and perhaps a wink and a nod to Shades of Gray. We also spend a bit of time looking back at the season so far -- and what does Mike McMahan have in store for us for the finale?!

Star Trek Day was amazing this year and totally worth watching, right!? Given that there's going to be a dearth of Star Trek on the horizon doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of Star Trek to talk about! Between discussing Star Trek Day (which Mike watched and Johnson did not), Very Short Treks, and United We Trek, there's actually a lot going on in the Star Trek universe - and that's BEFORE we even get into Lower Decks! That being said, we spend a bit of time talking about "Twovix" and "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee." We're glad to say that the show hasn't missed a beat, and it seems like Mike McMahan heard our feedback and finally gave everyone promotions (we're willing to take all the credit). It's incredible how much this show can pack into less than 30 minutes of television - whether it's all the Voyager references you could want, or a new character that would make the perfect plush toy.

The near end of summer also means that Strange New Worlds Season 2 has come to an end - with Season 3 airing in... 2025? We discuss this and other news items - which honestly isn't a lot considering the SAG/AFTRA strike. In fact, after Lower Decks Season 4 and Discovery Season 5, there might not be much new Trek for a while - how will we survive!? But that is a tomorrow problem! In today's episode, we're here to talk about the last two episodes for SNW S2, the musical episode "Subspace Rhapsody" and the finale "Hegemony." Mike and Johnson share their thoughts, and definitely become animated in discussing their different views on these two episodes. Do we want more musicals? Do we want more Gorn?! Listen and find out!

We fast forward past a few SNW episodes to talk about a recent favorite, "Those Old Scientists!" Mike and Johnson are both huge fans of this episode, which features Boimler and Mariner visit the Strange New Worlds crew. From the constant references to physical comedy, this episode is somehow able to blend the spirit of both shows successfully. We're huge fans! But first some news items, which includes a look at the final season of Discovery, a trailer for the next season of Lower Decks, and the announcement of a musical episode of Strange New Worlds!? Mixed feelings on that one.

And we're back bitches! After an extended break (not Johnson's fault), we catch up on what's been going on in our lives the past couple of months. Will listeners be surprised that we're alive? We then move onto talking about the latest Star Trek news - there's a lot to wade through, including the cancellation of Star Trek Prodigy. We then chat about the first two episode of Strange New Worlds Season 2, "The Broken Circle" and "Ad Astra per Aspera." One of these days we'll also wrap up our discussion of Picard Season 3!

We are continuing our series of having guest hosts on Deep Space Pride, with folks from the LGBTQIA+ community! This week we chat with Kelvin Wood, Star Trek enthusiast and cohost of All Good Things, a Star Trek podcast that examines thematic topics in Trek lore. We chat with him about the difference that Star Trek has made in his life, and his love for the Trek community. We also talk about this season of Star Trek: Picard (up to episode 8), and what we're loving about the show so far. We also discuss the matter of representation in Star Trek - what the franchise has gotten right, gotten less right, and where we hope for it in the future. You can find Kelvin here: https://www.instagram.com/kelvinstimeline/ https://twitter.com/allgoodpod

We've returned from a short hiatus with a special guest! This week we have Matt Jennings, fellow Star Trek fan and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. As a multi-talented artist who has pursued a career in the performing arts, Matt has spearheded 1701: A Blerd Story - a self referential web series that examines his life as a Black Gay Nerd. We chat with Matt about his show, his inspiration, and where he's taking things next. Of course, we also can't help but to talk about some of the latest Star Trek news - including where we are with Star Trek Picard Season 3, and the impending final season of Star Trek Discovery plus lots of Deep Space Nine love. Join us for our thoughts and banter!

Star Trek Picard Season 3 is right around the corner, and we're here for it! We chat about the trailer that premiered during the NFL Championship game (which is also when we discover Mike's knowledge about football), discuss what (or who) we're looking forward to most, and provide spoiler-free thoughts on what we've seen of this season. Before we get into everything Picard, we have a quick chat about Annie Wersching's passing - our memory of her roles in other shows, and the highlights of her performance as the Borg Queen on Picard Season 2. RIP Annie - we'll miss you!