Strange New Worlds Fancast (Star Trek)

In episode #64 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn venture into Season 4, Episode 9, “Once La’An a Time,” as La’An finds herself trapped in a fantasy world where confronting her own inner demons may be the key to finding herself again. The hosts explore La’An’s journey toward self-acceptance as she faces a version of herself whose anger and emotional walls have pushed others away, while debating whether revisiting the fantasy setting of “The Elysian Kingdom” was a worthwhile return or a missed opportunity to tell a truly new story in a ten-episode season. Along the way, they celebrate the episode’s playful humor, from Prince Dashing’s hilariously over-the-top heroics and the alternate versions of Pike and Spock to an unexpected dragon attack on the Enterprise, elaborate costumes and dance sequences, and a generous helping of The Princess Bride references. The conversation also examines Kirk’s increasingly frequent appearances aboard the Enterprise, the evolving relationship between Jim and La’An, and Pelia’s decision to remain behind to help guide a mysterious ship home. While the hosts differ on how much they enjoyed the fantasy adventure, they find common ground in its emphasis on character development, particularly La’An learning to embrace all of herself and let others back into her life. Add in Trek Trivia, listener feedback, classic Star Trek comparisons, and the Fancast’s trademark tangents, and episode #64 delivers a lively discussion about the balance between familiar storytelling and fresh ideas—and why sometimes the most important journey is learning to accept yourself. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we continue coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

In episode #63 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn tackle Season 4, Episode 8, “Orders of Magnitude,” as the Enterprise is drawn into a dangerous pursuit of a mysterious cloaked alien ship—and Admiral Reeger’s orders threaten to turn an entire planet into collateral damage. The hosts dig into Kirk’s increasingly tense clash with Starfleet command, debating the ethics of a scorched-earth strategy when the enemy’s location and vulnerability remain uncertain, while connecting his determination to protect innocent lives to the trauma of a previous mission in which thousands died. The episode also opens a surprising chapter in Kirk family history, revealing how Reeger’s vendetta affected George Kirk’s career and giving Jim and La’an an overdue, emotionally complicated conversation. Meanwhile, the hosts praise Joe Morton’s commanding performance as Reeger, dissect Kirk’s clever maneuvering—including a covertly spiked cup of coffee—and wrestle with the consequences of M’Benga’s decision to help set the record straight, even at the risk of his own Starfleet career. Along the way, they explore the episode’s echoes of classic Trek’s cloaked-ship and submarine-warfare stories, debate whether Kirk’s frequent appearances aboard the Enterprise have become too contrived, and discuss the moral cost of obeying orders when those orders could mean mass casualties. Add in Trek Trivia, a spirited look at the show’s creative team, and the Fancast’s trademark tangents, and episode #63 delivers a thoughtful conversation about command, accountability, institutional failure, and the courage to challenge authority when lives are on the line. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we continue coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

In episode #62 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn dive into “Chronitons Through the Hourglass,” an unexpectedly soap-operatic adventure that traps the Enterprise crew inside an elaborate reality created by the Q Continuum’s Trelane. What initially frustrates the hosts with its melodrama, dramatic pauses, mysterious music, cosmic amnesia, family therapy, and over-the-top twists gradually wins them over as the experiment reveals a much more serious purpose: forcing the crew to confront the unresolved pain they have been carrying all season. The discussion centers especially on Pike, who discovers that his grief extends far beyond the loss of Captain Batel to the daughter, family, and entire lifetime he briefly experienced, leading to a powerful emotional breakdown that the hosts see as an important step in his journey. They also explore La’an’s painful realization about her feelings for Spock, Uhura’s surprising role as Pike’s imagined daughter, Chapel and Ortega’s efforts to help others face their trauma, Sybok’s hilariously melodramatic appearance, Trelane’s increasingly ridiculous experiment, and the episode’s many loving callbacks to classic Star Trek. Add in a deep dive into the soap-opera conventions that make the episode both hilarious and surprisingly moving, Trek Trivia, Carolyn’s adventures meeting the Strange New Worlds cast at Rose City Comic Con, and plenty of the Fancast’s trademark tangents, and episode #62 discovers that beneath all the dramatic lighting and outrageous twists is a thoughtful story about grief, healing, and finally allowing the Enterprise crew to move forward. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we continue coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

In episode #61 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn tackle Season 4, Episode 6, “Off Hour,” as the Enterprise is caught in a catastrophic slipstream that sends the crew scrambling to keep the ship—and themselves—alive. The hosts dive into the episode’s disaster-movie energy, comparing its escalating crises to everything from The Poseidon Adventure and The Martian to 24, while celebrating what they see as a classic Star Trek adventure built around problem-solving, teamwork, and one crisis after another. The discussion gets especially personal as Scotty begins to believe in himself and embrace the Enterprise as his ship, Chapel refuses to give up on a gravely injured M’Benga, Una confronts her own troubling feelings about sacrifice, and the cadet learns that sometimes Starfleet’s rules have to bend when lives are at stake. Along the way, the hosts explore the episode’s connections to Trek lore, the return of Dr. Boyce from “The Cage,” the growing path toward McCoy, Vulcan mind melds, Murphy’s Law, transporter training, and the enduring quirks of the Enterprise—including its doomed piano and hazardous chandelier. Add in listener feedback, a deep dive into the recurring “green” drink reference involving Scotty, Trek Trivia, and plenty of the hosts’ trademark tangents and humor, and episode #61 celebrates an episode they see as a particularly consequential, character-driven return to the adventurous spirit of Star Trek. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we continue coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

In episode #60 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn take on Season 4, Episode 5, “Level 5 Transporter Accident,” as a transporter malfunction transforms most of the Enterprise crew into puppets while Spock fights to reclaim the ship. The hosts dive into the episode’s wonderfully bizarre premise, giving plenty of credit to the puppeteers, green-screen work, character designs, and the sheer technical achievement of bringing the story to life—while also debating whether the episode’s ultimate explanation undercuts everything that came before it. They have fun with everything from Pike’s spectacular puppet hair and Pelia’s tiny puppet antics to Scotty’s transporter troubles, while discussing the episode’s place among Star Trek’s long tradition of silly and experimental stories. The conversation also turns to the season’s continuing reliance on different movie and television genres, with the hosts giving the showrunners credit for finding directors who fully embrace each episode’s particular style. Add in Trek trivia, listener feedback, plenty of wonderfully unexpected tangents, and the hosts’ trademark humor, and episode #60 proves that sometimes the strangest way to explore Strange New Worlds is by turning the Enterprise crew into puppets. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we review Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Strange New Worlds Fancast season 4. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

In episode #59 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn beam down into Season 4, Episode 4, “A Case of Chiaroscuro,” for a spirited—and decidedly divided—discussion of Strange New Worlds’ bold black-and-white homage to classic cinema. As Una is mistaken for a resistance leader on a planet under Klingon occupation, the hosts explore the episode’s Casablanca-inspired style, striking production design, and the character moments that put Una, Uhura, M’Benga, and La’an in the spotlight. They dig into Uhura’s intense interrogation, M’Benga’s growing collection of wartime mysteries and moral dilemmas, Una’s surprising doppelgänger, La’an’s suspicions aboard the Enterprise, and the twists surrounding the resistance’s plan to fight back against their Klingon occupiers. Along the way, the trio debates whether the episode’s ambitious stylistic experiment succeeds, whether its standalone story does enough to move the season forward, and why Carolyn found more to appreciate with each rewatch while Jake remained firmly unconvinced. Add in Klingon history, engineering rabbit holes, Trek Trivia, listener feedback, plenty of movie references and laughs, and episode #59 delivers a lively conversation about one of season four’s most unusual—and most divisive—adventures. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we begin coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Star Trek Strange New Worlds. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

In episode #58 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn head to a pleasure planet for a hilarious—and increasingly chaotic—review of Season 4, Episode 3, “Human Best Friend.” The hosts have a blast dissecting the crew’s disastrous shore leave, from Spock’s unusual behavior and Kirk’s unexpected appearance to the unforgettable pairing of Ortegas and Scotty, whose misadventures ultimately reveal the beginnings of a genuine friendship. They explore the episode’s elaborate costumes and hilarious details, Una’s unexpected turn as a Klingon ballad singer, Pike’s increasingly wild vacation experience, the mysterious circumstances surrounding the crew’s lost memories, and the episode’s clever callbacks to classic Star Trek. Along the way, they debate the season’s increasingly standalone approach, discuss whether Kirk really needed to be part of the story, celebrate the episode’s comedy and character moments, respond to listener feedback, and tackle another round of Trek Trivia. With plenty of laughter, spirited tangents, and a few questions about where these character relationships—and the season itself—are headed, episode #58 celebrates one of Strange New Worlds’ most entertaining and delightfully chaotic adventures. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we begin coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Starfleet Academy. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

The scares are back! In episode #57 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn venture into one of the franchise's most chilling episodes as they break down "The Griffin Incident," a haunted-ship mystery that blends classic Star Trek with psychological horror. From eerie ghostly encounters and unsettling survival horror to the episode's unanswered mysteries, the hosts explore why this story feels more like Event Horizon than a traditional Star Trek adventure. Along the way, they debate whether Star Trek needs every mystery explained, examine the evolving relationships between La'an, Spock, and Kirk, discuss haunting foreshadowing tied to Kirk's future, and analyze the episode's many horror tropes—from splitting up on an abandoned starship to opening doors that should have stayed sealed. Add in plenty of laughs, Carolyn's candid reactions to one of her least favorite kinds of Trek episodes, Trek trivia, listener feedback, and spirited speculation about where season four is headed, and you'll find a lively conversation that proves even Star Trek's darkest stories make for unforgettable podcasting. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we begin coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Starfleet Academy. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

Season four is here! In episode #56 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Carolyn launch into an enthusiastic review of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiere, "Valles Marineris," as Captain Pike and the Enterprise find themselves stranded 65 million years in Earth's past. From dinosaur encounters and Martian civilizations to impossible time paradoxes and high-stakes moral choices, the hosts break down everything that made the season opener feel like a return to classic Star Trek adventure. They debate Pike's defining command decision, explore character moments for Una, Ortegas, Spock, Scotty, and Chapel, speculate about Pelia's mysterious Doctor Who-style references, and even imagine how captains like Kirk, Picard, Janeway, Sisko, and Archer would have handled the episode's central dilemma. Add in behind-the-scenes insights from San Diego Comic-Con, listener feedback, Trek trivia, and plenty of laughs, and you've got the perfect way to kick off another season of bold exploration with the Strange New Worlds Fancast. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we begin coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Starfleet Academy. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363 Anson Mount CBS Interview: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbGauqRybq6/

In episode #55 of Strange New Worlds Fancast, SP, Jake, and Captain Carolyn complete their mission through Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season three with a wide-ranging discussion of the season’s biggest successes, missed opportunities, and lasting themes. The crew reflects on a season they found entertaining and full of memorable character moments, while debating whether the shortened episode count limited deeper emotional storytelling and character development. From the hilarious chaos of “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” and the heartfelt exploration of teamwork, friendship, and acceptance, to the epic scale of the Gorn aftermath, Scotty’s evolution, Kirk’s growing command style, Pelia’s mysteries, and Pike’s journey toward his destiny, the hosts examine what made season three uniquely Trek while comparing it to the series’ earlier seasons. They revisit standout episodes, discuss the importance of storytelling over spectacle, explore the future of the franchise and potential TOS-era connections, and respond to passionate listener feedback from Robert Bruce covering both seasons two and three. With plenty of humor, Trek trivia, debates over characters and continuity, and anticipation for season four, the crew closes out their season three retrospective by celebrating why Strange New Worlds remains a beloved return to classic Star Trek adventure. Send in your email feedback for inclusion in a future episode as we begin coverage of Strange New Worlds season 4. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Starfleet Academy. Email: [email protected] Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdy_old_man74 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363