The Clonestar Podcast

How do you film a puppet fight on the Enterprise—or make a stationary set feel like a ship in freefall?Star Trek: Strange New Worlds directors Jordan Canning and Dan Liu join CloneStar to reveal the practical tricks, performances and problem-solving behind “Level-Five Transporter Accident” and “Off-Hour.”From three puppets in a trench coat to Una’s struggle against crushing gravity, this conversation explores how ambitious scenes become finished television—and the people who make them possible.In this interview: 🖖 Jordan’s Fraggle Rock experience and bringing the Enterprise crew to life as puppets 🎬 Dan’s approach to disaster scenes, camera angles and making danger feel real 🎭 Puppet designs, voice performances and finding each character’s personality 🚀 Scotty’s Jefferies tube sequence, hidden camera positions and changes to the Enterprise sets ✨ Practical effects, visual effects and why Strange New Worlds embraces different genresJordan also explains why the puppet episode needed fewer digital fixes than you might expect, while Dan shares how the cast’s preparation transformed challenging scenes.Plus, both directors reflect on what Star Trek means to them.

Did Star Trek Beyond finally get the Kelvin crew right—and is it the best film of the trilogy? Seo and Ed English review the adventure that gives Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise crew more room to be themselves.Wrapping up our Kelvin movie reviews, we explore why Beyond feels closer to the spirit of Star Trek: a more believable Captain Kirk, stronger character relationships, and a story about finding where you belong.But it isn’t all praise. We discuss Krall’s late reveal, another revenge-driven villain, and whether the Beastie Boys showdown works—or takes things too far.In this spoiler-filled review: 🖖 Kirk’s growth and the quieter moments that make the crew matter 🚀 The destruction of the Enterprise and the swarm attack 🤝 Jaylah, Scotty and the film’s themes of unity and belonging 🎵 “Sabotage,” Krall and the action-heavy finale 🎬 Our Kelvin trilogy rankings—and why we disagree about first placeWhere does Beyond rank for you: above Star Trek (2009), or just behind it? Tell us your order in the comments.

Did Star Trek Into Darkness waste the fresh start of the 2009 reboot by returning to The Wrath of Khan? Seo and Ed English revisit J.J. Abrams’ sequel to ask where the spectacle works—and where the story falls apart.Continuing our Kelvin timeline movie reviews, we explore Benedict Cumberbatch’s Khan, Kirk’s struggle to earn the captain’s chair, and a finale that leans heavily on one of Star Trek’s most famous films.There’s plenty to enjoy, from striking futuristic cities and the space jump to Scotty standing his ground and Admiral Marcus commanding the screen. But do those highlights make up for underused characters, familiar story beats and an ending that pushes things too far?In this episode: 🚀 The action sequences and visuals that still impress 🖖 Scotty’s principles, Spock’s characterisation and the underused Enterprise crew 🎭 The John Harrison mystery and Khan’s big reveal ⚠️ Kirk’s sacrifice, the resurrection and those Wrath of Khan parallels 🌌 Whether Into Darkness works for a casual viewer as well as a longtime Trek fanFull spoilers for Star Trek Into Darkness, with discussion of Star Trek (2009) and The Wrath of Khan.Would Into Darkness have worked better with an entirely new villain? Tell us what you think in the comments.CloneStar Podcast explores the Star Trek universe through cast and creator interviews, episode reviews, ships, canon, and the stories behind the final frontier.#StarTrek #StarTrekIntoDarkness #CloneStarPodcast

Did Star Trek (2009) give the franchise the fresh start it needed—or trade too much substance for spectacle?Seo welcomes returning guest Ed English to CloneStar Podcast for a spoiler-filled review of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, bringing a longtime fan’s perspective together with a more casual viewer’s take.From the emotional USS Kelvin opening to Kirk’s remarkably quick promotion, we explore what works, what doesn’t, and whether this version of the Enterprise crew captures the spirit of Star Trek.In this episode:🖖 Chris Pine’s Kirk, Zachary Quinto’s Spock and the challenge of recasting iconic characters🚀 The USS Kelvin opening, the Enterprise reveal and Michael Giacchino’s score🎬 Big-screen spectacle, thin plotting and Nero’s missing backstory🌌 Whether Star Trek (2009) is the right starting point for new fans🖖 Leonard Nimoy’s return and the unused William Shatner cameo ideaThere’s plenty to celebrate—but does an entertaining blockbuster necessarily make a great Star Trek film?What’s your verdict: the reboot Trek needed, or style over story? Tell us in the comments.CloneStar Podcast explores the Star Trek universe through cast and creator interviews, episode reviews, ships, canon, and the stories behind the final frontier.#StarTrek #StarTrek2009 #CloneStarPodcast

Did Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 push the boundaries in the right direction — or let its genre experiments overshadow the stories?Ellie Littlechild from TrekCulture and WhoCulture joins Mike and Jodi for a full-season review, and we don’t all agree! From puppets and prehistoric adventures to horror, soap opera and fairy tales, we break down all ten episodes and debate whether the character development justified the risks.

Two Enterprises. Two Uhuras. One year apart. Does “Tomorrow’s Enterprise” give Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 the finale it deserves?Mike and Jodi return to Ten Forward for a full-spoiler review of Season 4, Episode 10—and a look back at the season as a whole.Celia Rose Gooding’s performance gives us plenty to celebrate as Uhura encounters her future self, confronts her doubts, and discovers what it might mean to stop putting life on hold. Add Scotty, an unexpected relationship, and a time-travel adventure, and there’s plenty to unpack.But while we agree there’s a lot to love, we don’t quite agree on whether this is the right way to end the season.

Did Pelia and La’an deserve better? Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 9 returns to the fantasy world of The Elysium Kingdom—but Mike and Jodi question whether its character resolutions feel earned.In this spoiler-filled Ten Forward review, we discuss Pelia’s decision to stay behind, the missing farewell with Scotty and why La’an’s journey towards self-acceptance feels rushed after seasons of development.Mike calls this his least favourite episode of the season and awards it 2/10. Jodi, who enjoyed the original Elysium Kingdom episode, finds this return forced and predictable, giving it 5.5/10.We discuss:• Pelia’s departure and the goodbye we wanted to see • La’an’s two contrasting selves and the resolution of her internal conflict • Carol Kane’s one-liners, Christina Chong’s dual performance and Celia Rose Gooding’s villainous turn • The Benny Russell reference, the Enterprise doppelgangers and Runa’s touching final moments • Our playful Lower Decks theory connecting Pelia and Billups—headcanon, not confirmed canonThere are performances and moments worth celebrating, but did the episode try to wrap up too much at once?

A rogue admiral, a stranded away team and orders that deserve to be questioned: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S4E8, “Orders of Magnitude,” brings back the classic Trek ingredients Mike wanted.In this spoiler-filled Ten Forward review, Mike and Jodi discuss Kirk’s growing confidence as a leader, Uhura’s standout rescue mission and why a familiar premise can still deliver compelling character development.While Kirk challenges authority aboard the Enterprise, Uhura takes charge in the caves. Their parallel stories explore the difference between following orders and trusting yourself to do what’s right.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds goes full soap opera in Season 4, Episode 7—but does the experiment work? Mike gives it 5/10, while Jodi awards 7.5/10.In this spoiler-filled Ten Forward review, we explore why the American daytime-soap parody lands differently for a British host and an American host—and why we both find meaningful character development beneath the exaggerated drama.

Strange New Worlds season four reaches its midpoint with Off-Hour. Jodi and Mike break it all down — watch it first, then join the conversation.