Whom Gods Destroy

Episode 90

Friday, 1 December 2023

On the misty surface of a particularly unconvincing alien planet, a scantily-clad green-skinned Orion woman stretches out her hands. She looks terrified.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Series 3, Episode 14

Stardate: 5718.3

First broadcast on Friday, 3 January 1969

A Very Important episode of Star Trek: The Original Series this week, in which we tackle the Serious Issue of Mental Illness, a Terrifying Social Problem which causes ordinary people to conceive an Unquenchable Desire to Take over the Entire Galaxy and to Use Capital Letters Unnecessarily. Fortunately, it can be cured by a Simple Intravenous Injection, which seems to have started working almost immediately. So, no harm done really. Except to this episode’s guest woman, who is dead.

Duration: 1:13:55 · Recorded on Tuesday, 28 November 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: The Original Series

Threshold

Episode 89

Friday, 17 November 2023

Two giant salamanders are lying on the ground. Between them, emerging from a hole, are some adorable but slimy little baby salamanders.

Star Trek: Voyager

Series 2, Episode 15

Stardate: 49373.4

First broadcast on Monday, 29 January 1996

– Guess who I get to meet today. The Creator of Fair Haven, Captain Proton himself: Lieutenant Tom Paris!

– No way! That’s awesome! Is he still a salamander?

– No, that’s not… It was a celerity-induced accelerated somatic mutation rate, and he’s fine now. He was the first human to break the transwarp barrier, and today, he’s on the Cerritos!

Boimler and Mariner, We’ll Always Have Tom Paris

When I first read that script, I couldn’t believe they were going to shoot it.

Robert Duncan McNeill

Duration: 1:12:29 · Recorded on Tuesday, 14 November 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: Voyager

Crisis Point

Episode 88

Friday, 10 November 2023

On the bridge of a Klingon Bird of Prey we see Mariner dressed as B-Grade Star Trek villain Vindicta, with Tendi and Rutherford flanking her, dressed as pirates. At the conn is Shempo, a pale skeletal boy who looks a lot like Brad Boimler.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Series 1, Episode 9

Stardate: Unknown (2380)

First broadcast on Thursday, 1 October 2020

This week, Joe and Nathan work on their most pressing psychological problems by smashing the ship’s counsellor’s favourite bonsai, storming off to the holodeck, making fun of the Star Trek movie series, and playing the most violent (and possibly racist) video game in the history of the franchise. Everything turns out for the best, though, because good friends forgive, and they’ll always have time to hang out and admire the warp core.

Duration: 0:50:01 · Recorded on Tuesday, 7 November 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Muse

Episode 87

Friday, 3 November 2023

We're in a small ancient stone theatre. A small audience is watching a scene in which B'Elanna Torres, wearing a traveller's cloak is looking at a  beautiful young man in a white robe, who is begging her to stay.

Star Trek: Voyager

Series 6, Episode 22

Stardate: 53918

First broadcast on Wednesday, 26 April 2000

These stories will continue for as long as we have the breath to tell them. And as long as our patrons remain wise and compassionate. And Voyager will continue on her journey to the gleaming cities of Earth, where peace reigns and hatred has no home.

Enjoyable. And unexpectedly beautiful at times. Much like Star Trek, really.

Duration: 1:03:56 · Recorded on Tuesday, 31 October 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: Voyager

Kir’Shara

Episode 86

Friday, 27 October 2023

We're in the usual underground cave set. An angry T'Pol confronts a sweaty and dirty Archer, who holds a flaming torch in one hand and cradles a pyramid-shaped ancient relic in the other.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Series 4, Episode 9

Stardate: Unknown (2154)

First broadcast on Friday, 3 December 2004

A new experience for Joe and Nathan this week, as they enjoy an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise and without irony or reservations. The Vulcans have been behaving oddly for three and a half years, for some reason, but this week, they decide to be normal again, for a dumb reason. But in spite of all that, there’s a lot of fun to be had here.

Duration: 1:06:43 · Recorded on Tuesday, 24 October 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: Enterprise

Resolutions

Episode 85

Friday, 20 October 2023

We're in a Starfleet style cabin, with low, comfortable lighting. Janeway is sitting down, her eyes closed, with a relaxed smile on her face. She leans back as Chakotay gently massages her shoulders.

Star Trek: Voyager

Series 2, Episode 25

Stardate: 49690.1

First broadcast on Monday, 13 May 1996

Nathan, Joe, Kathryn and the Medium Robert are all enjoying themselves this week in a genuinely entertaining Star Trek romance spoiled only by the untimely and unwelcome intrusion of Star Trek: Voyager itself at the very end of the episode. Hey ho.

Duration: 1:14:52 · Recorded on Tuesday, 17 October 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: Voyager

The Galileo Seven

Episode 84

Friday, 6 October 2023

We're on an alien planet a green sky and rocky outcrops made of chicken wire and papier-mâché. The shuttlecraft Galileo, has landed here. Behind it, but towering over it, is a large apelike creater. He is holding a polystyrene rock above his head, about to bring it down on the roof of the shuttlecraft.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Series 1, Episode 16

Stardate: 2821.5

First broadcast on Thursday, 5 January 1967

When a metal box containing seven strange creatures lands outside his village, gentle giant Oleg (Buck Maffei) leaves a pregnant wife and an ailing mother in his humble yurt and trudges off to present the creatures with his people’s traditional gift of welcome — a set of giant novelty spears. This simple act of hospitality is met with violence, and soon matters escalate despite Oleg’s repeated attempts to appease the newcomers’ anger — giving one an affectionate hug, offering the others his precious polystyrene boulder, and finally trying to hold down the box when the wind threatens to blow it away. A heartrending story of faith and hope in the face of indifference and cruelty. Five stars.

Duration: 1:09:27 · Recorded on Tuesday, 3 October 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: The Original Series

Equinox / Equinox, Part II

Episode 83

Friday, 29 September 2023

Harry is standing at his station on the Voyager Bridge. He is facing a small, airborne, lizard-like creature which is baring its teeth at him.  He is pointing a phaser at the creature and looking like an actor unsure of where his line of sight should be.

Star Trek: Voyager

Series 5, Episode 26 / Series 6, Episode 1

Stardate: Unknown (2375, 2376)

First broadcast on Wednesday, 26 May 1999

Moral dilemmas abound in this week’s season finale of Star Trek: Voyager. Is it permissible to kill a bunch of people if you miss your bus home? Is it permissible to shoot Slimer from Ghostbusters in the face if he’s intent on drinking all of your precious bodily fluids? Is it permissible to torture Rick Worthy if you’re having a really bad day? And it is obligatory to endow the characters in your Star Trek show with clear and consistent motivations?

Duration: 2:07:04 · Recorded on Tuesday, 26 September 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: Voyager

The Price

Episode 82

Friday, 22 September 2023

Beverly and Deanna are in a gym on the Enterprise standing in front of a mirrored wall. They are doing stretching exercises, dressed in the most horrendous sparkly leotards imaginable.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Series 3, Episode 8

Stardate: 43385.6

First broadcast on Monday, 13 November 1989

Comfort food this week, as Star Trek: The Next Generation tries and fails to create a romantic comedy about an exciting new space wormhole. Deanna learns a valuable lesson about the dangers of enjoying herself, some Ferengi learn an urgent lesson about paying attention to their GPS, and the rest of us learn a timely lesson about straight, white American men in the late 1980s. We still have fun though.

Duration: 1:07:35 · Recorded on Tuesday, 19 September 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Rocks and Shoals

Episode 81

Friday, 15 September 2023

On a sunny day, two Jem'Hadar warriors are standing on a cliff,  looking out to sea.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Series 6, Episode 2

Stardate: Unknown (2374)

First broadcast on Monday, 6 October 1997

Star Trek goes outside this week, for a top-tier episode in which Sisko and Kira are both confronted by radical integrity and self-sacrifice in the face of overwhelming opposition. Solid and memorable.

Duration: 1:11:30 · Recorded on Tuesday, 12 September 2023 · Download · Open in new window

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine