Hey, Joe. Hi.
So, we are back aboard Deep Space 9 this week, and it is series 5
I think.
Ferengi love songs, and this is a Ferengi episode, which means
that it is widely reviled, I think, by the fan community.
So how did you find it?
You know, sometimes, Nathan.
I find your newfound confidence very annoying.
I really expected to hate this because I went and found my review
for this episode and I gave it a measly 3 out of 10 declaring it
you know, some kind of offence to the human race, sort of going
with the flow of what fandom thought at the time.
I'm very happy to report.
I really enjoyed it.
Like, I think there are problems, but if I'm gauging a Star Trek
episode on, did I watch it with a smile on my face, then this was
a success.
Yeah.
So yeah, I would have to say that I really quite enjoyed it as
well.
I think one of the things that the Ferengi episodes do is they
make fun of the Klingon episodes.
And so...
Well, like, um, so, so Quark has lost his license, okay, his
financial license, and that's just like his discommendation, wharfs
his commendation.
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
And so all of this stuff is about, you know, Ferengi values in the
Ferengi financial empire, they refer to at one point in the
Ferengi economy.
And so you go to a planet full of people in rubber, behaving in
their sort of stereotypical kind of alien way, only this is the
same stuff played for jokes.
And I think that that's why, you know, we very early on teamed up
the Faranki with the with the Klingons in House of Quad.
With spectacular results.
Yeah, yeah.
Because they are the same kind of thing.
They are Star Trek aliens that behave in certain stereotypical
ways and that reflect certain parts of human culture, but they
broadly have, you know, the leaders and the crises and the, you
know, our leaders being honest with us and how's our empire going
and all of those concerns are the same.
So it's in body parts, isn't it, towards the end of series 4 that
Quark receives his discommendation from the Ferengi Empire?
Run comes along front. slaps a bit of rubber on the bar and says
no, Ferengi can do business with that man.
Right?
Right.
And so all of that, I think, is actually kind of fun.
I guess maybe the biggest problem with it is the, there's a lot of
latex.
Like, but but even great episodes of Deep Say sign have a lot of
latex in them.
So it is super hard to object to that, but God, there's a lot of
latex.
Getting all this latex from.
Whoever the company was supplying Paramount in the 90s, man.
Their stocks must have been high, don't you reckon?
Well, I just reckon Michael Westmore had a sort of grove of trees
in his backyard.
You know those flesh tanks in Doctor Who?
I figure it's like that.
They've got a tube and it just sort of comes sucking out and they
put it straight in the moulds.
Yeah, yeah.
One of the things I really like about watching DS9 now as opposed
to watching it at the time is that now you can see various parts
of the character arcs.
Yeah. an extra layer to this.
I didn't appreciate it at the time, because I was just watching it
as another episode of Star Trek, is you can see absolutely Quark
getting his license back here, you know, he's depressed.
He can't do any business at all.
He goes home to his mother.
And so in Quark sort of journey.
This isn't an important step, but also in terms of the Ferengan
arc, and I say that very loosely, because it's a very loose arc, of
finding out that Gran Egg is in a relationship with Mookie
glorious. and unexpectedly the power behind the throne as well. the
person that's keeping the financial service of Frankinart afloat
because he's losing his marbles a bit.
I mean, look at him.
Yeah, and that then leads to profit and lace where rights for
women start coming in, which leads to the last season where Rom
takes over as an Agus and a whole new Ferenginar is born.
So this is an important step on that path.
And a subplot, which feels very throwaway, but in a very amiable
way, in a way that you and I have discussed subplots on DS9 before
of Rom and Lisa, who just recently have gotten together in Dr
Pashir, I presume, in a wonderful subplot there, who would then go
on to get married in call to arms, and this is just a little just
pika, the difficulties before that, because Rom is a Ferengi, and
there are certain expectations on women, and Lita is in no way
going to fulfil those expectations.
And so that is an important step in their relationship as well.
So whilst this is a throwaway bit of fluff, There's stuff
happening here that's important.
And and both of those plots work together because both of them are
men, Ferengi men, having to kind of tone down all their bullshit
about women because it's getting in the way of their relationship
or in in Quark's case, you know, the profitability of the entire
Ferengi economy, because that's a throwaway, isn't it?
The women are naked.
Like there's some throwaway line, I think, in Star Trek, the Next
Generation. that they decide to just run with, and, you know, they
make it a regular joke.
Someone, I think Zek complains when he's annoyed at Ishka
complains that she's a woman who can't even keep her clothes off.
Um, you know, so there's all those sort of throwaway lines about
that, but they do make it a thing.
Is that not akin to sort of like a comment on religions where
women are forced to cover up, like cover up their faces?
I figured that's what they were doing there.
Maybe, but I think I think it is, you know, that women can't be in
public spaces and that's why they're naked and women can't
participate in the economy and stuff like that.
But, like, I'm always suspicious of, you know, like, I always
think it's not necessarily a great idea to go and sort of pick on
sort of minority religions and stuff because, you know
Christianity has its fair share of that sort of behaviour as
well.
And certainly our own history, you know, in recent decades has
too.
But that's a fun through line, I think.
I do like the conclusion that they reach that women are very
powerful.
They're very smart.
And, you know, there's a revolution brewing. and eventually comes
to fruition and Ferengenard is a much better place as a result.
I think that's great.
Yeah, that is pretty good.
The 2 biggest problems I think I've got with this is one is, I
think, the direction is a bit flat.
There's a lot of static camera work in this episode in...
It's a natural, isn't it?
It is, and he's good.
So I'm wondering if he just had a bit of an off date because he's
done the quickening already. you know, and he'd go on to do waltz
next year, which is the do cuts.
Cisco episode, brilliantly directed, like nightmari-ish imagery in
that one.
So I'm wondering, you know, yeah, if, you know, you thought, oh
well, you know, almond's good enough.
I'll just pull up the camera and go and have a cup of tea, you
know.
The other thing is that the plotting is very basic.
It's very, he goes home.
The nagus is in the closet.
We'll get there.
That's very funny.
Brunt's in the closet.
Brunt wants to take down the Nagus, Quark then does that, splits
up the Nagus and Moogie, realises his mistake very quickly, you
know, as the entire empire is falling within about 5 minutes.
And then goes back on his ways and then gets them back together at
the end.
You know, it's so simple.
What works is, I actually think the lions are very funny.
I think there are some very funny lines.
They've crafted a good sort of language for the Frankie by this
and they know what they're doing because we'll quote some.
But it's mostly the performances.
You've got almond, you've got Wallace Sean.
Fucking Wallace Sean.
I know.
Delivering this.
Bullshit.
I mean, and just superbly.
Yeah, it's such a great comic turn.
Is it Cecily Adams at this point playing Moogie?
It's the 2nd movie.
Yeah.
So Andrea Martin plays movie in the 1st episode that she's in
which is called Family Business, and she doesn't want to come back
according to Armand Schumerman, because of the prosthetics.
And so she's only in one episode.
Cecily Adams is the daughter of Don Adams from Get Smart.
Ah.
Yeah, I didn't know that, but that's, that's, she throws herself
into the role of movie.
She really does.
With some applause, and she's back timing again after this, and so
she clearly doesn't mind so much latex slaps on her.
No, and they do get her back to appear in the holodeck in the
final episode in what we leave behind out of latex.
She does appear on screen.
So there's a thing on memory, Alfar, where people express
disappointment because Renee just plays this like a cartoon and
they thought it was more serious than that.
And you kind of think the moment that you have Zek in Quark's
closet.
It's a fucking cartoon and that's how it's got to be directed.
So, um, you know, he's...
Yeah.
Well, I don't know.
I love cartoons.
I love sitcoms.
Those are massively popular entertainment.
So if Star Trek can do that a couple of times a year, just cut
loose and do a cartoon.
Why not?
Oh, sorry.
We're supposed to be better than this.
Yeah, that's right.
Yeah, it's all...
Exactly.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We can't waste a moment on it.
Look, I think there are better sitcom episodes on deep space now
nine.
I think, for instance, take me out to the holosuite is a classic
sitcom episode. which works incredibly well.
And I do think that later iterations of Star Trek are better at
funny lines, but there are some properly funny lines here and some
really good moments.
So it is pretty fun, I think.
I mean, go back a season to Little Green Men and go forward a
season to the Magnificent Ferengi.
Those 2 are scripts that where it's just one banger of a line
after another.
This is not that.
But there are good lines in this.
I had a good time with it.
I did too.
I surprised myself.
I really expected to be very mean about this.
That was the intention, was it?
We rolled for like 5 minutes at the end of last episode
desperately hoping for a crappy episode.
You know, I listened back, right, and I thought, oh, God, even I
think this is a bit indulgent now.
You're their humour in me going, this is outrageous.
This is crazy.
Well, shall we watch this?
I think we should.
All right, I'll count us in then.
Five, four, three, two, one, and we're off.
Like a game of laser tag or something going on inside court?
No.
So they're shooting voles in quarks.
And that's kind of like the opening sort of idea.
I mean, there's a funny line here, isn't there?
The who's winning the war thing?
So this, it looks like it's laser tag, and then what's been going
on, and then we discover it's just Chief O'Brien shooting volves.
It's not set up, though, you know, because...
I don't even remember the episode where court comes running in
into ops and froze evolved out as a puppet on sort of thing and
goes, it ran right across a double table.
But I love this thing, you know, he must have missed a couple.
Oh yes, a married couple because now they're all breeding, which I
think is very long, not very long.
And then horny as hell, those 2 volves.
So the one thing that I really liked in this scene is the way that
Jazia strokes his shoulder in...
They're very tactile on Deep Space 9.
Yeah, it's great.
But it's very Jadzia too, you know, because she's not put off by
Quark at all.
You know, she's put off by Klingons.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
She gets to go around his quarters at night and gamble and drink
and have the best time, you know?
all need a best friend like that.
If you was around the corner, that's what we'd be up to.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I love this too.
Like his reaction, you know, I'm giving you some news.
You're going to be very, very happy.
Rom.
Lita and I are getting married and it's just like, why, you know
what's she doing?
Don't he say I want to kill?
I wanna kill myself. kill myself.
I wish I was dead.
And everyone goes, he's been a bit depressed lately.
It is nice though.
I am so pleased that they follow up on him not being able to do
business you know, Like, I think this might be only like the 2nd
mention since body parts.
But still consequences.
But it's Wolf's Discommendation, isn't it, from Star Trek the Next
Generation, and he'll undergo another one, obviously, in Deep
Space 9 because that seems to be the thing we do to Wharf.
But it was a thing that continued, remember, that Klingons refused
to speak to him and staff for a season or so.
Yeah.
It's um, oh, can I just say about Chase Masterson, right?
Because I just, I know Jammer absolutely loaves Robin Lisa, but I
adore them and think they're fabulous sitcom characters.
But Chase Masterson, right?
I was just listening to her yesterday in the latest Doctor Who, big
finish, once in future, Coda, written by Tim Foley, and she was
wonderful in it.
So it's very strange to do a Doctor Who audio one day and then a
Star Trek episode the next and it's the same actress.
It the week of Chase Masterson. that's right Here we are back on
Farangana, where it's raining, which is a detail that I absolutely
love.
I'm not going to, I'm going to be honest with you now, yeah.
I actually buy this because there were several times in my life
where I was down on my luck.
And I went back to my mum's house in Crawley just for a day and I
would just say, mom, she'd go, oh, for God's sakes.
She's usually point at my groin and go, has I got you in trouble
again?
You know?
I think he's actually quite nice.
And I do think that they're playing it straight and that is
actually quite sweet, I think.
Not for long, though.
No, and it's funny, actually, the look on Ishka's face is not sort
of warm and loving at all.
She's anticipating something.
Yeah, that's right.
Oh, fucker it.
The Nagus is in the next room naked.
Yes, exactly.
Get in the closet quick. we'll find out.
That's just the whole thing.
The closet's coming in a second.
The whole thing about that.
It's just pure farce, isn't it?
It's pure French fast.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
In fact, it doesn't quite make sense why, I guess, I guess she
doesn't know Quark's coming, does she?
It's a surprise.
She actually says you didn't say you were coming.
And so they go and hide in Quark's closet.
And so she, we don't see a scene of her trying to persuade him not
to go into his bedroom.
But he does anyway.
But like and that is terribly cute.
She plays this next scene, all very like tentatively like, uh, you
know, like, so you sort of know something's up, but you don't
quite know what.
And I don't think even in our wildest dreams, we assume that Grand
Naked Zec, you know, was in the cupboard with the marauder action
figures.
So is so this is an ongoing relationship, isn't it?
Now?
Ishka and...
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because in the magnificent Frankie.
Ishka's been kidnapped by the Dominion.
Oh, yes.
Say, you go and get your mother back, all right?
I don't ever come back to Ferengenar again.
That's right That's right So here's the B plot now.
We've we've launched the A plot.
It's got one of those.
She's got to be drawing earrings on his massive ears.
Do you know what?
She just said it there.
You are so sweet, Rom, right?
And it is so nice to have just one character that is fucking
adorable from day one to the end, you know?
He's gorgeous from.
Yeah.
And he tries so hard to be a, you know, a good Ferengi in this
episode, a terrible old sexist, you know, keeping hold of his
money.
But unfortunately, that's not wrong.
Yeah, that's it.
But it's all of this stuff where they're kind of, they sort of
emasculate him a little bit.
Do you know what I mean?
You're the least Ferengi like Ferengi I know.
And it's kind of like, why do you think he's going to react well
to that?
You know?
And so he, he feels like he should do the right thing.
You know, he...
It says something as well, though, that we've learned about
Trinadora, who is Rom's ex-wife.
We've learned that she came into his life.
She was a very attractive Ferengi.
She took all of his money.
She left him with Nog and went off with another man, right?
So he's been burned in love before.
And there's a wonderful scene in series 3 where Rom furiously
shoves Cork against the wall and says, you know what?
I've been mistreated my whole life.
The only thing that's important in my life is my son.
If you ever heard it, it's one...
And so, they really are, they are taking care with these
subsidiary characters.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Well, this is quite good too, isn't it?
This relationship too.
Like, it's kind of like why on earth are you back here because you
never stop criticising me.
I love you, Cole, but when you say living together.
What do you mean by that?
A day?
A week?
That's what my mum would say to me.
You're just here for the day, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just make me that fish pie.
Give me a fiver.
I'll be fine.
Oh, your removal, that unnecessary clothing, won't you?
Don't push.
Don't you push your luck walk?
So great.
Oh no, we go.
I know what's coming this time.
I'd forgotten he was in the closet, so Tony took me past Brian.
Oh, she does.
Look, she does try and distract him from going into his bedroom
with tube grubs.
Pre-chew your food, Nathan, for you.
Yeah, that's, and then he actually, he goes, oh, I'm tempted.
You know, like, he goes, I don't like your tube grubs, but when
she says I'm going to chew them, it's just like, oh, maybe later
miserable room he's got, though.
Well, it's all been cleared out.
But it is very kind of nice trick, isn't it?
Yeah.
And the Nagers look so shocked that he's been handed the bag as
well.
It's so funny, and then he kind of stops and double takes and
realises the Nagas, it's so great that they look really sheepish.
It's hilarious.
You've been by the FCA.
You must leave freaking out once.
He's like, oh, shit, I've got to go.
And suddenly realises, hang on a minute.
What the hell is he doing in my closet?
There we go No, but he still doesn't, he still takes a while to
twig, doesn't he?
Like, he doesn't actually realise initially why, you know, the
obvious reason.
Zeki might as well come out.
Zeki?
It's basically an episode of The Simpsons, isn't it?
Yeah, well, silly.
It is like a sitcom, like a, you know, um, I love tiny Ron coming
through those low doors without...
I think he's so paramount, you know, he had terrible pains in his
back.
There's another silly one where he goes out through the door and
tries not to use his hands and stuff and he just looks very
silly.
I think it's quite hard to, like, have presents when you're mute.
But he's really great, isn't he?
Yeah, yeah, because he does a lot of facial acting.
He really loves Zec and he's sort of super kind of, there's a lot
of eye rolling and a lot of kind of sympathy for him and stuff.
Bear in mind, they have about 8 episodes together.
I like to think that Wallace Short and Tiny Ron would, they come
together each time and go, well, here we are again, you know?
So he's a footballer or something, isn't he?
He's some...
Wow.
Yeah, something like that.
So also this like just gross old people being in love.
Like, they should be playing more of that.
We get a bit of horror.
It's close old people in loads of ugly latex.
It's really revolting.
But look, you can see the cogs going around in quarks head already
can't you?
Yeah, yeah.
I can use this.
Exactly, because initially there was kind of horror as we went to
the commercial break there.
It's kind of like, ooh, my mother and Zec.
How gross.
But now, of course, he sees it as a path to get back, his Ferengi
license thing.
Now he goes, ah, my mother and Zec.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So he's sort of, uh, he's up for it.
Oh, I love this. you know, they were playing Tongo, you know, the
the high leagues Tongo, but she was in the the female leagues that
happens in sort of the back room.
In the sub basement.
She says.
And I heard that the Grand Niggas was in terrible trouble, so I
sent it with a few tips up and then they started writing letters.
I mean, it's absurd, isn't it?
So is family business.
So this is her 2nd episode and family business introduces her.
Is that about the conflict about how she started wearing clothes?
Yes, because she's so the FCA found out she's owning money.
So he's sent there.
Either you do it or your whole family will never do business
again.
So he goes there too.
And then it becomes a massive thing about Quork Rom and Ishka and
about how their father was a terrible businessman.
But because he was a Ferengi, he was the head of the house.
So he kept making these terrible choices and she just had to put
it up with it.
And now he's gone that she can, you know, give her life.
I can make money.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, because there's talk about how she had to give up all of all
of her profits.
So that's a reference to that.
Look at the twist.
I mean, for God's sake, look at them.
Why do you think I'm looking at you right now?
The twist at the end of family business is, you know, is she signs
the thing that gives away all of her money.
And then court goes out of the room with Brunt and Rome goes, you
know, be very angry when he finds out you've only given them a 3rd
of your fortune.
And she goes, she goes, I've got my money tied up in so many
secret places, even I don't know where it is anymore.
Yeah, brilliant.
She's got a financial empire going on-ish.
Yeah, yeah.
By this point, of course, she's basically running the Ferengi
financial empire as well.
Yeah, that that where he goes through the thing with his hands
behind his back.
Like, she should know, though.
She knows how devious when he's going, you and the naggers.
Oh, I'm so happy for all of us.
No, she does know immediately.
Doesn't she say, doesn't she say something?
I'm sure she does.
I don't know what you're planning, Quark, but don't even think
about it, all right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, she's she's not deceived by him at all.
You know, the other thing I really like about this subplay.
I just I'll say it a 1000000 times, I just love hanging on the
station with these people.
The subplot takes us through the contractual obligations of every
regular.
Everyone gets a little turn.
Yes.
And a little opinion about Rom's relationship with Lisa, you
know?
But they're so they're so well done, the characters at this
point.
You can just have them in one scene doing one thing as a part of
an ensemble episode.
Yeah, so we don't see Renee, obviously, because he's behind the
camera.
But, like, the scene with Wharf and Cisco, I think, is pretty
good.
You know, like again, that's just a little character moment, which
I think is pretty good.
Oh here we go.
I'm not signing this.
Are you mad?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great.
I had my eye on your money the 1st time I met you. because she
thinks love is love, right?
Love's not money.
I really like her.
Gosh, she's a good character.
Like, she's charming as an actress and just, just that sort of
level of sincerity and stuff and there's a wonderful two-handed
scene with her and Kira.
Later on, which I think is really good.
The pacing of the dialogue in that moment.
It's that's actually quite good dialogue as well.
And it's the best bit of direction in the episode because Red A
does this fabulous crane shot going up to them.
Allows us to follow them on the promenade, yeah, on the...
But I like the fact that she's just totally non-federation as well
you know?
Yeah, yeah.
She's just an independent Bajoran woman with fabulous tits.
I mean, I've got to say it.
Because they point it out quite a lot.
Bet she's as close to being a normal person.
You know, when Tilly comes along in discovery, it's kind of like, 0
my God, I can imagine someone like that.
Like, I know someone like that.
And I think that that's Lita as well.
She just seems like a nice ordinary person.
And she came in as she was originally going to be Bashir's
girlfriend. and she was for like a season.
Um, she comes in and uh, she's going, oh, doctor, I've got a
terrible calf and she's got to go, like terrible fake off him.
And Chad Cia comes in and Bashir writes on a pad, go away.
Chad Cia.
It's all crazy comes up.
And then they obviously split up.
But in, oh, God, what is the strike episode called?
Not rules of acquisition.
No, I've been reading about it lately.
It's such a brilliant episode as well. bar association.
Bar association.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And obviously she's behind the strike with Rome.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And in a wonderful moment.
She got outside his quarters.
She goes, you know, no one's as brave as you, Rom.
And he kisses her and then she she kisses him, sorry, and she
walks off and he goes, he's just, oh, they're going, oh, she
kissed me.
She kissed me.
I just love them.
You just can't help your heart goes out to 2 silly, funny, sweet
characters.
What is wrong with you, Jama?
Adorable.
Well, I mean, I think they have the absolute beating heart of, um
of, uh, take me out to the holosuite.
Oh, they think so, are you?
because all of that hangs on on Cisco being mean to ROM.
But that wonderful moment as well.
Like, they'd never forget them.
Even in the climactic sacrifice of angels.
And Rom's about to be executed and Lita goes to visit him in the
holding cell and she's doing that comedy. cry again.
It's so funny.
I love them.
Oh no, here we go.
What's that?
There seems to be someone else in the closet.
Here we go. yeah.
So we actually hear the sound of the transporter, I think.
Is that it?
So the 1st time someone's in the closet, it's just that he's
hidden there and here we have...
Can I do the line?
Yeah, God.
What are you what are you doing in my closet?
conducting official FCA business.
In my closet?
Oh, he calls it a perverted love affair.
I love a fair.
I know, it's really funny, isn't it?
And Jeffrey Combs.
Now, he's done about 3 or 4 episodes at this point.
So he's under bronze skin now and knows he's just got to play as
oily and as snarkily as possible.
It's really funny, isn't it, that he has 2 regular characters in
Deep Space Nine?
So we saw him on his 1st appearance, didn't we?
Um, where he's trying to get the, uh, the, you know, uh, That
weird kind of deep fake porn of Kira.
But he's really great as brunt.
He's so different from the way he plays Wayoon or Shran or any of
those characters.
It's a really funny, brilliant character actor, isn't he?
Yeah, he is.
When he said in that Enterprise interview with Brandon Brock, you
know, when they all came together, when he said, you know what?
I really thought, Cummins Prize, I would get a regular role.
He goes, I've done my time.
I had given you a lot.
You know, they were popular characters.
I put a lot of time in.
I really thought I was going to be elevated to a regular and I was
really disappointed.
And I can see why, you know?
Yeah, yeah.
Because, I mean, that was Armond's kind of trajectory, wasn't it?
Yeah.
Like he, yeah, he was in a couple of things and Max as well.
They've both been in and and Brian.
Columinius.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I think they know as well.
Now they've got Armand Shimmerman, they've got Wallace Shorn, and
they've got Jeffrey Coombs as regular Frank.
They can put any language in their mouths and they will spin gold
out of it.
So if they give run a lion that's really despicable, he's going to
say it like the best panto villain you've ever heard.
In fact, one of my favourite lines of dialogue was just then when
it was just like, oh, I want you to betray your mother and he kind
of goes, oh, why?
And he says, well, I'll give you your license back and he goes
okay.
Like just instantly.
Do you know what I mean?
Like it looks like we're working up to a scene where there's going
to be some kind of conflict about that or where he needs to be
persuaded, but that doesn't happen.
It's just yep, I'll do that.
You know, like within, like he even responds slightly too
quickly.
It's pretty good.
I've come to pay my respects.
Well, go on then.
Pay them.
Oh, I just, I, you know what I really hate, though, about the
fringer.
This is golden flat lighting on everything.
I really don't. don't like it.
They could have made it a bit more atmospheric, you know?
But it's, I mean, it's this, you know, no reflective surfaces.
It's the nerve reflective surfaces thing.
Do you know what I mean?
Nothing looks gold because we don't have reflective surfaces.
But I figured they're used in that sort of lighting scheme to
suggest wealth, you know, to make it, yeah, to make it, yeah
ugly.
Yeah, yeah.
And then you add all the latex to the scene, and it's very ugly.
Well, actually, the curtains have a real kind of proper TOS vibe
to them, I reckon, don't you?
I do love this. why you just said styles whispering gossip to Zek
and then whispering gossip to movie, you know?
Equal rights for females.
But like the 1st 2 things are true.
It's kind of like what about the other rumour where she didn't
give back all of her fortune last episode, you know?
She does want equal rights for females. not even a lie.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. right.
What if she's as cunning and as ruthless as any male.
Oh, it's ridiculous, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, but it isn't that different from a Klingon episode, and
that's, you know, like in a way, like complaining about this sort
of material is complaining about the tone, and this is a version
of Star Trek that makes fun or that punctures kind of the
pomposity of the of the Klingon episodes, I think.
And I think, you know what?
You can point at this episode as not the most successful for an
episode for the reasons we've already detailed.
But there's still a lot of skill on the screen, I think.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
But I, I, I mean, I, the...
Which one?
Well domination by a female?
And then court goes, I know, what a horrifying fault.
I love these too, where he's trying to look like he's been here
sort of feeling bad and then she notices that the thing doesn't
have any power and he kind of says, oh, I must have been too
depressed to notice.
What is that hideous?
Is it a plot?
Oh, it's steaks.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, I've heard you talk about eating stranger food than that
if I'm honest.
I love that thing where he says to her, you don't know what it's
like to be denied the opportunity to make profit.
And she goes, actually, you know?
You know what that is?
It's on you.
It's it's an inverse of that line that we had in tacking into the
wind.
Yeah, Damar, who makes those sort of orders, you know?
Yeah, yeah, it's the same thing.
It's proper, isn't it?
It's kind of like when it happens to me, it's the worst kind of
discrimination, the kind against me.
And like he's never noticed that it's happened to, it's happened
to Ishka her entire life.
Um, you know, and he even says, it's, it's worse when you're a
man.
Oh, there's a way.
Oh, he does get one scene.
Well, he does.
Okay.
Oh, they're talking about General Mortock, who, for some reason, I
told you about that, bloody bridge on the promenade, didn't I?
It's trouble.
Yes, they're constantly throwing people off the bridge.
Just get rid of the bridge, all right?
So Martok's in a cell. and Cisco's, you know, this administration
is going, Odo released General Martok, Wharf, Tail General Martok
if he does that again, I'm going to fling him back to the Klingon
Empire with a flea in his ear.
Yeah, it's pretty good.
Gowron will send someone.
So here's the scene.
But the point of the scene. is the sobbing.
Yeah.
Yeah, but no, this scene here.
Oh, poor Rom.
Yeah, yeah.
But what's about to happen when the camera goes up?
Oh, yeah, that's gorgeous.
And it's kind of cheesy in the sense because all it is is her
contradicting her.
You know, like, uh, you know, uh, he never really loved me.
Yes, he did.
You know, Major, you haven't been listening to me.
Yes, I have.
You know, and like, it's actually really nice too, because the 2
of them have a lot in common, but they're very different people
and she cares about Lita, which is kind of nice.
I thought that was a good scene.
And just like, what, 20 seconds is not long.
Yeah, yeah.
A bit of money's gone into that 20 seconds, you know?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just having the camera go across and follow them as they walk.
You haven't been listening to me.
Yes, I have.
That's how I know you love him.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. really good.
Oh, now we've got Ishka. everyone's crying now, you know?
It's Zeky.
He's left me.
Oh, I couldn't live with that colour scheme.
Oh, look gray and yellow. awfully entire planet is like that.
Oh, she smacks him on the head as well.
Don't you think anyone but yourself, Quark?
And he says, no, but I do think about myself first.
He's honest, you know?
Yeah, yeah.
That's a, like, that's not an embarrassing thing.
He is a Ferengi, you know.
Oh, Quark, you devious bugger.
Look at him now, playing playing the innocent.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Look at all that jewellery she's got on as well, man.
She's a bit punky, isn't she?
I really, really like the, so they give, you know, they make this
decision early on to give Quark like a really, really impressive
wardrobe with the tales and stuff and all the embroidery and like
different outfits every week, you know, in a way that's not, you
know, that is not inexpensive, I think.
Right.
And then they do...
Hideously patterned every time, you know.
It's tailored to hell, but it's hideously pounded.
The cart looks great.
He always looks really sharp, you know, in an alien way.
I think he looks terrific.
Even Brunt on the thing is wearing something similar.
You're right.
She like, can't be cheap.
Taylor's shoes for everybody.
I think it looks really good.
I think it's a great choice rather than fucking, you know, everyone
in kind of the same outfit, you know, the whole planet where
everyone wears the same thing all the time.
Look, he's got a different outfit here.
Him talking to a brunt on the screen here.
It's like, you know, Michael Jonas talking to the Kazon in Voyager
except it's really fun in this, you know?
Oh, what's he got off for breakfast?
I dread to think.
So he's distracting her, isn't he?
It looks like fruit.
That looks like fruit, me.
No, I'm sure it's those horrible things.
See, the thing with tube grubs is it's just gosh, isn't it?
Do you know what I mean?
Like all of those things, like all of the absurd, you know, chewing
your food first, all of those kind of revolting alien customs.
It's why I think the Ferengia just...
Do you not remember?
joke in DS 9.
Do remember it?
So Cisco has Jake and Nog over for dinner, right?
Once they've moved in together. and this scene starts and Nogs
going, this is absolutely delicious.
And Jake goes, oh, amazing as ever, dad.
What is it?
And he goes, puree of tube grub.
And Jake goes, oh, cube grub.
Right.
He goes, if Nogg's willing to try human food.
I thought we would try chips.
Good for him.
Oh, great.
I love the running jokes, though, you know.
Self-sealer stem bolts.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, that, that, of that whole world that they create with all of
that stuff, all of those references.
Oh, so now Quark is going to be what, financial advisor to the
makers. yeah, 1st clerk.
So it's a thing.
There's a really funny line from Brunt later about the 1st clerk
as well, which is pretty good.
The funniest thing. the closest thing you could get to actual
character development in this episode is the hilarious moment
where court starts to feel guilty and goes, I've been hanging out
with those humans for so long.
He goes on I've tried to resist this infection of humanity, but
it's just it's there and I can't I can't fight it.
Yeah, it's, I think that they can't quite make his motivations
work and so they, they pull that one out.
I think that there is a problem with the plotting at the end
because it all wraps itself up a little bit too quickly and it
doesn't quite work.
Well, I mean, there kind of is because there's the twist, isn't
there, where Brunt is, uh, actually, you know, has bribed Quark to
split up Moogie and Zek so that he can become the Nagus, which is
forgiven at all. quite easily as well, isn't he?
Given, it's a terrible thing in Quark. what he's done.
Oh, yeah, yeah, but I think he's, he, the reason that he's
forgiven is because he's a conniving, do you know what I mean?
She says, you're a conniving, selfish person.
You know, that this is what sort of behaviour that Ferengi is
supposed to show.
You know, just as Cleons have to do their stereotypical thing of
honour and stuff.
Also, too.
I think the discovery that there's a deception at the heart of
Ferengi society and a deception at the heart of Klingon society
like all of these things mirror themselves.
So I think that's kind of deliberate.
But so he gets away with being terrible because he's supposed to
be.
And in series 7.
Every says, we need a new Klingon Empire.
Bartok comes in and we get a new Ferengi alliance when Rob comes
in.
Yeah exactly.
My God, I didn't realise there was so many parallels.
I don't know if I've ever heard anyone make the suggestion
either.
So we may be unique here, you know.
Yeah, but I think it's inescapable, isn't it?
It does definitely seem to be that.
There must be people who've made the connection between the
revocation of. of his license and the discommendation of war.
I love, love, love this scene where Rom's just looking at his
money in 2 piles and he's like, I'm going to give half of this to
Lita.
And, and O'Brien basically, is this for me?
She doesn't want your money, for God's sake.
And the decision that he makes is so wrong and so beautiful and
the reaction.
He does it again.
He goes, I gave all the money to the Bajoran War Orphans, Major
Kira, kiss me.
It's so cute.
That's so wonderful.
I really, really like that line a lot.
And he's bribing her.
Like he's being a friend. going, I'm going to bribe her to marry
me.
And O'Brien says, bribes are going to work.
Oh, bribes can be very effective.
Have you not figured out that Lisa is her own woman, you know?
Yeah.
But like, I shoe like this, he's describing the Latinum.
And so he is, there are Ferengi instincts to Rom.
Yeah, you know.
Yeah.
But he's just a better person than that.
And just giving it away and having nothing but love.
Now, I'm not.
I mean, I am a bit of a romantic, but I don't really like romance
too much in telly, but just stupid gestures like this. sing to me
think it's adorable. sing to me.
Oh, God. you know, I want to try a jump jawstick so badly.
I figure I figure it's like a toffee apple, you know, but without
the apple.
Just looking into that one. can't really get it all into his
mouth.
I mean, that's the best running joke in DSI, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Is he in every episode?
I'm not sure.
I like to think he is.
But there are lots of whatever he is is in Star Trek discovery
particularly in the future, like in the future. isn't it, where
they finally give more than an episode and it doesn't feature an X
party, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Except the 1st and last scene.
That's it.
Well, it's even the even the joke that he's never stops talking.
Yeah.
Hold that thought, he goes cork at the end of the scene.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, look at this.
No, we have nothing but our love.
I mean, Chase Marson.
He's done.
Well, she is absolutely beautiful, isn't she?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
There's some very pretty women on Deep Space Night. don't they?
Yeah, they do.
Then one or 2 pretty men.
And so Julian is about to appear for no reason.
It really ought to be Kira.
Well, you just have a look at him, please, because obviously he's
got different hair.
Young Django has recently been born at the beginning of the
season.
And you can see, no matter how much makeup they put on his face.
He's not sleeping.
He's exhausted.
Please.
Could I just do one scene and then go to bed?
Thank you.
I love how there are towels at the door. like because it's raining
outside always and he comes in and uses it to mop his ears.
It was like the joke the other week where, you know, Quark talks
about babies and how they're always putting things in their ears.
Like that is kind of cute.
It comes to a point, you know, sort of somewhere along the line in
DS9, where I just stop resisting how ridiculous this culture is
and I just believe in it, you know, like... awesome.
I mean, there's enough details so they keep bringing out that
bloody book, don't they?
The rules of acquisition every season.
I mean, I love the fact that there's a little box by the door.
So you put in your slip of latinum as you visit people, you know?
Yeah, yeah, I'm paying you for your time.
Okay?
So this, I think, is the most interesting revelation, isn't it
that she's running the place, that she's actually running it, and
that, and so it makes Quark responsible, possibly, for the
collapse of the Ferengi Empire, and he didn't realise it, and that
Brunt, you know, she knows instantly because she's much smarter
than him. that it was Brunt who put him up to it.
She goes to him.
Why don't you try stroking his lobes?
That seems...
Yeah, I know that's so funny.
He's going, no, I didn't try that.
No.
I love all these dramatic statements.
You may have just triggered the social and financial collapse of
the entire Ferengi economy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I love that it's called the Ferengi economy.
It is called the Ferengi Financial Empire at one point, but I did
love the line, the Ferengi Economy is pretty good.
Yeah, oh, look, look, there's that joke that we were talking about
the other time when, you know, when you're busy.
You've got 15 pads rather than just one pad.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
All these pads.
What am I going to do?
you know?
I did I did think that scene earlier where Zach has forgot his
iPhone passcode was pretty funny as well.
You know, like...
Do you remember what happened to Grand Negro Smeat?
Assassinated in his office, I believe.
No.
Then they say, and do you know what happened to the 1st club?
What was the name of his 1st class?
They buried him with him.
Why is he now walking on the?
Oh no, that's where the throne is.
Sorry, I thought he was walking on the table.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, he was on his way up to the throne.
And so he tries to thrown out.
In fact, that is quite well staged that shot, isn't it?
Because it does tell you everything you need to know about Brock
without him saying a word.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, he sits down like, ooh, comfortable.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He kind of feels it. doesn't he?
Grand Negus brunt.
Daddy would be so proud.
He's...
It's so funny.
That's almost a motive, right?
Trust me, there are Star Trek characters with less of a motive
than daddy would be proud.
Yeah, no, that is pretty good.
And so I think because this is the interesting revelation.
The actual meeting at which Zek is able to kind of function and
and, you know, he's being prompted by Quark, who has been prompted
by Ishka, we never get to see that scene, and it does sound like
it's kind of like, oh, we've run out of, because it sounds like it
needs more work than that, you know, as if, as if, uh, there
needed to be like a, a, you know, like a communicator or something
like some kind of Cyrano thing where she's, you know, behind it.
But we only have...
We've already done that earlier in the season, remember?
Oh, okay.
We did it, didn't we?
Looking out for Mark in all the wrong places, remember?
Oh yes, of course.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I was hoodwinned for a second.
I was hoodwinked because it then cuts from this scene between
Ishka and Quark to the Grand Age going, ha, ha.
I surprised them all with that meeting, didn't I?
And I figured, so he knew Ishka was involved.
And then court goes, oh, it wasn't me.
Here's my financial advisor in this cloak.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, please you got that moment.
Because then he goes, you know, that insidious female.
I just love his live readings.
It just makes me die.
We haven't even got to the famous one yet, have we?
What is it?
I said it at the start of the episode.
Quark, I find your new find confidence.
Very annoying.
But I also love these too.
It's like I know how important your problems are to you.
She says too. is fantastic.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I don't give a damn about them right now.
Would you say that to me every now and again, please?
I don't want problems on you all the time to you.
I know how important they are to you, yeah.
To you, yeah.
Oh, oh, look at that hideous statuette.
Oh, dear.
Oh yes.
I'd like to know where that went.
I wonder if Ira Bear kept it because he loved the Fringies, didn't
he?
You know, he's got Renault Oberjon Wire's ex-mask, the one that he
tore off. at the end of the series, on the wall, yeah.
Oh, no.
He said it stinks like scrambled eggs.
Yeah, no, that's not good.
Don't don't do that.
I think there's someone mentioned where that prop was, actually.
I can't remember.
They did auction a load of stuff off. scripts and props and all of
that, you know, like, that is one amazing thing about, um, the
Star Trek producers and fandom, is the amount of money they raise
for charity auction of itself. incredible.
And so what we have here too is an out where we mentioned that
Vulcans can solve memory loss and they make very good doctors and
staff.
And then Mehardu has to make uh, uh, you know, like a call, you
know, make a make an appointment later.
And so we don't get this memory loss again, do we or not?
Well, I mean, I think...
I think the line just sort of waves our side, doesn't it?
Okay, he's seen a Vulcan doctor.
Fine.
Yeah, we don't need to do that again.
If we decide to come back and not have that anymore than we've
dealt with it.
It's only really pertinent to this episode, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
The next time we catch up with Zek is profit and lace, and, well
there's all sorts happening there.
Yeah, yeah.
Maybe it'll surprise us, Nathan. never know.
Maybe.
I doubt it though.
He does have that great line, you know, bias.
Together, we're going to retake an empire or die in the attempt.
Yeah, so all of that stuff.
Like I just think that that weird stuff is all, it's all just
resolved a bit quickly and we don't really care.
It's like the climactic scene happens off screen.
This is the 2nd time in a trot as well, because we did a session
last for DS9, where, as you said in that episode, we've seen the
absolute upheaval for society and its solution in 45 minutes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So we get that with 3 characters.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, admittedly, it's just a bad day's run on the stock market
isn't it?
Like, and then they close down trading and then we sort of solve
the problem again.
Did you see that continuity then?
Oh, what was that?
That was terrible.
She came in with the jacket around like over her and then it cut
away and then in the next shot it's round her neck like a scarf.
Oh, no.
Not as bad as that continuity we had the other day with 0 in
prodigy, yeah, yeah, where his legs kept appearing and
disappearing.
What I love about Ishka, though, right, is that they can put her
in any hideous clothes and Cecily Adams carries herself as if
she's absolutely beautiful. you know?
Yeah, yeah, she's great, isn't she?
And they were getting quite filthy.
So the action figures.
Do you notice that some of them have little Ferengi whips from the
last outpost?
Probably is those, isn't it?
Oh, no, no, I don't think so, but they have the little, they have
like whips with them.
Did you hear that then?
That was the most disgusting exchange of the whole thing.
It goes, the thing...
May how do it will make dinner?
I've got other plans, plans for you.
But earlier on, it was like, what am I going to do with you?
And she says anything you like.
I mean, the most...
Revolting moment with the Nagus is when he's in that cell with the
intendant and she's tickling his ear here and goes, have a seat
big boy.
Well, they're Ferengi, they are, um, they are well honed.
Are they?
Yeah, don't you remember that scene in the price where the Ferengi
the Ferengi's in the background in 10 forward, and he just holds
his hands out, like, like, just, as if to indicate how big it is
and then the world goes, just rolls her eyes and walks off.
Of course, brunts in the closet.
This is where we conduct all of our business now.
That's right.
I just like, every time Brunt is foiled, right?
But he always gets a scene at the end going, oh, I'll be back
quack.
Yes, yeah, yeah.
And you know we will.
And yeah, the next time he appears, is magnificent Ferengi where
they're on the same side.
It's wonderful Yeah, yeah, because, yeah, yeah.
I love that episode.
We roll that, we'll have the best time.
I watched it sort of reasonably recently.
I think at some point because we mentioned it for some reason, and
I did think it was pretty good.
And I did have that, that, that horrible um, vorta from rocks and
shoals, didn't it?
after he's killed after he's dead.
Oh, wonderful.
One day quark, you're going to make a grave mistake.
But he has got his license back now.
So he can do business again.
Which I'm pleased, I'm pleased they resolve.
Yeah, yeah.
So that's the end of that discommendation arc.
They they do, you say arc.
They do 2 things at the end of series four.
One episode after another.
They take away quartz license and they make Odo human.
And yeah, one of my very few complaints about series 5 is they
don't really do anything with either of those 2 things until they
rectify the decision.
Odo in the begotten becomes a changeling again and Guork in this
guess is last.
They do deal with it, but there was scope to do more with it. to
keep going.
Yeah.
Because, I mean, even Star Trek the Next Generation, which does so
little kind of serialised storytelling, that does become a change
in the status quo, and you do have him tentative about interacting
with Klingons and all sorts of things like that a couple of times
I think, before it all sort of comes back.
You know, I was staring at piles of money on Sunday. right?
When a message came through from you, having watched or watching
Ferengi love songs and saying, um, I absolutely did not hate that
episode, right?
And I thought to myself, oh, no, it looks like we're going to be
fine.
We're going to be fighting on this one, you know?
At first, a night in Sick Bay, now this?
What was the other one?
Genesis as well?
Genesis?
As he finally lost his mind.
Well, I don't think that that episode was as good as either a
night in Sick Bay or Genesis, but I do think it was pretty fun. and
I am glad that Deep Face 9 does it, and it is Deep Space 9's
version of the Klingon arc that we get in Star Trek, the next
Generation, and that's pretty fun.
Like I'm kind of happy they went for it.
Yeah, I don't think that is an amazing episode, but pretty fun
I'll take because some episodes of Star Trek are not pretty fun.
At this point, unless it's a true dog of a script and there aren't
many, you know, from season 4 to season seven.
There are many really bad scripts.
Let here is without Sin, maybe, and a few others, but not many.
Even if they're less than stellar scripts, they've just got so
many great actors on this show and they can do something with
weaker material and they just they're clearly having a blast with
this script.
Yeah, and just think how many speaking parts there are in this
episode as well.
Like, you know, it's not just like the one guest star and stuff
there's a lot of people involved.
And that B plot on the station is really kind of, you know
predictable.
It goes exactly how you would expect, but it was amiable and it
gave us time with all those characters. know what it leads to
don't you?
It leads, it leads to, um, uh, the bit where they get married in a
call to arms. in the middle of the buildup to this huge fight that
we're going to have.
Cisco performs the ceremony and then Rom gets to do the Casablanca
thing, leader, get on that shuttle and don't look back.
Wonderful.
This show is absolutely fucking absurd and I love it. wonderful.
All right, it's the end of the episode and it is time for us to
work out where we're going next, and it's my turn to pick, and I'm
going to choose an episode of a series that we've neglected.
We haven't done an episode of it since January, and it's the
series that we have covered the least in untitled Star Trek
project by percentage.
Yeah, yeah, I don't know.
It's it's an odd one because it is very serialised and so
sometimes it's a little bit daunting to approach it.
It is, of course, Star Trek Picard.
Not my favourite iteration of Kurtzman Trek, I'll be honest.
I have to say, though, that it has a lot going for it, and
obviously season 3 was incredible.
And in fact, season 3 is something that I'll always remember
because the 1st episode aired on the night that I flew out of
London after staying with you, when we recorded the Justice
episode.
And so I watched it in my hotel room before going out to dinner
the night before leaving England, and it was pretty incredible.
Is it that you watched that after you watched Justice and just
anything would have been more enjoyable than that.
I mean, you watched Justice with me in person.
So obviously that was the best Star Trek experience you've ever
had.
But it was a very bad episode.
And perhaps the 1st episode of season three of Picard was slightly
better than that and that may have coloured my memory.
But I am gonna give it a go.
You'll be pleased to know, you know, fans of untitled Star Trek
project that I'm dragging Nathan halfway across the globe again
but this time I'm going to record at least 4 episodes of Untitled
Star Trek project with him in person.
That's right.
All right.
Okay, I'm up for that.
Okay, all right.
I am going to press the button.
Your random Star Trek Picard episode is season two, episode nine
hide and seek.
So we actually did the next episode, which is called Farewell, the
end of series 2.
And so hide and seek is an episode where a bunch of people are
attacking Chateau Picard.
So the 2nd last episode of season two.
But it's a bit close to one that we've done already, so I am going
to pick another one.
I'm going to make a suggestion.
Yeah.
I mean, this is random, but I think the 1st season one episode you
come across, because we haven't discussed season one too much, and
I think it's probably the most interesting season to talk about.
Yeah, I think that's right.
We've done the Penthe.
I think might be the only one of those that we've done.
All right, let's try another one.
No win scenario, which we did in episode 92 of Untitled Star Trek
Project such a long time ago.
Dominion series 3 episode 7, which is just more of the Shrike and
the Titan.
Uh, let's try another one.
Season three, episode two.
Disengage?
That was a good one as well.
Yeah.
I love the 1st half of series 3.
I liked all of it.
I just thought it was really great.
It was like one big, long story that was sort of properly
satisfying and it inevitably ended up with the Borg, but this time
at least they were teamed up with fee changelings.
Oh, yeah, that was nice.
I did like that.
Yeah.
Oh, season three, episode six, the bounty.
Okay. to start to feel like last week.
Okay, here we go.
Here we go, here we go.
So it's season one, episode four, absolute candour, which
introduces the adorable character of Elnor, who has been brought
up by Romul and the Sincerity Nuns, remember?
And he's the little cute Australian Ninja Boy.
It does say something that you, when you said the name, I didn't
have a clue you were talking about.
But then when you said the explanation, I did.
Yes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So he's only really in series one.
He does a top and tail series too. but he's not in series 3 at
all.
But he is so cute.
And the thing about him that I really love is that he's absolutely
played for laughs.
He is this sort of, you know, like elf character with an
Australian accent, who is just terribly sweet and silly and played
for laugh.
So that sounds like fun, I think.
What do you reckon?
It's such a show in flux at this point as well. where they're
trying to figure out what works and what doesn't because they do
make some cause corrections with Picard several times.
The overview I've got here is looking to tie up overdue loose ends
handy in an arc and recruit additional help.
Picard is forced to confront his unkept promises when he visits a
colony of Romulan refugees.
He helped to relocate 14 years earlier.
Yeah.
Well, sounds absolutely gripping.
But it does introduce Elnor and he's very cute.
Oh, also being sarcastic.
That sounded quite good.
So remember, of course, that the big thing where Picard has that
sort of his relationship with Starfleet breaks down or with the
Federation in a way breaks down because they refuse to help the
Romulans.
Fuck you, Picard, said the admiral.
Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And so all of that stuff, which I think is really good.
You know, there's a terrible terrorist attack and Starfleet
becomes a little bit insider and a little bit less willing to help
with tragedies happening outside its borders and Picant thinks
that's absolutely the wrong thing to do.
And so he becomes sort of closely associated with Romulan
refugees.
And I think that's a great character development for him.
I think it works really well.
So the main memory of one series one is about 3 standout episodes
of Star Trek and then a lot of A to being.
You know, with plots just inching along.
We keep going back to this freaking ball ship and it's so tedious
but they have to keep inching it along until it gets to a certain
point.
And then an amazing episode hits like Nepenthe, you know.
So let's find out whether we're transitionary. or whether we're
well, it's just a great episode.
Yeah, probably both, my kids.
You've been listening to untitled Star Trek Project with Joe Ford
and Nathan Bottomley, where online at untitled Star Trek Project
com, where you can find subscription links and links to our social
media accounts.
Our podcast artwork is by Kayla Sisrin, and the theme was composed
by Cameron Lamb.
This episode was recorded on the 26th of November 2024 and
released on the 29th of November.
We'll see you next time for Star Trek Picard, absolute candour.
Oh, very good.
Interesting conversation.
Yeah, it's funny, isn't it?
Because like I reckon 2 is properly good.
Like as a proper through line, but one, they don't quite know what
they're doing and they're kind of going away, Game of Thrones, like
we have different plots in different places and what are we going
to do?
And it does eventually hang together.
You know, like it does happen.
They go to the, you know, the, the thing she gets betrayed by
Harry Treadaway or whatever. like it's a whole thing.
Um, yeah.
Anyway.
And I do think it ends really interestingly, you know, on that
planet, with the song planet, with all of the...
Oh, the song too far, I really liked.
Yeah, and the production value on that last 2 power.
I remember being great.
Those flowers in space.
Oh, and plus, beautiful, what's his face?
Um, Christobel.
What's his last name?
Uh, Oh, Rios.
Hot guy.
Rios.
Yeah, that's right.
Boy, yeah.
Yes.
Get rid of him was a mistake.
Yeah, but they do get ready to remember the end of series three.
See, I think season 2 is really good.
No, like season two.
We want to bring back fucking Gates McFadden instead.
I mean, where's the justice?
Except that because Star Trek, that Exteneration had such shitty
films, except for possibly one, um, Like it was nice to, you know
now we get the chance to miss them and see them, it would be a bit
you know, like it's even longer between like 2023. you know
thinking how long it's been.
No more.
Okay, because now, you know, when you let a candle run for ages
and it melts and melts.
Like, those actors are melting, right?
No more now. they have reached the point where we've done, one
we've done enough with them, you know.
I mean, I mean, really, what they realised was they had 7 entire
years of a TV show where they didn't do anything with them at
all.
So for just one year, they went, well, let's just pretend these
are...
I'm so glad they did it.
It was so good.
It was lovely seeing them back.
But, you know, Paul Patrick.
It's poor voice.
I mean, it's practically, you'll have a voice box soon, you know?
Like, come on now.
Yeah, no, he was entirely artificial after the end of series one
remember?
But you listen to, like, you know, I listen to Patrick Stewart on
interviews and that and I, I'm touch and go with or I think he's a
bit of a prick or not.
And when he goes on about, oh, no, I didn't want any of them
involved.
I wanted to do it and be entirely original and this wasn't going
to be the next generation and I didn't want the old crew and all
of this.
I was like, well, oh, that's why nobody watched a show, mate.
Everyone came back in series 3 when they got the crew back.
Yeah.
But I'm glad that they had done some stuff and tried some other
things before they did that.
And, you know, like cementing 7 as a member, prefer that of a
crew.
I prefer that of a crew.
I'd rather have another crew.
Yeah.
Yeah, it would be great.
And even Elner.
You know me.
Elnor.
I can take or leave in next generation.
But, you know, Rios, come on.
No, no.
I'm not just because he's hot.
He's just a great character.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, he's a hot pirate.
But pus also hot.
Yeah.
Yes.
Anyway, it's all fun.
All fun.
All right.
It's 951.
You could use me slacking off Patrick Stewart there as our tag.
Yeah, well, I think he's probably not as good an actor as everyone
thinks too, for Christ's sake.
Although go back and watch a nut singing emissary, where it goes
up against Savoury Brooks.
Have we met before, Commander?
Yes, we met in battle, at war 359?
Oh, this is awkward.
Awkward.
Have a scene.
What I love is at the end of that, you know, once the station's
been moved and it's in front of the wormhole now, the centre of
commerce and exploration.
And Cisco, suddenly.
It's exciting new venue.
Yeah, they suddenly goes, oh, about getting a replacement for me.
Suddenly...
Oh, really?
Like it, yeah.
Suddenly bringing up my son in this environment.
Actually seems like quite right.
Yeah.