To Baldly Go

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 03, Episodes 04-06 Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends. This week, we get: Explanations for things we don’t understand No man can step in the same river twice Human intuition We covered: Who Watches the Watchers The Bonding Booby Trap “Who Watches the Watchers” gives us a damaged Federation observation post, a pre-warp civilization, and a Prime Directive disaster that accidentally turns Captain Picard into a god figure. We talk through the episode’s critique of religion, whether that critique is fair, and how much of belief comes from trying to explain things we do not yet understand. “The Bonding” is a heavier episode centered on grief, loss, and a child trying to process the death of his mother. We discuss how difficult the episode is to get a clean read on, how life experience can change the way we receive a story, and why this may represent an important turning point for Star Trek: The Next Generation. “Booby Trap” traps the Enterprise in an ancient battlefield and gives Geordi a holographic engineering partner who helps him work through the problem. We get into the cool sci-fi premise, the uneven execution, Picard’s ship-in-a-bottle enthusiasm, Geordi being a bit creepy, and somehow end up talking about Tommy Boy, Chris Farley, John Candy, John Belushi, and Rick Moranis. Next time: Star Trek: The Next Generation S03E07-09 — The Enemy, The Price, and The Vengeance Factor.

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 03, Episodes 01-03 Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends. This week, we get: Twister in space The less-funny Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy The Man Trap, Part 2 We covered: Evolution The Ensigns of Command The Survivors “Evolution” – What is life, anyway? Season 3 kicks off with what may be the most solid premiere episode of The Next Generation so far. Wesley’s experiment with nanites spirals into a crisis aboard the Enterprise, raising questions about intelligence, responsibility, and what qualifies as life. We also talk about Wesley owning his mistake, Nate — usually our resident Wesley apologist — having to wrestle with Wesley’s role in the crisis, the continued production-quality upgrade, Beverly’s return after a season away, baseball, vinyl versus streaming, and, of course, twister in space. “The Ensigns of Command” – Diplomacy, stubborn colonists, and excessive honesty Data is sent to evacuate a human colony before an alien race arrives to destroy them, but the colonists are not especially interested in being saved. What follows is part land-rights dispute, part diplomacy problem, and part lesson in creativity. We discuss whether you can save people who refuse to be saved, the value of guile in negotiation, Data’s brutally honest approach, and a little behind-the-scenes talk about ADR. “The Survivors” – Empathy for a monster The Enterprise finds an entire colony destroyed, except for two elderly survivors who remain mysteriously untouched. As the crew investigates, the episode becomes something stranger, darker, and more morally complicated than it first appears. We talk about how The Next Generation feels like it is operating at a higher level, Riker’s skepticism, the emotional weight of the reveal, and what happens when someone commits a crime so enormous that no law seems big enough to cover it. Season 3 is off to a really solid start. Next time: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 continues with episodes 4-6: Who Watches the Watchers, The Bonding, and Booby Trap.

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 02, Episodes 19-22 Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends. This week, we get: Betazoid chaos Klingon honor and worldbuilding Strategy, competition, and AI A very weird season finale We covered: Manhunt The Emissary Peak Performance Shades of Gray “Manhunt” – Lwaxana Troi returns to the Enterprise for an episode that is silly, awkward, and strangely effective. We talked about whether the comedy works, whether Lwaxana is basically the ultimate Boomer, and some of the odd Betazoid details the episode throws into the mix. “The Emissary” – A strong Worf-centered episode that adds real depth to Klingon culture, identity, and codes of honor. We talked about how K’Ehleyr completes Worf, Aaron’s confusion between this episode and the Deep Space Nine premiere, and yet another moment where ChatGPT failed us. “Peak Performance” – Strategy and competition take center stage as the Enterprise crew faces war games, shifting victory conditions, and Data confronting failure. That opened the door to discussion about knowing your opponent, Deep Blue and AlphaGo, AI versus humans in games, chess timers, and whether changing the rules is clever or just cheating. “Shades of Gray” – The infamous clip show finale gives us a weak setup, recycled footage, and a reminder that budget problems are very real. Even so, it gave us plenty to talk about, from Aaron’s wandering train of thought to whether clip shows are automatically bad in the first place. We also wrapped up Season 2 of The Next Generation, including Abbie ducking out while still giving the season a 10, whether sometimes less is more, and why this season may be greater than the sum of its parts. For Aaron, it also reinforced the sense that TNG is already showing greater depth than The Original Series. Next time: Star Trek TNG S03E01-03 — Evolution, The Ensigns of Command, and The Survivors

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier – “What Does God Need with a Starship?” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast First-Time Watch – Star Trek V: The Final Frontier Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends. This time, we get: Spock’s boots “The movie where they go to hell” Style over substance A few genuinely powerful moments in a very uneven movie We covered: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier In this episode, we talk about a movie that feels like it might have made a solid TV episode, but struggles to work as a feature film. Even so, it still gives us a few memorable character moments and some big ideas We discuss the group’s surprisingly consistent ratings, the movie’s reputation, the “Great Barrier” premise, reused sets, missing a key reveal thanks to Paramount+, and why the film seems to aim for something bold and philosophical but never quite lands. We also get into Rotten Tomatoes scores, trivia, quiz time, and whether directors’ cuts can really rescue a movie like this one. If you’re watching along with us, this is the one where they go looking for God.

Star Trek TNG S02E16-18 Q Who?, Samaritan Snare, Up the Long Ladder – “Nobody Asked Your Opinion” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 046) First-time watch of Star Trek: The Next Generation continues as we cover Season 2, Episodes 16–18. This week, we get: A new big bad Federation road trip “I think I’m a clone now” We covered: Q, Who? Samaritan Snare Up the Long Ladder Episode highlights: Q, Who? – First encounter with the Borg. A massive shift in tone as the Enterprise faces an enemy unlike anything before—and survives only through Q’s intervention. Samaritan Snare – Picard opens up about his past while Geordi and Wesley deal with the deceptively dangerous Pakleds. Up the Long Ladder – Two human colonies, two extremes: one rejects technology, the other depends on cloning. Classic Trek morality play—with mixed execution. Key discussion points: Experiencing the Borg reveal for the first time Q’s role and relationship with Picard Patrick Stewart putting on a masterclass The Pakleds: dumb… or not? Clones, autonomy, and ethics That very “Original Series” feel Final thoughts: A major new threat enters the picture Picard had a wild past Anti-technology protests… on a spaceship Next time: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier As always — Never give up! Never surrender!

Star Trek TNG S02E13-15: Time Squared, The Icarus Factor, Pen Pals – “Podunk Bunnyville” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 045) First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episodes 13–15 Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, where I – a first-time Star Trek viewer – watch through the series in release order and discuss it with long-time Trekkie friends. This week, we get: • Thoughts of Interstellar • Family reunions • Violations of the Prime Directive We covered: • Time Squared • The Icarus Factor • Pen Pals “Time Squared” – Would you like to meet your future self? The Enterprise encounters a shuttle containing Captain Picard from six hours in the future. As a strange spatial distortion pulls them in, the crew must unravel a temporal paradox before it’s too late. “The Icarus Factor” – Character over career Riker is offered command of his own ship and must confront unresolved tension with his father, while Worf explores his Klingon heritage in a parallel story of identity. “Pen Pals” – One does not simply walk into Mordor! Data forms a secret friendship with a young girl on a doomed pre-warp planet, forcing the crew to confront the ethical boundaries of the Prime Directive. Things we discussed: • Patrick Stewart playing two Picards • Picard, Riker, and leadership dynamics • Riker’s father and family tension • Worf’s background and Klingon culture • Violating the Prime Directive • Wesley’s growth and leadership • Defining “interference” • When and why we break the rules • Is Data an existential threat? • Philosophy as a people-centered exercise • Lord of the Rings trivia and randomness Additional discussion: • Remembering 9/11 • Bottle-feeding kittens • Studying the moon Final thoughts: • It’s hard to solve problems we can’t clearly define • Icarus wasn’t just warned about flying too high—but also too low • Somehow, a pre-warp civilization has tech the Federation lacks As always—Never give up! Never surrender!

Star Trek TNG S02E10-12 The Dauphin, Contagion, The Royale – “Junk Food Episodes” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 044) First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episodes 10–12 Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, where I — a newcomer to the Star Trek universe — am watching through the entire franchise from the beginning, in release order, alongside my long-time Trekkie friends. This week we discuss: • Shape-shifters, first love, and growing up • A Starfleet-level phishing test gone wrong • Ancient Iconian technology and looming threats • Romulans + Neutral Zone tension • A story trapped inside a story • “Junk Food Episodes” — not great, but still fun • Worf constantly ready for a fight Episodes covered: • The Dauphin – Wesley’s first romance comes with unexpected complications when his love interest isn’t what she seems. • Contagion – A deadly computer virus spreads through starships as the Enterprise uncovers ancient Iconian technology near the Neutral Zone. • The Royale – The away team gets trapped inside a badly written novel and must play along to escape. We also talk about: • Worf getting humbled (and wanting revenge) • Riker and Guinan moments • Star Trek logic vs. “dumb decisions” • Acceptable ambiguity in storytelling • Deep dive tea discussion • How many idioms we’re still using from centuries ago This week introduced a new category: “Junk Food Episodes” — episodes that may not be great, but are still enjoyable for what they are. Even when TNG stumbles a bit, it continues carving out its own identity separate from The Original Series. As always — Never give up. Never surrender.

Star Trek TNG S02E07-09 Unnatural Selection, A Matter of Honor, The Measure of a Man – “If You Don’t Give this Episode at Least a Six…” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 043) First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episodes 7–9 Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, where I — a newcomer to the Star Trek universe — am watching through the entire franchise from the beginning, in release order, alongside my long-time Trekkie friends. This week we discuss: • The ethics of genetic engineering • Riker serving aboard a Klingon Bird-of-Prey • Whether Data is truly a person • Picard surrendering the Enterprise… again • Klingon culture and honor • Transporters as video-game checkpoints • One of the greatest episodes in Star Trek history? Episodes covered: • Unnatural Selection – Genetic research leads to a rapidly aging disease that infects the Enterprise crew, forcing them to find a cure before it’s too late. • A Matter of Honor – Riker joins a Klingon crew in a rare officer exchange program and must prove he belongs among the warriors of the Empire. • The Measure of a Man – A courtroom battle determines whether Data is Starfleet property… or a sentient individual with rights. We also talk about: • Klingon worldbuilding • Pulaski’s evolving relationship with Data • Star Trek courtroom drama • Nate threatening to quit the podcast • Why some actors are forever tied to the first role we saw them in This week gave us a solid episode followed by two of the best episodes we’ve seen yet. Season 2 is definitely starting to find its stride. As always — Never give up. Never surrender.

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episodes 4–6. Welcome to the To Baldly Go Podcast, where I experience Star Trek for the first time by watching the entire franchise in release order with some long-time Trekkie friends. This week we discuss: Picard joking about surrendering… or is he? When a disability becomes an advantage Where does our humanity really lie? Data trying to learn stand-up comedy Geordi’s choice and Troi’s abilities Nepotism in Starfleet? Transporter capabilities Consciousness and identity The disturbing origin story of the Tin Woodsman Episodes covered: The Outrageous Okona Loud as a Whisper The Schizoid Man Some episodes swing for the fences and miss. Others ask deeper questions about communication, identity, and what it means to be human. This week gives us a mix of both. What we learned this week: Worf is already more effective than Tasha ever was Prompting people is a lot like prompting AI The Tin Woodsman story from the original Wizard of Oz is deeply unsettling TNG still feels like it’s discovering its identity, but it’s getting closer. As always: Never give up. Never surrender.

Star Trek TNG S2E01-03 – The Child, Where Silence Has Lease, Elementary, Dear Data “Not Very Effective” | First-Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 041) Season 2 begins… and Riker grows the beard. This week, I continue my first-ever watch of Star Trek in release order, joined by my long-time Trekkie friends. We’re covering: The Child – Space curiosity, questionable execution, and character shifts Where Silence Has Lease – A void, a godlike entity, and questions about reality Elementary, Dear Data – Sherlock Holmes, self-aware holodecks, and AI vs. humanity We discuss: Whether The Child is truly that bad Primitive humanity in the face of cosmic beings Another version of Q? AI debates in the 1980s… that sound exactly like today Data, originality, and what it really means to understand Plus: Star Trek vs. Star Wars trivia, Abbie officially loving the crew, and why “effective” became the word of the day. A generally strong start to Season 2 — The Child notwithstanding.

Star Trek TNG S1E24–26 – “The Biggest Trekkie” | First-Time Reaction | To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 040) We’ve reached the end of Season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation — and apparently… I’m now the biggest Trekkie on the podcast. In Episode 040 of The To Baldly Go Podcast, we break down: “We’ll Always Have Paris” “Conspiracy” “The Neutral Zone” This week’s highlights include: Exceptional mediocrity Practical effects worthy of a Michael Scott production Alien parasites and exploding heads A Romulan setup that could have been great Cryogenically frozen 20th-century humans Writers’ strike fallout all over the place “We’ll Always Have Paris” So mediocre… we barely had notes. We discuss Picard’s backstory, time paradox implications, and why this episode somehow left all of us shrugging. “Conspiracy” Federation intrigue. Paranoia. Callbacks. And special effects that feel like they wandered in from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan — with just a touch of Threat Level Midnight. Is there still an existential threat lurking in the shadows? “The Neutral Zone” The Romulans return… sort of. What could have been a massive episode instead feels crammed with side stories that dilute the tension. Missed opportunity? Writers’ strike casualty? Both? TNG Season 1 Wrap-Up We close out the season with: Season 1 trivia & quiz Robin Williams discussion (including why you should not watch Whose Line Is It Anyway? post-appendectomy) Full Season 1 retrospective And the shocking revelation that I may now be the most committed Star Trek fan on our little away team Having now completed: Star Trek: The Original Series Star Trek: The Animated Series Four original films And Season 1 of TNG …it feels less like the end of something and more like the beginning. Unlike TOS Season 1, which felt like it peaked, TNG feels like it’s just getting started. Season 2 begins next week. Never give up. Never surrender.

This week on the To Baldly Go Podcast: Smart devices try to kill us. Star Trek does an after-school special about drugs. And a main character dies… suddenly. We’re discussing: TNG S1E21 – Arsenal of Freedom TNG S1E22 – Symbiosis TNG S1E23 – Skin of Evil Topics include: Thanking Alexa Nate hating Geordi The Prime Directive vs. addiction Evil space pharmaceutical reps Stoicism and sudden loss Armus vs. Jigsaw The 24-treatment for shocking deaths These and more as first-time reactions meet veteran Trek opinions

This week: Home Soil, Coming of Age, Heart of Glory Devil in the Dark, redux? Ugly bags of mostly water What is life? Is Data alive? Is Data human? Is Data just ChatGPT in a synthetic skin suit? I step away while Abbie and Nate continue the conversation, looking ahead to things I haven’t seen The love of being wrong Observations of ADR and television production Picard’s maturity Distinct storylines that don’t come together Series continuity Worf the Stoic A Gentleman in Moscow I relate to the bad guy – sort of Sometimes life isn’t fair Only competing against yourself Starfleet entrance exams. What is the test? Worf isn’t yet who Abbie remembers The challenge of Tasha Yar Geordi-vision Nate is the biggest nerd on the podcast Death in the Federation Is TNG better than TOS at this point? Picard, the hot head

This week: 11001001, Too Short a Season, When the Bough Breaks Nate concedes a point Season 1 has been underwhelming, but we have the best episode yet More commentary on the medium of network or syndicated TV The holodeck Abbie’s anesthesia dream Deliberate scientific inaccuracies in Star Trek An unrelated story in the Star Trek universe 21st century ozone hole An appropriate use for Wesley What is a society? Stories that would work for other series Nate really hates Code of Honor Looking ahead

This week: Ferengi less cartoonish Still difficult to take them seriously as adversaries Lore and worldbuilding Nate sees Picard giving up early A/B storylines and storytelling in Star Trek Improvements in the medium over the 1960s Suspension of disbelief and faster than light travel Solar system versus other star systems Nostalgia Music in Next Gen Returning characters Q is kind of weird Using Q to explore human nature Assuming Q isn’t gone More solar system discussion We’re nerds Personal anecdotes about mutual friends Reusing footage from other episodes and movies Season 1 released immediately in syndication “Bill” Riker? Security lapses Character actors Thoughts on Lwaxana More worldbuilding and lore Filming order Things we miss from The Original Series Conflict in Star Trek

This week: A tribute to Scott Adams Where No One Has Gone Before, Lonely Among Us, Justice Abbie realizes how annoying Wesley is Similar to The Original Series, but different enough Thoughts and prayers to get home What is the time range of this iteration of the Enterprise? Curiosity Stoic philosophy Self-proclaimed experts and hubris Confidence without arrogance A body-swap episode?  No way! Sherlock Data Sometimes efforts and attempts just don’t work Security fails again Detectives’ Credo and Bayesian analysis Unbelievable!!!!! The Movie rabbit hole (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIaySADwGp4) A better job telling an ok story Prime Directive Captain’s Calculus Did Picard consider just surrendering the ship? Life is an exercise in exceptions Wesley is smart but naïve The death penalty Broken Window Theory

In this episode: The Naked Now, Code of Honor, The Last Outpost I feel like we’ve seen this before An homage? Gregg’s 9s and 10s and his one problem with the series Gregg doesn’t like Wesley Stories are more refined Too early to have a “different characters” episode? Visionary vs executor Aaron’s Data moment Feeling like Original Series episodes Issues with Tasha Yar Even bad Star Trek is still great Star Trek Prime Directive discussion Minimal character development and bad storytelling Terrible ship security The Ferengi TNG villains Picard surrendered the Enterprise TNG vs TOS beginnings Expectations moving forward Swearing in Star Trek Excited for more

In this episode: The premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Encounter at Farpoint Joined by my old friend, Gregg Gregg’s background with Star Trek Felt like a pilot episode, but overall good Original Series comparisons Star Trek feel with a much bigger scope A hopeful future with a bleak near-term view Gregg rates a 9 and says it can only go up from here Nate’s old technical manuals Next Generation trailer Target demographics Who is the main character? Differences between the two series Androids and AI My questions or things I hope to see What we are all looking forward to Interesting characters Wesley discussion Nate was the captain of the quiz bowl team in high school

This episode we discuss: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Didn’t go full Captain Planet Nate surprised by his rating Felt like a long episode Ralph Winter – producer Chekov in 1980s San Francisco The pitfalls of knowing there is more to come Plot holes No butterfly effect? Different timelines? A Commander Random sighting Plot devices vs. realistic story progress Star Trek: Movie Memories – by William Shatner Sulu’s lost movie moment Eddie Murphy in Star Trek? Nate is not a biologist Trivia Production battles Similarities with Star Trek: The Motion Picture Other time travel stories – Stephen King’s 22.63 Home video release included a trailer for Star Trek: The Next Generation

In this episode we discuss: No more Animated Series Enjoying the dialogue more upon second viewing How Abbie remembers Star Trek Two years thinking Spock was dead Leonard Nimoy directs Curse of the odd-numbered Star Trek films Choppy scenes missing the emotional, dramatic effect Another Yeoman Rand-om sighting Sacrificing the Enterprise Krug – the Klingon John Wick? A compelling villain Extra-Kirk What happened to Spock’s body? Star Trek IV trailer Ferngully in space? Time travel done right Trivia

This week, Nate and I discuss: The Emmy-award winning Star Trek: The Animated Series Stopped rating the episodes Less than the sum of its parts? A bad series Animated Series as punishments Spaceships and aliens Target demographics Shortcomings of TAS No Chekov The great episode of TAS – a top episode for the franchise to this point Political implications of airing certain episodes Is TAS canon? Life support belts Kirk was the Devil’s advocate? Missing charm and disjointed dialogue Unrealized potential What non-Star-Trek fans think Star Trek is Felt like the Gorn fight from Arena TAS trivia Nate’s Star Trek models Star Trek production guide Looking ahead to Next Generation Planning future podcast discussions and watch order

In this episode Abbie, Nate, and I discuss: Final seven episodes of The Original Series Another episode it feels like we’ve seen before Fairy Tale by Stephen King Abbie wanted to DNF episodes Creepy, ick factor Valentine’s Day Star Trek episode Worst episode of The Original Series DC Fontana Qualified ratings – a “Season 3” Seven Mixed messaging Space Lincoln Anti-war, but winning a war at all costs A real, not real Abraham Lincoln speech When do we learn to not fear words? An ok episode, but terrible series finale – but does that say more about today? And just like that, it’s over Better than Nate remembered Greater than the sum of its parts Unprecedented If it was more successful initially, would we be talking about it today? Remembering the good moments and forgetting the negatives Original Series trivia Up next

This week I am joined by my wife, Abbie, and our friend, Nate, as we discuss: Let that Be Your Last Battlefield, The Mark of Gideon, and That Which Survives The Trouble with Tribbles story Elaan of Troyius recap now that Abbie is back Overt messaging in shows Star Trek without Gene Roddenberry Is a good message enough to carry an episode? A Captain’s responsibility to keep the ship out of enemy hands Great Enterprise security The transporter as a weapon Nuclear codes in history Strangelove A good message – “Don’t hate” Terrible movies with heavy-handed messaging Watching people watch people on TV Episode context What is the call to action in this episode? Being extra-Spock Spock needs to be more precise Abbie gets attacked by a kitten The Tunguska Event Another callout to The Beginning of Infinity Limits on human knowledge? A victim of the medium at the time? The decline of the series Over Warp 14 More multi-culturalism on the Enterprise A game plan to finish The Original Series Planning a Star Trek trivia challenge Looking ahead to The Next Generation Abbie fires some shots at DS9 Nate throws down the gauntlet for the best episode ending in all of Star Trek A Star Trek producer spoke in my video production class in college Something about whales

This week we discuss: The Empath, Elaan of Troyius, and Whom Gods Destroy Star Trek: Saw What do you do if you have limited resources and can’t save everyone? Low-percentage vs no-percentage Intellect alone is not sufficient Kirk acting in slow motion? Book recommendation – Shadow Divers – don’t get the bends! Star Trek’s Helen of Troy? Stories about things that the stories aren’t about Elaan hit first Tony Soprano is a bad person who does bad things Kirk has bad moments but isn’t a bad guy How was non-slapstick violence received in the late-1960s? Old tropes that are uncommon today Power struggles over resources When does the Prime Directive apply? Warp speed, physics, and suspension of disbelief Baggage when watching Star Trek A Spaceballs connection Litmus tests for how much I enjoy an episode Two Kirks and memories of X-men Pirates of the Caribbean and too much of a good thing Ensemble strength Powerful, yet helpless. Art imitating reality Episodes that are less than the sum of their parts Fan fiction from a simple line The Cochrane Deceleration High-stress turns in space? Planning some competitive trivia

This week we discuss: The Tholian Web, Plato’s Stepchildren, and Wink of an Eye We continue last week’s debate and how Nate is wrong A traditional Star Trek episode Ratings with qualifiers Episode and series hero journeys Scotty the full-blown alcoholic? A weak spot in the episode? Explaining to the audience instead of the characters Grown-up storytelling Shatner stepping back in an episode Could this have been a TNG episode? Star Trek memorabilia at auction Scotty’s hair Another back-in-time episode First television inter-racial kiss, at least in the US Abbie wants internal consistency Subtle vs overt messaging in shows then and now Motor control vs mind control We can again see why the series was canceled Things that take us out of the story Inception and X-Men did it better Star Trek Customizable Card Game How the series was experienced in the late-1960s Cinematography Kirk’s coffee Why didn’t they harness the power when they had the antidote? Abbie is refusing to watch The Animated Series Star Trek graphic novel Getting rid of Kirk? Hanlon’s Razor? A Waffle House story

In this episode, we discuss: Spectre of the Gun, The Day of the Dove, and For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky Budget issues during Season 3? Nate is over the non-spacey episodes Some bourbon discussion Klingons with swords Nate rejects the premise of the episode Nate nearly rage quits the podcast over the IMDB rating I claim victory in the discussion We’ve seen this episode before A Star Trek Sith Lord Who is pulling the strings? How does Kirk run into the same Klingon multiple times? Captain Uhura? Truth, religion, and dogma Prime Directive Is Bones married? Characters are always safe (except the redshirts) Similarities to other shows

In this episode, we discuss: Abbie and I had an opportunity to watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and a Q&A session with William Shatner For a 92-year-old man, Shatner was ranting and raving and moving around pretty well An education in COPD and lung disease The impact of the Actors’ Strike on the show Stories about bow hunting and pranks on DeForest Kelley Getting pulled over dressed as Captain Kirk No shit, Shatner! Shatner was what we expected. A master of his craft Curiosity Seeing the movie in the theater was a trip A better appreciation for the movie on a second viewing The experience of watching this kind of movie in that kind of setting A great movie in its own right. But even better for a Star Trek movie Felt like Star Trek Shatner’s thoughts about Star Trek: The Motion Picture Space Seed holds up Movie reshoots after leaks Gene Roddenberry intrigue Kirk’s forgotten plots Leonard Nimoy was ready to be done as Spock Why is the Genesis technology a threat in Khan’s hands? Vulcans can cry? Learning why things work on a Starship. If you don’t know why, you can’t adapt.  You can’t be creative William Shatner and George Takei don’t get along Ricardo Montelban’s real chest Character names changed because of clerical errors Continuing voyages of ongoing missions… Original story proposal TV in the ‘90s

In this episode, we discuss: The Paradise Syndrome, And the Children Shall Lead, and Is There in Truth no Beauty? Star Trek: Renegades Other TV discussion The worst episode yet? Was life in the past better than life today? Life without Advil… House spoilers Tahiti Syndrome Differences between cultural appropriation and cultural assimilation Greek mythology Kirk’s fear We decide on an episode title Without followers, evil cannot spread Star Trek and Zodiac connections Do we see reality for what it is? Or for what is useful? Sciencey-sounding words Beauty What could go wrong? Smart decisions and storytelling Trying different technical things in the episode The IDIC medallion Word salad Spock’s French Stewart eyes? Completely unrelated music discussion Nate and I discover our mutual love of Blues Traveler

In this week’s episode, we discuss: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Spock’s Brain, and The Enterprise Incident The movie worked a lot better on a big TV than The Original Series Strong opening to the movie Klingons look and seem very different Enterprise porn Remastered version of the movie – probably looked better on my TV at home than it would have in the theater Characters felt different What somebody who doesn’t know anything about Star Trek might think Star Trek is like William Shatner doing a Captain Kirk impersonation Differences between the series and the movie For all the criticism of the movie, it was stunning Is human consciousness just a physics and chemistry question? Some timely Oscars talk – debating Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker Absurd moments for a Star Trek episode Future technological understanding Was Gene Roddenberry holding up a mirror to society? Star Trek and Black Mirror Star Trek as a Trojan horse Mutual respect with the Romulans? Lies of omission Space pirates The Vulcan Death Grip Genetic similarities between Vulcans and Romulans Self-destructing Enterprise A pleasant surprise for early season 3

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. As usual, I am joined by my wife, Abbie, and our friend Nate, as we discuss: The final two episodes of Season 2: Bread and Circuses and Assignment: Earth Abbie is over The Original Series More episodes we feel like we’ve seen before Prime Directive Kirk’s character judging abilities Parallel development vs Earth influence Religious references Dropping the things that worked in Season 1 South Park: Cartoon Wars and Star Trek Mad Libs Will Abbie still enjoy other Star Trek series after this? Will I become a bigger Trekkie than Abbie? Our scoring system is like Who’s Line is it Anyway? Would Kirk risk his crew to save Spock and Bones? Another Gene Roddenberry episode Are fun character traits a crutch? Lazy? Do Star Trek characters make something a Star Trek story? Spinoffs! Do Star Trek and Doctor Who take place in the same universe? How shows are influenced by the time in which they are made Top shows from the late 1960s Fewer “timeless” stories in Season 2 More discussion about technological evolution faster than biological evolution Bioshock spoilers The choice of character names can tell a lot Overall ratings of season 2 Different ways to experience TV Our next plans

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. As usual, I am joined by my wife, Abbie, and our friend Nate, as we discuss: The next 3 episodes of season 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series – By Any Other Name, The Omega Glory, and The Ultimate Computer Interstellar from the perspective of the other planets Callbacks to earlier episodes What I’ve come to expect from Star Trek, but does that mean they’re running out of ideas? Kirk, the man-whore What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be living? Life is more than just elements, but without the elements, there is no life Some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu analysis Episodes starting a lot stronger than they finish Was this propaganda? Subtlety vs heavy-handedness A successful letter-writing campaign A brief history lesson about The Scorpions Seeing more recurring story lines and trends Negative views on technology? Saying “Thank you” to Alexa In real life we make the same mistakes and tell the same stories over and over again Different experience between binge watching and watching weekly over the course of many years Similar shows, books, and movies released around the same time Will the AI conversation actually change?  Has the conversation surrounding AI changed in the past 60 years?

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. As usual, I am joined by my wife, Abbie, and our friend, Nate, as we discuss: The next 3 episodes of season 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series – A Private Little War, Return to Tomorrow, and Patterns of Force What was the message of this episode? Do they even know? TV makeup and High Definition We don’t like Gene Roddenberry episodes? Understanding why TOS was cancelled Was TOS running out of ideas? A Next Generation actress Characters acting out of character Star Trek and the Apollo missions Other shows calling their shots Command structure on the Enterprise Risk vs. reward Scotty’s voice and linguistic talents Biblical connections? Plot devices vs. realism Fermi paradox Aliens and Mexican parliament A relative lack of surprise that Kirk and Spock dressed as Nazis Blues Brothers discussion Nazi imagery in the episode An episode we wanted to dislike Is there always a silver lining? Moral ambiguity and how shows are received

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. I am joined again this week by my wife, Abbie, and our friend, Nate as we discuss: The next 3 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series – The Gamesters of Triskelion, A Piece of the Action, and The Immunity Syndrome First – my homework to rewatch The Trouble with Tribbles I can see why The Trouble with Tribbles is a favorite episode for many Does “more fun” mean “better”? Parks and Rec The Sopranos Have we seen this episode before? Aaron can rate something a 10 Fair terms? Would Kirk have acted the same if only saving himself and crew? Downgrading my rating and things that took me out of the episode No blondes on Vulcan A good-enough episode Application of the Prime Directive? Let’s play Cups! Kirk’s ‘20s talk Radios and rotary phones Nate hates Scotty Abbie didn’t finish the final episode The death of one vs the deaths of many Kirk’s understanding of their mission Spock shit-talking McCoy Spock and McCoy truly care for each other Nate’s 13-year-old humor Instinct and intuition vs logic Did the Vulcans logic themselves to death?

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. I am joined again this week by my wife Abbie and our friend Nate as we discuss: The next 3 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series – Obsession, Wolf in the Fold, and The Trouble with Tribbles Drinking Minnesota beer in Northeast Florida A good, forgettable episode PTSD in Star Trek Personal log vs Captain’s log Kirk is quite the dynamic character The Farragut Moby Dick Logic vs Intuition Star Trek and religion A Newsradio segue Hedonism Bot from Futurama An episode that could have been stronger if it was shorter Piglet the Ripper Deep space murder mystery – of course we’ll jump to an unsolved series of murders from London 400 years prior Stunt doubles and watching Star Trek on our phones (like they did when this first came out) “Abbie will hate this episode” Was Hengist innocent? Anchor points and being underwhelmed Undercover Klingon A perfect episode??? Physical altercations over disrespectful words I agree to rewatch The Trouble with Tribbles

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. I am joined again by my wife Abbie and our friend Nate as we discuss: The next 3 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series – Journey to Babel, Friday’s Child, and The Deadly Years Starting with the last episode Aging the characters, compared to reality Are we aging differently now? Or is it a social construct? A good leader surrounds himself with good people Don’t embarrass the boss Budgetary constraints and command Trying to do the right thing, but not knowing how to do it Stockton or Stocker? The Beginning of Infinity How does the Neutral Zone work? The return of Corbomite Watching on a phone instead of a TV making the series more palatable? A better episode if made today? Earliest-born Star Trek actor – born in 1882!! A murder mystery on the Enterprise Sarek – a character with depth that I don’t realize Additional episode context and how these episodes are received Orions? Or Gorn? Lack of recurring characters Genetic espionage Strange episode titles A strong start and a slow, weak finish We’ve seen this episode before Good music The Godmother of Star Trek Who punched first? Reactions to Chekov’s Russia claims Computing in the 1960s, Teletype, and how technologically forward-looking we can be Technological inspiration from Star Trek Chick Fil-a vs Raisin’ Canes Thumbnails for next week’s episodes Thinkgeek.com

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. I am joined again this week by my wife, Abbie, and our friend, Nate, as we discuss: The next 3 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series – Catspaw, I Mudd, and Metamorphosis Probably the weakest set of episodes yet Going over Abbie’s low bar for this series Nate almost didn’t finish the episode A Star Trek episode? Or a Halloween special with Star Trek characters? Not the “most philosophically rich” episode of Star Trek Chekov’s hair Enterprise props today The sum of its parts are greater than the whole Seeing something we’ve seen before Binge watching affecting the viewing experience? Recurring themes – a life without limit is meaningless Recurring themes – the ethics of AI Technological advancements to allow intergalactic travel? Nearing halfway through The Original Series More problematical moments Which Einstein? I’ve heard that name before! Another rare consensus The importance of human contact to humans Captain Kirk. Diplomat Nate gets distracted with DS9 talk again Yesterday’s progressivism, tomorrow’s conservatism Judas goats Nate’s growing fondness for Kirk Limitations providing meaning and value – recurrent themes TOS episodes as a basis for future series episodes and movies The first people to make certain Star Trek connections Space rabies! Nate already has a rating for Trouble with Tribbles Seeing why the series was cancelled after season 2 Ricky Gervais and Arena

An evil crew, paradise, and a destructive intergalactic space worm.  All this and more in this week’s episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast! I am joined, as usual, this week by my wife, Abbie, and our friend, Nate, as we discuss: The next 3 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series – Mirror Mirror, The Apple, and The Doomsday Machine Is this the “darkest timeline”? Another parallel universe episode Gene Roddenberry’s vision (hope?) for the future Star Trek has always been progressive for its time – it’s not something new today Under the progressive veneer, there are still traditional values throughout the episodes Theory of parallel universes What are you?  DNA?  Experiences? Was Kirk trying to change the mirror universe for the better?  Or was he just trying to get back to his universe and his ship? “Evil” Kirk is a formidable foe For a savage society, they are really bad at fighting Uniform colors Nature vs. Nurture and morality A piecemeal episode A Spock and Bones role reversal? What is the definition of “Paradise”? An anti-religion episode? Spock like Satan No ramifications? Can freedom be imposed?  Or is it necessarily a choice? Lurr – Ruler of Omicron Persei VIII The parable of the banker and the fisherman from Jimmy John’s Can a society be thriving but also stagnant? Exploration of other command styles Other ships A rare consensus Cold War commentary How often to officers lose their ships? Decisions and results Major transporter issues.  Is Scotty bad at his job? Security shortcomings Planetary system discussion Motion Picture and other movie discussion It all comes back to Independence Day

Vulcan biology.  The worst episode yet.  And some Irish folklore. Thank you for joining us for all this and more on this week’s episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast.  As usual, I am joined this week by my wife Abbie and our friend Nate as we discuss the next 3 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series -  Amok Time Who Mourns for Adonais? The Changeling

The worst episode of the season, the best episode of the season, and The Crazies in Space.  This, and more in this week’s episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. I am joined again this week by my wife, Abbie, and our friend, Nate, as we discuss: Star Trek: The Original Series episodes: The Alternative Factor, The City on the Edge of Forever, and Operation – Annihilate! We hit the whole spectrum of episodes this week An interesting topic with terrible execution Discussing earlier dumb episodes Tim the Enchanter The “high water mark” for Star Trek Pacifism at the right time Sacrifice for the greater good Gene Roddenberry’s vision for the future 11.22.63 Spock’s primitive understanding of science A similar episode today would be a jump back to 1986 Back to the Future, the 1993 edition with Metallica Foreshadowing that we all missed Are difficult decisions easier when we don’t know the affected people? How was The City on the Edge of Forever received in the ‘60s? Did ChatGPT get this one wrong? What differences would we have seen if Edith Keeler hadn’t died? First Contact discussion I talk about the wrong episode Another episode that is better than its title might indicate All of the elements of a good episode Kirk will not accept a no-win scenario McCoy doesn’t have the disposition for command Kirk with a Kodos’ decision to make McCoy struggles with Spock’s idea of triage Fake Kirk’s shitty moustache Boogers? Or poorly cooked eggs? Lessons of the Horta did not transfer Plot holes from script changes? Kirk’s nephew is nowhere to be seen Levity at the end didn’t match the tone of the episode We have reached the end of Season 1 “10”-rated seasons of other shows The experiment has been a success While the show has more depth than just spaceships and aliens, there are still spaceships and aliens

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast.  As usual, I am joined again this week by my wife, Abbie, and our friend Nate as we discuss the next three episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series... This Side of Paradise The Devil in the Dark, and Errand of Mercy

The Purge.  A centuries-old war criminal.  And the strangest way to fight an epic war.  All this and more in this week’s episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. I am joined this week by my wife Abbie and our friend Nate as we discuss the next three episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series:  Return of the Archons Space Seed A Taste of Armageddon

A lizard fight, some time travel, and a 23rd century courtroom drama.  All this an more in this week's episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast. Tonight, I am joined by Nate as we discuss the next three episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series -  Arena Tomorrow is Yesterday Court Martial

Episode 8 of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which we discuss the next three episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series – Shore Leave The Galileo Seven The Squire of Gothos

Join us as we venture into the world of Shakespeare and get an introduction to Romulans as we discuss the next two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series -  The Conscience of the King Balance of Terror

Join as I continue my journey through Star Trek: The Original Series The Corbomite Maneuver The Menagerie, Parts 1 and 2

The next two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series Miri Dagger of the Mind

The next two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series Mudd's Women What are Little Girls Made Of?

The next two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series - The Naked Time and The Enemy Within

Our Trek continues with the next two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series Charlie X Where No Man Has Gone Before

Our Trek begins with the first two episodes (or so I thought) of The Original Series