Welcome to Star Trekking, my attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier.
We’re reaching that time of year.
No, not the time for dumb tweets. Or for a reappraisal of the book Meaning In Star Trek.
It’s the time for Year End Wrap-Ups and Top Ten Lists and Shopping Guides etc etc.
So I’m starting off early this year with a list of Star Trek podcasts that I particularly enjoy.
Last year, on TrekMovie.com, I wrote this about Inglorious Treksperts as the Best Fancast:
Yes, they are opinionated. Yes, they are mostly focused on TOS. But they are also engaging, insightful, knowledgeable, and fun. In their fourth year of podcasting, veteran Treksperts Mark A. Altman and Daren Dochterman, along with newly-minted Treskpert Ashley E. Miller, presented in-depth interviews with such Trek stalwarts as Robert Duncan McNeill, Robin Curtis, and Tim Russ. But they also brought in behind-the-scenes figures, such as TOS casting director Joe D’Agosta, and Robert Butler, director of “The Cage,” and Fox Films president Steve Asbell to talk about what went wrong with Star Trek Insurrection. Add to that, episodes covering Gene Roddenberry’s notes on the Star Trek III script and a multi-part look at the writer’s bibles for each Trek series from TOS to Enterprise, and you’ve got a must-listen podcast for any Trek fan.
And this year the fun continued, with shows focused on the Fotonovels, New Voyages, and the Phase II show bible. Plus deep dives into Star Trek TMP, Star Trek V, and Star Trek VI. Also, plenty of interviews as well as glorious side trips to the worlds of Battlestar Galactica and Space: 1999. And with their new paid tier bonus podcast, Deck 78, we’ve had tangential journeys into movies like The Black Hole, Battle Beyond the Stars, and Robocop.
I love the knowledge, the humor, the camaraderie, and the pure joy present in every episode. I love the Treksperts.
If you’re looking for a deep dive, this is the show for you.
I talked about this show in the last issue because, um, yes, I was a guest.
As I said last week:
Scott and Steve take TOS seriously and are taking deep dives into each of the original episodes. They’re going through the series in production order and each podcast covers an episode scene-by-scene, commenting and highlighting what happens, bringing in historical asides and influences, and trying to identify the through-lines. TOS was a product of its time - that is, not serialized, not telling an overarching multi-season story, not even creating season-long arcs. And yet, by examining episodes in close detail they begin to spot character traits and arcs that maybe do show growth and movement of the characters over the course of the series. The podcast is well worth listening to, even (especially?) on episodes that aren’t your favorite.
This week’s episode features the return of my friend Laurie Ulster, talking about a third season dud, Requiem for Methuselah. And it’s another great discussion.
One of the highlights, for me, was the insight Laurie brought to the terrible final scene of Spock erasing Kirk’s memories (spoiler alert, I guess). On the Enterprise Incidents Facebook page, some further discussion ensued.
Do you think the mind meld scene would have worked in "The City on the Edge of Forever"?
No! The idea of removing memories of the people we've lost goes against the whole idea that they live forever because we remember them. (Although the scene isn't very specific about exactly what he forgets. Rayna's existence? His feelings?) But we all know that to be healthy, we have to deal with our pain and loss, it's part of how we grow.
As I listened to this discussion, I also thought about Spock's mind rape of Valeris. When is it okay to use your Vulcan mind touch power? Do they teach an ethics of mind touch at the Vulcan Science Academy? Is this episode and the scene in ST VI evidence of Spock's humanity, his human side overpowering his sense of Vulcan decorum?
Those are such good questions. There's a lot of talk about privacy early on but then some of it goes right out the window later. You could possibly make an argument that Valeris a criminal and getting the information saved many lives, but I'm not sure if that's even relevant to the moral argument! But definitely erasing someone's memories without their permission is a no-no... Janeway even decides this on Voyager when The Doctor's memory is erased and he finds out and she has to stay up all night with him while he deals with the aftermath of getting it back. We could do a whole podcast just on this topic!
It’s an interesting - dare I say, fascinating - question. And, by the way, yes I called it Mind Touch instead of Mind Meld because of this book that has been near and dear to my heart since 1976:
And maybe that book has fuel for the discussion.
All this illustrates why Enterprise Incidents is such a great listen. Scott and Steve dig into the details, raising questions and helping us find new details in even the most familiar - or most derided - episodes.
Laurie Ulster is, of course, a co-host of the All Access Star Trek podcast from TrekMovie.com. Each week, Laurie and her co-host, Anthony Pascale, discuss the latest Trek news, review current Trek episodes, and otherwise dish on the franchise. It’s truly a must-listen for those of us who keep Trek - in all its incarnations - near and dear to our hearts. Intelligent, informative, and friendly, it’s my favorite all-purpose Trekcast.
What are the Trek podcasts you can’t live without? Share your links and reviews in the comments:
Until next time, remember -
The human adventure is just beginning.
I really, really love I Quit Star Trek. It’s so FUNNY, and points out all the hilarious and absurd moments about Star Trek.
Hey there, I'd like to give a shout out to the crew of Open Pike! They focus on Strange New Worlds at this point but great discussion and fun. They've included some of the cast and crew of the series including Melissa Navia.