Category: TNG

That’s all she wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation! Clay and Modi join me to discuss the entirety of the series, from Farpoint to All Good Things. We discuss the highs and lows, how TNG stacks up to modern television, and how it stands now, as a relic of the past, in early 2017. We follow that discussion with a Q&A section, where we answer many questions that listeners sent in. Finally, the winners for series ending giveaway are drawn, and two lucky listeners snag some fancy Blu-Rays!

That’s the end of TNG! In this episode, Wes does his usual recap of the season, this time for TNG S7. He discusses his general opinion of the 7th season, goes over the best and worst episodes, hands out some made up awards and breaks down where this year stands in comparison to the other 6 years.

We say goodbye to Star Trek: The Next Generation as “All Good Things…” must come to an end.

This is it! The last “regular” episode of TNG before the feature length finale! Obviously, this will be an episode that focuses on our main cast, who we’ve been with for over seven years… right? Trekabout’s Eric and Richard join me to discuss “Preemptive Strike”, an episode built around the Maquis and Ro Laren, and which surprisingly features very little of the main cast. We break down failures of episodic story telling, supporting actors, and weird episode placement.

The Enterprise has been a sort of character over the course of seven seasons. We’ve come to know it like the back of our hand. But what if it actually became a sentient being? “Emergence” tries to deal with this question, and it ends up with mixed results. Clay joins me to discuss bendy straw aliens, holodecks gone wild, and golden bricks!

Daimon Bok is back, and this time he’s got a plot so confusing that it will surely render Picard brain dead! In “Bloodlines”, Picard learns that he has a son, and he also learns that his old enemy Bok is going to kill him (the son). What can be done? Who will be sub space transported? Clay joins me to discuss momentum, the Knightfall storyline, and exposition dumps!

Alexander is a tragic figure in Star Trek, and his last TNG appearance only reinforces that argument! When a mysterious Klingon appears and attempts to train Alexander to become a warrior, Worf becomes uneasy with the new direction. Also, time travel! Modi stops by to discuss blades from the future, DS9 cameos, and ineffective time travel.

Wesley Crusher, we hardly knew ye. When Picard is tasked with removing a colony of Native Americans from the Cardassian demilitarized zone, Welsey Crusher returns with a bad attitude and some doubts about his future as a Starfleet officer! Symbolizing his own “journey’s end” Wes is alone on this episode to discuss admiral relations, the many vests of the 24th century, and the seven season character arc of Cadet Crusher!

My Charizard is de-evolving (devolving?) into a Charmeleon! When Data and Picard return from a mission to find the Enterprise adrift in space, they end up stumbling into a nightmarish scenario of animal crew members and lizard-cats! Modi Operandus joins me to discuss the oft maligned “Genesis”: does the body horror work? We also talk being as cool as a cucumber, Gates McFadden as a director, and the benefit of being subtle!

Suicide! Homicide! The Enterprise has a busy weeky, dealing with all these -cides! When Troi investigates a crew members recent suicide, she uncovers a mystery that spans back to the construction of the Enterprise. Tana and Sean join me to discuss the Worf and Troi romance, Boggs from Shawshank Redemption, and skeletons in the warp nacelle!

When an alien archive slowly transforms the Enterprise into a new version of a long dead civilization, Data begins to lose his mind! Picard and the rest of the crew must solve the dilemma of Data’s multiple personalities, and without the use of the observation lounge (which is now a swamp). Tana and Sean stop by to discuss alien myths, too many personalities, and the nature of communication!

If nothing else, Data is true to his own programming. When he’s sent to recover radioactive material on a primative world, an accident wipes his memory and the radioactive material makes its way to a nearby village! Plus, Troi takes the Starfleet SATs. Amy joins me to discuss Bill Shakespeare, the humors of the body, and Data as Jesus Christ.

There are over a thousand people on the Enterprise, but to this point the show has only focused on seven or eight of them: what are all the other people doing? “Lower Decks” tries to answer this question by following four young officers as they undergo evaluations and secret missions! Trekabout’s Eric and Richard join me to discuss Ben vs Guinan, Dr Crusher asking everyone about their sex lives, and seeing the Enterprise through new eyes.

Ghost sex! When Dr Crusher attends the funeral of her grandmother, she becomes involved in a Gothic romance with a sexy space ghost. Clay joins me to discuss one of the most reviled episodes in Star Trek history, and we both come away asking… was it that bad? Join us as we talk about Scottish caricatures, fog that rolls in, and why we dinnae light tha’ cahndle!

The Prime Directive is back! How can they screw it up this time? After the Enterprise decides to commit indirect genocide, Worf’s half-brother appears to try to talk some sense into our heroes! Modi Operandus is here to discuss “Homeward”, and we delve deeply into the flaws of the Prime Directive, Picard changing his mind, and people being pretty content with having their entire world view destroyed.

Ships with cloaks? What will they think of next? When Commander Riker’s former captain orders the Enterprise to find the long lost Pegasus, Picard becomes suspicious of his first officers motives! This is the episode that explains why the Federation doesn’t use cloaking devices, and Christian is here to discuss the details!

We also touch on season seven in general, character backstories, and drinking with superiors!

Worf is jumping into a whole new dimension! After winning a fighting competition, Worf soon discovers that he is jumping between parallel universes, where the only constant is himself.

Mark joins the podcast to discuss Braga episodes, Wesley Crusher returning, and the Bajorans as a marauding menace!

In our continuing examination of the TNG family tree, we now learn that Data has a mom! When the Enterprise responds to a planet in geothermal crisis, Data meets the ex wife of Dr Soong and the two hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, his mother turns out to be an android as well! My goodness. Modi joins us to discuss episodes with great potential, the mental state of Noonian Soong, and old ladies jumping off cliffs!

Episodes can contain a message. Star Trek, at its heart, is largely about a message of tolerance and equality. That said… you still need to tell a story. When aliens contact the Enterprise with news that warp drive can damage the fabric of space, Data saves the day by playing with his cat! Joe returns to discuss climate change brunches, killing yourself for no reason, and bad comedy. Force of Nature!

It’s been a while since it was mentioned, but Dr Crusher and Picard kinda have a thing going on, you know what I mean? In “Attached”, these two “close friends” learn just how exactly the other feels! Meanwhile, Riker babysits a planet.

Joe joins us to discuss bad costuming, weak B plots, and resolutions!

There’s a hole in my psyche, dear Liza, dear Liza. When Mrs Troi has a mental breakdown over some unknown trauma, it’s up to Deanna Troi and a weirdo telepathic alien to enter Lwaxana’s mind and save the day! Dan joins me to discuss moments that save episodes, alien fatigue, and Kirstin Dunst!

Data’s dream program has gone haywire (again), and turned our android friend into a cold blooded killer (again)! When Data’s weird dreams start to blend into reality, Picard and Geordi must enter Data’s dream landscape and figure out how these invisible space leeches fit into everything. Dan joins me to discuss Sir Patrick Stewart as a director, being late to a dinner, and why the crew trusts Data at all!

We’ve found Picard, but unfortunately he’s pretending to be a member of a space pirate crew! Data is in command of the Enterprise, but we all know that Worf hates Data! Riker is good at getting shot by phasers! What does it all mean? Clay joins us to discuss the second part of the “Gambit” story, and we discuss character moments, TNG cliches, and James Worthy’s Hall of Fame career! We also diverge into a tangent about objectivity in criticism!

Picard is dead, long live Picard! When the Enterprise crew learns that Captain Picard was killed in a bar fight, they refuse to let the crime go unpunished. When Picard later turns up as a space pirate, it’s up to Riker to figure out what exactly is going on! Clay stops by to discuss weird acting, jumpy narratives, and feeling burnt out after 156 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation!

Get out of my interface, bro! When Geordi discovers his missing mother on a derelict ship, he needs to convince the crew that he’s not crazy! Will he succeed, or will he have to interface with a probe and save the day via holographic representation? Or something? Modi joins us to discuss the gullibility of Geordi, the benefits of explaining yourself, and the excitement of meeting characters that we didn’t need to meet!

Picard crash lands on a desolate planet! Worf becomes an ambassadors bitch! Troi eats chocolate! We continue our journey through season seven with an episode that wonders what it would be like to meet aliens who don’t understand emotion, but also have no qualms about kidnapping. Clay joins us to discuss lazy costuming, character moments, and forgettable names!

Season 7! The Descent story line comes to an end, with Dr Crusher shooting star power at a Borg ship, Data becoming addicted to emotion, and Geordi getting his brain melted! Modi joins me to discuss all things premiere, including capable stand ins, Hugh the Leader, and Borg on Borg action. One more season of TNG left!