Shuttle Pod - The TrekMovie.com Podcast

TrekMovie editor Laurie Ulster sits down for a phone interview with Gates McFadden. The two talk topics from virtual Star Trek conventions to politics to what it was like for Gates to play a role that inspired so many in the medical profession. Take a listen! The interview was recorded on June 29th and is available, in part, as a transcription at TrekMovie.com. Shuttle Pod Supplemental: Interview with Gates McFadden Your browser does not support the audio element.

Kayla has been rewatching all of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ and has reevaluated season one. She feels the common wisdom of TNG S1 being generally poor, and often hard to watch, is flawed. She presents her points to fellow her Shuttle Pod crew members — Brian, Jared, and Matt. Listen along to see where the podcasters land in their appraisal of season one of ‘Next Generation.’

Listen to the audio of our full interview with Kate Mulgrew. TrekMovie editor Laurie Ulster sat down with Kate to talk the state of the world, reunions with the Voyager cast, and new projects in Kate’s life. Listen in! Note that this interview was recorded just before the murder of George Floyd, and so while Kate discusses the COVID-19 crisis, the recent Black Lives Matter protests hadn’t yet happened and so are not discussed.

This week, Brian and Kayla welcome back special guest Anthony Pascale, owner and founder of TrekMovie.com, to discuss the recently announced Captain Pike show, Strange New Worlds and take a bit of a dive into the business side of Star Trek, CBS All Access, the CBS-Viacom merger, and what it all means for Trek going forward.

This week the entire complement of the Shuttle Pod crew look back on how Star Trek looks forward. Many fans are drawn to Trek due to its positive outlook on the future of humanity and the way in which the show handles the exploration of the human condition. In these tumultuous times, we could all use a bit of positive escapism, and so Brian, Matt, Kayla, and Jared offer up some of their favorite examples of aspiration in Trek (plus some just plain feel-good eps that you’re sure to enjoy). Come on a new kind of journey with us this week, as we dive into the philosophical and the inspirational, after some stirring words from John Kennedy, some of our on-screen heroes, and the Great Bird of the Galaxy himself. Looking for some Star Trek to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Try these episodes and movies: The Original Series TOS S1 E02 “The Corbomite Maneuver” TOS S1 E19 “Arena” TOS S1 E23 “A Taste of Armageddon” TOS S1 E26 “Devil in the Dark” TOS S1 E27 “Errand of Mercy” TOS S2 E21 “By Any Other Name” TOS S1 E28 “City on the Edge of Forever” The Next Generation TNG S2 E12 “The Royale” TNG S4 E13 “Devil’s Due” TNG S5 E02 “Darmok” TNG S5 E26 & E27 “Time’s Arrow” Parts 1 and 2 TNG S7 E25 & E26 “All Good Things…” Parts 1 & 2 Deep Space Nine DS9 S1 E01 “Emissary” DS9 S4 E08 “Little Green Men” Voyager VOY S6 E12 “Blink of an Eye” Enterprise ENT S2 E02 “Carbon Creek” ENT S4 E21 “Terra Prime” Movies “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” “Star Trek: First Contact” …and so many more! Tell us your favorites in the comments!

Based on a question from a listener (and Shuttle Pod patron), Brian, Matt, and returning guest Tony discuss the business of making Star Trek — appealing to advertisers and the consumer public from TOS to the new CBS era. They discuss why Hollywood is interested in the younger market demographic (people in their 20s), and ponder if there’s room for more niche Trek shows that aren’t trying to chase both new and existing fans all at once.

The Shuttle Pod crew gather round their mics to discuss the final episode of the first season of Star Trek: Picard. Feelings are mixed among the crew. We all agree that the show ultimately delivered a heartwarming as ever scene providing closure we’ve been waiting for for twenty years. And, the episode did tie up a lot of key story threads from the season. But, so many other narrative threads were left hanging, and Picard’s new reality opens up one huge can of worms for the franchise.

The entire complement of the Shuttle Pod gather round their podcasting mics to discuss the penultimate episode of the first season of Star Trek: Picard. The episode came as a bit of a change of pace after the previous eight episodes. Particularly after episode 8, “Broken Pieces”, where our heroes really start “putting the pieces together” (I don’t care if you excuse the pun, I’m going to keep using it), episode 9, “Et In Arcadia Ego, Part I” felt like a bit of a step backwards in terms of directionality for the plot. Can the writers deliver a cracking finale next week?

Kayla, Brian, and Jared hop onto the Shuttle Pod to discuss last week’s episode of Star Trek: Picard – “Broken Pieces”. This episode was jam packed with new information, so there is a lot for our crew to discuss! Join us as we break down our favorite moments, including some of the best character moments on the show to date. And, please, make sure to avoid any glowing pizza tables you may encounter in back alleys. Stay safe, kids.

Jared and Kayla gather round the dinner table to talk Nepenthe, action on the Borg Cube, and some revelations on La Sirena. Have a listen as we discuss the latest episode of Star Trek: Picard, “Nepenthe,” or as we like to call it, “Reunited, and it feels so good.”

Matt, Brian, and Kayla discuss this first episode of the second half of Season 1, “The Impossible Box”. The Shuttle Pod crew discuss how all of the season’s storylines are starting to merge together, the beautiful reunion of Picard and Hue, and how Narek’s antics with Soji seem to finally be paying off.

Join Jared, Kayla, and Matt as they delve into the divisive fifth episode of the season, “Stardust City Rag.” The Shuttle Pod crew breaks down the episode, celebrates the return of Seven of Nine, and discusses the issues, questions, and concerns with the world that ‘Star Trek: Picard’ has shown us. Listen along to hear why Kayla calls what we’ve seen so far heartbreaking, it’s probably not for the reasons you’d expect.

Brian, Kayla, and Matt discuss “Absolute Candor” the fourth episode of ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Just as we get into space, Picard detours to get help from Elnor, a young Romulan he knew 14 years ago on the planet Vashti. As Raffi says, “Man can’t even take a guilt trip without using a starship.” We also get to see two new holographic facets of Chris Rios, and Soji has a seed of doubt planted about her past by Narek.

Join Brian, Kayla, and Matt as they discuss the third episode of ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ the aptly titled “The End is the Beginning.” We’ve come to the end of the first third of the season, and we’re finally setting off into space. But not before rehashing the past with Admiral Picard and Raffi Musiker, and meeting the roguish captain of his own ship Cristobal Rios (and his holographic doppelgängers), while Soji finds herself the subject of Romulan myth, and the bad guys pose in black leather and sunglasses.

Join the full complement of the Shuttle Pod crew as they discuss the second episode of ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ titled “Maps and Legends.” The episode definitely felt like the “middle child” of the first third, setting up more plot threads and introducing new villains, who seemed a bit over the top. But it was still a generally satisfying episode overall. Also the podcasters give special kudos to Orla Brady as Laris, who was “fecking” great this week!

Join the full complement of the Shuttle Pod crew as they discuss the premiere episode of ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ First, Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt catch up on some exciting news about season two of ‘Picard,’ and then they dive into the return of Jean-Luc Picard in the episode “Remembrance.”

With ‘Star Trek: Picard’ premiering this week the Shuttle Pod crew thought it would be valuable to do a deep dive into ‘Next Generation’ episodes they think (or hope!) will inform the series. Brian, Jared, and Kayla discuss “The Measure of A Man,” “The Offspring,” “The Drumhead,” and “Devil’s Due.”

The Shuttle Pod crew record one last podcast before the holidays. Jared, Laurie, and Matt catch up on the latest news including Michael Chabon’s changing role for ‘Star Trek: Picard’ season 2, and the “will he? won’t he?” question of Quentin Tarantino directing his Trek script. Lastly, the trio discuss the two animated ‘Star Trek: Short Treks’ released this month.

The Shuttle Pod crew gather to celebrate the lives of Dorothy Fontana and Rene Auberjonois. Join Brian, Jared, Laurie, and Matt as they discuss the careers of these two creative professionals and their contributions to Star Trek.

The first Star Trek movie, released 10 years after the “failed” run of ‘The Original Series,’ did something unprecedented in Hollywood at the time: it resurrected a TV show and transitioned it to the silver screen. Join Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt as they discuss the 40th anniversary of ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ The crew share their memories of seeing TMP and discuss the legacy of the film which deserves a place in Trekkies hearts, warts and all.

Brian, Matt, and Laurie man the shuttle pod this episode, where they touch on the silver anniversary of ‘Star Trek Generations,’ and the second season of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ on Blu-ray. Then the team gets into the news of the week — that a fourth Kelvin movie may be back on, this time with writer/director Noah Hawley. Lastly, the trio reviews the latest ‘Short Treks’ episode “Ask Not.”

Host Matt talks with Laurie about what it was like to be in the stadium for the New York Comic Con “Star Trek Universe” and ‘The Orville’ panels. Then the duo goes in depth — discussing the two newest ‘Star Trek: Short Treks’: “Q&A” and the rather polarizing “The Trouble With Edward.”

Kayla and Brian welcome on special guest and friend of the show, Larry “Dr. Trek” Nemecek to do a bit of a New York Comic Con debrief. Listen along as we discuss the new trailers for ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ and the much anticipated ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ All this talk of new Star Trek stories had us looking back at old ones that never got off the page of a script. In particular, we looked at how Discovery season 3 compares to pitches such as ‘Star Trek: Federation’ and the would-have-been animated series ‘Star Trek: Final Frontier.’

The Shuttle Pod crew celebrate September 8th with reflections on their early fandom. Join Brian, Jared, Kayla and Matt, as they discuss a bit of news since the last podcast, and then jump in to discussing their earliest memories of Star Trek, and how they became a Trekkie.

While Trek news is light, and a few of the podcast crew are off traveling, Brian and Matt try something a different and record a commentary for the classic ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ episode “Balance of Terror.” The hosts offer up trivia and and behind-the-scenes tidbits while watching the episode. Cue up your copy of the episode and listen along!

The Shuttle Pod crew reconvene after Las Vegas to discuss the big the news of the last week, along with our reflection on the big Star Trek Las Vegas convention earlier in the month. Of course the big news is that CBS and Viacom finally came to an agreement to merge, bringing Star Trek back under one roof. Brian, Kayla and Matt discuss the history of Star Trek ownership and what the future of Trek could look like now that things are reunified. The other big Trek topic of late was what happened in Star Trek Las Vegas. The podcasters discuss the general vibe of the convention this year, and the top panels that they were most excited to attend: ‘Star Trek: Picard’ and ‘Lower Decks.’ Lastly, there’s a grab bag of news items since the last podcast that the trio of hosts discuss.

The Shuttle Pod crew assembles to discuss all the news out of San Diego Comic-Con. The Star Trek Universe panel didn’t disappoint, giving us updates on the new expanded universe of CBS Trek on TV. The big one, of course, was ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ plus the irreverent fun of ‘Lower Decks,’ more ‘Short Treks’ coming this fall, and a small glimpse into season three of ‘Discovery.’ The podcasters also discuss the happy surprise that there may be a ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition’ 4K version in the works, and ‘The Orville’ moving to Hulu for season three.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the movie that was influential in the creation of TrekMovie.com, Shuttle Pod crew members, Jared, Kayla, Laurie, and Matt travel through “a lighting storm in space” to discuss the first Kelvin universe movie. Listen along as the podcasters discuss the buzz around the movie when it was released in 2009, the casting, the music, and more.

The full complement of the Shuttle Pod crew report in to celebrate ‘Star Trek III: The Search For Spock’ on its 35th anniversary. Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss the middle child of the unofficial “Genesis Trilogy,” as they reflect on the good, the not so good, and the downright cheap. And yet also the movie created new costumes, props, ships, and tweaked the makeup of the Klingons, all of which would be carried through the rest of the franchise. Listen along and see if you agree with the opinions of the podcasters.

Recorded on the day the ‘Star Trek: Picard’ teaser dropped, Brian, Jared, Matt, and Laurie discuss the Picard show news. Plus, writing on ‘Lower Decks’ is well underway. Then the Shuttle Pod crew discuss the long awaited ‘Deep Space Nine’ documentary ‘What We Left Behind.’

Brian, Jared, Kayla, Matt, and returning guest Laurie, look back on the second season of Star Trek: Discovery. The Shuttle Pod crew discusses the season’s themes, writers’ goals, plot arcs, and general feelings about the season as a whole.

Jared, Kayla, and Matt board the shuttle pod this week to discuss the finale of season two. With lots of excitement, and top notch special effects, the final episode of the season was both nail biting and gorgeous, but there were a number of issues, including needing to service nearly every character from the season. Also, it’s not clear what happened to Control now that Leland has been neutralized, and whether the Discovery really needed to go to the future in the end. The epilogue, with everyone lying to Starfleet felt out of place, and not particularly satisfying. Lastly, the final minutes of the episode, while an obvious love letter to Pike’s Enterprise and the 23rd century, was a bit of a confusing scene to end on.

Brian, Kayla, and Matt board the shuttle pod this week to prepare for the coming battle with Section 31 as they discuss the penultimate episode of season two. The episode sets up the final battle and whatever the future holds for the USS Discovery crew quite nicely. Po brings the weird science back to Discovery, and apparently the Red Angel suit is easy to whip up. Also Sarek and Amanda show up, but don’t bring help? The podcasters also discuss their thoughts on seeing the reimagined Enterprise interiors, and spend a bit of time on their predictions for the finale and what it may mean for the show.

Jared, Kayla, and Matt board the shuttle pod this week and head to Boreth to discuss the twelfth episode of season two, which sets up the two-part finale. The episode offered nice moments of closure with L’Rell and Tyler, so they can go their separate ways for the next season. The podcasters discuss how Boreth is not only home to the devout Followers of Kahless monks but also time crystal keepers, which adds a new fantasy element to the Klingon culture. The big scene on Boreth was when Pike’s future was revealed to him, which was beautifully acted by Anson Mount. The trap set for Burnham on the rogue Section 31 ship was an exciting subplot, but once again it showed that universe revolves around Michael Burnham. The crew also praises the quieter scenes with Reno and Stamets and Culber.

The full complement of the shuttle pod crew (Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt) made it this week to discuss “Perpetual Infinity.” The episode was well acted, with major kudos going to guest star Sonja Sohn as Dr. Gabrielle Burnham. We have questions about just how the Red Angel suit works, and why it’s tethered to a point 950 years in the future. The newly AI rebuilt Leland also raises a number of questions about the end goal for Control, and of course we discuss the (Borg) elephant in the room about the way that Control seems to be taking on a physical host.

Jared, Matt, and returning guest Laurie strap themselves in and discuss “The Red Angel.” The episode was well crafted, and most of the questions or concerns we had were part of the larger season themes and not with this episode specifically. The podcasters still have questions about Section 31, and the notion of a temporal arms race. Outside of these larger season long plot questions, there were lots of satisfying smaller character moments, with especially poignant scenes between Burnham and Spock, Culber and Cornwell, and Burnham and Tyler. The reveal of who was in the Red Angel suit has us speculating on what’s next, as the season long mystery is quickly coming to a head.

This week, Matt and returning guest host Laurie navigate through the minefield of “Project Daedalus.” There were lots of good character moments, and we loved finally learning about Airiam, but we weren’t so happy that this all just happened for the first time now. In a TV show that is supposed to be serialized, we’d have liked to have seen Airiam’s character growth sprinkled in all season long. Michael and Spock’s continued icy estranged sibling relationship was another highlight of the episode; Ethan Peck and Sonequa Martin-Green nailed it. There were also a few scenes that didn’t quite feel right, as if the script needed another pass or two to polish it up, but they were carried through by the consistently excellent performances of the cast.

Brian, Matt, and returning TrekMovie editor Laurie land the shuttle pod on Talos IV and discuss “If Memory Serves.” There’s a lot of TOS love, specifically for “The Cage.” Burnham attempts to fix Spock with some Talosian memory tricks, and Spock returns to coherence, with sharp sibling barbs in tow. And the reveal of what drove a wedge between the two is heartbreaking, but also struggles to live up to the hype that’s been building. We feel Stamets’ confusion and loss over the new Culber, and find catharsis in Hugh’s fight with Tyler. Vina appearing to Pike is lovely, and helps to flesh out the “second act” of Pike’s life. Section 31’s storyline continues to be met with ambivalence by the podcasters, but at least Emperor Georgiou’s place in the universe is getting better defined.

Jared, Kayla, and Matt board the shuttle pod this week and head to Vulcan in “Light and Shadows.” Before diving into the episode, the team just had to briefly talk about the movement on the Picard show; more details are starting to come out since production begins in mid-April. Refocusing on this week’s episode, the search for Spock comes to an end after half a season of teases. Burnham airs the Sarek family’s dirty laundry, and the character of Amanda continues to show new depth. Sarek’s behavior is questionable. Back on the Discovery, a classic Star Trek time distortion opens up and Pike and Tyler go in for a closer look and start to hash out their differences. Finally, there’s more scheming afoot with Section 31, including a well-choreographed fight between Georgiou and Burnham. On to Talos IV!

This week the full Shuttle Pod compliment of Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt was aboard to talk about Saru’s big episode. Beautiful performances from Doug Jones and Hanna Spear carried the episode through the exciting adventure. While he wasn’t given much time this week, the small moments with Wilson Cruz as Culber were also nicely done. The Shuttle Pod crew was rather flabbergasted at the ease with which Pike and the Discovery crew decided to transform all the Kelpiens, plus they discuss a number of questions they had about the science of the episode.

Jared, Kayla, and Matt board the shuttlepod this week and wedge themselves halfway in to the mycelial network to discuss “Saints of Imperfection.” We’re greeted with yet another Spock fake out (have we found him yet?), then Tyler the liaison officer to Section 31 comes aboard leaving us all a little uneasy. In a real bright spot of character development, we get to see Pike acting like a captain who may not always make friends with his staff and properly keeps untrusted visitors at arms length. And of course we get deep into the spore scheming with Stamets’ “very bold, deeply insane” plan to get Tilly back out of the mycelial network. Listen along as we discuss the twists and turns in this dense fifth installment of the second season.

This week Kayla, Matt, and TrekMovie editor Laurie discuss “An Obol For Charon.” As with most Discovery episodes, there’s a lot going on: We get our first few moments with Number One, right before the ship encounters a huge sphere–a classic Trek mysterious entity that’s misunderstood. Saru goes through a change of life and exposes a truth that his society has obscured with mythology, while Stamets and Reno face off in a delightful exchange of barbs, then team up to solve a crisis. Tilly’s “friend” May morphs into a symbiont, and we learn from some painful head drilling that she’s a member of a sentient species that lives in the mycelial network. Ouch.

This week Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss “Point of Light.” There were lots of narrative threads to keep track of this week. We got to check back in with L’Rell and Tyler and get some classic Klingon politics. Poor Tilly breaks down on the bridge, and Amanda brings Michael a new piece of the puzzle to finding Spock. Oh yeah and Georgiou, now in the employ of Section 31, pops up too.

Jared, Kayla, and Matt crew the Shuttle Pod this week, as they discuss the second episode of the season, “New Eden.” There was much to discuss about the season’s themes of science and faith coming to the forefront, with the Discovery being in the right place at the right time to help the displaced residents of New Eden. Tilly gets serious with dark matter, and Saru continues to show his leadership skills. The Prime Directive is always a subject of debate, and it was no less the case in this week’s episode. Listen along and see if you agree with the Shuttle Pod crew.

Welcome back to the Disco, and another season of Star Trek: Discovery! The whole Shuttle Pod crew gathers to discuss the premiere episode of the second season, “Brother.” We discuss the action and adventure of the new episode, our warm feelings for Pike, and ponder the question the episode title calls attention to: Oh brother (Spock) where art thou?

In the past week we’ve been treated to quite a lot of information about upcoming CBS Trek TV shows. The final trailer for Discovery season two was released just before Christmas along with more images and interviews in the new year. We learned some very important background information for the Picard show, and that there’s more animated Trek in the works. The Shuttle Pod crew is excited to discuss all of this, plus the fourth Kelvin movie is described as “shelved” by the Hollywood trades, as the director, SJ Clarkson, moves on to a new project. Last but certainly not least, Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss the fourth installment of Short Treks, “The Escape Artist.” Staring and directed by Rainn Wilson and written by Mike McMahan, this fun and quirky short entertained and fit nicely in the 15 minute limit.

TrekMovie’s adopted show, The Orville, is about to return for a second season on December 30. Before the new season starts, Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss the first season. Multiple Berman-era Star Trek veterans are involved in writing, producing, and directing on the show. Not to mention that The Orville is a clear homage to TNG-style Trek both visually, and in much of the plot themes and episodic nature of the show. Listen along as the team delves into the characters, as well as how they feel the show handled the mixture of social commentary, sci-fi themes, and comedy. The crew wraps up the podcast by talking about the standout episodes of the first season.

This past week a number of little bits of information about the upcoming Picard TV show have come out and the Shuttle Pod crew is excited to discuss them. We also talk about the news that Star Trek: Discovery’s second season was extended by an episode for a total of 14. Plus the Kelvin universe movies still seem to be stuck in limbo. We’re excited for the new Twilight Zone coming to CBS All Access next year too. Last but certainly not least, Brian, Kayla, Jared, and Matt weigh in on the latest installment of Short Treks, in which we see a pivotal point of Saru’s early life in “The Brightest Star.”

Inspired by the news of the animated show Lower Decks, which we discussed on the previous episode, the Shuttle Pod crew looks at a smattering of comedy-influenced episodes in the Trek franchise. Listen along as Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt chat about: “The Trouble With Tribbles” (TOS), “Qpid” (TNG), “Little Green Men” (DS9), “The Magnificent Ferengi” (DS9), and then end with perhaps the most broadly comedic episode of the franchise, the delightful “A Piece of the Action” (TOS).

Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt work through the latest news and rumors about upcoming CBS Trek shows. Including: the official announcement of a new cartoon series called Lower Decks, and the rumors of a Michelle Yeoh show focusing on Emperor Georgiou in Section 31. We also discuss some of the comments author Michael Chabon has made about his outlook on writing for the untitled Picard show. Finally, last week saw the release of the second Short Treks episode, co-written by Chabon, titled “Calypso.” Listen along as we discuss this rather unusual Star Trek short.