Out of Contreks

Ep. 95: ”Improbable Cause, Part 1” (DS9 S3E20)

In this DS9 two-hander, we get into the psyche of Elim Garak, one of the best recurring characters in Trek history. We also talk about cool caves, plot twists, and which Muppet it was who sells Scrooge's clothes at the end of Muppet Christmas Carol (apparently, it was not Uncle Deadly, although that's probably who Ryan was thinking of).

Ep. 94: ”Daedelus” (ENT S4E10)

An episode where "something is going on" and you wait until the end until you find out what it is. Not gonna lie, this one has really fallen out of the brain in the two months since we watched it. Even Brady  couldn't remember which episode this was until about halfway through the editing process.

Ep. 93: ”Coda” (VOY S3E15)

Ryan has been dreading this episode for a while, but it wasn't that bad! Well, I mean, it wasn't great. It's kind of annoying, but only because it starts pretty strong and then sort of wastes away to nothing... the Star Trek episode, I mean, not the episode of the podcast. Hopefully that's still pretty entertaining.

Ep. 92: ”Armageddon Game” (DS9 S2E13)

You could also call this episode "O'Brien and Bashir: Origins," as it's one of the first outings in which the frostiness between the two men starts to thaw. Join Ryan and Brady as we talk about its sludgy middle, killer opening, and excellent comedy stinger.

Ep. 91: ”The Way to Eden” (TOS S3E20)

In which Ryan and Brady discuss Adam the space hippie, the sensational character find on 1969. This episode of The Original Series has full original music numbers, a surprisingly nuanced message, and renewed relevance in our pandemic era. Check out the podcast for an effusive commentary.

Ep. 90: ”Collective” (VOY S6E16)

It's another Voyager Borg episode -- better than a lot of others like it, though still not as good as the best TNG outings to feature the species. Ryan and Brady talk about how Janeway almost maybe kind of thinks about committing a war crime, and the elevating presence of Jeri Ryan.

Ep. 89: ”Vanishing Point” (ENT S2E10)

It's been a good 10 episodes since we've really excoriated a Star Trek episode on this show, but this Enterprise entry is really terrible. Join us as we talk about stakes, narrative consistency, and the time Star Trek did this premise so much better.

Ep. 88: ”Awakening” (ENT S4E08)

In this episode, Ryan and Brady puzzle through Vulcan politics, talk about the thorniness of Vulcan spirituality, and talk about Archer in cave-diving mode. Enterprise remains something of an enigma to us.

OOC Special 6: Strange New Worlds, Season 1

What's this? A Paramount+ live action Star Trek season that Ryan and Brady... actually really like? Listen in for this extra long discussion, mostly unedited so we could get it out shortly after the season dropped, where we talk the differences between Strange New World and Discovery, the perils and successes of recasting TOS characters, how cool Hemmer is, the Gorn problem, and more!

Ep. 87: ”Captain’s Holiday” (TNG S3E19)

Ryan and Brady enjoy themselves with a wide-ranging discussion of this TNG classic, with topics like fake guns, Max Grodenchick, 90s Trek body positivity, and a dive into Picard's official RPG stats. Also, at the end Ryan goes off kind of unfairly on Wil Wheaton, a bit that has aged even more weirdly considering that we now know that he does show up for a scene in season two of Picard.