Out of Contreks

Ep. 109: ”Evolution” (TNG S3E1)

Ryan and Brady cover the first episode of TNG Season 3 and try to remember at what point in this season the show actually gets really good. We also discuss the humanity of computer viruses and Guinan's questionable backstory. The episode image is a shot of a deleted scene mentioned in the episode.

Ep. 108: ”Forget Me Not” (DSC S3E4)

Ryan and Brady take on a Discovery episode chockablock with elements we don't care for and use it to talk about writing crutches, conflict resolution, and an extended riff on a time when a Star Trek mobile game made several members of its player base extremely mad.

OOC Special 8: Picard, Season 3

On this special episode of Out of Contreks, Ryan and Brady engage in a quickly recorded, mostly unedited discussion of the recently-concluded final season of Star Trek: Picard. Topics include plot presentation issues, interesting in-universe ramifications, writing crutches, and also how Michael Dorn is the absolute king.

Ep. 107: ”Face of the Enemy” (TNG S6E14)

On this week's podcast, Ryan and Brady talk about the underrated Marina Sirtis and a surprisingly layered late period TNG episode. We also talk bad haircuts, whiffed endings, and once again speculate on the rapidly changing levels of inconvenience associated with species reassignment surgeries in the Star Trek universe.

Ep. 106: ”Darmok” (TNG S5E2)

Ryan and Brady talk about one of the best ever episodes of Star Trek, what it has to say about communication and metaphor, and how it's served as an even more prescient indicator for the way we talk to each other now.

Ep. 105: ”Power Play” (TNG S5E15)

On this episode, Ryan and Brady discuss a fun little mid-period TNG outing that allows sometimes-shunted-aside players like Troi, Keiko and O'Brien to flex their muscles. We also discuss the perpetually locked-in Michael Dorn and try to figure out what exactly Picard is hoping to accomplish at the end of the episode.

 

Here is a link to the Jim Henson Productions title sequence mentioned on today's episode.

Ep.104: ”Imperfection” (VOY S7E2)

In this wide-ranging discussion about a late-period Voyager episode, Ryan and Brady talk about Icheb, Jeri Ryan's ability to elevate material, Neelix's odd food classification, and Star Trek video games.

Ep. 103: ”Where No One Has Gone Before”

Ryan and Brady take on this very early TNG episode, some of which looks like it was shot in a black box for some reason. We also cover the first appearance of The Traveler and a surprise turn by Adrian Monk's psychiatrist.

Ep. 102: ”Through the Valley of Shadows” (DSC S2E12)

It's a kind of lackluster, confusing episode of Discovery, but Ryan and Brady still find plenty to talk about, including the history of LGBTQ representation in Star Trek, the logistics and origins of time crystals, and of course Pike's incredible jacket.

Ep. 101: ”Devil in the Dark” (TOS S1E26) (feat. Big Money Movie ideas)

"There are thousands of shows out there, and this is one of them." This line is spoken in this episode, but does it refer to Star Trek, or this podcast? In a crossover pod with Big Money Movie Ideas (you can hear Ryan and Brady on their show here), we introduce Andrew and Kelsey to this classic original series episode. Listen in as we talk scary rugs, awesome matte paintings and perfectly round eggs and/or holes.