#67 - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GEORDI LA FORGE

One of the key themes that unites all of the various Star Trek shows and movies is the notion of the crew being a makeshift family unit. And, just as with real families, there's always an oddball in the bunch. This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton examine the franchise's most unusually enigmatic hero, the Enterprise-D's engineer extraordinaire Geordi La Forge. Considerably less fleshed out than fellow Next Gen crewmates Riker, Data, Worf, Troi and so on, LeVar Burton's Geordi is in many ways a mystery, with few well-defined traits and very little emotional growth or internal life. What are we to make of his preference for close friendships with mechanical beings? Or his undeniably strange love life and aloof workplace disposition? By examining spotlight episodes, such as "Booby Trap," "The Mind's Eye," "Aquiel" and "Relics," this episode seeks to reveal some of the crucial concepts and ideas that inform the man, the myth and the legend that is Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge. 

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#66 - STAR TREK TNG: THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

In the spring of 1990 The Next Generation, at the end of its series redefining third season, dropped a metaphorical isoton bomb on viewers with the brilliantly conceived cliffhanger finale "The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1." Now viewed as one of the show's most legendary moments, the episode held audiences captive in wait for the season four premiere resolution, instantly entered the pantheon of all-time Trek iconography, and transformed the Borg from a weird, yet cool, idea to full-fledged series Big Bads. So how, 25 years later, does this all-timer two-part saga hold up? Find out this week as hosts Cam Smith, Tyler Orton and Benjamin Yong relive Picard and crew's shining moment and weigh in on the lasting impact of the two episodes, how seamlessly they fit together and whether the bracing excitement of yesterday can still be tapped into after countless revisits. Plus, as a bonus, the trio also discuss where the franchise's future may take the Borg, and express their utter bewilderment as to why Shelby was never brought back. Enjoy!     

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#65 - FRIENDSHIPS IN THE FINAL FRONTIER

Unbreakable bonds are often formed under great pressure. But does that adage hold true in Starfleet? This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton take the classic Zack Attack hit "Friends Forever" to heart as they recount Star Trek's most famous BFFs, and debate how realistic their relationships would be in the real world. From the iconic Kirk/Spock bromance, to Crusher and Troi's private advice sessions and Bashir and Garak's friendly lunchtime interrogations, this fun-filled hour is your ticket to play third wheel to the franchise's most inseparable dynamic duos.

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#64 - DISSECTING STAR TREK'S RETURN TO TV

November 2nd was a day like any other... Until, that is, a gargantuan news bombshell dropped announcing that CBS is relaunching Trek on the small screen in early 2017! In this emergency episode - recorded mere hours after this revelation came to light - breathless hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton strive to unpack their own thoughts on the shocking development and the many complications surrounding it. Over the course of their discussion, they debate the viability of the CBS All Access streaming business model, ponder the creative roads executive producer Alex Kurtzman may take the franchise down, and offer up their own suggestions as to what they'd like to see come January 2017. People, start your speculating engines and enjoy!

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