#160 - THE VULCAN HELLO & BATTLE AT THE BINARY STARS: ST DSC

After what felt like an eternity of speculation, Discovery is here at last! But was the splashy premiere worthy of fandom's intense anticipation? This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton breathlessly break down the fledgling series' first two episodes and debate this Trek's very modern approach to characters, world-building, aesthetics and energy. Do its revamped sensibilities work, or do they awkwardly butt heads with the incarnations that came before? The duo also tackle new protagonist Commander Michael Burnham, and consider how she currently fits into our established understanding of Starfleet first officers and where she ranks against the formidable icons of yesteryear. Plus, as if this podcast episode couldn't get any more thrilling, the good ship Ortonville beams in his thoughts on episode three of The Orville, About a Girl. 

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#159 - TNG AT 30: THE GREATEST TREK?

Astonishing as it may be, it has now officially been three decades since Star Trek's beloved Next Generation made its modest debut with the feature-length adventure Encounter at Farpoint. Where in the name of Q does the time go? This week, in celebration of this momentous milestone, hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton take a deep dive into the iconic show's history, naming their top 5 quintessential episode picks and highlighting the characters, aliens and world-building that established it as one of the finest science-fiction ventures of all time. In addition, the duo also discuss the crew's unfortunate lack of firepower in the motion picture world, and consider what TNG truly means to the franchise as a whole. Plus, in a new bonus segment, the good ship Ortonville transmits his take on Command Performance, the second episode of Seth MacFarlane's polarizing new series The Orville.

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#158 - THE ORVILLE VS STAR TREK

It has long been established that Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane LOVES Star Trek. Like, a lot! But, intense fandom aside, is he the right man to captain the bridge of his own space-faring series? This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton check in with their own opinions regarding the pilot of Fox's The Orville, the ultra-successful comedian's colorful homage to Roddenberry's wild and wonderful universe. Will the show's oddball mixture of sci-fi aesthetics and crass humor entertain or repel Trek fans? Does the debut episode, "Old Wounds," instill faith in the project having a creatively rich and satisfying run? And how confident can we be MacFarlane even gets the spirit of the franchise? All these questions, and many more, are answered as the duo take on what has unexpectedly become one of the most polarizing new arrivals of the fall TV season.    
  
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#157 - THE DOMINION WAR: 20 YEARS LATER

With Star Trek purposely moving more and more into serialized storytelling, and the very-soon-to-arrive Discovery aiming to be its most clear break from the episodic format to date, now seems the ideal time to reflect on the landmark epic tale that kick-started the evolution! To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Deep Space Nine's oft-heralded Dominion War saga, this week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton, along with special guest David Borys of the Cool Canadian History podcast, reflect on the unforgettable seven-episode arc that changed Roddenberry's universe forever. Beginning with the pulse-pounding station invasion in the fifth season finale Call to Arms and working all the way through to the tragic nail-biting conclusion of Sacrifice of Angels the trio enthusiastically dig into the rich themes, big ideas and remarkable character journeys that elevated the already great show into the ever-loving stratosphere. Plus, as an added bonus, regular guest Patrick Johnson pops in to offer his own insights regarding Sisko's baseball power move and the resulting narrative fireworks.
  
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