#174 - DESPITE YOURSELF: STAR TREK: DISCOVERY

The hiatus is over and it's time to once again journey into the fray, dear Trek fans! When last we saw the resourceful crew of the U.S.S. Discovery they were stranded in an ominous field of wreckage. Have things improved? This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton, along with special guest Taylor Ramone, don flashy Terran Empire uniforms in order to tackle SDC's first voyage into the always entertaining Mirror Universe. Over the course of their freewheeling breakdown of this much-buzzed about Jonathan Frakes-helmed midseason premiere the trio critique the revamped aesthetics of the beloved alternate dimension, ponder Ash Tyler's ongoing torment and collectively gasp at the show's most shocking grim turn of events yet! Enjoy!

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#173 - BEST STAR TREK SPOOFS

Happy 2018 all! Given how last year gave Star Trek a major bump in terms of mainstream pop-culture cache, now is a perfect time to celebrate some of the great spoofs, tributes and homages it has inspired. This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton use Black Mirror's recent USS Callister episode as a springboard to discuss some of the most interesting and incisive satirical takes on Gene Roddenberry's galaxy. From fan favorites like The Orville, Galaxy Quest and The Muppet Show, to ultra-nerdy shout-outs on The Wonder Years and Saturday Night Live, the duo hit many of your comedic faves along with perhaps a few unfamiliar gems. Plus, Cam offers his perspective on the 1998 Shatner-tastic indie film Free Enterprise.

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#172 - THE BEST, WORST, WEIRDEST & WILDEST MOMENTS OF 2017!

Remember how huge 2016 was for Star Trek, with the 50th anniversary and Beyond? Well, this year proved more exciting and momentous than fans likely ever dared dream, with the intense anticipation and spectacular unveiling of Discovery. The resulting renewed spark of optimism and life in the franchise helped make 2017 an unforgettable era for Subspace Transmissions, inspiring week-to-week coverage of a new series for the first time, and the development of other fun avenues for delving into Burnham and crew's ongoing adventures. Which of course brings us to this incredibly packed fourth annual retrospective, wherein hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton usher out the old with an in-depth discussion on their feelings regarding Trek in 2017, as well as forecast the potential gifts waiting in 2018. There's also plenty of highlights from the past 365 days, featuring cosmically cool guests Tom Ball, David Borys, Carmin Carotenuto, Andy Chan, Dale Deruiter, Tony Geluch, Patrick Johnson, Geneva Orton, Vicki Siu and Janine Smith, involving penalty boxes, trout-fishing, Andorian 00-agents, surprise hologram characters, unlikely rowing instructors and so much more! Plus, as an added bonus, the duo offer their spoilery thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi and celebrate two of the year's biggest sci-fi movie triumphs.    

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#171 - IS EARLY STAR TREK EVER AWESOME?

Now that we've settled into the Discovery holiday hiatus it's high time to consider the overall trajectory of its initial run, and debate how well it is stacking up against that which came before. This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton pull out their marking pencils and hand in their mid-season report cards for Burnham and crew's early adventures, with special attention paid to character evolution, world-building and storytelling. In an effort to contextualize DSC's progress, the duo also take a lengthy look at the first nine hours of each previous Trek incarnation and determine how confidently those now-beloved shows got off the ground. Did any of them boast an episode as great as Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad, for example? Plus, as usual, the Ortonville soars in to offer up his thoughts on The Orville's season finale, Mad Idolatry.

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#170 - THE EVOLUTION OF THE KLINGONS

Ask any rando on the street to name a popular Star Trek term and the word 'Klingon' will likely be among the first they utter. After all, the proud people of Qo'noS have had a very long and complex relationship with the men and women of Starfleet, and inspired some of the greatest and most popular sci-fi tales of all time. This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton tap into their deeply buried warrior spirits in order to examine how these iconic aliens have been reimagined time and time again in order to fit the needs and interests of the storytellers. From their first appearance in the classic TOS episode Errand of Mercy, all the way up to the current day shenanigans of L'Rell, Voq and Kol in Discovery, the duo chart all the critical transition points in the Klingons' fascinating 50+ year journey. In addition, the hosts review the first issue of IDW's new Discovery comic book arc The Light of Kahless, discuss the Tarantino Trek movie news and the Ortonville takes on The Orville's 11th episode, New Dimensions. Qapla!

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#169 - STAR TREK'S UNSOLVED MYSTERIES

Since Star Trek's inception, hardcore fans have been mulling over and passionately debating its unanswered questions. Who built the Great Barrier, for example? This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton don their problem-solving hats in order to conquer some of the franchise's outstanding unresolved mysteries once and for all! From popular queries, such as Guinan's origins and Benjamin Sisko's return, to more obscure head-scratchers, like the fate of human doctors in an EMH world and ENT's proposed fifth season Romulan War arc, the duo do their darndest to help alleviate the frustration surrounding Trek's most maddening abandoned plot threads and ambiguous endings.

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#168 - STAR TREK'S MOST BADASS CHARACTERS

With Discovery on mid-season hiatus it's back to business as usual! And, with Burnham's killer Kol takedown still fresh in mind, it seems like a perfect time to examine the Trek characters who most personify badassery. This week hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton embark on a critical expedition through the history of the franchise in search of figures who capture the same sort of magical 'je ne sais quoi' many of film and TV's coolest icons boast in spades. From the double hammer-fisted exploits of Kirk, to the formidable Major Kira and the inconsistently written Janeway and Worf, many candidates are considered but only a handful earn their place in the pantheon. Tune in and find out who makes the oh-so exclusive cut!

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