A grumpy old Chakotay learns to love again, while Dahl learns an important lesson about being where he’s needed. Tiffany and Ken pontificate the meaning of a Shakespearean quote, contemplate the significance of actors being in the opening credits when they’re not in the episode, question the lack of instruction these kids got on how to sail a ship,…

The midway point of Star Trek: Prodigy‘s second season sees the return of a franchise fan favorite while giving Admiral Janeway some killer action scenes. Our forecast was right that Prodigy would borrow heavily from another sci-fi series, The Flash — but maybe also Superman?? Ken and Tiffany also pontificate about the relationships between the mul…

Two episodes of Prodigy reintroduce us to two classic Star Trek themes: the Medusan species; and the filler episode. Ken and Tiffany welcome the opportunity for character-centered storytelling, especially when it happens to lean into the trappings of Voyager. And Zero’s opportunity to experience the senses, as Data did in Generations, is an opportu…

After an action-packed opening to Star Trek: Prodigy‘s second season, Ken and Tiffany enjoy a breather as our heroes regroup before their next adventure. We debate the originality of an in media res opening, appreciate Rok’s dedication to the team, and contemplate the energy between Zero and Maj’el. We also love the tie-ins to Star Trek IV (the one…

As the temporal mechanics of Prodigy’s second season grow even more skewed, can kids keep up? Yes, because our youthful crew are still modeling important lessons. Jankom Pog reminds kids to be true to themselves — while Dal reminds parents that kids that age can be difficult, not because anything is wrong with them, but because they’re kids. It’s a…

Star Trek: Prodigy returns, with all twenty episodes of the second season released simultaneously on Netflix! First Officer Tiffany Bridge joins the crew of Transporter Lock as we begin our reviews. We start with the two-part opener, “Into the Breach”, which sees Dal and crew engage in further cockamamie plans that cement Voyager in the franchise’s…

Discovery engages in some tactical espionage action in the season’s penultimate episode before finally taking a graceful bow in Life, Itself, culminating with the Progenitors’ technology, a space wedding, and tie-ins to Star Trek past and present. Some confusing action and dialogue doesn’t ruin an otherwise enjoyable series finale, featuring some t…

Are you ready to L’ak and Moll?! Our Breen and human couriers take center stage in what Ken and Bri deem the best and worst episodes of Star Trek: Discovery‘s final season. The ship’s visit to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library was also a highlight, as was its librarian, Hy’Rell, whom Bri loved from the beginning and Ken admired by the end. But oh…

Sabriel & Ken are joined by returning guest Commodore Mark Thompson for this mid-season review of Discovery. Is it too soon to dip back to the Mirror Universe well? Have we learned too much about the Breen — or not enough? Why are Denobulans exempt from the Prime Directive? And with Star Trek being so based in (pseudo)science, how do we feel about …

In a saga that spans the eras, Discovery continues its quest for the Progenitor technology, seeking clues from a centuries-old Trill and fighting a time bug in the past and future. Ken gets gleefully agitated by the details, Sabriel offers insight and answers, and both enjoy the mix of humor and character development seen exhibited by this pair of …

After a two-year hiatus, Star Trek: Discovery is back on the air for its fifth and final season. We say goodbye to some familiar faces (again) and some returning crew (again) while managing to introduce at least one new character! We’re also introduced to a surprising tie-in to Trek lore, leading to this season’s chase. Will altruistic intent be we…

Bri and Ken finish the fourth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks with its final four episodes: “A Few Badgeys More”, “Caves”, “The Inner Fight”, and “Old Friends, New Planets”. Plenty of loose ends are tied up, spanning the breadth of Lower Decks as well as The Next Generation. We offer answers to the season’s hardest questions: How is Badgey like Le…

Tendi and T’Lyn take turns in the spotlight in the Lower Decks episodes “Something Borrowed, Something Green”, “Empathological Fallacies”, and “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place”, with the last featuring the return of two beloved Deep Space Nine characters. Ken and Bri analyze the dynamics these new and old characters bring to the show before proceeding …

“Twovix”, “I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee”, and “In the Cradle of Vexilon” are Lower Decks‘ excellent parodies and homages to everything from Pokémon to Voyager, while Very Short Treks‘ “Skin a Cat” and “Holiday Party” celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Animated Series. Is it just us, or is Star Trek getting sillier? Whatever is happening, Ken …

Strange New Worlds‘ second season concludes with familiar faces of friends and foes! Also familiar are plenty of tropes, from A Quiet Place to Alien 3. Ken and Bri clash over the the introduction of a legacy character, but we agree that objects in motion tend to stay in motion — a basic Newtonian law the directors forgot this week. Nonetheless, we’…

Strange New Worlds continues to demonstrate its range with the darkest and lightest episodes of the season. First, Ken and Sabriel review “Under the Cloak of War”, which deals with PTSD, murder, and forgiveness. What is in M’Benga’s past, and how do we relate to him? In sharp contrast is the season’s penultimate episode, “Subspace Rhapsody”, the lo…

“Lost in Translation” sees the return of Hemmer and the first prime-universe appearance of James T. Kirk, each of which give Ken and Bri the opportunity to reflect on how we process love and loss. It’s then a tonal shift — but a pitch-perfect one — as we see Boimler and Mariner from Lower Decks cross over onto the U.S.S. Enterprise. The physical ma…

Ken and Bri review two Strange New Worlds episodes. Ken felt “Among the Lotus Eaters”, based was this season’s weakest episode to date, but even he was surprised to hear Bri call it one of the worst episodes of Trek ever! It’s reminiscent of the Enterprise episode “Twilight” and the Apple TV+ series Severance, all while being based on a passing lin…

Captain Sabriel Mastin rejoins the crew to review the latest two episodes of Strange New Worlds. “Ad Astra per Aspera”, an episode that’s been hinted at since the Short Trek “Q&A”, is hailed by some as the best Trek in decades, harkening back to the social commentary of TOS and TNG by providing an allegory for today’s discrimination against the LGB…

David Volante of Volante Design joins Ken to review the second season debut of Strange New Worlds. We have a new chief engineer in Carol Kane, a new trauma for Dr. M’Benga to process, new emotions for Spock to grapple with, and a new war threatening the Federation. More than just a humble tailor, David brings a unique sartorial perspective to the p…

Sabriel and Ken bid farewell to The Next Generation cast in a thrilling climax that weaves action, suspense, and humor — even as it undoes some of the hard decisions from previous seasons. Still, we’re eager for the show’s inevitable spinoff, as well as for Michelle Yeoh’s Section 31 movie and for Strange New Worlds Season 2. Stream the audio editi…

In the lead-up to the series finale, two important characters rejoin the cast, including a surprise that left Ken both screaming and crying. (Look, it’s an emotional time, okay) We talk about who we thought the villain should be, why you should never agree to be a returning guest on a live-action Star Trek show, the distinction between memory and p…

Commodore Dana Ross joins Chief Engineer Ken Gagne to review two episodes of Picard, including what Ken considers the best season’s weakest episode. Many characters from The Next Generation and Voyager return, while others depart; do we have too many threads to follow, or not enough? We pontificate about Changelings, Irumodic Syndrome, and Section …

The TNG crew responds to a seemingly hopeless fate, followed by the utterly unexpected return of a familiar character. One captain gets an angry moment that was denied to Sisko, while another captain proves more bitter than non-canon novelizations would have him. Ken and Bri continue to be surprised and enthralled by these unexpected twists and tur…

The momentum keeps going in the final season of Picard with two shocking revelations: one that had Ken literally screaming, the other we were both blasé about. Are TNG‘s characters staying in character? What are Riker and Picard up to? And does Worf take his tea with sugar? We also talk about Star Trek‘s many connections to Hungary, from Mrs. Colum…

Picard‘s third and final season begins — and, as always, Bri and Ken are cautiously optimistic while brimming with questions. Can the writers find something more to Seven of Nine’s character than being ex-Borg? Will Bri’s theory of who Raffi’s handler prove correct? (Almost certainly.) Are the bad guys Romulan, and are they thinking with portals? D…

After more than a year, Star Trek: Prodigy has concluded its first season. Our ship of misfit kids have gone on a journey — and so have our opinions of the show: we’re digging this secret successor to Voyager! From the characters’ backstories to guest appearances by favorite characters to Kate Mulgrew acting out of character, there’s a lot to like …

Ken and Bri recap the third season of Lower Decks while welcoming back Prodigy. Lower Decks has shot up our list of favorite modern Treks, though Ken still tends to overthink things; meanwhile, we continue to not be the target audience for Prodigy, which is a fun romp but tends to move too quickly for adults accustomed to hour-long adventures. Bonu…

Voiceover artist Ensign Enfys Book joins Ken to review the Lower Decks episodes “Room for Growth”, “Reflections”, and “Hear All, Trust Nothing” — featuring a return to Deep Space Nine! We also discuss which Star Trek captain would be best at the helm of the International Space Station, why the Section 31 spinoff is taking so long, that time Enfys m…

The annual Star Trek Day unleashed a bounty of teasers and sneak peeks of Picard, Strange New Worlds, Star Trek Online, and Ceti Alpha V, which Captain Sabriel and Chief Engineer Ken are here to review! We also discuss seeing Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on the big screen, meeting William Shatner and Michael Okuda in Ticonderoga, New York, and e…

The first season of Strange New Worlds is a wrap, with an unexpected retelling of an episode of The Original Series fresh in Ken and Bri’s minds! What character arcs did the scriptwriters manage to cram into just one season, how does it all fit with what we know of these characters, and where do we go from here? Tune in to hear our reviews of all f…

Spock and T’Pring get up to hijinks with Captain Pike and Nurse Chapel as Ken and Sabriel review the first half of Star Trek: Strange New World‘s debut season. Who are our favorite characters, what episodes have we liked best, and how does the show compare with Discovery and Picard? Bonuses include praise for Rebecca Romijn, a review of Star Trek: …

Susan Arendt, intrepid writer for Space.com and Channel Surfing, joins Ken to review Pike’s first outing at the helm of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Listen to us discuss mortality and disability, debate how women are portrayed on the show, and swoon over Nurse Chapel. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcas…

After a mediocre middle act, Picard‘s penultimate season comes to a satisfying, bittersweet conclusion. Some important lessons were learned at great cost, some familiar faces made a return, and some intriguing questions were raised. With most loose ends tied up, Ken and Bri are left wondering: was this season meant to be binged? As Steve Jobs once …

Ken and Bri are shocked by the secrets in Picard’s childhood, but we’re relieved to see Picard, Seven, and the Queen ready to face their fears. There’s still one episode left in the season, though — where do we go from here? This podcast episode comes with a content warning for discussion of self-harm as depicted in Picard. Stream the audio edition…

Charlynn Schmiedt joins Sabriel to talk about “Mercy”. From ships to ‘ships, Queen Agnes’ battery-acid Borgification, Picard and Guinan on budget X-Files, to another Soong turning evil—they cover it all! Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket…

This episode is ostensibly about Picard, but Chief Engineer Ken and Commodore Mark Thompson felt Teresa and Tallinn stole the show. Forget stepping on a butterfly, though — this show is trampling an entire field of them. Has Voyager‘s Lt. Ducane arrived to clean up the mess? And where are Q and Adam Soong? There’s a lot of ground still left to cove…

Our goodness, can Agnes Jurati sing! Her showstopper number crescendos in a terrifying union with the Borg Queen, the two actors playing off each other perfectly. Other subplots leave us a bit uncertain: is Picard grandfatherly or manipulative? Is Adam Soong ostracized or influential? Is Tallinn a Romulan or not? All this, plus our excitement for P…

Agnes and the Borg Queen get closer; Chris, Raffi, and Seven finally decide to join the plot; and Q continues to behave in unexpected ways. Although Ken and Sabriel enjoyed the episode’s humor and Easter eggs, we’re left wanting cliffhangers with significant payoffs and adding more depth to existing Star Trek lore. Stream the audio edition of Trans…

Although Ken and Bri agree on loving both the new Guinan and the return of Punk Rocker, we’re divided on this episode overall. Why are they ignoring “Time’s Arrow”? And how are Chris, Seven, and Raffi moving the plot forward? We discuss how woke Star Trek is in its critique of modern society’s maladies, we compare Q to a villain from Buffy, and we …

Vice Badmiral Charlynn Schmiedt joins Bri and Ken to reflect on the entirety of Discovery‘s fourth season: the effect the pandemic had on production, how the characters have grown, where we hope they go next, and how we rank all four seasons thus far. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, …

Stage magician Kayla Drescher joins Ken and Bri all the way from the Chicago Magic Lounge! Picard and crew have crash-landed on 21st-century Earth. Our highlights were watching Dr. Agnes Jurati spar with the Borg Queen, a budding romance between Cristóbal and Teresa, and an unassimilated Seven of Nine being comfortable in her own skin. We also have…

The fourth season finale brings hope and closure for Book, Tarka, Discovery, and Species Ten-C. Ken and Bri love the emotions and sincerity of the cast, crew, and plot, considering it one of the show’s better season finales thus far. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Mu…

If you liked the Amy Adams movie Arrival, you’ll love this episode of Discovery! Bri and Ken enjoy get to see the science and linguistics behind first contact with a level II civilization, accentuated by some fancy camerawork directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi. The decisions of certain characters within and without the Federation continue to disappoint…

Picard goes through a mirror darkly into a temporal divergence of Q’s own creation. What is wrong with Q (aside from the usual), to what does Picard owe penance, and who is awaiting them in the year 2024? Commodore Mark Thompson joins Ken and Bri as we weave appearances of TNG and Voyager with references to DS9 and TOS, theorizing how it’ll all com…

Despite ranking this episode as her least favorite of the season, Sabriel draws some neat comparisons between species 10-C and the saurials of the Forgotten Realms, while also approving of queers mentoring the next generation. Meanwhile, Ken ponders the roles of Jett Reno, Zora, and Grudge in the upcoming season conclusion! Stream the audio edition…

Dr. Steven Weyhrich joins us to review Picard‘s return, in which we learn more about Picard’s childhood, setting the course for the rest of the season. Will the final frontier be… time? The Borg? Q? Love? Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocke…

To boldly make connections where no one has connected before! Discovery may be departing the Milky Way, but this episode is about relations: Kelpian to Vulcan, captain to president, scientist to scientist, father to child. Ken and Sabriel like what we’re seeing — but will it give the crew the strength they need to face species 10C? And, as an aside…

Book and Burnham finally realize what Ken and Bri have known since our first episode: mutual understanding is where the real fun’s at! We start to like Ruon Tarka a bit more, and we love seeing Nhan back in action. We also theorize about a fourth Star Trek movie in the Kelvin universe — though there will be plenty of Picard and Strange New Worlds t…

Discovery returns to the airwaves with its own casino episode! It’s not The Royale, and Vic Fontaine is nowhere to be seen, but we do get clever teamwork between Michael and Book, indecipherable banter from Karma Barge proprietor Haz Mazaro, a surprising brawl featuring Joann “Oh Wow” Owosekun, and the return of a race last seen on Deep Space Nine.…