Talking Trek To You

Trade agreement required? Check. Savage local population causing trouble? Check. Lone Klingon making things worse? Check. Dumbest "ruse" in Starfleet history? Check. Why it must be Friday's Child! And to deal with a trade mission that needs all the help it can get, Dais Johnston is along for the ride!

Does the episode stand up to modern television in its approach to (let's say) feminism? Do we manage to get a convincing alien socie...

It's time to take a journey. To Babel (well, some of the way there anyway) as the Enterprise is off on a diplomatic mission.

And to help us sift through the raft of ambassadors and murder plots we have Jack McDonald! How do the Federation politics work out? Is the family drama succesful? And given how much of a founding text this is, does it stand up to scrutiny?

Plus in Recommendations we have an anime, a movie and a TV sitcom.

eM...

What is, as Shakespeare definitely didn't write, such love between a man and a cloud? Well, let's answer that question as we tackle Metamorphosis. And to help judge the relationship between humanity and water vapour we have Jon D Arthur!

How does the episode manage to juggle its themes? Can the episode bear the weight of how significant Zephram Cochrane is going to become in the lore? Is it, in fact, any good? Plus in Recommendatio...

We're back! After taking a festive break, Talking Trek is back among the stars and ready to discuss... er, I, Mudd. And to join us in this tale of robot sex women and comedy shenanigans we have Lenny Burnham returning to the podcast!

Is the return of Harry Mudd something worth celebrating? Does the comedy of the episode land? And how do the gender politics stand up sixty years after the original transmission?

Plus in Recommendation...

It's time for a Halloween special (just in time for Christmas) as Star Trek goes - allegedly - spooky with "Catspaw". And we have a welcome return to the podcast from Sarah Gulick, here to make sure that nothing gets too scary (the fluffy kitten does help with that as well, to be fair...).

How effective is this as a Halloween episode? Does the camp factor outweigh the fear factor? And what of Alfred Hitchcock's Star Trek? Plus in R...

Roaming alien sock from another galaxy threatening civilizaiton, you say? Why it must be time for "The Doomsday Machine"! A powerful entity needs a powerful extra podcaster, so Carl Garcia is back for a second stab at TTTY.

How does the titular Machine work as an advesary? Is Decker a credible threat to the situation? And does the episode deserve to be top-tier?

Plus in Recommendations we have a movie, a novel, and a remastered vid...

The 1960s are left behind in favour of the 2020s this week as TOS is carefully placed to one side for coverage of Lower Decks Season 4. And to join us on our animated adventure we have Jonathan Callan!  

Does Season 4 improve of Season 3s generally weaker reception? How does new regular character T'Lyn fit in with the crew? And can the season stick its landing?

Just one Recommendation this week because of the episode length but wha...

It's time take a bite of The Apple on TTTY as we venture to a planet of exploding rocks, snake-caves (not a euphemism) and curiously-coloured natives. And to help us hack through the jungle (well, "jungle") it's a welcome return for Alice Ebenhoe!  

How does The Apple hold up after all these years? Does this work as an analogy of Communism/Christanity and is the script nimble enough to navigate those waters? (hint: no) And is this ...

It's time to oil our traps and slap on a fake beard as we slip into the Mirror Universe with the impossible-to-escape Mirror, Mirror. And to help us navigate such a brutal and unrelenting alternate dimension we have a welcome return from Tony Whitt!

Does the "classic" status afforded this episode get wholly earned? Does the episode justify so (so, so so) many return visits in future iterwations of Star Trek? And are the cast up to ...

It's time to get mind wiped and/or killed and ressurected on Talking Trek this episode as we cover The Changeling! And resisting such a serious (it says here) probe will need help so it's a welcome return to Jonathan Boehle!

How does the old Uhura-mind-wipe stand up? Does the alien-probe-from-beyond storyline convince? And just how much damage can the Enterprise legitimately withstand? Plus in Recommendations we have two movies and...

A giant green hand has the podcast in its grip this time, as we tackle the... um, iconic? Sure let's go with that! The iconic "Who Mourns For Adoanis?". But wrestling with gods requires a mighty hero, so Michael Darling is on hand to help!  

How do the effects hold up so long after the 60s and does the Giant Green Hand (tm) deserve to be remembered? Why is there a discussion of money within the Federation? And is the episode a clas...

We leave behind the strange new worlds of old and embrace, instead, the strange new worlds of today as JG and Kev cover the second season of Strange New Worlds. And to help with the task of discussing all ten episodes of the season Rachel Novak is warmly welcomed back to the podcast.

Does the second season manage to live up to the promise of the first? Is ten episodes enough to give every character a decent shake of the stick? Why ...

We dive headfirst into the second season of the original show as we get to grips - in more ways than one - with the might Amok Time. But we can't wrestle this one into submission alone so we welcome Ellie Warren back to the podcast!

Does the episode retain its power after all these years? Just how much homo-eroticism can be - cough - squeezed into one episode? And does Amok Time deserve its legendary status?

Plus in Recommendations...

We take a break from individual episodes for a retrospective on the whole of the first season, as JG and Kev discuss the mission so far. No guests this week either - it's just our bold hosts getting into things!

How has the season stacked up? Have the budget and scripts been able to keep pace with the ideas? And a third of the way through, has it all been worth it?

Plus in Recommendations we have a beloved but cancelled TV show and...

We reach the conclusion of the first season of the original show with Operation: Annihilate! But dealing with flying pancakes requires assistance, so Bri Marino is along for the ride.

How does the episode work as a capper to the first season? Does the mystery hold together convincingly? And how does the loss of Spock's sight work in the episode?

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It's arguably the episode with the best reputation of them all that falls under the TTTY lense this episode as Kev and JG tackle The City on The Edge of Forever. But to explore such a territory help is of course needed, so Rowan Kaiser is along for the journey (in both space and time).

Does the episode manage to live up to its outsized reputation? Does the drama of the ending still work more than half a century later? And does the ...

It's time to deal with a factor that may, in fact, lean towards being alternaticve as Kev and JG face not one but two universes in peril (and some dodgy facial hair to boot). And to help battle this (alleged) universe-spanning threat Abby Denton is along for a helping hand.

Does this continue the run of Star Trek's great Season One episodes (hint: no)? Just how wildly unconvincing can one spaceship be? And who fed the crew stupid p...

It's time to go on an Errand of Mercy this week as Kev and JG encouter the Klingons for the very first time (and surprisingly late in the season to boot). Naturallly, confronting such an epic enemy needs help, so Alasdair Wilkins is along as this podcast's resident Klingon Correspondent!

How well does the politics of the episode stand up? Is one performance good enough to overcome that make-up? And does the ending manage to carry t...

It's another one of the all-time classics this week, as JG and Kev are forced to confront The Devil In The Dark. And to guide them through the gloom, Tony Whitt is along to help navigate those treacherous mining tunnels!

Does the episode deserve its reputation as one of the very best? Why, of all things, does Into Darkness get some kind of defence? And just how many pizza jokes can there be in one episode? Plus in Recommendations w...