Discovering Trek: The Star Trek Universe Companion

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Mining The Mind's Mines Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

This week on Lower Decks, during an away mission, Boimler, Mariner and Rutherford face their ultimate fantasies as well as their most feared nightmares, all thanks to some special glowly rocks that harness thoughts and memories. Our crew soon discovers that not all is as it appears to be and it is actually up to Tendi (struggling on her first day of Senior Science Officer training) to save the day and uncover the devious plan of the planets inhabitants!

Dan and Kasey welcome Bill back to the table as Sara is away this week, and they all have a great discussion about the third episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 - "Mining The Mind's Mines"! Grab your bat'leth armed Killer Klingon Klown from Outer Space or your giant Borg Snake and join us for some great fun and discussion!

WE COVER LOWER DECKS LIKE NO ONE ELSE

Interested in great talk about Star Trek: Lower Decks? Look no further than the Trek Geeks Podcast Network! Discovering Trek breaks down every episode with our own Lower Decks crew of Dan, Sara, Kasey and Bill. Plus, check out Drawn To Trek with Aaron Harvey (co-author of Star Trek: The Official Guide to the Animated Series)!

No One Talks Trek Like We Do.

FIVE YEAR MISSION

Music for Discovering Trek is provided by Five Year Mission. They're writing one song for each episode of The Original Series! Plus, check out their podcast right here on the Trek Geeks Podcast Network!

Find out more and download all 6 of their current albums at FiveYearMission.net

The Least Dangerous Game Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

Grab your bat'leths and prepare for an amazing quest, adventurers! During their downtime, General Martok returns (kind of) to lead our Lower Deck crew on glorious quests and missions. When on duty, Boimler decides he is going to change his ways and be more assertive, and that quickly puts him in danger with an alien who has targeted him as prey! Meanwhile, Mariner is at odds with Ransom (again) during an away mission when he assigns the engineers to negotiate with the Dulainians while he and Mariner try and fix the big space elevator. This assignment swap, as you can imagine, doesn't go...well!

Dan, Sara and Kasey expose their navels and break down the second episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 - The Least Dangerous Game! Join us for some great fun and discussion!

WE COVER LOWER DECKS LIKE NO ONE ELSE

No One Talks Trek Like We Do.

FIVE YEAR MISSION

Find out more and download all 6 of their current albums at FiveYearMission.net

Grounded Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

This week on the season premier of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Captain Freeman is on trial for the destruction of Pakled Planet, and Mariner is not going to sit by and watch her mom go down without a fight. The Cerritos is in a secure location and the gang hijacks a familiar piece of history to get to the ship which holds the evidence to set the Captain free!

Amazing easter eggs, wonderful callbacks to Star Trek of the past, and an unexpected and delightful guest voice actor all make the latest adventure of our favorite lower deckers a whole bunch of fun!

Dan, Sara and Kasey break down the amazing season 3 premier of Star Trek: Lower Decks - Grounded! Join us for some great fun and discussion!

WE COVER LOWER DECKS LIKE NO ONE ELSE

No One Talks Trek Like We Do.

FIVE YEAR MISSION

Find out more and download all 6 of their current albums at FiveYearMission.net

A Quality of Mercy Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

It's the explosive finale of Strange New Worlds! The future of the alpha quadrant balances on the terror of Pike's foreseen future as we revisit a classic TOS episode with a twist. And who is that commanding the Farragut? Is that...Captain Kirk? Is this musical captain's chairs? What is going on as we engage the Romulans on the edge of the Neutral Zone?

Mike returns for this episode of Discovering Trek joined by Yvette and Matthew who talk about throwbacks to Balance of Terror, New Kirk, and why Una has to end the series as she began...in jail.

All Those Who Wander Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

The crew comes face-to-face this time with the terrifying enemy of this first season of Strange New Worlds, the Gorn. But the enemy might be much closer than it appears when survivors of a marooned ship are rescued by the Enterprise. Between La'an's past trauma and Spock releasing repressed rage at crewmate's death, will the away team have what it takes to survive?

We're joined this week by Ruthie from With the First Link who agreed with Yvette that this was a strong episode while Matthew was jarred by the darker tone. Do the Discovering Trek hosts find the beauty of the crew's resolve and self-sacrifice in the midst of the horrific story!? Find out!

The Elysian Kingdom Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

The crew are transformed into the characters of the Elysian Kingdom, a book M'Benga has been reading to his daughter Rukiya who has also suddenly disappeared. M'Benga, and Hemmer, the only two crew members unaffected, must discover if there is a fairy behind this fairy tale, or is this just the effect of a failed experiment to save Rukiya's life.

Yvette and Matthew are joined this week by Yvette's co-host on SyFy Sistas, Tamia Harper where Yvette and Tamia reflect on portrayals of black fatherhood on television and the importance of black love as represented in Strange New Worlds inspired by Deep Space Nine.

The Serene Squall Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

Yeaaargh! Pirates sighted in this episode of Strange New Worlds as the Enterprise is lured outside Federation territory in a ruse to capture the ship! A potential ally turns out to be an enemy though to they do engage Spock in a fascinating conversation about false binaries he may hold about his own identity. Human, Vulcan, both, neither?

Yvette, Matthew, and guest Aiyana-Mei Tom, talk about the awesomeness that is Captain Angel, that steamy bridge kiss, and how the discourse of trans rights and trans identity helps us all better understand who we are.

Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

"Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach" has the Enterprise intervening in a world that is outside of Federation territory. While the ship and crew have no jurisdiction here, will Pike follow his heart and violate General Order One to save a child, a civilization, and his love's soul?

Yvette and Matthew talk about the Prime Directive, our continued love for Doctor M'Benga, Potential Borg Origins, suggest a floating city should have railings, and try to figure out why cadet Uhura was given live fire phaser orders during a training day.

Spock Amok Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

This week on Discovering Trek, Mike, Yvette, Matthew, and guest Jamie Rogers discuss the Strange New Worlds episode, "Spock Amok."

The crew brings the funny in this episode with swapped identities and Enterprise BINGO. Plus, we find out that Una is not, "where fun goes to die," because people are idiots!

What did we think of the episode? Was there too much funny? And who wears the green wraparound better, Mike or Pike? Find out on this episode of Discovering Trek: Strange New Worlds!

Memento Mori Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

This week guest host Kasey Shafsky, Yvette, and Matthew discuss the next episode of Strange New Worlds, "Memento Mori."

You're going to learn more than you knew before about brown dwarfs and their significance in song. Starfleet also celebrates their version of Memorial Day, which has a deeper impact on La'an than she thinks. Oh yeah, there's also a battle with a species known as the Gorn... you may have heard of them before.

What did we think about the episode? How important is it to face our grief? Find out on this episode of Discovering Trek: Strange New Worlds!

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