Trek, Marry, Kill

MASAKA IS SLEEPY! Writer-Director-Actor Thomas Tulak joins Bryan to discuss one of the most extreme examples of writing, directing, and acting in all of Star Trek history. Is Brent Spiner up to the task of playing multiple characters from an entire civilization? Is Patrick Stewart sleepwalking through his performance or does he manage to act just enough in this one to not be shown up by the 12 errant palm fronds production brought in to decorate the Enterprise sets after the ship starts to transform into an alien sun god/dess's palace? Listen and find out!

And you can watch Thomas Tulak's feature film, Who Dunt Dunt Dunnit?:: The Movie, RIGHT NOW on Tubi. https://tubitv.com/movies/100013396/who-dunt-dunt-dunnit

If you're enjoying the show, consider rating us five stars on whatever platform you use to listen to podcasts. 

PARTY OF LINCOLN! We continue to look at Star Trek's BIG SWINGS with the episode where literally Abraham Lincoln beams aboard the Enterprise. It's a classic Star Trek story that includes wacky 1960s predictions about the future, alien gods pitting our crew against the forces of evil itself for their own amusement, and some really unsubtle Kirk-Spock slashfic material. 

Joining Bryan this week is returning guest Andrew Bloom (@TheAndrewBlog and andrewbloom.substack.com). Will they Trek, Marry, or Kill it?

The grades begin at (26:18).

COOL OR FOOL? In the this month's animated spotlight, Bryan and Katie Hampton from the Napping Through Happy Hour podcast take a look at two Lower Decks episodes that firmly push the freshman series in its own direction. In the first, Mariner suspects that Boimler's long distance girlfriend is a parasite. In the second, Tim Robinson screams his way through some shenanigans.  Are they Treks, Marrys, or Kills?

If you want to jump to "Terminal Provocations," the grades begin at (39:50).

CAMP OR CLASSIC? The Emmy-winning and New York Times-bestselling writer Joshua Pruett returns to walk Bryan through the high camp of one of Star Trek: Voyager's most tragic episodes in which the crew discovers that they are merely mimic goo that's now disintegrating because of an enhanced warp drive. Did Bryan Fuller and Nick Sagan have higher aims or were they locked into a nihilistic ending? And just how many members of the cast were in on the joke of playing up the ridiculousness of turning into puddles of goo? 

It's another BIG SWING for Star Trek -- does it connect? And whose side do you agree with: Bryan's or Josh's? It's another split vote scenario and we're asking the audience to break the tie. 

Check out The Last Comics on Earth: Too Many Villains! releasing this April and check out Josh's social media @zombietardis on most platforms. 

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LOKI MEETS TWILIGHT? Bryan and Kristen kick off a new theme series: BIG SWINGS. And, folks, Star Trek is committed to the big swing. This time out sees La'an teaming up with an alternate reality Captain Kirk to travel back in time to 21st century Earth for reasons. Does the episode reveal something new about La'an? Does it give us a new side of Kirk even if only through the lens of an alternate reality figure? Or is it all too safe and pat?

The grades start at (17:35).

SOME MALE BONDING is all the crew behind Star Trek: Enterprise needed to get excited again about their show late in the first season. This bottle episode that was largely a two-hander wound up bonding actors Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating IRL. Does this one evoke the adventure and progressivism that are the hallmarks of Trek, or does it tend to scratch the itch of its corporate masters who want a more conventional network TV show? 

Joining Bryan to discuss another episode in TMK's Two Hander series are Kayla Iacovino & Brian Drew, hosts of Shuttle Pod on the TrekMovie.com feed. Does this popular episode make a whole lot of sense? More importantly, is it a TREK, MARRY, or KILL?

The grades begin at (19:08). 

WHY WON'T THEY? A mysterious disease forces Janeway and Chakotay to live on an alien planet for the rest of their lives, but will the tension force them to move beyond colleagues? Wait a minute. What tension? Is there actually something here, or is it merely the inertia of a man and a woman of similar ages being stranded together in a confined space? Is it the ultimate Bachelor date? 

Our Two Hander theme continues into *a second month* as Bryan and Kristen investigate Star Trek: Voyager's stab at a harlequin romance story, just in time for Valentine's Day. Is this May sweeps stunt a success? 

The grades begin at (23:20). 

IT'S BUFFER TIME! Bryan and returning guest co-host Katie Hampton from Geekscape's Napping Through Happy Hour podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/napping-through-happy-hour/id1628046345) judge two more episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks and, folks, you're not going to believe this, but they didn't agree on a grade for either of them! We'll need your vote to break the deadlocks!

After Captain Freeman orders the end of "buffer time," is the reveal that the crew's frantic behavior is NOT the result of an alien influence or virus too weird or cartoonish to make the episode truly great? Is Tendi's sitcom-level behavior during a crewmember's ascension ceremony and Mariner's yawning during a briefing enough to sour strong premises? Listen and decide! 

"Temporal Edict" begins pretty much straight away while "Moist Vessel" begins at (43:38).

Trek Marry Kill will continue the animated spotlights for the rest of the season. On the 1st of every month, you'll get a bonus TMK featuring two episodes of either Star Trek: Lower Decks or Star Trek: The Animated Series; and be sure to go watch Star Trek: Prodigy - Season One now streaming on Netflix. We give all 20 episodes of season one a hearty TREK. 

JUST BROING OUT. A key episode in the development of Chief O'Brien and Dr. Bashir's friendship sees them trapped on an alien world trying to survive until Commander Sisko can rescue them. Joining Bryan to discuss this pivotal story is Clint Worthington, Editor-in-Chief of The Spool (https://thespool.net), a pop culture website focused on Film & TV.  

Back in 2021, Clint wrote "Queering the Bromance Between O'Brien and Bashir" for StarTrek.com which examines how their close bond, created in part by missions like this one, eventually creates a safe space for both men to express their feelings. This episode also features some Emmy-nominated hairstyles, a shell game, and a very questionable plot by the episode's antagonist. Is it a Trek, Marry, or Kill? 

The grades begin at (21:14). 

If you're enjoying the show, considering rating and reviewing us wherever you listen to the show. 

GEORDI'S BIG EPISODE finds him trapped on a weird planet with a Romulan centurion. We get to see LeVar Burton channel his natural charisma and show different sides of our favorite chief engineer, but it's nearly overshadowed by one of the most compelling ethical and moral dilemmas ever featured on The Next Generation when Worf has the chance to save the life of a different Romulan. 

Our Two Hander theme month continues, and joining Bryan to discuss what might be the most overlooked episode of The Next Generation is writer-comedian Katie Hampton from The Napping Through Happy Hour podcast. The grades begin at (28:29). 

MOST FAMOUS EPISODE? Last week was the 55th anniversary of perhaps the most famous episode of Star Trek, which is really saying something. It's a middle of season three episode wherein the Enterprise takes on two passengers -- one half black on the left side of their face and half white on the white; the other half white on the left and half black on the right -- that leads to an allegory or parable about Civil Rights era America. Is it overwrought or filled with thought? 

The grades begin at (32:18). 

Our Two Hander theme month continues with an episode that features guest star Frank Gorshin (aka TV's The RIddler from the 1966 Batman TV series), which allows our hosts to wonder about a famous story from Adam West's memoir in which he and Gorshin attend an orgy in the Hollywood Hills. Were you or someone you know there? We want to hear about it!

But also, we want to hear your thoughts about the show. Email address dropped at episode's end. If you're enjoying the show, consider rating and reviewing us on your podcast platform of choice. 

KIRA'S SOLEMN VOW leads to a shocking truth: vengeance is not moral. In the course of investigating a single Cardassian she comes to the realization that collective punishment of all Cardassians isn't justice, even if this particular Cardassian wants to face judgment for his people's crimes. It's one of the most intense episodes of Star Trek ever made and to help Bryan discuss this Deep Space Nine achievement is writer Andrew Bloom (Slashfilm, Consequence, The Spool). 

He's written a piece about "Duet" on his Substack In Full Bloom -- check it out! If you're liking the show, consider rating us on your podcast platform of choice. Check out all our standings at TrekMarryKillPod.com.

ODO'S PANIC ATTACKS lead to some scary times aboard Deep Space Nine thanks to some volcanic gas from a planet in the Gamma Quadrant and the arrival of Odo's old captor/trainer/parent figure, Dr. Mora (James Sloyan). It's an episode that was intended to be about alternate personalities, but it winds up being something else entirely.

Kristen test runs her New Year's Resolution, Bryan tries to sing Klingon opera, and he introduces Kristen to the word "cremains." What do you think? Is that a real word or Bryan-brand hokum?

It's the first of our Two-Hander Month! The grades begin at (17:12).

If you're enjoying the show, considering rating and reviewing us wherever you listen to podcasts and help spread the word!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We kick off 2024 with our animated spotlight on the beloved Star Trek: Lower Decks and we do it by bringing in one of the biggest fans of the show: Katie Hampton, a comedy writer and performer in LA who co-hosts the Napping Through Happy Hour Podcast (social: @ElSassyPants or @ElSassyPantz on TIkTok). She was also a guest on our Star Trek: Picard -  "Surrender" episode last season. Will she and Bryan see eye to eye on this new kid on the block in the Trek universe? 

"Second Contact" begins at (30:48). "Envoys" begins at (1:13:07).

A TRANSPORTER MIRACLE created two Rikers eight years ago setting up a situation where Counselor Troi would be confronted with the man she fell in love with who was still madly in love with her and Commander Riker looking a different part of himself right in the eyes. It's all in service of getting some Important Scientific Data from a planet and that could not be any less interesting than the love triangle aboard the Enterprise. 

How do Bryan, Kristen, and special guest Kat Spada respond to this one and do you agree with Bryan & Kat that Troi and Lt. Riker hooked up or do you think Kristen got it right?

KIRK'S TOXIC MASCULINITY is unleashed after a transporter accident involving mystery ore from a freezing planet splits him into his Negative Side and Positive Side. This mascara'd drunk sexually assaults Yeoman Rand. Meanwhile, the Positive Side winds up being the passive side and his inaction and softness begins to offend Mr. Spock! 

It's an episode that only could've been written in the 1960s and it should come as no surprise that its general statement about the darkness inside every man comes from a Twlight Zone writer -- it's a very Twlight Zone message. For your consideration: Bryan and Kristen play Trek Marry Kill with it and see if the episode holds up despite sexual assault, a dog in a dragon costume, and an inexplicable storyline where the ship can't send down a shuttle to rescue Sulu & some redshirts!

TWO MANY JANEWAYS? That's the conundrum at the heart of season two standout "Deadlock," and joining Bryan this week is Captain Janeway superfan Marina Kravchuk from Daily Star Trek News to talk all about. There's a lot of technobabble that only makes sense because of the years of world building going on since the TNG days, but there's also a lot of Voyager-specific tropes deployed in an episode that finds Voyager being duplicated because of a rift in subspace. And there are Vidians thrown in for good measure! Is it a Trek, Marry, or Kill?

Check out all our Trek Marry Kill standings at TrekMarryKillPod.com. You can follow our guest on social media @drakkorex on most platforms. 

BLEEP GOT FREAKY aboard the USS Voyager, but BLEEP gets even freakier aboard the USS Cerritos after it's assigned to tow the famous ship to its final home as a museum piece. In this special bonus episode, Twitter/X's FanSince09 returns to discuss how Lower Decks deals with Star Trek's version of the trolley problem. He also uses this opportunity to soft launch a podcast he's been thinking about for a while -- which idea winds up being more grotesque? FanSince09's podcast idea or the blob of people created by all of the Tuvixing going on aboard the Cerritos? You be the judge.

DEEP LORE TREKKIES aren't the only ones who know about the episode where Captain Janeway straight up murdered a dude. Indeed, the one where a transporter accident merges Tuvok and Neelix has been the subject of philosophical and legal papers and years of social media debate -- but has it all added up to this one being worthy of the Star Trek canon? Is it marriage material? Joining Bryan and Kristen to help them decide this week is Twitter/X's FanSince09, who has never let this one fade from memory. It's a whole new theme month! SPLIT IN TWO.

AND! FanSince09 will hang around for one more episode with Bryan and Kristen -- is Lower Decks' followup to this famous Voyager episode, "Twovix," a Trek, Marry, or Kill? Keep your playlist running and find out. we've dropped two this week.

UHURA TAKES COMMAND and the Enterprise becomes trapped in a sentient cloud (again, and not for the last time) -- it's another exciting month of animated Star Trek! 

Bryan and Kristen examine two more from Star Trek: The Animated Series, one that features floating teeth and another that has the men aboard ship so horny that they could die. Does this 50-year old children's programming hold up in the 21st century or is it all too silly? Find out!

If you're enjoying the show, considering rating and reviewing us on your podcast platform of choice. Check out our standings at trekmarrykillpod.com. Are we tracking with the old thought that 30% of the episodes are amazing, 40% are good or fine, and 30% are bad? Go find out!