Tag: mysticism

S01E04. The Sword of Kahless

Published date April 2, 2024 Comments: 0

Before the Future Came

S01E04. The Sword of Kahless

00:00 / 1:12:24

Let this moment be remembered! Gregory brings “The Sword of Kahless,” the ninth episode of the fourth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, written by Hans Beimler and Richard Danus and directed by LeVar Burton. Like the Discovery premiere, this episode is concerned with the legacy of the Klingon cultural figure Kahless. We discuss ancient fallen societies, philosophical skepticism,...

S00E01. Binti

Published date September 5, 2023 Comments: 0

Before the Future Came

S00E01. Binti

00:00 / 1:35:34

Content Warnings: blood and injury; frank discussions of racism and xenophobia. We’re not yet a Star Trek podcast! Instead, we open with Binti, written by Nnedi Okorafor. We discuss the tension between violence and empathy, the nature of magic and mysticism in science fiction, and how it feels to be ostracized by every inch of your skin and finding a...

S01E08. Star Trek 2009

Fire everything we’ve got! Melissa brings the 2009 film Star Trek, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and directed by J.J. Abrams. Like “Crisis Point” and “Crisis Point 2,” this movie dives headlong into the action genre. We discuss vilification of labor, misogyny, and character motivations. We also chat about destiny, humor, set design, and lens flares. For images...

S01E07. Crisis Points

These graphics are mindblowing! Gregory brings “Crisis Point,” the ninth episode of season one of Lower Decks, written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Bob Suarez; and “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus,” the eighth episode of season three, written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Michael Mullen. Like “Subspace Rhapsody,” these episodes engage in a specific genre: here, the action movie....

S01E06b. Programming Note and New Listener Recommendations

There’s no episode for July 2024, but we offer some recommendations for new listeners about some of our favorite pre-Star-Trek episodes. We’ll return in August with Lower Decks S01E09, “Crisis Point,” written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Bob Suarez, and S03E08, “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus,” written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Michael Mullen.

S01E06. Subspace Rhapsody

It might be time to change our paradigm. Lucy brings “Subspace Rhapsody,” the ninth episode of season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff and directed by Dermott Downs. Like “Sarek,” this episode has the crew overwhelmed by their emotions and forced to express them in unproductive ways. We discuss connection, authenticity, and...

S01E05. Sarek

Bedlam! Melissa brings “Sarek,” the 23rd episode of season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation, written by Peter S. Beagle and directed by Les Landau. Like “The Sword of Kahless,” this episode features a recurring character coming to terms with the end of his career. We talk about illness, aging, dignity, honesty, gender, and violence. We also discuss everyday...

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