Enterprising Individuals

We are talking the #StarTrekDiscovery #ShortTreks "The Girl Who Made the Stars” and “Ephraim and Dot” LIVE! Tweet at @eistpod with the hashtag #discoverage to join the conversation!

We're limping across the finish line this year, but we've got just enough power to give you one last look at this past season of Enterprising Individuals! This collection of the best moments and guests from 2019 is so good you'll forget it's all a clip show!Happy Holidays!Help support the show when you shop on Amazon!https://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezPlease consider donating to DC Fontana's preferred charities!https://www.humanesociety.org/https://bestfriends.org/https://www.afi.com/Check out the newest member of the Just Enough Trope family, Sailor Noob!http://www.twitter.com/noob_sailorGet jolly with us on Facebook and Twitter and the Just Enough Trope Discord!http://www.facebook.com/eistpodhttp://www.twitter.com/eistpodhttps://discord.gg/UeytGNPBuy us a refit on Patreon!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodSubscribe to the show on iTunes!https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/enterprising-individuals/id1113165661?mt=2

This week, Alan Gratz is back on the show to explore the intersection between Star Trek and the works of William Shakespeare! Why do the characters on Star Trek love Shakespeare so much? How does each era of Trek approach Shakespeare differently? Why does the Enterprise have scenery flats onboard? "Lay on, Macduff, and damned be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'”Happy Thanksgiving!Follow Alan on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!https://twitter.com/alangratzhttps://facebook.com/alangratzhttps://instagram.com/alan.gratzGet Alan's new best-selling book, "Allies"!https://amzn.to/2sr9OexCome chat with us on the JET Discord!https://discord.gg/UeytGNPJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our live episodes, DS9/VOY recaps and more!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttps://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezFollow us on Twitter and Facebook for Trek news and updates!http://www.twitter.co

Dust off your cloak and shine up your dagger as we examine "Improbable Cause" and "The Die is Cast"!Author Alan Gratz returns to the show this week to discuss an epic Deep Space Nine two-parter that changes the game and proves that the Dominion are a foe not to be taken lightly. When Garak's tailor shop explodes unexpectedly, Odo goes searching for answers. But a case that seems open and shut leads to a dark turn for our humble tailor and the Romulan/Tal Shiar alliance will throw themselves at the Dominion while the Alpha Quadrant holds its breath!DS9 took the TNG tradition of the nail-biting cliffhanger and transformed it into a new way to expand its storytelling by pulling the rug out from under its characters. By eliminating the Romulans and the Cardassians from the board, the writers of the show set the stage for the show's remaining seasons and their mad rush into war and calamity. On this episode, we talk about DS9's early forays and later mastery of serial storytelling, the necessity of Avery Brooks, c

We are talking the #StarTrekDiscovery #ShortTrek “Ask Not” LIVE! Tweet at @eistpod with the hashtag #discoverage to join the conversation!

Mikanhana of the Just Enough Trope podcast returns this week to talk Trek news, meeting veteran Trek stars, and going on a virtual away mission! Plus, we're putting the first season of Star Trek: Voyager on trial and asking ourselves: "Is it worth it to cross the Threshold?"I need my gooses!Follow Mikanhana on Twitter and check out Just Enough Trope and the new JET network show, Sailor Noob!https://twitter.com/mikanhanahttps://twitter.com/justenoughtropehttps://twitter.com/noob_sailorGet involved in Transgender Awareness Week!https://www.glaad.org/transweekCome chat with us on the JET Discord!https://discord.gg/UeytGNPJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our live episodes, DS9/VOY recaps and more!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttps://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezFollow us on Twitter and Facebook for Trek news and updates!http://www.twitter.com/eistpodhttp://www.facebook.c

Kiss the Blarney Stone and rub the Buddha's belly 'cause we're getting involved in "The Andorian Incident"!Musician and podcaster Gooey Fame returns to the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise that spotlights the complex political situation in the Alpha Quadrant and Archer's indelicate but noble approach to it! When the NX-01's visit to a Vulcan monastery evolves into a tense hostage situation, the crew finds themselves at the mercy of suspicious and trigger-happy Andorians. As Archer works to free the landing party, he learns a shocking truth that threatens to bring the Vulcan-Andorian conflict to a boiling point!Enterprise debuted at a turning point in world history, and as it tried to rewrite and expand the past of the Star Trek universe, it couldn't help but be influenced by events in the real world. Trek's first prequel series may have struggled to define itself, but the talented and experienced crew behind the show were often still capable of delivering an exciting hour of actio

We're giving Star Trek a rest (in peace) this week as we discuss some of sci-fi's smartest and spookiest films! Plus, author Mary Fan joins the show to continue last week's discussion about the links between science fiction and fantasy storytelling. During our interview, Mary and I talk about her writing process, the artificial divisions between sci-fi and fantasy, the importance of depicting utopian worlds, technobabble and arcane language, our hopes for DS9: The Next Generation, Marvel "magic", getting to Skellig Michael, circus lessons, and why seeing "yourself" in fiction can change your life.Happy Halloween!Follow Mary on Twitter and check out her work online!https://twitter.com/astralcolthttps://www.maryfan.comhttps://amzn.to/31UU932Find out more info about Brave New Girls!http://bravenewgirls.weebly.com/Come chat with us on the JET Discord!https://discord.gg/UeytGNPJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our live episodes, DS9/VOY recaps and more!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazo

Wave goodbye to the Milky Way and meet us at the corner of thought and reality as we go "Where No One Has Gone Before"!New York Times Bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente joins the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that posits that the real final frontier exists within the human mind! The USS Enterprise receives a visit from a Federation scientist who claims to have developed a technique that will revolutionize warp travel. But, when his ministrations take the ship beyond the boundaries of our galaxy and reality itself, only Wesley and the scientist's strange companion stand a chance of returning everyone home again.Since its very inception, Star Trek storytelling has drawn on both science fiction and fantasy tropes to create the world of the future. Starfleet officers may employ logic and technology to explore the galaxy, but they often find themselves stymied by beings and phenomena that challenge their scientific assumptions about our universe. But like any hero, wh

We're on the case this week as Jen Dallman of the Rosemary's Ladies podcast joins the show to talk about law in the Star Trek universe! A society with no money and no scarcity should need no lawyers . . . or so thought Gene Roddenberry . . . but it turns out to be a little more complicated than that because people and things mean laws and lawyers, no matter what century you live in. On the episode, we talk about the legal training Starfleet officers must get, the crazy conflicts of interest in most Trek trials, what you "own" in a scarcity-free society, trombones and Camaros, legal jurisdictions in the Human Diaspora, crime and punishment in the Star Trek universe, the twisted Cardassian legal system, legislative intent re: crushed flowers, the measure of a hologram, and of course, Lawyer Picard!What’s the difference between a lawyer and a horta? One is a spineless, subterranean creature and the other is a horta.Follow Rosemary's Ladies on Twitter and Instagram and listen to their show!https://twitter.com/lad

We are talking the #StarTrekDiscovery #ShortTrek “The Trouble With Edward” LIVE! Tweet at @eistpod with the hashtag #discoverage to join the conversation!

Lock us in our quarters this week as we merge with "Meld"!Author Scott Pearson is back on the show to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Voyager that asks questions with no easy answers. When a crew member is mysteriously murdered, Tuvok is prepared to investigate and apprehend the killer. But when the killer is revealed to be a motiveless, violent sociopath, Voyager's resident Vulcan will find himself struggling with such a senseless, brutal act, and he'll put his own mind at risk to find logic in actions that have none."No conflict between Starfleet characters" got left behind in the Alpha Quadrant, as many of Voyager's storylines and even its central conceits require tension in the crew. But, mere disagreement pales in comparison to the kind of violence and disregard for human life shown by the character of Suder, a Betazed who lacks empathy, even for himself. Tuvok's knowledge and logic prepare him for a "whodunnit", but not, in this case, a "whydunnit", and the greatest mystery is sometimes why we do the t

We are talking the #StarTrekDiscovery #ShortTrek “Q & A” LIVE! Tweet at @eistpod with the hashtag #discoverage to join the conversation!

This week, we're going back to school to study education (or the lack thereof) in the Star Trek universe! Every Starfleet officer is an alum of the same university, Starfleet Academy, and the egalitarian, scarcity-free world of the Federation would be a learning paradise, so why do we see classrooms so infrequently on Trek shows? Writer and educator Kelli Fitzpatrick joins the show to examine how learning has changed in the 24th century, and we discuss topics such as the way education breaks down our societal barriers, the promise of a multi-discipline, wallless classroom with an unlimited budget, the questionable testing practices of Starfleet Academy, and why teachers won't be replaced with learning bubbles anytime soon.This will be on the test!Follow Kelli on Twitter and visit her website!https://twitter.com/kellifitzwriteshttps://kellifitzpatrick.com/Tell your own stories with the Star Trek Adventures RPG Core Book!https://amzn.to/2oBeBbbCome chat with us on the JET Discord!https://discord.gg/UeytGNPJoin

Get ready to confront your complicated romantic past as we become "Rejoined"!Writer Eleanor Tremeer rejoins the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that explores Star Trek's commitment to personal freedom. Dax is taken aback when she is reunited with her ex-wife, the brilliant scientist Lenara Kahn. Can she sort out her feelings for her former spouse before a dangerous wormhole experiment threatens to consume the ship, her erstwhile paramour, and their history?Star Trek is a laboratory where sci-fi writers can turn our contemporary problems into compelling explorations of the human experience. '90s Trek often tried and failed to represent the experience of LGBT+ individuals, but "Rejoined" represents a high-water mark for the franchise's attempt to humanize gay characters. On this episode, we talk about making good on Roddenberry's promise of equality, the inherent social consciousness of Trek, the gunshy network executives who held the franchise back, Trek's clinging heteronorm

We're slipping the surly bonds of Earth this week as Just Enough Trope's Mikanhana is back on the show to review "Apollo", a graphic novel about the Apollo 11 mission and the minds and hearts behind mankind's greatest adventure! Plus, we round up the Trek news of the day, from making Trek "younger and more relevant" to the Walter Mosely mystery to Trek's recent awards to some old school pedantry!Somebody get me Matt Damon!Follow Mika on Twitter and cozy up to the Just Enough Trope podcast!https://twitter.com/mikanhanahttps://www.justenoughtrope.comGet Apollo, Eight Years to the Moon, and First Man on Amazon!Apollohttps://amzn.to/30eHVFqEight Years to the Moonhttps://amzn.to/2OeQgCLFirst Manhttps://amzn.to/2OeQzNVCome chat with us on the JET Discord!https://discord.gg/UeytGNPJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our live episodes, DS9/VOY recaps and more!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttp

Get ready to do it over (and over) again until you get it right as we're beguiled by "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad"!Illustrator, writer, and storyboard artist Mike Collins joins the show the week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Discovery that uses familiar Trek storytelling tools to explore new facets of its characters. Michael Burnham is beginning to feel at home aboard the USS Discovery, but that peace is shattered when a vengeful Mudd arrives and destroys the ship! Michael Burnham is beginning to feel at home aboard the USS Discovery, but that peace is shattered when a vengeful Mudd arrives and destroys the ship! Michael Burnham is beginning to feel at home aboard the USS Discovery, but that peace is shattered when a vengeful Mudd arrives...When Star Trek: Discovery premiered, it was faced with the difficult task of creating a unique corner of the Trek universe while simultaneously appealing to fans of a familiar, 50-year-old franchise. By employing the familiar "time loop" story structure, it m

This week, we're talking about a different kind of "canon" as Dr. James McGrath joins the show to talk about religion in Star Trek! Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future had no room for faith or superstition, but is a galaxy without God and spirituality desirable or even plausible? Trek's opinion on religion and belief has vacillated over the course of its five decades of storytelling, but faith in a higher power may be the one thing humanity will always possess, whatever planet we live on. During the show, we talk about Trek's attitude towards religion over the years, its exploration of theology among the stars, the Great Commission vs. the Prime Directive, the "divinity" of godlike aliens, the dearth of religious texts in Trek, the "prosperity gospel" of the Ferengi, making religious storytelling attractive to viewers, being tested by "God", and Kirk duking it out with the King of Kings!Watch out for Future Methodist spoilers!Follow Dr. McGrath on Twitter and check out his blog!https://twitter.com/Religio

Get ready to boldly stay as we meet with "Emissary"!Author, essayist, and photographer Derek Tyler Attico joins the show the week to discuss the premiere episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a series that bravely broke from the established formula of Trek to create the future of the franchise! When Benjamin Sisko arrives on Deep Space Nine, he's a grieving single father who is questioning his future in Starfleet. But when a startling discovery in Bajoran space promises to change the balance of power in the quadrant, he must put aside his doubt and lead his crew and the Bajoran people to a new destiny!DS9 grew from a risky spin-off show to one of the highlights of the Trek franchise, presenting a richly embroidered world that made TOS and TNG's allegories explicit and led to more mature storytelling in Trek. It was a series that thrived under its seeming limitations and excelled at mining real-world issues and ills for story potential. On this episode, we talk about how DS9 broke from the "seven people on a

This week, we continue our examination of representation in Trek as Thad Hait joins the show to talk neuroatypicality in Star Trek. Characters like Spock, Data, and Seven of Nine often struggle with expressing their emotions and when relating to their fellow crew members, things that many Trek fans on the autistic spectrum find all too familiar. Even though these characters weren't created with autism in mind, they still have served as an inspiration to those on the spectrum and can serve as an important educational tool for neurotypicals. During the show, we talk about the importance of depicting neurodiversity in Trek, Data's (obvious) emotions, dispelling the "superpowers" myth, Odo's fixation on routine, how Trek compares to Big Bang, Seven dumping Chakotay, meeting party aliens, and an Alphas shout-out!Does Sybok drink Maibock?Follow Thad on Twitter and check out Delta Flyer Pod and Stargate Weekly!http://twitter.com/tyranicushttp://twitter.com/deltaflyerpodhttp://twitter.com/stargateweeklyTo find out mo