Trekabout: A Star Trek Podcast

We’re almost halfway through the third season of TNG, and it’s time to realize something: the show can have a “meh” episode that’s still pretty good, as “The Hunted” proves. Later, in “The High Ground”, TNG does space Ireland again, but this time, they don’t blow it. Crap. Bad choice of words. iTunes Google Play ...

Hey, did you know that it’s not a great idea to fall in love with a hundred-year-old woman who has sworn to finish a genocide? Riker finds that out in “The Vengeance Factor”. Hey, did you know that you shouldn’t trust Romulans bearing intelligence? Well, Picard finds that out in “The Defector”. iTunes Google Play ...

After falling in love with a fake woman last week, Geordi finds himself on a hot and sweaty planet with a Romulan, trying to locate Wesley’s tower, in “The Enemy”. Later, in “The Price”, Troi finds herself the victim of a sexual predator–’80s TV drama writers. iTunes Google Play RSS

This week’s Trekabout is all about things we can’t have. In “The Bonding”, child guest-star-of-the-week loses his mother and the crew of the Enterprise is forced to deal with the reality of having children on starships. Later, in the unfortunately-named “Booby Trap”, Geordi’s past and present as an awkward virgin are revealed. Plus! Trekabout is ...

Did you ever miss a significant other so much that you recreated them with the power of your mind? Well, “The Survivors” might dredge up painful memories. Did you ever accidentally contaminate an alien culture? Well, “Who Watches the Watchers” might dredge up painful memories. Did you ever wonder how TNG got good so fast? ...

Holy Toledo, the third season, and first good season, of TNG starts off with… a Wesley episode? Is this a sick joke? Okay, “Evolution” isn’t terrible, but it’s nowhere near as good as “The Ensigns of Command”. Also! Richard really, really, really misses Doctor Pulaski. iTunes Google Play RSS

Richard Goodness is happy to note that we’ve reached the end of the second season of TNG, but what Eric Brasure hasn’t told him is that his normal TNG, embodied by “Peak Performance”, has been replaced by “Shades of Gray”, a clip show. Will he notice? Oh who are we kidding, of course he notices. Also! ...

Download Were you chomping at the bit to see Lwaxana Troi again? Have you ever wondered what kind of woman it would take for Worf to want to get married? Don’t you ever ask better questions than these? “Manhunt”, stop making fun of old women. “The Emissary”, stop creeping us out. Trekabout, stop these rhetorical ...

Hey Trekabout listeners! Were you chomping at the bit to see an episode of TNG in which every single character acts as stupid as possible? Well, “Samaritan Snare” delivers! Later, in “Up the Long Ladder”, we learn that Irish alcoholism is, in the 24th Century, still a very real stereotype. Plus! It was a good ...

It’s official: Richard Goodness gets really excited whenever “Written by Melinda D. Snodgrass” appears on his television. And “Pen Pals” is pretty good, what with all the interpersonal angst and Prime Directive drama. It’s not as good as “Q Who”, but that’s a tall order, so we’ll let it slide. Also! Richard thinks the Borg ...

If you ever wondered what would happen if the writing staff of TNG completely forgot the entirety of Picard’s characterization and made him into a milquetoast, you’re in luck, because “Time Squared” does that very thing. Later, the cast of Thirtysomething drops by for an episode, to help Riker deal with his daddy issues, in ...

Progressive ideals bumping up against the realities of contemporary mores? Why, we must be talking feminism in Trek with Jarrah Hodge, founder of Trekkie Feminist! Star Trek has always had a… problematic relationship with feminism and with its female characters, and we talk about that tension for a solid hour. Plus! Which Uhura is better ...

Hey, remember how we saw the USS Yamato a few weeks ago? Well, we finally get to see the real thing in “Contagion”, and it explodes in the episode teaser. Hey, remember how The Original Series used to save money by using studio backlots? Well, TNG does something similar in “The Royale”. Plus! Eric has ...

Oh my god, do The Crappy Years (TM) of Star Trek: The Next Generation ever, ever end? This week, we’re faced with “The Measure of a Man”, which… oh. Oh thank Jesus. It’s actually good. Then, we talk about “The Dauphin”, which… oh come on, TNG. You can’t give us “The Measure of a Man” ...

So after giving us ten episodes of character work which made us despise Doctor Pulaski, TNG suddenly decides to give us “Unnatural Selection”, a quiet character episode about Pulaski’s unease with her duties. Meanwhile, in “A Matter of Honor”, Riker decides to take on some new duties. And possibly fuck a Klingon lady. Two good ...

Because “Loud As a Whisper” deals with the aftereffects of a man grappling with the loss of his personhood, i.e., he’s attracted to Troi, Eric takes it upon himself to yell at Richard for several minutes because Richard quite enjoyed “The Schizoid Man”, thank you very much. Also! Pulaski is still awful. iTunes Google Play ...

On this special episode of Trekabout, Eric Brasure sits down with Griffen Eckstein and Julia Weiss of Improvised Star Trek. Were you like Eric, hoping against hope that there was an improv group out there doing a regular Star Trek show? You’re weird. But also in luck! iTunes Google Play RSS

You know how sometimes something horrible happens and you just know that the entire world has changed and will never be the same? That’s what happens in “Elememtary, Dear Data”, which doubles down on the malfunctioning holodeck plot from “The Big Goodbye” and cements it in place as a part of Trek. That also goes ...

Cast and crew, welcome to year two of Star Trek: The Next Generation! The writer’s strike messed things up a little, but we’re ready to swing back into production. Marina! We heard your complaints about your underutilization last year and we’ve decided to start off this season with a Troi-centered episode called “The Child” where ...

Remember how Richard Goodness always used to complain about The Original Series not having any continuity? Well, The Next Generation brings back the “Conspiracy” from “Coming of Age” in the style of David Cronenberg. Later, “The Neutral Zone” bring back Richard’s neighbor from 1990s Secaucus, New Jersey. Also! Casting call: late 50s male, willing to ...