Ceti Alpha 3: A Star Trek Podcast

Ferengi Federation MembershipIn the "Lower Decks" episode "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place", viewers are surprised to see Grand Nagus Rom (and his wife Leeta) spearheading efforts for the Ferengi Alliance to join the United Federation of Planets. The trio looks at how Ferengi culture does (and does not) fit into what we understand of the Federation.From the extremes of capitalism to the "opportunities" available to Federation members, why should the Ferengi join the Federation? Or is it actually a bad deal?

Star Trek Toy PitchesFirst, there was Star Trek. Quite quickly thereafter, there was ... merchandise! Trek has been a franchise full of toys for over 50 years. From Mego to Playmates to Diamond Select to Eaglemoss, there have been many manufacturers of Trek action figures, playsets, accessories, and more. The trio looks back at the 90s era of Trek and asks - what would have been other great choices down the Trek toy aisle?

The Evolution of FandomThe trio are all (on a spectrum...) children of the 90s. They all embraced "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as their first Trek and expanded their love of the Trek franchise from there. They discuss how they entered the fandom and how it evolved over the decades until the 2009 "reboot" movie. Did their favorite series remain the same? How did they get to know The Original Series' episodes and movies? How did they engage with "Deep Space Nine," "Voyager," and "Enterprise"? They also examine the different ways they engaged from fandom, from cons, games, podcasts, and more.

What If ... All Series Had Season 6 Character Deaths?In the last episode of season six of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," audiences were in for the shock of their lives - Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax was killed by a possessed Gul Dukat. No one saw it coming, and many fans were left bereft that one of their favorite main characters had been taken away. Whatever the behind the scenes story was of contracts and labor-management negotiations, this meant the final season of the series would be missing one its main stays - and introduced a replacement "Dax" with the character of Ezri.The trio asks ... what if this happened in every Trek series?They look at The Original Series, The Next Generation, Voyager, and Enterprise, determining which "main" character would shuffle off the mortal coil in the finale of a series' penultimate season and how it would be handled with a replacement (or not).

Lower Decks UpdateIt has been a celebration of Star Trek animation this month with the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek: The Animated Series." The trio talks about the state of animation in the franchise, as well as the beginning of season four of "Star Trek: Lower Decks." The current animated series dropped its first two episodes, and not only featured everyone's favorite Intrepid-class starship but also some promotions for our USS Cerritos heroes. Join us for how this changes the Lower Decks universe and what we anticipate for the future.

Fixing "Code of Honor"It's the worst episode of Star Trek. Or, at least, one of the worst."Code of Honor" from the first season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has been written off by most of the cast as a racist, inappropriate episode that should never be included in the series canon again. The trio dips their toes dangerously into the waters of ... could this episode have been saved?This heavily TOS-influenced episode features many cliche elements and unfortunate casts & cultural references that most likely doom this episode, no matter how it was approach. But the trio try to take this 0 to at least a 5 in how "Code of Honor" could have been redeemed with several notable changes.

Writing a DS9 "Q" EpisodeThe trickster Q bedeviled both Captains Picard and Janeway in his many outrageous appearances. However, there was only one "Deep Space Nine" episode that featured the omnipotent being in "Q-Less", a first season episode that is largely forgettable. It seemed for most that Q just didn't work in the world of Sisko and the tone of DS9 stories. The trio put on their writing hats and tackle another outing for Q on the space station - how could it work in the later seasons of DS9? They look at how Q would interact with the other "god-like" beings of the series, the Prophets (or "wormhole aliens"). Sisko centers his role as the Emissary, as Q joins him in an adventure that examines both the role of the Emissary and the mysterious agenda of The Prophets. This leads to a larger discussion about what the nature of these beings living in the Celestial Temple.

Megaprojects in TrekIt takes a lot of resources to build a starship - but starships are not the biggest infrastruture in the Trek franchise. The trio look at the mega projects we see in the Star Trek future, from the shipbuilding facilities at Utopia Planetia to moving Deep Space Nine.What does it take the move a starbase from planet to planet, like we see in "Star Trek: Picard"? What about terraforming efforts? All these future endeavours and more may be beyond today's techonogy, but what are the implications in this imaginary sci-fi universe?

Strange, New Worlds Season Two Wrap-UpCaptain Pike and his crew of the NCC-1701 complete their second season with some very memorable highlights. "Star Trek: Strange, New Worlds" has received plenty of acclaim as the leading live-action Star Trek series, but what's behind these past 10 episodes? From musicals to "Lower Decks" crossovers, what journey and complications did we encouter? What makes this series unique and what does it mean for the future?The trio look back at season two of "Strange, New Worlds" and relive our favorite moments and our questions about what the characters have gone through. So join the randomly reoccuring Jim Kirk on this trip through the latest adventures of the 23rd Century.

A Look Back at Star Trek: Prodigy, Season 1, Part 2Not since the cancelation of "Star Trek: Enterprise" has a Trek series been in quite the challenge that "Prodigy" currently faces. It completed its (delayed?) second half to its first season, and then, just a few months later, it was removed from the Paramount+ streaming service. While its second season is nearing production completion, the series' future remains stuck in a time anamoly. The trio look back at the last 10 episodes of "Prodigy" to see exactly what mysteries remain to be solved in a second season (wherever it pops up). Join us as we take the form of holographic Janeway, accompanying Gwyn, Dal, Rok-Tahk, Jankom Pog, Zero, and the ever-evolving Murf on their journey back to Starfleet and the "real" Janeway.

Today's Trek and AnimationWith the "Strange News Worlds" crossover with the animated "Lower Decks", the history of "two-dimensional" Trek took the next step. The trio re-visit the most significant recent moments from the many shows, as well as what's to come. Several trailers and teasers dropped featuring season four of "Lower Decks," upcoming SNW episodes, and a taste of the final season of "Discovery." There's lots still happening with Star Trek in 2023 (and 2024) - what are you looking forward to the most?

Star Trek: Writers and Actors on StrikeWith the WGA and SAG-AFTRA on strike, there are both immediate and potential future effects on the Star Trek franchise and fandom. With the caveat that these are minor matters compared to the larger issues labor-management issues involved, the trio looks at how current, completed (but unaired), and planned Trek series will be changed. Adding these issues to the current challenges facing Paramount+ (and Paramount, in general) ... it's a strange, new world out there.The trio also share their thoughts about season four of "Star Trek: Enterprise", in light of the passing of showrunner Manny Coto. What were your favorite moments from that time of the show?

DS9/TNG Crossover - Creating an EpisodeIn the late 90s, we had our first instance of two Star Trek television series airing at the same time. As "Star Trek: The Next Generation" began to end, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" took its first few steps into the franchise. There were some small crossovers of major characters - with Dr. Bashir and Quark making small appearances with the Enterprise-D, and Picard and "a" Riker showing up on Deep Space Nine (not counting O'Brien and Worf's ultimate transfers to the station). What about a cross-over episode that made more use of our major characters?The trio transport themselves back in time in shaping what an epiosde of DS9 would look like with the appearance of some "major" TNG characters. Spoiler alert - the planned story goes slightly off the rails when it becomes clear that DS9 will be home to a cooking competition between Quark's new replicator and Commander Sisko's "home cooking", along with some familiar faces in the Trek franchise.Join us in this brand new cross-

The Past, Present, and Future of Star Trek StreamingThe Great Trek War begins. Or so it seems.Fans were shook when it was announced that not only was "Star Trek: Prodigy" seemingly canceled (with a season two still hanging in post-production), but that it would be almost instantly removed from Paramount+. Only a few days later, episodes 11-20 of "Star Trek: Prodigy" no longer existed in any format (except for purchase as a digital download on a few services). The trio tackles this debacle, as well as a recent "glitch" that caused season four of "Star Trek: Enterprise" to disappear from Paramount+ for 48 hours in at least the US and UK, as well as a season three episode that remained missing for almost a week.How have we watched Trek in the past? And what does the nebulous future of Paramount and streaming mean for how we'll watch Trek in the future? And what is the future of a franchise in the absence of a dedicated streaming service? Join us as we consider how to watch Trek before the advent of the Eugenics

Previously on ... "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds"It's new Star Trek time!Season two of "Strange New Worlds" begins, as we ended on a cliffhanger last year, and we all await the new adventures of Captain Pike and the Enterprise. The trio revists season one (some of us watching it for the first time!) and go through all the characters and storylines. What made this new live action series such a hit? How does it work as both a new and a prequel series? How does it depart as a "spin-off" of "Discovery"? And were some stories (and characters) ended too soon?

Creating a New Trek Series: Gamma Station OneIn the wake of "Star Trek: Picard," and fan hopes for a "Star Trek: Legacy" series with the Enterprise-G, the trio create the next 25th Century live action Trek series.They begin with the initial premise of a "Star Trek: Janeway" but quickly find themselves in the Gamma Quadrant, as a new Bajoran space station is completed. This quadrant, formerly dominated by the Founder-led Dominion, is now in crisis. The changelings have disappeared, and the formerly oppressed worlds are now engaged in civil strife. With Starfleet still seeking Bajoran Federation membership, what adventures await our new crew (with some familiar faces) in the Gamma Quadrant?

Best of ... Star Trek!With the arrival of 300 episodes, stranded here on Ceti Alpha 3, the trio opens up about their favorite scenes from almost 60 years of Star Trek. They span the centuries of the franchise for moments that continue to echo throughout the years. Join us in this retrospective of the Best of Star Trek!

The Next Generation Season One - Trivia Time!With the closing(?) of The Next Generation story with season three of "Star Trek: Picard," let us go back to the beginning - how well do we know how it all started!The trio is split up for some trivia questions involving pre-production of TNG, as well as the going-ons of the 1987-1988 premiere season of Next Gen. How well do you know about origins of all the characters? Including names that eventually evolved into the ones we know today? How about the design of the Enterprise-D?Join the trivia master and answer along with this quiz about the first season of TNG.

Mothers in TrekWIth Mothers' Day being celebrated in many countries this past week, the trio looks at the many mothers in Trek. The definition can be narrow or liberal (is the Borg Queen a mother???), but many characters have raised offspring of various sorts throughout the franchise. No matter what century you find yourself, you'll find a mother for our favorite Trek characters.

Recreation in TrekSpace exploration is great but everyone onboard a starship (or space station) needs a chance to relax. The trio asks - where can you get away from it all in space?They look at the countless facilities we've been shown on Federation starships, from holodecks to anbo-jyutsu and from gyms to springball. Which would you choose during your time off? And then there's the vacation spots of the galaxy. From Risa to the shore leave planet, where would you schedule an annual holiday?Sit back and relax as Trek's many places to chill are explored. Which is your favorite?