Bickering Peaks: A Twin Peaks Podcast

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is widely derided as the worst (or one of the worst) films in the Star Trek canon. Despite this, Lindsay still has fond memories of watching this film as a child and she'll be damned if she lets Aidan bring her down to reality! Join us for a discussion of God, starships, and campfire singalongs in this week's episode Episode Sponsor: Prophetic Titles. Totally not a scam. We promise. One low price gets you the right to title yourself Kai. Own your plot of space in the Celestial Temple today! Bicks Log:  Notes and Recognitions: iMDB trivia page, where we got some of our background details Check out Rowan J Coleman's YouTube channel for a ton of amazing retrospectives and history of Star Trek -- his channel is a repository of info and if you aren't already a fan, you really ought to be! Ad break music: "Beautiful Noise" by the Nick Perito Orchestra "The Mountain" by Jerry Goldsmith Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, collectively known in The Bicks home as "The One with the Whales." A classic 80s film, a classic Trek film, and a unique entry in the series all at once. We loved chatting about this one and hope you'll enjoy our wandering discussion of the most populist of Star Trek movies! Notes: It was Alan Silvestri who did the music for Back to the Future. Moores is a Canadian men's clothing company. The Home Depot is an American hardware and home improvement chain. These two pieces of information will help clarify the odd bit around the 36-37th minute of the podcast. Episode Sponsor: Today's episode is brought to you by Whales Alive, the very real album that really featured Leonard Nimoy really doing spoken word poetry over top of very real whale song. Please go listen right now. Bicks Log: Was the success of The Voyage Home a template that could have saved the second fourth movie of Star Trek - 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis? Would a funnier, less dramatic and serious Next Generation movie ha

By the time The Search for Spock was announced, it was fairly clear that the Star Trek brand was more than strong enough to justify its continued return to box offices; within a few years, it would return to TV screens, as well. But not before Kirk & Co. return to the Genesis planet from The Wrath of Khan to rescue Spock. Which is what we're going to be talking about today.  Episode Sponsor: I Can't Believe It's Not Gagh! Bicks Log: Was David's death an earned emotional moment, or mere manipulation? Notes and Recognitions: Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls

The second film entry for our original cast -- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan -- reinvigorated the franchise after The Motion Picture drew big bucks but tepid critical reviews. A lesser version of Khan might have put the nail in Star Trek's coffin. Thankfully, it didn't, and forty years later we're still chugging away through the Alpha Quadrant. Let's explore why, with Kirk & Khaaaaaaan!, Kirk & Spock, Kirk & Carol & David, Chekov and the ear bug (*shudder*), the Enterprise & the Reliant, and the birth of a new  Episode Sponsor: Genesis To-Go! Bicks Log: Is The Wrath of Khan a perfect/the best encapsulation of what makes Star Trek what it is? Notes: Monster Maroon Trek Culture Aidan here: Lindsay...Bruce McLean??? If you're going to reference Die Hard in my presence, you'd best get the name of the main character right... Lindsay here: And yet you sat across from me and listened with your own two ears and didn't correct me, so...check and mate.

Star Trek's first foray onto the big screen has experienced a recent reevaluation by fans, but what we wanted to know is how was it seen by original fans at the time of its release? Lucky for us we have a pair of OG fans in the family -- so today we're welcoming Aidan's parents to the podcast to talk all about that original experience in all its glory! Episode Sponsor: Kivas Fajo's Toy Emporium Bicks Log: We bypassed today's debate in the interest of sparing our guests! Notes: After looking through the depths of the internet, we couldn't find any specific release history for The Animated Series in Canada, which may explain why today's special guests never heard of it until recently. Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls

After one of the most competitive polls in our short lived Twitter campaign (which, if you don't follow us there, we're likely abandoning soon), this watchalong came down to a coin toss, followed by a unilateral decision to negate the coin toss entirely. The result is our watchalong with The Lorelei Signal, one of the better Animated Series episodes, and the only one to feature (acting) Captain Uhura! It's a short episode this week, so hope you all enjoy! Notes and Recognitions: Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls 

This episode is about one of the least known shows in Star Trek, but one we thoroughly enjoyed. The Animated Series holds a special place in Star Trek history, as a bridge between TOS and the films, and also as the first series to truly be freed from the constraints of what was possible to film in a live action series. The result is a strange, sometimes silly/sometimes serious batch of episodes that feel truly unique. Join us for a talk about what brought the series to fruition, what makes it so unique, and our talk about whether it's worth your time as a Trekkie (spoiler alert: we think so!). Episode Sponsor: The Vulcan Science Institutes Atomic Alarm Clock for Children (or VSIAACC for short). Help keep your youthful, impetuous and overly-emotional Vulcan child in check with this chronologically indestructible clock! Get one today! Bicks Log: Does The Animated Series stand on its own as a distinct product, or is it merely the much-vaunted fourth season of The Original Series? Notes: Be sure to check out the

This time our lovely Twitter voters (follow us on there if you want to decide future watchalongs!) chose one of Aidan's all-time favourite Trek episodes "The Tholian Web" to enjoy alongside you, dear listeners! In one of the few high points of Season 3, this episode had it all: a great sci-fi premise, interesting character moments, and most importantly, a break for dear William Shatner. Join us to hear every inane thought about the episode that enters our heads, including our takes on just why the USS Defiant glowed green, and what makes this episode work so well among all TOS standouts.  Notes and Recognitions: Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls 

If you've ever wondered what frustration sounds like - congratulations, you've found it in this episode of The Bicks Do Star Trek! Season 3 of The Original Series is one of the more frustrating seasons in Star Trek history - for producers, writers, actors, and even the creator - and that frustration seeps into the episodes themselves, and by conduit, your hosts. In a season filled with episodes that pale in comparison to what came before, we found a few nuggets of joy and a whole lot of... other nuggets. Join us for a chat about why these episodes fail to impress, the few highlights we could pull out, and the numerous specific problems *cough*sexism*cough* that plague the show this year. Also a brief chat about the production and what the potential legacy of the show could have looked like if this was indeed the final piece of Star Trek to ever exist. Episode Sponsor: Eden's Enterprises! Whatever joyous road you're taking, man, you can get there with Eden's Enterprises! Bicks Log: With the crew on light duty

In which we sit down and watch through the classic Season 2 episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" with you, dear listeners! So cue it up and boldly go with us as we learn about just why, in fact, the Klingons and the Tribbles have such a rich history of animosity...(jk we don't know why and no one ever really explains it in this episode, it's just a thing that is and we have to learn to accept it...) We look forward to more watchalongs in the future, and will probably be having semi-regular polls to help us decide which episodes to cover in our watchalongs on our Twitter, so follow us there and please do let us know if there's an episode you'd love to watch with us! Notes and Recognitions: Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls   

In this foray into pretty well known, we're examining the second season of The Original Series in all its didactic glory. Whether your joy is faraway trips to places that feel very much like home, or a few light-hearted romps through the less serious parts of the galaxy, the second season has a lot to offer, and a fair bit for us to talk about. So sit back (or walk, or commute, or do whatever you want really we're not your parents) and listen in as we chat about the second season of Star Trek. Today's Sponsor: Mudd's Emporium! If you're looking for the very latest in HoloSuite technology, look no further than the HoloHeaven 3000, available exclusively through Mudd's Emporium. Don't forget to tell them Harry sent you! Bicks Log: Today we discussed which style of episode best fits Star Trek as a whole: the serious, deep, sci-fi or character heavy ones, or the lighthearted, comedic ones that have a bit more fun with the possibilities of a sci-fi universe? Notes: For those who are not familiar with Sonic Screwdri

Friends of the podcast, welcome to something new from The Bicks. A watch along episode! Join us for a viewing of one of the most acclaimed Star Trek episodes of all time: The City on the Edge of Forever. As our first watch along, our apologies if it's a little rough, but we were just excited by the thought of plunging our voices into your eardrums as you watch an episode of Trek. So throw us on in the background and listen as we blabber about whatever comes to mind during one of our favourite episodes from TOS. We look forward to more watch alongs in the future, and will probably be having semi-regular polls to help us decide which episodes to cover in our watch alongs on our Twitter, so follow us there and please do let us know if there's an episode you'd love to watch with us!

...in which your stalwart Ensigns Aidan and Lindsay take you on a tour of Star Trek's very first blockbuster season. The one that started it all! Join us for a retrospective look at the origin of the series, the ups and downs of getting it on the air (with a little help from America's favourite redhead!), highlights and lowlights of the episodes and story arcs, as well as our... Episode Sponsor: Food Cubes! For the time conscious -- not necessarily the culinarily evolved -- among us, Food Cubes are the perfect way to efficiently fill your nutritional needs! Try "Food Coobs" today! Bicks Log: Who is the best villain from The Original Series? Notes and Recognitions: Mea culpas: "The City on the Edge of Forever" was the second-last episode of the first season, not the last. Silly us! Definitely check out The Center Seat docuseries about Star Trek -- narrated by Gates McFadden! -- which is available on Crave (in Canada) and Amazon Prime and Apple TV. We cannot recommend Rowan J Coleman's Star Trek retrospective s

Earth date September 8, 2022. Happy Star Trek Day to one and all! To commemorate this once-a-year occasion, we'd like to welcome listeners both new and old to this podcast with a (re)introduction to The Bicks. After plumbing the depths of Mark Frost and David Lynch, then William Shakespeare, we're back to talk about Star Trek in all its many forms: the TV series, the films, the universe, and the fandom. This episode we go over our personal history and experiences with Trek, talk about what you can expect in our podcast, and what we may do a little differently compared to other podcasts. Join us for the first of many discussions to come! Episode Sponsor: Holonovels R Us - Don't forget to use Promocode "BicksPod" to get your already free holonovels for more free! Bicks Log: We decided to start off easy with a simple question that has not preoccupied anyone's thoughts at all on the internet: who is Star Trek's greatest captain? Notes and Recognitions: Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music Outro Music: Idle Hand

We've always appreciated the saying, "Save the Best for Last" and we followed it for this Shakespeare podcast. Nothing may draw more interest in the popular imagination of Shakespeare than whether or not he was actually the author of the works ascribed to him. So we wanted to send off our little podcast with a big topic: who was Shakespeare, if it wasn't Shakespeare? Notes: The Wikipedia master list of possible Shakespeare authorship candidates is... exhaustive. If you wonder why we say "Apparently" the way we do... And if you wonder why we say "To be fair" the way we do... Abel Lefranc was more a historian than a writer, to be faaaaiiiiir... The SCTV classic skit "The Adventures of Shake and Bake" is a nice parting gift from us to you - a bit of authorship question, a bit of pop culture, a bit of Canadiana. With love from Aidan and Lindsay. Ancient Bickerings: If Shakespeare wasn't the author of Shakespeare's works - who would you want it to be?

“Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and Are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.” In almost every way this play is Shakespeare's swan song, and a heartfelt goodbye to his time spent crafting entertainment and poetry for the people of London. Consequently, the play is very concerned with legacies, family, time, supremacy, and - perhaps most interestingly of all - colonialism. Despite being one of Shakespeare's shortest and most easily accessible plays, it manages to jam pack a whole lot of thought into the topics it does weave its magic on, so join us for a discussion about all things The Tempest in this, our final episode devoted to Shakespe

The incomparably funny and poignant comedian Hannah Gadsby said it best: “This adoration of the artist as a lone genius is quite misled, I think, because they are very much a part of their time and their community.” Sometimes we all need a community. Whether it’s because our own expertise has fallen short or because two heads are better than one, no one among us can say that we are perfectly capable of living life without the help of our friends. Not even William Shakespeare. Join us as we examine Shakespeare's Apocrypha, a series of plays, poems, and other writings variously attributed to the Bard as well as a whole host of other Tudor/Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists. It's a veritable who's-who of the extended theatre community to which Shakespeare undoubtedly would have belonged in late 16th/early 17th century London, which leads us to question: just how many people had a hand in writing the Shakespearean canon? Along the way, we'll explain some of the handwriting analysis and stylometry results tha

Another problem/romance play, Cymbeline is noteworthy most of all for its intricate, multi-layered plot, and one of the bard's most noteworthy heroines in Imogen. Unlike the famous tragedies or better known comedies (but very much like his other later plays), this one is marked by the refusal to commit to any grand sweeping statement of the human condition beyond, maybe, "It's complicated." Join us as we explore the plot, characters, and themes of this late Shakespearean play! Notes: Lorenna McKennitt's Cymbeline is quite pretty and Lindsay's origin story for why she loves this play so much. Lindsay referenced a Public Theater NY discussion about Cymbeline and Imogen. Why? Ancient Bickerings: Which one of the many, many liars in the play, is the most dastardly?

Much like many of our modern stories, Shakespeare used the family as the core of many of his tales, so we dove into the many vagaries of families in Shakespeare's plays to see what made them tick. What was the family "supposed" to look like in Elizabethan times, and how did Shakespeare play with that idea? Which plays feature the most damaged families, and which ones, if any, feature the happy variety? Join us for a glance at the wide variety of familial creations in the Shakespeare ouvre. Notes: Aidan was thinking of this little snippet of Back to the Future 2, for his speech about the lord of the manor, which is set in 2015 but is still vaguely futuristic (hence why he confused it with Fifth Element, set in the 23rd century, totally understandable of course). To Aidan's utter amazement, there's actually a more involved back story to the famous "Abed has a subplot that doesn't get any screentime" bit from Community. Watch the whole story unravel on YouTube at your convenience. It was Nora Ephron and it w

If you ever travel to England (or live there), you'll know there's a lot of Shakespeare places to go and see, in particular around his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. As far as tourist sites go, they're basically what you'd expect. But for a pair of English language/history/literature nerds, they're a bit more interesting. Visiting the Globe to see a Shakespeare play as it was written to be performed for yours truly wasn't just a cool part of a trip to London, it was a pilgrimage. Notes: The picture of Shakespeare's birthplace with the working roads directly in front of it is available through Wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Shakespeare_-Birthplace_-England-8.jpg#/media/File:William_Shakespeare_-Birthplace_-England-8.jpg  King Edward VI School was where Shakespeare attended school - Lindsay got there eventually. Ancient Bickerings: This episode we revisited our recurring "let's time travel Shakespeare to the modern day" idea, and asked: which Shakespeare site would you like t