The Ready Room: A Star Trek Podcast (Discovery)

Adil Hussain interview.

We’ve all lived through extraordinary times over the past year, and we’re still trying to find our way back to the world we remember. The same can be said for Michael Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery after their jump from the 23rd to the 32nd century. In both cases, catastrophe turned life upside down. But when Burnham finally came in contact with remnants of the Federation she had left behind, she met a man of extraordinary patience, Aditya Sahil, who embodied all the ideals of Starfleet and Gene Roddenberry’s vision.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek are joined by the man who portrayed Sahil—Adil Hussain—for a somewhat different episode as we take a look at a real-world crisis and how we can help those in need. Adil joins us from his home in New Delhi to talk about the Covid-19 situation in India, the art of acting and what inspired his portrayal of Sahil, as well as Star Trek and entertainment as a coping mechanism during difficult times. He also shares thoughts on how we might reach that more prosperous future that Gene Roddenberry envisioned.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Covid Situation in India (00:03:34)
How You Can Help (00:16:28)
Patience (00:23:38)
Entertainment as Remedy (00:40:17)
Shooting the Discovery Scenes (00:47:38)
Creating Sahil’s Backstory (01:02:13)
Finding Adil (01:09:17)
Closing (01:21:21)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Guests
Adil Hussain

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer)

Direct download: trr-231.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 5:55am MDT

Looking Back at Discovery Season Three.

When Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery emerged from their Red Angel-created wormhole into the 32nd century, things didn’t go quite as planned. Terralysium was not in the neighborhood and temporal wackiness left Michael and the ship a year apart. But once reunited, they set off on a grand adventure to find what was left of the Federation. They also had to solve an unexpected mystery: the cause of a disaster that put an end to the carefree days of easy faster-than-light travel.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek sit back in their programmable-matter lounge chairs and reflect on Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, discussing how the story played out compared with what we expected, how we feel about key plot points, and how it all fits into the overall Star Trek picture. We also look ahead to Season 4 and speculate on what the writers might have is store for us.

Chapters
Intro 00:00:00
Story Expectations 00:06:20
Programmable Matter Rabbit Hole 00:11:05
Detached Nacelles 00:22:03
Serialization Settling In 00:31:45
Unification III 00:37:20
Bopping Around 00:40:19
A Screaming Resolution 00:44:56
Identity and Found Families 00:55:05
The Past Is the Light 01:00:48
Look Beyond the Season 01:10:15
Georgiou’s Detour 01:15:36
Die Trying 01:41:50
Getting Out of the Head 01:45:48
Expectations for Season Four 01:51:48
Closing 02:01:49

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer)

Direct download: trr-230.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 5:15am MDT

Discovery Season 3 preview.

The third season of Star Trek: Discovery is finally here after a pandemic-induced delay. At least we didn’t have to wait 930 years. That’s how much time has passed for most people when the crew of the USS Discovery arrives in the Beta Quadrant after their jump to put the sphere data permanently out of reach of Section 31’s Control AI. This temporal shift—along with a new logo—represents a reboot of sorts for the series going into its third season.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek get ready for their trip to the 32nd century by discussing the premise of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, what the episode titles may reveal about the story, potential real world parallels, the addition of transgender and binary characters, and more. But first we discuss Kate Mulgrew’s return to the franchise as Kathryn Janeway.

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer)

Direct download: trr-229.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 10:20pm MDT

Looking Back at Discovery Season Two.

It never happened. Or so they say. But we watched it with our own eyes, and so talk about it we must. The second season of Star Trek: Discovery started off with a decidedly old-school flavor before taking us on a search for Spock and a mind-bending trip through time.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek look back at Star Trek: Discovery’s sophomore mission as we discuss everything from the Burnham-centric nature of the universe and the use of Section 31 to the power of Pike and the fan–writer feedback loop; and, of course, the battle for attention among magical rocks.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
First Impressions (00:04:55)
Name That Episode! (00:10:10)
Too Many Arcs? (00:11:53)
Season 1 vs. 2 (00:16:14)
Can Every Season Be About Burnham? (00:24:25)
Unintended Pike Spike? (00:33:56)
The Not-So-Secret Section 31 (00:42:51)
The Production–Consumption Gap (00:50:42)
Fast, Old-School Start … and Then … (00:54:09)
Alien Nation (00:57:49)
Other Strong Moments (01:01:17)
But Time Crystals Are Real! (01:04:46)
I’ll Raise You a Katra Stone (01:09:16)
Spocklight and Shadows (01:12:49)
Adding True Texture to Spock’s Story? (01:16:42)
Mum’s the Word! (01:26:34)
Spore Drive Misjumps (01:30:10)
Who’s That Airiam? (01:46:08)
Production Bits and Writers’ Room Churn (01:53:10)
Final Thoughts … Lots of Them! (02:05:56)
Closing (02:23:34)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Direct download: trr-222.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 7:12pm MDT

Future Trek.

As Star Trek: Discovery returns for its second season, the ball is just starting to roll toward what could be a new golden age for the franchise. Shorts Treks have shown how versatile Star Trek can be, and a whole slew of new projects are either in production, preparing to start, or under series consideration. In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek ride a subspace shockwave through a list of Star Treks to come, sharing their thoughts on Discovery season two, Short Treks, the return of Jean Luc Picard, Lower Decks and more possible animation, Georgiou and Section 31, Starfleet Academy, a Khan miniseries, and the slow demise of the Kelvin Timeline.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Discovery Season Two (00:04:47)
Short Treks (00:25:52)
The Picard Series (00:39:01)
Lower Decks (00:54:05)
More Animation (00:58:01)
The Section 31 Series (01:02:38)
Starfleet Academy (01:12:51)
The Khan Miniseries (01:19:26)
The Demise of Star Trek 4 (01:26:12)
Closing (01:37:37)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Direct download: trr-221.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 8:26am MDT

Patrick Stewart’s Return, Kelvin Trouble, and Discovery Changes.

Few characters in Star Trek history are as widely loved as Captain Jean Luc Picard. When the final credits of Nemesis rolled in December 2002, fans thought they had seen the last of the The Next Generation’s inspirational leader. So, when Patrick Stewart took the stage at this year’s Las Vegas convention—nearly 16 years after after he strolled down the corridor of the Enterprise one last time for viewers to see—no one imagined that he would reveal a return to the franchise. But that’s exactly what we’re getting. Set 20 years after Nemesis, a new Star Trek television series will feature none other than Jean Luc Picard.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek share their thoughts on the announcement—including Larry’s firsthand impressions from the floor of STLV—and discuss some of the other big news, including production troubles with the next JJ Abrams Kelvin Timeline film as Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth walk away from the table over money, the release of Star Trek: Discovery season one on Blu-ray and DVD, and what we see as the maturation of CBS’s approach to Star Trek. We also dig into some of the big revelations about and changes coming to Discovery in season two, such as the return of Doctor Culber, appearances by Captain Pike and Spock, retconning uniforms, and, of course, another redesign of the Klingons.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Impressions from Star Trek Las Vegas (00:02:53)
Patrick Stewart Returns (00:20:55)
The Maturation of CBS (00:42:59)
The Picard Creative Team (00:49:48)
Chrises Cause Trouble for Star Trek 4 (00:56:53)
Discovery on Blu-ray and DVD (01:10:15)
Discovery Season 2: Culber Returns (01:19:32)
Discovery Season 2: Pike and Spock (01:23:08)
Discovery Season 2: Adjusting the Retcon (01:23:08)
Discovery Season 2: Redesigning Klingons, Yet Again (01:19:32)
Closing (01:51:33)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Direct download: trr-220.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 7:25am MDT

The Expansion of Star Trek.

When CBS announced in November 2015 that Star Trek would return to television, we all celebrated the light at the end of the tunnel. The fallow years were coming to an end and, soon, the voyages of our future selves would continue where they belong: on the small screen. But details were scarce, and it took some time before we knew what to expect. Almost three years later, we find ourselves in a similar position—only this time what may be coming our way is not just a new series or movie, but a tsunami of new content.

In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek
discuss some of the recent news surrounding the Star Trek franchise, including award nominations and wins for Discovery, the shake-up among that show’s producers and writers, the possible return of Patrick Stewart, and Alex Kurtzman’s new deal with CBS, what it could mean for the studio’s plans to greatly expand the franchise, and whether they should. But before all that, we take time to look back at Harlan Ellison and his contributions to Star Trek and the genre.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Remembering Harlan Ellison (00:03:44)
Discovery Awards and Nominations (00:19:18)
Producer Shake-up (00:33:47)
Kurtzman’s Five-Year Mission (00:45:48)
Expansion of the Star Trek Franchise (00:52:36)
The Star Wars Rethink? (00:59:48)
The Return of Patrick Stewart (01:09:48)
Closing (01:29:04)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Direct download: trr-219.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 3:38am MDT

Discovery Post-Premiere.

After nearly two years of waiting—and much speculation—we’re now well into the Star Trek: Discovery story. How does what we’ve seen compare to our expectations? What do we think of the writing and creative decisions so far?

In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek revisit some the topics from their last discussion—including an ancient Klingon secret, a unique Vulcan story, and the business side of Discovery—and explore new topics such as the storytelling format, technology, Section 31, how Discovery is connecting with past Star Trek, and whether these connections might change the fan conversation over whether The Animated Series and the literary universe are canon.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
The Business Side of Discovery (00:05:39)
Fall Season Extended (00:17:29)
Ancient Klingon Secret Revisited (00:22:46)
Sarek and Burnham’s Vulcan Adventure Revisited (00:45:12)
A Fourth Approach to Vulcans (00:55:47)
Future Debate About Canon (01:08:11)
Is Discovery a Section 31 Ship? (01:24:37)
Spore Drive and Iconian Gateways (01:32:21)
A Different Way of Telling a Story (01:39:40)
Closing (01:48:32)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Direct download: trr-216.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 10:02pm MDT

Star Trek: Discovery Latest Details and Summer Con Preview.

We’re just two months away from the launch of Star Trek’s seventh venture onto the small screen: Discovery. As summer heats up and convention season kicks into gear, news about the series, images from the set, and interviews with creators are bringing us new details and stirring the pot of speculation more feverishly than ever.

In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek get together to discuss some of the latest tidbits, including an ancient Klingon secret, a unique (or as Alex Kurtzman calls it a very, very unique) Vulcan story, Riker on the set, the business side of Discovery, and much more. Plus, we make an exciting announcement about the Trek.fm podcast network.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Star Trek: Discovery Premiere Schedule (00:05:12)
The Business Side of Discovery (00:13:27)
Ancient Klingon Secret (00:16:36)
Sarek and Burnham’s Vulcan Adventure (00:24:56)
Jonathan Frakes Directs Discovery (00:00:00)
Alex Kurtzman on Discovery’s Story (00:34:55)
Connecting to the Original Star Trek (00:39:11)
How Discovery Respects Canon (00:50:24)
Why We Still Need Roddenberry’s Vision (00:57:17)
Star Trek: Discovery and San Diego Comic-Con (01:02:21)
Star Trek Las Vegas 2017 (01:10:14)
A Network Announcement (01:23:39)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Direct download: trr-215.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 4:00am MDT

Star Trek: Discovery and a Look Back at 50.

The premiere of the next Star Trek series may be delayed, but there’s still plenty to talk about. In this episode of The Ready Room, host C Bryan Jones returns from medical leave and hops on mic with Larry Nemecek to discuss some of the news from the past eight months. Looking at Star Trek: Discovery, we delve into the time period, ships, stories, writers, characters, casting, production, delays … and imagine the return of a classic alien. We also recap some of the key moments from Star Trek’s 50th anniversary year and how we’re carrying the excitement into the 51st.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
About Chris’s Absence (00:00:59)
Star Trek: Discovery (00:08:39)
Star Trek: Discovery - Time Period (00:10:38)
Star Trek: Discovery - The Ships (00:12:28)
Star Trek: Discovery - Stories and Writers (00:21:40)
Star Trek: Discovery - Characters and Casting (00:25:00)
Star Trek: Discovery - Production and Delays (01:02:10)
Star Trek 50 - Conventions (01:17:46)
Star Trek 50 - Star Trek Beyond (01:20:36)
Star Trek 50 - Geek Nation Tours (01:24:12)
Star Trek 50 - From There to Here (01:28:14)
Star Trek 50 - The Roddenberry Vault (01:30:42)
Star Trek 50 - Portal 47 (01:38:07)
Star Trek 50 - Series Set Repackaging (01:42:40)
Closing (01:49:41)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Direct download: trr-211.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 8:37am MDT

208: Star Trek: Discovery, with Larry Nemecek

Breaking Down the Latest Details.

Bit by bit we’ve been learning what Bryan Fuller and CBS have in store for us when the seventh Star Trek series launches in January 2017. The initial reveal of the name and hints about the time period got fans talking, and then the reveal of the ship and a teaser turned up the heat. Now a batch of details, revealed by Fuller at CBS’s All Access panel for the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles, has set a flurry of speculation in motion.

In this special episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek join the crowd to break down 13 points about Star Trek: Discovery and what they might mean for the first new Star Trek on television in more than a decade.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
The Time Period and The Incident (00:09:27)
Amanda Grayson and Story Structure (00:15:46)
The Lead Character and Point of View (00:22:04)
Crew Diversity (00:26:38)
More Aliens! (00:29:36)
Robots! (00:38:35)
TOS Characters Return? (00:47:21)
The USS Discovery (00:52:07)
The Aesthetic of the Show (01:07:45)
Closing (01:24:17)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (News Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Feature Editor and Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Direct download: trr-208.mp3
Category:Discovery -- posted at: 6:27pm MDT

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