First Flight.

Archer’s involvement in Starfleet’s NX project was key to his ultimate assignment as captain of the Enterprise—and to seeing his father’s work through to completion. Beyond the test flights themselves, the journey through the ups and downs of the project shaped the leader Archer became. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Matthew Rushing and Colin Higgins to discuss “First Flight” and how the competition with fellow Commander A.G. Robinson changed the way Archer approached life. We also talk about how the NX program influenced Archer’s view of Vulcans, how he met Trip, and how the origin of the Starfleet School of Fashion’s Admiral Uniform Modification Program can be traced back to this episode.

In news we look at the new trailers for “The Best of Both Worlds” and Enterprise Season One Blu-rays, the Shatoetry Valentine’s update, new KRE-O toys from Hasbro, and how Pine and Cumberbatch are trying to seduce you from Entertainment Weekly’s new Star Trek Into Darkness covers. Plus, we reveal the surprising identity of the character Cumberbatch is actually playing in the new film.

The Forge.

The tenuous nature of Human-Vulcan relations was the foundation upon which Enterprise was built. And while those relations evolved over the course of the series, they took a turn for the worse in the fourth-season episode “The Forge.” The bombing of Earth’s embassy on Vulcan propelled Archer and his crew into the middle of a struggle between the government and a religious group known as the Syrranites. In this episode of The Ready Room we are joined by Kathryn Brihan and James Moorhouse to discuss “The Forge” and the exploration of one of basic tenets of Vulcan society.

In news we cover the release date and pre-order bonuses for the Abramsverse Star Trek console game for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, Brannon Braga’s call for fan input on Enterprise Blu-ray extras, Data’s appearance in a new GE commercial, and lots of Star Trek Into Darkness news—including an incredibly new synopsis from Paramount! (Well, okay, maybe it’s pretty much the same as before.)

Similitude.

About halfway through the Xindi arc, Enterprise took a break the search for the weapon and presented a story that was very traditional Star Trek. In exploring the ethical quandary of creating life simply to harvest tissue from it, Enterprise did what Star Trek does at its best. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Doug Mirabello and José Muñoz to discuss this episode, “Similtude,” how it represents a turning point for the series by planting the seeds of Manny Coto’s influence, and how it fits into the overall Xindi arc.

In news we cover a TNG 25th Anniversary lithograph from Bye Bye Robot, new collectibles and reissues from Diamond Select, the danger real-life warp drive could pose to planets, the results of another series preference poll, and some movie news and rumours. Could we be seeing the end of Quinto’s Spock?

The Andorian Incident.

The launch of Enterprise marked the return of one of Star Trek’s favourite aliens—the Andorians. After four appearances on The Original Series, the Andorians were rarely seen. We caught glimpses twice each in TAS, TNG, and the TOS films. Then nothing. But Enterprise took the Andorians and made them a cornerstone of the 22nd century storyline with 16 appearances led by one of Star Trek’s greatest actors, Jeffrey Combs. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by our TOS editor Drew Stewart and Ben McCormick of Dork Trek and Playing Doctor to discuss the triumphant return of our blue-skinned friends in “The Andorian Incident.”

In news we discuss Ronald D. Moore’s thoughts on a new Star Trek series, the Star Trek Renegades Kickstarter, confirmation of Enterprise and the possibility of DS9 on Blu-ray, our impressions of the first issue of Brannon Braga’s Hive comic, and some movie news & rumours… including a very special exclusive. 

Twilight.

The reset button is one of Star Trek’s favorite—and most despised—devices; but sometimes it’s just what a storyline is calling for. For the third season of Enterprise the studio decided to take us on a season-long journey into the unknown, into a region known as The Expanse. The Earth-Xindi conflict was a big risk for Star Trek. Creating such an extensive story in Star Trek’s past, involving a race no one had ever heard of, could be considered thumbing one’s nose at canon. Getting fans invested in the outcome of the conflict was no easy task. The solution? An intentional reset button early in the arc that allowed us to see how high the stakes were. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Hyperchannel host Tristan Riddell to discuss this reset button and the episode “Twilight.”

In news we cover the American debut of Star Trek Catan, new Star Trek toys and collectibles from Diamond Select, and we look at IDW’s “The Truth About Tribbles” as well as some Movie News and Rumours—including Benedict Cumberbatch’s boredom over the Khan question and Chris Pine’s decision to really do his job on the Star Trek sequel. Plus we speculate on Tribble starship design and Greg dispenses deep insights into the American sports ball. 

In a Mirror, Darkly.

When it launched, there was great promise that Enterprise would build a bridge between our own time and the world of TOS. And while that never really happened, the fourth season brought us the most extensive look at the 23rd century since the original crew left the big screen. With the two-part “In a Mirror, Darkly,” Manny Coto, Mike Sussman, and the Enterprise creative team poured all of their love for The Original Series into a sequel to “The Tholian Web.” The results were visually amazing, but the story itself didn’t quite reach the same heights. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Michael Fisher and Brian Finifter to discuss the good and the bad of “In a Mirror, Darkly.”

In news we cover Neil deGrasse Tyson and whether the orginal 1701 is the best starship ever created, the TNG Season One Blu-ray price drop and the preview of Season Two, the launch of Star Trek Online Season 6: Under Siege, Hallmark’s 2012 and 2013 Star Trek ornaments, and we delve into the Star Trek 2013 title debate and try to figure out just what “reservation” J.J. is keeping the cast and crew on.

Soong’s Augments.

The Eugenics Wars are one of those elements from Star Trek history that we’ve learned very little about despite their extreme importance. This great conflict from the 1990s, triggered by genetic engineering, exerted great influence on the development of human society and the Federation. It brought us Khan, World War III, and the controversy behind Dr. Bashir’s enhancement.

During its fourth season, Enterprise revisited the Eugenics Wars and their aftermath in a three-part arc comprised of “Borderland,” “Cold Station 12,” and “The Augments.” Spanning the years from Khan’s rule over Asia and the Middle East to Dr. Arik Soong’s continuation of the genetic engineering experiment, this story fills in much of the unknown story. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Michael Fisher and Dork Trek’s Ben McCormick to discuss the arc’s connection to TOS and The Wrath of Khan, along with Brent Spiner’s guest appearance and the evolution of Enterprise’s approach to storytelling. 

In news we cover Malcolm McDowell’s Star Trek rant, Captain Picard Day celebrations, IDW’s September releases, Brannon Braga’s new Borg comic series “Hive,” Star Trek Online’s No-Win Scenario event, and lots of movie news and rumors. Plus Greg and Chris get new unexpected hybrid-animal nicknames. 

Minefield.

As a prequel series Enterprise had to walk a fine line. Balancing the desire to create backstories with maintaining established canon was no easy task. So when the second season rolled around and the NX-01 encountered Romulans it was important that our crew did not actually see these unknown aliens. To do so would have ruined the big reveal in “Balance of Terror.” In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Down In Front’s Brian Finifter to talk about the Enterprise episode “Minefield,” how the Romulans were handled, and what the episode is really about.

In news we cover Destination Star Trek London and the planned meeting of the five captains, Five Year Mission’s birthday tribute to George Takei, Shatner dining with his millionth Twitter follower, Bryan Fuller’s view of Star Trek on TV post 2013, and some news that’s erupting about the next J.J. movie. 

Carbon Creek.

Everyone knows that first contact occurred in Montana on April 5, 2063. Or at least that’s what the history books tell us. But is it really true? Enterprise kicked off its sophomore season by ruffling the feathers of many canon purists with the story of an earlier first contact between humans and Vulcans. In this story, which T’Pol tells Archer and Trip over dinner, the first encounter between these two founding races of the Federation took place in 1947, in Pennsylvania. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Michael Fisher as we discuss the episode “Carbon Creek,” its place in canon, and how it is an excellent example of Star Trek’s exploration of social issues.

In news we cover new fine art prints from Bye Bye Robot, new Star Trek goods for your kitchen, Intrada’s extended Star Trek VI soundtrack release, STO’s “The 2800,” John Tenuto’s March events celebrating Ricardo Montalban and Khan, and some mysterious happenings in London. 

These Are the Voyages…

Enterprise was a series that was often misunderstood and was cancelled before its time. Under the guidance of Manny Coto, the fourth season saw the series finding solid footing as a TOS prequel. Bit by bit we were building toward the founding of the Federation and setting up Kirk’s era. Sadly they ran out of time and hastily ended the series with a very misguided finale titled “These Are the Voyages…” also known as the 177th episode of TNG. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss the Enterprise finale, which has been explained as an intended “valentine” to Star Trek.

In news we look at the upcoming HeroClix Star Trek edition, Star Trek Online Free-to-Play details and changes to the game’s economy, the possible cancellation of Star Trek Infinite Space, Carrie Fisher’s response to William Shatner on Star Trek vs. Star Wars, Google+, and we preview two tracks from Five Year Mission’s upcoming album Year Two.