The Ready Room: A Star Trek Podcast
29: Rudolph In the Original Klingon

Remembering 2011.

The past 12 months have been busy for Star Trek despite the lack of original content on TV. Leonard Nimoy bid farewell to convention appearances, Star Trek Las Vegas saw an enourmous gathering and brought us a new World Record for fans in costume, IDW launched a new series of comics based on the Abramsverse, the gaming world was abuzz with activity, and let’s not forget about the Star Trek Light-up Feeding System. In this episode of The Ready Room we look back at 2011, remember those members of the Star Trek family who we lost this year, and look ahead to 2012.

In news we cover Star Trek and the holidays plus some movie news including the conversion from 2-D to 3-D, more casting including Bruce Greenwood as Pike, whether or not any Original Series cast members will appear, and our latest villain theory… it’s someone you’ll never expect. Along the way we take many detours and are paid a visit by a very unexpected guest.

Direct download: trr-029.mp3
Category:Special Features -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

28: The Search for Boots

The Undiscovered Country.

In 1991 we bid farewell to the voyages of the Enterprise and its original crew. In a film of heavy Cold War allegory, released just 26 days before the Soviet Union ceased to exist, we were given a final chance to spend time with the characters we had known as Star Trek for 25 years. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Larry Nemecek to discuss Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, how it worked as a sendoff for TOS, and how it started the Star Trek universe down the road to the world of TNG.

In news we cover Paramount’s plan to feature Star Trek in their 2012 Tournament of Roses float, George Takei’s foray into the Star Trek vs Star Wars feud, the release of the complete Voyage Home score, movie rumors, IDW’s first original Abramsverse content, and we’ll preview two more tracks off of Five Year Mission’s new album Year Two. Plus a character from a galaxy far, far away makes a surprise appearance on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Direct download: trr-028.mp3
Category:Movies -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

27: This Thing Can Blow. Stuff. Up.

The Search.

Deep Space Nine shaved the head in the Season Four premiere “The Way of the Warrior,” but the shears of change started trimming a season earlier. “The Search” is a title with many meanings. It’s Odo’s search for his people as well as the show’s search for its own identity. It’s the birth of the Dominion, the introduction of the Defiant, Ronald D. Moore’s debut on the writing team, the first Romulan involvement in the series, and so much more. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss the Season Three premiere and how it marks the beginning of DS9’s greatness.

In news we cover the 20th anniversary of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and recount our memories of the premiere, the Dodd’s Furniture Star Trek Mattress Commercial, movie news and rumors including Benicio Del Toro, Edgar Ramirez, Jordi Mollà, and KHAAAN!!!, the results of our Alice Eve poll, and we’ll preview two more tracks from Five Year Mission’s Year Two. Plus Greg teaches us what kind of sound the Prime Spock Probe makes.

Direct download: trr-027.mp3
Category:Deep Space Nine -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

26: Interns with Spears

The Galileo Seven.

Logic is good for a lot of things, but command may not be one of them. In the first season TOS episode “The Galileo Seven” we see Spock take command for the first time. The results almost get the crew killed, but this episode is an important turning point in the development of Spock’s character. It’s an episode that combines the best elements of The Original Series with the worst, and tosses it all at the viewer like giant spears. In this episode of The Ready Room we discusses “The Galileo Seven,” its importance in the growth of Spock, and how delightfully cheesy the execution of the script turned out to be. We also compare the new IDW Ongoing comic reimagining of the episode with its original TV version.

In news we cover the Trek Nation Director’s Log, TrekCore’s SD/HD Analysis of TNG Remastered, the new issue of Star Trek Magazine, Star Trek Online Season 5, movie rumors about Benicio Del Toro and Alice Eve, and we’ll preview two more tracks from Five Year Mission’s Year Two. Plus Greg does his imitation of Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard as Captain Kirk.

Direct download: trr-026.mp3
Category:The Original Series -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

25: Yorushi Gasig Bashiru Mashimash!!!

Five Year Mission: Year Two.

A collaboration of five Star Trek fans who endeavor to write and record a song for each of the episodes of The Original Series, Five Year Mission is a favorite of ours here at Trek.fm. Their first album, Year One, quickly rose to the top of our playlists over the past year, and the wait for Year Two has been a long one. On recent shows we’ve been previewing tracks from the new album and now we are pleased to bring you the band itself! In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Noah, Andy, Patrick, Mike, and Chris to discuss the making of Year Two and to give us live acoustic performances of four new tracks!

In news we cover the results of our Neelix Thanksgiving poll, new movie developments that are multiplying faster than Tribbles, a contest to win a walk-on roll on the next Star Trek movie, some details from Mike Okuda about the TNG Remastered project, and the Anovos Command Division TOS Dress replica. Plus Chris makes whale noises and Greg channels Riker from “The Icarus Factor.”

Direct download: trr-025.mp3
Category:Special Features -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

24: 7.1 Surround Sound Flute Action!

Past Tense.

Star Trek has often been prophetic, but few episodes have been more prophetic of today’s world than the DS9 two-parter “Past Tense.” Many parallels between the Occupy movement and the Sanctuary Districts of 2024 can be drawn, though it’s not necessarily a clear-cut comparison. Still this episode can come across as being “ripped from the headlines” today, despite that fact that it first aired in 1995 years ago. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss “Past Tense” and how it shows where we may be headed as the rift between the rich and poor in our society grows.

In news we cover new movie developments, more confirmed guests for Star Trek Las Vegas 2012, the second TNG HD trailer that shows some side-by-side comparison, Star Trek’s ten least-threatening villains, upcoming IDW Star Trek Ongoing comics, and we preview two more tracks from Five Year Mission’s “Year Two.”

Direct download: trr-024.mp3
Category:Deep Space Nine -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

23: Let's Blame It On the Cabbage

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.

Direct download: trr-023.mp3
Category:Enterprise -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

22: Jeri Ryan's Magic Bag of Catsuits

Scorpion.

As with TNG and DS9, Voyager reached a turning point at the end of its third season. The episode “Scorpion” brought several changes and new elements to the show that shaped the future direction of the journey through the Delta Quadrant. The Borg, Seven of Nine, and even internal conflict that had been missing from the show, all come together to help Voyager grow up a bit. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss “Scorpion” as well as the nature of Voyager before and after this turning point. In news we look at the possibility of Benicio Del Toro being cast as Star Trek’s next villain, tractor beams, The Captains on Netflix streaming, Star Trek potato heads, IDW’s Redshirt contest, Star Trek Ongoing #2, and we preview two tracks from Five Year Mission’s upcoming album Year Two. 

Direct download: trr-022.mp3
Category:Voyager -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

21: Docile Surrender Monkey

TNG Season Two.

After completing a successful first season The Next Generation continued to find its identity in season two despite a number of potential setbacks. The departure of Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher, a writers strike in Hollywood, and continuing struggles to emerge from the shadow of TOS put this new Star Trek series to the test. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss the good and the bad of TNG’s second season, and how it set up the greatness to come. In news we look at the Comikaze Expo, new names added to the roster for Star Trek Las Vegas 2012, Star Trek: The Exhibition at the St. Louis Science Center, Star Trek’s spookiest moments, and the state of Star Trek fiction and the Enterprise novels about the Romulan War. 

Direct download: trr-021.mp3
Category:The Next Generation -- posted at: 9:00pm MDT

20: Shaving the Head

The Way of the Warrior.

DS9 promised a new kind of Star Trek from the very start, yet the early seasons had more in common with the TNG method of storytelling than the rich and intricate Deep Space Nine we came to love. Just as TNG grew the beard with “The Best of Both Worlds,” so did DS9 with “The Way of the Warrior.” Shaving the head set DS9 on a course for greatness and its place as the most unique series in the Star Trek franchise. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss “The Way of the Warrior” and how it changed Deep Space Nine. In news we look at the official music video for William Shatner’s cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Five Year Missions “Errand of Mercy,” a comparison of Star Trek technology to real-world progress, Microsoft’s progress in holodeck technology, John de Lancie reading “The Raven,” and the Roddenberry Foundation’s $5 million dollar gift to the Gladstone Institutes for stem cell research. 

Direct download: trr-020.mp3
Category:Deep Space Nine -- posted at: 9:00pm MDT