Cause and Effect.

We’ve all been there. Something happens and we are overcome with nIb’poH, the feeling that we’ve done the same thing before; and we don’t mean last Tuesday. It’s what we humans calls déjà vu. Only with déjà vu it only seems that events have happened before. This was not the case when the Enterprise-D became trapped in a temporal causality loop while exploring the Typhon Expanse. For Picard and his crew, they really were experiencing the same events over and over. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Tristan Riddell and Michael Fisher as we discuss the thin script that became one of TNG’s most classic tales: “Cause and Effect.”

In news we cover big changes at the Nashville and Philly cons, TNG theatrical screenings and Blu-ray bonus material details, the ultimate release of the Star Trek: The Motion Picture soundtrack, an illustrated history of the Federation, new Trek jewelry from Vulcan Tourism, Star Trek 2013 shooting in Iceland, and action figures flying through space.

Vulcan’s Vengeance.

One of the most unexpected turn of events in the J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek was the destruction of Vulcan, one of the founding worlds of the Federation. The two-hour movie didn’t offer enough time to explore the repercussions of this event, but IDW has been expanding the Abramsverse in comic form through the Star Trek Ongoing series. Launched in autumn 2011, Star Trek Ongoing has mainly put an Abramsverse twist on classic TOS stories. That changed with issues #7 and #8. Titled “Vulcan’s Vengeance,” this two-part story plants the seeds for what could be a significant change in Vulcan philosophy in this alternate timeline. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Sean Tourangeau as we discuss this comic and the ideas that it explores. In addition to the comic itself we talk about the future of the Romulan-Federation relationship, the changing face of Vulcan, and the possibilities of a jump from paper to television.

In news we cover the DVD release of Trek Nation, a special Trek Nation event scheduled for San Diego Comic Con, the new Shuttle Service art poster and sticker set from Bye Bye Robot, teleportation breakthroughs in China, and a project to actually build the U.S.S. Enterprise. Plus we have lots of movies news and rumors, including all the Froyo you can eat. 

The State of Star Trek.

Over the course of 45 years Star Trek has had its ups and downs—from cancellation three years into the original five year mission to revival on the big screen, the birth of The Next Generation to the golden age of the 1990s, the fizzle of Enterprise to the J.J. Abrams reboot. Through it all Star Trek has remained a part of our lives in a way few things have. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Star Trek historian Larry Nemecek, and Trek veterans Doug Mirabello and Jose Munoz of Zero Room to discuss the current state of the franchise, where things are headed on the big screen, and what we might expect from Star Trek in the decades to come on television and beyond.

In news we cover the reunion of the full principal TNG cast at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, Geek Nation Tours: Exploring Trek Sites: Hollywood to Vegas with Larry Nemecek, and lots of news and rumors about the next movie including MTV News allegedly stumping Benedict Cumberbatch with a Star Trek quiz, Khan as the villain, and possible appearances by the Klingons and Leonard Nimoy. And we always remember two members of the Star Trek family who we lost over the past week, Joel Goldsmith and George Murdock. 

Amok Time.

Spock is normally cool and collected. But when the seven-year itch sets in all bets are off. The urge is strong in this one, and no amount of plomeek soup can stop the uncontrollable urge to return to Vulcan and mate. It all sounds a bit humorous, but in reality “Amok Time” is anything but funny. The second-season premiere of The Original Series serves up everything that’s great about TOS: the triumverate of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, serious social discussion, and our first real exploration of Vulcan culture. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Sean Tourangeau and Michael Fisher to discuss this fan favorite and its role in the foundation of Star Trek.

In news we cover the Walter Koenig Star Celebration, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise, autograph and photo pricing for Destination Star Trek London, the international premiere of Trek Nation, and some new rumors and speculation about the next J.J. Abrams movie. We even pay a visit to the local Home Depot. 

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. 

Threshold.

It’s been called the worst episode of Voyager, the worst episode of Star Trek, and elicited an a negative reaction from fans like few episodes ever have. Yes, it’s “Threshold,” a tale of fast times and lizard love. But is it really as bad everyone says? At the core there are interesting concepts of what it means the be human and of the nature of our existence. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Trek.fm Voyager editor and co-host of The Delta Quadrant Charlynn Schmiedt along with Trek News & Views host Colin Higgins to examine the good moments of “Threshold” as well as where it goes off the tracks.

In news we cover new details about the upcoming release of TNG on Blu-ray—including a release date, pricing, a new Crystalline Entity, and missing footage—plus a Tribble invasion of IDW comics, a sequel to “The Inner Light,” Vulcan Tourism’s transporter app, Scott Bakula’s thought on the cancellation of Enterprise, and some news about the next J.J. movie.

DS9 and The Mirror Universe.

Dark, sexy, and totally unsubtle. That’s the Mirror Universe. It’s a place where everything you know exists but things aren’t quite as you expect. First introduced in the TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror,” this universe dominated by an evil version of the Federation—the Terran Empire—is one of the most famous creations in Star Trek. Interestingly, however, this portion of Star Trek lives primarily not in TOS but rather in DS9. In this episode of The Ready Room we examine how Deep Space Nine brought us the sequel to “Mirror, Mirror” and how DS9 made this dark universe uniquely its own.

In news we cover new details about the upcoming Star Trek event in London, CBS nixing the plans by New Voyages and Norman Spinrad to produce “He Walked Among Us,” Phase II’s production of the original script for “The Child,” Chris Doohan’s casting as Scotty in Star Trek Continues, GNP Crescendo’s release of the complete score from Star Trek: First Contact, the ThinkGeek inflatable Captain’s Chair, and George Takei on J.J. Abrams and original cast cameos. Plus a beloved Star Wars character makes a surprise appearance on The Ready Room. 

Sins of the Father.

Despite an early insistence that Original Series races not be used on The Next Generation, the Klingons became an integral part of TNG, and later DS9. This was of course due in part to Michael Dorn’s portrayal of Worf, but there is more to it than just that. By maturing the character of Worf and the show itself, the writers truly brought the Klingon culture to life. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Larry Nemecek to discuss the episode where it all started: “Sins of the Father.”

In news we cover IDW’s Redshirt contest (we have a winner!), the delay in Star Trek Ongoing #7, Patrick Stewart hosting the Peabody Awards, Leonard Nimoy on The Big Bang Theory, Geek Nation Tours, Vintage Movie Posters, and Movie News and Rumors. Plus, Greg gets locked in a broom closet. 

The Motion Picture.

It’s called “The Motionless Picture” by many, and spends its days and nights hanging out in the cellar along with Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. But there’s so much more to The Motion Picture than five-minute beauty passes, excessively revealing pastel uniforms, and a pace that would make a tortoise proud. Robert Wise’s cinematic take on Star Trek centers around an intriguing philosophical point and marked the resurrection that led to The Next Generation and all of modern Trek. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Michael Fisher as we discuss the good, the bad, and the just plain ridiculous of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

In news we cover Microsoft’s universal translator, upcoming IDW comics, Anthony Montgomery’s graphic novel Miles Away, and Jordan Hoffman’s top ten transporter moments. Plus we reveal our first-ever rejected Star Trek: The Motion Picture plot. 

Operation: Annihilate, IDW Comics, and Star Trek 2013.

The 2009 J.J. Abrams film set Star Trek on a new course, but did so with familiar characters. As Spock said in the film, “Whatever our lives might have been….our destinies have changed.” Under the guidance of Roberto Orci, IDW is exploring these new destinies in the Star Trek Ongoing comic series. What’s more, these comics have direct tie-ins to the next movie—called Star Trek 2 by many—scheduled for release in 2013. Clues to the plot and subplot are being placed in these new takes on classic episodes. But what are those clues? In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by John Tenuto and Sean Tourangeau as we discuss the TOS episode “Operation:Annihilate!” and its re-imaged storyline in the comics, along with what clues we are finding that give hints to what we’ll see in the next film.

In news we cover Muckle Mannequins’ life-sized Spock figure, a visual take on TNG Season 8 by Bad Machinery’s John Allison, the new animated parody “Stalled Trek: Amutt Time,” the Vanguard finale, and the musical collection “TNG: The Ron Jones Project.”