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.)

11:59.

The year 1999 brought us the Y2K bug, Will Smith sampling The Clash, and the Newmannium. It also brought us The Millennium Gate and the story of Captain Janeway’s great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother in the uniquely named “11:59.” In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Matthew Rushing to discuss this tale set in Indiana at the dawn of the 21st century, how the family story of Shannon O’Donnell inspired Kathryn Janeway, and the importance of finding solid relationships, letting go, and charting new courses into the future.

In news we talk about which series fans told StarTrek.com they’d most like to see next on Blu-ray, Jonathan Frakes’s desire for the TNG cast to reunite in a future J.J. Abrams movie, and an onslaught of Star Trek Into Darkness news. What do we know about John Harrison—and is that really his name? What is Alice Eve’s take on Carol Marcus? Will J.J. Abrams’s involvement in Star Trek be limited to a trilogy? Why did Abrams tell MTV that this movie was not made for Star Trek fans? And what connection does Smaug the Dragon have to the detonation of the fleet and all it stands for? Step into The Ready Room and find out.

Waltz.

From the beginning of Deep Space Nine, the futures of Sisko and Dukat were intertwined. Beginning as a standoff between two commanding officers on different sides of a conflict, this dance evolved into a standoff between two sides in a spiritual endgame. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Gwen Maddison and Ben McCormick to discuss the story that set Sisko and Dukat off on their final journeys to the Fire Caves. We also debate whether or not the Federation failed Dukat and if he is truly evil, as Sisko maintains.

In news we cover the fluctuating price of TNG Season 2 on Blu-ray, familiar faces on Broadway, QMX’s new Communicator badge, updates to CBS’s PADD app for iOS, a new Enterprise-D book from Mike and Denise Okuda, and lots of talk about the Star Trek Into Darkness teaser trailer.

Q Who.

By the end of TNG’s first season, the writers wanted to unveil a new enemy that would do for this new show what the Klingons had done for the original. But the roll-out, intended for “The Neutral Zone,” didn’t quite happen and we had to wait until halfway through the second season to meet the menace that would come to define much of modern Star Trek: The Borg. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by our Managing Editor Charlynn Schmiedt and our TOS Editor Drew Stewart to discuss the story that introduced the Drone, the Cube, and the mysterious double-claw self defense posture.

In news we cover Greg’s experience at the TNG Season Two theatrical event, Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton on Attack Of the Show, the decommissioning of the aircraft carrier Enterprise, and the official synopsis for Star Trek Into Darkness, including our theory on who the actual villain is—and it’s not who you think.

I, Mudd.

Who doesn’t love rolling around in the Mudd? Norman certainly doesn’t mind, as we find out in the second-season episode “I, Mudd.” It was our second visit with Harcourt Fenton… but was it the last? In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by our TOS Editor Drew Stewart and Jennie Zell of Dork Trek and the Mouthy Broadcast to discuss this episode along with how Harry Mudd fits into the the larger Star Trek universe.

In news we cover the latest additions to Star Trek Las Vegas 2013, Starfleet threads for your top and bottom, a new way to carry around your Data, and we play with the holiday update to Shatoetry. Plus we discuss some of the many hippy laws on the Planet of Galactic Peace and why, if you live there, you’re forced to join a biker gang.

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 Search for Spock.

Nestled between the relentless vengeance of Khan and the near destruction of Earth at the flippers of whales is an emotional nugget whose power is often overlooked. Star Trek III suffers from the middle-child syndrome, but it highlights the relationships between the crew of the USS Enterprise in a way rarely seen. It also planted the seeds for many of things we now take for granted in later incarnations of the franchise. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Larry Nemecek to discuss The Search for Spock, why many of the creative decisions in the film were made, and why Starfleet wishes some captains could learn to stop oversharing over subspace.

In news we cover the La-La Land Records 10th anniversary celebration, the addition of Star Trek to Hulu, the Enterprise Blu-ray cover art, Anthony Montgomery’s new film project Chariot, the trouble with Tribble slippers, Spock oven mitts, Star Trek Into Darkness and Dolby Atmos, and we speculate on just what Star Trek could bring to Angry Birds.

Bride of Chaotica!

Star Trek is littered with episodes that revolve around the holodeck. But few holodeck programs have been as much pure fun as Tom Paris’s Captain Proton. Having been introduced in Voyager’s fifth-season premiere, “Night,” The Adventures of Captain Proton gave birth to a black-and-white romp through the world of 1930s’ sci-fi B-movies. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Matthew Rushing to discuss the centerpiece of Voyager’s Captain Proton series, “Bride of Chaotica.” We also reveal a few things you may not have known about the holodeck.

In news we cover the TNG Blu-ray price drop, the winter 2012 issue of Star Trek Magazine, ThinkGeek’s Trek Socks, the latest entries Hive and Ongoing comics from IDW, and we play with the new “Shatoetry” app. We also explore which series had the best overall music. You might even find a Star Wars reference of two.

Equilibrium.

From the beginning we knew that, as a joined species, Jadzia Dax was different. Bit by bit we learned more about the path that she had followed to become joined, and about the symbiont inside her. We learned about her previous host, Curzon, and debated whether one host could be held liable for the actions of past hosts. Then, in season three, we took a deeper look at the past lives of Dax beginning with “Equilibrium,” a story that explored how repressed memories can affect Trill and the truth behind the selection process. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Mike Schindler and Max Hegel of Commentary Track Stars to discuss “Equilibrium,” the concept of the Trill, and the story’s unusual genesis.

In news we remember Winrich Kolbe and cover a new world record for costumes set at Destination Star Trek London, the TNG Season Two theatrical event, typographic art prints from Generation Gallery, Trek Tones for your iOS device, and we debate which series would make the best movies. Plus, we reveal the truth about what has happened to Greg.

Lower Decks.

As The Next Generation wrapped up its TV run with the season of family—also known as Season 7—we finally got to see the inner workings of the Enterprise crew in the episode “Lower Decks.” It was a glimpse into the daily lives of the people Q would refer to as Picard’s Little Minions. It also marked the return of a familiar face—Sito Jaxa—and revealed the circumstances of her ultimate demise. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by our Managing Editor Charlynn Schmiedt, Dork Trek’s Ben McCormick, and Michael Fisher to discuss “Lower Decks,” the process of crew evaluations, and how to get a service job on a cruise ship… we mean starship.

In news we cover the remastered Star Trek: Generations soundtrack from GNP Crescendo, Syfy UK’s plans to air TNG in HD, the Star Trek Online Azure Nebula Rescue event, and some movie news and rumours—including the great Facebook hoax. Plus we determine which one of us is Garak and which is Quark.