The Ready Room: A Star Trek Podcast
200: Five Years and Counting

Reflecting on The Ready Room and Star Trek.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the first episode of The Ready Room. Born of disaster, this show has evolved into a gathering place for the hosts of the network that grew up around it. The Trek.fm network has become an important part of the daily routine for many Star Trek fans, but there was a time when there was no network. There was just this show. So as we reach another milestone—200 episodes—we take a break from our usual format to quietly mark the occasion with a good friend who has been part of The Ready Room almost since the beginning: Larry Nemecek.

But first, we start with a bit of the history behind both The Ready Room and the network …

Chapters
The History of The Ready Room (00:00:00)
Larry Beams In (00:26:47)
Where Was the Franchise in 2011? (00:39:38)
Where We Are Now (00:54:31)
Star Trek’s Return to TV (01:02:25)
Five Years of The Ready Room (01:18:03)
The Changing Media Landscape (01:37:47)
Fandom Triumphs (01:50:05)
The Direction of the New Series (02:00:59)
Final Thoughts (02:16:22)

Host
C Bryan Jones

Guest
Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Direct download: trr-200.mp3
Category:Special Features -- posted at: 8:00am MDT

199: The Search for Pineapple

Silent Enemy.

Most aliens in Star Trek are presented in terms that the human mind can understand. The Klingons, the Romulans, even the Borg. We can make sense of their actions and motives. But in reality, new life that we meet out in space will have a lot less in common with us. Enterprise attempted to address this truth midway through its first season in “Silent Enemy,” which pitted our crew against beings that only CGI could create—and who never spoke a word.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Zachary Fruhling, Brandon-Shea Mutala, and Dennis Castello to discuss this episode that includes not an alien mystery, but also a culinary one. Join us as we talk about the true nature of Malcolm Reed, Captain Archer’s decision to tuck tail and run, the real reason the Enterprise needed phase cannons to be installed, and, of course, the infamous B-story: the search for Malcolm’s favorite food.

In our news segment, we discuss a new collection of the classic James Blish TOS novelizations, the results of the Strange New Worlds short story contest, and Simon Pegg’s thoughts on the foundation of Star Trek.

News
Barnes & Noble Release “The Classic Episodes” Anthology (00:04:00)
Simon Pegg on the Foundation of Star Trek (00:11:07)
2016 Strange New World Winners Announced (00:23:41)

Feature: Silent Enemy
Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:30:46)
Aliens Unknown (00:43:09)
Tucking Tail (00:52:37)
The Search for Pineapple (01:05:17)
Direction, Visuals, and Sound (01:23:52)
Final Thoughts (01:38:18)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Zachary Fruhling

Guests
Brandon-Shea Mutala and Dennis Castello

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Direct download: trr-199.mp3
Category:Enterprise -- posted at: 7:24am MDT

198: Procreation TED Talk

Someone to Watch Over Me.

When you live on a starship, you get to know your neighbors. Sometimes you get to know them well. Especially if you’re Seven of Nine and you’re taking an interest in interpersonal relations. Armed with Borg implants and 24th-century Starfleet technology, gathering data is easy. The only problem is that some of your subjects may not want to be part of the study.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Zachary Fruhling, and Phillip Gilfus to discuss “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Join us for the Dance of Conception as the Doctor teaches Seven how to land a date, sweep him off his feet … and break his arm … all while mastering the art of small talk. We also delve into the potential of a Doctor-Seven relationship, what happens when you leave Neelix in charge of caring for diplomats, and the exploits of Leisure Suit Kadi.

In our news segment, we discuss Star Trek: The Animated Series coming to Blu-ray, supposed pre-production photos from the new series, and we debate the StarTrek.com poll that asked which was the best Star Trek relationship.

News
Star Trek: The Animated Series coming to Blu-ray (00:03:06)
Star Trek 2017 pre-production photos? (00:11:51)
Poll: Which was the best Star Trek romance? (00:26:24)

Feature: Someone to Watch Over Me
Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:31:29)
The Setup: Peeping Seven (00:41:28)
The B’Elanna-Seven Relationship (00:44:16)
Lessons In Love (00:48:24)
The Doctor’s Motivations (01:00:09)
Tom Paris: Audience Surrogate (01:05:35)
The Most Awkward Date Ever (01:09:26)
Leisure Suit Kadi (01:19:01)
The Doctor-Seven Relationship (01:25:59)
Final Thoughts (01:34:59)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Charlynn Schmiedt

Guests
Phillip Gilfus and Zachary Fruhling

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Direct download: trr-198.mp3
Category:Voyager -- posted at: 5:30am MDT

197: Life with the Safeties On

It’s Only a Paper Moon.

Events in Star Trek—even tragic ones—rarely have lasting consequences. Deep Space Nine changed that with arcs that took place during the Dominion War. In particular, in the final season, Nog’s injuries in battle led to a deep exploration of the lasting impact of a single moment in time—and they did it with the usual DS9 mix of serious commentary and humor.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Zachary Fruhling and Matthew Rushing to discuss Nog’s retreat to the holosuite, his struggle to come to terms with the physical and emotional damage of his experiences in “The Siege of AR-558,” and the counseling tag-team of Ezri Dax and Vic Fontaine who brought him back to reality.

In our news segment, we discuss additional shooting (reported as reshoots by most media) for Star Trek Beyond, a special agreement between CBS and Paramount that dictated a six-month post-film waiting period for Star Trek’s return to TV, and Rod Roddenberry joining the new series as Executive Producer.

News
Star Trek Beyond Reshoots (00:04:19)
CBS-Paramount Agreement (00:12:44)
Rod Roddenberry EP (00:26:24)

Feature: It’s Only a Paper Moon
Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:34:46)
Nog’s PTSD (00:45:49)
Counselor Ezri (00:56:25)
Counselor Vic (01:09:15)
The Original Concept (01:24:26)
The Literary Universe Connection (01:36:21)
Final Thoughts (01:37:27)
Listener Feedback and Closing (01:44:54)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Zachary Fruhling

Guest
Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Direct download: trr-197.mp3
Category:Deep Space Nine -- posted at: 5:30am MDT

196: Indiana Picard and the Secret of the Whatever

Captain’s Holiday.

Everyone gets a bit too stressed sometimes. And when that happens, it can be difficult to enjoy anything—even the negotiation of a successful trade agreement. When this happened to Captain Picard, the crew had to pull together to force him to take a vacation. But of course, a Picard vacation isn't quite like the ones you and I take.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Aaron Harvey, Matthew Rushing, and Mike Schindler to discuss “Captain’s Holiday,” Jean-Luc and Vash, the prolific Max Grodenchek (he’s everywhere!), Riker’s counseling skills, and why you should be careful where you put your Horga'hn.

In our news segment, we consider whether William Shatner’s return as Captain Kirk would be a good idea or a bad one, debate the StarTrek.com poll that asked Star Trek pet you would want to have, and discuss the choice of Bryan Fuller as show-runner for the new Star Trek series premiering in 2017.

News
Shatner back as Kirk? (00:03:14)
Poll: Which Star Trek pet do you want? (00:08:59)
Bryan Fuller named Star Trek 2017 Show-runner (00:13:25)

Feature: Captain’s Holiday
Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:31:58)
The “Shore Leave” Connection (00:39:55)
The Vashification of Jean-Luc Picard (00:42:23)
Ira’s Take on TNG (00:53:03)
Thank You, Counselor Riker! (01:00:05)
The Changing Flavor of TNG (01:05:21)
Prosthetnic Vorgon Jeltz (01:10:04)
Max Grodenchek is Everywhere! (01:17:17)
A Few More Thoughts on Vash… (01:21:49)
Final Thoughts (01:24:00)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Aaron Harvey

Guests
Matthew Rushing and Mike Schindler

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Direct download: trr-196.mp3
Category:The Next Generation -- posted at: 5:30am MDT

195: Lamb Chop’s (Creepy) Play-Along

The Lights of Zetar.

You probably already know that it’s not a good idea to stare into a bright light. When there are many lights—and they’re multi-colored—doing so becomes an even worse idea. You could damage your eyesight, or perhaps have you brainwave replaced by that of a group of alien minds searching for a body to call home. That’s what happened to Lt. Mira Romaine in “The Lights of Zetar,” the third-season TOS episode that plays with character personalities, limited financial resources, and has a connection to a beloved children’s show.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Larry Nemecek and Brandon-Shea Mutala to discuss Memory Alpha, Scotty in love, how you can blame anything on space, and why horses might not make the best engineers. We also delve into some Season Three trivia, production shortcuts, and remastered TOS elements.

In our news segment, Chris and Larry discuss whether the ascension of Les Moonves to Chair of CBS Corp. will have an impact on Star Trek, when we’ll hear first details about the Star Trek 2017 series, and the future of Star Trek on streaming services not called CBS All Access. Plus, Larry fills us in on the latest happenings in Portal 47.

News
Les Moonves new CBS Corp. Chair (00:05:33)
When will Star Trek 2017 details be announced? (00:11:24)
Star Trek’s future on streaming services (00:15:40)
Portal 47 update (00:25:07)

Feature
Synopsis and Initial Thoughts (00:32:41)
Lamb Chop’s (Creepy) Play-Along (00:43:16)
Pacing, Message, and Cinematography (00:47:41)
Scotty in Love (00:53:27)
Production Shortcuts (01:05:22)
Remastered Elements (01:11:51)
We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Shields (01:15:21)
Farewell Engineering, and Other Zetar Trivia (01:22:04)
Final Thoughts (01:24:44)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Guest
Brandon-Shea Mutala

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Rene Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

Direct download: trr-195.mp3
Category:The Original Series -- posted at: 5:30am MDT