Shuttle Pod 65 - A Boatload Of New Trek On TV News and "The Escape Artist"
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In the past week we’ve been treated to quite a lot of information about upcoming CBS Trek TV shows. The final trailer for Discovery season two was released just before Christmas along with more images and interviews in the new year. We learned some very important background information for the Picard show, and that there’s more animated Trek in the works. The Shuttle Pod crew is excited to discuss all of this, plus the fourth Kelvin movie is described as “shelved” by the Hollywood trades, as the director, SJ Clarkson, moves on to a new project. Last but certainly not least, Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss the fourth installment of Short Treks, “The Escape Artist.” Staring and directed by Rainn Wilson and written by Mike McMahan, this fun and quirky short entertained and fit nicely in the 15 minute limit.
Shuttle Pod 64 – The Shuttle Pod Crew Re-Watches The First Season Of 'The Orville'
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TrekMovie’s adopted show, The Orville, is about to return for a second season on December 30. Before the new season starts, Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss the first season. Multiple Berman-era Star Trek veterans are involved in writing, producing, and directing on the show. Not to mention that The Orville is a clear homage to TNG-style Trek both visually, and in much of the plot themes and episodic nature of the show. Listen along as the team delves into the characters, as well as how they feel the show handled the mixture of social commentary, sci-fi themes, and comedy. The crew wraps up the podcast by talking about the standout episodes of the first season.
Shuttle Pod 63 – More Picard Show Tidbits, 'Discovery' News, and "The Brightest Star"
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This past week a number of little bits of information about the upcoming Picard TV show have come out and the Shuttle Pod crew is excited to discuss them. We also talk about the news that Star Trek: Discovery’s second season was extended by an episode for a total of 14. Plus the Kelvin universe movies still seem to be stuck in limbo. We’re excited for the new Twilight Zone coming to CBS All Access next year too. Last but certainly not least, Brian, Kayla, Jared, and Matt weigh in on the latest installment of Short Treks, in which we see a pivotal point of Saru’s early life in “The Brightest Star.”
Inspired by the news of the animated show Lower Decks, which we discussed on the previous episode, the Shuttle Pod crew looks at a smattering of comedy-influenced episodes in the Trek franchise. Listen along as Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt chat about: “The Trouble With Tribbles” (TOS), “Qpid” (TNG), “Little Green Men” (DS9), “The Magnificent Ferengi” (DS9), and then end with perhaps the most broadly comedic episode of the franchise, the delightful “A Piece of the Action” (TOS).
Shuttle Pod 61 - 'Star Trek: Lower Decks', Section 31 Rumor, Picard Show, and "Calypso"
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Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt work through the latest news and rumors about upcoming CBS Trek shows. Including: the official announcement of a new cartoon series called Lower Decks, and the rumors of a Michelle Yeoh show focusing on Emperor Georgiou in Section 31. We also discuss some of the comments author Michael Chabon has made about his outlook on writing for the untitled Picard show. Finally, last week saw the release of the second Short Treks episode, co-written by Chabon, titled “Calypso.” Listen along as we discuss this rather unusual Star Trek short.
Shuttle Pod 60 - The Lasting Legacy of 'The Wrath of Khan'
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The full complement of the Shuttle Pod crew discuss the beloved second Star Trek movie The Wrath of Khan. Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt go in depth: touching on the history of how Wrath of Khan came to be made, why the movie is generally regarded as the best of the franchise, and the long ranging effects Khan has had on the larger franchise — Khan in some way touches all eras of Trek. Listen along with the crew as they recollect about their first viewings of Khan and more!
Shuttle Pod 59 - New York Comic Con 2018 And 'Short Treks' "Runaway"
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The final convention of the season, New York Comic Con, was last weekend and we learned more about season two of Star Trek: Discovery. Kayla, Brian, and Matt discuss the Star Trek: Discovery panel and trailer from New York Comic Con. Also at NYCC we learned a tiny bit more about the upcoming Picard show. Lastly, we review the first Short Treks episode, the Tilly centric “Runaway.”
Shuttle Pod 58 - All I ask is a tall ship …and plenty of merchandise for it
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On this episode of the Shuttle Pod, Jared and Matt talk with Thomas Marrone of Star Trek Online about favorite starships, starship design, and of course working on Star Trek Online. We also touch on the news that the new Picard series will take place in 2399, which is a stone’s throw away from the early 25th century were Star Trek Online takes place.
Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss the latest in Trek happenings since the big Star Trek Las Vegas convention. Probably the biggest news in the last few weeks was that Ethan Peck was announced as Spock in Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery. We discuss our thoughts on the casting, and just how much we’ll actually see Spock this season. The next big piece of news is that Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth are threatening to walk away from the next Kelvin universe movie. Paramount wants to renegotiate their salaries to help control costs for the fourth film. We discuss what that might mean and the options Paramount has to try and handle the situation. Plus a few other smaller news items: CBS All Access finally gets surround sound support. And be sure to check out Star Trek: Lost Scenes from Titan Books, it’s an excellent book looking at TOS production, deleted scenes, alternate takes, and more.
Another summer and another big Star Trek Las Vegas convention has come and gone. The Shuttle Pod crew was there in Las Vegas, we share our thoughts on the main events of the convention. The biggest, most exciting, news was of course the announcement of the return of Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, also nearly the entire the cast of Star Trek: Discovery came out to Las Vegas, and the 25th anniversary of Deep Space Nine was celebrated. Listen in as Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt look back at the convention.
On this episode of the Shuttle Pod, Brian and Matt are joined by TrekMovie founder Anthony Pascale for a look at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. Anthony was one of the “boots on the ground” in San Diego, and has gone to Comic-Con many times in years past, so we get his thoughts on what Comic-Con of today looks like compared to previous years. Of course we discuss the big Star Trek: Discovery news from the panel and press conference, as well as our impressions of the First Look trailer CBS released during the con. We also touch on the announcement of Short Treks, the four mini-episodes that will be released in the fall to help tide us over until Season 2 starts in January. Lastly, we talk about our adopted show, The Orville, which also had a panel, press conference, and trailer released at Comic-Con for their second season.
Shuttle Pod 54: Tips and tricks for the Star Trek Las Vegas convention
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On this episode of the Shuttle Pod, your crew is joined by TrekMovie’s social media maven and Star Trek Las Vegas veteran Christine Rideout (better known as “Starfleetmom” on social media). Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss what to look forward to for this year’s convention, and then we chat with Christine about her Vegas convention going tips and tricks. Including how to save money on airfare, what to pack if you’re driving, how to save money once you’re in Vegas, and more!
Shuttle Pod 53: Do The Showrunner Shakeup – Discovery's Change In Leadership In The Context of Star Trek History
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After the news that the Star Trek: Discovery showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg were suddenly ousted, the Shuttle Pod assembled her crew to talk about the news and place it within the context of Star Trek history. This week’s podcast looks forward to what’s to come for season two of Discovery and then looks back at the history of leadership shakeups throughout the franchise. *Podcaster’s note: This podcast was recorded the day before the news that Alex Kurtzman, who is replacing Harberts and Berg as Discovery showrunner, would take the reins on the expansion of Star Trek on television.
The Shuttle Pod crew scrambled to our shuttle so we could talk about the recent announcement by CBS that Alex Kurtzman and his production company Secret Hideout would be expanding the Trek TV franchise with a new 5 year production deal. Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss what the official press release says, the rumored project pitches for new series, mini-series, and a cartoon. One of more exciting rumors is that there may be a Captain Picard mini-series in the works with Patrick Stewart. Lastly, we walk through Alex Kurtzman’s relationship with CBS and the Trek franchise, and his general work as a writer and producer.
Today can be a good day for nostalgia. But can too much nostalgia – which can be like “the pain from an old wound” – feel like getting hit with a pain stick? In this episode of the Shuttle Pod, we discuss the retro-fixation of modern media, exploring the differences among nostalgia, references, continuity, and the divisive concept of fan service. Brian, Jared, and Kayla take a deep dive into the nostalgic themes and content of 21st century Trek: Enterprise, the Kelvin-verse, fan films, and of course Discovery. What’s the right way to do nostalgia? Why does all Trek-stalgia seem to be focused on TOS and not the Berman-era shows? Could Discovery please bring Clint Howard back for DSC season 2? All this and more in this, our milestone 50th episode of The Shuttle Pod!
Shuttle Pod 49: A Discussion Of The Four Berman Era Pilots
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Pilots are important to any series. They set up the story arc and introduce us to the people who will guide us through a brand new world over the coming years. In this episode of the Shuttle Pod we discuss the pilots made during the Rick Berman-era of Star Trek. This includes four pilots, from Next Generation through Enterprise: Encounter at Farpoint (TNG) Emissary (DS9) Caretaker (VOY) Broken Bow (ENT) Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt each take a pilot and discuss. We also asked ourselves: “How well does this pilot set up the series?” and “How well does the pilot episode work on its own as a story?” NOTE: We covered the TOS pilots right before the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, in episode 42. So be sure to check out that podcast too if you haven’t already.
Shuttle Pod 48: Our First Look At 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season Two And Two More Trek Movies
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This week on the Shuttle Pod, your podcast crew discuss the exciting news that came out last week. In the same week we got a quick look at the start of production on Star Trek: Discovery season two, and then official confirmation that Paramount was planning not just one, but two, feature films. Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss. We were excited to get a glimpse at the USS Enterprise crew uniforms on Discovery, and that both the fourth Kelvin movie, with Chris Hemsworth returning as George Kirk, and the separate Tarantino project will be allowed to move forward. Lastly, the crew indulges Matt in a little soapbox speech about placing The Original Series in its proper context to help reframe the current pop culture idea that TOS was “cheap.”
Shuttle Pod 47: What's Next in Trek - Discovery Season 2, Kelvinverse Films, and a Corporate Merger
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This week on the Shuttle Pod, your podcast crew discuss what’s on the horizon for the Star Trek franchise. And, a lot is brewing. Oh Captain, My Captain (and Discovery Season 2) Earlier this week, CBS announced the casting of a well-known Star Trek character for Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery sure to have the fan base buzzing. Anson Mount is set to play the determined Captain Pike of the USS Enterprise, a ship whose redesign we got a glimpse of at the tail end of the Season 1 finale. He certainly looks the part, but he’s got some piercing eyes to fill (have I stretched that metaphor too far?). The news comes after a deluge of cryptic clues about the next season of Discovery gleaned from panel appearances and interviews at last month’s WonderCon. Matt, Brian, and Kayla break down all we learned, with just a light dusting of pithy commentary. A Script Too Far For The Kelvinverse? While still not much more has come to light since we last spoke about the next Trek movie back in December (check out our podcast about that). There are some little bits of information that have come out as the Kelvin cast are out and about promoting other projects. Perhaps the biggest bit of information that’s come to light is that there are at least 2 possible pitches for the next movie: the Patrick McKay & JD Payne script JJ Abrams hyped during Beyond’s press junkets; and the Quentin Tarantino/Mark L. Smith project. We had suspected Pegg and Jung were asked for a sequel idea. In December 2016 Simon Pegg tweeted a tease of Simon and Doug sitting in the Bad Robot offices, but of course no context and no follow up. Pegg has now clarified that his tweet was not about Trek, saying: “Doug [Jung] and I were never going to write the fourth [Star Trek]. That was never the deal. Doug and I are doing something together at Bad Robot, which I probably can’t talk about just yet.” Star Trek’s Real Life Parallel Universe: CBS/Paramount Many Trek fans know that Star Trek is a split franchise. CBS holds all of the television and merchandising rights, while Paramount makes the feature films. The companies have had a long and complicated history, and it seems they may be getting the family back together. CBS and Viacom (Paramount’s parent company and previous parent company to all of Star Trek) are currently in talks to merge back together. What does this mean for the franchise?
“Everybody remember where we parked!”, the Shuttle Pod crew goes to find a “nuclear wessel” as they do a look back at the success and general all around love Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home gets from fans and the movie going public alike. Listen in as Brian, Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss their memories of the movie, how it holds up today, and how the success of The Voyage Home helped sow the seeds for the return of Trek on TV with Star Trek: The Next Generation.
There are good Star Trek episodes, there are bad Star Trek episodes, there are forgettable Star Trek episodes, and then there are the just plain weird ones. This week, the Shuttle Pod crew went back to the well of oddball episodes and we each chose a weird episode of Star Trek on television to rewatch and analyze. For Volume 2 of The Best of the Weird, we watched the The Next Generation episode “Sub Rosa” (Dinnae light that candle!), Voyager’s “The Thaw“, The Animated Series “The Magicks of Megas-Tu” (Friend Kirk!), and we wrap it up with The Next Generation‘s “Home Soil” (we’re all just “ugly bags of mostly water”).
At The Disco 15 – A Look Back To The Birth And Development Of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
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The Shuttle Pod crew has a final Star Trek: Discovery episode to wrap up the season. We look back at the development of Discovery, starting all the way back in November 2015, and how it changed after the loss of the person who initially conceived the show, Bryan Fuller. First seasons are always a little rough, and creating a first season of an entirely new Star Trek show — the first show since since Enterprise was canceled and CBS split from Viacom – makes for even more challenges. Listen in as Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss the trials and tribulations of Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery.
At The Disco 14 - The Season One Finale - "Will You Take My Hand?"
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The whole Shuttle Pod crew is back this week to discuss the season one finale of Star Trek: Discovery. So, take our hand (sorry) and dive into this season’s last episode of Shuttle Pod At The Disco. Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, Episode 15 – Debuted Sunday February 11th, 2018 Written by Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg and Akvia Goldsman Directed by Akvia Goldsman After a rocky penultimate episode and with so many narrative threads left in the balance, did Discovery pull off a satisfactory conclusion to its inaugural season? The short answer is yes… and no. There really isn’t a short answer, which is why we droned on for an hour and a half dissecting what worked — and what didn’t — in this last week’s finale. In general, many of the pieces that were there were utterly fantastic. As always, the actors brought their A game. The sets on Qo’nos were perhaps some of the best we’ve seen in any Trek TV show, ever. Tilly delighted as always, and her performance was only boosted by the addition of a familiar face who enhanced to a comedic overtone that really worked (plus Tranya). But, think about this episode too hard, and the foundation — the parts of the storyline meant to tie the season’s arc into a nice bow — starts to crumble. Victory comes much too easy for our heroes, and as an audience, we’re not really convinced of why things worked out the way they did. As Jared so aptly pointed out, “they haven’t earned this.”
Jared, Brian, and Kayla come together once again this week to discuss the penultimate episode in Star Trek: Discovery‘s first season, which kind of felt like a long setup for next week’s finale. Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, Episode 14 – Debuted Sunday February 4th, 2018 Written by Lisa Randolph Directed by David Solomon None of your hosts were particularly enthralled with the latest installment of Discovery. Lots of loose ends were left hanging or cut awkwardly short in an episode that felt like filler leading up to next week’s big finish. Can the show wrap everything up next week? The pseudo-resolution to the Tyler/Voq/Burnham storyline was welcome in principal (we haven’t heard from our dear friend Voqler in a couple of weeks now), but the soap-opera overtones of Tyler and Burnham’s heartfelt reconciliation left something to be desired. Discovery seems like it wants to struggle with the ethical issues surrounding Voqler (who, as Voq, killed a man) but instead seems to sweep them aside in favor of everyone just being glad to see their old pal Ash (who, again, killed a man as Voq) in an awkward mess hall scene led by Tilly. In this storyline, Stamets seems to be the only one acting rationally, and Anthony Rapp lays on a great bit of emotional acting in the confrontation between his character and the now de-Voqed Tyler. It was great to see Admiral Cornwell back again. The scenes in the briefing room (so Star Trek!) and between Cornwell and L’Rell were particularly fun. But, just like the other threads of this episode, we’re left feeling like the characters in the story have lost their minds. A Vulcan and human admiral conspire with a treacherous genocidal maniac to win a war against the Klingons? And they do so by parading said maniac around as a fallen war hero, which was a mentor to many of the people now serving on the Discovery? The writers may have kept some of the pieces from us, but it’s hard to imagine a world in which this makes much sense or leads to a satisfying conclusion. All-in-all, your Shuttle Pod crew was left confused and dismayed. But, of course, the show has one more chance to pull this all together. What could possibly await us this coming Sunday?
Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, Episode 13 – Debuted Sunday January 28th Written by Ted Sullivan Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss the fourth and final episode in the Mirror Universe arc, a beautifully directed, briskly paced installment that featured strong performances from the cast. We dive into that, as well as some things we weren’t too thrilled with. We also discuss what bringing Mirror Georgiou back to our universe could mean for the Klingon War arc, and speculate about how the season is going to tie up all the many threads with just two episodes left. Transport over during an ion storm, and join us as we discuss the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, Episode 12 – Debuted Sunday January 21th Written by Jordon Nardino Directed by Hanelle M. Culpepper Jared, Kayla, and Matt discuss the third episode in the Mirror Universe arc. We were a bit less enthusiastic about this episode feeling the shorter run time worked against it somewhat. The return of Michelle Yeoh is always welcome, and we think she does a fantastic job being an imposing Emperor, with a scary “fidget spinner of death.” A few new plot twists were revealed in this dark episode, one many fans have long suspected, and a few smaller unsettling bits too. Enjoy the threat ganglia! Don’t forget to tip your waiter! Onboard the Discovery, there were some quieter moments with Anthony Rapp (and Anthony Rapp) and Wilson Cruz that showcased their acting talents. We wonder just what is it that Stamets is experiencing in the Mycelial Network? We also ponder just what exactly did L’Rell do to Voq/Tyler? Join us as we discuss the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, Episode 11 – Debuted Sunday January 14th Written by Lisa Randolph Directed by T.J. Scott Kayla and Brian sit down to discuss an exciting follow up to “Despite Yourself” which sees our heroes stranded in a strange dark universe where all Vulcans have fantastic facial hair. “The Wolf Inside” was packed full of plot development, much like the previous episode, even if the “surprises” it had in store were anything but. We were finally treated to a couple of big reveals, which is good fun, but really, where the episode shines is in between the manufactured shock. In particular, Shazad Latif delivered another absolutely stunning performance as Tyler — er, Voq — er, Voqler? Sonequa Martin-Green also offered a top notch performance as her character is dragged through some incredibly emotional turmoil. Burnham is taken nearly to her breaking point having to live and lead in the Terran Empire. Tyler was her last tether to normalcy, but even that was taken from her. Still, she upholds her Starfleet values and saves the lives of many innocent rebels fighting against the Terran Empire. A group, she believes, is a glimmer of hope in this otherwise desolate universe. Of course, her plans are cut short by the return of a fan favorite.
With Discovery on hiatus for a few more weeks, The Shuttle Pod crew examines a handful of news items that have come up since the last episode. The biggest by far were the reports of Quentin Tarantino pitching a story to J.J. Abrams for the next Star Trek movie. Tarantino is known to be an Original Series fan, but the movie could be about any part of the franchise. Is it a Kelvin Timeline movie? A TNG movie? Something altogether new? He’s got a story idea, but what are the chances he will direct it too? We put on our speculation hats and dive in! Back on Star Trek: Discovery news, we chat about the new soundtrack release, and how Discovery has made a number of “shows to binge this winter” lists. We also discuss the official announcement of a new version of The Twilight Zone for CBS All Access. The show is being developed by Jordan Peele (Get Out), Simon Kinberg (X-Men franchise), and Marco Ramirez (Daredevil). Come listen in as Brian, Jared, and Matt discuss.
Episode 43: Serialization vs Episodic Storytelling
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The Shuttle Pod Crew discusses the pros and cons of serialized and episodic TV, and how it relates to the Star Trek franchise and its newest member, Discovery. Historically, TV shows were told in a narrative where there’s a pilot as the backstory and no particular end in sight, with every story just fitting somewhere in the middle – kind of like comic books. DVDs, DVRs, Internet resources, and notably streaming services have changed this, to where many shows (including comedies) will only do serialized storytelling over the entire season or series: you can’t just pluck one episode out of order and watch it because you’ll be lost. Listen in as we discuss the finer points of serialized versus episodic Trek.
