Ferengi Federation Membership
In the "Lower Decks" episode "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place", viewers are surprised to see Grand Nagus Rom (and his wife Leeta) spearheading efforts for the Ferengi Alliance to join the United Federation of Planets. The trio looks at how Ferengi culture does (and does not) fit into what we understand of the Federation. From the extremes of capitalism to the "opportunities" available to Federation members, why should the Ferengi join the Federation? Or is it actually a bad deal?
Star Trek Toy Pitches
First, there was Star Trek. Quite quickly thereafter, there was ... merchandise! Trek has been a franchise full of toys for over 50 years. From Mego to Playmates to Diamond Select to Eaglemoss, there have been many manufacturers of Trek action figures, playsets, accessories, and more. The trio looks back at the 90s era of Trek and asks - what would have been other great choices down the Trek toy aisle?
The Evolution of Fandom
The trio are all (on a spectrum...) children of the 90s. They all embraced "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as their first Trek and expanded their love of the Trek franchise from there. They discuss how they entered the fandom and how it evolved over the decades until the 2009 "reboot" movie. Did their favorite series remain the same? How did they get to know The Original Series' episodes and movies? How did they engage with "Deep Space Nine," "Voyager," and "Enterprise"? They also examine the different ways they engaged from fandom, from cons, games, podcasts, and more.
What If ... All Series Had Season 6 Character Deaths?
In the last episode of season six of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," audiences were in for the shock of their lives - Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax was killed by a possessed Gul Dukat. No one saw it coming, and many fans were left bereft that one of their favorite main characters had been taken away. Whatever the behind the scenes story was of contracts and labor-management negotiations, this meant the final season of the series would be missing one its main stays - and introduced a replacement "Dax" with the character of Ezri. The trio asks ... what if this happened in every Trek series? They look at The Original Series, The Next Generation, Voyager, and Enterprise, determining which "main" character would shuffle off the mortal coil in the finale of a series' penultimate season and how it would be handled with a replacement (or not).
Lower Decks Update
It has been a celebration of Star Trek animation this month with the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek: The Animated Series." The trio talks about the state of animation in the franchise, as well as the beginning of season four of "Star Trek: Lower Decks." The current animated series dropped its first two episodes, and not only featured everyone's favorite Intrepid-class starship but also some promotions for our USS Cerritos heroes. Join us for how this changes the Lower Decks universe and what we anticipate for the future. |