Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast

And so concludes Starfleet Academy‘s freshman season. Every good Star Trek needs a courtroom legal drama, and this two-parter serves it up, putting Starfleet on trial for the sins of the past and pitting Paul Giamatti’s Nus Braka against Holly Hunter’s Nahla Ake. Our young cadets bring to bear all the strengths they’ve learned and demonstrated throughout the season, working better together than they ever have apart. Staci and Ken reflect on this satisfying conclusion which nonetheless had some outsized writing gaps and plot holes — a recurring trend throughout the season. But we felt the show had far more hits than misses while also serving as a strong entry point for newcomers to the franchise, leaving us eager for more. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Starfleet Academy S1E09–10: 300th Night & Rubincon first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

As we near the end of Starfleet Academy‘s inaugural season, we see real character growth in our young cadets — as well as in returning characters, including Voyager‘s Doctor. Ken and Staci empathize with Darem and Genesys trying to live up to their parents’ expectations, even if we wonder what makes a pebble identifiably Khionian. And the parallels between Sam, Tarima, and Our Town‘s Emily Gibbs hit us in all the feels, as a returning character from Discovery gives a nuanced and gracious approach to facing trauma and living in the moment. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Starfleet Academy S1E07–08: Ko’Zeine & The Life of the Stars first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Photonic protagonist Sam becomes the vehicle for an unexpected and emotional coda to Deep Space Nine and the Sisko family, with familiar actors and characters once again gracing canon, leading Ken and Staci to reflect on connecting with and losing their own fathers. We then get the return of Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka in a chilling battle of wits and deception with Chancellor Ake, pairing with the previous episode to heal old wounds and reopen others. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Starfleet Academy S1E05–06: Series Acclimation Mil & Come, Let’s Away first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Starfleet Academy‘s youthful cast engage in petty campus squabbles in the third episode, showcasing some poignant character moments amidst some bizarre rounds of laser tag. A week later, they again demonstrate their ability to influence the entire Federation. Be the scale local or galactic, Ken and Staci enjoy seeing these saplings grow, likening their starting points to other fictional characters such as Reggie Mantle (Archie Comics) and Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place), and watching them come together as a class, team, and family. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Starfleet Academy S1E03–04: Vitus Reflux & Vox in Excelso first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Cadet Staci Lee joins the crew to review the debut of Starfleet Academy. Set in the 32nd century, the show follows the next generation of Starfleet officers against the backdrop of the Federation rebuilding itself after the Burn. The star of the show is Cadet Caleb Mir, who has a double agenda of finding his long-lost mother, torn from him by the very admiral who is now the school’s chancellor. Ken and Staci love the new, young characters who are complemented by Discovery and Voyager veterans, as well as the new and familiar species, from Lanthanite, Exocomp, Jem’Hadar, Betazed, and Brikar to Khionian, Klingerite, Photonics, and Dar-Sha. It’s an exciting time for two Trek fans, one with a long connection to the series’ 60-year history, and one who is seeing it with fresh eyes. (The post Starfleet Academy S1E01–02: Kids These Days & Beta Test first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Ken and Em bring Strange New Worlds' third season to a close in their podcast review. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E09–10: Terrarium & New Life and New Civilizations first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

The two best episodes of SNW's third season could not be more different: a dark documentary and a lighthearted comedy. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E07–08: What Is Starfleet? & Four-and-a-Half Vulcans first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

An away team has a point-and-click adventure while an ancient evil invades the Enterprise; then a proto-Kirk develops into the captain we know he will be. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E05–06: Through the Lens of Time & The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Em and Ken review Star Trek's first zombie episode; then we jaunt into a metafictional 1960s universe of Nancy Drew and The Final Frontier. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E03–04: Shuttle to Kenfori & A Space Adventure Hour first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Ken Gagne is joined by new co-host Em Maginnis to review the first two episodes of Strange New Worlds' third season. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E01–02: Hegemony, Part II & Wedding Bell Blues first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

While not without some fun characters and moments, the Section 31 movie fell flat for Ken and guest Allison Holt. (The post Section 31 first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

A homage to the entire Trek franchise culminates in the series finale of Lower Decks, showcasing the heroes of the Cerritos at their best. (The post Lower Decks S5E09: Fissure Quest & S5E10: The New Next Generation first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

A TNG character guest-stars, and the Cerritos bridge crew get a frenetic chance to shine. (The post Lower Decks S5E07–08: Fully Dilated & Upper Decks first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

A podcast review of Star Trek's visit to the infamous starbase, followed by a geometry war resolved by a demigod. (The post Lower Decks S5E05-06: Starbase 80?! & Of Gods and Angles first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

The latest Lower Decks episodes reference Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, Apocalypse Now, and a Klingon VCR game. (The post Lower Decks S5E03–04: The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel & A Farewell to Farms first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Mark Thompson returns for the entire fifth & final season of Lower Decks! Our heroes learn who they could be, setting up a final season of character growth. (The post Lower Decks S5E01-02: Dos Cerritos & Shades of Green first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

All wormholes lead to Prodigy in this fitting season -- or series? -- Star Trek finale. (The post Prodigy S2E19–20: Ouroboros first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

What could've been a pair of action-packed episodes proved heavy on dialogue to carry the scenes. (The post Prodigy S2E17: Brink & S2E18: A Touch of Grey first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

A dark, action-packed, and poignant two-parter underscores the values of teamwork and sacrifice. (The post Prodigy S2E15-16: Ascension first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

It doesn't get more Star Trek than Tribbles and parallel universes! (The post Prodigy S2E13: A Tribble Named Quest & S2E14: Cracked Mirror first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)