The best and worst episodes of Lower Deck’s fifth season to date make references to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Apocalypse Now, and a Klingon VCR game. Ken and Mark catch what we can as we explore Klingon and Klowahkan cultures, our own awkward breakups, and more

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Double the Cerritos, double the Lower Decks! The fifth and final season of the Star Trek animated comedy series kicks off with back-to-back episodes that has all the main characters confronting what their lives could’ve been. Commodore Mark Thompson joins Chief Engineer Ken Gagne as we marvel at all the ways the non-canon The Animated Series (TAS) has influenced canon Trek; whether there’s a Quantum Prime DIrective; and how much better Shades of Green is than Shades of Grey.

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All wormholes lead to Prodigy in this fitting finale to the season… and possibly, the series. Ken and Tiffany puzzle through one final lesson in temporal mechanics; we point to the moments that led to Dal’s maturation; and we approve of Prodigy cementing itself so firmly in Star Trek canon, even if it isn’t on Paramount+.

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Transporter Lock will be back for Lower Decks‘ fifth and final season, starting October 24, 2024!

What could’ve been a pair of action-packed episodes proved heavy on dialogue to carry the scenes. Ken and Tiffany get frustrated with Wesley the Traveler, but we appreciate seeing the return of Wesley the Starfleet officer. And we enjoy the voice-acting opportunities afforded by holograms! Speaking of which, was Captain Janeway… flirting with the Doctor??

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Just as our protagonists are reunited and their mission seems to come to a chill conclusion… a dangling plot thread reemerges with a vengeance. This dark, action-packed, and poignant two-parter underscores the values of teamwork and sacrifice, while reminding Ken and Tiffany that we all suffer from a degenerative disease: aging. We also consider the potential role of temporal mechanics in the surprise return of a character, and we go on a tangent to debate the value of effective altruism.

Don’t miss our unsolicited plug for Brandon Bird’s Kickstarter to create a Jonathan Frakes 2025 wall calendar!

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It doesn’t get more Star Trek than Tribbles and parallel universes! The combination of TNG‘s “Parallels” with Voyager‘s “Shattered” and “Living Witness” finally gives Ken the crossover he’s been waiting for since 1998. We also ponder what Klingon-Federation relations are like under Chancellor Martok, whether using retroviruses on invasive species is biological warfare, and the representation of those who live with degenerative diseases. Finally, we pay our respects to actor Patti Yasutake, TNG‘s Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, who passed away on August 5 at the age of 70.

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A grumpy old Chakotay learns to love again, while Dal learns an important lesson about being where he’s needed.

Tiffany and Ken pontificate the meaning of a Shakespearean quote, contemplate the significance of actors being in the opening credits when they’re not in the episode, question the lack of instruction these kids got on how to sail a ship, look forward to Gen Con, and and draw comparisons to everything from Frank Herbert’s Dune to Sunsoft’s Blaster Master.

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The midway point of Star Trek: Prodigy‘s second season sees the return of a franchise fan favorite while giving Admiral Janeway some killer action scenes. Our forecast was right that Prodigy would borrow heavily from another sci-fi series, The Flash — but maybe also Superman?? Ken and Tiffany also pontificate about the relationships between the multiverses, Voyager and The Next Generation, Travelers and Supervisors, and Zero and Maj’el.

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Two episodes of Prodigy reintroduce us to two classic Star Trek themes: the Medusan species; and the filler episode. Ken and Tiffany welcome the opportunity for character-centered storytelling, especially when it happens to lean into the trappings of Voyager. And Zero’s opportunity to experience the senses, as Data did in Generations, is an opportunity for us to reexamine what makes us who we are.

Plus a bonus review of the TOS episode “Is There in Truth No Beauty?”, as well as a round of the game “If you were a Discovery character, who would you be?” All this and more!

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After an action-packed opening to Star Trek: Prodigy‘s second season, Ken and Tiffany enjoy a breather as our heroes regroup before their next adventure. We debate the originality of an in media res opening, appreciate Rok’s dedication to the team, and contemplate the energy between Zero and Maj’el.

We also love the tie-ins to Star Trek IV (the one with the whales!), TNG (why is it always Jellico?), and even Lower Decks (is there a Voyager crossover in the works?!).

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As the temporal mechanics of Prodigy’s second season grow even more skewed, can kids keep up? Yes, because our youthful crew are still modeling important lessons. Jankom Pog reminds kids to be true to themselves — while Dal reminds parents that kids that age can be difficult, not because anything is wrong with them, but because they’re kids. It’s a journey for everyone, including our co-hosts, Chief Engineer Ken Gagne and Commander Tiffany Bridge!

This episode of Prodigy also features a second appearance by real-life astrophysicist Dr. Erin Macdonald, who last appeared in S1E20 “Supernova, Part II”, encouraging Rok-Tahk to pursue a career in xenobiology. Turns out Dr. Macdonald is a whiz as time travel, too! (Unlike Bill Maher, who appeared in the 1988 television movie Out of Time.)

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