Transporter Lock - A Star Trek: Discovery podcast

Short Treks: Ask Not

November 17, 2019

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When a decorated but dishonored Starfleet captain puts Cadet Thira Sidhu in an impossible situation, she must choose a side with lives on the line. To be or not to be? That is the question Sabriel and Ken pose to our guest, Dori Robinson, Boston theatre director and co-host of Shakespearean podcast The Mousetrap. Was Cadet Sidhu’s test calculating or cruel? How would we have responded in that same situation? Is any internship worth psychological torture? And what does it say about Number One? From Hamlet to Alexander Dumas’ man in the iron mask, the shortest Short Trek to date spawns the most literary episode of Transporter Lock!

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Short Treks: The Trouble with Edward

October 21, 2019

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What would Star Trek look like if it were a comedy series? We don’t need to wait for the debut of Lower Decks, as the Short Treks episode "The Trouble with Edward" features both tribbles and the comedic talents of H. Jon Benjamin (Archer) and Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel). Ken and Bri ponder the consequences of this tale on Star Trek canon, from tribbles’ rate of breeding to the VCR-style post-credits commercial for breakfast cereal.

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Short Treks: Q&A

October 20, 2019

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New York Comic-Con featured the surprise debut of "Q&A", the first in a new season of Short Treks. The premiere episode does not in fact feature the return of John de Lancie’s recurring villain; instead, it’s a blast from the past as Ensign Spock arrives for his first day of duty aboard the USS Enterprise. As Number One escorts him to the bridge, Spock takes the opportunity to barrage her with questions, just as Ken and Sabriel barrage the listener with their take on this mysterious commanding officer, the morality and defensibility of the Prime Directive, and the Gilbert & Sullivan musical The Pirate of Penzance.

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What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

August 21, 2019

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On the cusp of the new Picard series and a third season of Discovery, Ken and Sabriel pause to reflect on the best Star Trek series ever, as seen in Ira Steven Behr’s documentary, What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This new film was released on home video this month, and seeing it both in theaters and on Blu Ray brought back a lot of memories for Bri and Ken. We review our favorite moments of both the documentary and the series it celebrates.

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Star Trek: Picard teaser trailer

May 23, 2019

Twenty-five years ago today, The Next Generation aired its series finale. It was our first look at what the future might hold for Jean-Luc Picard, who’d retired to his family vineyard in France.

Today, Picard returns to the vineyard in the first teaser for his own series, Star Trek: Picard.

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Season 2 Recap

April 28, 2019

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Susan Arendt of the Continue podcast joins us to review the second season of Star Trek: Discovery! We swoon over Anson Mount, relate to the Spock/Burnham dynamic, consider Tilly’s character development, grow nostalgic for the Enterprise, lament the inevitable malice of Control, theorize the future of the show, review the Spider-Man musical, and smash the patriarchy.

Close-up of Michael Burnham's face wearing time suit helmet

S2E14: Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2

April 21, 2019

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The second season finale of Discovery has finally landed, offering plenty of space battles and fisticuffs that didn’t live up to their potential. The episode also tied up plenty of loose threads, but it left few hanging for us to get an idea of what to expect in the next season.

But we loved the dialogue and the characters, as always, with questions raised and answered in director Olatunde Osunsanmi’s behind-the-scenes diary, an interview with season three co-showrunner Michelle Paradise, and even the non-canon TNG novel Dark Mirror.

Ken and Bri bring you this wealth of lore in our season finale recap!

S2E13: Such Sweet Sorrow

April 14, 2019

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The second season’s penultimate episode is a long, drawn-out affair with many ponderous, redundant speeches and reflections — making it one of Ken’s favorite of the season! Bri was less receptive, perhaps due to time travel giving her a headache. We swoon over the Enterprise and reflect on the characters’ inner monologues and heartfelt goodbyes while looking forward to a trip to the future.

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S2E12: Through the Valley of Shadows

April 6, 2019

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Ken & Bri are joined by Jessica Janiuk to discuss the antepenultimate episode of Discovery’s second season. Anson Mount elevates himself to "Best Star Trek Captain Ever" with his performance after learning Captain Pike’s future. We ponder the warm yet complex family dynamics of Spock, Amanda, Michael, Georgiou, Dr. Burnham, and even Saru, and we have more theories about how time travel and "Calypso" will tie into the season finale. Check out The Ready Room for more insight right from Pike himself!
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S2E11: Perpetual Infinity

April 2, 2019

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Dr. Burnham is alive! The possibility of having back a lost parent struck Ken, making this a difficult episode for not just Michael. But can Georgiou stand the competition for Michael’s affection? Meanwhile, the possibility of CONTROL being precursor to the Borg seems plausible but unlikely. Will the Sphere data fall into the wrong hands — or will Discovery use it to create a benevolent A.I. 950 years in the future? There’s a bonus time-travel reference to Chrono Trigger in this week’s special episode of Transporter Lock that, for the first time ever, eliminates the physical distance between its two hosts!

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