Why did anyone think getting the entire command crew drunk simultaneously was a good idea? Ken and Jarrod review this cross between The Hangover and Dude, Where’s My Shuttlecraft?, followed by a monochromatic look at a noir mystery. 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 Strange New Worlds S4E03–04: Human Best Friend & A Case of Chiaroscuro first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)
Pike’s crew is back in action with the fourth season of Strange New Worlds. The first two episodes take the team to unexpected places, from Jurassic Park to a ghost ship. The first episode features a stunning performance by Saffron Burrows as Battle Commander Cassell, a tragic, empathetic wartime character; while the second episode makes it hard to see the character analysis of Spock, Kirk, and La’An, through all the body horror. We appreciate the different genres that Star Trek can encompass, but maybe some are best left in the writing room. Commander Jarrod Kailef marks his maiden voyage on
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
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 s
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, Pock
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 subscri
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
In the final episodes of the third season, Strange New Worlds gets its own take on “The Enemy” and Enemy Mine before Pike has his own “Inner Light” moment. It’s been a rough season with a few gems, some rushed editing, and a lot of wasted opportunities, as reviewed by Ken and Em. We also share the news from the recent Star Trek Day, including the Khan podcast series and the pre-teen YouTube series Star Trek: Scouts. How much of it will be canon? Does it matter? We’re off the air until more Star Trek debuts on Paramount+ in 2026. Need something to watch in the meantime? May we suggest Alan Tudy
As the third season nears its end, Strange New Worlds hits its stride with two excellent episodes that couldn’t be more different. “What Is Starfleet?” shows a different way to edit and present a story while both raising questions about the Prime Directive and offering metaphors for our modern geopolitical landscape; while “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is an outright comedy that balances the dark and serious side of Star Trek. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn
In our two favorite episodes of the season so far, 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. Want to keep better track of your Paramount+ subscription and other recurring charges? Get a free 34-day trial to You Need a Budget (YNAB)! 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 Strange New Worlds S3E05–06: Thro
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 first five minutes of which, Ken considers “must-see TV”. You can watch the entire episode online! Links mentioned in this episode: Companion movie starring Jack Quaid Star Trek comics megabundle Starfleet Academy first look Strange New Worlds season 4 teaser 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
Ken Gagne is joined by new co-host Em Maginnis to review the first two episodes of Strange New Worlds‘ third season! After a two-year wait, we get a resolution to the season cliffhanger “Hegemony” — but with so many loose threads to tie up, everything felt a bit rushed and convenient. The action slows down for its more light-hearted successor, “Wedding Bell Blues”, which features some deep cuts to The Original Series and The Next Generation, satisfying these two long-time fans. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Mus
Michelle Yeoh reprises her role as Philippa Georgiou in Section 31, a feature-length, made-for-TV movie spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery. While not without some fun moments and characters (especially Sam Richardson as Quasi and Kacey Rohl as as a young Rachel Garrett), this heist-movie-without-a-heist fell flat for Ken and guest (and show artist) Allison Holt. 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 Section 31 first
Chief Engineer Ken Gagne and Commodore Mark Thompson bid adieu to Lower Decks. A homage to the entire Trek franchise culminates in the two-part series finale, showcasing the heroes of the Cerritos at their best. We debate what other cameos we would’ve liked to see in this show, how Harry Kim was written out of Picard, and where we might hope to see this crew in future series. 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
What a missed opportunity for this podcast to be purple! Mark and Ken record their penultimate review of Lower Decks, in which a TNG character guest-stars and the Cerritos bridge crew get a frenetic chance to shine. 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 Lower Decks S5E07–08: Fully Dilated & Upper Decks first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)
The Cerritos finally visits the infamous Starbase 80, where corn dogs are plentiful, free arcade tokens are available, and zombies abound. Then it’s a callback to the TOS episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?” as the Cerritos crew tries to resolve a geometry war between cubes and spheres. Mark and Ken enjoyed the jokes and the references in this pair of episodes while disgruntled that neither episode moved forward the final season’s overarching plot — there’s isn’t much time left before the series finale!! Recommend reading includes Cord Cutter News about a pre-Enterprise film beginning production
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 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 Lower Decks S5E03–04: The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel & A Farewell to Fa
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. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music,
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+. 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. Transporter Lock will be back for Lower Decks‘ fifth and final se
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?? 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 Prodigy S2E17: Brink
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 calen
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. Stream the audio edition of Trans
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. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast,
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. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHear
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! Stream the audio editio
