Vulcan Hello (Star Trek Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds)

At long last, this episode of “Star Trek: Discovery” answers the question fans have been asking about for decades: What’s under that Breen helmet? Wait, was that not your question? How about some backstory for this season’s antagonists? No? You wanted to know more juicy details about the Mirror Universe? Well, we don’t know what to tell you. Look in the mirror. We did.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Time may change me, but I can’t trace time! We ping-pong through the personal history of the USS Discovery as Michael tries to teach herself how far she’s come, Rayner learns to let the Burn go and live a little, and Stamets gets to construct a box to crush a Time Bug. Also, a Short Trek is surprisingly relevant! We break it all down.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This week Burnham and Book take another hike to find a clue; Tilly explains to Rayner that he’s not on his old “Star Trek” show anymore; Saru tumbles into a Ni’Varian episode of “Veep”; and Gray and Adira go their separate ways, worlds apart. It’s all about connections, you see. And this episode connects Scott and Jason to each other, and both of them to you. See, we’re going with the Disco flow.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Live Star Trek is back in season! “Star Trek Discovery” has returned with a two-episode premiere, and we’re here to break it down. Once again, we profess our love for Jerks Who Are Right. We discover what form a Vulcan Proposal takes. Our new villains look like they’re space Bonnie and Clyde, but maybe they’re just misunderstood. And we enter Conspiracy Corner in order to ponder secret clues for what might be coming next—but not before a moment’s silence for Fred.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

With season 2 of “Strange New Worlds” in the rear-view mirror, Jason recorded a season overview on the Mothership. But so many people watched and enjoyed the season that we have brought back the Vulcan Hello season wrap-up panel, too!

Moisés Chiullán with Cicero Holmes, David J. Loehr, Heather Berberet and Houman Sadri.

We wrap up season two of “Strange New Worlds” with a discussion of canon breaking and why it’s okay, how we liked the season as a whole, and why the most Star Trek solution to a problem involving enemy alien monsters may be to try to understand them better. To be continued… eventually!

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

We’re so excited about this episode of “Strange New Worlds” that we’ve gotta sing! But we’re not going to dance very much. And Scott doesn’t sing. What we can do, though, is talk about Star Trek!

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

War! Finally, we get (some of) the story about M’Benga and Chapel’s time during the Klingon war. There’s a “Deep Space Nine” level of darkness in this episode, but did it succeed at what it was trying to do? Or was it just a cup of cold replicated Raktajino?

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Jason and Scott return, and sooner than expected, to cover the surprise release of the “Strange New Worlds”-“Lower Decks” crossover episode. It’s full of jokes, and references, and—what’s this?—unexpected emotional heft and character nuance! Plus more jokes! Grab an Orion cocktail and pull up a chair, there’s an ancient game of Dom-jot to be played!

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Scott is joined by his wife Marisa to discuss an episode in which creepy things are happening on the Enterprise… but only to Uhura.

Scott McNulty with Marisa McClellan.

We’re sorry, your podcast was damaged in transit and has been repaired in accordance with our warranty policy. Your regular hosts Scott and Jason were scanned and returned to you in their original condition. All extraneous instructions have been discarded. There is no need to reply to this message.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

We can’t really remember what happened on this episode, but it made us FEEL GOOD. And feeling is the important part. Also, how long has this episode been going on? Hand me a helmet! I fly the ship!

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Captain Kirk is back—sort of—in this week’s La’an-focused “Strange New Worlds,” which takes viewers on a time-travel ride reminiscent of some of Star Trek’s best movies and episodes. Does it deliver top-notch Trek vibes? We think so.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s time for a courtroom drama—and the career and life of Una hang in the balance! We discuss Star Trek courtroom dramas, how modern Trek undermines the utopian vision of Gene Roddenberry and makes something even better out of it, and then we enter a Spoiler Closet that’s not particularly spoilery but does involve us trying to make sense of Star Trek economics.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Scott and Jason are back for another season of “Strange New Worlds,” but what’s this? Captain Pike and Number One sidelined? Carol Kane inviting starship theft? A potent injection of punchy-punchy juice? This was an episode that defied our expectations, for sure.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s all over! Scott and Jason break down the big finale, as we say farewell (again) to classic Star Trek characters. But it’s not a goodbye, of course, but a passing of the torch to… the next generation. How did the episode and season make us feel? How much do we care about the details of the plot? Who else might have been a changeling? We’ll see you back here in mid-June for “Strange New Worlds” season two.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Jack Crusher’s secret has been revealed! And while it’s not that much of a surprise, we think it works thematically and admire the broad, audacious plan that sets up the series’ final episode next week. Meanwhile, the nostalgia trip we thought we were taking turns out to be a much more thorough and detailed nostalgia trip than we could have ever expected. And while we’re all out of conspiracy theories, Scott saves some time at the end to ask Jason some surprising questions about what the final episode of “Star Trek: Picard” might bring.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

The final season of “Star Trek: Picard” creeps ever closer to its climax in this episode, which features Riker family grief struggles, Data giving away his Data memorabilia, Jack Crusher making an important decision, Shaw regressing into being a bit of a Bad Captain, and Vadic’s henchmen being of questionable value. Jason has some theories about how this plot will finally be resolved, but we all have to wait until next week to begin finding out!

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Action takes a bit of a pause this week, as Picard and company deploy their plan and Vadic reveals hers. We also react to the “Strange New Worlds” and “Starfleet Academy” news.

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

We cover an episode that’s busy pivoting the plot of “Picard” season 3 but manages to also throw in fan service, plot twists, surprising character development, and the first appearance of one classic TNG character! But why is Lucille Ball’s body being stored in a Paramount warehouse?

Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Scott and Jason are back—or are they diabolical duplicates?—to discuss an episode of “Picard” that featured surprising guest stars, the ratcheting up of the mystery of Jack Crusher, the continuing education of Captain Shaw, and Worf and Raffi’s encounter with a very logical Vulcan mob boss.

Jason’s back just in time for the USS Titan to spiral into the abyss. But on the way down, there will be lots of glorious character moments! We sing the praises of Todd Stashwick as Captain Shaw—he’s not wrong, he’s just a jerk—and break down the rest of this tense hour of holodecks, Space Babies, and recriminations.

Scott plunges deeper into the nebula with Moisés Chiullán. Fathers are everywhere, all things are not what they seem, and if Beverly Crusher offers you her hypospray, you darn well better take her up on it!

Text your spy handler and get yourself out of that med pod; Star Trek: Picard Season 3 episode 2 is here. Scott is joined by Joe Rosensteel to talk about their feelings about Picard in general and what works for them in this episode (a lot of it works!). What makes an ideal Starfleet captain? Who keeps a head handy for dramatic reveals? Find out!

“Star Trek: Picard” is back and so are Jason and Scott with our review of the final-season premiere, “The Next Generation.” (Hmmmmm.) We discuss themes (musical and otherwise), try to understand why hitching a ride on a Starfleet ship counts as “no Starfleet,” and praise the art of being a truly bad “Star Trek” admiral or captain.

They gave her back to us, Scotty! Jason and Scott prime the pump for next week’s “Star Trek: Picard” premiere by discussing the completed animated seasons of “Lower Decks” and “Prodigy.”

So it’s come to this. It’s our last weekly podcast for a while, as “Strange New Worlds” wraps its season with an explosive-yet-contemplative look at Captain Pike’s fate and how he chooses to deal with it. We also discuss why the first season of “Strange New Worlds” has been successful and whether Trek should be embracing the past, trying new things, or if there’s a middle ground.

The penultimate episode of “Strange New Worlds” season one is here, and it brings horrors and character development in equal measure! Join us for some classic Hemmer-Uhura bonding, Spock getting in touch with his human side, and a few characters who may not make it out of the episode alive.

This week the Enterprise becomes a fairy tale, but there’s a surprisingly bittersweet ending. What’s in that nebula? Which Enterprise crew member is an elf from Lord of the Rings (easy one) and which one is Arrow (tougher one)? Also we assign you a good “Deep Space Nine” episode and Jason tries to trick people into watching a bad one.

Arr, matey! Jason and Scott are here to talk about pirates, references to three different not-good Star Trek feature films, an intriguing guest star, Chapel and T’Pring, mining Spock’s inner conflict, and the ol’ Mutiny Ploy. Shiver me space timbers!

Pike is back in the spotlight and Scott welcomes replacement cohost David Loehr to break it all down.

This week it’s time for a little hijinks, as “Strange New Worlds” treads on classic Trek canon in the service of comedy, but not without keeping an eye on character development. We’re joined by cartoonist and writer Thom Zahler to break down an episode that shows the newest Star Trek show hitting on all cylinders.

We really liked this week’s “Strange New Worlds,” and we talk about it, but we also wonder if this show’s plots are a little overstuffed. Is the show finding its footing or leaning too heavily on old references? Discuss among yourselves—or just listen to us discuss it.

With Pike and Spock trapped on a planet hiding from ghosts(!), Number One has to deal with a crisis aboard the Enterprise that will lead her to reveal some very personal information about herself. We discuss it all, including other things you might want to hide in a transporter buffer.

This week’s “Strange New Worlds” focuses on Uhura, and also there’s a comet that’s not quite what it appears to be, a ship full of comet-worshippers, and a glowing egg that should be sung to—but not touched! We break it all down.

Two Treks, one podcast! We discuss the (disappointing) finale of “Star Trek: Picard” season two, and then (at 24 minutes) shift gears to discuss the eponymous pilot episode of “Strange New Worlds,” which fills us with enthusiasm for the future of Star Trek. Also: Jason mentions Law & Order and has a gruesome pitch for season three of “Picard.” Hit it!

The penultimate episode of season 2 of “Star Trek: Picard” is here! Jason and Scott are conflicted. Some of it seemed pretty obvious, but was it affecting? Why has there not been more Jurati and Borg Queen up until now? Where is this season going to end up? Join us for a very slow walking tour of the tunnels beneath Chateau Picard.

The human podcast digressions, Scott and Jason, are back with more roundabout conversation that’s vaguely related to “Star Trek: Picard!” (Can you picture it?) We’re discussing an episode that we enjoyed despite it being in the midst of a very questionably paced season. And we announce our forthcoming Incomparable Member Special!

We dive into Picard’s mind this week with our review of “Monsters.” Also, Guinan does that thing with her hands, Rios makes a questionable decision, and the Borg confront their greatest foe: safety glass.

This week we’ve got a surprise musical number, the perfect murder weapon (a Tesla), and the world’s wisest security guard dispenses advice. All that and more as Scott and Jason discuss the latest “Star Trek: Picard”, then fire off the Conspiracy Phaser to discuss the season 3 teaser and finally move on to the 4K remaster of the ST:TMP Director’s Edition.

It’s another set-up episode for “Star Trek: Picard,” and so we break down Alice giving the Borg Queen a phone in her room, Rios finishing his bus ride, Q doing accents and other schtick, Brent Spiner proving that the Soong remains the same, and of course Picard showing his detailed knowledge of TOS episodes.

Back to one Star Trek show per week, and Jason and Scott are here to deconstruct an episode of “Picard” that’s a little lighter on plot advancement than the previous weeks. But it’s heavy on references, fan service, and conspiracy theories! Also, there’s a cute dog, car chases, a very funny Rios monologue, and a perplexing Q twist. Also: We discuss the trailer for the 4K revival of Star Trek: The Motion Picture!

After an impromptu St. Patrick’s Day celebration of all things Irish in Star Trek, Scott and Jason get down to business and send season 4 of “Star Trek: Discovery” off (starting at 2:04), before turning to another cracking episode of “Star Trek: Picard” (starting at 16:09) and briefly discussing some “Strange New Worlds” casting news (after the spoiler phaser at 36:33).

So much Star Trek! This week Jason and Scott discuss the “Strange New Worlds” trailer, then turn their attention to the penultimate episode of “Discovery” (at 8:24) and the second episode of “Picard” (at 26:16). We are excited about “Discovery” reaching its seasonal climax and super-super excited about… pretty much everything in “Picard.” Join us!

Two episodes of Star Trek at once? Let’s party like it’s 1999. First up is “Rosetta,” in which Discovery goes to a mysterious planet and the landing party has some strong feelings. Then (at 20:46, for those who want to skip the “Discovery” talk) we cover the season premiere of “Star Trek: Picard,” which gets us really excited about starships, the Borg, and how wine bottles are designed in the early 25th century.

The Disco crew slowly begins its gradual journey toward the source of the DMA. Every journey begins with a first step. Scott’s traveling companion for this step of the journey is special guest Joe Rosensteel.

This week Discovery takes us to the heart of the DMA for a confrontation between Burnham and Book with the galaxy at stake. Mad scientists are not to be trusted! Also, Saru might have been asked on a date? And we discuss the big news that the Kelvin crew may be returning in a fourth J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek movie.

We’re back to begin an unprecedented run of 21 straight weeks of new live-action Star Trek! This week’s “Discovery” has a lot of wacky dialogue and peculiar situations, yet we both felt it was missing… something. Still, it’s good to have Star Trek back!

Vulcan Hello’s midseason finale features mad scientists, sentient computers, and also some “character clean-up.” This was perhaps the most Star Trekky episode of the season, by our judgment. And it’s all you’ll have of “Star Trek: Discovery” until the far off time of… February! See you in six weeks.

This week “Star Trek: Discovery” is about as Star Trek as it gets, with the ship trapped in a mysterious void. Dying robots scream, the ship’s singing A.I. has focus issues (and yet nobody bats an eye?), Book gets yelled at by a relative only he can see, and there are intriguing clues to the source of the DMA that manage to reassure us.