Antimatter Pod

195. A Handbag Nuke (ST:S31)

Anika and Liz are here to discuss the NEW and WIDELY REVILED streaming movie Star Trek: Section 31. And here's Antimatter Pod's hottest take yet: we ... liked it? Not because it's good! (It's not!) But ... well, have a listen while we discuss...

• We feel cheated that we didn't get series that Erika Lippoldt and Bo-yeon Kim wrote
• But is it Star Trek? Yes. Next question!
• We are intrigued by Georgiou's decision to go into the hospitality industry
• Rachel Garrett is not quite a fully-fledged character, but she has enough potential that we're sad we'll probably never Kasey Ruhl in the role again
• Farscape, Alias and Enterprise vibes
• Is Zeph a transphobic joke in human form? 
• The costumes by far were the best part of the movie and we have a lot to say about Rachel Garrett's collection of blue pageboy wigs
  

194. Kolinahr Statement Necklace (ST:TMP)

Anika and Liz don their gaudiest statement necklaces and medallions and get the band back together for an adventure in Millennial Greige, 46 years before TikTok invented that concept.

Yes! It's time to discuss Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and yes, this episode is 90 minutes long, but please note that's still shorter than the movie itself. And we have a lot to talk about! Such as...

• Content note: In 2014, actor Stephen Collins admitted to "inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors". We have chosen to talk about his character, but not his performance - as far as the two can be separated. 
• Hot take: we like The Motion Picture
• Anika argues that Spock is the protagonist of The Motion Picture. Kirk is also in this movie.
• It's too often forgotten that Persis Khambatta is the first woman of colour to play the female lead in a Star Trek film (which is separate from the problem where, up until 2009, the films kept introducing new female leads rather than ever developing Uhura…)
• "My oath of celibacy is on record." Gene. What the fuck.
• Season 4 of Discovery has a lot of The Motion Picture in its DNA … and so does SNW! (Anika has a strong argument that Christine's characterisation in SNW owes more to this film than TOS)
• Possibly our most controversial opinion: we mostly like the uniforms
  
• Antimatter Pod: "We don't ship Kirk/Spock."
  Also Antimatter Pod: " Anyone who thinks that this movie is not about Kirk and Spock being in love is not watching this movie."
• Anika tells Liz about The Lost Years by JM Dillard, queen of the fiery red-haired psychic OFC

193. Nature's Unicorn (LD 5.10)

Anika and Liz jump headfirst into the S-field to discuss the series finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks, "The New Next Generation", including...

• We love the coda so much that it makes us like the final season more
• This episode had the wrong type of ship nerdery for us
• The trouble with Tendi
• Rutherford has been even more underused than usual this season, which makes his subplot here feel like it came out of the blue
• Carol Freeman gets the ending she deserves: her husband by her side and a new adventure
• A few weeks ago, we agreed that Ransom was not captain material, and we were so wrong
• Mariner/Ransom is CLEARLY still a thing and we're not mad about it at all

192. Chekhov's T'Pol (LD 5.09)

Anika and Liz are pretty sure our alternate universe selves are well-rested, organised and completely on top of their lives. But we are here to be tired, messy and talk about the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, "Fissure Quest"!

• While Anika was out touching grass, Liz was getting spoiled for every single surprise in this episode (and also getting blocked on Bsky by Mike McMahan)
• Jolene Blalock, our queen
• Curzon: why?
• "I don't mean to make this a carrot podcast, I just think they're a very overrated root vegetable." 
• Jokes about Harry never being promoted are tired, especially when we know the reason was Rick Berman's racism -- which makes this episode's twist a bit … yikes
• Who gets to be openly ambitious? And who has to keep their head down and wait patiently for recognition to be bestowed upon them? 
• Liz spoils the end The Day of the Jackal (2024) at 23:46, so deploy your skip=30 button if you need it
• FINALLY a Starfleet with a place for Anika
• Did the Harrys Kim hook up? Yes, obviously

191. The Coffee Machine Cleaning Cycle of the Federation (LD 5.07 and 5.08)

Anika and Liz are briefly trapped on a world where months pass in the space of seconds, which gives us a lot of time to talk about how great Carol Freeman is.

Yes, we're talking about Star Trek: Lower Decks' "Fully Dilated" and "Upper Decks". We liked one of these episodes! Mostly!

• "Fully Dilated" was a personal attack aimed at us
• Why is Tendi so out of character this season? 
• The Boimler and Rutherford subplot felt like a throwback to TNG_S8, but what works as a 140-character tweet is less successful spread over 22 minutes of animated comedy
• If you're going to put T'Lyn in the T'Pol role and then make boob jokes, they should be … funny
• "Do you know how mid an episode has to be for Data to be our favourite part?"
• We liked "Upper Decks" a lot! 
• But doctors withholding pain medication is not funny
• Freeman continues to be the best captain

190. Bluey for Trekkies (LD 5.06)

Anika and Liz mediate a war between sentient shapes, and try not to ask awkward questions like, "Why do you even HAVE genders?"

Okay, no, we're discussing Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 6, "Of Gods and Angles"!

• Another round of the "accept what makes you different" moral, which is not bad, but more suited to Bluey than an allegedly sophisticated comedy for adults
• (Bluey is successful for the same reason that Star Trek is successful! Competence porn and aspirational levels of decency!)
• "They could do anything, but they have no imagination!" is a BOLD choice of dialogue in a season this weak
• Teen pregnancy? The Humourless Feminist Killjoy Hour is here to ask: is Star Trek entering its natalist era?
• Liz talks really authoritatively about Romeo and Juliet for someone who hasn't read or watched it since 1997

189. A Real Rick Berman Kind of Horror (LD 5.04 and 5.05)

Anika and Liz visit the Klingon homeworld and Starbase 80, and Anika does not partake in blood wine or corn dogs because these episodes are not inclusive for vegetarians.

Yes, we're talking about Star Trek: Lower Decks episodes "A Farewell to Farms" and "Starbase 80?!", and we have a few things to say...

• "A Farewell to Farms" was fine
• Mary Chieffo deserves better
• It's time for Liz to admit the truth: she has a soft spot for Dr Migleemo
• Is Migleemo Freeman's Tuvok?
• It's very possible that there are external reasons that season 5 of Lower Decks hasn't been working for us
• The SNWification of Star Trek since 2022
• Starbase 80 is symptomatic of an empire in decay
• What is Mariner's arc in season 5?
• We are here to ship Mariner/Kassia

188. The Humourless Feminist Killjoy Happy Hour (LD 5.03)

Anika and Liz visit a fabulous resort, where we get to sit by the pool and relax while nothing bad happens and no one is weirdly stalked by their ex-girlfriend.

We're discussing Star Trek: Lower Decks episode "The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel", and spoilers, we aren't fans!

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel did not deserve this
• "My shoulders went up around my ears and stayed there for the entire episode."
• Jennifer is abusive, and it's weird how the show (and the fandom!) seems to consider this zany and delightful
• This is not a great season for Tendi's characterisation so far
• It feels like Mariner and Tendi's arcs ended in season 4 and the show doesn't quite know what to do with them now
• But also, less than week to the US election and Lower Decks is like, "How about an episode where a Black woman on the cusp of becoming a leader is mistreated and everyone cheers?" Guys.
• An Apocalypse Now parody? Groundbreaking.
• Anika: "I apologise to people who liked this episode."
  Liz: "I don't."
• How much has season 5 been affected by the industrial unrest across the entertainment industry? There are so many barriers to making good television at the best of times! Also, Liz talks about season 5 of Babylon 5 (sorry, Anika)

187. Free-Range Organic Facial Hair (LD 5.01 and 5.02)

Anika and Liz meet their alternate timeline duplicates, who are exactly the same except Fake Anika is super right-wing and Fake Liz has a luscious beard.

It's time! For the Star Trek: Lower Decks fifth season premiere!

Liz: I don't ship Rutherford/Tendi/T'Lyn
61 seconds later…
Liz: I ship Rutherford/Tendi/T'Lyn

• Remembering Jeri Taylor
• New York Comic Con: Anika has been in the presence of greatness (Carol Kane)
• Is Lower Decks getting tired, or is it Liz who is too tired to feel joy? 
• Beard Boimler and Otherford
• We are learning SO MUCH about Orion culture! 
• INCOMING HUMOURLESS FEMINIST KILLJOY MOMENT: Maybe October 2024 is not the right time for a subplot about controlling what a pregnant woman does?
• Anika has a Bointer for you: always try to avoid anything that makes you sound like J. D. Vance

 

186. Cottagecore Retirement (Prodigy 2.19 and 2.20)

Anika and Liz save the world, and then settle down for some light gardening in a giant midwest McMansion. Yes, the time has come to discuss the season (series?) finale of Star Trek: Prodigy, "Ouroboros" parts 1 and 2.

• Anika was really onto something when she said Rok-Tahk is the new Wesley
• What is a good age to start watching Star Trek with kids?
• "At no point does Prodigy talk down to its audience."
• Anika's two fictional sons (Dal and Jack) in one episode!
• This podcast is tough on Indiana, tough on the causes of Indiana
• Why do so many series captains own property on Earth? 
• Characters from DS9 and Picard we want the Prodigy kids to meet
• Saving Holo Janeway