Antimatter Pod

99. Delta Quadrant Girlboss (Prodigy 1.07)

We are brushing up on our Rules of Aquisition and speedreading General Order One ... it's time for Prodigy!

• Did we NEED to bring the Ferengi into the 21st century? 
• Seriously, lots of things about Nandi left a bad taste in our mouths
• "The prime directive quandary was the most interesting part of the episode" -- words which we have NEVER said before now!
• Can Murf consent to being a transporter experiment subject? 
• Nandi has pierced ears and this worries us a LOT
• Pay animation writers fairly, dammit!

98. The Win Scenario (Prodigy 1.06)

Anika and Liz are AWAKE and SOBER and delighted to talk about a new episode of Star Trek: Prodigy!

• OUR CHILDREN ARE BACK
• We are still talking about the unconscious racism in people's attitudes to Dal (and Michael, and Raffi, and Becket…)
• Understanding versus interpretation
• Gwyn finding her identity
• Things are getting a bit timey wimey up in here
• There probably isn't a secret plot to keep DS9 out of current continuity…
• Archive audio, sound quality and FEELS

97. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Ruon Tarka? (Disco 4.07)

It's New Year's Eve. Liz has the fan running and is two drinks in. Anika has just woken up. What a perfect set-up to talk about "...But To Connect"!

• We speculate wildly about filming multi-storeyed crowd scenes in covid
• Should, uhhh, Book have been allowed at this meeting? 
• Earth is a bit genocide-happy and it's worrying
• Never trust anyone whose solution to their problems is moving to another universe!
• Some digressions: Gundam Wing, Fringe, Loki
• Also Liz reads poetry (badly)
• Artificial intelligence in our homes: Google, Alexa, Siri, Zora…

96. There’s Coffee In That Void (Disco 4.06)

Anika and Liz take time out from seasonal festivities to catch up and talk about Discovery 4.06, "Stormy Weather". And along the way, we discuss…

• This episode was great, yet it's not our favourite … and that is very much an us problem not a Discovery problem
• Must a Star Trek podcast be full of meaningful insights? Is it not enough that we have some Voyager comparisons and a whole digression about the psychological benefits of procedurals?
• Gray is Kes (this does not mean that Adira is Neelix)
• A little bit of a rant about fandom's take on found family
• Depictions of anger in Star Trek (and the world)
• A digression about season 4 of Enterprise
• The Bridge Crew Problem (™) (in which we have something nice to say about Nilsson!)

95. The Tragedy of Darth Greg the Wise (Disco 1.05)

'Twas a few days before Christmas, and here on Discord, Anika and Liz got together to talk about Star Trek and politely overlook Liz's total and absolute inability to use rhyme or meter.

• It turns out we were onto something thematically relevant with our calls for prison abolition!
• "The Examples" feels like TNG or Voyager, and this time we mean it as a compliment
• (It feels so much like a Voyager episode that we have to debate whether or not the character played by an First Nations actor was an ethnic stereotype…)
• Ruon Tarka is a great foil for Stamets and a … temptation? For Book?
• We have a lot of feelings about the USS Janeway and the NSS T'Pau
• Was Zora's development of emotions triggered by the anomaly? Is this set-up for Calypso? We have WILD SPECULATION and VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE!
• Liz is not entirely certain how to pronounce "eschew" but that's not going to stop her from trying!
• Prediction: the anomaly looks like an eye because we are going to be asked to empathise with it

94. Anika‘s Green Son (Disco 4.04)

Liz and Anika put on their dress uniforms and turn up to sit quietly and look official at a diplomatic event. 

…but we're not very good at that, so instead we talk about: 

• The departing character, our feelings and our hopes
• This is an episode about Michael using her middle child powers
• Vulcans love drama almost as much as they love logic, and we are HERE for it
• Anika is delighted to see Hugh in action as Discovery's therapist
• Are we due for someone else's planet to asplode?
• Could this be Discovery's final season? Liz has an idea for how it should end -- Anika is not impressed.
  

93. Illogical Real Estate Scams (Disco 4.03)

It's a Qowat Milat road trip! Pack your sword, moisturise your hands and join Anika and Liz as we talk about "Choose to Live"!

• Actually we did not love this episode and feel slightly bad about it (but maybe the writers should feel worse?)
• PRESIDENT RILLAK DID NOTHING WRONG, Liz has a powerpoint presentation and an interpretive dance to persuade you if you disagree
• We are once again calling for the abolition of the carceral state
• We don't know enough about the Federation OR Ni'Varan justice systems to understand why Michael disagrees with Rillak, and that's kind of a problem
• We have a lot of complaints about this episode, but we love and adore its depiction of Vulcans
• Spock's World by Diane Duane, a novel which is unexpectedly relevant to this episode of Discovery
• Michael has chemistry with EVERYONE and it's a problem (unless you're a multishipper, which we are)

92. Greg! The Anomaly!! (Disco 4.02)

Paramount is an extremely clever and foresighted institution, which is why now part of the world has Discovery (sort of), while Americans get to squeeze it in alongside Thanksgiving. But Anika and Liz overcame the logistical challenges! And we are here to talk about...

• The anomaly's name is Greg now
• We talk a lot about grief in this ep, but also how Liz thinks Michael and Book should have a baby, which is a totally legitimate solution to any problem
• Michael Burnham is allowed to cry, it is good that she is capable of crying, and the logic bros and manbabies of fandom need to get over it
• Star Trek is about grief and sex, and has been since "The Cage"
• Wilson Cruz is remarkable as both a person and an actor and we are lucky to have him

91. Bad Paramount, No Biscuit (Prodigy 1.05 and Disco 4.01)

Anika and Liz are UNDEFEATED by Paramount's shenanigans! We are HERE to talk about the fifth episode of Prodigy and the season 4 premiere of Discovery, and no one can stop us!

• Discovery has left Paramount Plus and basically Paramount has squiddled so much good will in one move, we are confused
  
• It's possible that two new Star Treks in 24 hours is too much
• There was not enough kissing in any of these episodes!
• Is Murf a person or a pet? (And if they're a pet, that is TOTALLY valid but we think Rok-Tahk might also like a puppy.)
• Does Michael Burnham need to be put in the James Kirk box?
• "And that's why we have to destroy capitalism."
• Book is Princess Leia (yes, this does make Michael Han Solo)
• We discuss our least favourite characters on Discovery; their identities may shock and enrage you.
• We don't love that someone is questioning Michael's capacity yet again, but that aside, we LOVE President Rillak and offer her the highest possible Antimatter Pod compliment: she reminds us of both Seska and Kai Winn.
• We have hair, make-up and costume notes.
• Saru is in this episode.

As a protostar is born, a planet is asploded. Or something.

90. Janeways All The Way Down (Prodigy 1.04)

Liz and Anika execute a flawless landing and hang out talking about episode 4 of Star Trek: Prodigy! Along the way, we talk about how:

• We're glad we don't have to cover two Star Treks at once, but we're gonna miss these characters when Prodigy goes on hiatus
• Janeway is a week old and also a single mother and we love her
• Every single character is an orphan with a tragic backstory (or a hologram) and we have a lot of feelings!
• We should be more like Rok-Tahk
• The Alice in Wonderland of it all
• Connections between Star Treks
• Anika has an extremely controversial Garak opinion and will be recording future episodes from Nerd Protective Custody