Antimatter Pod

40. Impossible Girls (Picard 1.06)

Just when we had gotten used to the idea that Star Trek: Picard was a bit rubbish, it went and threw a good episode at us! Anika and Liz are talking: 

• redemption and atonement arcs
• Anika has a LOT of feelings about Narek, okay?
• girl-as-mystery-box storytelling (with a semi-relevant interlude of Steven Moffat fangirling)
• Voyager references
• Rihannsu lore is creeping into canon and we are DELIGHTED
• Elnor's unexpected emotional insight
• Hugh and Seven: parallels and contrasts

We also consider Rios's internal decorating, the nature of citizenship in the Federation, and the rights of Romulan refugees. These issues are equally important, shut up. 

39. They Were All Wearing Eyepatches (Picard 1.05)

Put a feather in your hat and put on the silliest French accent you can manage, we're talking about "Stardust City Rag"! 

And maybe it's time to admit that Star Trek: Picard is not a good show ... and that's okay? 

Also discussed: 

• That shocking death in the teaser
• Kirsten Beyer as a writer
• Seven and Bjayzel
• Raffi is doing her best, okay? We love her.
• Star Trek: Picard features the consequences that TNG and Voyager lacked (and that's why we see fewer echoes of DS9)
• The aesthetics of Freecloud
• Picard, like, definitely doesn't really understand money, right?
• Everyone Loves Elnor: the hit sitcom coming to CBS All Access as soon as they start accepting our phone calls!

38. The September Issue of Coloniser Monthly (Picard 1.04)

Episode 4 of Star Trek: Picard raised a lot of questions! Like, does the show want us to dislike Picard? And, when will Elnor get his cat? 

Discussed this week: 

• a Twitter troll accused Liz of having a "heavily misandrist" Star Trek podcast, and yes, we are very proud, thank you 
• Una McCormack's The Last Best Hope, a prequel to Star Trek: Picard (including spoilery chat about one particular subplot; if you don't want to know, skip ahead from where Liz warns of spoilers to approximately 07:21)
• the regrettable racism in this series
• and sexism
• and heteronormativity
• Elnor is a perfect angel who deserves many cats
• we all deserve cats

And more!

37. Proto-Existentialist Sad Boy (Picard 1.03)

The End! Is the Beginning! 

It's season 1, episode 3 of Star Trek: Picard, and we're discussing: 

• Romulannisters! Uh, are we meant to see this much chemistry between the Romulan siblings? [If this subject matter squicks you, skip ahead to about the 03:50 mark.]
• Smoking and space bongs and visual shorthand in Star Trek
• Ego as Picard's besetting flaw
• It's always a mistake to think too hard about the Federation economy, but here we are again
• Does Cris Rios need a baby Yoda?
• Has Agnes Jurati been brainwashed?
• We love our weird new space family and we don't want a single character to die
• Soji's job is more interesting than her romance with Narek
• Storytelling via literary references
• What would Soji read? Hit us up at @antimatterpod on Twitter and share your thoughts!

36. Romulans! Romulans Everywhere! (Picard 1.02)

We discuss episode 2 of Star Trek: Picard, "Maps and Legends" -- an episode which contains very few legends and no maps at all. We're talking: 

• Romulans! (And Vulcans)
• Exposition!
• Women dunking on Picard!
• Detective fiction!
• Classism! 
• And more!

35. Romulan Fish Nuns (Picard 1.01)

We're back! And we're talking about the first episode of Star Trek: Picard, "Remembrance". 

It's difficult to get into a full list of topics covered without spoiling the episode's twists, but here's the short, vague version -- we talk about...

• exposition
• the treatment of black people in the script
• journalism in Star Trek
• 21st century moral dilemmas
• the characters
• the settings
• nuclear fission -- or fusion, Liz isn't sure of the difference
• Adam Driver

TL;DR we liked it but...

34. My Good Friend, Jean-Luc Picard

In our last episode before the launch of Star Trek: Picard, we talk about the character of Jean-Luc Picard himself: an aristocrat who aspires to be a street hero, a man who seems to embody the Federation establishment, yet surrounds himself with outsiders.

We also consider: 

• hobbies and ongoing education in the world of Star Trek
• legacies
• depictions of PTSD in Star Trek
• the secret underground bear pong league on the Enterprise-D

And, just in case it sounded like we were very focused and on-topic, Liz also pitches the next Charlie's Angels movie.

For more links, check out antimatterpod.tumblr.com.

33. Gaslit by Candlelight

"This isn't a romance. It's a horror story." 

Anika and Liz take a look at TNG's "Sub Rosa". And, you know, we try really hard to be positive about matters Trekkish, even in the face of (say) a favourite character taking a photon torpedo in the face. 

But there's no getting around it: "Sub Rosa" is terrible. 

We talk about consent, depictions of sexuality in Star Trek, and the ... interesting takes on this episode from the people who made it. 

We also discuss...

• Star Trek and gothic fiction: a combination doomed to failure?
• Why the only man for Major Kira is (prime) Gabriel Lorca
• (Really!)
• The new comics setting up the Picard series
• Beverly's approach to relationships

And we wonder, does Ronin help out around the house? Do the dishes? Probably not!

Note: Given the nature of "Sub Rosa", we're discussing sex and rape far more than in the average episode. 

You can find links and credits for our theme music at antimatterpod.tumblr.com.

32. Sybok's Fan Fiction

We're considering the notorious Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, wildly reviled as the worst Trek movie ever. And, well, we kind of like it! Why?

• Spock turns out to have yet another sibling he forgot to tell anyone about!
• The Nimbus III Three
• David Warner has never been sexier
• Who doesn't love a space cult?
• Caithlin Dar and Vixis and Uhura, oh my!

We also wonder: 

• Is it possible Shatner is a better director than he's given credit for?
• Does Starfleet need more knitwear?
• Where did they get the palm fronds for Uhura's nude dance, and how come Kirk never gets to do the sexy dancing?

Content note: because this is a deeply flawed movie, we also have to talk about the murder of the exotic dancer -- if you would prefer to skip that content, the discussion runs from approximately 49:20 to 51:52. Or, for a more detailed conversation about sex work in Trek in general, and this scene in particular, we recommend episode 80 of Women at Warp.

31. Tribble Apocalypse

Slightly belated discussion of New York Comic Con and the new trailers for Discovery and Picard, and also the two new Short Treks: "Q&A" and "The Trouble With Edward". (Well. They were new when we scheduled this episode.)

Also covered: 

• Liz met Jason Isaacs
• Are the Disco writers softening us up for something controversial?
• How the Federation is like the Catholic Church
• No, really!
• Are we meant to be shipping Spock and Una?
• (too late, we ship it)
• Which Antimatter Pod host would eat a tribble? (Spoilers: one of us is an appalled vegetarian!)

Link: Women at Warp talk to Hanelle M. Culpepper about directing Star Trek.