Episode Reviews Episodes

We've hit the halfway point on Star Trek Lower Decks' third season! Join Erik, Girafe, and Hawk as they break down and review what is arguably one of the show's best episodes ever, "Reflections."

What happens when Rutherford’s younger self and personality takes over his body? What do we learn about him and his implant? And when Boimler and Mariner are on Starfleet Booth Duty on Tulgana IV, who ends up losing their cool, and why ISN’T it Mariner? The crew has all the answers and more!

Plus, the...

On this very special edition of Strange New Pod, the crew celebrates the show's 100th episode! Join Julian, Erik, Brittany, Hawk, and Girafe for a night of throwbacks, fun, and of course, their review of this week's episode of Lower Decks, "Room For Growth."

What happens when a senior officer room comes up for grabs on Deck One? Who knows the Cerritos better, Boimler, Mariner, and Tendi, or their arch-rivals, Delta Shift? Also, does forced shore leave work for Rutherford and Billups and their t...

Join Erik, Girafe, Hawk, and Julian for another week of Lower Decks shenanigans with their review and deep dive of episode 303, "Mining the Mind's Mines!"

The Lower Deckers are on clean-up duty again, this time helping the crew of another Cali class ship, the Carlsbad, clean up fantasy orbs and tear down a research station. But not all is as it seems on the planet home to the Scrubble. Meanwhile, Tendi begins her Senior science officer training program with…Dr. Migleemo? When things go wrong, w...

This week, Girafe, Hawk, and Julian review and break down Lower Decks' second episode of season two, "The Least Dangerous Game."

Brad Boimler is a new man…he’s BOLD Boimler? But does he go too far when he lets K’Ranch hunt him? Meanwhile, Ransoms makes Mariner fix a space elevator with him, but when things go wrong on the surface with Billups and Rutherford, does Mariner follow Ransom’s orders or go off mission again? We break it all down!

Plus, the Strange New Loop, news about an upcoming cha...

Join Julian, Karyn, and Matt for the final episode of their Orville New Horizons three-part review series! Part three covers the following episodes:

309: "Domino"

310: "Future Unknown"

The team also wraps up the season, discusses The Orville's unknown fate, and much more!

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Star Trek Lower Decks is finally back, and the SNP crew is joined by the Borg Queen of Puns herself, Brittany Tomes, who makes her puntastic return to help break the third season premiere down.

How long did it take for Mariner to go rogue? How bad does Captain Freeman's trial look? And why are our lower deckers heading to the site of first contact? Brittany and the rest of the team take a deep dive into the short but sweet season premiere, "Grounded."

Plus, the Strange New Loop, news about our...

SNP's Orville New Horizons bonus pod series continues with reviews of the back half of season three.

Join Julian, Karyn, and Matt as they dive into the following episodes:

305: "A Tale of Two Topas"

306: "Twice in a Lifetime"

307: "From Unknown Graves"

308: "Midnight Blue"

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Join Julian, Karyn, and Matt for episode one of our three-part Orville review series!

This bonus podcast covers The Orville New Horizons episodes "Electric Sheep," "Shadow Realms," Mortality Paradox," and "Gently Falling Rain."

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After an amazing freshman season, Strange New Worlds' first run has come to an end with an explosive finale! Join the SNP crew along with one-half of the Duras Sisters, Rhianna Herd, as they deep dive and review "A Quality of Mercy."

What happens when Captain Pike is visited by the ghost of Balance of Terror’s future? How does Captain Kirk factor into the future events Pike inadvertently sets into motion? Can he make a case for peace with the Romulans? And what about that bombshell cliffhanger ...

It's the penultimate episode of Strange New Worlds season one, and "All Those Who Wander" Proves to be the series' most divisive episode yet. Join Erik, Girafe, Hawk, and Julian as they review this classic sci-fi horror episode with a tragic and heartbreaking ending.

What happens when the Enterprise responds to a distress call from the USS Peregrine? What shocking and terrifying discovery do Pike and his away team find on board? And what does the team think about that BIG sacrifice at the end o...

On this special edition of Strange New Pod, the crew welcomes Strange New Worlds Costume Designer Bernadette Croft to the show! Plus, Erik, Erin, Girafe, Hawk, and Julian review the fantastical 8th episode of the series, 'The Elysian Kingdom."

Timestamps:

2:05-30:07: Bernadette Croft Interview - Bernadette shares what it was like attending her first convention at Missions Chicago, her inspiration for the fantasy costumes of "The Elysian Kingdom," and much more. Don't worry, we talk about the r...

Arrrr, it's Strange New Pod's review of episode 107 of Strange New Worlds, "The Serene Squall!" Join Erik, Girafe, Hawk, Julian, and Erin who makes her triumphant and surprise return to the pod as they break down this amazing pirate romp of an episode.

What happens when former Starfleet counselor Dr. Aspen joins the crew to help find a group of missing colonists? What is her fascination with Spock? And when Pike and Una are captured by an Orion pirate, how do they wiggle their way out of the si...

We are officially into the back half of Strange New Worlds with episode 106. This week, after a comedic break, SNW delivers with its deepest and most powerful episode yet. And as always, Erik, Girafe, Hawk, and Julian are here to break it all down?

What happens when Captain Pike rescues an old flame along with a very important child? Who is at the heart of the conspiracy to kidnap him? And what horrible discovery does Pike make planetside? And how did Uhura do on her rotational shift with La'an...

Strange New Worlds' first season hits its midway point with the show's most lighthearted and hilarious episode yet in "Spock Amok." With Girafe on an away mission over to Star Trek Discovery Pod, the SNP team welcome Julian's wife Karyn back to the show to help them break it all down.

What happens when Spock and T’Pring swap bodies after a soul-sharing ritual goes wrong? Are Number and La’an able to complete the entire Enterprise Bingo list? Should Chapel and Ortegas be giving relationship advi...

Strange New Pod celebrates its two-year anniversary with a review of what is possibly Strange New Worlds' best episode to date, "Memento Mori." SNP also welcomes back a friend of the show and Geeks with Kids contributor Michael Schaus to help break down the episode.

Opening up new hunting grounds, the Enterprise is decimated after a surprise Gorn attack, surviving the initial first few attacks thanks to La’an’s previous experience with the vicious hunter race. How was the Enterprise and her cre...

They say good things come in threes, but Strange New Worlds' third episode of its freshman season, "Ghosts of Illyria," seems to be the most polarizing episode among the SNP crew so far. Joining the team this week to help them break this one down: Matthew Kaplowitz from Trek Untold.
LIGHT! We need more light!! Ghosts of Illyria is an awesome Una-centered episode that pays homage to classic TOS episodes "Naked Time" and "The Naked Now," as well as a couple of classic horror episodes. How does Num...

Strange New Worlds is two weeks in and it's already shaping out to be one of the top Star Trek shows of all time. Join Erik, Girafe, Hawk, and Julian as they review and break down episode 102, "Children of the Comet."

What happens when Pike and the crew find out that the comet they are tracking isn’t just an icy piece of rock? How does Cadet Uhura do on her very first away mission? And which character ALMOST becomes our first tick on the red shirt counter?

Plus, the team fulfill their promise ...

It's the moment we've been waiting for as a podcast for almost two years; Strange New Worlds is finally here, and the team is here to review and break it all down with a very special guest, Jessie Gender!

What is so urgent that Robert April has to order Captain Pike out of his self-imposed exile? Why is Spock naked? How does Pike’s knowledge of his future affect his captaincy early on? And can the crew not only rescue Number One but prevent a planet from making the same mistakes as Earth? Erik,...

It's another finale edition of Strange New Pod as Star Trek Picard season two comes to a close. Join Erik, Girafe, Hawk, and Julian as they deep dive and break down yet another polarizing Picard finale.

Were Tallinn and Picard able to make sure Renee's Europa mission was launched? Or did Adam Soong kill any chance of a brighter tomorrow? Were Q and Jean-Luc able to reconcile? Who stayed in the past, and who is the Borg Queen on the Stargazer? The crew answers all these questions and many more i...

Join Girafe, Hawk, and Julian for SNP's last live show before the series premiere of Strange New Worlds! This week, the team reviews and breaks down Picard season two's penultimate episode, "Hide and Seek."

Were the Borg Queen's drones able to overtake Picard and crew? Speaking of the Borg Queen, did Jurati fully succumb to assimilation? And most importantly, why does Star Trek not have a good reputation when it comes to the way it portrays mental health issues on screen? All these questions ar...

It's another episode of Strange New Pod as Erik, Girafe, and Julian break down episode 208 of Star Trek Picard, "Mercy."

As the show inches closer to its conclusion, was there room for a filler episode? Did "Mercy" handle all of its different plot points well? Why does Rios keep making bad decisions, and how far gone is Agnus? What is wrong with Q?!

We deep dive it all! Plus, side notes from Girafe, fun facts about cake from Erik, the mailbag, and much more on episode 79 of SNP.

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Girafe and Julian have returned from their away mission in Chicago and are joined by Hawk to review this week's brand new episode of Star Trek Picard, "Monsters."

What trauma does Jean-Luc have to work out in order to wake from his coma? How much of Jurati has the Borg Queen taken over? And why is Rios making such bad decisions? The SNP team breaks it all down.

Plus, Girafe and Julian's mission report from Chicago, the mailbag, new collective members, and much more on episode 78 of Strange New...

Join Girafe and Julian for this very special edition of the pod as they record LIVE on location from Star Trek Mission Chicago with a live audience! They're also joined in person by one half of the Duras Sisters Podcast, Rhianna Herd!

What did they think about Jurati and the Brog Queen's symbiosis? Why do they think Jean-Luc isn't waking up? And why do they think Patrick Stewart is having more fun this season than the last?

Plus, what is it like being back at a con after the pandemic, question...

It's SNP's final live episode review before Julian and Girafe grab a shuttle ride to Mission Chicago!

Join the crew as they react to the latest set of Strange New Worlds character teasers featuring Doctor M'Benga and Nurse Chapel. Erik also explains why he's choosing not to watch the plethora of previews we've gotten this week.

Then, it's on to our review of episode 205 of Star Trek Picard, "Fly Me to the Moon." At the show's midpoint already, we're introduced to Dr. Adam Soong and his daughte...