Real Life

No matter the situation, having a family comes with challenges. The Doctor finds this out when he creates a holographic family and plunges right into family life. In this episode of To The Journey, Char and Tristan watch as B'Elanna visits The Doctor's family and is sickened by its saccharine-sweet harmony. She reprograms the family's subroutines into something more "realistic," involving wretched Klingon music, crying kids, and life-ending injuries. Listen on and find out if Char and Tristan think what happens in this episode is an accurate portrayal of family life and whether or not they'd like to live in The Doctor's artsy suburban house on the Holodeck.

Originally published as To The Journey 88: Eddy from Boston.

Star Trek (2009)

A commentary track for Star Trek (2009) with Mike Schindler of Commentary: Trek Stars.

Persistence of Vision

In this episode of To The Journey, Char and Tristan break out the coffee ice cream and do a commentary for Season Two's "Persistence of Vision." Topics include the numerous times The Doctor got shrunk, Neelix's meal serving schedule, Chakotay's disappearance in the turbolift, the numerous angles in which we see the Bun of Steel, and, of course, Torres's "sweet dream" of making out with Chakotay and how that wasn't awkward or weird at all. They aren't sure, but this might have all been a hallucination.

Originally published as To The Journey 82: Mom Jeans.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Part 2)

Khan khantinues! For the conclusion of Khan-mentary 2, Mike and Drew continue their discussion of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with Khan expert John Tenuto. We explore what Roddenberry did and didn't like about the film, what scene is the best to quote along with in theaters, question of the nature of Jim and Carol's relationship, and dive into the Khan baby.

Programming Note: Because this commentary is very long, we have divided it into two parts. This portion of the commentary runs with the movie from 01:02:48 through the credits. Part 1 can be found in Standard Orbit 39.

Originally published as Standard Orbit 40: Return of the Jedda.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Part 1)

It's time to talk about everyone's favorite villain again! For Khan-mentary 2, Mike and Drew are joined once again by Khan expert John Tenuto to discuss the first half of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. We discuss the nature of spoilers in the 1980s and why Khan only wears one glove. Plus, find out which relative of Kirk's invented the sound of V'Ger and how Kirk compares to Lex Luthor!

Programming Note: Because this commentary is very long, we have divided it into two parts. This portion of the commentary runs with the movie from 00:00:13 to 01:02:48, just as Terrell is saying how Khan went wild on the Regula 1 scientists. Twenty seconds of music has been added to warn the listener when the split comes. Part 2 can be found in Standard Orbit 40.

Originally published as Standard Orbit 39: Nautical But Nice.

You Are Cordially Invited

From the very moment Worf and Jadzia met in Quark's, it was clear that there was a spark between them. Dax's history with Klingon culture made her a natural for a potential relationship with the new arrival, but that alone can only go so far. The onscreen chemistry between Michael Dorn and Terry Farrell helped lead Ronald D. Moore to revive a plotline he had tried to develop on TNG—the marriage of Worf. On The Next Generation the plan was for him to end up with Troi, but the relationship felt forced and didn't sit well with fans. The relationship between Worf and Jadzia, on the other hand, felt completely authentic and grew naturally over time. So when the Federation finally retook DS9 after the opening arc of the show's sixth season, it was time for a party. And what better way to party than to celebrate a wedding between friends and crewmates?

In this episode of The Orb hosts Christopher Jones and Matthew Rushing bring you a commentary for "You Are Cordially Invited." We discuss Martok's influence on Worf, Sisko's influence on Jadzia, and Sirella's influence on everyone. We also play with fire, crash a Klingon bachelor party, drool over a baked potato, and learn the latest dance craze, the Bolian Chest Bump.

Originally published as The Orb 65: Song, Ritual, and Unbridled Passions.

Threshold

No Star Trek show is immune from its share of "stinker" episodes, but few are of such ill-repute that the writer eventually strikes them from canon. "Threshold" is such an episode, and despite its unpopular status among the masses, Char and Tristan actually enjoy watching it. And in this episode of To The Journey they do just that as well as comment, laugh, cry, lose tongues, spawn, and more. It's like they experience the entire universe in this one episode. Listen on and find out why Char and Tristan love to love the episode that everybody loves to hate.

Originally published as To The Journey 77: Straight From the Lizard's Mouth.

Pen Pals

The Prime Directive is a centerpiece of Star Trek storytelling, and in TNG's second season we get an early Prime Directive episode in "Pen Pals." A small girl on a dangerously volcanic planet contacts Data looking for help, and the crew must deal with the fallout of this unpredictable situation. In this episode of Earl Grey Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx bring you a commentary track for "Pen Pals" and discuss the many interesting ideas in this episode, which is generally not a fan favorite.

Originally published as Earl Grey 39: What Would Captain Picard Do?

Drone

In 2014, where serialized storytelling is the norm on TV, sometimes a self-contained episode is refreshing. Voyager’s “Drone” fits that bill with its concise beginning, middle, and end—all in 45 satisfying minutes. In this episode of To The Journey, Char and Tristan bring you a commentary for the fifth-season episode “Drone.” We discuss 29th Century Borg attire, the merits of episodic television done right, and how Jeri Ryan’s phenomenal performance episode gives us all the feels.

Originally published as To The Journey 74: Borgified Codpiece.

Arena

Events from The Original Series don't get mentioned much in the later series, so when they do, it's a big deal. When The Sisko wanted to talk to Kirk about battling the Gorn on Cestus III, it gave the impression that perhaps "Arena" was his favorite classic Trek. In this episode of Standard Orbit, Mike and Drew bring you a commentary for this fan favorite. We talk visiting the Vasquez Rocks, the aspect ratio of the Enterprise viewscreen, and the concept of trench warfare vs meeting the enemy face-to-face, among a myriad of other subjects. And don't worry, you don't have to be watching the episode to enjoy our talk!

Originally published as Standard Orbit 31: The Citizen Kane of Star Trek.

Favorite Son

In this episode of To The Journey, Char and Tristan watch Voyager's "Favorite Son" from Season Three. They ponder the plausibility of the plot, why Harry refuses to get laid, and can't help but explore all the Freudian kinkiness this episode offers. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a guest appearance.

Originally published as To The Journey 70: Warp Off!

Our Man Bashir

From the moment he first encountered Garak, Julian Bashir had a fascination with the mysterious Cardassian. But why? Could it have been a secret fascination with James Bond and the spy games of 1960s Earth? During Deep Space Nine's fourth season, Ronald D. Moore and Bob Gillan brought us a delightful holodeck story with life or death stakes for the station's crew. And like almost all DS9 episodes, the laughs were mixed with some meaningful character development—especially between the resident doctor and tailor.

In this episode of The Orb hosts Christopher Jones and Matthew Rushing bring you a commentary for "Our Man Bashir" and explore the background behind the episode, what it says about Jules, the brilliance of Avery Brooks, and why everyone wants a honey bear.

Originally published as The Orb 53: Destroy the World to Win the Game.

Amok Time

The music is just one of the dozens of great things about "Amok Time," Spock's voyage home to get married. In this episode of Standard Orbit, Mike and Drew are joined by Colin from Melodic Treks to finish their crossover on "Amok Time" by doing a commentary on the episode. Don't miss the soup throwing, fish spawning, and epic fights to the death, and that's just in the commentary!

Originally published as Standard Orbit 23: He Shops at Spencer’s.

Hollow Pursuits

Cliff Bole was one of the most prolific contributors to The Next Generation, having directed 25 episodes of the series. His recent passing is a great loss to the franchise, and in this episode of Earl Grey we take a moment to recognize his work through a commentary for "Hollow Pursuits." Join hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx as they take you through the very first appearance of Barclay, which is also one of Cliff Bole's finest moments on TNG.

Originally published as Earl Grey 25: A Side of Broccoli.

Where No Fan Has Gone Before (Futurama)

The Original Series may have only trekked on television screen for three seasons, yet there are a surprising numbers of homages to such a short-lived voyage in various movies and television shows—a nod to the impact TOS has had on popular culture. In this episode of Standard Orbit, Mike and Drew bring you a commentary for one of the most overt homages, the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before." Find out what happens when you get (almost) the entire living cast of TOS in (almost) the same room, while sending them to the year 3002… where Star Trek is show forbidden!

Originally published as Standard Orbit 20: Piece of Gold Inside a Gold Shirt.

Living Witness

What would you do if you woke up 700 years in the future but you felt like only a day had passed? Thankfully, you don't have a backup module like the Doctor does.  In this episode of To The Journey, Char and Tristan do their own live commentary for the season four episode "Living Witness." They talk about pilgrim fashion sense, the correct pronunciation of our peppered XO’s name, and, of course, the importance of revisionist history. So sit back, relax, and pop in your DVD… do it!

Originally published as To The Journey 62: CHA-KO-TAY.

Space Seed

Of all of the villains in the Star Trek universe, none is more well-known than Khan. In this episode of Standard Orbit, Mike and Drew are joined by Khan expert John Tenuto for the first in a series of commentaries we're calling “Khan-mentaries.” The series focuses on Khan's appearances, starting with the classic episode "Space Seed.” Find out all about how Khan came to be, how he changed in drafts, and how he shaped up to be the villain we all know and love to hate.

Originally published as Standard Orbit 17: Khan’s Mistletoe.

A Piece of the Action

Everyone loves a good gangster story. What better way to show your love than to have your television characters find a planet full of them?! In this episode of Standard Orbit, Mike and Drew are joined by Mike's partner in commentary-crime, Max, for a commentary of “A Piece Of The Action.” They discuss Chicago, how a planet comprised of nothing but gangsters would work, and what might have happened had the Horizon left behind a copy of the original Star Wars trilogy instead. In the closing, they read some correspondence and a joke contributed by a listener!

Originally published as Standard Orbit 14: A Public Service Announcement.

Doctor Bashir, I Presume

What would a Star Trek cast be without a doctor? From Bones to Beverly to Bashir, the first three series brought us great human physicians. Then came Voyager and the concept of medicine in the hands of a hologram. The Holographic Doctor was yet another great character, but the EMH was never intended for extended use. Deep Space Nine picked up the concept and extended it to the logical next step—the LMH or Long-term Medical Hologram. The model? Why Julian Bashir, of course! In this episode of The Orb hosts Christopher Jones and Matthew Rushing bring you a commentary for the fifth-season episode “Doctor Bashir, I Presume” and discuss Robert Picardo’s guest appearance, Zimmerman’s fascination with Leeta, Bashir’s friction with his family, his relationship with Miles, and of course the major course change for his character as we learn that he is genetically engineered.

Originally published as The Orb 41: Leeta’s Assets, I Presume.

The 37s

The 37s. Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? Char may disagree. In this episode of To The Journey Tristan and Char bring you an audio commentary for Voyager’s Season Two opener. Tristan loves this episode and Char hates it. Download and watch the hijinks ensue. Please remember to post on the forums in response to this episode because a lot of questions are asked!

Originally published as To The Journey 53: Lack of Matte.