Trek in the Valley

"Looks like they had a battle with time…" "…and lost." This week, yet another Starfleet crew finds themselves onboard a ship possessed by the beach that makes you old! Rapid aging is an oft visited trope in Star Trek and this episode hits all the right notes; awesome and hilarious old age makeup, using the transporter to fix everything like magic, and illegal genetic experiments that nobody seems...

“When I stroke my beard thusly, do I not appear more intellectual?” Listen, this is very serious. A serious thing happened in this week's episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In "The Schizoid Man", Data proves that he truly has the humanity of a common rube as he basically tells his grandpa how to kill him. Adam and Al will help make sense of this absolutely sick and twisted story of possess...

"They have been killing each other for a long time. Now they want to talk peace. So, something about the situation has recently changed. What's the new piece to the puzzle?" Hey Folks. This one is wild. We are covering a classic Troi-centered episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Loud as a Whisper". The Enterprise transports a very unique negotiator to help warring factions on a planet out t...

"Life is like loading twice your cargo weight onto your spacecraft. If it's canaries, and you can keep half of them flying all of the time, you're all right." We are back in the technological void that is your devices to discuss a fun episode of Star Trek: TNG, "The Outrageous Okona." You are not going to believe this, but in this episode, the Rocketeer and Lois Lane get down! Data learns about co...

"I'll give you credit for your vast knowledge but your circuits would just short out if you were confronted with a truly original mystery." Well well well. Back to the 'ol holodeck. Back the phantasy room. Back to the crazy computer world making machine. This week Adam and Al cover, "Elementary, Dear Data"; in which, Dr. Racist Against Robots Pulaski challenges Data to solve a mystery. After calli...

"Considering the marvelous complexity of the universe, its clockwork perfection, its balances of this against that, matter, energy, gravitation, time, dimension, I believe that our existence must be more than either of these philosophies."  Woah, folks. This one is a hot one that is coming in hot. Silence is having lease in a place and it is going to get wild for the crew of the Starship Enterpris...

"Last night while I slept… something, which I can only describe as a presence, entered my body." Welcome to Trek in the Valley Season 5. Like every season before this one, we are starting with the first episode of a season of Star Trek. I this case, Star Trek: TNG S2 EP 1, "The Child." We, your intrepid hosts Adam and Al, have a fun time talking about what is ultimately a mid/goofy episode of TNG....

Happy Holidays From Adam and Al at Trek in the Valley! Adam here. I just wanted to drop into your feed to say that we are not back up and running with a remote set up since Al departed Los Angeles County! We are both chomping at whatever people chomp at to get back to it. We look forward to coming back at the end of the year or the beginning of 2026 with Star Trek: TNG Season 2. Like, subscribe, d...

“Homemaker; must have been some kind of construction work.” Ohhh folks, this week the dudes in the Valley cover the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1, "The Neutral Zone". Remember the big bad bugs from last week? Well, forget about them! One of the original big bad aliens is back in this sector, the ROMULANS. Those old goofballs from probably our favorite episode of ToS, "B...

"You don't understand. We mean you no harm. We seek peaceful co-existence!" This week, the dudes in the Valley cover the absolutely amazing Star Trek: TNG episode, "Conspiracy"; in which the producers introduce a big bad that never gets mentioned ever again in the life the of the series. Also, the practical effects in this episode go so much harder than anyone would ever expect at the time. Enjoy...

"You're wonderful, and am I that transparent?" This week the crew deals with an old sci-fi standard, time skips! In "We'll Always Have Paris", Picard's path crosses with the one that got away. This episode is a heartfelt Picard character building episode with a bit of time jumping madness. Adam and Al have a lot of fun talking about it and they are big fans of multiple Datas! Like, subscribe, do a...

“My thoughts are not for Tasha, but for myself. I keep thinking how empty it will be without her presence. Did I miss the point?” “No you didn’t, Data, you got it.” This episode was an absolute stunner when it first aired and honestly, it holds up! This week Adam and Al cover "Skin of Evil" where we meet one of Trek's most dangerous and petulant villains yet in Armus.  Also, we get a main characte...

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. The violence of those eruptions is awesome.” This week, the dudes in the Valley get down and dirty when they cover the Star Trek: TNG episode, "Symbiosis". You would never guess that, out of all the planetary configurations possible, Junkie Planet would end up right next to Drug Dealer Planet, yet here we are! If you want laughs about an episode of Star...

“Worf, how fast can you get a phaser lock?” “Fast.” This week Adam and Al are back for another fun time chat through of a Star Trek: TNG episode. On the docket for this week: The Arsenal of Freedom.  What if a planet of weapons salesfolks made a weapon so powerful it killed them all? Then what if you found that planet, and it tried to sell you the weapon/kill you? What then, smart guy? What then,...

“They are warning the dead, sir. A Klingon warrior is about to arrive.” This week, the dudes in the Valley cover Star Trek: TNG, “Heart of Glory.” This episode digs into Worf and Klingons and all of that good blood an honor stuff. Basically, some Klingons are mad about the Klingon / Federation Alliance and they get all Worm Tongue in Worf’s ear about it.  Opening Theme Produced By Al Hirt Podcast...

"Expect the unexpected." This week the dudes in the Valley cover Star Trek: TNG, "Coming of Age." It is in large part a Wesley episode and yet it manages to be quite good. Wesley has to take a fancy test and a girl who is out of his league calls him cute (he isn't). Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, we get a clip show without clips where the crew is grilled under a Star Fleet Internal Investigation ab...

“It seems we are becoming detectives, Number One.” Terraforming! The act of turning a vacant rock devoid of even any chance of intelligent life is always the cornerstone of a society advancing across the stars.  But what if you screw up? What if there is some kind of life you didn't look for? Life made of plastic or something, maybe? Anyway, you will have screwed up big time and you probably got s...

"We need some of your children." This week the Enterprise crew runs afoul of an ancient civilization of artists and thinkers heretofore thought to be a myth. Oh yeah, and they need just a FEW of the children from the Enterprise to kick start the resurgence of their race because they don't understand genetics and such.  Adam and Al talk about it with much delight.  Opening Theme Produced By Al Hirt...

"The quest for youth, Number One. So futile." This week, the dudes in the Valley dig into Star Trek TNG, "Too Short A Season". This episode of TNG has great guest stars, incredibly heavy age makeup, excellent HD Remastered primary color planets, and all kinds of other stuff that you need Adam and Al to help you navigate. You need this. We need this. We all need this.  Opening Theme Produced By Al...

"A blind man teaching an android how to paint? That's gotta be worth a couple pages in somebody's book." This week the dudes in the Valley cover the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "11001001," in which we meet the Bynars who take over the ship but for good raisins!  The Enterprise crew should learn their lesson about letting mysterious aliens work with Starfleet folks to upgrade systems on...

WORF: I think I may sneeze. GEORDI: A Klingon Sneeze? WORF: Only kind I know. This week, the dudes in the Valley discuss Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Angel One." The crew of the Enterprise is tracking down survivors of a destroyed freighter. They run afoul of a matriarchal society. The survivors turn out to be Men's Rights Activists. Bad news all around, gang!  Opening Theme Produced By Al Hir...

"If you had an off switch, doctor, would you not keep it secret?" In this extra-wide episode of Trek in the Valley Adam and Al lose track of time walking you through the excellent Star Trek: TNG episode, "Datalore".  Data meets his brother, and it does not go well. Also, Wesley! We don't care how right you are, you dork. Nobody cares what you say!  Opening Theme Produced By Al Hirt Podcast art by...

"If I leave town, town leaves with me." Here we go! A big'ol holodeck adventure. Picard needs to learn a crazy bug-language, but he is also busy getting stuck in the dang holodeck. Adam and Al walk you through it with grace and aplomb.  Opening Theme Produced By Al Hirt Podcast art by Josh Trumbo of the Kamikaze Snowmen Follow the Podcast on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/trekinthevalley.bsky.s...

“Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.” This week the dudes are discussing S1 EP 10 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Haven." This episode is one part sci-fi and one part soap opera. Adam liked it more than Al by a wide margin but they had a hoot and a half talking about it. Like it. Subscribe it. Enjoy it.  Opening Theme Produced By Al Hirt Podcast art by Jos...

“Bah, your species is always suffering and dying.” In the TNG episode, “Hide and ‘Q’”, Q is back and he’s got his sights set on ‘ol Leg Over His Chair Riker. Adam and Al are back after a week off (Adam had COVID) to walk you through this classic episode that probably had fans at the time asking “wait, is Q going to be showing up all the damn time? Back to the Q well already?” Etc… Etc…  Opening Th...