Antimatter Pod

Last April, Anika and Liz each bought a copy of the June 1999 issue of the official Star Trek magazine. Then we had ... some other things to podcast about. But we've finally opened it, and we're talking about... Remember when we'd pay US$7.99 -- or AU$15! -- for a magazine that contained a couple of interviews, some facts we already knew about the Klingon Empire and a Bird-of-Prey pinup? The Kate...

We're back for 2024! With some genuinely awful sound quality because Liz is so out of practice that she forgot to move her microphone from its place on top of the printer to … you know. Somewhere in the vicinity of her mouth.  But the show must go on, and Anika and Liz are pulling the names of Star Trek men out of a hat and deciding whether or not they're any good in bed. Yes, it's the SEX … Now T...

Anika and Liz do a deal with some Orions and definitely know which Chek(h)ov had the gun on the mantelpiece, it is a joke, we are only accepting criticism if it is delivered via Mark Twain impression. And Anika is not home to Mark Twain impressions. Yes, it's the finale of season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks, "Old Friends, New Planets"! They stuck the landing! We remain, as we have been since episo...

Anika and Liz definitely failed Hoodlums and Racketeering 101 at the Academy, but that's FINE, we're just going to hang out on this nice jungle planet, hiding from various warring factions while we talk about the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, "The Inner Fight"... Tom Paris and Nicholas Locarno are different people, which we knew, but sometimes it's nice to have it reinforced Impor...

Anika and Liz beam down to a cave, get trapped, and record the shortest regular episode of Antimatter Pod yet! But that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy Lower Decks season 4 episode 8, "Caves", or that we're not going to discuss important issues such as... It is not, in fact, time for Lower Decks to break up the band (But it is time for them to see other officers, and that's okay!) Are Vendorians real...

Anika and Liz grow some tomatoes and share some feelings in Evil Podcaster Therapy. Specifically, we're sharing feelings about Star Trek: Lower Decks episode "A Few Badgeys More", including: This episode was made for Anika, except it's about characters she doesn't care about The birds in Liz's neighbourhood were extra loud just for us The evil AI trope We're getting all Asimovian up in here Like a...

This episode is brought to you by Slug-O-Cola, platonic relationships, and Beckett Mariner's emotional crisis Is Beckett Mariner okay? Do Tendi and Rutherford have feelings for each other? Are we meant to think that they do?  We need to admit that Migleemo is the sex god of the Cerritos If there isn't a thriving Landlord Cops fandom by the time this episode drops, we will be VERY disappointed Liz...

It's Romulan ale o'clock! Anika and Liz fill their yard glasses with something brightly coloured and alcoholic, don their finest diplomatic bicycle shorts, and discuss Star Trek: Lower Decks episode "Empathological Fallacies"! This episode is truly a gift for Star Trek Las Vegas cosplayers Anika's Totally Spies theory Liz's Daria theory Here on the Taking Things Too Seriously Podcast, we are curio...

Faced with a choice between attending a wedding or dressing up as Mark Twain for conflict resolution via roleplay, Anika and Liz will DEFINITELY take the open bar. We're discussing season 4, episode 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks, "Something Borrowed, Something Blue"! ORIONS! LIZ'S BELOVED! Are the Orions really all that secretive about their culture, or is it just that the Federation never asked?  T...

We've updated our operating systems and speedrun the allamaraine game, and now Anika and Liz are sitting down to discuss the third episode of the fourth season of Lower Decks, "In the Cradle of Vexilon"... We don't mind a bit of a workplace hierarchy now and then Liz has a WHOLE THEORY about how Captain Freeman's command style is why Beckett Mariner is the way she is We go off on a tangent about V...

While Liz navigates a series of Voyager-themed obstacles, Anika encounters an adorable creature who eats bones. Yes, it's time for the season 4 premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks, and we're here to talk about... "We're not gonna do Tuvix Discourse." We absolutely did Tuvix Discourse Voyager as a museum, curation styles and fandom: Liz has a THESIS Maybe the real Starfleet is the friends we made al...

It's a Very Short Antimatter Pod! We take two and a half minutes to discuss the first Very Short Trek. Spoilers: it's bad!

Anika and Liz stop off in a small town in the ... midwest? to hang out in a diner? And discuss "Hegemony", the second season finale of Strange New Worlds? Which was definitely an episode of television? The Gorn problem (why are the characters so incurious about them?) SNW rips off the Alien franchise without understanding it Concept: promote Pike early, stash him on Starbase One with April, give B...

Anika studied musical theatre at college. Liz outrighted hated musicals until two weeks ago. And they're here to discuss … "Subspace Rhapsody"! And also fight crime. Star Trek crime. Which this episode is not, except when it is. Liz did a crash course in musicals, and then "Subspace Rhapsody" kind of does the same thing! "It's bad because it's Strange New Worlds, not because it's a musical." Liz h...

"Under the Cloak of War" is a really serious, complex episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ... but don't worry, Anika and Liz are here to talk about the sex pollen fic opportunities! And also: Looking at fan reactions to this episode, one might almost begin to think people apply a different standard to new Trek compared with the Star Trek of the '90s Liz completely misremembers the matter of t...

Anika and Liz get sucked into a vortex and are mysteriously transformed from cartoons into real human beings! Yes, it's time to talk about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 2, episode 7, "Those Old Scientists"! Hi, we loved this episode!  Boimler is fandom: he expects things to be a certain way and freaks out that SNW is different Mariner is also fandom: she loves Uhura and finds her inspiring...

Anika and Liz roll up to a cool-looking nebula, only to find it's alive! Hey, are we experiencing deja vu? Does the Federation mining industry need to be stopped at all costs? We're discussing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation"! Please stop using disabled bodies as monsters, show! It's interesting how SNW is reproducing the problems (episodic storytelling, th...

It's time to discuss Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 2, episode 5, "Charades". Liz eats a pile of bacon; Anika has a lot of feelings about Christine Chapel, and we discuss... This episode is a gift specifically for Anika The theme of this season is "identity" On one level, this episode is a 60-minute mother-in-law joke with bonus ethnic stereotypes, and that is not great! Have short seasons...

Anika and Liz put on their cute away mission hats and, in between high-pitched noises and Liz's neighbour revving his car, discuss the Strange New Worlds episode "Among the Lotus Eaters"... Liz had a visceral reaction to this episode: a timeskip-inducing migraine would have been preferable WORSE, Anika is indifferent Character development for Ortegas: she flies the ship!  Hey, space millennials! D...

Anika and Liz find themselves stranded in 2023 Toronto, and over some Tim Hortons and poutine, catch up to discuss the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"... FIRST we are very angry and sad about the cancellation of Star Trek: Prodigy SECOND, we were extremely nervous going into this episode, and then … we loved it?  Introducing Paul Wesley's Kirk via a set o...

Anika and Liz don their dress uniforms and stand trial for the crime of ... oh, something. Background bird noise and that helicopter, probably. But ALSO we are here to talk about season 2, episode 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: "Ad Astra Per Aspera", including... Gene Roddenberry would be SO MAD there's a civil rights lawyer in Star Trek! Which is not the ONLY reason it's great, but it's one!...

Anika and Liz are left unsupervised for a moment, so what choice do they have but to steal the Enterprise? Yes, season 2 of Strange New Worlds has begun, and we are here to discuss: This was a solid B+ of an episode! Why does The Algorithm want us to think everyone hated it? We know more about Pelia from two scenes than we've learned about Ortegas in a whole season The algorithm keeps bringing us...

Anika and Liz put on their most stylish Starfleet tactical vests and walk right into a trap. And along the way, we finish our discussion of season 3 of Star Trek: Picard, including... We are not impressed by Captain Shaw The Jack and Seven relationship is a HIGHLIGHT Worf treats Raffi better than literally anyone else in the whole of Star Trek: Picard, which is … bad. Like, it's great! But it's ba...

We're putting on our old uniforms, hijacking a starship and stealing a shuttle to rescue Beverly Crusher, and we have NO REGRETS. Yes, it's finally time for Anika and Liz to talk about Star Trek: Picard... There is a strong possibility that this was … bad In Star Trek: Picard, Borg nonsense is always on the horizon Is Terry Matalas mirror! Anika? The signs are there! A lot of our problems with thi...

Anika and Liz confront their alternate universe selves (who are them but with more trauma and different hairstyles). Along the way, we discuss... Toxic masculinity spoils the party again Track A is trauma all the way down The entire multiverse ships Picard/Crusher, which, honestly? Feels right! We shouldn't have to say this, but infidelity does not justify murder Like Come on guys Content warning:...