Ceti Alpha 3: A Star Trek Podcast

"Lower Decks" - We'll Always Have Tom Paris They got our e-mails! Or at least listened to our podcasts. Okay, maybe the writers of "Lower Decks" just know what they are doing. But the third episode of season two finally brings "new pairings" for our intrepid ensigns on the Cerritos. We get Mariner and Tendi on a misadventure, Rutherford fighting against finding the truth about Lt. Shaxs', and Boim...

“Lower Decks” - Kayshon, His Eyes Open. The animated adventures of the USS Cerritos continue with the introduction (or even “re-introduction”) of new characters, the parallel stories of the trio on the California-class ship and Ensign Boimler on the USS Titan, and a resolution that may hit the “reset” button for the series. We try to collect as many references as we can in this episode - what were...

"Lower Decks" - Strange Energies It's back! The wacky crew of the starship Cerritos returns in their second season opener with an episode that catches up new viewers and entertains existing fans. The trio look at how a mostly Boimler-less episode holds up, and what made them laugh the most. Did the B story overshadow the A story? How much Captain Freeman/Ensign Mariner arguing is there? And how mu...

Phillip, Daniel and Darren discuss what the rest of the core crew members in Star Trek: The Next Generation may be up to during the time of Picard. How might we see these characters and their interactions with the new crew and story coming in Season 2.

David Warner in Trek David Warner is an accomplished actor, in both the U.S. and U.K., who has portrayed many dramatic characters, especially those in sci-fi/fantasy genres. He memorably appears three times in the Trek franchise - "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," and 'Chain of Command, Parts 1 and 2' from "Star Trek: The Next Generation." We look at thes...

New Trek Animation. It’s time for season two of “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” and the trio couldn’t be more excited. And waiting in the wings is one the newest editions to the franchise - “Star Trek: Prodigy.” The trio look over the latest news concerning these two animated series. What new characters and stories will we see? How does animation add to the possibilities? Let us know what you’re excited...

Discovery Season Four Wish List New episodes in the Star Trek franchise will begin this fall - and we're excited. It won't be long until season four of "Star Trek: Discovery" drops - and the trio have created a "wish list" for all the main (and not-so-main) characters. What conflict would be like to see for Captain Burnham? Can Lt. Cmdr. Stamets have two job titles? Could Ensign Tilley leave the U...

Fan Set Pitches. For those Trek fans who shopped during the “peak” DVD era, we remember the various themes, characters, etc. used to bundle together episodes from across similar and separate series. In the age of streaming, it’s a lot easier to pick a random Trek episode - but what if we could “build” our own playlists? What concepts, common storyline themes, or general characters would we use to...

What if ... K'Ehleyr Lived? Two episodes. That's all it took for the half-Klingon, half-human K'Ehleyr to create a lasting impression to Trek fans. The trio thinks she deserved more - so what if she had survived her fatal encounter with Duras and continued her adventures with Klingon politics? We look at what her appearances in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine would have looked like ... and...

Woman in Motion. We know Nichelle Nichols at Lt. Uhura from the original Enterprise. But after the cancellation of The Original Series, Nichelle began another space adventure - changing the history of NASA. The trio looks at the documentary “Woman in Motion” which chronicles her mission in expanding the diversity of NASA astronauts and opening up space to a broader cross-section of Americans. Lear...

Star Trek Series Pitch, Part 2 Last episode, the trio pitched a new Trek series set on an alien Starfleet Academy-based campus. The fresh-faced class of cadets, along with some familiar faces as professors, established a series promising adventure and drama. But now it's time to go deeper! The trio looks closer at their characters, fleshes out the world of this Academy (along with a "driver's ed"...

Star Trek Series Concept Come up with an original Star Trek show concept, how hard could it be? Darren, Daniel and Phillip pitch a series set after Star Trek: Nemesis involving a new second Starfleet Academy on Alpha Centauri. Who will they bring from the established show cast? Who is the new headmaster and how much like Hogwarts will this show be?

TOS-era Trivia It's a holiday here on Ceti Alpha 3 - so it's time to invite the gamemaster to join us for some Star Trek: The Original Series trivia. However, we are not all TOS experts, so these trivia questions are a little ... different. So play along and see if you can guess what's wrong, what episodes are being referenced, and how well you know the actual NCC-1701 ship.

Is It Really That Bad? "Unexpected" Edition. We all know the line from the infamous "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode - "This is a nipple." Yes, that's right, the one where Commander Tucker gets pregnant. This is our "Enterprise" installment in our "Is It Really That Bad?" series that looks at episodes with a bad reputation and tries to see if they deserve it. The trio examines what the first half o...

Ro in Voyager - Ro Laren captured the hearts of many fans in her few appearances in The Next Generation. There was the attempt to get her into Deep Space Nine, but the actress moved on in her television career. However - what is we managed to get Ro back for "Star Trek: Voyager"? As viewers know, we last saw her with the Maquis. The trio imagines what if she joined Chakotay's crew and got stranded...

TOS "Prequels" in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Every Trek series has unique and wonderful stories. There are also many episodes that look into the vast Trek canon to delve into planets, characters, and aliens that were touched on prior. We all await the arrival of the newest series, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" - and we all want to see what prior Trek episodes come alive for Captain Pike and...

Is it Really That Bad? “Spirit Folk” Edition. We’ve all thought about what we would do on the Holodeck. From adventures, fantasies, Starfleet training, and more - maybe creating a work group field trip to an Irish village might not be on the list. But the Voyager crew are all about Fair Haven. In this second episode set in this holographic get-away, the program (surprise!) goes awry and our favori...

What if ... ? - The Dax Symbiont There are some stories in the Star Trek franchise that are missing some context. A minor character we wished we knew more about. A story told that we never see. And then there are the big ones - the Jadzia Dax goodbye we never got. Oh sure, there were some words in the infirmary. But we all know she deserves a very special episode before we say hello to Ezri. The t...

Animated Enterprise, Season Five. The first Star Trek series of the twenty-first century was canceled. Many fans have speculated about what a fifth season of Star Trek: Enterprise would have looked like. In this era with an animated “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and the upcoming “Star Trek: Prodigy,” we imagine a return of the NX-01 crew in a CG-animated series. Welcome to “Star Trek: Romulan War,” par...

Is it REALLY That Bad - "The Storyteller" Edition There are Star Trek episodes that have bad reputations, but do they always deserve them? The stories that are usually the target of audience "hate" occur during the first season. In that spirit, the trio tackles the first season "Deep Space Nine" episode "The Storyteller." Does the story of O'Brien and Bashir helping a Bajoran village against their...

Ro on DS9. Many Star Trek fans have heard the story that Michelle Forbes was originally approached to star in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,' reprising her character of Ro Laren. Whether it's true, we are glad that Nana Visitor/Kira Nerys got to play the station's first officer for seven seasons. But what would that alternative show look like, with Ro as a main character from the very first episode?...

Is It Really THAT Bad? - "The Last Outpost" Edition It was the first season of The Next Generation, and it was time to introduce the newest alien in the franchise. They would be equal to the Enterprise in power and technology, would be feared by our enterprising crew, and ... it was the Ferengi. With laser whips. Wearing furs. And not knowing when to STAND STILL ALREADY! The trio look at this TNG...

For the Love of Spock - The “Star Trek: Voyager” documentary crowdfunding campaign is nearing the end, so what better time to look at other 455 Films productions? In 2016, they released “For the Love a Spock,” a feature spotlighting Trek’s most famous Vulcan and the man who portrayed him. It followed on the heels of Leonard Nimoy’s passing, and opened a window into director Adam Nimoy’s relationsh...

What if? ... DS9 Joins "Star Trek: First Contact" It is no secret that the trio loves "Star Trek: First Contact." But what if ... Captain Sisko had commanded the U.S.S. Defiant during the Borg invasion? In this re-imagining of the second TNG film, Sisko, Chief O'Brien, and Lt. Cmdr. Worf all join the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-E to fight the Borg, save Zephram Cochrane, and help Lily. What does...

Book Review “Star Trek: Picard - The Dark Veil.” This month starts production of season two of “Star Trek: Picard” - while it may be another year before we get a new episode, we are still getting new stories from this larger story setting. The trio engages “book club mode” to discuss the second PIC novel - “The Dark Veil” by James Swallow. This book is set on the U.S.S. Titan, with Captain William...