Second Officer Slog

The strike is over! After what seems like a lifetime, the 2023 writers strike came to an end and with it the request podcasts not do promotional work. Which means we can get back to talking about movies! We’re really excited, but also it’s been a tough year, so we decided to make one short episode talking about where we’re at, where we’re headed, and if you’re seeing this in your feed, what that m...

We’re back! We’ve watched more Lower Decks and it’s fantastic, while reading a pretty interesting early Reeves-Stevens book that gives us the crunchy look at bad Starfleet beauracracy that we love. If you would like to get exclusive podcasts please visit  patreon.com/abnormalmapping  to support us and find out how! Send any questions or comments about this or any other Trek-related thing...

We slide in under the closing Engineering door of the year to talk about Star Trek’s second foray into animation and the end (for now) of our Enterprise coverage as the Earth-Romulan war ends with a 600 page whimper. That was the thing we were building to? Sheesh. Good thing Lower Decks rules. SPOILERS for all of Enterprise after our Lower Decks section! If you would like to get exclusive podcasts...

We’re back to the past past with the next in the line of Enterprise relaunch books but also in the more present past of modern trek as we watched all of season 1 of Strange New Worlds and talk briefly about what it’s like to have new Star Trek on that’s just entertaining and good! The book is another story, but there sure is a lot to talk about! Also, we’ll be BACK SOON, as we announce one more SO...

We’re back with an infamous book written in part by Armin Shimerman about how he had wished DS9 had addressed the way people treat the Ferengi in Star Trek. Absolutely a thing someone should have done. Does this book manage to tackle it with courage and conviction? Well, yeah. Mostly. Does it manage to stick talking about the racism inherent in Star Trek in a way that’s considered? Weeeeeellllll,...

We’re back with another Enterprise book, but also Em’s been digging into some other parts of the Star Trek universe so look forward to a quick run down of the TNG relaunch books on this wild adventure into the nightmare world of space politics, space racism, space espionage, space romance, and anything else you could possibly append space to the front of! We’ll be back again, some day, we’ve final...

Nobody can say when the intrepid Trek fans returned to history, but that is really the question we’ve come to discuss. Who has constructed this history, and for what purposes? What if Section 31 is actually not that bad? What if Andorians truly are the most obnoxious Federation member group? All this and more as we once again dip into the world of Star Trek! If you would like to get exclusive podc...

Pulled out of mothballs for one last mission, the intrepid crew of this ramshackle podcast are back to talk about an Enterprise book and the show as a whole. No other Trek news, but enjoy this microcosm of the whole show over the course of an hour. Someday we will probably return again! If you would like to get exclusive podcasts, writing, or even help create an episode of this show, please visit...

We’re back after a long hiatus to … enjoy the worst Star Trek movie ever made! Join us as we take the trek into darkness and come out the other side confused as to why you’d even build a warp core like that, why Khan is even a bad guy in this universe, and what anyone’s motivation actually is. Also, we talk about the trailers for both Discovery season 3 and Picard! Thank you everyone who has ever...

Star Trek Discovery is finished (for now), and so are we (for now). Of all the souls we have met in our journeys, this was the most television.

In the penultimate episode of Discovery season 2, Tilly’s girlfriend returns, everyone gets a goodbye, everyone gets another goodbye, and nothing really happens. Sorry for a downer one, it will be over soon. The article about the design of the Enterprise Em mentions: Design Secrets of Discovery’s New USS Enterprise Bridge

We’re so very, very tired in this, the prepenultimate episode of Discovery season 2. Live long and prosper.

Finally Discovery rights itself and we have what we both consider to just be a good episode of Star Trek. Given that it involves forgetting major character motivations and making one of the characters a literal terminator, are we perhaps just forced to lower our standards? Or is it true that the only thing that we like more than good Trek is bad Trek? Time will tell as we have until the 32nd centu...

The Discovery solves several mysteries as another giant one opens before them in this episode that splits us in two on what exactly we want or are willing to accept from modern Star Trek. One thing’s for sure, Georgiou would NEVER sleep with Stammets in any universe. The intensity of nonsense ramps up … now!

Wasted potential and piss poor writing does not a good episode make, but we do our best to talk through exactly why this episode of Discovery set a new low for this show. Sorry for the downer one, folks, hopefully next week picks back up!

We’re back to the very beginning as Spock and Burnham go to Talos IV, Christopher Pike actually gets a character arc 50 years later, and Saru reveals that he might never actually be fit for command now that he’s evolved. All this and more as we come into the back half of season 2 and try hard not to just talk about Enterprise again.

We finally spend most of the episode talking about the actual episode of Star Trek, which means Sarek must be involved! But don’t worry, we get a little bit of time to yell about Enterprise, as is our wont. Also, a shocking revelation about the mirror universe that changes everything forever.

The only thing better than good Star Trek is bad Star Trek. - Gene Roddenberry, 1961

Light spoilers for a bunch of DS9 and Enterprise in this episode. What happens when Discovery has its most dramatic story yet? We find time to talk about everything but the actual events of this episode. Combadges, tachyon particles, hair choices, prime Lorca, and many other things besides dominate this especially tangential episode. Don’t worry, everything is saved with a kiss. It’s good, actuall...

Saru gets sick, Number One gets a burg, and Stamets gets high af in our fourth episode of Discovery season 2! We cover the ups and downs of this episode, and finally get around to disagreeing on Discovery for maybe the first time? Please enjoy the adventure with us!

It’s time for the Klingons! What does it mean for Star Trek to be bad when there’s so much interesting stuff to talk about? We find out in this amazing mess of an episode!

Discovery gets down and dirty with discussions of religion and the prime dir-oh, excuse me, General Order One , as we delve into the true joys of episodic Star Trek television. This episode isn’t our longest, but it might be our happiest. Please come along with us to the stars, to a new earth, and to the surprising reveal of the ghost parade.

Discovery is back, and so are we! With the Enterprise out of commission, King Cop himself Christopher Pike is here to usher in a new era of fun space adventure. Does he succeed? Well, it’s only the pilot, but so far we’ve definitely ruffled a few feathers. Please enjoy the return of our weekly Discovery recaps!

Short Treks are back! This is the week Discovery season 2 starts! The train never stops and we’re climbing on and not letting go. Please enjoy as we talk about the best and worst of Star Trek short films this week, and prep for the weeks ahead. If you would like to get exclusive podcasts, writing, or even help create an episode of this show, please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping to support us a...

The ramp up to Discovery season 2 continues as we take on the third Discovery book and discover that the boy is all right as we spend a very bad day with everyone’s scared anxiety friend Saru! Tholians, imperialism, racial dynamics of the Federation and more define what might be the best Discovery book yet! Please sit back and enjoy the lost adventures of Georgiou and the Shenzhou with us! If you...