The Joy of Trek

Dr Katherine Pulaski is set to leave the Enterprise, and a farewell party is being held in her honour. All of her closest friends have been invited, but she notices a big absence; a certain yellow-eyed android who inexplicitly has not shown up. When she goes to confront him about it, however, she finds out something quite horrible: Data believes that Kate does not consider him a friend of hers. Fi...

Peak Performance (Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), S2 E21) was recommended by Kayodé Lycaon / Kay·o·deh Lie·kay·on, who said: I picked this episode for one line from Picard to Wesley: “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” That quote was life changing for me. I had spent my entire life struggling with being bipolar. Parts of my brain just...

The events of the episode The Naked Time from the perspective of the one department guaranteed to have been the busiest during the chaos. When the entire ship is going mad around them, it is up to the Redshirts to keep their crewmates safe. POV of Security Chief Giotto. Some implied slash for Kirk and Spock. First Published on October 3rd, 2021 on Archive of our Own by queenofroses12. The Joy of T...

Assimilation (Star Trek: Picard, S2 E3) was recommended by Hauke he/him, who said: While it’s very hard to pull out individual episodes of Picard (especially the first two seasons) on my current rewatch this one stood out to me. Having narrowly escaped the horrible Confederation of the alternate 2400, the crew travels back to 2024 to correct the timeline. “Let’s see what has been lost in the wake...

The Ascent (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), S5 E9) was recommended by Matt Kennedy he/him, who said: Hi guys! This is my first recommendation - I've been listening for a while now and I adore the show, and it's taken me a long time to decide which episode I want to recommend. And it's got to be The Ascent. This is a wonderful showcase for the "enemies with benefits" Quark and Odo. And the reason...

Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus (Star Trek: Lower Decks, S3 E8) was recommended by Alex Russet, he/him , who said: This is one of my favorite episodes of this series alongside the finale for that season (Shax's finest hour was amazing.) The central conflict of Boimler trying to find meaning to life was fascinating to watch. Fun action scenes, a couple pokes at us fanfic writers not understanding story f...

Tapestry (Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), S6 E15) was recommended by Bill Ricardi - he/him, who said: Tapestry is all about regrets, and the mistakes that become part of who we are, for better or for worse. As an older fan, I often look back on my own life and curse the moments when I handled something badly or missed an apparent opportunity. But this episode reminds all of us that the wisdo...

Latent Image (Star Trek: Voyager, S5 E11) was recommended by Tana he/they, who said: I always love when Trek does a moral dilemma episode. Sometimes they pull it off, sometimes not so great. This one is probably a mix of both to be honest. The Doctor is sentient and sapient, but he’s still a program in many ways and sometimes a program when pushed so far beyond its limits breaks, but is he alive a...

The Naked Time (Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), S1 E6) was recommended by Kaleb, he/him, who said: While it definitely isn't an unloved episode, after you did the TNG version it only seemed right to recommend it. It's also the episode that made me fall in love with both Star Trek more broadly and Spock in particular; I even find Riley’s incessant singing to be deeply charming. Everyone's act...

Carbon Creek (Star Trek: Enterprise, S2 E2) was recommended by Bryan Love(Blackrain), who said: Being your resident LDS(Mormon) listener, family history or knowing about one's ancestors, their stories is something that is important to me. T'Pol tells a story of her grandmother to Archer and Trip. How it was her grandmother who crash landed on earth, that was the real first contact between humans a...

Spock Amok (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, S1 E5) was recommended by Lauren Rivers she/her, who said: Two words. Enterprise Bingo. I seriously hope that the writer of this episode got a bonus for that. Casually mentioned in an earlier episode, now we finally find out about this little game played by the junior officers, fully demonstrated by Una and La'an, the ships resident 'fun killers'. I love...

The Magnificent Ferengi (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), S6 E10) was recommended by Tana he/they, who said: Sometimes Trek takes the serious gloves off and just has a fun romp and this may be one of the best examples. The Magnificent Ferengi first aired on May 14, 1993, written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler, and directed by Chip Chalmers Quark mounts a rescue mission when his mother, Ish...

Final Mission (Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), S4 E9) was recommended by Tsuyoto Wolfe (They/Them), who said: I have so many favorites I thought of recommending. But I was also inspired to find the joy in one I hadn’t liked before. When Netflix started streaming Star Trek series back in 2011, I would wtch through TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT, then start over again with TNG. I would skip most of se...

Vanishing Point (Star Trek: Enterprise, S2 E10) was recommended by Lauren Alexis Rivers She/Her, who said: I always thought that Hoshi was such an underused character. In an era before the Universal Translator had worked out all the kinks, communication is one of the most important elements, and this was one of the Hoshi centric episodes, where while she didn't get to show off her communications s...

The Omega Directive (Star Trek: Voyager, S4 E21) was recommended by The Derp Prime, who said: This episode always delighted me as we saw an interesting development of both Seven and the Borg. Plus we get more over all lore on the Federations policies, some fun galactic lore and a threat of clumsy science. Plus, an interesting take on a religious experience though scientific endeavors. As an Apathi...

All the World's a Stage (Star Trek: Prodigy, S1 E13) was recommended by Hoofburd (he/him), who said: Under lesser writers, an homage episode like this could have come across as corny or cheap. Instead, it deftly introduces its younger audience to the concept of the original series, while also being a very TOS episode itself. We've seen the planet of the 20th century gangsters already; now we can c...

The Forsaken (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), S1 E17) was recommended by Rugger (They/them), who said: The Forsaken has its problems as an episode, including that Troi's advances are uncomfortable to watch. But in all of Trek, there is no more emotionally raw, powerful, and moving scene than in The Forsaken. Odo and Lwaxwana are stuck in the elevator, and Odo has to revert into his natural liqui...

Stormy Weather (Star Trek: Discovery, S4 E06) was recommended by Tonks (they/them), who said: I consider “Stormy Weather” to be peak Trek. It’s one of many “void episodes” of franchise, and uses that basis to tell an engaging story that demonstrates the best of Trek. From the cohesion & enthusiasm of the crew, the excellent leadership, the exploration of self & identity, to the dealing wit...

The Alternative Factor (Star Trek: The Original Series, S1 E20) was recommended by Kaleb, he/him, who said: Listen….listen I'm aware this episode is definitely a strangely paced, scatterbrained mess. Though I'll say it's worst and best sin of it is Lazarus’s facial hair; really Lazarus as a whole sums up my feelings about this episode: meandering, accidentally comical, and strangely poignant. The...

Macrocosm (Star Trek: Voyager, S3 E12) was recommended by Alex Russet (He/Him), who said: I have a soft spot for this episode. It's a wonderfully bonkers off the wall concept pulled off in a fun way. Flying viruses as big as you head? Why not? Trek's done crazier. And plus it features Janeway going full Ellen Ripley. What's not to love? Macrocosm first aired on December 11, 1996, written by Branno...

The Naked Now (Star Trek: The Next Generation, S1 E03) was recommended by Traci Meek-Reid (she/her) (your accents are delightful- go for your life!), who said: When I was 7, one night the TV just "stopped". We all went "huh" and went off to do other things. And then 5 years later the VCR landed in our home, TV was restored, and I discovered this bright, technicolor world that came on after the Sat...

Take Me Out to the Holosuite (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, S7 E04) was recommended by Denise, who said: I love all of DS9 but this one is my favorite. I think because it's such an "Earth" game and they are in space and because baseball can be fun to watch and play. It's such a a fun episode and that why it's my favorite. Take Me Out to the Holosuite first aired on October 21, 1998, written by Ronal...

Observer Effect (Star Trek: Enterprise, S4 E11) was recommended by Nazzy (she/her), who said: I've recommended some sillier episodes of Enterprise to you boys, now I want to share one that's just genuinely *good*. Season 4 is when ENT finally, truly started playing to its strengths, even if it was ultimately too late to save it from cancellation. The problem with recommending Season 4 episodes for...

Crisis Point (Star Trek: Lower Decks, S1 E09) was recommended by Hauke [ˈhɔukə] (he/his), who said: Not really an under appreciated episode of Lower Decks, it is the first one to truly show what this series is capable of. Format breaking ideas, incredible love letters to how crazy a Star Trek movie can be (or a “Starfleet Movie” as they like to say in-universe), super smart and incisive humor such...

Little Green Men (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, S4 E08) was recommended by Blackrain, who said: When you ask for an episode, I thought hard about for one. Thinking over all the past Star Trek series I have watched and this was the first episode that popped to my mind. I've always found it fun when Sci-fi TV shows would try to put their twist on the Roswell alien crash conspiracy theory. Whether you...