The Pensky Podcast

Archer is confronted by a member of his crew who claims to be from nine hundred years in the future – and is there to capture a Suliban operative who has boarded Enterprise. In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss "Cold Front" and the reintroduction of the Temporal Cold War. The guys discuss never being sure about what's happening, unrealistic treatments of the vacuum of space, and Ar...

Enterprise is sent to assist the Fortunate, an Earth freighter that has been attacked by Nausicaan pirates. But the Fortunate may not be as innocent as it seems. In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss "Fortunate Son" - both the episode of Enterprise and the song from Creedence Clearwater Revival. Plus! They talk about space football, refusing a drink, and awkwardly bringing up all th...

Enterprise finds a fully inhabited Earth-like planet, where some of the inhabitants are suffering from a mysterious disease. In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss "Civilization"; a thoroughly average episode of Star Trek. They wonder if it's something that modern Star Trek shows should even consider doing. Plus! The guys talk about human-looking aliens, phaser fights in the middle o...

With a Vulcan ship on their tail, Enterprise decides to investigate a comet. In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss why "Breaking the Ice" has one of the strangest plot lines that the Trek franchise has ever done. Plus! The guys talk about eating before attending a dinner party, the humanization of T'Pol, and whether or not Avery Brooks would have made a good Archer! Are you looking...

Enterprise visits a Vulcan monastery, only to find that it is in the midst of being taken over by the Andorians. Wes and Clay discuss the introduction of the Andorians and their antennae. Plus! The guys talk about the trade off between competence and innovation, why Shran is not as interesting as Weyoun, and the conflicts that would eventually create the Federation! Are you looking for older episo...

Enterprise investigates the mystery of a lost Earth colony whose inhabitants disappeared decades before. But that doesn't mean they left. Wes and Clay discuss the problem with Terra Nova's timeline, the inability of the crew to learn from their mistakes, and the magic of not knowing the truth! Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast ! Thanks for...

When Trip Tucker assists an alien vessel with repairs, a "friendly" encounter with one of the crew leads to rather unexpected consequences. Wes and Clay discuss the ethics of being impregnated by mistake, the popularity of certain names, and whether or not Enterprise is using too much pre-existing canon! Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast !...

An Enterprise landing party believes T'Pol is conspiring with a species of rock creatures on a strange class M planet. Wes and Clay discuss the difference between a story and a plot as they cover "Strange New World". Plus! They talk about cheap baseball hats, Archer never learning his lesson, and the ever dangerous transporter. Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode...

In "Fight or Flight", the Enterprise finds an abandoned ship, filled with corpses which appear to have been used for an experiment. Wes and Clay discuss the second episode of Star Trek: Enterprise and how the show is living up to their expectations. Plus! The guys discuss finding a slug, getting the weapons online, and not being able to understand anyone! Are you looking for older episodes? Find t...

Wes and Clay kick off their coverage of Star Trek: Enterprise by discussing the pilot, "Broken Bow"! Enterprise is the sixth Star Trek series. It launched in 2001 but only ran four seasons and was cancelled in 2005. Was it a victim of over saturation or was it the last gasp of a dying franchise? In this episode, the guys explain their (limited) knowledge of the series and then break down the pilot...

The first season of Star Trek: Picard comes to a close with "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part II"! Picard squares off against the Romulans and Synths in a climactic showdown. And then an old friend appears and does his best to rescue the series. In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss being betrayed by your own theme, the worst Star Trek villain of all time, and why modern Trek leaves us feeli...

We have reached the penultimate episode of the first season of Star Trek: Picard! In the first part of "Et in Arcadia Ego", Picard and his crew find the synth homeworld and attempt to warn its inhabitants about the imminent Romulan attack. Wes and Clay discuss approaching the end of the season, seeing familiar faces, and the sensibilities of modern Trek! Are you looking for older episodes? Find th...

In "Broken Pieces", mysteries start to unravel as our characters gain insight into the machinations around them. Picard and the crew discover the intentions of the Romulans and Commodore Oh, while Elnor and Seven attempt to re-take the Borg Cube. Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast ! Thanks for listening. Stay connected: • https://thepenskyfi...

In "Nepenthe", Picard and Soji meet up with some old friends. The La Sirena races to the rescue, and Elnor and Hugh square off against Narissa. In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss the problem of nostalgia, rabbit pizza, and the failure of Soji. Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast ! Thanks for listening. Stay connected: • http...

Picard and the crew track Soji to the Artifact, the abandoned Borg Cube in Romulan space. There, Picard is reunited with Hugh and learns about the Borg Reclamation Project. Meanwhile, Narek makes some progress in extracting information from Soji,. Wes and Clay discuss an episode of Star Trek: Picard that features merging story lines and merging genitals! Are you looking for older episodes? Find th...

The La Sirena tracks Bruce Maddox to Freecloud, a Vegas-esque planet that feels like a more polished version of Mos Eisley. Maddox has found himself in a dangerous position and Seven of Nine agrees to help rescue him. Clay and Wes put on their best fake accents to discuss "Stardust City Rag"! Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast ! Thanks for l...

Picard and the crew head to the planet Vashti. Fourteen years ago, Picard helped Romulan refugees settle on the planet, and he befriended a group of warrior monks who practiced the art of "absolute candor". On Vashti, Picard reunites with Elnor, a yound man who Picard knew as a small boy. Meanwhile, Narek continues to try to gleam information about Maddox and the other androids from Soji. In this...

In "The End is the Beginning", Picard recruits a crew to help him find Bruce Maddox. On the Artifact, Asha works with ex-Borg (and returning character) Hugh to treat reclaimed Romulans. Wes and Clay discuss the third episode of Star Trek: Picard and reveal how they feel about Picard returning to the stars! Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast...

In "Maps and Legends", we gain additional insight into the world in which this series takes place. As Picard begins to investigate the mystery of Dahj he learns that Starfleet will not assist him. But there's trouble underfoot - some Starfleet officers appear to be shady (surprise!) and are in league with the Romulans on the Borg Reclamation site. In this podcast, Wes and Clay dissect the episode...

Jean-Luc Picard has returned to Star Trek! At the end of the 24th century, and 14 years after his retirement from Starfleet, Jean-Luc Picard is living a quiet life on his vineyard, Chateau Picard. When he is sought out by a mysterious young woman, Dahj, in need of his help, he soon realizes she may have personal connections to his past. In this episode, Wes and Clay break down the very first episo...

In the final Kelvin film, Star Trek Beyond, the USS Enterprise is destroyed and the crew stranded on an alien planet. They meet an alien named Krall who intends to destroy the Federation. Star Trek Beyond is not an oft-discussed film, but it's clearly the best of the three Kelvin films. Directed by Justin Lin from a script written by Simon Pegg (Scotty), Beyond works as both a Star Trek film and a...

Star Trek Into Darkness is the second film from JJ Abrams' Kelvin Universe. Khan returns as an unwilling agent of Section 31. In order to prevent a war with the Klingons, Kirk must stop both Khan and a corrupt admiral from achieving their goals. In this podcast, Wes and Clay discuss going bigger in a sequel, wet eyes, and bringing back Khan! Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every...

Wes and Clay get back to the Star Trek films! This time they've moved on to the JJ Abrams led reboot, "Star Trek" from 2009. The Abrams 2009 Trek film rebooted the franchise and created a new TOS universe (Kelvin) to play in. As such, we get familiar names with brand new faces. In this podcast, Wes and Clay discuss the brilliant idea of creating an alternate timeline, walking the line of old and n...

After a devastating attack on the shipyards on Mars, two twelve year old rivals discover that anyone can be a hero. Even if just for one day. Clay and Wes get together to discuss the final episode from the second season of Short Treks. Does it work as something greater than a simple Picard tie-in? Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast ! Thanks...

Having finished DS9, Wes and Clay watched the Star Trek DS9 documentary, "What We Left Behind". Directed by showrunner Ira Behr, the documentary tries to explain the legacy of DS9 through the memories of those involved with the show. Is it worth watching? Are you looking for older episodes? Find this and every other episode at The Pensky Podcast ! Thanks for listening. Stay connected: • https://th...