The Random Redshirt

On this episode we start a brand new Spotlight series! We're deep diving the Star Trek pilot episodes! Yes, we are starting out of order with TNG, but don't fret, we will get to both of the Original Series pilot episodes soon. But first, TNG. This episode spawned what is widely regarded as the best Star Trek series in the franchise. If TNG had not done well, we would not have any of the follow-on...

In this episode we sit down with Fanboys director, New York Times best selling author and producer Kyle Newman! Kyle is a wonderful guy and fellow nerd whose passion for D&D, Star Wars, Star Trek and more is evident. We discussed his career, passions, hobbies, future projects/books his company "Pop Culture Coffee" and more!

In this episode we're discussing all five of the Legacy Star Trek series finales. From TOS's "Turnabout Intruder" which isn't a true series finale, to the controversial Star Trek Enterprise series finale "These are the Voyages..." we're covering it all. We also discuss the role Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country plays in wrapping up the crew of The Original Series. Show finales can be very diff...

In this episode we discuss our thoughts, feelings, and favorite moments from this incredibly special convention! From meeting the cast and crew, to getting autographs and photos, to our favorite panel moments to the incredible Michael Hogan and his attendance, this was certainly a convention to remember. A special thank you to Creation Entertainment for making this happen! If you haven't checked o...

In this episode we give you our list of MUST watch science fiction movies and TV shows as you prepare for Halloween night! We are not huge blood and guts fans so we will tell you which shows and movies are a must watch for any Star Trek or science fiction fan and which one(s) you might want to avoid. So turn the lights down low, light a candle and join us as we give you THE watch list for your spo...

In this episode we dive into the Star Trek Enterprise season 3 episode "Impulse". It wouldn't be a Halloween series without some Zombie Vulcans! Unlike our previous Halloween episode where we discussed Voyager's "The Haunting of Deck 12", this episode is about as close to horror as Star Trek gets. When the Enterprise answers a distress call by a Vulcan ship, they come across something they were no...

In this episode we discuss the fantastic season 6 Star Trek Voyager episode "The Haunting of Deck 12". This is a fantastic episode to watch with the lights off as Neelix tells the Borg children a "campfire ghost story" of a creepy Nebula that leads to some major ship wide issues and a creepy stow-a-way guest on board the ship. Is the story just made up or is there some truth to it? Find out in thi...

In this episode we finish our look at the legacy Star Trek mirror universe episodes with Enterprise's 2 part episode "In a Mirror Darkly". This is the only Enterprise mirror universe episodes and it does NOT disappoint! Full of drama, humor, intrigue, deception, scheming and more, we love this 2 part episode.

In this episode we jump back to Battlestar Galactica to discuss the drama filled 2 part episode "Home". The fleet has split up due to Rosalin's decision to go to Kobal in search of the Tomb of Athena. Meanwhile, Commander Adama has a tough decision to make, continue on without her or reunite the fleet. There is a lot to unpack here and we go into some of our signature deep dive moments!

In this episode we wrap up the Deep Space Nine mirror universe episodes with a very fun and whimsical episode in which Quark and Rom, for the first time, travel to the mirror universe to rescue the Grand Nagus from the grips of the Alliance. We meet some familiar characters that we've seen in past mirror universe episodes as well as some new ones! This was a fun way to finish up DS9's mirr...

In this episode we do our very first Battlestar Galactica Deep Dive! 16 Days after the 12 colonies are attacked by the Cylons, "Doral" makes it aboard the Galactica only to blow himself up. This breach in security launches an independent tribunal searching for answers. We felt like this episode was a great opportunity to do some character studies on Cmdr Adama, Chief Tyrol and President...

Episode 9 of our spotlight series brings us to the Star Trek past....but our present....2024! For the first time that we can remember, Star Trek's past intersects with our present in a very real way and highlights many issues that we still continue to struggle with today. Sisko, Dax and Bashir are accidentally sent back in time while attempting to beam down to San Fransisco to attend a Starfleet s...

Episode 8 of our Spotlight series takes us back to the mirror universe as we explore the next episode in the Deep Space Nine mirror episodes. This time we recap & review "Resurrection". This episode focuses primarily on the relationship between Major Kira and Bareil. An interesting episode which mirrors (pun intended) a similar situation between Sisko & mirror Jennifer. Where do...

In this episode we dive into the 2003 mini series of Battlestar Galactica. This mini series re-launched an incredible franchise and iconic show! We break down the characters, plot, writing and other highlights that stand out to us. If you love this franchise then this episode is definitely for you! You can also find the video version of this episode and others on our YouTube channel.

Episode 7 of our Spotlight series takes us back to The Original Series as we explore what you could consider is an obscure episode..."The Gamesters of Triskelion". This episode is almost never mentioned amongst the favorites when you ask Star Trek fans what their favorite Original Series episodes is, but it certainly has a powerful message. We hope you enjoy our look at an episode that i...

Arguably one of the greatest science fiction franchises in the world that has grossed over $1.4 Billion worldwide, Terminator has become a massive heavy weight in not only science fiction but in pop culture. We discuss the franchise as a whole, which movies in the franchise are the best and which ones we like the least. We also discuss the rapid expanse of artificial intelligence and the role it h...

We are incredibly thrilled to welcome actress & teacher Kaitlin Hopkins BACK to the show! If you have not caught our first discussion with her, you can find that anywhere you get your podcasts (audio only). If you are a Star Trek fan then you probably know her best as the Vorta, Kilana, in the Star Trek Deep Space Nine episode “The Ship”. You can also spot her impersonating Capt Janeway as Dal...

The fourth mirror universe episode in the Star Trek franchise, Deep Space Nine's "Shattered Mirror" takes us back into the mirror universe as Jake Sisko is taken by mirror universe Jennifer Sisko. We unpack every moment from the episode and dive into what makes up the core of one's being. A deep discussion you won't want to miss! These spotlight episodes deep dive into differ...

Sean Kanan is an incredibly talented actor who is most well known for his role as Deacon Sharpe on soap operas the Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless, AJ Quatermane on General Hospital and of course Tournament Terror and Karate’s Bad Boy…Mike Barnes in the Karate Kid 3 and NOW Cobra Kai! He has appeared in films with Bruce Willis, and created and starred in his Emmy winning show...

We sat down with the incredibly talented Director Dan Liu. Dan's incredible work includes The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Shadow and Bone, Kung Fu, La Brea, NCIS Los Angeles, For All Man Kind, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Star Trek Picard, and more! We had an absolutely wonderful time learning about his career and what goes in to the process of being a director!

We sat down with Star Trek Picard Playback Supervisor Todd Marks to discuss his career. A veteran in practical playback, Todd Marks has close to 30 years and 50 films and tons of television shows on his resume including Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Deep Impact, Star Trek Nemesis, Venom, The Net, The Internship, Anchorman 2, Quantum Leap, Star Trek Picard and so much more! He is the owner of “Ima...

In this episode we team up with the Where's Beverly? Podcast to discuss a "what if?" with the legacy Star Trek Captains. We look at 8 scenarios from various legacy Trek episodes and drop other Captains into those scenarios to determine what we think they would do! This episode is filled with deep philosophical discussions and a TON of laughs! Join us along with special guests Sophia...

We're diving into this mega classic & popular episode of Star Trek, "The City on the Edge of Forever". Widely regarded by most Star Trek fans as one of if not the most popular episode of Star Trek in the entire franchise. This episode is packed with some very deep questions that we dive into! We couldn't wait to talk about this one and we hope that you enjoy a look at one of...

We're celebrating our 100th episode ! We discuss some of the most influential science-fiction of the past 100..ish years and we look back on our past 99 episodes with some of our favorite moments. Join us as we celebrate this milestone for the podcast! We are so thankful for all of your support over these past almost 3 years! We can't wait to bring some incredible content & conversatio...

We're going back to the "prime universe" as many of you have requested a deep dive in to Star Trek Voyager's Year of Hell Part I & II. This two part episode is something we've also wanted to dive deep into for some time and we had an absolute blast doing it! This was a lengthy one, but we got into some incredibly difficult conversations about morality. These spotlight epi...