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Starfleet Academy‘s youthful cast engage in petty campus squabbles in the third episode, showcasing some poignant character moments amidst some bizarre rounds of laser tag. A week later, they again demonstrate their ability to influence the entire Federation. Be the scale local or galactic, Ken and Staci enjoy seeing these saplings grow, likening their starting points to other fictional characters such as Reggie Mantle (Archie Comics) and Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place), and watching them come together as a class, team, and family. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Starfleet Academy S1E03–04: Vitus Reflux & Vox in Excelso first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Cadet Staci Lee joins the crew to review the debut of Starfleet Academy. Set in the 32nd century, the show follows the next generation of Starfleet officers against the backdrop of the Federation rebuilding itself after the Burn. The star of the show is Cadet Caleb Mir, who has a double agenda of finding his long-lost mother, torn from him by the very admiral who is now the school’s chancellor. Ken and Staci love the new, young characters who are complemented by Discovery and Voyager veterans, as well as the new and familiar species, from Lanthanite, Exocomp, Jem’Hadar, Betazed, and Brikar to Khionian, Klingerite, Photonics, and Dar-Sha. It’s an exciting time for two Trek fans, one with a long connection to the series’ 60-year history, and one who is seeing it with fresh eyes. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Starfleet Academy S1E01–02: Kids These Days & Beta Test first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

In the final episodes of the third season, Strange New Worlds gets its own take on “The Enemy” and Enemy Mine before Pike has his own “Inner Light” moment. It’s been a rough season with a few gems, some rushed editing, and a lot of wasted opportunities, as reviewed by Ken and Em. We also share the news from the recent Star Trek Day, including the Khan podcast series and the pre-teen YouTube series Star Trek: Scouts. How much of it will be canon? Does it matter? We’re off the air until more Star Trek debuts on Paramount+ in 2026. Need something to watch in the meantime? May we suggest Alan Tudyk’s Con Man or Brent Spiner’s Fresh Hell? Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E09–10: Terrarium & New Life and New Civilizations first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

As the third season nears its end, Strange New Worlds hits its stride with two excellent episodes that couldn’t be more different. “What Is Starfleet?” shows a different way to edit and present a story while both raising questions about the Prime Directive and offering metaphors for our modern geopolitical landscape; while “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is an outright comedy that balances the dark and serious side of Star Trek. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E07–08: What Is Starfleet? & Four-and-a-Half Vulcans first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

In our two favorite episodes of the season so far, an away team has a point-and-click adventure while an ancient evil invades the Enterprise; then a proto-Kirk develops into the captain we know he will be. Want to keep better track of your Paramount+ subscription and other recurring charges? Get a free 34-day trial to You Need a Budget (YNAB)! Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E05–06: Through the Lens of Time & The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Em and Ken review Star Trek‘s first zombie episode; then we jaunt into a metafictional 1960s universe of Nancy Drew and “The Final Frontier” — the first five minutes of which, Ken considers “must-see TV”. You can watch the entire episode online! Links mentioned in this episode: Companion movie starring Jack Quaid Star Trek comics megabundle Starfleet Academy first look Strange New Worlds season 4 teaser Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E03–04: Shuttle to Kenfori & A Space Adventure Hour first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Ken Gagne is joined by new co-host Em Maginnis to review the first two episodes of Strange New Worlds‘ third season! After a two-year wait, we get a resolution to the season cliffhanger “Hegemony” — but with so many loose threads to tie up, everything felt a bit rushed and convenient. The action slows down for its more light-hearted successor, “Wedding Bell Blues”, which features some deep cuts to The Original Series and The Next Generation, satisfying these two long-time fans. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Strange New Worlds S3E01–02: Hegemony, Part II & Wedding Bell Blues first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Michelle Yeoh reprises her role as Philippa Georgiou in Section 31, a feature-length, made-for-TV movie spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery. While not without some fun moments and characters (especially Sam Richardson as Quasi and Kacey Rohl as as a young Rachel Garrett), this heist-movie-without-a-heist fell flat for Ken and guest (and show artist) Allison Holt. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Section 31 first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Chief Engineer Ken Gagne and Commodore Mark Thompson bid adieu to Lower Decks. A homage to the entire Trek franchise culminates in the two-part series finale, showcasing the heroes of the Cerritos at their best. We debate what other cameos we would’ve liked to see in this show, how Harry Kim was written out of Picard, and where we might hope to see this crew in future series. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Lower Decks S5E09: Fissure Quest & S5E10: The New Next Generation first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

What a missed opportunity for this podcast to be purple! Mark and Ken record their penultimate review of Lower Decks, in which a TNG character guest-stars and the Cerritos bridge crew get a frenetic chance to shine. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Lower Decks S5E07–08: Fully Dilated & Upper Decks first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

The Cerritos finally visits the infamous Starbase 80, where corn dogs are plentiful, free arcade tokens are available, and zombies abound. Then it’s a callback to the TOS episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?” as the Cerritos crew tries to resolve a geometry war between cubes and spheres. Mark and Ken enjoyed the jokes and the references in this pair of episodes while disgruntled that neither episode moved forward the final season’s overarching plot — there’s isn’t much time left before the series finale!! Recommend reading includes Cord Cutter News about a pre-Enterprise film beginning production in 2025; and TrekMovie to learn all the behind-the-scenes details of the new short film, Unification. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Lower Decks S5E05-06: Starbase 80?! & Of Gods and Angles first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

The best and worst episodes of Lower Deck’s fifth season to date make references to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Apocalypse Now, and a Klingon VCR game. Ken and Mark catch what we can as we explore Klingon and Klowahkan cultures, our own awkward breakups, and more Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Lower Decks S5E03–04: The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel & A Farewell to Farms first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

Double the Cerritos, double the Lower Decks! The fifth and final season of the Star Trek animated comedy series kicks off with back-to-back episodes that has all the main characters confronting what their lives could’ve been. Commodore Mark Thompson joins Chief Engineer Ken Gagne as we marvel at all the ways the non-canon The Animated Series (TAS) has influenced canon Trek; whether there’s a Quantum Prime DIrective; and how much better Shades of Green is than Shades of Grey. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Lower Decks S5E01-02: Dos Cerritos & Shades of Green first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

All wormholes lead to Prodigy in this fitting finale to the season… and possibly, the series. Ken and Tiffany puzzle through one final lesson in temporal mechanics; we point to the moments that led to Dal’s maturation; and we approve of Prodigy cementing itself so firmly in Star Trek canon, even if it isn’t on Paramount+. Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. Transporter Lock will be back for Lower Decks‘ fifth and final season, starting October 24, 2024! (The post Prodigy S2E19–20: Ouroboros first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)

What could’ve been a pair of action-packed episodes proved heavy on dialogue to carry the scenes. Ken and Tiffany get frustrated with Wesley the Traveler, but we appreciate seeing the return of Wesley the Starfleet officer. And we enjoy the voice-acting opportunities afforded by holograms! Speaking of which, was Captain Janeway… flirting with the Doctor?? Stream the audio edition of Transporter Lock above or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podchaser, or the Internet Archive. (The post Prodigy S2E17: Brink & S2E18: A Touch of Grey first appeared on Transporter Lock - A Star Trek podcast.)