Advertise on podcast: Saddle Up! A Star Trek Strange New Worlds Podcast

“Tomorrow’s Enterprise” As the Enterprise studies a white hole, the theoretical counterpart of a black hole, Uhura begins hearing strange music. Soon, an energy pulse strikes the ship and Uhura hears Scotty screaming for help. But no one else hears his cries, and she is left bleeding. Once cleared by Doctor M’Benga, Uhura sets out to investigate what happened … and ends up contacting her future self. With one year to work with, the two Uhuras must collaborate through time to solve the mystery of the anomaly and help birth a space baby to save Scotty and restore the timeline. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing wrap up our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with the finale, “Tomorrow’s Enterprise.” We discuss Uhura’s journey, hopping timelines, visiting Kirk’s Enterprise, how the story could have served as a series finale, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Temu Interstellar (00:03:18) Uhura’s Journey (00:06:42) Pike’s Influence (00:12:47) A Show on Its Own Terms (00:17:00) Timelines (00:19:54) Natural Interactions (00:24:09) Boyce Not So Noice (00:27:58) Full On Animated Series! (00:30:40) Space Baby! (00:39:41) The TOS Feel (00:47:12) Potential Series Finale? (00:49:30) Looking Ahead to Season 5 (00:54:17) Final Thoughts and Ratings (01:02:41) Closing (01:09:49) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Once La’an a Time” When the Enterprise comes across what appears to be a flat planet, it’s just the beginning of things that probably shouldn’t exist. The entity that swept away M’Benga’s daughter in Season 1 has apparently expanded on the original storybook for a sequel: The Elysian Kingdom II: Swords and Dragons. As the landing party becomes tangled in a fantasy web, La’an must fight herself and her inner demons—literally—to get two new companions aboard the Enterprise: Runa the dog and Jim the Kirk. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Once La’an a time.” We discuss the return to the Elysian Kingdom, resolving La’an’s inner conflict, narrative hijinks in Star Trek, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) The Elysian Kingdom, Part II (00:01:47) The Most Clichéd Solution (00:09:04) Griffin Confusion (00:16:33) Jim’s Back Again! (00:19:29) A Sword Fight Is All You Need (00:22:57) Bye, Bye Pelia (00:28:00) Narrative Hijinks (00:33:09) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:42:13) Closing (00:49:09) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Orders of Magnitude” The Enterprise crew are thrilled to meet a living legend, Admiral Simon Reeger, but excitement soon turns to tension when he commandeers the Enterprise for his own purposes. Stranding Pike, Una, Uhura, and A’Sha, who are on an away mission and out of communications range, Reeger sets off in pursuit of a ship that he claims is responsible for the deaths of five million. His XO for the mission is none other than James T. Kirk, who conveniently happens to be visiting the Enterprise once again. Ultimately, that turns out to be a good thing, as it is Kirk who uncovers the admiral’s true motives and stops him for executing General Order 24 and destroying all life on a planet where the alleged mercenary ship attempts to hide. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Orders of Magnitude.” We discuss the Star Trek feel, a classic badmiral, the untold (and unknown) history of the Kirk family, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) A Breath of Fresh Air (00:02:56) I Was in the Neighborhood (00:07:04) Badmirals Are Back! (00:10:08) A Drug Too Many? (00:17:24) No Objections (00:28:09) Kirk Family History Hour (00:35:15) Angry Andorians (00:42:44) Uhura and A’Sha (00:45:33) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:52:36) Closing (00:57:26) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Like Chronitons through the Hourglass” When the Enterprise again encounters the “cosmic entity” who once staged a wedding for Spock and Chapel, the crew find themselves trapped in a soap opera filled with classic tropes, melodrama, camera work, and music. There’s even an evil twin brother. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Like Chronitons through the Hourglass.” We discuss the format, the potential, the execution, and … Sybok. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Nailed the Sybok (00:01:34) What the Hell Is a Soap Opera? (00:03:14) Lost Pain (00:09:13) Inept Writing (00:12:46) The Story that Could Have Been (00:17:05) Counselors Are Back! (00:20:39) Q Connection (00:25:43) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:04) Closing (00:36:12) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Off-Hour” TGIF is in the air as the Enterprise alpha shift crew gets set for its weekend break. But all hell breaks loose when the ship is pulled into a slipstream wormhole. With the phenomenon knocking out power and accelerating them to greater and greater speeds, they must beat the clock to break free before the Enterprise passes the warp threshold and is torn apart. But first, a concert! In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Off-Hour.” We discuss the latest genre swing, the character development, the technobabble, crawling on the ship, surprise faces, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) A Storytelling Revelation (00:02:16) A Genre That Fits (00:07:16) Classic Technobabble (00:15:37) Crawling on the Ship (00:19:56) Chapel and M'Benga (00:24:25) Scotty's One True Love (00:29:07) Boyce Boyce Baby (00:35:25) Making Genre Work (00:40:08) A Grotesque Obsession (42:42) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:46:53) Closing (00:51:57) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Level-Five Transporter Accident” Still miffed about the success of his Starfleet Academy nemesis, Declan Milder, Scotty is determined to extend the transporter range record he already set, a record previously owned by said nemesis, who is currently nearby as an engineer aboard the USS Witmere. And to rub salt in the wound, Scotty plans to beam his childhood puppet, Little Ricky, directly into Milder's quarters. But when the transport goes awry, the entire crew of the Enterprise is transformed into puppets. Only Spock, who was away aboard a shuttle, remains flesh and blood. That puts him in a tough spot when Orions intercept the Enterprise and decide to take over the ship. Now it’s up to Spock to save the day by doing everything himself, with a bit of help from Muppets hijinks. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Level-Five Transporter Accident.” We discuss the concept, the puppets, the characters, the ending, the use of limited time, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Hey Ricky! I'm Home! (00:02:14) Transporters Gone Wild (00:03:47) The Big Breakup (00:11:38) Internal Illogic (00:17:21) The Art of Puppetry (00:26:26) What an Undercut! (00:29:37) Spock Amok (00:35:49) Write Your Own Ending (00:38:07) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:41:29) Closing (00:51:05) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“A Case of Chiaroscuro” When a stray probe wanders into the Mat'Aar system, Number One leads a team to retrieve it and send it back to Earth. There's just one problem. The 12th planet in the system is occupied by Klingons, and there's a D7 cruiser keeping watch. Actually, there are two problems. Thanks to unique properties of the Mat’Aar sun, everything is black and white. Forget the neutral zone, welcome to the no color zone! The crew take shelter on the planet while they wait for a clear path to avoid the D7. And that's where the third problem comes in. When they head into town, Number One is welcomed by the resistance because she just happens to be the spitting image of their missing leader, Nevette. To escape this occupied world, she must help the resistance finish their plans to fight back against the Klingons. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “A Case of Chiaroscuro.” We discuss the black-and-white format, Number One's character story, a familiar face, the creative patchwork that the series has become, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) I Got That Monochrome Vision (00:02:42) An Obsession with Genre Remakes (00:09:30) Breaking the Number One Rule (00:11:56) In Living Color (00:16:17) What a Korincidence! (00:25:46) La'an's Paranoia (00:32:03) Spock's Fast Slide into Logic (00:35:49) Seeing the Forest for the Trees (00:38:17) Creating a Patchwork Legacy (00:42:03) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:54:09) Closing (00:59:21) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Human Best Friend” It's time for shore leave! And what better place to spend it than on a planet run by Wisconsin's own Dave Nelson (no, really, he's Canadian … but not a spy), surrounded in air that naturally intoxicates you? The crew of the Enterprise get to go wild and explore their innermost thoughts, desires, and even fears as they take time off from Starfleet duty to experience the ultimate hangover. Bingo! In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Human Best Friend.” We discuss intoxicating air, characters gone wild, Star Trek's hangover, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Star Trek's Hangover (00:02:35) Character Reactions (to Secondhand Atmosphere) (00:07:15) Total Eclipse of the Heart (00:11:04) Deep Desire to Be an Idiot? (00:13:32) Lower Decks Creeping In (00:19:22) Conflicting Concepts (00:23:26) Ortegas and Scotty (00:26:14) Spock and Kirk (00:32:04) Diplomacy on Drugs (00:36:20) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:38:11) Closing (00:46:38) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“The Griffin Incident” After the Future Federation Leaders retreat, Jim Kirk decides to hitch a ride home with fellow attendees Spock and La'an Noonien-Singh. But their sail back is nothing but smooth when they come across a long-lost Federation starship, the USS Griffin. Missing for almost a decade for unknown reasons, the Griffin seems to be haunted. And when their shuttle is destroyed, the trio finds themselves trapped in a house of horrors that plays on their innermost thoughts and fears. Thankfully, Pike and the Enterprise crew beam over to save them. Or do they? In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “The Griffin Incident.” We discuss the horror and gore, character development for Kirk, Spock, and La'an, the lack of Gryffindors, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) This Feels Familiar (00:02:11) A Horrorful Story (00:08:25) Inside Spock's Head (00:12:39) Inside Kirk's Head (00:21:35) Inside La'an's Head (00:32:13) What the Hell Is Going On? (00:39:52) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:44:54) Closing (00:50:08) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Valles Marineris” After some equestrian fun time, Pike and the crew of the Enterprise are sent to observe a giant space squall. Once there, they pick up a distress signal and attempt to respond. But the squall overwhelms the ship and the Enterprise is thrown to an unknown system with three class M planets. It turns out that their new location isn't so unknown after all—it's the Sol system. But there's a catch: they've traveled 65 million years into the past. The landing party has ventured down to prehistoric Earth in search of iridium to restart the warp drive and the Enterprise has been captured by a powerful ship from Mars. There's also an extra planet on the way to out to Jupiter, one that's at war with Mars. To get home, the crew must put their skills to the test against hostile aliens, dinosaurs, engine warning lights, and a particularly spunky Vulcan cadet. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing warp into Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Valles Marineris.” We discuss the feel of the story, how it connects with the best of Star Trek, rewriting history, character moments, hopes for the season, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) First Impressions of Season 4 (00:03:28) A Real TOS and Star Trek Feel (00:11:03) Rewriting History (00:15:22) An Obsession with Fate (00:21:58) Are You Going to Tell Us about the Dinosaurs? (00:26:16) Fate and the Prime Directive (00:28:13) Mean Girls Vulcan (00:37:58) Costume Tweaks (00:42:32) The Scotty-Ortegas Rivalry (00:45:06) The La'an Tease (00:51:03) Time Loops (00:58:51) Too Much Creative Freedom? (01:00:42) Final Thoughts and Ratings (01:07:21) Closing (01:13:01) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“New Life and New Civilizations” Cleared to return to active duty as director of the Starfleet Judge Advocate General's Office, Captain Batel sees a bright future ahead—at least until she learns that she is actually a statue. And not just any statue, but the one that keeps the ancient evil known as the Vezda sealed away so they can't wreak havoc on the universe. That's a job she really needs to get back to because the reconstituted body of Nurse Gamble has greeted Doctor Korby on the planet Skygowan, and things are not looking good for galactic peace. But before she can step back onto the pedestal, she has to take Captain Pike on a trip down memory lane to share their life together in a future where he was never injured while training cadets. And also, Kirk and Spock become one. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our journey through Strange New Worlds with “New Life and New Civilizations.” We discuss the resolution to the Batel and Vezda stories, potential pathways for Pike, and look back at Season 3 as a whole. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Batel Transformed (00:02:44) A Walk Down Future Memory Lane (00:14:32) Many Pathways for Pike? (00:28:59) The Original Evil (00:34:13) The Importance of a Guiding Vision (00:39:40) Could Have Been the Series Finale? (00:43:53) Kirk and Spock Become One (00:47:48) Introducing: Plot Magic! (00:53:22) The State of Strange New Worlds (00:57:35) Final Thoughts and Ratings (01:16:06) Closing (01:18:45) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Terrarium” While investigating a peculiar area of uncharted space—a region legendary for strange phenomena—the Enterprise finds it impossible to get proper reading from probes due to highly volatile gravimetric waves. Ortegas flies the shuttle Archimedes into the turmoil to gather data firsthand. But when a wormhole suddenly opens up and sends the shuttle tumbling into a moon orbiting a gas giant, Ortegas must fight to survive. She has to find shelter, food, and water, but there’s one obstacle she wasn’t counting on: the Gorn. With the clock ticking before the moon passes through the planet’s thermosphere, the two enemies find common ground. When the Enterprise finally arrives to rescue them, it is revealed that the whole situation was just a test staged by the Metrons. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our journey through Strange New Worlds with “Terrarium.” We discuss the connection to the Original Series classic "Arena," character development for Ortegas, Uhura's stint as a scientist, the Metrons, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Fixing Ortegas (00:02:57) Differing Responses (00:13:38) Seeking Understanding (00:17:49) Uhura the Scientist (00:24:08) Hey, Hey, We're the Metrons! (00:27:49) A Setup for the Finale? (00:37:00) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:44:50) Closing (00:55:03) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” What’s the best way to pass as a Vulcan? Become one! That’s what Pike, Uhura, La’an, and Chapel do in order to save a pre-warp civilization without violating the Prime Directive. Doesn’t make sense? Don’t worry, it’s all just a setup for a story that aims to shed light on what goes on in the Vulcan mind. After their one-minute mission is done, the foursome is unable to transform back into humans but finds that they like being Vulcan more. This is a very troubling development for the crew as they watch Nurse Chapel shun all relationships in favor of work, Pike fall in love with 42-minute rotating shifts for more efficient operations, Uhura brainwash her boyfriend, and La’an try to take over the ship and start an interstellar war. The only hope for returning things to normal? A Vulcan called Doug. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our journey through Strange New Worlds with “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans.” We discuss the concept, the setup, the humor, and what each character's situation reveals about Vulcans and themselves. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) First Reactions (00:02:39) All In on Silly (00:14:11) Biology Is Not Culture (00:16:24) Superficially Vulcan (00:24:43) Everyone Has a Soul? (00:29:42) Ideas Out of Focus (00:37:43) Four Facets of Vulcans (00:42:54) Una Digs Doug (00:45:23) And Kirk Shows Up (00:48:43) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:50:57) Closing (00:57:10) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“What Is Starfleet?” The long-teased documentary by Umberto Ortegas has finally been released. “Starfleet presents themselves as our quadrant’s shining example of duty, honor, peacekeeping,” says the little brother of Erica Ortegas, who flies the ship. “But what separates a federation from an empire? Both colonize. Both impose their laws and doctrines on others. Are they explorers as they claim? Or soldiers as they appear? They call their vessels starships. What distinguishes them from warships?” Filming a mission during which the Enterprise is ordered to transport cargo that turns out to be a sentient being that turns out to have been transformed into a weapon certainly begs answers to those questions. As viewers, we watch the findings of this young investigative reporter unfold and lead him down a path he may not have expected. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our journey through Strange New Worlds with “What Is Starfleet?” We discuss the documentary concept, Beto's agenda, and pacing in short seasons as well as the big question (and whether the story answers it). Chapters Intro (0:00:00) An Age-Old Question (00:03:26) Speed Bump for the Season? (00:17:36) Journalistic Standards (00:21:49) Are We Too Impatient As Viewers Today? (00:27:46) Core Elements (00:36:43) Seeking Out New Life (00:41:04) There Be Whales Here! (00:47:57) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:51:09) Closing (01:01:57) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” During a survey mission to Helicon Gamma, Commander James T. Kirk of the USS Farragut thinks it would be a good idea to put boots on the ground and explore the world firsthand. Think again. Just as he pitches the idea to his Vulcan captain, the planet is vaporized by an incredibly powerful weapon fired from a ship that looks like a giant sea creature. With most of the crew, including Captain V’rel, injured, Kirk takes command of the Farragut. His first time in the chair under pressure takes a life-or-death turn when the Enterprise is captured by space pirates and swallowed by the beast. He must overcome his crisis of confidence and rise to the occasion to save both ships, a tall task aided by a group that will one day become his own trusted crew. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our journey through Strange New Worlds with “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.” We discuss Kirk's backstory and evolution, bringing together the original series crew, pack rat Pelia and her '80s solution, and the story's closing twist. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Playing Kirk (00:02:12) Building Kirk (00:14:38) Bringing the TOS Crew Together (00:18:29) Pack Rat Pelia Saves the Day (00:27:29) The Twist Ending (00:32:10) When Star Trek Is at Its Best (00:42:48) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:49:00) Closing (00:52:34) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)