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Join John, Cam and Jesse as we discuss all of the existing Star Trek Strange New Worlds episodes with the amazing Jim Moorhouse of Trek Ranks!
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John T Bolds: This thing on hello hello
00:00:26
welcome to open fire ignite the strange new worlds podcast where
00:00:30
your personal logs are the prime directive. I'm your host John T
00:00:34
bolds. here tonight with my co host and amazing guest on the
00:00:37
open bike night stage. Joining me the first step the man who
00:00:41
ranks using only his heart, Jesse Bailey
00:00:45
Jesse: it's been a while since sack podcast with you guys
00:00:52
John T Bolds: and the man who ranks using only his head posts
00:00:55
of green shirt a newbie struck to the next generation Cameron,
00:00:58
Cameron: a I've got a very good head on my shoulders, and
00:01:01
another one lying on my desk whispering all the answers to
00:01:03
me.
00:01:05
John T Bolds: And our guest tonight is possibly the most
00:01:07
qualified person ever to rank anything having to do with Star
00:01:11
Trek, because he runs trek ranks. Please welcome Jim
00:01:15
Morehouse. Hey,
00:01:17
Jim Moorhouse: guys. Great to finally be here on the OPN open.
00:01:23
Rake some trek We love talking about all the things we love
00:01:27
about Star Trek.
00:01:28
Cameron: You could tell he's a real fan because he says OPN
00:01:30
John T Bolds: OPN Yeah, it's great to have you here man. I'm
00:01:33
thanks for coming. I
00:01:34
Jim Moorhouse: can't wait to talk with all s and w strange
00:01:37
new worlds. All the acronyms.
00:01:37
Let's do this.
00:01:40
Jesse: I love SN W because it's actually longer than strange
00:01:43
new.
00:01:49
Jim Moorhouse: W W W
00:01:55
John T Bolds: we had some great callers tonight. But man, they
00:01:58
seem to be like put on the spot when they had to pick out of all
00:02:01
20 episodes. I'm excited to hear what they had to say what their
00:02:05
what their choices, we asked them to send in top three. And
00:02:08
we asked some folks on Twitter to so we'll hear from them
00:02:11
throughout our ranking system.
00:02:11
But speaking of ranking system cam, you want to take it from
00:02:15
here?
00:02:17
Cameron: For sure. Yeah, so we decided to do a collaborative
00:02:21
draft, which is a bit of a misnomer, because it's gonna be
00:02:24
a little collaborative, little, maybe confrontational
00:02:26
competitive as we, we try to ensure our favorites move higher
00:02:30
up the list, you'll see as it plays out, but I was inspired by
00:02:33
the movie drafts podcast, which I've listened to a lot check
00:02:37
them out. And they were in turn inspired by screen draft. So
00:02:40
I've kind of stolen based on their rules from screen drafts,
00:02:44
and I kind of stole them from them. And we've each modified so
00:02:47
this will be the open pike night version of the collaborative
00:02:50
draft. So we'll each be picking an episode for each rank in the
00:02:55
list from 20 to one, but there will be some, some rules to mix
00:02:59
things up in there will have four positions. So position D
00:03:02
will pick slots 2017 13, nine and five. And they get two
00:03:07
vetoes and a veto. Of course, if someone picks an episode you
00:03:10
think belongs higher up the list, you can veto it and ensure
00:03:12
that it moves up higher. Now position C will pick slots
00:03:15
1916 12 eight and four. They get one veto and one veto override
00:03:21
the only veto override in the game that allows you to Jesse,
00:03:24
what do you think it allows you to do?
00:03:27
Jesse: I would imagine that allows you to override a veto.
00:03:30
That's absolutely
00:03:30
Cameron: correct. Jesse points for you. However, you cannot
00:03:34
override your own picks so you can override the veto and
00:03:37
someone else's pick. But if you chose Elysian Kingdom at number
00:03:42
20 And someone veto that you would not be able to veto
00:03:45
override that. Oh, someone else's Yes.
00:03:49
Jesse: So it's basically just you can't change your mind once
00:03:52
you've made it up. Correct.
00:03:52
Sweet. What Gotcha. Because you can't veto override your own
00:03:55
right.
00:03:58
Cameron: Well, you can't you can't save your own. Yeah,
00:04:01
John T Bolds: you can't save your own. I mean, yes, you also
00:04:03
can't be to override your veto.
00:04:08
Cameron: That's also true. Okay, position B, we'll choose
00:04:11
18 1511. seven and three are first in the top three, they get
00:04:15
one veto because they get a top three pick. And the position A
00:04:19
is kind of the crazy one, they don't actually get to pick in
00:04:21
the first round. They don't get to pick until slot 14, then they
00:04:25
get 10 Six and they get both two and one only because once you
00:04:28
pick two, there's only one episode left. So essentially,
00:04:31
they're choosing what order the last to go in unless there's a
00:04:34
veto. Whereas to Balian fudge.
00:04:34
Now how we determine who gets what position we've got a magic
00:04:38
wheel that is going to select a name randomly and they'll get to
00:04:41
choose their position. All right,
00:04:45
John T Bolds: there we go. Spin
00:04:51
Unknown: my jersey. Oh, oh,
00:04:57
Cameron: away from my name.
00:04:57
Jesse was chosen?
00:05:01
Jesse: Oh my gosh, this is actually more pressure than I
00:05:05
thought it would be. Because it was like, well, obviously, you'd
00:05:07
want to pick the first slot. Oh, wow.
00:05:11
Unknown: What do you think? Wow, that
00:05:14
Jesse: is difficult. I think you know what, because I know that I
00:05:18
have a complete inability to be objective about any of this. I
00:05:22
am going to pick position B, I still get high picks, I still
00:05:26
get my veto. And you know, that way, if I'm not happy with some
00:05:31
of the pics, I can complain about them and not be blaming
00:05:34
myself.
00:05:35
Cameron: Less well reasoned.
00:05:35
Yeah. All right.
00:05:37
John T Bolds: Here's our next spin.
00:05:43
Good sound effects on this who?
00:05:47
Cameron: Jim? All right, Jim.
00:05:51
Unknown: I am going
00:05:54
Jim Moorhouse: to take position.
00:05:54
See then. Yeah, let's do.
00:05:59
John T Bolds: Oh, nice. Oh, you
00:06:00
Cameron: get the override? Yeah.
00:06:00
All right. DNA are left.
00:06:04
Interesting. I think those are the two I would have gone after.
00:06:07
So I'm okay with this. All
00:06:09
John T Bolds: right. Here's the next pic. I
00:06:11
Jesse: really liked the artificial slowdown of the wheel
00:06:15
at the end like yeah, there's no pegs to facilitate that. Like,
00:06:18
what does it do it? Oh,
00:06:19
Cameron: here we go. All right.
00:06:21
John T Bolds: Oh, man,
00:06:22
Cameron: I think I think my position coming into this
00:06:25
ranking is that I've got some underdogs I want to see move
00:06:29
higher up the list. So I am going to choose position D, I
00:06:32
want those vetoes. I just want to make sure things get in the
00:06:35
top five after that I'm going to be okay. So I will I will take D
00:06:40
which leads so
00:06:41
John T Bolds: I get position joncas Position A All right.
00:06:45
Yeah, I get that. All right, Jim, how does your ranking
00:06:48
system usually work when you guys are talking something?
00:06:51
What? What's what's it like if you're listening to trek right?
00:06:54
Unknown: Now
00:06:54
Jim Moorhouse: on trek range, we just pick a topic. And our whole
00:06:58
goal is to just we pick only positive topics, and we just
00:07:02
have a conversation about all the things we love about Star
00:07:04
Trek. So there's never any negative and we're a bottomless
00:07:07
it's just like some topic and everyone picks five things that
00:07:11
they love about that topic that they want to highlight and talk
00:07:13
about. So we just celebrate Star Trek for an hour or 90 minutes
00:07:18
every every week. So and we introduce each topic with our
00:07:22
five words and a hashtag, which I will be doing tonight with
00:07:25
every one of my pics previewing our pic with five words and a
00:07:30
hashtag to tease our pic. That's fantastic as I'm gonna I'm gonna
00:07:35
guess if hopefully some of our callers tonight will have some
00:07:38
five words event hashtag, we'll see. Oh, very
00:07:41
Jesse: cool. Also, I just realized what Cameron actually
00:07:45
did was pick the slot that lets him pick first. Yeah, like, oh,
00:07:49
that too. Yeah.
00:07:51
Cameron: I honestly that I didn't really love I don't want
00:07:53
to pick. I don't want to have to throw out the first bit of
00:07:56
negativity. But I've got my pick. I know what I'm picking.
00:07:59
So
00:07:59
Jim Moorhouse: there's no negative
00:08:01
Cameron: top 20 episode.
00:08:04
Jim Moorhouse: Number 20.
00:08:04
There's nothing negative that
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Cameron: I did want to say that like Yeah, I mean, every episode
00:08:09
is strange. Two Worlds is immensely watchable,
00:08:12
Jesse: of course. So the way that I picked it was, I thought,
00:08:16
Okay, I've got an hour and change to kill. I know I want to
00:08:21
watch strange new worlds. Which episode Am I putting on? And I
00:08:25
kind of went through that order?
00:08:25
Because the answer, of course, is any episode of strange new
00:08:27
worlds. Watch any episode. But if I were time constrained, and
00:08:33
I could only watch one for whatever reason, which has never
00:08:35
happened to me. This is the order that I would watch
00:08:40
Jim Moorhouse: them. Well. It's funny you say that Jesse. So for
00:08:42
me when I've been doing trek max out for seven or eight years,
00:08:46
I've done 187 episodes. So I'm on every episode, right? So I'm
00:08:50
picking it every week. And so my prime directive each week, we
00:08:55
asked everybody their prime directive on how they came up
00:08:57
with their list. And my driver is always the main thing is
00:09:02
always if I had to choose one, right, so if you're facing the
00:09:05
front, if I'm faced with the have to choose one for the rest
00:09:09
of my life, what am I picking?
00:09:09
That's always kind of my underlying driver for everything
00:09:13
I do in my in my picks in my ranks.
00:09:18
Cameron: I mean, that was my my prime directive but my sub prime
00:09:22
during that there wasn't an element of like when I say the
00:09:25
title when I think of that episode, like how big a smile Do
00:09:29
I get that I that did play into it a little bit, especially kind
00:09:32
of like separating the top five like into into an order.
00:09:37
Jesse: I mean, that's a great Prime Directive. Yeah, and Cam
00:09:40
I'm just hoping you don't have a sub prime directive crisis at
00:09:43
some point. Yes.
00:09:45
John T Bolds: I get the joke.
00:09:45
Jesse says if you lived through 2008 You'll get that joke. I
00:09:50
went with it's funny, I went with i i started to approach it
00:09:54
like okay, if it's 10 years from now and somebody said Have the
00:09:59
first two seasons of strange new worlds. What should I want? Like
00:10:02
if you had to pick the top one for me to watch and they never
00:10:05
watched one? That's how I approach like, what do I think
00:10:07
is timeless? What do I think is gonna hold up and be one of
00:10:10
those that people will talk about for the next 30 years like
00:10:14
we do with tng?
00:10:17
Jim Moorhouse: Interesting.
00:10:17
That's a great way to do it, too. And
00:10:20
Cameron: then did you guys bring like, Did you rank every
00:10:22
episode, you have a personal one through 20? Rank? Because
00:10:26
honestly, I kind of did. I tried to do it, break it into five,
00:10:29
just groups of five. And I couldn't do a top five, I had to
00:10:32
do a top six. Okay. But then after that, it's just like,
00:10:35
second tier three. Yes, here, I
00:10:38
John T Bolds: have more tears than specific, but when you have
00:10:42
come
00:10:42
Jim Moorhouse: through with the full range? Well, what
00:10:44
Cameron: we're here to do, that's what we're here to do.
00:10:46
Jesse: And I know me, I don't like to say this. But in
00:10:49
Cameron's defense, I did assign a rank to every single episode
00:10:54
individually, but I have like squishy tears associated with
00:10:58
those because, you know, it's like, as long as people pick
00:11:02
this episode, kind of close to where I got it. I'm probably
00:11:05
okay with it.
00:11:05
Jim Moorhouse: Right. The other key elements is truck races. We
00:11:08
always say we always had to at the end of everything today.
00:11:12
Right? Right. Yeah. The Right.
00:11:12
Pick something else for your ranks?
00:11:17
Cameron: Yep. And that gives you just endless content for
00:11:19
episodes. Exactly. Rewriting, which is something we wish we
00:11:24
had here at open.
00:11:28
John T Bolds: Come on season 320 episodes of the TV show and we
00:11:32
are on episode 60 Something of the podcast. Right? So yeah.
00:11:37
Well, I'm
00:11:37
Cameron: very excited for this episode. You know, I think you
00:11:40
know, John, Jesse. And I think we're all pretty close in our
00:11:43
estimations of episodes. But we all have like one or two episode
00:11:47
hot takes I think that are going to make things interesting. And
00:11:51
then meanwhile, Jim, of course, as a wildcard, I haven't looked
00:11:53
at your strange two worlds ranking. So I have no idea where
00:11:56
where you fall on some. So I'm very excited to see how things
00:11:59
play out.
00:11:59
John T Bolds: Should we open with a call first, just to get
00:12:02
things? Okay, I'm gonna pick a caller, who I think probably
00:12:08
fits in there. Pics all fit in with like, oh, yeah, of course.
00:12:11
These are gonna be in the top three. If most people were
00:12:14
pulled here is our friend Michelle.
00:12:17
Michelle from Crusher Conv: Hey, open pike night, I heard you
00:12:19
were asking fans to give our top three episodes for strange new
00:12:23
worlds. And I gotta say, even though it's only been two
00:12:26
seasons, the struggle is real.
00:12:26
But for what it's worth, here's my list. And I'm sure it's gonna
00:12:32
be pretty basic with some crossovers with other fans. But
00:12:34
here we go. Number one, the lower decks crossover directed
00:12:39
by Jonathan Frakes. It has art, it has humor, it is time travel,
00:12:43
all things that go into making a great Trek episode. And it's
00:12:48
kind of a comfort episode too. I think so. Yeah. Love that one.
00:12:51
Number two subspace Rhapsody. I adore this soundtrack. It was
00:12:57
Star Trek's first musical. So creative. Everyone did a great
00:13:02
job. And some of y'all open pikers heard me karaoke to one
00:13:06
of those songs during Tropical Island weekend. So that one has
00:13:09
a special place for me. Number three, Ad Astra per Aspera it
00:13:13
has these Measure of a Man vibes that I love. It has una which we
00:13:20
need more hashtag more Tigges.
00:13:25
We also need more una and this is going to lead into my Crusher
00:13:30
connection, which is UTD docky, who was excellent in this
00:13:34
episode. I hope we see her back soon. I had a great
00:13:37
conversation. Briefly with her trek Long Island. She was a huge
00:13:41
tng fan. We talked a little bit about Beverly Crusher, which was
00:13:44
cool and many other things with tng. But I really hope to see
00:13:48
her back in strange new worlds and Star Trek but that's my list
00:13:53
and I also wanted to add it was great to meet you guys at trek
00:13:56
Long Island. Jesse We missed you but it was so cool to hang and
00:14:02
be in person and hope to do it again soon. Live long and
00:14:06
prosper.
00:14:07
Jesse: Okay, let me just say I am so glad to hear Michelle's
00:14:12
voice back on open pike night you always bring the not
00:14:16
necessarily hard hitting but very heartfelt analysis which is
00:14:21
something that's very close to my heart. And yeah, I got to
00:14:25
agree I really wish I could have met you know I'm really sad but
00:14:29
cam and John had kind of indicated to me that it kind of
00:14:32
seems like your tea day but ducky is gonna be back as an era
00:14:36
Cthulhu and she just couldn't quite confirm that when they
00:14:39
spoke with her at trek Long Island.
00:14:42
John T Bolds: A lot of couldn't quite confirms going on a trek.
00:14:48
Cameron: Ya know, Michelle is as delightful in person as she is
00:14:51
as a caller. I can confirm all of that. 100% was great. Talking
00:14:56
to her check Long Island and yeah, great hearing her call him
00:14:59
back.
00:14:59
John T Bolds: Yeah. Oh, and yeah,
00:15:01
Jesse: her pics to her point.
00:15:01
They were. I mean, we so we did another little supplemental
00:15:05
thing on Twitter where I had folks just reply to a tweet with
00:15:08
their top three episodes. Those three episodes very frequently
00:15:11
popped up. And if I'm not mistaken, subspace Rhapsody was
00:15:15
submitted for an Emmy. So I'm very excited to see how that
00:15:19
would open. I'm very excited to see Yeah, I'm very excited to
00:15:22
see where these episodes end up on the official
00:15:28
Cameron: list. Oh, yes. Well, speaking of let's get started
00:15:31
with that, I've got the first pick at slot 20. Um, and I think
00:15:36
I've made my choice. Again, just going back to like, these aren't
00:15:39
necessarily the bad ones.
00:15:39
Because this episode has some of my favorite lines of the entire
00:15:42
series. I mean, there's two lines that might be the funny
00:15:45
lines. Oh, sorry. I'm supposed to wait. Sorry. Somebody's
00:15:48
entire to it. And hopefully this isn't a veto bait. I don't know
00:15:52
if it is. Spock amok and putting Spock Amok at 20. Wow. Yes.
00:15:58
It's, I think as, as we said, in our episode, sometimes humor is
00:16:05
hard. Sometimes comedy is hard.
00:16:09
Wait,
00:16:10
John T Bolds: how does it work?
00:16:10
If some one of us does veto, do you pick the next number? 20 in
00:16:12
that I would, then
00:16:15
Cameron: I would have to pick another one. Okay, okay.
00:16:19
Unknown: I,
00:16:21
Jesse: as much as it pains me, I'm gonna keep my veto in my
00:16:24
pocket. Because in my opinion, which is, of course, a
00:16:28
subjective thing. Let's be very clear all the way through this
00:16:31
episode. I think that Spock Amok is amazing. I love it. Cameron,
00:16:37
you're totally right lines, like we are not in a town. Like yes,
00:16:40
I know what a door is for that sort of thing.
00:16:42
John T Bolds: I'll get the good dog. Yeah,
00:16:44
Cameron: thank ya. Yeah. I live for the gang line. But
00:16:49
Jesse: I think if I'm being honest with my heart, Spock Amok
00:16:53
really sets up a lot that charades knocks out of the park.
00:16:58
Like, they were getting their comedy legs under them. They
00:17:02
were learning what works and what doesn't work with Vulcan
00:17:05
style humor. I will caveat that by saying I think Spock totally
00:17:11
works all the way through and I'm 100% in love with it. But I
00:17:14
could say that about any episode here because you guys know how I
00:17:16
am.
00:17:17
Cameron: Indeed, but wow, I feel
00:17:19
Jesse: like that's a little bit hot. Wow,
00:17:22
Cameron: there's a lot of good episodes. There's a lot of good
00:17:24
episodes.
00:17:26
John T Bolds: John, I'm gonna hold my veto. Yeah,
00:17:29
Jim Moorhouse: you are not going to veto this. Well, I'm gonna
00:17:31
save you guys the embarrassment of having Spock from Mach number
00:17:34
20. Freaking list. Oh my god, I have to veto it. I mean, I think
00:17:41
you know, right off the bat. I mean, this is why I love
00:17:45
ranking. ranking because you get all these incredibly fresh
00:17:50
takes. All right, so yeah, I'm 100% the way Spock McCann Okay.
00:17:56
All right. It's number four.
00:18:00
Cameron: Wow, that's the time to be doing it right
00:18:04
Jim Moorhouse: so it's obviously not going to be number four on
00:18:07
this list. But yeah, so I spoke about it works for me across the
00:18:12
board as the old time Freaky Friday just when when classic
00:18:18
trouble with Tribbles here where the just works on every level.
00:18:24
And five words that hashtag rhetorically, what are friends
00:18:28
for hashtag humans almost as easy to tease as? Yeah, okay, I
00:18:34
love Vito to
00:18:35
Cameron: camera and go. I will say Spock Mach has raised in my
00:18:39
esteem upon repeated viewing, so maybe maybe I just need to watch
00:18:42
it a couple more times. All right, how about again, another
00:18:47
episode that there's a lot I like in it, but I think we were
00:18:50
all kind of agreed on that it just didn't quite come together
00:18:55
for various production reasons.
00:18:55
How about season two, episode one, the broken circle. Are we
00:18:58
okay with that being at the bottom. Again, lots of great
00:19:01
moments, some truly great moments. But you know, without
00:19:05
answering there without pike. It felt like it was just kind of
00:19:10
spinning its wheels a bit.
00:19:12
Unknown: I
00:19:14
Jesse: I still wouldn't put that at 20. For me. I think both
00:19:18
season premieres ended up lower on my list than I expected. But
00:19:21
that's not because I don't think they're good. It's just they
00:19:25
both have so much work to do.
00:19:25
And for me, it was difficult because I remember feeling just
00:19:30
unbridled excitement for both of these episodes. I mean, strange
00:19:34
new worlds when it first came out. I was like, new Star Trek.
00:19:37
We've got a show about it. I love this. It's so classic. It
00:19:40
feels a lot like tos. I love a lot of these pieces. And the
00:19:45
broken circle. I mean, same thing, we get our introduction
00:19:51
to pelea we get the stealing of the enterprise which no doubt
00:19:56
John T Bolds: short, short comments 20 episodes.
00:19:58
Cameron: Jesse Jesse
00:20:00
Unknown: My point being
00:20:02
Jesse: I wouldn't put this here, but I still don't know if I can
00:20:07
use my veto. Especially if cameras gonna be putting
00:20:09
episodes like this. Yeah, something important.
00:20:14
John T Bolds: I wouldn't say 20 But I'll accept it as 20 I
00:20:17
wouldn't take it for 2020 Yeah, I can definitely accept it.
00:20:20
Jim Moorhouse: My favorite thing about the broken circle is how
00:20:22
much better it got after under
00:20:24
Trev: the cloak of war.
00:20:26
Cameron: Yes, that's true. All right. And Jim, you will be
00:20:30
choosing a number 19 Then level.
00:20:30
Oh, yeah,
00:20:35
Jim Moorhouse: that's easy. Here we go five words and a hashtag.
00:20:40
It's just fine you know, hashtag but not going to make many Best
00:20:46
of lists. So yeah, this was just a that's my review nothing about
00:20:48
them. So it is season two, Episode Four among the Lotus
00:20:53
Eaters. words I
00:20:58
Jesse: could see Kevin bristling already
00:21:01
Cameron: trading vetoes already I see
00:21:06
Jim Moorhouse: number number 20 on trek ranks All right Ken
00:21:08
we're going back and forth
00:21:11
Cameron: let's see I mean Jesse Do you Do you want to throw a
00:21:14
veto out
00:21:15
Jesse: or i i still have episodes that I'm worried I'm
00:21:19
gonna need to defend so I might hold mine and you know cam I
00:21:22
love to put you in a tough spot and you have you
00:21:25
Cameron: have to veto this episode is why I chose to vetoes
00:21:29
and yes I will be using one for among the one of my favorites
00:21:36
Jesse: I actually go back to the weld again as much as it pains
00:21:39
me I gotta agree with Kim I think this is higher than 19 it
00:21:43
definitely pays differently than the rest of the season but I
00:21:45
absolutely love it
00:21:46
John T Bolds: I fully would have accepted this at nine All right,
00:21:51
so what's your backup?
00:21:53
Jim Moorhouse: Okay, season one episode six five words and I
00:21:58
asked tag may be heavy handed in its reveals hashtag with still a
00:22:03
gut punch it is lift us were suffering cannot really dark
00:22:09
episode, but some good stuff and I really I do like that episode.
00:22:15
I loved kind of the whimsical nature of it but it's kind of
00:22:18
got this whimsical Ren Faire and then also this really dark kind
00:22:22
of stuff at the end.
00:22:25
John T Bolds: Oh, John has a right Jimmy is the wildcard
00:22:28
Yeah, seriously? I mean, I
00:22:30
Jim Moorhouse: will say this money in 19 on my list, this
00:22:33
Cameron: is much higher on my list. This is top 10 But I'm not
00:22:36
burning my last veto on it.
00:22:40
John T Bolds: Oh, yeah, I'm not gonna Oh, burnin. I
00:22:43
Cameron: got mine. Okay, all right.
00:22:45
Jesse: I think this tops out my top 10 list I do really love
00:22:49
this episode. It gave us a lot it gave us our first servant
00:22:52
Power Company baby battery sticker. Yeah. But I mean this
00:22:58
is gonna be a long night you guys especially if we burned all
00:23:02
our vetoes right away and the rest of it's gonna be so much
00:23:04
harder. So I am going to accept Jim's pick all right.
00:23:09
Jim Moorhouse: This is collaborative. Yes,
00:23:12
Cameron: for me left us for somebody cannot reach us one of
00:23:14
the two perfect episodes in the series so far. But it is a heavy
00:23:19
Episode Three watchability isn't quite as high as my other
00:23:22
perfect.
00:23:23
Jim Moorhouse: Which again, remember my prime directive? I
00:23:25
could only watch one for the rest of my life. Understandable.
00:23:28
Yeah, it's not gonna be worth suffering cannot reach or among
00:23:32
the Lotus Eaters. Yeah. Which both are really well made. Yeah,
00:23:36
we're both really
00:23:36
John T Bolds: well made that buddy jazz. Like I think these
00:23:39
heavier, darker ones are going to be harder to recommend this
00:23:42
time because those
00:23:43
Cameron: are both like two of the more classic kind of trick
00:23:46
TOS episodes to
00:23:48
Jim Moorhouse: absolutely love, which I love. Yeah. All right,
00:23:51
Jesse.
00:23:52
Cameron: Will you bring us in with 18
00:23:54
Jesse: I'm really hoping to be the first person with no
00:23:56
controversy surrounding. For me, for me number 18 is ghost of
00:24:03
Illyria and that was difficult for me because it does give us
00:24:08
whatever tweaks here freak from Ortegas it gives us some solid
00:24:12
backstory on Luna. It has Spock and pike cuddling on an alien
00:24:17
planet like there's a lot to love about this episode. But
00:24:20
when it comes to rewatching it just isn't high on my personal
00:24:25
rewatch list. You know, like I remember all of ghosts of
00:24:28
Illyria I you know so much that gets laid there gets used later
00:24:32
and I just it's not that I need to rewatch it end on end. So my
00:24:38
pick for 18 is ghosts of Illyria
00:24:42
Cameron: I'm fine with that.
00:24:43
John T Bolds: I can take that I can accept that.
00:24:46
Jim Moorhouse: I love ghosts malaria. Number 14 on my list. I
00:24:49
don't have a veto and I probably wouldn't have vetoed it anyways
00:24:52
but that's it's it's a it's a fun one. It just I love this is
00:24:57
such a big game changer for number one. Okay,
00:25:00
Unknown: Read. Yeah. Wow.
00:25:03
Cameron: Guys, we could do it.
00:25:03
Alright,
00:25:04
John T Bolds: let's get another call real quick. I'm gonna go
00:25:08
with pixie.
00:25:11
Tessa: This isn't Sophie's Choice people I know everyone is
00:25:13
going to act like this is the hardest decision of the week,
00:25:15
but we really have a clear cut top three episodes. Number one,
00:25:19
the best horror episode of modern TV playing homage to
00:25:22
classics like the thing and mixing practical and special
00:25:24
effects in a way that really showcases the artistry of both
00:25:27
of those who wonder number two, a fantastic comedy and
00:25:31
incredible microcosm of interpersonal relationships on
00:25:33
the ship and an all around blast that lets us look at characters
00:25:36
in a slightly different angle than other episodes do. Spock
00:25:39
amok. And finally, number three, an episode that makes my little
00:25:42
bio student heart sing giving us a look at some characters that
00:25:45
feels severely underrepresented in the show. Bringing us back to
00:25:48
some indoor dynamics and balancing tension with humor and
00:25:51
a delightful harmony. My only season to pick lost in
00:25:54
translation. This is pixie the artist formerly known as Tessa
00:25:57
and I am glad to be back pixie
00:26:00
Jim Moorhouse: fantastic list Glad to have you back and one of
00:26:03
my one of my deep cut favorites on that list. Nice is gonna
00:26:06
Jesse: hate your pics Cameron.
00:26:12
John T Bolds: Yeah, as soon as you said Spock amok and like,
00:26:14
Ooh, boy. Yeah.
00:26:16
Jim Moorhouse: Oh, yeah. Now,
00:26:18
Jesse: here's something that I really like about this list, you
00:26:21
know, outside of the list itself, which I do really like.
00:26:24
Most of the folks that I spoke with on the social medias were
00:26:29
hard pressed to pick Season One episodes at all, it seemed like
00:26:33
season two, there seems to be a consensus that season two, you
00:26:37
know, episode two episode was much stronger. And while I
00:26:41
understand that impulse, I don't know that I agree with it. So
00:26:44
I'm really glad to hear season one getting some love here.
00:26:48
Yeah,
00:26:48
Jim Moorhouse: I'm split right down the middle on. Three out of
00:26:52
my top five are season one and five out of 10 or season one.
00:26:57
Unknown: Okay. All right. So I'm split.
00:27:00
Jim Moorhouse: By the way, I like that picks the heavy four
00:27:03
and comedy right there. Yeah, that's really Yeah. Really good.
00:27:07
Cameron: All right. Well, it's coming back to me. Do I just
00:27:10
throw Spock Amok back on there?
00:27:10
I don't know. We've got two lovers of it. Maybe
00:27:15
Jim Moorhouse: the both of you are be true to yourself, man.
00:27:18
That's that's, that's important.
00:27:18
It's collaborative. But also be
00:27:21
John T Bolds: right, maybe okay,
00:27:23
Cameron: but I think what I'm going to pick Yeah, might be
00:27:25
controversial as well. I think my next one might be might be
00:27:28
met with some dissatisfaction. I don't know. Look, I love the
00:27:34
premise of this episode so much.
00:27:34
The idea is so good. And I just I feel like it didn't quite hit
00:27:39
what it wanted to do. For reasons I've talked on this
00:27:43
podcast. The season one finale, quality of mercy is what I'm
00:27:46
going to slot in here. Now. I got angry eyes from Jim. Why do
00:27:52
you what do you guys think?
00:27:56
Where do we fall on the quality of mercy?
00:27:57
Jim Moorhouse: Well, let me
00:28:00
Cameron: go ahead, Jim. Make it make a case. That's not locked
00:28:03
in yet. No.
00:28:04
Jim Moorhouse: My case is how familiar are you with bounce a
00:28:06
tear?
00:28:07
Cameron: I mean, I watched it right. But after watching
00:28:10
quality mercy, and then watch quality and mercy again, I think
00:28:13
Jim Moorhouse: Jessie and John, how familiar are you without
00:28:16
some tear out the same? I
00:28:17
John T Bolds: love tears, the
00:28:19
Cameron: better is to live with
00:28:20
Jim Moorhouse: 1000 Tara for like 60 years. And when this
00:28:22
thing Yeah, it's just such a great idea. It's, it's,
00:28:29
Cameron: it's really it's professionally I'd problem is
00:28:31
they, they present a different scenario and quality and mercy
00:28:35
than what happened, imbalance a tariff. So you can't say oh, it
00:28:38
should have been though. Like, we don't know that if pike had
00:28:41
been in the exact same position as Kirk and balanced the terror
00:28:45
that he would have made different choices. They gave him
00:28:47
a different scenario and quality and mercy. And that kind of
00:28:49
Mulder caught the entire premise.
00:28:52
Jesse: I was more leaning toward like, I love it. It's amazing. I
00:28:57
have no actual problems with it.
00:28:57
But do I think it kind of requires that knowledge of
00:29:03
balance of terror for you to love it as much as you possibly
00:29:06
could? I think it does. Whereas, like, just for example, those
00:29:10
old scientists you don't really need to know lower decks to have
00:29:14
a ton of fun with that episode.
00:29:18
I'm going to accept Cameron's pic here. I still have a quality
00:29:21
of Mercy higher than he does.
00:29:21
But this is within a range for me that I find acceptable.
00:29:26
John T Bolds: I'm with Jessie there the with that same exact
00:29:29
comparison Elise, the episode that those old scientists
00:29:32
strengthens is in the same season as those old scientists
00:29:36
not almost 60 years before those old scientists. So yeah, same
00:29:40
thing. It's kind of the marvel marvel itis where you got to do
00:29:44
a bunch of homework to understand everything you're
00:29:46
watching. It's not a bunch of homework, but it is homework.
00:29:49
And it's it's probably right about where I want to put this
00:29:53
episode.
00:29:54
Jesse: With apologies to both Jim and Matthew MacFadyen who we
00:29:57
Cameron: oh yeah, he was amazing. All right. Jim Well,
00:30:00
you get to pick another one of my favorites. Oh,
00:30:05
Jim Moorhouse: this one. This one's hard for me to pick here
00:30:07
but I'm gonna do it because I'm sticking to my ranks here
00:30:11
because I actually I enjoy this episode a lot but you know
00:30:14
there's a lot of episodes about it that I just liked better. So
00:30:17
that's that's the challenge of ranking right there. season one
00:30:21
episode seven five words and a hashtag, twisty brotherly reveal
00:30:26
of redacted hashtag instantly elevate Star Trek five. Speaking
00:30:31
of connections, this is the serene Squall and I love that
00:30:36
ending of the serene Squall. And I love Angel. And I love a lot
00:30:41
of the stuff happening in this episode. But it's my pick here
00:30:45
at number 16.
00:30:46
Cameron: Okay, I did not get a slot or to hire but I mean,
00:30:52
yeah, it's I love Angel. Love Captain angel. I enjoy the
00:30:54
reveal. I think there's a lot of fun stuff happening on the
00:30:57
planet with the cooking and the mutiny. But yeah, I mean, again,
00:31:04
it's just, it's a good episode.
00:31:04
amongst a lot of great episodes.
00:31:08
Jesse: That's, that's where I'm at. I'm comfortable with this
00:31:10
pick. I think I actually had it maybe one or two slots lower.
00:31:13
But I again, same thing. I don't hate this episode by a longshot.
00:31:18
A little bit of the tonal dissonance for me, I think
00:31:21
played into it because, yes, it's campy. And yes, I get that
00:31:26
and that's the DNA of Star Trek, but the shift is so massive in
00:31:30
this episode that it kind of messed with me for probably like
00:31:34
510 minutes where I was like, I thought we were doing this that
00:31:38
we're doing this okay. All right.
00:31:40
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah, that's that was my number one issue Jesse.
00:31:43
Yeah, total dissonance inside the same episode is a big
00:31:48
challenge.
00:31:48
John T Bolds: It is a big deal.
00:31:48
It's an it's a weird choice. And I kind of think that the ending
00:31:52
reveal that after you know, we've had a lot of time, but not
00:31:56
a lot of episodes since that reveal. But we have had years.
00:31:59
People only talk about the last shot of that episode these days.
00:32:03
They don't talk about the rest of the episode when you're
00:32:06
talking about it. So I think it's which is a shame because
00:32:09
there's some great stuff. Like again, it's an enjoyable
00:32:12
episode, but I think it's part of its crime. Maybe that's a
00:32:16
little forgettable and overshadowed by the last 10
00:32:18
seconds. So
00:32:22
Jim Moorhouse: well angels angels not forgiving
00:32:25
Cameron: as a character what excites me is not Ooh cybox Ooh
00:32:29
cevok is like a Natural Born Killers relationship with Angel
00:32:33
with this like starcrossed lovers and is using them or not.
00:32:37
And that's what excites me about bringing them back. Cool. Yeah,
00:32:40
Jesse: yeah. And there's a lot of I mean, let's be honest,
00:32:43
there are a lot of Spock needs to deal with both his halves in
00:32:48
strange new worlds. So like, you know, of those I think this I
00:32:51
think this is about property slavery.
00:32:53
Cameron: Yeah.
00:32:54
John T Bolds: Let's hear next from our friend plaidy
00:32:56
Platty: Hey, open Fight Night.
00:32:56
This is the peerless plaidy and the three first off before
00:32:59
giving you my top three, I'm just gonna set the crossover
00:33:01
Elysium kingdom and musical episodes aside, they're too
00:33:03
awesome to fairly compete here and I'm sure my fellow callers
00:33:06
will give them their due so my top three here no particular
00:33:09
order tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Still not a huge fan
00:33:12
of our new James T. Kirk so him getting killed was fun in this
00:33:15
but basically I was on board with everything in this episode.
00:33:17
I found it all just amazing.
00:33:20
From the fish out of water moments to connections to Khan
00:33:23
and enterprise with the temporal wars. It was all fun and it
00:33:26
began lons emotional journey in season two, which I simply
00:33:29
adored. Number two was Ad Astra per Aspera after rewatching most
00:33:33
of Berman trek this past year I've seen better from and I've
00:33:36
seen dramatic recently, they're fresh in my head, but this one
00:33:38
trumped them all. It's my favorite trek legal episode from
00:33:41
the amazing guest our attorneys to the commander in a backstory
00:33:44
and the themes of acceptance that are incredibly necessary
00:33:47
these days. All just cool stuff.
00:33:47
First episode I just had to immediately rewatch the second I
00:33:50
was done watching it and I guess it wouldn't be a strange new
00:33:52
worlds list. If I didn't mention an episode with a stranger world
00:33:54
lift us up where suffering cannot reach was an amazing
00:33:57
experience for me. Maybe it was because I caught it at 4am in
00:34:00
the desert on the Arizona border while waiting for the sun to
00:34:02
rise above a mesa we can't hear or maybe because after nearly a
00:34:05
quarter century of teaching elementary school I immediately
00:34:08
had plenty of battery candidates flashed through my mind and its
00:34:11
moral quandary was completely compelling. Not every episode of
00:34:16
Trek has to have all the answers I just enjoy the journeys where
00:34:19
they at least ask the hard questions all right I'm running
00:34:22
out of time so plenty of three out
00:34:25
John T Bolds: I love it when somebody's job defines a
00:34:29
horrific episode is hilarious
00:34:33
Jim Moorhouse: I love that plenty immediately came on to
00:34:36
the secret trek ranks thing where they cheated right right
00:34:39
away and list of five picks five picks off the bat which I love
00:34:43
because anytime you cheat and you get more Star Trek in that
00:34:46
we approve of that greatly. So yeah, five picks from plaidy
00:34:49
Jesse: There we go. And thank you plaidy for giving lift us
00:34:54
its proper place. Because you know because therefore So I'm
00:35:00
not going to agree with the official list all the way
00:35:02
through so I appreciate that deeply. And it sounds like you
00:35:06
had kind of a spiritual experience with that one which
00:35:08
is really really great.
00:35:09
John T Bolds: I remember him mentioning that when he called
00:35:11
for our episode when we discussed it. He was out there
00:35:14
camping and loving it and now he's great
00:35:17
Jesse: at spinning a narrative.
00:35:17
Oh, yeah.
00:35:18
Cameron: All right, number 15.
00:35:18
Jessie Okay,
00:35:23
Jesse: so I'm trying here, Jim.
00:35:23
Spock Amok is gonna slot in right here at 15 for me for most
00:35:30
of the reasons that I said earlier I love this episode. I
00:35:33
think it sets up charades to be arguably an old timer and I have
00:35:38
a ton of fun with it and I did I did on my personal list it's
00:35:43
actually slightly higher than this but I don't think I'm going
00:35:46
to escape this tear. If I don't slot Spock amok in at 15 Vito
00:35:51
Just kidding.
00:35:59
Jim Moorhouse: I veto your veto.
00:36:03
John T Bolds: You do still have that, Jim?
00:36:05
Cameron: I know. How do we feel guys? Yeah, I mean, I said my
00:36:08
piece. You got it. You got it.
00:36:08
What would you get? You got five spots hires Jim with your veto.
00:36:12
So I think I think he could feel happy about that. That's a
00:36:15
that's a well used veto.
00:36:18
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah, I'm still stewing about quality and mercy.
00:36:25
Jesse: Yes, well, that was Jim from
00:36:29
Cameron: not a good collaborative draft. And if
00:36:30
someone leaves in a huff
00:36:33
John T Bolds: I can I can accept Spock amok? That 15 I think, I
00:36:38
mean, I think it could fit in, in a lot of places. I don't know
00:36:42
that it could be number one, but I think it could fit in almost
00:36:45
anywhere on this list and 15 works.
00:36:48
Jesse: And as Jim says, it's 15 today. Exactly. That's
00:36:51
John T Bolds: right. Exactly.
00:36:51
That's right. All right, John, you your first pick. All right,
00:36:54
and actually, it's a great way to say it, Jesse because I do
00:36:57
think this one is for me. Number 14. Today. I'm gonna have to
00:37:02
pick hegemony. Huh, I mean, yeah, it's a solid episode. It's
00:37:08
a fun episode. It's but it is it right right now, it's not a full
00:37:12
episode. It's not a full story.
00:37:16
And if I had one episode to watch, I'm not going to you know
00:37:22
that Gemini is not going to be anywhere near the top 10 of
00:37:24
those are the top five this is gonna make you mad. Pretty much
00:37:27
so yeah, I'm going to be a little I'm gonna little angrily
00:37:31
pick hegemony from my number 14.
00:37:35
Jesse: I have this basically proximate to where you've got
00:37:38
it. I have it at number 10 I think for me, it's because it
00:37:42
does carry a lot of special memories. Like this was the
00:37:46
first episode I think that all three of us watched in the same
00:37:49
room together. And that was that was a big deal for me. And I
00:37:54
think I could see on all three of our faces the realization
00:37:57
that this was gonna get split.
00:37:57
And that was huge for me. And we're going to end up waiting
00:38:02
longer for this than anybody has ever waited for a Star Trek
00:38:04
cliffhanger resolution so that makes it special to me. But I
00:38:07
can't disagree with you like if I need some quick trek to pick
00:38:10
me up. It can't be this because I'm just going to be mad that
00:38:13
I'm still waiting. Yeah,
00:38:16
Cameron: that's fair. This is much higher on my list. It was
00:38:19
in my I can't choose five so top six tear. However part of that
00:38:25
might be to what Jesse said like the memories of watching it all
00:38:28
with you guys. I mean, I remember like it just being over
00:38:30
and me being like the fucking nailed it. Good for them. Yeah,
00:38:34
so that's why it's so high up but I think John you're right,
00:38:37
it is half an episode and for that reason, I will allow it to
00:38:41
be as low as number 14
00:38:43
Jim Moorhouse: All right, camera my trek brother. See it's number
00:38:47
seven on track rank. Oh, by the way, it's all it can only go up
00:38:51
from here because you know when it comes back, and that's right,
00:38:55
exactly. Episode One. It's only going to be linked to it and get
00:38:59
stronger. So yeah, awesome episode. But your reasoning John
00:39:02
makes perfect sense.
00:39:03
Jesse: I think this is to this day, still the only episode I've
00:39:06
seen Cameron, watch and then say no notes. Yeah,
00:39:09
Cameron: I came up with some notes later, but at the moment.
00:39:13
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah. It's awesome. All right. So
00:39:16
Cameron: let's get back to me and I know I'm gonna make some
00:39:19
waves with this one. I'm sorry.
00:39:19
I don't know if you guys but from our callers, I can already
00:39:23
tell that we will. Um, again, there's a lot to love. But
00:39:27
tomorrow, and tomorrow. Oh, Maura. Wow. That's just a little
00:39:31
too clunky. For me. There are moments that are exquisite. But
00:39:36
overall, again, I think a lot of the comedy didn't quite hit. I
00:39:40
wasn't. I've come around on our Kirk since then. And this
00:39:45
episode helped me learn to like him more. But this is my 13th
00:39:49
for whatever reasons. It's the last one in my bottom bucket.
00:39:53
What do you guys say?
00:39:57
Jim Moorhouse: I've been waiting here for 30 years to be on
00:40:00
Monday night
00:40:06
Unknown: this is you
00:40:08
Jesse: guys this is shaping up to be a super contentious top
00:40:11
10. Like, what? What else gonna throw that out there? What's,
00:40:16
um, I don't know, which I'm not opposed to. I think it's gonna
00:40:19
make it really fun. I Oh, this is difficult. So I have this
00:40:24
within five picks of where you've got it, Karen, I do have
00:40:28
it higher than you do. But I like I think I get it. Right
00:40:35
Like, I love this episode because it feels like the
00:40:38
Voyager episode features and it gives us our best look yet at
00:40:43
law on we get a lot of canon tie ins with DTI, things like that.
00:40:48
I think this episode solidified law on as a way better than
00:40:53
anybody thought she was going to be when the series started,
00:40:56
especially when they announced Oh, yeah, there's a Noonien
00:40:58
Singh on this crew. Everybody was like, why? Yeah. And the
00:41:01
answer is this episode, because we got this actor who can put
00:41:05
this much of behind a performance and really make you
00:41:08
care about this character that you know, is not going to end up
00:41:11
in tos. So I get it when people put this really high on their
00:41:17
list, but at the same time, I don't know that I can super
00:41:20
disagree with your camera. And I know that strange new worlds
00:41:24
does a lot of past dishes and like the whole rom com staying
00:41:27
in the hotel room with like the fluttery sheets and slow motion.
00:41:30
It just kind of didn't do it.
00:41:30
For me. I think
00:41:33
Cameron: going back to quality and mercy. I tend to be harder
00:41:36
on episodes that I'm like, I can see what you're going for. And
00:41:39
you didn't quite get there like like episodes, I feel have more
00:41:42
promise than execution than episodes that I'm just like, Oh,
00:41:45
that was all right. And you know, for better or worse, you
00:41:48
can disagree with me. But like for me, that's always that that
00:41:51
does drop things down. For me. I think that's where I'm coming
00:41:53
at. Because I see an amazing episode with this. And they got
00:41:58
part of the way there. Yeah,
00:42:00
John T Bolds: it's a streaming show. Show them hooking up come
00:42:02
on everybody what they want.
00:42:07
Cameron: Red Shoe diary diaries.
00:42:10
Jesse: All I know of that is that I was not allowed to rent
00:42:12
those off of the shelf at Blockbuster, which used to be a
00:42:15
physical store that rented movies out for younger
00:42:17
listeners. Do I Do we have any vetoes here? Do we have any
00:42:23
disagreement? I
00:42:23
John T Bolds: can accept this.
00:42:25
Jim Moorhouse: All right, our I love tomorrow and tomorrow
00:42:27
tomorrow, but it's number nine on my list. So it's only four.
00:42:29
Yeah,
00:42:30
John T Bolds: you're close enough to my range that I can't
00:42:33
I can't be mad about 13.
00:42:35
Cameron: You got your five words and hashtag. Yeah,
00:42:37
Jim Moorhouse: you know what I love about this episode, I said
00:42:39
it about a couple others five words in the hashtag this
00:42:42
episode keeps paying off hash tag we combined with full
00:42:45
season. It's amazing how much the rest of the season connects
00:42:50
back to this episode. That's true with long story and Kirk
00:42:54
and all his I think I think the current narrative throughout the
00:42:58
seasons amazing, which I'll talk about at some point with one of
00:43:01
these pigs. All right.
00:43:02
John T Bolds: All right. All right. Well, let's hear from
00:43:03
another one of our callers. Here is Peter with his rankings.
00:43:07
Peter: i It's Peter here on my top three episodes of strange
00:43:11
new worlds. And number three is subspace Rhapsody. This was an
00:43:16
experimental story, which was an excellent musical episode. We
00:43:20
had lots of singing, dancing, and the story also moved several
00:43:24
character arcs along. When I play one specific song from its
00:43:28
soundtrack. More often than not, I end up listening to the entire
00:43:31
album. And number two is those old scientist. While Trek has
00:43:37
had characters crossing over to other trek shows, this crossover
00:43:41
episode with lower decks was on a whole other level. Jack Quaid
00:43:45
gave a slightly more serious interpretation of Beutler here
00:43:49
and like subspace Rhapsody. The story also moved some of this
00:43:54
character arcs along such as pike Spock and chapels. Finally,
00:44:00
number one is a quality of mercy. This alternative future
00:44:04
episode connects with TOS his balance of terror and provides a
00:44:08
riveting What if story, which has Admiral pipe trying to
00:44:12
correct what went wrong. Spock realizing that hikes actions
00:44:16
helped him in some way also explained Spock's action from
00:44:21
TOS is the menagerie. Yeah, I look forward to hearing
00:44:25
everyone's list of favorite episodes. Live long and prosper.
00:44:30
Jim Moorhouse: My boy Peter, three time guests on track
00:44:33
right? Through with the quality of mercy, right. That's right.
00:44:36
Yeah.
00:44:38
Jesse: Peter knows his stuff.
00:44:38
And I gotta say, Peter, you're number one on my list for saying
00:44:41
a whole other instead of a whole nother, thank you so much for
00:44:45
that.
00:44:50
Cameron: Fair. All right. Well, Jim, you've got number 12.
00:44:54
Jim Moorhouse: Well, this, you guys you among malodorous
00:44:57
theater lovers got a reprieve because I forgot I had to pick
00:45:00
it up. I wasn't gonna say anything. So here we go. It's
00:45:04
gonna be number 12 season two episode four I'm not doing my
00:45:07
five words again. So it's a manga Lotus Eaters at number 12
00:45:12
Jesse: That actually lines up exactly with my number 12 So I
00:45:15
am good with this pic.
00:45:16
Cameron: I really want to see it higher up. I think it's the
00:45:20
second I think Perfect episode of the series. There's not a bad
00:45:23
beat in it. We get the whole Ortegas it's the most Vegas we
00:45:27
get that you get all the fun stuff down on the planet pike
00:45:31
like dealing with you know his nature over who he wants to be.
00:45:36
Who he sees himself as who he is like we see what he is when you
00:45:39
strip away the Starfleet ideals.
00:45:39
I think it's a classic feeling episode that still highlights
00:45:44
character while managing to get in those big ideas. But I do
00:45:49
want to save my veto for maybe some other episodes higher up so
00:45:54
I will leave why is that it pains me among the Lotus Eaters
00:45:59
at number 12
00:46:05
Jim Moorhouse: Well you have one detail left
00:46:07
John T Bolds: I have one veto left John C Are you out? No I'm
00:46:11
not gonna monka No
00:46:14
Cameron: Please I
00:46:15
John T Bolds: was with Jim the first time
00:46:18
Cameron: I know this is my hot take in the group but I also
00:46:21
know how some callers who are going to give it some justice i
00:46:25
i liked
00:46:25
Jesse: this episode but yeah I and I'm gonna just you know flat
00:46:29
out disagree with you cam This is a huge chunk of Ortegas but I
00:46:34
don't think it's the most tickets we get so I'm I'm
00:46:37
comfortable putting among a load of cedars number 12
00:46:41
Cameron: Sir audio doesn't count that's their audio.
00:46:44
Jesse: Yeah, you and I disagree on that episode.
00:46:49
Cameron: Glad I saved that veto.
00:46:49
All right, well, I'm gonna slot it in if there are no
00:46:54
objections, objections where it goes now. All right, on this
00:46:56
highly incorrect list.
00:47:01
John T Bolds: Now this is the official list for sending to
00:47:02
Paramount they said we choose and they they listed that way.
00:47:05
Cameron: So now right well, now I'm worried going into Jesse's
00:47:08
pick where you got for 11 The final Okay, bottom 10
00:47:12
Jesse: I I really struggled here you guys. For the reasons
00:47:17
Cameron just mentioned. I you know me, you know, I love all
00:47:22
these episodes, it's hard for me to pick a slot for any of them.
00:47:25
I especially loved our time with Kay Handley and Tom Pollachi. I
00:47:30
love Bill Wolkoff. I love subspace Rhapsody I really,
00:47:33
really do. And it has a lot of meaningful character moments and
00:47:38
plot progression in it. But it is a ton of fun. And I it's
00:47:45
either in the top 10 For me, or it's just outside the top 10 And
00:47:49
because of the way these picks are going to be structured I am
00:47:52
going to attempt to slot subspace Rhapsody right here at
00:47:55
number allow
00:47:58
John T Bolds: I don't want to figure that would be in your top
00:47:59
00:48:00
Jesse: It's very close to my top 10 Yeah, I
00:48:04
Cameron: mean I have it in my next tear up but it's not far
00:48:07
off. i There's so much to love about it. Is that amazing that
00:48:10
it works as well as it does. But I've talked about how like the
00:48:13
third acts kind of aren't we all great working together doesn't
00:48:18
pay off as well as it should because we don't see the cast
00:48:21
really in disarray before that.
00:48:21
And I feel like it focuses on character arcs. I personally
00:48:24
wasn't as invested in the series. So yeah, I'm it's a
00:48:28
little lower than I put it but I'm okay with it here.
00:48:34
Unknown: I can see a lot of wheels turning on the screen
00:48:36
listening.
00:48:38
Jim Moorhouse: Remaining.
00:48:38
Listen, there's just one outlier that there's only one outlier.
00:48:42
That'd be like, Wow, I can't believe that one's gonna finish
00:48:45
outside of subspace Rhapsody.
00:48:50
John T Bolds: I'm not gonna say
00:48:52
Cameron: okay, well, John's got a veto.
00:48:54
John T Bolds: Oh, no, no, this is literally exactly where I
00:48:57
have SubSys rapsi on my pick.
00:48:57
Oh, two. So
00:49:01
Cameron: yeah, all right. Well, we did it guys. We got the
00:49:03
bottom 10 Who knows the
00:49:05
Jim Moorhouse: second 10 km.
00:49:07
Cameron: Secondary. You're right. You're right. Thank you.
00:49:10
Jim Moorhouse: This is the best, man great episodes because it's
00:49:13
a top
00:49:13
Cameron: 20 episodes. That's right.
00:49:15
Unknown: Right.
00:49:16
John T Bolds: All right. Well, for number 10 It's harder as
00:49:21
hard now here I'm going back it does get harder. And is a
00:49:27
beautiful episode. But I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to give
00:49:33
it to all those who wander. I like it. I think it's I think
00:49:40
it's fun to see actual monster horror on Star Trek. But I think
00:49:47
I think you know, people immediately said oh reminds me
00:49:49
of this and this, this, this and this. That's not going to change
00:49:52
that's never going to change.
00:49:52
It's just going to remind people those same things more and more.
00:49:54
Yeah, I gotta go with all those who wander
00:49:59
Cameron: off That's about where I had it. Yeah. I agree. It's
00:50:03
got some of the best moments. I mean, jeez, what? Who's Who's
00:50:08
the guest alien? And that one that says no, no, he was great.
00:50:12
His death was phenomenal. But I agree there's, it maybe takes a
00:50:17
step or to past homage at times.
00:50:20
Jesse: I'll go the opposite direction and say with how new
00:50:23
this show is, I bet there were people watching this who have
00:50:26
not seen alien, and we're like, why do you gotta do that to me,
00:50:29
Cameron: Jesse? Well, that's what people are not that old.
00:50:34
Jesse: So they probably heard all that and went oh, well, I'm
00:50:36
gonna go check out aliens. So I think that's a point for this
00:50:39
episode rather than against it.
00:50:39
I you know, I miss hemmer with all my heart. And I love that he
00:50:45
got to be the guy that Spock rips off in Wrath of Khan, but I
00:50:48
think I'm going to allow this to sit at number 10 for me. All
00:50:53
right.
00:50:56
Jim Moorhouse: Number 10 On track right. Oh, hey,
00:50:59
Cameron: look at that. Oh, we're finally starting to sync up.
00:51:04
John T Bolds: All right, let's hear from our buddy tribe. We
00:51:07
haven't heard from him in a little while.
00:51:09
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah. Hey, it's
00:51:10
Trev: Trev beaming in from failure to franchise the podcast
00:51:12
devoted to failed movie franchises. Top three episodes.
00:51:16
I'm gonna go with those old scientists is number one and
00:51:18
subspace Rhapsody is number two.
00:51:18
Well, it's kind of something you can throw on and revisit
00:51:21
whenever you just need a quick blast of joy in your life. Those
00:51:24
old scientists merging these two awesome shows that the new trek
00:51:27
era getting to see our lower decks characters in live action.
00:51:30
Great jokes, really fun performances. Yeah, I think it's
00:51:33
just an episode I will definitely revisit. And
00:51:35
similarly subspace Rhapsody I don't know that anyone expected
00:51:39
trek to try and ever pull off a musical really good songs. You
00:51:41
know, I've listened to the soundtrack multiple times. And
00:51:43
today, and I think again, I'll we're time I'll keep coming back
00:51:46
to this one. So for number three, I wanted to give season
00:51:49
one some love. And I also wanted to have a little bit of a more
00:51:51
serious episode and mix. So I will actually go with all those
00:51:54
who wander. You know, I'm a big horror night in addition to
00:51:56
being a Trek fan. So it's really cool to see trek play with a lot
00:52:00
of the you know, kind of typical horror tropes. Yeah, it was
00:52:03
maybe a little cliched. Maybe they're just playing in some of
00:52:06
the horror movies we've seen in the past, but they did really,
00:52:08
really well. And more importantly, hammers death at
00:52:10
the end was just so striking and so surprising in the moment. You
00:52:13
know, it was the I think that was the moment where I realized
00:52:16
this wasn't just going to be the predictable kind of play it safe
00:52:18
trek prequel. This could have been, and instead made me sit up
00:52:21
in my chair and realize this show is something special. So
00:52:23
yeah, that's my top three.
00:52:27
Really looking forward to hearing what everyone else has
00:52:28
to say seeing what the final rankings come down to. But yeah,
00:52:32
at the end of the day, hasn't been a bad episode yet.
00:52:34
Hopefully, then keep that streak going. Alright, thanks, guys.
00:52:36
I'll talk again soon word agree
00:52:39
Jesse: with Trev there has not been a bad episode. Yeah. And I
00:52:43
that's what's making this so hard for.
00:52:46
Cameron: Yeah, so let's see. I'm looking I've got a I've got some
00:52:48
episodes on my third tier that again, not bad episodes, but I
00:52:52
cannot have higher than other episodes coming up. So I think
00:52:57
for number nine, I'm gonna play strange new worlds. Look, I get
00:53:04
it is the episode that introduced us all to this new
00:53:06
fabulous show. There's a lot of great stuff in it. I love I love
00:53:10
whenever Starfleet gets to be the alien in the sky, the UFO.
00:53:15
Great stuff. But yeah, I think the show just got stronger from
00:53:19
there. You know? Like I think Jesse said they had a lot to do
00:53:23
had to introduce us to these characters this world. It's it's
00:53:26
a great foundation for more episodes to build off of. Yeah,
00:53:30
I
00:53:31
Jesse: I actually have this fairly lower on my list. But
00:53:35
again, the draft constraints and with how much I did really enjoy
00:53:39
this. And I think you've got to give it its due when it comes to
00:53:44
introducing a new Star Trek series. So I am I'm happy with
00:53:47
strange new worlds at number nine. Yep.
00:53:50
John T Bolds: I also again, this is exactly why I had strange
00:53:54
worlds on my legs to like, I can't drop a pillow top 10
00:53:57
Again, because you said Damn. It introduced us. It made us you
00:54:00
know, it may not have been a pilot like we talked about when
00:54:04
we first talked about this episode, but as a premier as an
00:54:07
introduction. It's like man, it sucks you right in. You're right
00:54:10
into this world. And there you go. Thank you like you do have
00:54:14
to give it its due for what it did for the show. A whole
00:54:17
Unknown: lot of fun. Yeah.
00:54:19
Jesse: All right, so slotting that one in all right,
00:54:21
Cameron: Jim. Number eight, the OCE
00:54:24
Jim Moorhouse: speaking of a whole lot of fun. Okay, at
00:54:28
number eight. I love this episode. Five words and a
00:54:32
hashtag get TOS DNA guides nostalgic classic hashtag abra
00:54:39
cadabra. Oh, and it is the Elysian kingdom. season one,
00:54:45
episode eight. All right, an awesome episode. And listen,
00:54:50
we're splitting hairs at this point you're talking about top
00:54:52
eight up so these are all awesome episodes.
00:54:54
John T Bolds: Yeah,
00:54:55
Jesse: I still think there might be a veto coming. Let's find
00:54:57
out.
00:54:58
Jim Moorhouse: I mean, you gotta burn your beat. was a sample
00:55:00
like
00:55:00
Cameron: this that I'm burning this veto faster than nuclear
00:55:03
fire when you're leasing Kingdom at number 800%
00:55:09
Unknown: Wow All right. All right. So
00:55:11
Cameron: my vetoes are gone but I'm glad with what I had to play
00:55:15
them for. I feel good about it.
00:55:15
Okay,
00:55:18
Jim Moorhouse: well, let's see if I can go for two for vetoes
00:55:21
here. Here's a two for veto.
00:55:21
We're gonna get a two in a row on veto that's my prediction.
00:55:24
season two episode two genius addition to courtroom pantheon.
00:55:29
Hashtag asylum. It's an Astra per Aspera is my number eight
00:55:34
choice now that's about a Yeah, I love this episode, but man, I
00:55:38
got about seven episodes ahead of it, guys.
00:55:44
Cameron: I'm feeling so good for swapping leasing kingdom for
00:55:46
that Ad Astra Aspera right now I'm feeling good. I feel like
00:55:50
I'm winning this draft right now. Like,
00:55:52
John T Bolds: I'll just say right now I'm not doing this. I
00:55:55
do think it's a great episode. I think it's a beautiful episode.
00:55:57
I think it gets made better by another episode. So that means
00:56:01
the episode isn't quite there like I I think it will stand the
00:56:06
test of time though. I do think like all the ones that are left
00:56:10
I think will stand the test of time, even some that people
00:56:13
would be surprised at So eight, eight works. Jessie's
00:56:17
Cameron: stroking his beard with one veto in his lap.
00:56:21
Jesse: And that's because there's an episode that hasn't
00:56:24
been ranked yet that I'm like, This is not a top eight episode.
00:56:28
I think we just haven't gotten to it for a number of reasons.
00:56:31
But to me, it's squarely outside the top eight. But I don't know
00:56:36
if Jim would end up putting it here if I veto this. And would I
00:56:41
be happy with the top seven overall?
00:56:46
Jim Moorhouse: You don't want to know my next one. Well, now I
00:56:51
kind of do. Do
00:56:54
John T Bolds: there's one episode I'm amazed as still in
00:56:56
the running, but I
00:56:58
Jesse: legitimately think we just mostly forgot about it,
00:57:00
John. I really do. I haven't.
00:57:00
Okay, any
00:57:05
Jim Moorhouse: of these? I got it all mapped out.
00:57:09
John T Bolds: Do I'm gonna do it? But
00:57:12
Jesse: if I do then that makes that other episode higher and I
00:57:14
don't think that other episode is higher. I mean, it gets it
00:57:18
would be higher either way.
00:57:20
Cameron: Either way. Well, unless he picks it all right,
00:57:22
and you haven't picked it? How come you haven't
00:57:23
Jim Moorhouse: picked that other episode? Because
00:57:26
Unknown: I forgot and I got worried.
00:57:30
Jim Moorhouse: Collaborative.
00:57:32
Jesse: I'm gonna put a I'm gonna put an editor's note at the end
00:57:34
of this ranking. Okay, so I'm going to veto that pick mostly
00:57:39
because I think at Astra is a top three. All right, maybe top
00:57:44
five of all of strange new worlds.
00:57:47
Jim Moorhouse: I think I'm about to get the triple detail. I know
00:57:50
Wait, who has a veto? I do. Just the only person that okay. Yeah,
00:57:55
this could happen here we go.
00:57:55
Tie words and a hashtag genius comedy partner to a mock hashtag
00:58:00
impossible to not be ranked any higher. It is season two episode
00:58:05
five charades?
00:58:09
John T Bolds: I fully accept that pic? Absolutely. Okay.
00:58:12
Jesse: I'm okay. No
00:58:13
Jim Moorhouse: problem. Right.
00:58:14
Cameron: I have it in the five to 10 range for sure. Yep.
00:58:17
Jesse: I like it as a top 10.
00:58:17
I'm still just devastated that I yeah, we'll get into it.
00:58:25
All right. It's time for
00:58:27
Cameron: a call or another.
00:58:27
Yeah,
00:58:28
John T Bolds: let's do let's hear is Abby. Hey,
00:58:31
Abby from First Flight: open pike. This is Abby summer from
00:58:33
the first flight podcast talking fast because this is a lot to
00:58:35
get into 90 seconds. And I have to say I make a huge caveat
00:58:39
between my favorite episodes and the best episodes, they're not
00:58:43
necessarily the same. So and these change every single day.
00:58:46
So I wanted a humor episode in my top three and I had to go
00:58:49
between Spock amok and charades no surprise, Vulcan aesthetic
00:58:54
for me. And it falls down to spec them up because it's just
00:58:57
so quotable. And I can put that on and just fall into it and
00:59:01
absolutely adore every part of it. So for my comfort episode,
00:59:05
this was really hard. It was between those old scientists and
00:59:09
subspace Rhapsody partly because I watched both of them
00:59:11
repeatedly with my daughter's and again, quote and love those
00:59:15
but I can rock out to subspace Rhapsody in my car super loud.
00:59:19
So that's why it's on my top three. And a trek for all time.
00:59:24
There's so many equality of Mercy under the cloak of war
00:59:28
tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. But I landed with Ad
00:59:31
Astra per Aspera because I wear that on a t shirt all the time,
00:59:34
you know, to the stars through hardship, what else could be
00:59:37
more trick and that's a lesson we need all the time and so is
00:59:41
that episode, and powerful women and amazing costumes including
00:59:45
those dress uniform, so it had to come out on top for me. So I
00:59:48
know I'm pushing time but for today, my top three are going to
00:59:52
be Spock Amok subspace Rhapsody and Ad Astra per Aspera this was
00:59:57
hard hope your brains don't explode. Talk So,
01:00:01
Jim Moorhouse: my good friend Abby come in through time guest
01:00:05
hosts on trade.
01:00:10
We love her.
01:00:12
Jesse: We gotta get out of here.
01:00:14
Jim Moorhouse: I just saved her.
01:00:14
She's gonna keep listening to your show, because
01:00:19
Cameron: you're last,
01:00:21
Jim Moorhouse: but not number 20
01:00:23
Cameron: All right, well, Jesse, I think we know what you're
01:00:27
going to choose now.
01:00:28
Jesse: I I'm I feel like I've been railroaded into this pick.
01:00:35
Cameron: One. So Jesse, it's a really good episode.
01:00:38
Jesse: It's a it's a good episode I had. I think that this
01:00:43
episode that I'm going to slot in here at number seven, only
01:00:47
suffers because of where it was placed in the season. Yep.
01:00:51
Following up an episode like charades. And being right before
01:00:55
an episode, like those old scientists is a really tough
01:00:58
spot to be on. I mean, sometimes it's hard act to follow. And I
01:01:03
think that definitely colors my feelings on Lost in Translation.
01:01:07
And I think I have to slot it in here because it is not a top
01:01:11
five. For me. It is not a top three. For me. I think I
01:01:14
actually have it fairly low. I want to say it's 18 or 19 on my
01:01:18
list. And again, it's not because I don't like it. It's
01:01:22
just that there are so many other episodes that if I'm going
01:01:26
to sit down and rewatch a single episode would come before this.
01:01:30
But I am running out of space you guys so I'm gonna put lost
01:01:33
in translation at number seven.
01:01:36
Unknown: Yeah. Yeah, I'm
01:01:37
Jim Moorhouse: so glad you forgot about this. So this is
01:01:40
number five on my episode rules and is the absolute The
01:01:48
Forgotten gem of the first two seasons? It is?
01:01:52
John T Bolds: Yeah, I can't argue that it is the Forgotten
01:01:54
gem. It is a beautiful episode, but it is forgotten because it's
01:01:58
surrounded by so many brighter gems. Not better, just brighter,
01:02:02
just so many more memorable moments. But also, it's not a
01:02:08
totally original or newer, shocking story. It's not it's a
01:02:12
story we've seen before. It's it's a you know, ultimately, the
01:02:17
plot is like, oh, yeah, like I definitely know this story. I
01:02:21
know what's going to happen halfway through. But man, is it
01:02:25
a beautiful episode and fun to see zombie ember? Like and and I
01:02:30
really I know, it's really controversial, especially with
01:02:33
Cam I like the Kirk Spock who her a shot of the end I small
01:02:39
enough to be to fit but yeah, it's fine.
01:02:43
Cameron: I was gonna say I'll do them that shot though. I don't
01:02:46
know why Kirk's in this episode.
01:02:46
He doesn't need to be in this episode. Other than getting
01:02:48
current on
01:02:51
Jim Moorhouse: stuff connects so but well, it's
01:02:53
Cameron: not about that tomorrow. I like Kirk and
01:02:55
subspace Rhapsody better than I like him here. But
01:02:58
Jim Moorhouse: the line would agree with threads through this
01:03:01
whole season. This is part of it. It connects all the way
01:03:03
through and then you get subspace Rhapsody This is that's
01:03:06
all part of the this incredible woven thread they do in the show
01:03:10
so well. This is key to that.
01:03:10
And this is the episode where Kirk is just
01:03:14
Unknown: This is Kirk.
01:03:16
John T Bolds: You're right This is Kirk. This is the first real
01:03:20
Yeah, it's the first real Kirk episode of strange new rights
01:03:23
like absolutely yeah, it's the first non alternate so
01:03:27
Jesse: and I don't mean to take anything away from Selia good
01:03:30
things performance because like the scenes where whoever is in
01:03:34
the hallway and start seeing things like it is incredibly
01:03:38
well acted it's all very good.
01:03:38
We get some great stuff between una and pelea I do really like
01:03:41
the episode I don't want it to come across that I don't because
01:03:46
I do but you know that having been said I love all these
01:03:49
episodes like I said at the start and that's what is making
01:03:51
this so difficult
01:03:53
Jim Moorhouse: in the famous words of Kingdom. I love that
01:03:56
this came in at number seven and now I feel like I'm winning
01:04:01
Cameron: all right, John. Well you got the last pick before we
01:04:03
get to our top five. I
01:04:05
John T Bolds: do and I love this episode. I love it more than I
01:04:10
did the first time I watched it I think it's wonderful and I
01:04:15
think it tells a great story and I think it has a great sense of
01:04:18
tension but I have to put under the cloak of ward number six I
01:04:24
Jim Moorhouse: Where's the perfect spot
01:04:26
Cameron: where's my veto
01:04:26
Jesse: you forced me into my veto
01:04:30
Cameron: no yours There's another a title I was waiting
01:04:33
for you to say John Yeah really?
01:04:33
under the cloak of war here
01:04:36
John T Bolds: Yeah, I It's a great episode but I don't know
01:04:39
that it's these top five you know
01:04:41
Cameron: that we haven't played children in the comment yet.
01:04:42
Right? Yeah,
01:04:44
John T Bolds: I think children are the comment is a better
01:04:46
episode than under the cloak of war. Again looking at it the way
01:04:50
I ranked it in 10 years. What would I recommend to somebody
01:04:54
you didn't bet your ass shoulder the comment is higher than under
01:04:56
the cloak.
01:04:57
Cameron: I get under the with that with that qualifiers. Yes.
01:05:00
Step
01:05:00
Jesse: still disagree. This is a top three episode of strange new
01:05:04
worlds, but I have no power with which to constraint. You want
01:05:08
Cameron: to veto yourself, John, we can convince him to veto
01:05:10
himself Jesse, let's do this.
01:05:12
John T Bolds: Wait. Oh, so you can so Jim has to veto my veto.
01:05:18
But he doesn't have to, but that's his only chance to Okay.
01:05:21
Yeah, right. Interesting.
01:05:23
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah, I'm watching you like a hawk. John
01:05:26
T. bolds.
01:05:28
Cameron: Yeah, honestly, under the clinical it's not far from
01:05:31
my my ranking. I probably have it in the four to six slots. So
01:05:38
it's, I just, I like children with the comment, but I don't
01:05:42
know if it's top five.
01:05:44
Jim Moorhouse: But it was no, it isn't. For me,
01:05:48
Jesse: it was,
01:05:49
Unknown: it was Tom Tran. For me, it
01:05:51
Jesse: was having Tom Tran on an actual combat vet to talk about
01:05:55
how well he thinks they nailed this episode. We spoke with
01:05:58
Davey Perez about some of the things that he mixed into the
01:06:01
DNA of this episode like the Star Trek six. i This is one of
01:06:06
my favorite episodes of Star Trek ever. So yes, I cannot do
01:06:10
anything about this placement but just know that I am entering
01:06:13
under the cloak of war at number six under heavy
01:06:17
Jim Moorhouse: I mean six is pretty great. Yeah, that's high.
01:06:19
Sorry. Yeah.
01:06:20
John T Bolds: My final argument against this being any higher is
01:06:23
it does require other episodes to be as good as it it requires
01:06:28
the knowledge I mean, it requires a requires the broken
01:06:32
circle to be as good as it is.
01:06:34
Unknown: I don't
01:06:36
Cameron: think it does. I don't think it does. I don't have any
01:06:38
power here. The world building is so good. I
01:06:41
Jim Moorhouse: think that's a good thing. John's saying so I'm
01:06:43
agree with Jim. But I think it's a good thing.
01:06:47
Cameron: Okay, well I tipped my hand at my number five I think I
01:06:51
do love children the comment it reminds me of like a live action
01:06:55
mist and that's awesome. But not much of it really stands out and
01:07:02
and my beloved Sam Kirk is a her as mentor is just dashed to
01:07:08
pieces after this episode. So yeah, that's true. Children
01:07:11
Jim Moorhouse: in the comment the only time he's gonna be
01:07:12
dashed a piece
01:07:18
Cameron: Yeah, 60 years too soon. Yeah. Children common
01:07:23
number five, John.
01:07:24
John T Bolds: Yeah. Yeah,
01:07:25
Jim Moorhouse: you gotta veto.
01:07:25
Yep. No, I know.
01:07:28
John T Bolds: I know. I do.
01:07:28
Three more choices to analysis after this. I know. And I have a
01:07:31
passion to choice. Yeah. All right,
01:07:34
Jim Moorhouse: number eight on my list. And I think it's
01:07:36
another underrated classic that people overlook. So the fact
01:07:39
that it's in the top five, I'm thrilled.
01:07:41
Jesse: Okay, all right. Agreed.
01:07:41
It's in my it's in my top seven.
01:07:45
And I love this episode. One strength I think it has is you
01:07:48
could show it to somebody who is not a Star Trek fan, and they
01:07:51
would
01:07:51
John T Bolds: completely love structure. But it is a pickup
01:07:55
standalone, great example of strange new worlds. And that's
01:07:59
why it's definitely so hi for me. Let's hear from our good
01:08:02
friend, Mark,
01:08:03
Engineer Mark: engineer mark here and what a difficult
01:08:06
question as all 20 episodes are really, really great. Pictures
01:08:09
three. Well, here goes. Number three. Among the Lotus Eaters,
01:08:14
we get to see who they are when they even they don't know who
01:08:18
they are, with a far more importantly, Morty egos. This is
01:08:22
the episode we were all asking for. She is Erica Ortegas and
01:08:26
she flies the ship all by herself. She figures it out
01:08:29
finds a way to hold on to her identity and saves the ship and
01:08:32
everyone on it. No matter what happens on the planet without
01:08:36
the ship and crew. They be just stuck like pikes loss crew
01:08:40
person number two, and I was a kid the first thing I hung on my
01:08:44
wall wasn't a rock poster or some pinup it was a Larry Elmore
01:08:48
artwork so have to include lesion kingdom for their truly
01:08:51
fancy font it brings to this crew and a story ending that is
01:08:54
a little sad, but also very positive. Number one Ad Astra
01:08:59
per Aspera is a truly essential episode of Star Trek one I would
01:09:04
recommend with some others in the Trek universe as one to
01:09:07
watch for someone who has never seen trek. Everyone works
01:09:11
towards a positive answer and none more than Neeraj played by
01:09:14
guest star UTD so brilliantly that she takes what was already
01:09:18
a high standard for this cast and brings it that much more.
01:09:22
Well Until next time, live long and prosper.
01:09:25
John T Bolds: All right, Mark, thank you very much.
01:09:28
Cameron: Thank you, Mark. I knew I could count on you for some
01:09:30
among Lotus here love you guys,
01:09:35
Jesse: before we go any further I just want to say I'm looking
01:09:38
at the four episodes that we have left to ranking and I think
01:09:41
I'm gonna be happy with how this shakes out.
01:09:44
Cameron: I yeah, I mean, I don't have as much personal love for
01:09:48
it at Astra per Aspera but I recognize I mean it's really
01:09:52
good and I recognize how many people do have it on their top
01:09:55
three so I'm I'm not shedding tears yet. Yeah. All right, Jim,
01:10:03
give us number four. Okay,
01:10:05
Jim Moorhouse: let's go back to my five words and hashtag
01:10:10
already season one, episode eight, the Elysium Kingdom once.
01:10:13
It's an episode I freaking love it's, it's fantastic. It's got
01:10:18
literally everything the TLS vibes on this episode are
01:10:22
spectacular. And when this episode dropped in season one it
01:10:27
was like, Okay, this show can do anything just like TLS which I
01:10:33
love as an old school TLS
01:10:35
Cameron: I have a feeling John is not going to veto this
01:10:38
placement here. So it's in my top three, but yeah, I can't
01:10:42
complain about number four. I've talked about how maybe other
01:10:45
episodes struggled with comedy Elysium Kingdom showed how every
01:10:49
joke could land magnificently.
01:10:49
It showed us the range of this cast. It was able to give us
01:10:54
uproarious laughter and then hit us with a gut punch and tears at
01:10:59
the end. It's it's it's a great episode. Is it my favorite
01:11:04
episode?
01:11:06
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah, probably.
01:11:06
Is your number one.
01:11:10
Cameron: I mean today? Yes, yeah. Okay. Yeah,
01:11:13
Jesse: there's so much that's good about it. I mean, they get
01:11:16
around, they get around not being able to do holodeck
01:11:18
episodes because of the place in the timeline that it takes
01:11:22
place. And I think it absolutely nails that tonal shift that we
01:11:27
were talking about a little bit with the serene Squall where
01:11:30
it's like, oh, this is vastly different now than it was. But
01:11:33
Cameron is right, this is masterfully executed all the way
01:11:35
through. You're laughing you're having a great time and you kind
01:11:38
of sense they might tear your heart out. And then they do and
01:11:40
it's still totally works.
01:11:41
John T Bolds: Yeah, that's, I mean, it is. I believe it
01:11:45
deserves fourth, I think that's an excellent pick and excellent
01:11:47
place for it. I think I think my main comment about it back when
01:11:53
we first talked about it was like, wow, this is really early
01:11:55
in a show to have an episode like this with this big gut gut
01:11:59
punch. We're only you know, eight episodes in and we're
01:12:03
already getting a gut punch this big. It could have simmered for
01:12:06
longer, but it's still great even without that.
01:12:10
Jesse: And the fact that it has so many characters playing
01:12:12
against type only eight episodes into the first season it it's
01:12:16
very, very
01:12:17
Cameron: impressive work, but it shows how well they establish
01:12:20
these characters in those first seven episodes. Yep.
01:12:23
Unknown: Yeah, yeah.
01:12:24
Jim Moorhouse: And this is a shout out to Nami melanoma on
01:12:27
her score on this one too.
01:12:29
Jesse: So seriously.
01:12:31
Cameron: Speaking of calls
01:12:32
John T Bolds: here is our second to last caller let's hear from
01:12:35
our friend Michelle
01:12:35
Cameron: and that transition.
01:12:35
Speaking Uncle
01:12:38
Unknown: John Hi cam and Hi Jesse. Wow, what a complicated
01:12:42
task gave us choosing our top three out of 20 outstanding and
01:12:45
so different episodes is tough and really difficult. I wouldn't
01:12:49
need to think about that. But in the end I think I found them in
01:12:52
third place season two episode four among the Lotus Eaters. I
01:12:56
love how it starts with Erica finding joy in lending party but
01:12:59
no she has to stay abroad and pipelines shut down. I also love
01:13:03
for seen when memory loss kicks in. She goes to quarters finds
01:13:07
out she's the pilot and flies the ship I love your talks versa
01:13:11
for transit a bridge and finds a confused spot. Additionally, I
01:13:14
love the way packet status in this episode, the second last
01:13:18
year so season two, Episode Seven those all scientists. It
01:13:22
is a funny, witty and fantastic episode that fans can relate to.
01:13:26
I suppose I would be as overwhelmed as pointless. But I
01:13:29
find myself on the Enterprise Pfizer facing my heroes. Every
01:13:33
time he asked me they included it's great and it has way too
01:13:36
many great moments to count. And finally, in the first place is
01:13:40
season one, episode one. It is the first episode and it has
01:13:44
excellent seems like the beginning that we are the aliens
01:13:48
intruding into a foreign civilization. And of course,
01:13:51
pike on horse is fantastic.
01:13:51
Seeing him riding in a snow covered landscape is a sight to
01:13:55
behold, not to talk about the speech he gave later. Well, I
01:13:58
get goosebumps whenever I watch it. That was a challenging task,
01:14:02
guys. And now take care and live long and prosper. Thank you,
01:14:07
Melanie.
01:14:10
Cameron: Thank you, Melanie.
01:14:12
John T Bolds: We like all of our callers cam. Thank you very
01:14:14
much.
01:14:16
Cameron: Yeah, but I break her in like my top bucket.
01:14:20
John T Bolds: Buckets. That's our next episode. Our callers
01:14:26
Jesse: I refuse to be a part of I will not even attempt that. I
01:14:32
do I want to say thank you to Melanie for helping on Twitter
01:14:36
with you know, reminding me like we should probably also tell
01:14:40
everybody what our top three personal picks are. I think
01:14:44
that's probably the way to go.
01:14:44
And we'll also put together a list that the callers you know,
01:14:48
which which episodes were mentioned the most and we'll
01:14:51
build a top five out of that as well.
01:14:54
Unknown: No lavas ranking. So all
01:14:59
Jesse: right. Just know I was complaining earlier about not
01:15:02
having power. But I realized I can kind of slot whichever two
01:15:08
episodes I want at the top here by forcing John to either veto
01:15:12
or pick one of my favorite episodes somewhere in the top
01:15:16
two.
01:15:16
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah, then John has power. But then I have an
01:15:21
Cameron: interesting point in this game. This I just didn't
01:15:24
hear this. I
01:15:26
Jesse: think this probably works really well for the top three
01:15:29
picks to have this kind of play still in the dynamic. Yeah. I am
01:15:34
gonna put those old scientists right here at number three, the
01:15:37
love the episode. It's an instant classic, very
01:15:40
rewatchable. I have frequently rewatched it. But due to its
01:15:47
sort of split identity, not being a pure strange new worlds
01:15:51
episode, nor a pure lower decks episode. I am going to slot it
01:15:56
in here at number three. And watch John try to figure out
01:16:01
where to put the last two remaining episodes
01:16:03
John T Bolds: on this lease.
01:16:03
Think I didn't say you were to put the last two because I'm not
01:16:05
videoing this choice at all. No, no veto. I fully accept this.
01:16:09
Oh, Jim is in pain. It's a beautiful episode. It's a it's a
01:16:19
heartfelt episode. It's a meaningful episode. It requires
01:16:22
another episode to be as good as it is. require at least
01:16:30
Jim Moorhouse: 913 And I know.
01:16:30
But I was telling you it's one long mythology that's connected.
01:16:34
Yeah,
01:16:37
Cameron: it's a character serialized show John. They all
01:16:39
do. Now. I mean, I've got the subset of number four. So I'm
01:16:43
fine with three it works really well. I feel it gets a little
01:16:47
meandering in the middle at one point. And that's that's the
01:16:51
only reason that drops from the top three for me. But otherwise,
01:16:55
I just it's a much like losing kingdom. It's uproariously
01:16:58
funny. They hit the jokes, and there's a tear jerker moment and
01:17:02
it like I'm not asking for more than that. Yep. To
01:17:05
Jesse: your point, Kim, I actually have this at number
01:17:08
six. But because of the way the draft and the rankings and all
01:17:11
the leaders agreed to this system, Jesse, I'm not. I'm not
01:17:15
saying it's a bad system. I'm saying personally, this falls
01:17:18
outside my top.
01:17:19
John T Bolds: I'm just happy.
01:17:19
I'm in the seat with all the power now.
01:17:22
Jim Moorhouse: Okay, we're going into John's power. All right,
01:17:25
I'm gonna say that. So there's one outcome here that I'm gonna
01:17:30
be I had those old scientists at one, by the way. But there's one
01:17:34
episode that has not been mentioned and more today, as
01:17:38
we've been saying time and one message, one message, not one
01:17:42
person. That's true. That's true. If it ends up in number
01:17:44
one, I will be thrilled. And this draft has been a massive,
01:17:47
massive success. I
01:17:49
John T Bolds: fully agree with GRI I yeah, I definitely have my
01:17:54
top two picks and call from our friends. Oh, so here's our
01:17:58
friends. Oh, calling in no.
01:18:01
Zo from Back Look Cinema: Open pipe night. This is the USS
01:18:03
cinema is over 210 Captain commanding, and also the host of
01:18:09
backlog cinema to podcast. And that's a very interesting
01:18:12
question. You posed our favorite three episodes, the two seasons
01:18:17
of strange new worlds. And that that's a tough one because
01:18:22
they're all great. And I wanted to split it between the first
01:18:25
Season The second season, and I couldn't really do it. I feel
01:18:28
like all of my favorite episodes are in the second season. So at
01:18:32
Astra per Aspera because it is one of the best courtroom
01:18:36
episodes in Star Trek subspace Rhapsody because who would have
01:18:40
thought that Star Trek could have a musical and those old
01:18:45
scientists because I mean just a crossover between the animated
01:18:50
series and a live action series.
01:18:50
It's that's incredible and it was incredibly well done. So
01:18:54
those are my choices. I'm eagerly waiting to see how the
01:18:59
rankings come out. Richardson out
01:19:05
John T Bolds: all right, thank you so from backlog cinema
01:19:08
calling in to remind everybody that yes, there are some
01:19:12
standout episodes and especially those those three were highly
01:19:18
popular and all the pics So my number two is an episode that
01:19:24
like I think builds tension incredibly well. I think it
01:19:31
really is just doing you cannot stop watching this episode. You
01:19:38
are your eyes are glued to the screen and this episode, much
01:19:41
like the eyes of the entire crew are there watching the trial. In
01:19:46
Ad Astra per Aspera is number two leaving memento mori as the
01:19:50
number one episode of strange new worlds hands down. This was
01:19:55
my first pick and my only first pick. The minute I started the
01:19:58
list and I am So glad I got to put it there flexmove John
01:20:07
Cameron: brought it in
01:20:09
Jesse: this is the episode with the most Tigges Cameron we get
01:20:12
piloting skills we get to see her attitude we get to see how
01:20:16
confident how good she is. I absolutely am happy with putting
01:20:21
memento mori at number one. I will fully concede that Ad Astra
01:20:26
per Aspera could take that slot any given day of the week.
01:20:29
That's what makes these objectives and that's what makes
01:20:32
this fun John thank you sir.
01:20:35
John T Bolds: I deeply guys thank you for not making me I
01:20:38
was so worried some of you like 16 memento mori if you do this
01:20:44
that yes, memento
01:20:45
Cameron: mori is a weird one.
01:20:45
It's my number two so I'm fine with it being number one 100%
01:20:48
But behind the leasing kingdom but it is one that I always have
01:20:52
to like what are my favorite episodes and I do have to think
01:20:54
about it before that one pops up and I go oh right. Memento Mori
01:20:57
that was fucking great. And I think maybe it's just because it
01:21:01
was so long ago when because Season Two has such a big swings
01:21:03
you kind of forget these just like amazing solid episodes.
01:21:06
Memento Mori was the first episode we loved the first three
01:21:10
episodes. Even children in the comments, no children's comments
01:21:13
great. But I think moving to Mario was the first episode
01:21:17
where we kind of all leaned forward and said, Oh, the show's
01:21:20
gonna be amazing. This show can do some amazing stuff and yeah
01:21:24
100% I'm I'm glad to see it at number one. Me too. Good.
01:21:32
John T Bolds: Excellent.
01:21:34
Jim Moorhouse: Check for Jim.
01:21:34
Yeah. Oh, yeah, I do. Oh, yeah, it's good when it's five words
01:21:36
and a hashtag mental mores my number three right find a
01:21:40
quality of Mercy words so sorry, first Balance of Terror Omaze
01:21:44
hashtag is as good as the second.
01:21:50
Jesse: I have to agree with them. I
01:21:51
Jim Moorhouse: want they're my second and third episodes. Okay.
01:21:58
Cameron: You love the summary.
01:21:58
It's
01:21:59
Jesse: so much TOS in Memento Mori you get so you get Wrath of
01:22:04
Khan like you get hey, here's a problem. It's already happened
01:22:09
now the crew has to react like that's a classic TOS episode
01:22:12
setup.
01:22:12
John T Bolds: I I'm very happy for this to slot in at number
01:22:15
one. And it's it's also fun to see an episode where it's like,
01:22:18
hey, the good guys massive air quotes one in this episode, like
01:22:23
nobody won in this episode.
01:22:23
Yeah, like that ship is and
01:22:29
Jesse: you get that great teaser at the end where pike says you
01:22:31
know, don't worry next time we'll be ready for him. Spoiler
01:22:33
alert. They are.
01:22:38
Cameron: Yeah, well, let's go back through and see how we feel
01:22:41
about our official collaborative draft list at number 20 We have
01:22:46
the broken circle number 19 lift us we're suffering cannot reach
01:22:49
18 This goes to Valeria 17 equality of mercy 16. The serene
01:22:54
Squall. 15 Spock a MK 14 hegemony 13 Tomorrow and
01:22:58
Tomorrow and tomorrow. 12 Among the Lotus Eaters 11 subspace
01:23:03
Rhapsody 10. All those who wander nine strange new worlds
01:23:07
eight charades seven loss in translation, six, the cloak of
01:23:11
war and then our top five are children of the comet, the
01:23:14
Elysian kingdom, those old scientists at Astra per Aspera
01:23:18
and memento mori.
01:23:20
Unknown: How do we feel list?
01:23:20
That it's a really good list.
01:23:24
Cameron: It's not my personal list, but I feel like it's a
01:23:26
good list. I feel like it's a good collaborative list. I do I
01:23:29
do. I think we did it guys.
01:23:31
Jesse: I think we did. i There are maybe three picks where I
01:23:35
think they are too low or too high. But with it being
01:23:40
collaborative, I think that we kind of nailed this list. I
01:23:43
mean, I'm actually I'm interested to hear the reactions
01:23:47
to this list because I think people are going to be a little
01:23:50
surprised with some of this, especially with how many Season
01:23:53
One episodes we got into the top 10. But I I'm very happy with
01:24:00
it. You know, just think back to how you were feeling when you
01:24:02
were watching season one. You were so excited. You were so
01:24:05
happy to be on a new Star Trek series with such an amazing
01:24:09
cast. It looks amazing.
01:24:09
Production is always amazing. I am very happy with how this list
01:24:13
shook out ultimately.
01:24:17
John T Bolds: And for everybody wondering yes, we kept track of
01:24:20
what our callers chose. Ad Astra per Aspera those old scientists
01:24:25
and subspace rappers they were all tied with five picks each
01:24:30
from our callers combined. So obviously, you know there there
01:24:34
is a there are some very, very hivemind popular episodes out
01:24:39
there that we didn't pick for our one, two and three, but
01:24:41
they're still excellent episodes because every one of these
01:24:44
episodes is an excellent episode,
01:24:46
Jim Moorhouse: this list of 20 Strangely worlds episodes on it.
01:24:49
Exactly.
01:24:52
Cameron: Alright, well that was our callers top three. I mean,
01:24:54
you could probably parse our top threes from listening to the
01:24:57
last hour and a half but maybe we should just give them for
01:24:59
some plus City. Yeah,
01:25:01
Jim Moorhouse: yeah, let's
01:25:01
Jesse: do it. Let's stick with the draft order. Yeah, go ahead
01:25:04
cam.
01:25:05
Cameron: Yeah. So I would say among the Lotus Eaters does meet
01:25:10
my top three. For all the reasons I said it's number
01:25:12
three. Then number two is memento mori. And final and
01:25:17
again, this kind of just goes to like, if I'm going to pick one
01:25:20
episode to watch what's my comfort episode, it is, at least
01:25:22
in Kingdom love that
01:25:24
Jim Moorhouse: my top three from season one, episode four memento
01:25:28
mori number two, season one episode 10, a quality of mercy.
01:25:34
And number one, season two, Episode Seven those old sciences
01:25:38
and the ultimate crossover.
01:25:42
Jesse: It is it's better than any crossover Marvel has ever
01:25:44
done in my opinion. So I think the only one of mine that I had
01:25:50
real contention with is my second pick. But I had memento
01:25:54
mori as number one. Thank you, John. I just re watched it again
01:25:57
last night. It absolutely holds up. Number two I have under the
01:26:01
cloak of war, which fell further than I wanted it to, but it's
01:26:04
still in the top 10. So I think I can live with that. And for
01:26:08
number three, I actually have charades I went with that whole
01:26:12
tonal dissonance thing on my list itself. And charades is
01:26:15
just too much fun. I think anybody can enjoy that episode.
01:26:19
You don't even need to be a Star Trek fan.
01:26:21
John T Bolds: I by by have a very similar list to Jesse I
01:26:25
started with Memento Mori, I think it is an outstanding
01:26:28
perfect hour of television.
01:26:28
under the cloak of war I have severely come around on i It is
01:26:32
my second favorite. I was glad to be able to get it into the
01:26:38
top six but I knew I kind of had to get it out of the way. I
01:26:41
really really like more and more I enjoy left us where suffering
01:26:48
cannot reach so there's no tonal dissonance on my list.
01:26:52
Cameron: I like do we need an intervention?
01:27:00
Jesse: You just just throw it out there John is a huge DS nine
01:27:03
fan I believe he has described yes nine is his favorite trips.
01:27:08
John T Bolds: Surprising no contest. Yeah.
01:27:10
Cameron: But what I love about fantasy worlds as you can look
01:27:12
at all these top threes and all the lists people sent us and
01:27:15
like it's you know, sometimes there's some that pop up a lot
01:27:18
but there's a lot of variety like people like a lot of
01:27:21
different stuff that strange the world is throwing at not
01:27:23
John T Bolds: one caller mentioned our number one pick
01:27:25
the number one light. Yeah,
01:27:27
Jim Moorhouse: I know. That's amazing.
01:27:29
Jesse: I'm really happy about that. I'm like I said I'm kind
01:27:32
of hoping we get some good engagement once we actually
01:27:34
release this list on the day we put the episode out, because I'm
01:27:38
hoping some people will be like, What the hell is wrong with you
01:27:40
guys? And I can be like, please go listen to the episode. That's
01:27:45
what we call a teaser. Yeah.
01:27:49
Jim Moorhouse: Two of my top three were in the top three and
01:27:51
the other one was number 17.
01:27:56
John T Bolds: Jim, it has been great having you here man.
01:27:59
Cameron: Seriously? Absolutely.
01:28:00
Jesse: You You brought a great dash of we will call it open
01:28:05
pike night objectivity because you're not necessarily fighting
01:28:09
against the three of us whose opinions are node by heart, so I
01:28:12
just meant you killed it. Thank you so much for bringing this to
01:28:16
us. Where can folks get more trek ranks if they're fiending
01:28:20
after the
01:28:22
Jim Moorhouse: Dave guys's great being on track Ranger, you can
01:28:24
find us at Trek range.com where we have ranks of all the tracks
01:28:29
and a list of all the episodes.
01:28:29
And our trek ranks podcast is a podcast about all the things we
01:28:33
love about Star Trek again, no negative topics. It's just
01:28:37
positive topics. We've done 180 episodes, a million different
01:28:41
topics and we just get people on and we talk about all the things
01:28:45
that we love about Star Trek and the ranks don't matter. It's
01:28:48
just our crush just to kind of talk about the things we love
01:28:51
about Star Trek. So Trek ranks.com and on Twitter and on
01:28:54
blue sky. Find me there. Oh, and enterprise and extra on
01:29:01
Unknown: Twitter. Good deal.
01:29:04
John T Bolds: So, Jim, open pi Ignite is an open mic night
01:29:08
themed podcast. And so we ask all of our guests to bring a
01:29:11
joke to tell us Do you have a joke for us today?
01:29:14
Jim Moorhouse: Yeah, I have a back pocket joke I always have
01:29:17
for when I'm speaking and stuff for like 2030 years and I hate
01:29:21
toilet humor. But here, but here we are. It's a toilet humor
01:29:26
joke. So I'm getting old to this one gets a little bit. It hits
01:29:31
home a little bit more every every year. So these there's
01:29:34
these three old retired scientists living in a Starfleet
01:29:39
convalescence home. Yes. I made this a Star Trek ified that and
01:29:46
they're kind of complaining about their ailments in their
01:29:49
old days. And the first guy says, you know, man, if I could
01:29:54
just have a good steady number one again, I just just want to
01:29:58
have a good number one strong strong you know not in like
01:30:01
dribs and drabs just a strong number one second guys like you
01:30:06
know if I could just have a solid number two a good good
01:30:11
solid number two at that's that's all I want and the third
01:30:14
guys like you know I can do a great number one like sector
01:30:19
flowing rivers on caspary A prime every morning at 730 It's
01:30:23
like it's like the Ganges herself. It's at 730 Every
01:30:26
morning just great powerful streams. And then at 730 Every
01:30:30
morning it's sorry, and then at like 735 Every going to edit
01:30:37
that edit that so I get this right. And then it's 735 Every
01:30:41
morning I have an incredible number to like a volcano
01:30:44
erupting. I'm learning core it's like solid and flowing. It's
01:30:48
just it's great. My number ones and twos are great. So the first
01:30:52
guy says Then Then what's the problem? What do you what are
01:30:55
you complaining about? It's like well, I don't get a bed till
01:30:57
nine o'clock