The Bicks Pod thebickspod

Note: We will be taking a summer break for the next 4-5 weeks to coincide with some vacation plans, but will be returning in the second half of summer with Season 5.
For this week, join us as we revisit the episode that had the largest divergence of opinions in our Season 4 breakdown, "First Contact" complete with Riker sex innuendo and reactionary martyrs. It may not be the perfect episode, but it did provide some fodder for banter with The Bicks.

Season 4 -- the first full 90s season, as Lindsay says -- doesn't feature a whole bunch of changes on screen or behind the camera, but did bring a lot of depth to the characters and the world they inhabit. Join us as we talk about family, friends, drama, and First Contact, one of the greatest episodes of the show! (Yes, Aidan wrote this intro...)
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Bicks Log: What does it say about genetic families in Star Trek that they're so secondary to the one found on board the Enterprise?
Notes:
Once again, it was time for a tier ranking of Season 4 episodes, so be prepared for Aidan to defend how great (almost) every episode is, while Lindsay tries to knock them all down a few pegs.


Recognitions:
Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music
Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls
 

Another season, another watchalong of TNG, this time the season 3's classic exploration of Star Trek's greatest philosophical topics, the Prime Directive. Join us as we chat and joke our way through "Who Watches the Watchers".

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 is widely considered the start of "good Trek" in the TNG era. Whether you agree with that or not, this season definitely ups the ante in terms of storytelling, characterization, thematic links, and philosophical import. This week, Aidan and Lindsay deep dive into the production history, some of the changes behind and in front of the camera, and explore the larger story arcs that are going to take us into the second half of the series' run.
Episode Sponsor: Rexadrin Cliffhanger Episode Anti-Anxiety Pills: Find Your Calm With Rexadrin
Bicks Log: How useful is the Prime Directive?

Notes and Recognitions:
The intro music is different between Season 1 (strings high in the mix) and Season 2 (strings lower) and again to Season 3 (strings seem to not be there at all in some places) so Lindsay is kinda right but also kinda full of shit...
OrangeRiver has a great Season 3 breakdown video we watched in preparation for this podcast as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEzxaVfTAw&ab_channel=OrangeRiver 
Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music
Ad Music: Coconut Grove by Hotham is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Stream: https://linktr.ee/hothammusic Free Download: https://hypeddit.com/hotham/coconutgrove Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/3TzyYA1
Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls 

Join us for another watchalong episode of TNG, this time the season 2 dark horse favourite "The Royale".
One note: Fermat's Last Theorem had a first proof published in 1995, only a few years after this episode.

The arrival of Riker's Beard heralded the start of the shift towards a more updated, distinct Star Trek, ready for the Next Generation of fans. While many will tell new explorers of Trek to skip over season 2, we love it for its inconsistency and the truly high highs that you only get by introducing the Borg, or debating the nature of sentience (should be sapience but we'll let it slide) on behalf of our beloved Data. Join us as we discuss those highs (and some of the lows), as well as give a bit of a history of what was going on behind the scenes.
Episode Sponsor: SudVPN! Keep your data safe in these trying times!
Bicks Log: Does artificial intelligence require sentience to be considered intelligent? Do AIs as we understand them now deserve rights? What will happen when computer systems are given – or acquire – consciousness?
Notes:
As a reminder, this was recorded before Picard Season 3 aired, so there may be some odd references.
If, for some reason you haven't seen the greatest short film of the 21st century so far, please do check out Too Many Cooks.
Lindsay deeply regrets her comments about the 1988 WGA Strike. At least Aidan assumes so, since she's been happy to see the 2023 version.
The novel that Lindsay mentions involving the Trill's connection to the Conspiracy bugs is called Trill: Unjoined, which you can read about on Memory Beta.
Aidan's Tier Ranking of Season 2 Episodes:
S-Tier: Measure of a Man (9), Q Who (16)
A-Tier: Elementary Dear Data (3), A Matter of Honour (8), The Royale (12), The Emissary (20)
B-Tier: Peak Performance (21), Pen Pals (15)
C-Tier: The Child (1), Outrageous Okona (4), Loud as a Whisper (5), The Dauphin (10), Time Squared (13), Samaritan Snare (17), Manhunt (19)
D-Tier: Schizoid Man (6), The Icarus Factor (14), Up The Long Ladder (18)
F-Tier: Shades of Gray (22), Where Silence Has Lease (2)

Lindsay's Tier Ranking:
S-Tier: Measure of a Man (9), Q Who (16), Elementary Dear Data (3)
A-Tier: Pen Pals (15), The Royale (12), The Emissary (20)
B-Tier: Peak Performance (21), Manhunt (19), A Matter of Honour (8)
C-Tier: Outrageous Okona (4), Loud as a Whisper (5), Time Squared (13), Samaritan Snare (17), Schizoid Man (6)
D-Tier: The Icarus Factor (14), Up The Long Ladder (18), The Dauphin (10)
F-Tier: Shades of Gray (22), Where Silence Has Lease (2), The Child (1)

Twin Peaks actors appearing this season:
David L. Lander
Madchen Amick (Who we forgot to mention in the episode somehow!!!)

Intro Music: Chasing Stars by AG Music
Outro Music: Idle Hands by The Impossibulls