Casual Trek - A Star Trek Recap and Ranking Podcast

Charlie and Miles
  • 5.0 (3)
  • TV Reviews
  • Biweekly

Charlie is a lifelong X-Men fan. Miles is a lifelong Doctor Who fan. If ANYONE can objectively rank every single episode of Star Trek on a big list, it’s gotta be the people who think that Star Trek’s ‘Pretty Decent.’ (Citation Needed.)

  1. 17h ago

    Tim Russ: It's Tim Time!

    Everyone, who’s YOUR favourite Tim? If you said Tim Russ, then THIS is the show for you as Casual Trek goes ‘Tim Time’ with three episodes featuring Tim Russ (including two of his Star Trek bit parts before landing the role of Tuvok in Voyager!) The first episode is ‘Starship Mine’ where Patrick Stewart (RIP) gets to go Full-JL when a Die-Hard takes place on the Enterprise while everyone else in the case has to deal with small talk, blink and you might miss Tim Russ, then in DS9’s ‘Invasive Procedures,’ Tim Russ plays a Klingon has part of a team ready to help a Trill Incel do a classic Symbiote-Heist on Dax and it almost goes Die-Hard and then finally, in Voyager’s ‘Riddles,’ we get to see Tim Russ as Tuvok undergo a shocking transformation… actually liking Neelix! Episodes discussed: Starship Mine (15:09) Invasive Procedures (47:34) and Riddles (01:17:44) Topics Discussed: The novels of Shirley Jackson, Superpocket Evercade, Pong- better or worse than Elden Ring, is Data just making fun of Hutch, Hutch is unmourned, TNG is far more cavalier than Red Shirt deaths than TOS, the many murders of Jean-Luc Picard, how are the makers of Die Hard NOT suing? Patrick Stewart wanting to be an action hero, Picard definitely shot a guy in the dick, superheroes who are cavalier about murder, who would be the best and worst at a Die Hard? Mariah Carey, Paramount’s boring ads, Trill Incels, this almost counts as a Patricia Tallman themed episode, Tim does Good Klingon, the DS9 Crew would be great doing a Die Hard, is this the first time we get some Bald Sisko atittude? Charlie is obsessed with Picard’s saddle, do you think there’s a new replicator smell? Best O-Face in all of TV? If we wrote Star Trek, the Dax symbiote would be an Eraserhead baby, Charlie! Riddle Time! Ethan Phillips once again something to work with, Roxann Dawson’s first directed episode, Tuvok has definatly threatened legal action in case Tuvix is mentioned, Harry Kim’s best day, has there ever been a multiversal incarnation of Cyclops for whom life has never sucked?Pedants Corner: The Poddington Peas was a British cartoon about sentient peas who lived in the garden, what’s that about the British not being well? 80s UK Arcade Machines took 10p or 20p coins for the most part. SPECIAL NOTE: We don't talk about the sad news regarding Walter Koenig or Patrick Stewart as we've recorded quite a way ahead of time. We'll be covering them in the near future.

    Tim Russ: It's Tim Time!

  2. Oct 26 ·  Bonus

    Casual Trek Tangents: Charlie Wears a Mario Hat and Talks 2000 AD

    Here's a cut conversation from Episode 88, where Charlie provides an update on his Mario Quest and talks about the current run of 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine.

  3. Oct 19

    Star Trek Mirror Universe Episodes: Scott Bakula Tries to Be Evil

    It’s time to re-enter the Mirror Universe and see what campy nonsense they’ve been getting up to!  In a Mirror Darkly shows you how a betrayal-based society managed to keep going for as long as they did… by having several mutinies and finding an alternate future spaceship to loot! Many midriffs are exposed, Tholians are tortured and Scott Bakula desperately makes you want to think he’s evil. Then we journey with Ben Sisko Through the Looking Glass, where he’s got to pretend to be a merry pirate in order to stop his alternate universe wife from being a centrist! He also punches one alternate staff member in the head and sleeps with another, just for good measure. What Non-Star Trek Thing We’ve Been Enjoying: The Prisoner & The Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World 12:55 Enterprise, “In a Mirror, Darkly Parts I & II” 57:16 Deep Space Nine, “Through the Looking Glass” Talking points include: Age of X-Man, yes Blake’s 7 again, The Prisoner, Miles & Reanna’s 14th anniversary, Aunty Donna, The Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World, sluts, 50 Cent’s in Jim Steinman’s Mansion, Charlie has no time for Peter Kay, the Amarillo music video noncewatch, a mutiny-based drinking game, did you see this shit Chris Claremont?, Phlox is the Hank McCoy of Star Trek, fascism is a loser ideology, The OC’s alternate universe episode, the final season of Enterprise doing what the last two seasons of Strange New Worlds is doing, Jack Russells, the most 1995 songs, Millennium Vs Willennium, Centrist Jennifer Sisko, Malibu Comics’ Night Man, Mirror Sisko is a Merry Man, voles on DS9, Oh, and occasionally Star Trek. Next episode, it’s all about Tim Russ! Casual Trek is by Charlie Etheridge-Nunn and Miles Reid-Lobatto Music by Alfred Etheridge-Nunn Casual Trek is a part of the Nerd & Tie Network https://ko-fi.com/casualtrek Miles’ blog: http://www.mareidlobatto.wordpress.com  Charlie’s blog: http://www.fakedtales.com

    Star Trek Mirror Universe Episodes: Scott Bakula Tries to Be Evil

  4. Oct 5

    Star Trek Rockstar Cameos: Weekend at Keevan's

    Are you ready to rock? Well we are and so is Star Trek, with three episodes that feature guest acting turns from musicians. In ‘Manhunt,’ Lwaxana Troi returns while Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac stands in the corner as a giant fish alien. After that, we’re putting a team together in ‘The Magnificent Ferengi’ as Quark, Rom and Nog must rescue Moogie from Iggy Pop and in ‘The Good Shepard,’ Janeway rails against workplace inefficiency and if you blink and miss him, Tom Morello isn’t Raging Against the Machine but instead is a good Starfleet crewmember. Good night, listeners, there will be no encore!MANHUNT (09:30) THE MAGNIFICENT FERENGHI (35:06) THE GOOD SHEPARD (01:00:55)Talking Points include: Coyote vs. Acme, The Backrooms (Charlie Etheridge-Nunn Edition), Miles floats the idea of a Pingu-themed coffee bar, Soul 2 Soul, Miles has strong opinions on the noir inspirations of Dixon Hill, Fleetwood Mac, we were not expecting Worf to point out Wesley’s casual racism, more a comedy of manners (in which Picard has too many and Lwaxana has none) the fish people are very 80s Doctor Who, Lwaxana Troi is far less irritating here, Riker’s shit eating grin, Iggy Pop, Moogie’s going to bring the Dominion, we want to know more about Lekk, Higher Quality Buffoonery, Rom’s finally killed someone but don’t worry, he’s easily distracted by shiny objects, they love a weird gong in Star Trek, there’s a theme here with Charlie’s history of music being related to Rock Band, what happens to the people who wash out at Starfleet? The conversation about diversity hires is sadly very different than when this episode came out, don’t lick the Warp Core, the Window that doesn’t exist, Miles goes on a tired about the American Work Ethic and the phrase ‘If you don’t like your job, just leave,’ mental health on Voyager probably sucks more than usual, hating on the shorthand in fiction that hypochondria is code for ‘neurotic loser,’ is this the most conservative episode of Star Trek not featuring black-face? Miles’ former RS and form master at school Mr. Hickman- RIP Legend,

    Star Trek Rockstar Cameos: Weekend at Keevan's

  5. Sep 21 ·  Bonus

    Claremont's Star Trek: Alexander Rozhenko Has a Good Day

    Casual Trek read Chris Claremont’s epic graphic novel Debt of Honour a few years ago, now it’s time to check out the sequel story, set in the era of Star Trek: The Next Generation! Claremont’s adopted Jame Finney from Shore Leave as his favourite Star Trek character and she quickly becomes the cast’s favourite, too! He also gives Alexander the one good day he will ever have. In addition, we’ve got stories about when Ro Laren did a bad thing, and how Kelsey Grammar’s a real grouch. 05:13 What Non-Star Trek Thing We’ve Been Enjoying: Biscuits and the theatre 05:13: Introduction to Star Trek Special #2 07:00: The Choice 12:59: Out of Time 19:03: Cry Vengeance Talking points include: Gen13, Sovereign Seven, Miles is the one fan of Dark Horse’s 90’s superhero line, digestives, shortbread, Hove Open Air Theatre, Northanger Abbey, even seagulls can enjoy theatre, Charlie will still not read TekWar II unless you pay us, Commander Waid, very good Riker Expressions, The Topps X-Files comic, actor’s faces in comics, we can’t remember which episodes we’ve seen, Captain Bateman is basically just Kelsey Grammar, breaching doctor/patient confidentiality, somehow Charlie didn’t mention Money Plane, the Frasier sequel, Jame or Jamie Finney, the one good day in Alexander’s life, we’ve still not listened to Star Trek: Khan, the Bionic Woman, Alexander in the IDW Comics, Wolverine, Charlie’s still annoyed about Sherlock’s final series, Doctor Who, do the transporters get rid of human waste, Miles brings an old transporter theory into play, admin issues with Krakoan resurrection, . Oh, and occasionally Star Trek. Pedant’s corner: Dark Horse’s Alien Vs Predator stars Machiko Noguchi as the protagonist, made by Randy Stradley. Chris Claremont’s Alien Vs Predator: Deadliest of the Species features a genetically enhanced trophy wife called Caryn Delacroix, who works at different times with humans, yautja and xenomorphs. Next episode, normal service will resume! Casual Trek is by Charlie Etheridge-Nunn and Miles Reid-Lobatto Music by Alfred Etheridge-Nunn Casual Trek is a part of the Nerd & Tie Network https://ko-fi.com/casualtrek Miles’ blog: http://www.mareidlobatto.wordpress.com  Charlie’s blog: http://www.fakedtales.com

    Claremont's Star Trek: Alexander Rozhenko Has a Good Day

  6. Sep 7 ·  Bonus

    Disney's Black Hole: What if a Bin Was Annoying?

    Welcome to an episode of Casual Trek which is the equivalent of a teacher wheeling the television into the classroom. We’re finally looking at Disney’s first ever PG movie, the weirdly horrific Black Hole. A spaceship’s crew investigates the strangely empty abandoned ship which has been observing cosmic phenomenon. No, it’s not Event Horizon, it’s Black Hole, straddling the era of classic rocketship fiction and Star Wars type stories. There’s a robot bin who’s really annoying and somehow one of the most competent people on the ship, several aspirant Darth Vader types of mixed qualities and an odd amount of theological questions. Charlie’s gone into the movie blind, so join him trying to recap it without losing his sanity! 02:28 What Non-Black Hole Thing We’ve Been Enjoying: King Sorrow & Odyssey 12:38 What is Black Hole? 15:30 Charlie attempts to recap Black Hole in 10 minutes 28:17 Charlie tries to understand what that was all about 56:20 Final Thoughts Talking points include: Event Horizon, Charles Burns’ Black Hole, Miles will never make Blake’s Boys happen, King Sorrow by Joe Hill, Woke Classic “The Odyssey”, Ulysses-31, ODY-C, Circe, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Coming for Jonathan Hickman’s humour comics, Charlie takes real offence to V.I.N.C.E.N.T., another Twin Peaks connection, the novelisations of Black Hole & Red Dwarf, Rise of Skywalker, behind the scenes details, Tron, whether the robot saw heaven. Oh, and occasionally Star Trek. Casual Trek is by Charlie Etheridge-Nunn and Miles Reid-Lobatto Music by Alfred Etheridge-Nunn Casual Trek is a part of the Nerd & Tie Network https://ko-fi.com/casualtrek Miles’ blog: http://www.mareidlobatto.wordpress.com  Charlie’s blog: http://www.fakedtales.com

    Disney's Black Hole: What if a Bin Was Annoying?

  7. Aug 24

    Star Trek X Twin Peaks: Put Your Hand in the Box

    It is happening again.Miles and Charlie serve themselves some coffee and a damn fine slice of pie to talk about Twin Peaks as we’ve had some crossover between one of the lads' favourite TV shows and the one they choose to divide their lives podcasting. With that in mind they’re discussing episodes of Star Trek where Twin Peaks regulars have appeared. We’re back TNG Season One with ‘Haven’ as Lwaxana Troi’s giant servant Mr. Homn (played by Carel Struycken who also plays a giant in Twin Peaks, coincidence?) gets into the wine at a pre-wedding dinner as all the parents fight and Troi is about to get married to an inbred cat of a man who was also in Twin Peaks, coincidence? (yes actually). In ‘If Wishes Were Horses,’ Colm Meaney clearly wants to punch Michael Anderson who is NOT playing a leprechaun, we’re legally obligated to make that distinction and Bashir’s creepy Bimbo Dax fetish is revealed for all to see and in Voyager’s ‘Hope and Fear,’ OH MY GOD- CONSEQUENCES as Ray Wise impresses us while looking like he has a testicle on his head while undertaking a convoluted revenge scheme. Everyday, give yourself a present and don’t you think my cousin looks exactly like Laura Palmer?Episodes Discussed: ‘Haven’ (20:30) If Wishes were Horses (53:49) Hope and Fear (01:19:27) Talking Points include: We do not take enough drugs to do a Alejandro Jodorowsky podcast, Twin Peaks might have made Miles stop watching Star Trek back in the 90s, the movies of Sam Neil (RIP), Citizen Kane, sometimes a big iconic twist in a film or book overshadows how great the film is due to pop-culture osmosis, Wizard: The Guide to Comics, T’Pau the musician feels like a boring duplicate of Kate Bush, Miles pitches a Star Trek spin-off crime show and practices his pretty poor Twin Peaks impressions, if this were Space 1999 this would end VERY differently, Miles has a new head-canon theory about Data, The Virgin Bill Riker vs. The Chad Will Riker, Harp Porn, what colour would the Star Trek ‘Lodge’ be? Colm Meaney looks like he wants to throttle Rumpelstiltskin, Miles has never seen (but wants to see) Carnivale, Julian Bashir’s Bimbofication fetish, Miles (like the Joker) likes the keep the reason for his immigration multiple choice, Will Riker would punch Season 1 Julian, even imaginary Sisko is the best dad, we put more thought into the implications of Baseball Team ‘The London Kings’ than the writers, soccer is probably a much bigger sport in the future because soccer IS international, extreme-frisbee, Ray Wise’s veiny head testicle, Janeway is pretty genre savvy about their chances of getting back to the Alpha Quadrant, Neelix needs a drunk crazy man beard, Torres is probably not going back to prison when they return to Earth (but it’d be funny if she did), the wider geopolitical consequences of Janeway’s earlier actions, Ray Wise sells what might be the bleakest ending of a Star Trek episode… with a bollock on his head, why this one parter is a good season finale when they don’t try and recapture the Best of Both Worlds energy, how many times has Neelix let a con man on board?

    Star Trek X Twin Peaks: Put Your Hand in the Box

  8. Aug 10

    Casual Trek Classic: Star Trek: The Motion Picture

    We’re on holiday and/or having various life issues going on, so here’s a classic episode to help prime you for our upcoming Black Hole episode! Yes, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released almost a fortnight before Disney’s The Black Hole and frankly, ate its lunch. Charlie and Miles re-examine Star Trek: The Motion Picture, discovering whether it’s actually good (it is), the great soundtrack, special effects and Bones’ disco jumpsuit! They also watch The Changeling, where Kirk gets a weird metal son who looks like an electric toothbrush. Regular service will be resumed shortly, where we’ll watch episodes of Star Trek starring Twin Peaks actors!

    Casual Trek Classic: Star Trek: The Motion Picture
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Charlie is a lifelong X-Men fan. Miles is a lifelong Doctor Who fan. If ANYONE can objectively rank every single episode of Star Trek on a big list, it’s gotta be the people who think that Star Trek’s ‘Pretty Decent.’ (Citation Needed.)

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