Captain's Log

Captain's Log 27: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Holodeck Programs

2013-02-15T04:41:17Z

With Microsoft recently developing a basic “holo-desk” program that allows users to manipulate 3-D computer-generated objects, a second look has been given to Star Trek holodeck programs and their uses. Whether holodecks were used for training, medical programs, sports and recreation, the re-creation of real-life characters, novels, childrens’ entertainment and learning, or even sex, the programs filled a need in starship crews’ lives. In this Captain’s Log we take a look at the those times when the holodeck was used well, those times when it wasn’t, and those moments that simply left you shaking your head.

Captain's Log 26: Endgame: Voyager Finds Her Way Home

2013-01-24T09:06:36Z

When Voyager premiered in January 1995 it brought with it a bold new approach to Star Trek. By tossing aside the familiar surroundings and races of the Alpha Quadrant, the writers could unchain themselves from the 300+ hours of Star Trek that had come before. It was to be an opportunity to explore strange new worlds in a way not seen since the original five-year mission of Kirk and Spock. But something happened along the way, and where we ended up isn’t exactly where we thought we were going. In this Captain’s Log, Christopher Jones takes a critical look back at the series from the perspective of “Endgame.”

Captain's Log 25: Voyager Season One Wrap-up

2013-01-10T05:43:29Z

The first season of Voyager brought us a wide variety of stories as Janeway and her crew learned to deal with life in the Delta Quadrant. Some were hits and some were misses. In this Captain’s Log, Trek.fm Voyager Editor Charlynn Schmiedt takes a look at how the overall ratings stack up for Voyager’s initial outing.

Captain's Log 24: Living In The Future: PADDs

2012-03-09T08:38:35Z

Know what away teams damn near always carry? Tricorders for scannin’! Phasers for stunnin’! Communicators for squawkin’! Sometimes they even pack specialized tools for more potent self-defense. Know what away teams almost never carry, though? PADDs. The forgettable, un-sung heroes of the Star Trek universe. Before 2010, anyone—even the more casual Trek fan—could be forgiven for forgetting what a PADD is. The devices represent the futuristic equivalent of a clipboard: a utilitarian, information-carrying slate no more remarkable to the citizens of the Federation than a cling-film sketch pad to us. At one time PADDs might have taken the crown of Star Trek’s Most Unremarkable Prop. That is, until humanity built a slew of more-capable devices… three centuries early. Let’s take a look at the PADDs of today and the apps available to Trek-ify your life.

Captain's Log 23: Rewriting Trek

2012-03-02T12:01:45Z

The fictional universe of Star Trek represents one possible future. That future has been assembled by numerous writers over the course of 45 years, six television series, and eleven feature films. When dealing with such a long span of time, so many contributors, and the evolving nature of society, it’s only natural that elements of this universe will change, stories will contradict one another, and early ambiguities will be filled in by later treks. Yet there is a prevailing feeling that every subsequent incarnation of Star Trek must adhere to its predecessors without fail. And when it doesn’t, the deviation can set off a firestorm within fandom. Let’s take a closer look at the fine line that writers walk and at some of the moments that have been labeled “rewriting Trek.”

Captain's Log 22: The Best of Star Trek: Voyager

2012-02-24T07:01:47Z

Most people I’ve talked to would call finding the top five Star Trek: Voyager episodes a game of Boggle. “Shake the episodes and just pick five. They’re all the same level of garbage.” But there are a few, like myself, who look at Voyager and see classic SF adventure that has more to offer than just a rainbow-colored lizard chef. So here are my picks for the five best episodes.

Captain's Log 21: Riker! Riker! Won't You Please Sit Down?

2012-02-20T08:28:29Z

William T. Riker always wanted his own command. It was his Number One priority—in terms of his career anyway. It’s hard to imagine the allure of the captain’s chair winning out over Minuet, Etana Jol, or certainly Deanna Troi. Yes, Riker’s love of women has been well documented over the years, but there is one other thread that ran through all of TNG: Riker’s desire to one day command his own ship. Fortunately, in the end, he didn’t have to choose. He got his ship and his Imzadi, too. But the road to that final destination was a long and winding one. Let’s take a look at just how that fourth pip landed on Riker’s collar to stay.

Captain's Log 20: Janeway and Chakotay: The Relationship that Never Was… Or Was It?

2012-02-10T09:52:55Z

Troi and Riker. Paris and Torres. Worf and Dax. Janeway and Chakotay. Wait. Janeway and Chakotay? Yes… sort of. It’s the relationship that’s been the topic of an endless stream of discussion—and fan fiction—since the mid-1990s. If many viewers had been writing the scripts, Voyager’s two most senior officers would have been more than just colleagues on the bridge. But there were many reasons why the relationship never came to be. Trek.fm Voyager Editor Charlynn Schmiedt takes a look at the romantic tension that ran through seven seasons of life in the Delta Quadrant.

Captain's Log 19: Kardashev Civilizations in Star Trek and Beyond

2012-02-03T07:28:07Z

We often hear scientists throwing around the fashionable statement that any alien civilization is going to be far advanced beyond our own. Such civilizations, they say, could be millions of years ahead of us. But what does it mean for a civilization to be a million years old? In this Captain’s Log we’ll examine an established method for classifying civilizations and find out where we are, where we’re headed, and just how far ahead of us those like the Iconians or that ancient humanoid played by Salome Jens may be.

JW Player goes here

Running Time: 11 minutes 36 seconds

Author

Christopher Jones

Narrator

Christopher Jones

You can also find a full-text version of this podcast in our Captain’s Log Journal.

Captain's Log 18: Living In The Future: Communicators

2012-01-27T11:27:55Z

If there’s one truth in this universe, it’s that Star Trek fans want communicators. They really do! And software developers, electronic engineers, and corporate product designers have all responded to the call from Trekkies around the world to “make my cell phone a communicator!” There have been some false starts along the way, but now that technology has made that very thing possible two decades of repressed demand has resulted in an explosion of apps, custom props, and, yes—a “Star Trek phone” or two. Let’s take a look at the history of the cell phones progression toward communicator status, and what’s available out there to Trek-ify your mobile life.

Captain's Log 17: Captain Janeway and the Ever-Morphing Hairdo

2011-11-30T02:12:58Z

Captain Janeway went through quite a few hairstyles over the course of Voyager. Mulgrew has explained that the nervousness about her hair was more about the producers’ nervousness about putting a woman in the captain’s seat; and instead of admitting that issue they focused on perfecting her appearance. Here’s a look at the many styles that adorned Kathryn’s crown.

Captain's Log 16: 10 Years Removed from Voyager: What's the Crew Up to Now?

2011-11-16T03:59:50Z

It has been ten years since the last episode of Star Trek: Voyager aired. With the exception of convention appearances, the world of Trek no longer consumes the cast’s lives. Here’s a look at what the actors and actresses behind the Voyager crew have been up to over the past decade.

Captain's Log 15: DeForest Kelley: The One and Only

2011-11-09T09:03:28Z

He is a beloved fan favorite, and he was also a favorite of his Star Trek co-stars. He was considered a quintessential Southern gentleman, and a selfless, intelligent actor. DeForest Kelley took the character of Dr. McCoy and made him his own. He developed McCoy from the ground up, and when you’re watching Bones be Bones, you’re watching Kelley be Kelley. Dr. McCoy is also a true Southern gentleman because of the man portraying him. Here are ten things you might not have known about our hero, De Kelley.

Captain's Log 14: Spook Treks: A Selection of Star Trek Episodes for Halloween

2011-10-31T14:11:03Z

Over the years Star Trek has had its share of creepy moments. The Original Series set the tone for spooks in space with the episode “Catspaw,” and since then there have been many more thrills and chills worthy of All Hallows Eve. Here’s a partial list to help you line up a spine-tingling night of Trek.

Captain's Log 13: The Best of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

2011-10-15T05:34:35Z

Asking a fan to name the five best episodes of a Star Trek series is like asking Quark which Rules of Acquisition are the best. There are too many that lead to profit to choose just five. Neverthless, I’m going to set out to name five of the best episodes from DS9.

Captain's Log 12: The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation

2011-09-30T07:39:43Z

Asking a fan to name the five best episodes of a Star Trek series is like asking Barclay which holodeck program is the best escape from reality. There are too many good ones to choose just five. Neverthless, I’m going to set out to name five of the best episodes from TNG.

Captain's Log 11: The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series

2011-09-20T09:05:41Z

Asking a fan to name the five best episodes of a Star Trek series is like asking Troi which chocolate dessert she likes best. There are too many good ones to choose just five. Neverthless, I’m going to set out to name five of the best episodes from TOS.

Captain's Log 10: Vulcans Running Amok! The Pon Farr

2011-09-13T06:07:33Z

“It brings a madness which rips away our veneer of civilization. It is the pon farr… the time of mating.” Fans of Star Trek: The Original Series are familiar with the episode “Amok Time,” which delves into Spock’s background and shows a never-before-seen Vulcan vulnerability. It’s a serious matter—a matter of biology. And what is being said here today, no outworlder must know. Vulcans do not even discuss it amongst themselves! So brace yourself, and send the kids to the other room.

Captain's Log 9: Twitterfic: Role Players Explore Strange New Worlds On Twitter

2011-09-09T08:23:05Z

Part role playing, part fan fiction, Twitterfic can be kind of a tough concept to wrap your head around until you’ve seen it in action. Though Twitterfic is not a game, the conventional description for what they do is “role play,” and it must be within 140 characters.

Captain's Log 8: Borgified! The Assimilation of Star Trek: Voyager

2011-09-07T01:28:58Z

If there’s one distinct impression that Star Trek: Voyager left on the audience, it’s that perhaps the series should have been called Star Trek: Borg. But is this really true? Was Voyager really assimilated by the Borg? In this Captain’s Log we take a look at the Borg on Voyager and find out just to what extent their nanoprobes infiltrated this chapter in the Star Trek saga.

Captain's Log 7: There's an Orb for That...

2011-09-02T11:54:09Z

Wanna find out the truth? There’s an Orb for that. How about traveling back in time to meet your hero? There’s an Orb for that, too. In fact there are Orbs for all sorts of things you may want to do… if you’re Bajoran. One of the unique aspects of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the inclusion of religion and spirituality. Here we take a look at the ten Orbs of the Prophets.

Captain's Log 6: Coming of Age for Star Trek The Animated Series

2011-08-24T04:10:20Z

Enterprise is often referred to as the fifth Star Trek series. In reality this is not true. There was a series between TOS and TNG that often gets overlooked. One that was created with ink and paper rather than cameras and lights. One that broke new ground for the franchise and kept Star Trek alive before the big screen voyages began. This was, of course, The Animated Series.

Captain's Log 5: It Takes More Than a Few to Make a Crew

2011-08-19T08:54:08Z

The Constitution Class Starship Enterprise boasts 430 crew members. We all know the bridge crew, but what about the rest of the folks who keep the ship running? Let’s get acquainted with a few of the key personnel whose faces were a ubiquitous and essential presence on board the Starship Enterprise.

Captain's Log 4: Assignment: Earth

2011-08-16T08:43:35Z

It’s the Star Trek episode that isn’t quite Star Trek. At the end of the second season of TOS Gene Roddenberry, with the help of writer Art Wallace, reworked an unsucessful pilot script entitled “Assignment: Earth” hoping it would serve as a springboard for a new series.

Captain's Log 3: Recounting Broken Bow and First Impressions of Enterprise

2011-08-12T06:01:20Z

The premise of Enterprise takes Star Trek into uncharted territory. After 18 years of life in the 24th century, we’re going back in time to tackle the untold history of the days before Kirk. Now, ten years later, whether this was ultimately a success is debatable. But here Trek.fm’s Christopher Jones rolls back time to share his initial thoughts after screening “Broken Bow” in 2001.

Captain's Log 2: Ranking the Star Trek Movies

2011-08-10T05:20:47Z

32 years. 11 films. 2 generations of Star Trek heroes and villains. The big screen has brought us some memorable voyages over the years and a few we’d rather forget. Which are the best and which are the worst? Trek.fm’s Christopher Jones gives you a rundown of his picks in this installment of our audio Captain’s Log.

Captain's Log 1: From Unfinished Alien to Pure Vulcan

2011-08-05T11:24:40Z

If Vulcan has a cucumber equivalent, Mr. Spock would be as cool as that. But imagine an excitable, bushy-browed Mr. Spock. The Vulcan we know and love wasn’t always as he is now. The first few episodes of Star Trek gave us an almost unrecognizable Spock.