With the First Link

The SurvivorsTNG: SEASON 3, EPISODE 3 The Enterprise arrives at a distress to discover a planet completely decimated except for one small patch of land, a house, and a mysterious pair of survivors who say their planet was destroyed by a species of "hideous intelligence". Ruthie and Matthew discuss aging in the… 11 Oct 2024
1:03:20 3.02 - The Ensigns of CommandTNG: SEASON 3, EPISODE 2 Data is sent to facilitate the relocation of a human community that the Enterprise is shocked to discover resides outside of Federation territory. When Data arrives, he is met with resistance from the community's leadership - but an also an admiring ally. Ruthie and Matthew… 10 Jul 2024
1:25:51 3.01 - EvolutionIt's SEASON 3 of TNG and the series seems to have gotten a bit of a revamp with new uniforms, new opening sequence, and new lighting on the sets! Did our 80's Star Trek just become 90's Star Trek!? We think so! Also Dr. Crusher is back! Join us as Wesley Crusher accidentally creates a new… 11 Feb 2024
1:16:08 2.22 - Shades of GreyIt's the finale of Season 2 of Star Trek the Next Generation - where, during a real life writer's strike (not the one that just happened but back in '89) - we're left with a somewhat anticlimactic finale that is nevertheless a semi-charming flashback of the first two seasons of this legendary… 23 Jan 2024
59:19 2.21 - Peak PerformanceDid Yoda get it wrong when he said "Do or Do Not, There is No Try?" Picard has an answer to that when this episode features one of his most quoted lines "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." In this episode, Ruthie and Matthew talk about… 9 Jan 2024
1:21:27 2.20 - The EmissaryWhen on a mission to intercept a Klingon Battlecruiser, the Enterprise rendezvous with a probe carrying, K'Ehleyr, a Federation Ambassador who is half-Klingon and seems to have a place in Worf's past. Will Worf and K'Ehleyr be able to heal a rift between them and can they work together to stop a… 8 May 2023
1:04:41 2.19 - ManhuntWhile ferrying the fish-like Antedeans to a diplomatic conference, the Enterprise is intercepted by a shuttle transporting Lwaxana Troi! Not seen since season 1, Lwaxana has returned and is experiencing "The Phase", a time in the mid-life of a Betazed woman where her libido has quadrupled - she's… 24 Apr 2023
1:15:45 2.18 - Up the Long LadderWhen the Enterprise receives an automated distress signal, two human societies on the verge of collapse are discovered. One steeped in stereotype and the other experiencing replicative fade, a dangerous secret leads to the abduction of Enterprise crew members. This week Ruthie and Matthew are… 6 Apr 2023
1:34:40 2.17 - Samaritan SnareLaForge is placed in grave danger when the Enterprise responds to distress call from the Pakleds who need things to make them go...like our chief engineer! On a shuttlecraft road-trip with Wesley, Picard shares details of his "cocky" youth which led to a (literally) broken heart requiring surgery… 20 Mar 2023
1:11:15 2.16 - Q WhoQ is back! This time he wants to join the crew on their adventures through the galaxy. But when Picard refuses Q's request, the omnipotent entity hurls the Enterprise thousands of light years to face a new deadly threat to the Federation. Confronted by an overwhelming adversary, will Picard… 1 Mar 2023
57:47 2.15 - Pen PalsWhen Data receives a distress call from a planet on the verge of collapse, he needs to decide whether to ignore the distress call or violate the Prime Directive and send a reply. Data's decision not only shocks the crew, but leaves Captain Picard in the dark for weeks. Pulaski finally stands up for… 2 Feb 2023
1:17:12 2.14 - The Icarus FactorWhen a special envoy to the Enterprise turns out to be Commander Riker's father, some hard hitting blind martial arts fighting ensues as both men need to have it out in the ring. Riker has a hard decision about taking a promotion to leave the Enterprise. A grumpy Worf needs some acupuncture… 19 Jan 2023
1:16:44 2.13 - Time SquaredThe Enterprise encounters a derelict shuttle craft which appears to be from the future. But when the shuttle is determined to be one of the Enterprise's own containing a second version of Picard, the crew fear the premonition of doom the craft contains. Ruthie and Matthew talk about how we… 11 Aug 2022
1:08:30 2.12 - The RoyaleRiker, Worf, and Data become trapped in a recreation of "The Royale" a hotel featured in an Earth novel of the same name written in the 21st century. But why is this novel, with its cliché setting and characters, being played out in the frozen layers of a gas giant planet surrounded by debris from… 5 Aug 2022
55:58 2.11 - ContagionThe Enterprise responds to a call for help from Galaxy Class sister ship U.S.S. Yamato. But when the Yamato suddenly explodes the Enterprise crew must determine if the ship's destruction is caused by Romulans or by the relics of a long lost civilization. Data gets to do some physical comedy… 14 Jul 2022
1:08:58 2.10 - The DauphinWesley falls in love with a mysterious young woman named Salia who is destined to lead her world out of a civil conflict. But when Wesley gets too close, Salia's guardian demonstrates a power that may threaten the safety of the whole ship. Will Wesley's love threaten the Enterprise as well as the… 6 Jul 2022
1:03:44 2.09 - The Measure of a ManData's sentience and freedom of choice is on trial when he refuses orders to undergo a dangerous procedure. Ruthie and Matthew talk about parallels from this episode to the present-day crisis of body autonomy and how society excludes some humans when considering human rights. With the First Link is… 17 Jun 2022
1:25:22 2.08 - A Matter of HonorCrew members are going on officer exchange! Riker eats Gagh in anticipation of serving aboard a Klingon Bird of Prey, Ensign Mendon almost starts an interstellar War by over-analyzing space bacteria, Matthew and Ruthie also swap roles while talking about how it feels to be out of place. Main cover… 12 May 2022
1:05:10 2.07 - Unnatural SelectionIn this episode, the scientists at a genetic research station all suffer from rapid onset geriatric phenomena. But when Pulaski tries to save their genetically created children, she finds out that they are, in fact, the cause of it! Matthew and Ruthie talk about aging and try to figure out the… 28 Apr 2022
1:46:50 2.06 - The Schizoid MainIn this episode Data meets Dr. Ira Graves, the grandfather of cybernetics whose plans for immortality place Data in...Graves Danger! Ruthie and Matthew talk about whether they would want to live forever, and Matthew questions why other starships in the Federation can't patch leaks. 15 Apr 2022
59:01 2.05 - Loud as a WhisperThe Enterprise transports Riva, a deaf mediator, to the Solais system to help negotiate an end to 1500 years of civil war. Troi helps Riva cope with failure, Data learns a new language, and Matthew and Ruthie talk about how much better our society could be if we acknowledged our interdependence… 17 Mar 2022
1:08:51 2.04 - The Outrageous OkonaA charming smuggler arrives on the Enterprise sparking an interplanetary conflict. Data tries stand-up comedy. Ruthie and Matthew talk about the importance of humour and who in society gets to decide what is funny. Matthew tells bad space jokes. Main cover art by Nathan Nun (www.nathannun.ca) Theme… 8 Mar 2022
47:45 2.03 - Elementary, Dear DataHow do we define intelligence? Is an android incapable of original thought just because they have every Sherlock Holmes mystery memorized? In this episode, Matthew and Ruthie try not to be too angry with Pulaski for asking unfair questions, or with the ship's computer for creating a self-aware… 18 Feb 2022
1:00:15 2.02 - Where Silence Has LeaseIn this episode Worf and Riker fight Holo Lizards, the Enterprise is swallowed by a child-faced void, and Ruthie and Matthew talk about our human responses to powerlessness. Main cover art by Nathan Nun (www.nathannun.ca) Theme Music by Flame Lion Studios 3 Feb 2022
54:23 2.01 - The ChildIt's the second season premiere of TNG, and the Enterprise has a brand-new Chief Medical Officer, along with a new Chief Engineer and Chief of Security. And, of course, Riker has a new beard and Troi very briefly has a child. Matthew and Ruthie discuss the unfortunate implications of the mystical… 20 Jan 2022
56:15