Standard Orbit: A Star Trek Original Series Podcast
41: That’s Ridiculous

Racism In TOS.

Good science fiction is known for addressing contemporary issues in creative ways, and The Original Series was no exception. In this episode of Standard Orbit, Mike and Drew talk about racism and how TOS dealt with it (or didn't). We cover how the casting tried to overcome the racism of the era and how they directly tried to deal with it in the plots. We also discuss if McCoy being racist towards Spock undermined the integrity of the show's anti-racism message, and if it's okay that the entire crew acts racist towards the Klingons in Star Trek VI.

Direct download: so-041.mp3
Category:Social Issues -- posted at: 8:00am MDT

40: Return of the Jedda

Khan-mentary 2: The Wrath of Khan Commentary, Part 2.

Khan khantinues! For the conclusion of Khan-mentary 2, Mike and Drew continue their discussion of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with Khan expert John Tenuto. We explore what Roddenberry did and didn't like about the film, what scene is the best to quote along with in theaters, question of the nature of Jim and Carol's relationship, and dive into the Khan baby.

Programming Note: Because this commentary is very long, we have divided it into two parts. This portion of the commentary runs with the movie from 01:02:48 through the credits. Part 1 can be found in Standard Orbit 39.

 

Chapters

Intro (1:22)

Start Commentary (2:22)

Goodbye to John (53:07)

Outro (58:26)

Direct download: so-040.mp3
Category:Commentaries -- posted at: 8:00am MDT

39: Nautical But Nice

Khan-mentary 2: The Wrath of Khan Commentary, Part 1.

 

It's time to talk about everyone's favorite villain again! For Khan-mentary 2, Mike and Drew are joined once again by Khan expert John Tenuto to discuss the first half of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. We discuss the nature of spoilers in the 1980s and why Khan only wears one glove. Plus, find out which relative of Kirk's invented the sound of V'Ger and how Kirk compares to Lex Luthor!

 

Programming Note: Because this commentary is very long, we have divided it into two parts. This portion of the commentary runs with the movie from 00:00:13 to 01:02:48, just as Terrell is saying how Khan went wild on the Regula 1 scientists. Twenty seconds of music has been added to warn the listener when the split comes.

Direct download: so-039.mp3
Category:Commentaries -- posted at: 8:00am MDT

38: Drop a Clue On Their Journey

J. Michael Straczynski & Bryce Zabel’s Re-Boot the Universe.

With all of Star Trek’s popularity, it’s no surprise that several creators wanted to get involved to save it in the early 2000s. In this episode of Standard Orbit, Mike and Drew review of one of the pitches presented to CBS during Enterprise’s fade-out called “Star Trek: Reboot the Universe.” We talk about what the creators of Babylon 5 and Dark Skies promised to bring into Star Trek with their reboot pitch. Would the show have lasted long enough to get the full five-year plotting? Would the concept of TNG’s “The Chase” work as a huge story arc? Would we be okay with a female Scotty?

Direct download: so-038.mp3
Category:Other -- posted at: 3:00am MDT

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