Saddle Up! A Star Trek Strange New Worlds Podcast

“Like Chronitons through the Hourglass”When the Enterprise again encounters the “cosmic entity” who once staged a wedding for Spock and Chapel, the crew find themselves trapped in a soap opera filled with classic tropes, melodrama, camera work, and music. There’s even an evil twin brother.In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Like Chronitons through the Hourglass.” We discuss the format, the potential, the execution, and … Sybok.ChaptersIntro (0:00:00)Nailed the Sybok (00:01:34)What the Hell Is a Soap Opera? (00:03:14)Lost Pain (00:09:13)Inept Writing (00:12:46)The Story that Could Have Been (00:17:05)Counselors Are Back! (00:20:39)Q Connection (00:25:43)Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:04)Closing (00:36:12)HostsC Bryan Jones and Matthew RushingProductionC Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Off-Hour”TGIF is in the air as the Enterprise alpha shift crew gets set for its weekend break. But all hell breaks loose when the ship is pulled into a slipstream wormhole. With the phenomenon knocking out power and accelerating them to greater and greater speeds, they must beat the clock to break free before the Enterprise passes the warp threshold and is torn apart. But first, a concert!In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Off-Hour.” We discuss the latest genre swing, the character development, the technobabble, crawling on the ship, surprise faces, and more.ChaptersIntro (0:00:00)A Storytelling Revelation (00:02:16)A Genre That Fits (00:07:16)Classic Technobabble (00:15:37)Crawling on the Ship (00:19:56)Chapel and M'Benga (00:24:25)Scotty's One True Love (00:29:07)Boyce Boyce Baby (00:35:25)Making Genre Work (00:40:08)A Grotesque Obsession (42:42)Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:46:53)Closing (00:51:57)HostsC Bryan Jones and Matthew RushingProductionC Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Level-Five Transporter Accident”Still miffed about the success of his Starfleet Academy nemesis, Declan Milder, Scotty is determined to extend the transporter range record he already set, a record previously owned by said nemesis, who is currently nearby as an engineer aboard the USS Witmere. And to rub salt in the wound, Scotty plans to beam his childhood puppet, Little Ricky, directly into Milder's quarters. But when the transport goes awry, the entire crew of the Enterprise is transformed into puppets. Only Spock, who was away aboard a shuttle, remains flesh and blood. That puts him in a tough spot when Orions intercept the Enterprise and decide to take over the ship. Now it’s up to Spock to save the day by doing everything himself, with a bit of help from Muppets hijinks.In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Level-Five Transporter Accident.” We discuss the concept, the puppets, the characters, the ending, the use of limited time, and more.ChaptersIntro (0:00:00)Hey Ricky! I'm Home! (00:02:14)Transporters Gone Wild (00:03:47)The Big Breakup (00:11:38)Internal Illogic (00:17:21)The Art of Puppetry (00:26:26)What an Undercut! (00:29:37)Spock Amok (00:35:49)Write Your Own Ending (00:38:07)Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:41:29)Closing (00:51:05)HostsC Bryan Jones and Matthew RushingProductionC Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“A Case of Chiaroscuro”When a stray probe wanders into the Mat'Aar system, Number One leads a team to retrieve it and send it back to Earth. There's just one problem. The 12th planet in the system is occupied by Klingons, and there's a D7 cruiser keeping watch. Actually, there are two problems. Thanks to unique properties of the Mat’Aar sun, everything is black and white. Forget the neutral zone, welcome to the no color zone! The crew take shelter on the planet while they wait for a clear path to avoid the D7. And that's where the third problem comes in. When they head into town, Number One is welcomed by the resistance because she just happens to be the spitting image of their missing leader, Nevette. To escape this occupied world, she must help the resistance finish their plans to fight back against the Klingons.In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “A Case of Chiaroscuro.” We discuss the black-and-white format, Number One's character story, a familiar face, the creative patchwork that the series has become, and more.ChaptersIntro (0:00:00)I Got That Monochrome Vision (00:02:42)An Obsession with Genre Remakes (00:09:30)Breaking the Number One Rule (00:11:56)In Living Color (00:16:17)What a Korincidence! (00:25:46)La'an's Paranoia (00:32:03)Spock's Fast Slide into Logic (00:35:49)Seeing the Forest for the Trees (00:38:17)Creating a Patchwork Legacy (00:42:03)Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:54:09)Closing (00:59:21)HostsC Bryan Jones and Matthew RushingProductionC Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Human Best Friend”It's time for shore leave! And what better place to spend it than on a planet run by Wisconsin's own Dave Nelson (no, really, he's Canadian … but not a spy), surrounded in air that naturally intoxicates you? The crew of the Enterprise get to go wild and explore their innermost thoughts, desires, and even fears as they take time off from Starfleet duty to experience the ultimate hangover. Bingo!In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Human Best Friend.” We discuss intoxicating air, characters gone wild, Star Trek's hangover, and more.ChaptersIntro (0:00:00)Star Trek's Hangover (00:02:35)Character Reactions (to Secondhand Atmosphere) (00:07:15)Total Eclipse of the Heart (00:11:04)Deep Desire to Be an Idiot? (00:13:32)Lower Decks Creeping In (00:19:22)Conflicting Concepts (00:23:26)Ortegas and Scotty (00:26:14)Spock and Kirk (00:32:04)Diplomacy on Drugs (00:36:20) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:38:11)Closing (00:46:38)HostsC Bryan Jones and Matthew RushingProductionC Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)