Star Trek: Picard was the second series in the new Star Trek line initially created by CBS: All Access and later continued by Paramount Plus. The series provided a bridge for fans who didn’t connect with Star Trek: Discovery by providing recognizable characters from the height of Trek popularity in the 90’s. While many fans appreciated this effort some did not appreciate the darker tone of that first season. A second season followed with a lighter tone but many plotting issues. In the third season, many Next Generation cast members as well as situations and characters from Deep Space Nine and Voyager were brought into the series to provide further touchstones to Star Trek series of the past. In this episode we discuss the third season of Star Trek: Picard. We discuss the new characters and the old and whether we appreciated the many call backs. We also talk about the plot, whether the Borg are overused, and what other legacy storylines could have been used for the hook this season. Along the way we opine on Star Trek: Legacy and what we’re like to see if that series ever comes to fruition.
Our five-minute controversy asks if streaming services removing content soon after airing is destroying our trust in them.
This week Stephanie is cohost and Tom and Joe join the cast.
Show Notes:
Streamers are removing a LOT of content
Picard Season 1 Panel
Picard Season 2 Panel
Like what you heard? Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/42cast. You can also find us on X as @42cast, Instagram/Threads as 42cast, or Blue Sky as 42cast.bsky.social. We can also be found on Pandora, Amazon Music, Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Please, leave us a review. Have a question for the Ultimate Answer? E-mail us at [email protected].
In this week’s episode we fire up the spore drive to arrive at Star Trek Discovery season 4. In this episode we delve deep into the storytelling, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of season length, using writers unfamiliar with Trek, and telling a narrative across multiple seasons. We also talk about how much we want to see more of the bridge crew, interspecies romance, and how all the teases to former Trek plots can be so frustrating. We also opine on communication issues, season resolutions, celebrity cameos, and what we want from a fifth season. 
Month’s ago, Seth Rogen made waves in the entertainment industry with his comments on criticism while guesting on The Diary of a CEO podcast. His comments spoke to the emotional pain suffered by entertainers who are the objects of negative reviews. His words called into question whether critics understand the impact of what they’re writing and implied that reviews shouldn’t include negative material because of its impact on others. In this episode our panel of actors and reviewers examine these comments and ask ourselves “Is there a place for criticism?” “What should or shouldn’t be allowed?” “Should only the professionals be allowed to do it?” We also discuss the role of the critic in society, understanding your audience, and how to use tact. Don’t forget to stay after the closing song to listen to our outtakes. 
The 42cast is proud to welcome Chicago-area actor, teacher, and science-fiction fan, 
As Strange New Worlds comes back to our screens, our panel discusses the first season. We discuss the cast, how we feel about the depiction of the legacy characters, and what we think about the new ones. We talk about the overall series concept and whether we like a return to an episodic format. We debate the use of “Kirk” and how two clever twists worked and whether we think future appearances will. We also get into the various performances, ideas, and references in the series. We finish by getting into what we’d want from a season 2. 
Time travel is one of the classic expressions of science-fiction. H.G. Wells went there with his time machine and Hollywood has gone to that well many times and told us many stories with that idea as their basis. In this episode we do a deep dive on time travel. We discuss the methods and philosophies of time travel that we’ve seen in various stories. We’ll talk about our favorite stories with time travel, and we’ll also talk about ones that we had issues with. We also debate the merits of the ending of Infinity War and discuss how time travel is effecting the MCU. 
It seems like you can’t throw an infinity of rocks without hitting a movie, TV show, or book that uses the concept of the multiverse. In this episode we delve deep into the concept of a multiverse. We discuss the various types of multiverse utilized in fiction and get a little into the meta and in-universe reasoning behind it. We talk about why the multiverse is a concept that holds our interest. Finally we give our recomendations for things that have used the multiverse well that you should check out. 
For many Star Trek: Discovery was a welcome return to the Trek universe for fans who’d wanted a Star Trek TV series for years. However, the series remained divisive with many long-term fans refusing to watch the series. Enter Star Trek: Picard a series meant to catapult the Star Trek franchise forward but providing ample connections for established fans. In this episode we do a deep dive on the series. We talk about the plot, the reunification of the Star Trek timeline, the characters and the cast. We also make sure to spend plenty of time on the cameos, the cathartic release from Star Trek: Nemesis, and our predictions for season two. 
We continue our discussion of the Star Trek Films with Star Treks IV – VI. In this episode we discuss killer whales and whether the move to lighten the franchise worked. We also discuss fan opinion of The Final Frontier and whether it’s as bad as people say. We’ll also talk about dark themes in the Undiscovered Country and how the passing of the torch happened years after the successor series was already in place. We also discuss the plots, new characters, directorial choices, and more. 
In 1977, Star Wars was released to movie theaters worldwide and created a smash hit phenomenon. Seeing the fervor for media content and merchandise many other sci-fi properties tried to horn in on the action. Star Trek had had a loyal fanbase since the 60’s and even had a new television series in the works, but with Star Wars blowing up the theaters it made sense that Star Trek could follow suit and also win big at the box office. The TV project, Star Trek: Phase II was shut down and Star Trek: The Motion Picture came to the big screen in 1979. The series of six movies that it spawned led to a revitalization of interest in Star Trek as well as a continuation for the actors who played the iconic roles. In this episode we have the first half of our discussion of the movies in which we talk about Star Treks I – III. We discuss how the big screen changed Trek, the themes of the different movies, whether the evens vs odds rule really works.