Episode Notes Jude is not well during the first half of this episode so it's a little rough. Also, Jude and Justen have some Dune Thoughts. Worm. Past Tense Part 1: This meeting could have been an email. 2024?? Chroniton plot armor. 2024 looks are just rancid 90s looks. Why is Dax so much better than Sisko and Bashir at committing identity fraud? How would YOU cope with getting thrown 350 years into the past? Some Captain chat. Some political chat about how ripped-from-reality this plot...

Episode Notes Defiant: You know this is a utopia when the doctor can order vacations. Dax clearly thinks that Kira banged Riker. Because Dax also clearly banged Riker. You know something's wrong when someone is mean to O'Brien. Villainous Goatee! What happens if you put aluminum foil in the replicator? Kira being the A-plot main character is very pre-2001. Using the Maqis and the Bajoran rebellion as examples of morally grey terrorism is not ideal. Reading Enterprise logs must be...

Episode Notes Civil Defense: Who gave Garak root access? Good Quodo content. Redshirt vape. Dukat hoist by his own petard. Garak and Dukat being petty bitches to each other. A good antagonist is a delightful thing. Flirting by threats of mass deaths. Elevating the stakes. Meridian: I guess the writers just watched Brigadoon? O'Brien suffers level: Third Wheel. Surprisingly, the Dax plotline is NOT the horniest. Jeffrey... COOOOOOOOMBS Discarded episode titles: There's no ground in...

Episode Notes S3E5: Second Skin S3E6: The Abandoned Second Skin: Sisko bullies Garak. Cardassians seem to have very good cosmetic surgery for a lizard species. The Cardassian Sleeper Agent program is weird. Cardassians use unlabeled data crystals. Cardassia has much more depth to it than normal "enemy" cultures, or even most non-Earth cultures. The Abandoned: Justen loves a hot pirate lady. Odo now has a room for his bucket. 16-20 is not an age gap that we feel great about but it's... okay...

Episode Notes S3E3: House of Quark S3E4: Equilibrium House of Quark: Possibly the most BabPod episode in the history of Star Trek. It's not Miles and Keiko's fault that they were written in the 90s; it's otherwise a great example of a real marriage. Gowron caught the car and is now suffering. Klingon-Federation Enemies to Lovers Arc. We are in the Ronald Moore era of Trek and it shows. Equilibrium: w o r m. Jude loves captains cooking for their people. The Trill situation is sketchy as...

Episode Notes Part 1: Exploding consoles and fake shakes? We're back! The Defiant is a real Starfleet Warship. We all like to see Quark bullied. There was only one goo bucket. Teen Odo. Part 2: Wet Racists. Never exclude Romulans, they exclude you. You need friends to reality-check you when you want to be, say, a Starfleet Admiral. Somehow Odo is the least fascist wet fascist. We are now a Dragonriders of Pern podcast. BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So network. Connect...

Episode Notes Bad Vacations The Founders! The Jem'Hadar! The show's metaplot! A Camping Trip! Nog desperately wants positive role models, and just shines when Sisko praises him. The Galaxy Class analogue of Worfing. Bad Kira/Odo shipping, good Quodo shipping. Eris is not a name with positive connotations. Season 2 wrap-up! Jude's predictions for season three: A lot more Dominion Jake turns to writing, and more Nog plotlines More Garak BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So...

Episode Notes S2E24: The Collaborator S2E25: Tribunal O'Brien Suffers Level: Vacation/Unexpected Dental Work, use your judgement as to which is worse The Collaborator: An orb! Kai Winn is spectacular in making you hate her (GNU Louise Fletcher). Sisko is literally the only character who isn't a complete mess. Or maybe everyone in Bajoran politics are so thick that Winn's subterfuges are Succession-tier; Jude has a theory. The problems with prophecies. Tribunal: Directed by Avery f'ing...

Episode Notes S2E22: The Wire S2E23: Crossover The Wire: A painfully accurate example of addiction. Odo's back in wet-fascist mode. Bashir, just kiss him, for god's sake. Cardassians are catty bitches. Julian Bashir, ADHD Twink, and his boyfriend, Anxiety Space Lizard with PTSD. Crossover: The Mirror Universe is part of standard officer training. Kira is maybe the only person in Star Trek who does not recognize the name "Kirk". Quark's mix is switched. Garak is "Authoritarian Cutout...

Episode Notes S2E20-21 The Maquis Justen comes by their star trek b******t honestly. The Maquis The Maquis are the most fascinating political experiment Star Trek has ever completely whiffed. Quark out-logics a Vulcan, and Dukat is a weird little guy. Quark wants a hot alien lady to step on him, v. 200. The establishment of Dukat as Sisko's dark mirror. DS9 characters are allowed to have duality. The Federation is an HOA. Dax and Kira's weird conversation. We are joined by Steve! Steve...

Episode Notes S2E18: Profit and Loss S2E19: Blood Oath Profit and Loss: A Cardassian with two names? A Meaty Slap. It's always morally acceptable to steal from fascists UNLESS it breaks trust with your romantic partner. How in the world are there no consequences for this outright murder. Jude questions the Odo Book Club choice. Flirtation via politics and philosophy. The increasing complexity of Garak. The increasing complexity of Quark, altruistic in the most Ferengi way possible. Ferengi...

Episode Notes Justen, Ana, and special guest Andy discuss the Borg, the complexities of Starfleet, and fan works. Also, what happens when Alpha and Beta canon collide with the fan work you're doing. Andy is a life long fan of Sci-fi in all of its forms and creator and co-writers of the Wolf 359 Project, an oral history of the Battle of Wolf 359. He also hosts his own podcast ‘The Great Derelict’ where he talks about anything and everything to do with Sci-Fi. You can find him on most Social...

Episode Notes S2E15: Paradise S2E16: Shadow Play S2E17: Playing God Paradise: (CW: incest vibes discussion at one point). Shrek Energy. Dax's BDSM experience. O'Brien and Sisko's interesting comrades-in-arms relationship. Elixis would have a marble statue-head as a twitter avatar. Dax and Kira Bestie Mode. Shadow Play: Sisko is literally the best dad. Otherwise, a Very Horny Episode. Odo surprises Jude by being likeable. Springball has implications. Playing God: Cardassian Vole Hunt....

Episode Notes We promise, we get to the episodes EVENTUALLY. Armageddon Game: A true "O'Brien Must Suffer" episode. The triumphant return of the warcrimes airhorn. Jude makes Ninja Turtles assumptions. Don't jinx yourself in a room full of bioweapons. RIP The Ganges. These stupid aliens lost to a middle-aged mechanic and "the most fuckable twink in the Alpha quadrant". Does Sisko enjoy making O'Brien Suffer a bit? Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling, just...

Episode Notes S2E11: Rivals S2E12: The Alternate Rivals: Humperdink! Multiple widows. Bashir turns the twink meter up to 12. O'Brien suffers level: old sports injury. Ketchup shenanigans. Bajoran Orphans Fund! Spinning neutrinos and gambling... And the solution is "explode them". Ma Kent is a Nigerian Prince Scam. Bashir has "grown" since season one. Jude makes a prediction about Bashir/O'Brien. "I didn't beg you, I blackmailed you." New rule of acquisition! The Alternate: Plegg invented...

Episode Notes Justen (and Ana, once she remembered we were recording) speaks with John Concagh about fan history and deep, deep Trek lore. Warning: really deep lore. John Concagh is a postgraduate historian of the British Empire, and the writer of THE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT, a fan non-fiction work covering the history of the Federation - Klingon Cold War. He can be found at @Badsocialism on Twitter and Blusky. Tranquility Press can be found at https://tranquility.press/. BabSpace9 is a...

Episode Notes Second Sight: Everyone is so supportive of Sisko getting back out there. They want Captain Dad to be happy. The fact that the anniversary of Wolf 359 goes by without notice tells you when this show was. Nog Sex Ed again. The sub-genre of one-episode Trek romances. Sanctuary: Kira's no-good-very-bad-day. We're not big fans of this episode or the portrayal of the aliens. The plan is really not good but that doesn't stop everyone from blaming Kira and Bajor for some reason. We...

Episode Notes Jude can't do IKEA. Or social situations. Rules of Acquisition: Out of all the Starfleet captains, Sisko gets Ferengi. THIS is how The Dominion is introduced? This is accidentally a screwball comedy. The Ferengi work better in this show because they get to breathe. And they're all bottoms. Necessary Evil: A plasma storm is a metaphor for a station and its inhabitants. We're doing NOIR. Odo/Quark/Kira backstory! Bajoran fashion. Gul Dukat never stops vamping. Rom Skills! ...

Episode Notes Invasive Procedures: The senior staff--and Quark. The lived experiences of Trill washouts. Jude has questions about Trill, and so do the rest of us. Bashir shows some skills. B5 crossover via stunt doubling! What makes Sisko great? Cardassians: Secret Agent Garak! Dukat and Garak have a... history. Sisko always looks good. Jude breaks the plot accidentally. Dukat never has an ounce of doubt. Keiko's continual lack of cross-cultural sensitivity. O'Brien never does what you...

Episode Notes Yes, it's a three-parter, but all three are GREAT. Welcome to season 2 of DS9. The Homecoming: Call your factions one thing and just roll with it. Every character choice for O'Brien is "working class hero". Gul Dukat's statement is basically "we're sorry we got caught." Wait, is this a B5 episode? The Circle: Kira's hunka hunka monk. The Bajoran monasteries must constantly be ordering 55 gallon tubs of baja blast lube. "Here is our traditional garb, the banana hammock". Odo...

Episode Notes CW: Discussion of actual not-amusing war crimes, and religious extremism. Jude gets a promotion! Duet: People with the appelation "The Butcher of..." are always delightful people. This episode is packed with powerful performances, and the actors are up to the task of lifting this very heavy material. Bajor gets a lot of complexity that other species do not. In the Hands of the Prophets: Space Karen is back! Bajoran/Federation relations take a hit over education, but to be...

Episode Notes Jude bucks for a promotion. Justen is sleepy. The Forsaken: Wait, what is that music? It's... it can't be. It's Lwaxana Troi! The most DTF character in Star Trek. The Lwaxana/Odo pairing is spectacular. "The thin beige line between order and chaos" nearly killed Jude. Sisko is in dad mode all day. Has Odo ever had "the talk"? Lots of great one-liners this episode. O'Brien Suffers Level: a new puppy. Dramatis Personae: Alien f*****y! A new clock for Sisko! Nothing else in...

Episode Notes The Storyteller: Get in the minivan, Bashir! Horny teens should not be in charge of negotiations. O No My Bukkit. DS9 learned important lessons from TNG in terms of how to treat teenage characters--specifically, let them be cringe and celebrate it. Ferengi kinks. Justen strays into blasphemy. O'Brien Suffers Level: Dal'Rok Progress: Let's talk about eminent domain. What the hell do self-sealing stem bolts do? Invisible seaming techniques. The long-term payoffs of this episode...

Episode Notes Vortex: A... changeling? Odo--authoritarian, utilitarian, or just childfree? Good old ass-forehead trek aliens. Klingon shift! Jude trips over the plot from season 4-7. Battle Lines: Kira's "secret" Cardassian file. Artificial purgatories are kinda s****y. The procedural plot is REAL BAD, the plot-plot is kinda hard to watch. Killing off the space-pope after two appearances? O'Brien Suffers level: Ochre Runabout destruction count: 1 BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay,...