Episodes

  • S01E11. Inquisition

    S01E11. Inquisition
    Jan 8 2025
    I can assure you: this is no game. Melissa brings "Inquisition," the 18th episode of Season 6 of Deep Space Nine, written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle and directed by Michael Dorn, the actor of Worf; one of only four episodes of Star Trek he directed. Like Elite Force, this episode contains a lot of questionable military ethics. We discuss assessment, astonishment, morality, espionage, truth, and the Promenade. We also geek about homosociality, academic conferences, and the actor William Sadler. Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at onscreen@beforethefuture.space, contact us on social media (we’re now also on Mastodon: @beforethefuturecame@trekkies.social), or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space. For our next episode, we'll be watching The Next Generation S03E19, "Captain's Holiday," written by Ira Steven Behr and directed by Chip Chalmers. Before the Future Came is edited by Lucy Arnold, transcribed by Melissa Av
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • S01E10. Elite Force

    S01E10. Elite Force
    Dec 3 2024
    Content Warnings: mention of motion sickness and vomiting Consider this your personal Kobayashi Maru. Gregory brings Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force, a video game released in 2000 by Raven Software. Like "In a Mirror, Darkly," this episode involves the denizens of the Mirror Universe. We discuss first contact, video games, military orders, courtesy, romance, and canonicity. We also chat about Jefferies tubes, stealth, and technobabble. If you don't want to play the game yourself, you can watch the same video Lucy did on Youtube. (The transcript for this episode is in progress and will be added to this post when it’s ready.) For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website. Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at onscreen@beforethefuture.space, contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space. Connections: The Etherians do not appear in any other Star Trek works. Nic
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • S01E09. In a Mirror, Darkly

    S01E09. In a Mirror, Darkly
    Nov 5 2024
    Love never fails. Lucy brings "In a Mirror, Darkly" Parts 1 and 2, episodes 18 and 19 of Season 4 of Enterprise. Part 1 was written by Mike Sussman and directed by James Conway. Part 2 was written by Mike Sussman and Manny Coto and directed by Marvin V. Rush. Like the 2009 film Star Trek, this double episode explores an alternate history. We talk about compassion, misogyny, dehumanization, censorship, and torture. We also chat about the ongoing story of the mirror universe, biblical references, and these episodes' special intro sequence. For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website. Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at onscreen@beforethefuture.space, contact us on social media (we're now also on Mastodon: @beforethefuturecame@trekkies.social), or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space. Connections: The Tholians first appear in The Original Series S03E09, "The Tholian Web," which also shows how the
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • S01E08. Star Trek 2009

    S01E08. Star Trek 2009
    Sep 11 2024
    Fire everything we've got! Melissa brings the 2009 film Star Trek, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and directed by J.J. Abrams. Like "Crisis Point" and "Crisis Point 2," this movie dives headlong into the action genre. We discuss vilification of labor, misogyny, and character motivations. We also chat about destiny, humor, set design, and lens flares. For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website. Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at onscreen@beforethefuture.space, contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space. Connections: The Kobayashi Maru scenario is introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and is later depicted in Prodigy S01E06, "Kobayashi." Chekhov's accent is notably used for comedic effect in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, where he carefully enunciates "nuclear wessels" to a cop. Khan Noonien Singh is first discovered (in the primary time
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • S01E07. Crisis Points

    S01E07. Crisis Points
    Aug 7 2024
    These graphics are mindblowing! Gregory brings "Crisis Point," the ninth episode of season one of Lower Decks, written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Bob Suarez; and "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus," the eighth episode of season three, written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Michael Mullen. Like "Subspace Rhapsody," these episodes engage in a specific genre: here, the action movie. We discuss family, race, and the power of narratives. We also touch on mental health, aspirations, Star Trek movies, punishment in Starfleet, and holodeck episodes. (The transcript for this episode is in progress and will be added to this post when it’s ready.) For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website. Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at onscreen@beforethefuture.space, contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space. Connections: Deanna Troi's mother Lwaxana Troi first appears in The Next Ge
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • S01E06b. Programming Note and New Listener Recommendations

    S01E06b. Programming Note and New Listener Recommendations
    Jul 2 2024
    There's no episode for July 2024, but we offer some recommendations for new listeners about some of our favorite pre-Star-Trek episodes. We'll return in August with Lower Decks S01E09, "Crisis Point," written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Bob Suarez, and S03E08, "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus," written by Ben Rodgers and directed by Michael Mullen.
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    2 mins
  • S01E06. Subspace Rhapsody

    S01E06. Subspace Rhapsody
    Jun 5 2024
    It might be time to change our paradigm. Lucy brings "Subspace Rhapsody," the ninth episode of season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff and directed by Dermott Downs. Like "Sarek," this episode has the crew overwhelmed by their emotions and forced to express them in unproductive ways. We discuss connection, authenticity, and imperial communication. We also talk about genres, theme and variation, secrets and lying, K-pop (Klingon pop), retcons, and the nature of musical episodes. (The transcript for this episode is in progress and will be added to this post when it’s ready.) For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website. Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at onscreen@beforethefuture.space, contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space. Connections: La'an Noonien-Singh hooks up with an alternate version of James Kirk in Strang
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • S01E05. Sarek

    S01E05. Sarek
    May 8 2024
    Bedlam! Melissa brings "Sarek," the 23rd episode of season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation, written by Peter S. Beagle and directed by Les Landau. Like "The Sword of Kahless," this episode features a recurring character coming to terms with the end of his career. We talk about illness, aging, dignity, honesty, gender, and violence. We also discuss everyday life in space, Mark Lenard, and retro style. (The transcript for this episode is in progress and will be added to this post when it’s ready.) For images discussed in this episode, visit the episode page on our website. Please let us know what you think about the show! Hail us at onscreen@beforethefuture.space, contact us on social media, or comment on our website at beforethefuture.space. Connections: Sarek first appears in The Original Series S02E15, "Journey to Babel," and Mark Leonard reprises this role in The Animated Series S01E02, "Yesteryear," and several films. Sarek's other son Sy
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    1 hr and 26 mins