8. The Big D

In The Big D, Katie and Kyle finally come to blows about a plot point in a Star Trek episode. Also, Katie chooses her favourite version of Harry Mudd, talks about crew loyalty to Captain Picard, tries to stomach a Dr. Bashir episode, and more!

What is in Episode 8: “The Big D”?

The episodes covered in this edition of Her First Trek are (TOS) “Mudd’s Women”, (TNG) “The Battle”, and (DS9) “The Passenger”.

Happy Birthday

Kyle reveals that this episode will air on his birthday. He’s 35.

This is Kyle’s second lockdown birthday, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

As typically happens when his birthday is on a Sunday, it has fallen on Easter Sunday, again. This is the first time it has happened since he became a father, so he expects his birthday will actually be all about his children and chocolate eggs, rather than him.

He feels that, at 35-years-old, he is officially middle-aged. That depresses him.

Thank You, Patreon Supporters

Kyle thanks his patreon supporters, who are subscribed via his Nerd Since ’86 website.

He wants to remind listeners that they get early access to episodes of Her First Trek if they become patreon supporters. They also receive an exclusive After Show.

Three Episodes

They say they are happy with the current formula, where they discuss three episodes per show. They will be doing the same, this week.

Kyle lists the episodes they are going to discuss.

Katie decides to start with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s The Passenger.

The Passenger

We start with Katie giving a rundown of the plot in The Passenger.

It’s a typically amusing Katie-style recap.

The Big D

Katie can’t remember what the name of a substance is, in the episode. It begins with the letter D.

Kyle says they should just call it the Big D.

It sticks.

Slightly Predictable

Kyle admits that he found the episode slightly predictable. He’d predicted Bashir’s role in the episode plot, before the opening credits started.

He was hoping the episode would surprise him with a twist, but it didn’t.

Katie admits that the random security officer, who showed up in this episode, was on her radar. She isn’t sure what the point was of his appearance, if he wasn’t to be the bad guy.

“God, I love Sisko!”

Whilst discussing Sisko’s dressing down of the random security officer, in an early scene, Kyle proclaims “God, I love Sisko!”.

“I’m not there yet, with Sisko.” Katie responds.

Quark

Why does Odo allow Quark to stay on the station? Katie is baffled.

Kyle suggests that Odo has a use for Quark, as he provides useful information on the illegal activity that takes place on the station.

Katie is still not a fan of Quark.

The Spoiler Guy

Kyle denies that his predictions, whilst viewing episodes, are accurate and full of spoilers.

Katie disagrees. Kyle has seen the episodes before, so she feels he is always providing accurate predictions because he knows the answers.

Kyle disputes this. He says he barely remembers the majority of the episodes they watch, for Her First Trek.

“I’m not the Spoiler Guy!”

Bad Language

Katie’s constant use of profanity shocks Kyle.

A Bit of a Pervert

They discuss Rick Berman’s behaviour, particularly toward Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax). It was inappropriate.

Katie wonders if that was part of the criteria that Gene Roddenberry was looking for, when he was being replaced as the head of the Star Trek franchise.

The Battle

They’re back with the real Big D, as they move onto their Star Trek: The Next Generation episode recap.

Katie runs through the plot, in a way that only she can.

She forgets how the episode ended, so Kyle makes the save.

The Stargazer

Katie was aware of the significance of the Stargazer, to Picard, as Kyle had previously explained the model of the ship that appeared in the first episode of Star Trek: Picard.

“You don’t want the old Mrs, meeting the new Mrs.” Kyle jokes, when asking how Picard must have felt bumping into his old ship.

Katie says he probably felt about a tenth of how she would feel, if she saw one of her old cars.

He isn’t sure if he has forgotten some Captain Picard lore, but Kyle isn’t sure what Picard was doing between the loss of the Stargazer, and taking over command of the Enterprise.

He questions the logic in giving the Starfleet flagship to a commanding officer who literally lost his previous ship.

Headaches

They reject Dr. Crusher’s claim that headaches no longer exist, in the 24th century.

Presumably, they just are easily cured with a quick hypospray, they agree.

The Ferengi

Katie enjoyed the Ferengi more in this episode, than in The Last Outpost.

She felt they were less simple, and closer to the type of Ferengi she has seen on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Red Shirts

They both take issue with Picard’s decision to send key personnel over to the Stargazer.

“Send the red shirts!”

Mudd’s Women

Before she recaps the plot of Mudd’s Women, Katie and Kyle discuss how she is already familiar with the character of Harry Mudd, due to Rainn Wilson’s portrayal of him in Star Trek: Discovery.

Were They Ugly?

A first real disagreement takes place, as Katie feels the three women looked perfectly fine before taking their beauty pills, but Kyle finds them ugly.

She claims they looked better than how she looks, which Kyle immediately laughs off, and denies.

“What is going on, right now?!” Kyle exclaims, as Katie continues to insist the women were good-looking before their pills.

Spock

Kyle wonders if Spock would have seen mention of the Discovery, when looking through Mudd’s criminal record. In theory, Spock may have been thinking of Michael Burnham, during this scene.

Objectifying Women

Compared to other TV that he has seen from the 1960’s, Kyle feels that Star Trek: The Original Series objectifies women more than those.

He rejects the idea that The Original Series was positive in how it portrayed women.

Katie has become somewhat disillusioned with the show, from how women have been treated in these early episodes.

A Wasted Hour

Neither of them enjoyed the episode.

Kyle calls it “a wasted hour” of his life, which he has not felt during any other episode during the Her First Trek rewatch.

“It occurred.” Is how Katie describes Mudd’s Women.

Harry Mudd 1.0 vs. Harry Mudd 2.0

Katie was excited to see Harry Mudd, given how much she enjoyed the character in Star Trek: Discovery.

Unfortunately, she feels that the character was completely different to the one she enjoyed Rainn Wilson portray. And, not in a positive way.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download