23. Audio Commentary: Carbon Creek (Patron’s Choice)

Kris Hill and Kyle West provide audio commentary for Star Trek: Enterprise’s “Carbon Creek”. Patreon subscribers chose the subject matter, and discussion style, for this Patron’s Choice episode of The Expanse – A Star Trek: Enterprise Podcast.

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23. Audio Commentary: Carbon Creek (Patron's Choice)
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What is in Episode 23. Audio Commentary: Carbon Creek?

Merry Trekmas and a Happy New Year!

Kyle West wished all the listeners a Happy New Year and hoped that everyone enjoyed their Christmas. He enjoys Christmas more since he had children.

Kris Hill mentioned everyone just wanting money, for Christmas. Kyle joked that he always got deodorant boxsets when he didn’t need them, but now he does, and no one buys them for him.

Last year, Kyle’s best present was a pair of slippers. He’s getting old.

Kris said that the best present all Trekkies could hope for is an announcement that CBS is going to remaster Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.

2020 – The Year of Hell?

Despite the popular opinion of 2020 being a horrible year, Kyle said he is thankful for all the good that happened for him, including a return to the podcast world.

Kris agreed, and they discussed how they both also launched other new podcasts, too.

Nerd Since ’86

After Kyle mentioned a new project he is launching in 2021, Kris pressed him to reveal details.

He announced the launch of his entertainment website, set for 1st January 2021. It will be at www.nerdsince86.com.

Emperor Trump?

They discussed how 2021 will induct a new US President.

Kyle joked that Donald Trump will rise like Emperor Palpatine, from Star Wars, and run again in 2024.

Kris said that he wouldn’t be surprised if Donald Trump runs as an Independent, “creating the third party that nobody wants.”

Patron’s Choice

Kyle revealed that this episode would be an audio commentary for Carbon Creek. It was chosen by Patreon subscribers.

He said that Carbon Creek is an episode that wouldn’t appear on a Top 10 list of Star Trek episodes, but that for those who have watched Star Trek: Enterprise, it probably would appear on their own Top 10 episodes of the show.

Reviews

Kyle thanked everyone for the reviews they have left for the show, in 2020.

They both appreciate the support.

Kyle checks for new reviews every day.

How to Watch

Kyle would be watching Carbon Creek via Netflix, and Kris via his own digital copy.

They listed the various platforms on which people could watch the episode if they wanted to watch along with the audio commentary as a soundtrack.

Time For A Story

From Archer’s dialogue, Kyle assumed that Carbon Creek takes place on the first anniversary of the “Broken Bow” mission.

Kyle misses the “innocent charm” of the Season One and Two scenes that took place in the Captain’s Mess. He said the show missed such scenes, in the seasons that followed.

I’m a Celebrity…

They spoke about Russell Watson, singer of the Star Trek: Enterprise theme tune, who was appearing on British reality TV series “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!” at the time this podcast was recorded.

Watson was in Kyle’s home country (Wales), to film the series.

Similar Genes?

Kris said that he isn’t bothered when a TV show uses the main actor to portray one of their ancestors.

Kyle revealed that he finds it annoying. He struggled to get his four-year-old son to understand that it was not T’Pol in the scenes in the 1950s.

Kris thinks the only bad use of the casting technique was Brent Spiner appearing as every member of the Soongh family.

Goodbye Values!

The speed at which one of the Vulcan’s wants to suddenly kill, and eat, an animal amused Kyle.

Trivia Time

Kyle asked Kris if Carbon Creek was a real American town, or fictional. Kris believed it was fictional, but was going to check.

From memory, Kyle recalled photos leaking from the location shooting of this episode. He believed the timing meant that “Carbon Creek” was the first episode to be filmed for season two.

Gratuitous Nudity

“Showing off Jolene’s bits and pieces, for no reason.” Kyle was not impressed at the decision to show Jolene Blalock changing behind a bedsheet [on a washing line].

It was unnecessary, and it made him feel bad for Blalock.

Kris agreed.

“There’s no chance in hell that CBS’ Trek does that now,” Kyle stated.

The Ranch

As a big fan of Netflix’s “The Ranch”, Kyle thought the first bar scene reminded him of that show’s vibe. Particularly the music.

Mestral

Kris said that Dayton Ward and Greg Cox have used Mestral in their Star Trek novels.

Kyle didn’t know that, but felt it made sense, given Mestral was there on Earth for a long time after this episode.

“He’d have to survive 2020 first, though.” He joked, in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, and general awfulness of the year.

The Vulcan Look

Kyle was full of admiration for how Jolene Blalock portrays a Vulcan. He said she had the perfect look for it.

He was impressed by how Blalock was able to make T’Mir feel very different to her portrayal of T’Pol.

Blalock’s T’Pol is his favourite Vulcan in Star Trek, followed closely by Ethan Peck’s Spock. He added that he is also a fan of Leonard Nimoy’s Spock.

Cross-Marketing

The reference to The Twilight Zone was amusing to Kyle, given William Shatner appeared in the original run of that series.

He was also reasonably sure that Carbon Creek aired at a similar time to UPN launching their own version of The Twilight Zone, too.

Kris said that all of the main stars of Star Trek: The Original Series appeared in the original Twilight Zone.

On Location

The cost of shooting this episode is raised by Kyle, who says that the use of old cars, and towns, does not come cheap.

Kyle added, thanks to COVID-19, there will be very little location shooting in any Star Trek shot in 2021. CBS will instead be using screens for backdrops.

Given how common they appear in Trek, Kyle wondered if Paramount had standing sets for cave tunnels.

Kris joked that Mestral could be stood close to where Neelix lost his lungs, in Star Trek: Voyager.

Other Bits

Kyle would have liked to see T’Mir, from the end of this episode, meet season four’s T’Pol.

Do mentions of Romulans give you chills? They do for Kyle, who told Kris that he loves when the show hints at the greater history of the Star Trek universe.

Doing some quick maths, Kyle wondered if the Vulcan trio were on Earth for six months, or more.

What was T’Mir’s fake name for the Humans? Kyle and Kris will never know.

Velcro

Kris said that Velcro was created in 1941. Kyle wanted to pretend that wasn’t true so that he could believe T’Mir gave it to humankind.

Kris also pointed out that the money jar, which contained the money T’Mir was paid for the Velcro, also included money that was only in circulation when Enterprise was in circulation.

Kyle was amazed by how sloppy an error that was, given how much effort went into ensuring the episode’s production was right for its time period.

Who Would Believe T’Pol’s Story?

The episode ends with Trip and Archer believing that T’Pol told them a fictional story.

Kyle thinks that Archer likely believed T’Pol’s story, but that Trip would’ve taken much longer to ever come around to thinking the same.

They weren’t sure why T’Pol didn’t know Mestral’s fate, believing she would have looked into it, when she first came to Earth.

Thoughts

Both hosts loved the episode.

Kyle called it a chance for viewers to catch their breath, coming off of “Shockwave”, with “Minefield” and “Dead Stop” following immediately afterward.

Resistance is Futile

Kyle revealed that, for the next three weeks, THE EXPANSE – A STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE PODCAST would be running a Borg-themed three-parter.

The first week would be a review of The Next Generation’s “Q Who”, and a study of the Borg as a whole. Ria Papageorgiou will join them as a special guest.

The following week, Kyle and Kris would be discussing Star Trek: First Contact.

The final week of the Borg series would focus on Enterprise’s own Borg episode, “Regeneration.”

They wished all listeners a Happy New Year.

Episode Credits

Hosts

  • Kris Hill
  • Kyle West

Editor

  • Kyle West

Small Print

This episode contains the audio track for Star Trek: Enterprise episode, "Carbon Creek", and is the property of CBS Viacom.

Music used in this podcast is licenced by Holosuite Media through Epidemic Sound. The theme music is "Heroics" by Boil The Ocean. Other music used includes "Red Red Shoes" by Czar Donic, and "Prescient" by Howard Harper-Barnes.

STAR TREK and all related marks, logos and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc.

The Expanse, Holosuite Media, the website, the promotion thereof and any exhibition of material created by The Expanse, Holosuite Media, or The Expanse team are not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with CBS Studios/Paramount Pictures or the STAR TREK franchise.

This podcast is a fan production. All views made are that of the individual(s), and may not represent that of The Expanse, or the Holosuite Media network.

The Expanse Podcast
The Expanse - An Enterprise Podcast
23. Audio Commentary: Carbon Creek (Patron's Choice)
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