Out of Contreks

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A podcast where two guys who have seen part of Star Trek try to watch all of Star Trek, in no particular order.

outofcontreks


    • May 25, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 48m AVG DURATION
    • 177 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Out of Contreks

    Ep. 162: "Broken Bow, Parts 1 and 2" (ENT S1E1)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2025 48:09


    Ryan and Brady dig into the pilot of Enterprise, talking about what works, what doesn't, whether it's pronounced "bow" or "bough," and why Brady wasn't allowed to watch Enterprise when he was a kid (it was too horny!).

    Ep. 161: "Extreme Risk" (VOY S3E5)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2025 45:27


    Ryan and Brady examine this mid-series Voyager outing and cast a wary eye on its rather simplistic portrayal of depression. We also discuss the origins of the Delta Flyer, a couple of entries in Ethan Phillips' non-Trek acting career, and once again ponder the dynamics of what is actually going on in a holodeck.

    Ep. 160: "In a Mirror, Darkly Part 1" (ENT S4E18)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2025 45:13


    For once, Ryan and Brady come not to damn Enterprise with faint praise, but to celebrate it! This jaunt through the mirror universe is easily the most fun they've ever had watching an Enterprise episode, and they revel in the fun haircuts, the evil dogs, and one of the simplest and most effective episode openers in the history of the franchise.

    Ep. 159: "Arena" (TOS S1E19)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 45:05


    Ryan and Brady cover one of the most famous Star Trek episodes of all time, the once maligned, now kind of adored (?) Arena. But does this famous Original Series entry really deserve the mockery or acclaim that many viewers have placed on in over the years? How does it hold up to other, less famous, episodes of the original Star Trek run? We get into those questions and more in this very fun record.

    Ep. 158: "Kir'shara" (ENT S4E9)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2025 36:46


    Ryan and Brady return to the tangled web of late Enterprise Vulcan conspiracy chronology, watching the next episode after another episode they watched a while ago and sort of try to recall at the beginning of the show. Listen in as they discuss the episode's strange surprise ending, continue to heap praise on Jeffrey Combs, and, as so often happens when talking early 2000s Trek, compare this episode to The Phantom Menace.

    Ep. 157: "The Empath" (TOS S3E12)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2025 32:49


    Ryan and Brady tackle another Season 3 episode of The Original Series, and while this one is a bit thin on plot, it boasts a real set of aesthetic choices that make it well worth a discussion. Join us as we discuss test tube scientists, the great chemistry of TOS's three leads, and how in the end, The Original Series really was a show made by a well-meaning but undeniably horny middle aged guy.

    Ep. 156: "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" (TOS S3E8)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 52:26


    On this week's episode, Ryan and Brady are covering the the longest episode title in Star Trek history! But is this mid-season 3 outing worthy of such a portentous name? Join us as we discuss Shakespearean deliveries, tube-based security systems, and if maybe the Star Trek Season 3 haters didn't know just how good they had it. We also talk about fan-maintained wikis and the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider series. It's a wide-ranging discussion!

    Ep. 155: "The Search, Part 2" (DS9 S3E2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 39:11


    Ryan and Brady talk about yet another very "lore important" episode of DS9 they've happened to draw, including some discussion on the genuine rapport of Kira and Odo, how to tell when you're in a Star Trek simulation, and, of course, Garak appreciation.

    Ep. 154: "A Moral Star, Pt. 1" (PRO S1E9)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2025 41:11


    Ryan and Brady dive into the first part of Prodigy's first mid-season finale, discussing the new uniform variant, what happened to make the Diviner so mean, "evil" holograms, and, as always, this show's similarity to Star Wars: Rebels.

    OOC Special 13: "Section 31" (plus Prodigy S2 and Lower Decks S5), with Mark Rustad

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2025 137:41


    Ryan and Brady get together with MVP Out of Contreks listener Mark Rustad to discuss the new Section 31 TV movie, a film that is not very much a movie, nor is it very much about Section 31. There is one pretty cool sequence in it, though, which they talk about for a while, as well as the movie's long-gestating production history, dialogue problems, and how it ranks on the overall list of Star Trek films (hint: low). Then, they circle back to 2024 to do mini-specials on Prodigy Season 2 and Lower Decks Season 5, the two shows they couldn't do full specials on last year due to time constraints. Note: This episode was recorded very close to its air date, so it is only lightly edited.

    Ep. 153: "Obsession" (TOS S2E13)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2025 38:45


    In this episode, Kirk has to fight some sentient gas! This might not sound like the most innately interesting thing for an episode of Star Trek to be about, but join Ryan and Brady as we discuss the ways the writing team -- and, especially, the main trio of TOS actors -- get as much juice as possible out of this concept.

    Ep. 152: "Inheritance" (TNG S7E10)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2025 42:09


    It's a good thing Data can't feel embarrassment, because, oh boy, otherwise his mom would be pretty embarrassing! Ryan and Brady discuss this late period TNG episode and its one big twist, how it's similar to a better DS9 entry about Odo, and how there's a normal episode of Star Trek going on in the background.

    Ep. 151: "Vox Sola" (ENT S1E22)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2024 41:54


    Fresh from the highs of our 150th episode, Ryan and Brady sit down to discuss Enterprise's version of Devil in the Dark, which heavily features a snot monster. Real talk? Why is this episode called "Vox Sola"? In Latin, that means "lone voice," which I guess sort of makes sense because it's absorbing all of them into its being, but there are still plenty of voices trying to keep that from happening. Feels like a first draft!

    Ep. 150: "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2024 71:39


    It's an anniversary episode for Out of Contreks, which means that this time, we're tackling The Search For Spock. Join Ryan and Brady as we discuss the first Trek movie that feels like a long TV episode, some incredible '70s fashion that just happened to appear in the '80s, and how, to woo Leonard Nimoy back to the franchise, the Trek helmers allowed him to direct a movie about how Trek isn't as good when he's not in it (which is true!).

    Ep. 149: "Second Sight" (DS9 S2E9)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2024 33:32


    In this DS9 episode, Sisko falls in love with a figment of someone else's imagination. In this podcast, Ryan and Brady talk about that for a while and then discuss the galaxy's most overconfident scientist and how exactly we're supposed to feel about the end of the episode.

    Ep. 148: "The First Duty" (TNG S5E19)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2024 51:52


    In this episode, Ryan and Brady take on the one with young Tom Paris... Wait, I mean Nick Locarno! We also talk Boothby, an understated performance by Gates McFadden, and more!  This episode was put together in a hurry, as Ryan is in a Shakespeare production this weekend, so sorry if the audio is maybe a bit less edited than usual.

    Ep. 147: "Once More Unto The Breach" (DS9 S7E7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2024 44:21


    Ryan and Brady talk about an episode that really benefits from the long-game serialized storytelling that DS9 and 90s Trek in general did so well. Plus, we touch on more Klingon traditions and praise good old J.G. Hertzler!

    Ep. 146: "The Lights of Zetar" (TOS S3E18)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2024 48:38


    Can Star Trek live on aesthetics alone? Brady says no, Ryan says... maybe? Kind of? in this iffy but striking outing of the Original Series' infamous third season. Come for the comparisons to David Lynch, and stay for the boys' reminiscing on puppet-based children's entertainment (the creator of Lamb Chop wrote this episode!). 

    Ep. 145: "Darkling" (VOY S3E18)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2024 37:00


    In which Ryan and Brady don't make a "Darkling Doc" joke and really go in on trash-talking Brannon Braga for a good long while. Also, if you like the sound of CCG card packs being opened on mic, we do that here for a while!

    Ep. 144: "The Star Gazer" (PIC S2E1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2024 43:59


    Join Ryan and Brady as they discuss the premiere of what at least one of them thinks is actually the best season of Picard, if only for the sartorial choices... and then listen as they both are disappointed that this isn't the second episode, which has fun stuff like the skull of Gul Dukat. They also discuss a bit of Star Trek news that is probably about a month old at this point!

    Ep. 143: "The Raven" (VOY S4E6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2024 49:07


    Ryan and Brady mull alien fashion, discuss the always-reliable Jeri Ryan, and reflect on how Neelix is just a very nice man in this surprisingly solid Borg episode of Voyager. Plus, Ryan cracks a pack of Star Trek CCG cards in the cold open! What will he find? (mostly some Hirogen commons)

    Ep. 142: "Sacrifice of Angels" (DS9 S6E6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2024 48:23


    Ryan and Brady saddle up for their last "accidentally out of order" episode of the summer (for the five or so real-heads who might actually care, obviously, the episode we mention doing "next," Yesteryear, was actually our previous episode, and our real next episode is Voyager's The Raven). Regardless of the confusion, we have a good time talking about Gul Dukat, the greatest villain in Star Trek history, as well as a brief consideration of the number of "important" DS9 episodes we've watched for the show.

    Ep. 142: "Yesteryear" (TAS S1E2) with That's Not How Science Works

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 78:57


    Sorry for the late-night post, folks. Ryan just got back from Gen Con. In today's episode, Ryan and Brady are joined by frequent guests Caitlin and Nicole of That's Not How Science Works to discuss the consensus choice for the best entry of Star Trek: The Animated Series. Join us as we discuss good animation vs. "good" animation, DC Fontana knowing her stuff, and Ryan crying while watching this decades-old cartoon for children.

    Ep. 140: "Sacrifice of Angels" (DS9 S6E06)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 43:46


    Ryan and Brady talk about a consequential episode that gives our podcast its best look yet into the psychology of Gul Dukat. We also spend a bit of time talking about a VCR game that features Robert O'Reilly as Martok, which is where today's episode art is from. It's a good time!

    Ep. 139: "Sleeping Dogs" (ENT S1E14)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2024 38:00


    Ryan and Brady delve into the ins and outs of a perfectly serviceable Enterprise episode, including a writing cliche Ryan hates, a discussion of the medbay's weird horny sauna, and a tangent on Paramount+ streaming content.

    Ep. 138: "The Time Trap" (TAS S1E12)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2024 38:52


    If the metatextual meditation on PTSD of our last episode was too much for you, allow Ryan and Brady to talk about The Time Trap instead, a goofy Animated Series episode that had Ryan's son saying "huh, good episode" as the credits rolled. Discussed: the alien UN, the weird piece of tape that connects the Enterprise to the Klingon ship, and more.

    Ep. 137:"It's Only A Paper Moon" (DS9 S7E10) with Into The Unknown's Max Brooke and Michael Gernes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2024 107:30


    With what we're pretty sure is our longest episode of all time, Ryan and Brady dive into this classic Deep Space Nine episode with the help of Max Brooke and Michael Gernes, the designers of the upcoming Star Trek miniatures game "Star Trek: Into the Unknown." Max and Michael break down the analysis of Star Trek metafiction, the logistics of holodeck food, and the long-game characterization of DS9, but first, they sit for an extended interview on their cool new game from WizKids, which debuts later this year (and is set during the Dominion War).

    OOC Special 12: Discovery, Season 5 (FIXED upload)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2024 86:29


    Sorry for the audio issues, folks. This file should have both hosts' audio. Ryan and Brady dig into the final season of Star Trek Discovery and come to the conclusion that this season was, if not great, also was not bad! We rank the seasons, talk about the finale, discuss the ending, and wonder if one of the writers found religion during the course of writing the show. All that, and more!

    Ep. 136: "Tattoo" (VOY S2E09)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2024 47:49


    Ryan and Brady talk about well-meaning but strangely tone-deaf episode of... you guessed it, Voyager. Come for the discussion of how pop culture so often treats Native American culture with a patronizing air, and stay for the ponderings on how a holographic tissue works.

    Ep. 135: "Birthright, Part 1" (TNG S6E16)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 40:52


    On this gentle evening episode of Out of Contreks (that's what we call it when we post it at night instead of in the morning like Ryan does when he's on his game), Ryan and Brady talk about digital painting techniques and some valiant performances trying to save a pretty boring Data A plot -- so boring, in fact, that it doesn't make an appearance on part two of this TNG two-parter, which we've already covered on the show. We also spend a while discussing the current state of "remastering" Voyager and Deep Space 9, which you can read more about in this interesting article.

    Ep. 134: "Regeneration" (ENT S2E23)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2024 38:21


    What if the Borg but in Enterprise? That's basically all that's on the mind of this episode, and Ryan and Brady get into it. Ryan forgot to post this one early this morning, and now he's doing it in a rush before recording a new batch, so sorry for the lack of episode notes.

    Ep. 133: "Such Sweet Sorrow" (S2E13)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2024 31:03


    Ryan and Brady do a brief overview of this Season 2 Discovery episode and riff on modern progressivism, the bloat of serialized storytelling, and a Christian pop-punk band of the early 2000s.

    Ep. 132: Charlie X (TOS S1E3)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2024 56:40


    Ryan and Brady discuss one of the first Star Trek episodes to ever air, the creepy and atmospheric Charlie X! Join us as we discuss the brilliance of D.C. Fontana, science fiction on a budget, the show still figuring itself out, and which actor's head looks like an upside-down triangle.

    Ep. 131: "Crossroads" (PRO S1E14)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2024 39:56


    An episode of Star Trek in which so little happens that Ryan and Brady spend a large amount of time talking about movies, both real movies that currently exist and future Star Trek movies that might one day exist. There is also this one really rude Tellarite in this episode, and we get some juice out of that guy.

    Ep. 130: "Storm Front, Part 1" (ENT S4E1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2024 42:50


    Ryan and Brady get into what starts out as a pretty promising episode of Enterprise Season 4 and what turns out to be... an OK episode of Enterprise Season 4. Join us as we discuss a Star Trek board game, time travel rules, and how Nazi Germany is listed on Memory Alpha as one of the combatants in the Temporal Cold War.

    Ep. 129: "Metamorphosis" (TOS S2E2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2024 45:00


    Ryan and Brady talk about an episode of The Original Series that is very important to the series canon but is primarily notable for its aggressive (and perhaps unintentional) heteronormativity. Consider this, however: When Brady emailed this episode to me, he wrote "I'm very proud of us for making it through the whole episode without using the phrase 'Cochrane blocked.'" So, mission accomplished, I guess?

    Ep. 128: "Shockwave, Part 2" (ENT S2E1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2024 40:52


    Ryan and Brady cover the second season premiere of Star Trek: Enterprise, and in typical Out of Contreks fashion, neither of them has any idea what happened in the finale of season one. Join them as they talk about Archer's Max Headroom cameo, Suliban skin, and Enterprise's trademark "prude sexuality."

    Ep. 127: "Miri" (TOS S1E11)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2024 40:02


    Ryan and Brady tackle an early TOS episode that has some pretty uncomfortable views on teenage sexuality, as well as a disease that makes people break out in blue makeup. Along the way, we discuss why exactly this episode is set on an identical copy of Earth, annoying future abbreviations, and the strange decision to cast an actor to play a character who is supposed to be literally half his age.

    Ep. 126: ”I, Excretus” (LD S2E8)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2024 25:20


    Ryan and Brady discuss one of their favorite, as well as one of the most infamous, Lower Decks episodes of all time in this holodeck bonanza. Listen in as we attempt to weigh what makes a callback more than a callback, explore which Lower Decker Brady most identifies with, and, of course, give our thoughts on that scene.

    Ep. 125: ”Babel” (DS9 S1E5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2023 40:13


    In a small scheduling change prompted by the holidays, Ryan and Brady are releasing this DS9 episode just a touch out of order. Fortunately, it's a fun one, as we talk about hacking in the Star Trek universe, undercooked B-plots, and how this small little episode of DS9 strangely predicted COVID-19 (which, by the way, Ryan has, so go easy on him).

    Ep. 124: ”Bread and Circuses” (TOS S2E14)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2023 40:30


    Ryan and Brady dig into a very entertaining, strangely prescient episode of The Original Series with a wild, unnecessary twist ending. Is this low-key one of the best Star Trek episodes Gene ever wrote? What does it have to say about the medium of television, and the "civilization" of violence as entertainment? Why did they stop calling video "video" in the future? We cover all that, and more!

    OOC Special 11: Lower Decks, Season 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2023 42:46


    Ryan and Brady check in a few weeks late to discuss Season 4 of Star Trek Lower Decks! We talk characterization, deep dives into Nova Squadron lore, and what the show is doing well this far into its run.

    Ep. 123: ”All Is Possible” (DIS S4E4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2023 46:02


    Ryan and Brady tackle a Season 4 Discovery episode that at least one of them finds to be downright sociopathic. We talk infatuated Saru, Tilly's semi-departure from the show, and the pitfalls of viewing every event as a stepping stone in your personal journey.

    Ep. 122: ”The Die Is Cast” (DS9 S3E21)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2023 50:10


    Odo and Garak square off in the second half of this famous DS9 two-parter, the first part of which Ryan and Brady happened to cover almost exactly a year ago! But how does 12 Years A Slave inform the conversation we have about this episode? Is there anything better in the episode itself than the famous behind-the-scenes picture we've used as the episode image? Was frequent director David Livingston up to some new tricks, or were some of these techniques being used to shoot around stand-ins? We cover all of these topics and more this week!

    Ep. 121: ”The Survivor” (TAS S1E6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2023 26:39


    Ryan and Brady talk about another Animated Series episode, this one with a surprising depth, sweetness, and cleverness. Join them as they discuss Star Trek's policy of nonviolent solutions, shapeshifting into functional but inanimate objects, and interspecies dating.

    Ep. 120: ”Once Upon A Planet” (TAS S1E9)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 33:52


    October's Trek Animation Month continues with this strange little sequel to a famous Original Series episode. Listen in as Ryan and Brady discuss how plugged in Filmation was to the overall Trek canon, cool/bad animation art design, and the logic gaps of this supercomputer.

    OOC Special 10: Very Short Treks, Season 1 (w/ That's Not How Science Works)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2023 56:01


    The Out of Contreks unplanned Star Trek Animation October continues with this hastily-organized, recorded, and edited discussion with Caitlin and Nicole of That's Not How Science Works about the Very Short Treks series of YouTube Shorts. Join us as Ryan talks about how much he liked these episodes while the other three people on the podcast react with skepticism, and stay for lengthy tangents on streaming TV, beating a joke to death, the finale of Enterprise, and more.

    Ep. 119: ”Time Amok” (PRO S1E8)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2023 33:52


    Welcome to October 2023, which, through no intentional planning of our own, has become Star Trek Animation Month for Out of Contreks. In the first of four episodes this month on animated Star Trek episodes, Ryan and Brady talk about the first episode of Prodigy we've covered on the show. We also discuss the potential of an episode like this, compressed storytelling time, and which main Trek cast would be the best hang!

    Ep. 118: ”The Prodigal Daughter” (DS9 S7E11)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2023 37:17


    Ryan and Brady and DS9 return to the well of parent trauma, but this story about Ezri Dax's real mom isn't quite as oddly compelling as the tale of Odo's fake dad. You know what is compelling, though? Miles O'Brien. He's in this one!

    Ep. 117: ”The Icarus Factor” (TNG S2E14) and World Cup of Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2023 44:31


    Ryan and Brady get together for a loopy, cat-purr-filled discussion of a middling TNG Season 2 episode, but not before spending nearly half the runtime talking about the most recent World Cup of Star Trek vote. After that, stay tuned for discussions of culturally insensitive portrayals of martial arts and musings on how weird it is to see an older gentleman named Kyle.

    Ep. 116: ”By Any Other Name” (TOS S2E22)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2023 53:41


    Ryan and Brady begin with a fun discussion of Shakespeare in Trek before moving on to this perfectly serviceable Original Series episode that appears to have been made on the cheap. Join us as we talk about 1960s sexuality, weird haircuts, and the least expensive special effect of all time: standing still.

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