It's SEASON 3 of TNG and the series seems to have gotten a bit of a revamp with new uniforms, new opening sequence, and new lighting on the sets! Did our 80's Star Trek just become 90's Star Trek!? We think so! Also Dr. Crusher is back! Join us as Wesley Crusher accidentally creates a new microscopic civilization, Doctor Paul Stubbs is willing to s…

It's the finale of Season 2 of Star Trek the Next Generation - where, during a real life writer's strike (not the one that just happened but back in '89) - we're left with a somewhat anticlimactic finale that is nevertheless a semi-charming flashback of the first two seasons of this legendary series. We thought plants could get you high but wow, wa…

Did Yoda get it wrong when he said "Do or Do Not, There is No Try?" Picard has an answer to that when this episode features one of his most quoted lines "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." In this episode, Ruthie and Matthew talk about failure, the difficulty in being bad at something before …

When on a mission to intercept a Klingon Battlecruiser, the Enterprise rendezvous with a probe carrying, K'Ehleyr, a Federation Ambassador who is half-Klingon and seems to have a place in Worf's past. Will Worf and K'Ehleyr be able to heal a rift between them and can they work together to stop a potentially violent encounter with the Klingon ship!?…

While ferrying the fish-like Antedeans to a diplomatic conference, the Enterprise is intercepted by a shuttle transporting Lwaxana Troi! Not seen since season 1, Lwaxana has returned and is experiencing "The Phase", a time in the mid-life of a Betazed woman where her libido has quadrupled - she's on the hunt for a new husband! Also, Dixon Hill come…

When the Enterprise receives an automated distress signal, two human societies on the verge of collapse are discovered. One steeped in stereotype and the other experiencing replicative fade, a dangerous secret leads to the abduction of Enterprise crew members. This week Ruthie and Matthew are joined by Ruthie's sister Jake Szamosi, a biologist who …

LaForge is placed in grave danger when the Enterprise responds to distress call from the Pakleds who need things to make them go...like our chief engineer! On a shuttlecraft road-trip with Wesley, Picard shares details of his "cocky" youth which led to a (literally) broken heart requiring surgery. But the surgeons can't stop the "heterocyclic decli…

Q is back! This time he wants to join the crew on their adventures through the galaxy. But when Picard refuses Q's request, the omnipotent entity hurls the Enterprise thousands of light years to face a new deadly threat to the Federation. Confronted by an overwhelming adversary, will Picard acquiesce to Q's demands? A brash starry-eyed ensign faces…

When Data receives a distress call from a planet on the verge of collapse, he needs to decide whether to ignore the distress call or violate the Prime Directive and send a reply. Data's decision not only shocks the crew, but leaves Captain Picard in the dark for weeks. Pulaski finally stands up for Data. And Wesley learns about the Ensigns of Comma…

When a special envoy to the Enterprise turns out to be Commander Riker's father, some hard hitting blind martial arts fighting ensues as both men need to have it out in the ring. Riker has a hard decision about taking a promotion to leave the Enterprise. A grumpy Worf needs some acupuncture - Klingon Style - and Ruthie and Matthew talk about decisi…

The Enterprise encounters a derelict shuttle craft which appears to be from the future. But when the shuttle is determined to be one of the Enterprise's own containing a second version of Picard, the crew fear the premonition of doom the craft contains. Ruthie and Matthew talk about how we sometimes become trapped in a cycle of poor decisions and h…

Riker, Worf, and Data become trapped in a recreation of "The Royale" a hotel featured in an Earth novel of the same name written in the 21st century. But why is this novel, with its cliché setting and characters, being played out in the frozen layers of a gas giant planet surrounded by debris from an ancient Earth NASA spacecraft!? Ruthie and Matth…

The Enterprise responds to a call for help from Galaxy Class sister ship U.S.S. Yamato. But when the Yamato suddenly explodes the Enterprise crew must determine if the ship's destruction is caused by Romulans or by the relics of a long lost civilization. Data gets to do some physical comedy, Romulans are terrible bluffers, and the city of Toronto i…

Wesley falls in love with a mysterious young woman named Salia who is destined to lead her world out of a civil conflict. But when Wesley gets too close, Salia's guardian demonstrates a power that may threaten the safety of the whole ship. Will Wesley's love threaten the Enterprise as well as the peace of Salia's homeworld? Ruthie and Matthew talk …

Data's sentience and freedom of choice is on trial when he refuses orders to undergo a dangerous procedure. Ruthie and Matthew talk about parallels from this episode to the present-day crisis of body autonomy and how society excludes some humans when considering human rights. With the First Link is excited to cover this first of the "classic" TNG e…

Crew members are going on officer exchange! Riker eats Gagh in anticipation of serving aboard a Klingon Bird of Prey, Ensign Mendon almost starts an interstellar War by over-analyzing space bacteria, Matthew and Ruthie also swap roles while talking about how it feels to be out of place. Main cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca Theme Music is …

In this episode, the scientists at a genetic research station all suffer from rapid onset geriatric phenomena. But when Pulaski tries to save their genetically created children, she finds out that they are, in fact, the cause of it! Matthew and Ruthie talk about aging and try to figure out the difference between genetic engineering and genetic crea…

In this episode Data meets Dr. Ira Graves, the grandfather of cybernetics whose plans for immortality place Data in...Graves Danger! Ruthie and Matthew talk about whether they would want to live forever, and Matthew questions why other starships in the Federation can't patch leaks.Af Trek Geeks

The Enterprise transports Riva, a deaf mediator, to the Solais system to help negotiate an end to 1500 years of civil war. Troi helps Riva cope with failure, Data learns a new language, and Matthew and Ruthie talk about how much better our society could be if we acknowledged our interdependence. Main cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca Theme …

A charming smuggler arrives on the Enterprise sparking an interplanetary conflict. Data tries stand-up comedy. Ruthie and Matthew talk about the importance of humour and who in society gets to decide what is funny. Matthew tells bad space jokes. Main cover art by Nathan Nun (www.nathannun.ca) Theme Music by Flame Lion Studios…

How do we define intelligence? Is an android incapable of original thought just because they have every Sherlock Holmes mystery memorized? In this episode, Matthew and Ruthie try not to be too angry with Pulaski for asking unfair questions, or with the ship's computer for creating a self-aware holographic villain. Matthew also reflects on moderatin…

In this episode Worf and Riker fight Holo Lizards, the Enterprise is swallowed by a child-faced void, and Ruthie and Matthew talk about our human responses to powerlessness. Main cover art by Nathan Nun (www.nathannun.ca) Theme Music by Flame Lion StudiosAf Trek Geeks

It's the second season premiere of TNG, and the Enterprise has a brand-new Chief Medical Officer, along with a new Chief Engineer and Chief of Security. And, of course, Riker has a new beard and Troi very briefly has a child. Matthew and Ruthie discuss the unfortunate implications of the mystical pregnancy trope in stories and wonder why this new d…

The Enterprise discovers a derelict ship with three frozen passengers from the 20th century while danger looms on the borders of the neutral zone. A new threat the security of the galaxy is destroying Federation and Romulan Outposts. Ruthie and Matthew talk about what it might be like to wake up in the future and what we could accomplish without th…

Something is not right in Starfleet, so the Enterprise makes an unplanned trip back to Earth! Can Picard trust any of his old friends? And, perhaps more importantly, does this have anything to do with crustaceans and mealworms? Ruthie and Matthew talk about real conspiracies in the fictional world of Star Trek, and fictional conspiracies in our rea…

In this episode, the Enterprise starts to experience strange repeats in time, leading them to a scientist who is married to Picard's ex. Matthew and Ruthie discuss their relationship to regret, the challenge of making choices, and the feeling of being trapped between multiple dimensions. Main Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca Theme song is …

Crusher does some detective work, Picard thinks long and hard about the implications of the Prime Directive, and Yar explains to Wesley how poverty and violence can lead to addiction. Matthew and Ruthie think about why non-interference is important here on Earth, and hopefully we all learn a little bit about the difference between a symbiotic relat…

While searching for the lost USS Drake at the planet Minos, the Enterprise crew is given an "offer it can't refuse" when an ancient weapon merchant program tries to sell them an automated probe which obliterated its own creators long ago. LaForge has to assume command in a battle while Picard is off ship, and Ruthie and Matthew talk about sales pit…

The crew of the Enterprise are a little suspicious when three Klingons on a freighter claim to have been attacked by Ferengi. Matthew and Ruthie discuss Klingon culture as a metaphor for masculinity (both toxic and non-toxic), the multiple worlds that we can inhabit, and the many different ways that we can demonstrate our strength. Cover art by Nat…

It's time for Wesley to take his Starfleet Academy entrance exam, and for the Inspector General's office to… investigate the Enterprise? Wesley has to face his greatest fear, the rest of the crew gets very annoyed, and Ruthie and Matthew reminisce about their days as exam-writing students. Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca. Theme song is An…

Ugly giant bags of mostly water! While investigating a terraforming station, the Enterprise discovers, and accidentally starts a short war with, an inorganic life form. Matthew and Ruthie talk about pipelines, space travel, and the ways that ugly giant bags of mostly water justify destruction in the name of progress. * Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.…

A mysterious planet, once thought to be a myth, reveals itself to the Enterprise, only to then kidnap several children! Ruthie and Matthew have a lot of feelings about this episode. * Content note: This episode deals with children being taken from their homes, and we discuss the residential school system which was instrumental in the oppression and…

An admiral starts to mysteriously de-age while on a mission to negotiate a hostage situation, and a dark secret from his past comes to light! Matthew and Ruthie talk about how we define peace, why we value youth so much, and problematic ableist depictions of characters in wheelchairs. * Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca. * Theme song is An …

The holodeck has been fixed, but its enhancements distract Picard and Riker from realizing that the ship has been evacuated and commandeered! Ruthie and Matthew talk about which binaries they want to abolish, why falling in love with a person created to your specifications might not be a good idea, and how cool it is to see the Enterprise crew just…

This episode takes us to a planet where women oppress men. It isn't the study in gender politics that you might be hoping for, but Matthew and Ruthie do their best to unpack it, while also talking about intersectional feminism and portrayals of romantic and sexual relationships in the show. * We discuss the article "I'm a black climate expert. Raci…

Data has a brother! And he's evil? Security on the Enterprise could probably be a little tighter but we're just so excited to watch Brent Spiner play two characters in the same room at the same time that we won't dwell on it (too much). Ruthie and Matthew think about family, the inherent good and evil that is present in all humans, and the hypothet…

It's a holodeck episode! Picard, Crusher, Data, and Whalen (who's Whalen?) get stuck acting out an old Dixon Hill detective novel, but the Jarada grow irritated and impatient. Meanwhile, Matthew and Ruthie talk about the fact that tongue-in-cheek sexism is really just sexism, and how having a hard time at home doesn't give you an excuse to berate p…

Troi is getting married, but is she happy about it? It's actually really hard to say, but at least we have the introduction of Majel Barrett as her Lwaxana Troi to help us on our journey! Ruthie and Matthew think about destiny, 80s hair, and love that reaches across the galaxy. * Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca. * Theme song is An Amazing…

Don't you hate it when you become omnipotent and all of your friends start acting weird around you? Riker sure does! In this episode, Matthew and Ruthie compare Q to billionaires and think about the nature of power. * Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca. * Theme song is An Amazing Adventure by Flame Lion Studio…

A Ferengi captain has found Picard's old ship, the USS Stargazer, and wants to give it back to him! But his motives turn out to be neither charitable nor profitable. While discussing the nature of memory and political gaslighting, Ruthie and Matthew also manage to talk about the Picard Maneuver and just how proud Riker is to serve with such a wonde…

What is justice? What is the difference between a vessel full of interdimensional aliens and a god? What is the worst that can happen if you accidentally fall into some new plants? Matthew and Ruthie grapple with all of those questions, and more, while the crew of the Enterprise realize that even an Eden-like planet can have some pretty scary laws!…

This episode has it all! Delegates won't stop chasing each other around the ship (and possibly eating each other), Picard decides to leave his body in the transporter and explore the universe as energy, and Data learns who Sherlock Holmes is! Ruthie and Matthew wade through this wacky episode while also thinking about whether they would ever travel…

A propulsion scientist and his mysterious assistant make upgrades to the Enterprise's warp drive, and accidentally send the ship to the outer rim of the universe! While the crew's thoughts turn into reality, Matthew and Ruthie think about whether magic is real, why achieving your dreams isn't just about hard work and creativity, and what happens to…

We finally meet the Ferengi! They don't eat anyone, but they do provide us with an opportunity to talk about antisemitism and the dangers of relying on stereotypes in writing. Please note that when we talk about protests in this episode, we are not referring to the recent storm of white supremacists on the U.S. Capitol, because we recorded this wel…

This episode is full of anti-black racism. We don't want to summarize it, but we will talk about why it's bad. * Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca. * Theme song is An Amazing Adventure by Flame Lion StudioAf Trek Geeks

When gravity and water combine, the crew of the Enterprise get drunk! Ruthie and Matthew discuss the outfits, fake snow, soundboards, and gender dynamics of the second (third?) episode of the series, while the Enterprise crew do a pretty lousy job of virus containment. * Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.nathannun.ca. * Theme song is An Amazing Adventur…

What is going on at Farpoint Station? Will the Enterprise crew pass Q's test, or will the series end after this episode? Matthew and Ruthie do their best to solve these mysteries as they recap the second half of the first mission of the USS Enterprise, NCC1701-D.Af Trek Geeks

On the very first episode of With the First Link, Ruthie and Matthew talk about how they came to love Star Trek: The Next Generation, and also discuss the first half of the first mission of the USS Enterprise, NCC1701-D. Cover art by Nathan Nun, www.NathanNun.ca Theme song is An Amazing Adventure by Flame Lion Studio…