Episode Notes Sword of Kahless: The only evil telepaths in Star Trek. Cursed or totemic? More Klingon lore and the central conflict of Worf than we've really ever previously gotten. Yeet that artifact into space. Our Man Bashir: This gets pretty unhinged, you've been warned. Garak's introduction to the Bond Franchise. Bond Girl Kira? Justen rants a…

Episode Notes Jude gets busted down to acting ensign due to an HR error. Starship Down: Justen goes feral. The Ferengi are like a bad cell phone company. Sloppy-style concussy. Worf learns a management lesson from O'Brien, and pulls a TNG move. Quark and Hanok are great, and it's nice to see Quark succeeding. Little Green Men: Klingon and Ferengi c…

Episode Notes Indiscretion: A bottle episode with Dukat and Kira? Hilarity ensues. Dukat drops the mask a bit. Kira is surprised by well-read Dukat, and has to deal with Cardassians as something other than the oppressor. Foreign-object-in-butt jokes are funny. The... Breen? Sisko biffs it. Dax channels Curzon for a bit. Rejoined: Jadzia has never l…

Episode Notes The Visitor: In which we traumatize Jude. Captain Dad is the best even when temporally displaced. What else did this writer do? Oh, In the Pale Moonlight. Uh oh. The one mistake they made is getting Alexander Siddig's aging completely wrong. Some tech Trek gets right, some it gets hilariously wrong. Hippocratic Oath: O'Brien/Bashir be…

Episode Notes Be ready for the longest summary in the history of the podcast... Jude gets a promotion! The Galaxy Class is the Worf of the Federation ships. Klingon Armadas are disruptive. Worf is also disruptive. Odo shows his affection by spying on you. Certainly nothing could go wrong with a Klingon preemptive strike... Clearly they added Worf t…

Episode Notes Facets: Nothing can go wrong with everyone embodying Dax's former hosts, right? Dax gives Quark an earjob just to make him be a woman. Kurzodo? Maybe this episode is more about Kurzon and Sisko's relationship? Yikes. Nog is starting on a great journey, and Rom is lovely. The benefits of a strong ensemble cast. Avery Brooks' "creepy vo…

Episode Notes It's still a provisional government?! A lot happens in this episode to move the Bajor plot forward. Disability and injury in storytelling. 20th century comparisons. Kai Winn is charismatic, unfortunately. BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So network. Connect with the show at @babylonpodject Help us keep the lights on via our Patr…

Episode Notes Jude bucks for a promotion again (they all forgot he got one at the beginning of season 2). Explorers: Sisko advances to "project sailboat in the garage" dad status. Oh yeah, Dax was a dad at one point. Bashir gets lovingly teased by roughly half the principal cast. What a great Bashir and O'Brien scene. Jake's career plans, and Jake'…

Episode Notes Improbable Cause: Directed by Avery Brooks! It's weird how major diplomatic incidents frequently get explained away by "they're Romulan". [GENERIC CAVE SET]. This episode is like "Coming of Shadows" from DS9. Garak is so perfectly disinterested in Julius Caesar. Jude admits he doesn't hate Odo any more. The principles of not over-usin…

Episode Notes Mirror Kurzon was definitely into it. Maybe the reason the Mirror Universe is so stupid is because the blood goes down to your junk. Cross-dimensional STIs. Mirror Garak is a pathetic little meow-meow. Sisko is a good action commander. Mirror Universe episodes are a chaotic, horny delight. BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So net…

Episode Notes Visionary: O'Brien Suffers Level--Harry Kim. Klingons, Romulans, and weird radiation, oh my. Klingon spies. Romulans went down a different 4x tech tree. Jude makes a prediction about Morn. O'Brien is so good because he follows regulations and makes good decisions. Distant Voices: Bashir is turning 30! Every Trek series needs a dream s…

Episode Notes Destiny: We stuff each other in lockers. No vole fights. Sisko's struggles with the role of Emissary. The Stressed Cardassian, the Horny Cardassian, and the Angry Cardassian. We like Galora better than Lochley. Dax has been allll over. O'Brien Suffers Level--propositioned in a Jeffries Tube. Prophet Motive: Directed by Odo. Jude hates…

Episode Notes Jude is Calvin's Dad. Life Support: Odo resolves any problem via incarceration, including friendships. Sisko continues to be Good Dad. The Ferengi misogyny is real bad, and the Nog plot is only redeemed by knowing what it is going to be set in contrast with. Bashir is stuck between a rock and a hard Kai. Heart of Stone: The Cave Set r…

Episode Notes Jude is not well during the first half of this episode so it's a little rough. Also, Jude and Justen have some Dune Thoughts. Worm. Past Tense Part 1: This meeting could have been an email. 2024?? Chroniton plot armor. 2024 looks are just rancid 90s looks. Why is Dax so much better than Sisko and Bashir at committing identity fraud? H…

Episode Notes Defiant: You know this is a utopia when the doctor can order vacations. Dax clearly thinks that Kira banged Riker. Because Dax also clearly banged Riker. You know something's wrong when someone is mean to O'Brien. Villainous Goatee! What happens if you put aluminum foil in the replicator? Kira being the A-plot main character is very p…

Episode Notes Civil Defense: Who gave Garak root access? Good Quodo content. Redshirt vape. Dukat hoist by his own petard. Garak and Dukat being petty bitches to each other. A good antagonist is a delightful thing. Flirting by threats of mass deaths. Elevating the stakes. Meridian: I guess the writers just watched Brigadoon? O'Brien suffers level: …

Episode Notes S3E5: Second SkinS3E6: The Abandoned Second Skin:Sisko bullies Garak. Cardassians seem to have very good cosmetic surgery for a lizard species. The Cardassian Sleeper Agent program is weird. Cardassians use unlabeled data crystals. Cardassia has much more depth to it than normal "enemy" cultures, or even most non-Earth cultures. The A…

Episode Notes S3E3: House of QuarkS3E4: Equilibrium House of Quark: Possibly the most BabPod episode in the history of Star Trek. It's not Miles and Keiko's fault that they were written in the 90s; it's otherwise a great example of a real marriage. Gowron caught the car and is now suffering. Klingon-Federation Enemies to Lovers Arc. We are in the R…

Episode Notes Part 1: Exploding consoles and fake shakes? We're back! The Defiant is a real Starfleet Warship. We all like to see Quark bullied. There was only one goo bucket. Teen Odo. Part 2: Wet Racists. Never exclude Romulans, they exclude you. You need friends to reality-check you when you want to be, say, a Starfleet Admiral. Somehow Odo is t…

Episode Notes Bad Vacations The Founders! The Jem'Hadar! The show's metaplot! A Camping Trip! Nog desperately wants positive role models, and just shines when Sisko praises him. The Galaxy Class analogue of Worfing. Bad Kira/Odo shipping, good Quodo shipping. Eris is not a name with positive connotations. Season 2 wrap-up! Jude's predictions for se…

Episode Notes S2E24: The CollaboratorS2E25: Tribunal O'Brien Suffers Level: Vacation/Unexpected Dental Work, use your judgement as to which is worse The Collaborator:An orb! Kai Winn is spectacular in making you hate her (GNU Louise Fletcher). Sisko is literally the only character who isn't a complete mess. Or maybe everyone in Bajoran politics are…

Episode Notes S2E22: The WireS2E23: Crossover The Wire: A painfully accurate example of addiction. Odo's back in wet-fascist mode. Bashir, just kiss him, for god's sake. Cardassians are catty bitches. Julian Bashir, ADHD Twink, and his boyfriend, Anxiety Space Lizard with PTSD. Crossover: The Mirror Universe is part of standard officer training. Ki…

Episode Notes S2E20-21 The Maquis Justen comes by their star trek bullshit honestly. The Maquis The Maquis are the most fascinating political experiment Star Trek has ever completely whiffed. Quark out-logics a Vulcan, and Dukat is a weird little guy. Quark wants a hot alien lady to step on him, v. 200. The establishment of Dukat as Sisko's dark mi…

Episode Notes S2E18: Profit and Loss S2E19: Blood Oath Profit and Loss: A Cardassian with two names? A Meaty Slap. It's always morally acceptable to steal from fascists UNLESS it breaks trust with your romantic partner. How in the world are there no consequences for this outright murder. Jude questions the Odo Book Club choice. Flirtation via polit…

Episode Notes Justen, Ana, and special guest Andy discuss the Borg, the complexities of Starfleet, and fan works. Also, what happens when Alpha and Beta canon collide with the fan work you're doing. Andy is a life long fan of Sci-fi in all of its forms and creator and co-writers of the Wolf 359 Project, an oral history of the Battle of Wolf 359. He…

Episode Notes S2E15: ParadiseS2E16: Shadow PlayS2E17: Playing God Paradise: (CW: incest vibes discussion at one point). Shrek Energy. Dax's BDSM experience. O'Brien and Sisko's interesting comrades-in-arms relationship. Elixis would have a marble statue-head as a twitter avatar. Dax and Kira Bestie Mode. Shadow Play: Sisko is literally the best dad…

Episode Notes We promise, we get to the episodes EVENTUALLY. Armageddon Game: A true "O'Brien Must Suffer" episode. The triumphant return of the warcrimes airhorn. Jude makes Ninja Turtles assumptions. Don't jinx yourself in a room full of bioweapons. RIP The Ganges. These stupid aliens lost to a middle-aged mechanic and "the most fuckable twink in…

Episode Notes S2E11: RivalsS2E12: The Alternate Rivals: Humperdink! Multiple widows. Bashir turns the twink meter up to 12. O'Brien suffers level: old sports injury. Ketchup shenanigans. Bajoran Orphans Fund! Spinning neutrinos and gambling... And the solution is "explode them". Ma Kent is a Nigerian Prince Scam. Bashir has "grown" since season one…

Episode Notes Justen (and Ana, once she remembered we were recording) speaks with John Concagh about fan history and deep, deep Trek lore. Warning: really deep lore. John Concagh is a postgraduate historian of the British Empire, and the writer of THE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT, a fan non-fiction work covering the history of the Federation - Klingon Cold War…

Episode Notes Second Sight: Everyone is so supportive of Sisko getting back out there. They want Captain Dad to be happy. The fact that the anniversary of Wolf 359 goes by without notice tells you when this show was. Nog Sex Ed again. The sub-genre of one-episode Trek romances. Sanctuary: Kira's no-good-very-bad-day. We're not big fans of this epis…

Episode Notes Jude can't do IKEA. Or social situations. Rules of Acquisition: Out of all the Starfleet captains, Sisko gets Ferengi. THIS is how The Dominion is introduced? This is accidentally a screwball comedy. The Ferengi work better in this show because they get to breathe. And they're all bottoms. Necessary Evil: A plasma storm is a metaphor …

Episode Notes Invasive Procedures: The senior staff--and Quark. The lived experiences of Trill washouts. Jude has questions about Trill, and so do the rest of us. Bashir shows some skills. B5 crossover via stunt doubling! What makes Sisko great? Cardassians: Secret Agent Garak! Dukat and Garak have a... history. Sisko always looks good. Jude breaks…

Episode Notes Yes, it's a three-parter, but all three are GREAT. Welcome to season 2 of DS9. The Homecoming: Call your factions one thing and just roll with it. Every character choice for O'Brien is "working class hero". Gul Dukat's statement is basically "we're sorry we got caught." Wait, is this a B5 episode? The Circle: Kira's hunka hunka monk. …

Episode Notes CW: Discussion of actual not-amusing war crimes, and religious extremism. Jude gets a promotion! Duet: People with the appelation "The Butcher of..." are always delightful people. This episode is packed with powerful performances, and the actors are up to the task of lifting this very heavy material. Bajor gets a lot of complexity tha…

Episode Notes Jude bucks for a promotion. Justen is sleepy. The Forsaken: Wait, what is that music? It's... it can't be. It's Lwaxana Troi! The most DTF character in Star Trek. The Lwaxana/Odo pairing is spectacular. "The thin beige line between order and chaos" nearly killed Jude. Sisko is in dad mode all day. Has Odo ever had "the talk"? Lots of …

Episode Notes The Storyteller: Get in the minivan, Bashir! Horny teens should not be in charge of negotiations. O No My Bukkit. DS9 learned important lessons from TNG in terms of how to treat teenage characters--specifically, let them be cringe and celebrate it. Ferengi kinks. Justen strays into blasphemy. O'Brien Suffers Level: Dal'Rok Progress: L…

Episode Notes Vortex: A... changeling? Odo--authoritarian, utilitarian, or just childfree? Good old ass-forehead trek aliens. Klingon shift! Jude trips over the plot from season 4-7. Battle Lines: Kira's "secret" Cardassian file. Artificial purgatories are kinda shitty. The procedural plot is REAL BAD, the plot-plot is kinda hard to watch. Killing …

DIE Wrap-up with Kieron Gillen Kieron Gillen first came to attention as a comic creator with his 2006’s Phonogram, with Jamie McKelvie. Jamie and he formed into a gestalt monster that rampaged against the next fifteen years of comics, culminating with critical and smash hit the Wicked + the Divine. When not with Jamie, he has co-created books such …

Episode Notes Boss Fight: The group opens up. Also the characters open up. The context of people's lived experiences informs the media they make. Justen and Ana force Jude onto a soapbox. Open Table: Explain the fucking backstory. Chuck's heroic sacrifice is almost enough. The merits of a good ending. It's clear that Kieron Gillen knows modern game…

Episode Notes Spoiler warning: Headphones moment from 46:10 to 47:53, and from 1:00:21 to 1:00:55 Move Along Home: Game time! Also, yes, Nog should probably not be teaching sex ed to a humon. What Trek character would be a good sex educator? Quark makes Odo blow on the dice, the horniest thing we've seen so far. Klon Peags? Dax hits her stride. Doe…

Episode Notes TPK: The funniest possible Lovecraft explanation--and the only master who appears to be aware of his outside self. Personal horror is to evoke interesting responses, not traumatize the audience. BabPod lore! Lines and Veils: Wow did Sol get screwed. The Grandmaster gives Mysterio vibes. The d20's origin mirrors the Fair Gold. Differen…

Episode Notes Jude would take a bad Trek theme over Picard's theme, but hates ENT. There's some time travel in this episode because we had to re-record it nearly a season later. Dax: Dax and... Bashir? are in charge of Engineering? How wide is the Trill definition of "you"? Odo works better as a private detective than as an officer of the "law". Ba…

Episode Notes Justen tells a Games Workshop story. PVP: Interesting choices. Silmarillion reference. No one noticed that Sol got bamboozled. Sol would have loved Nobilis. Vampire might have fixed a lot of this group's issues. Sorry Grant. RIP Dour. THAC0: We're on a boat! Howard Phillip Lovecraft is here. Jude would very much like Gygax not to make…

Episode Notes Babel: O'Brien Must Suffer level Orange. Ominous Blinking Device time! Jude had severe empathy-pain for O'Brien. Sisko knows that Kira will always blame Cardassians first. Quark arguing he's an essential service is so 2023. It's very strange to have a Star Trek show that has currency. Captive Pursuit: Oh the 1990s, when being a sexual…

Little Wars: 20+20. Complicated verb tenses. The origins of the Fair. H.G. Wells is a Prick. The Masters of DIE.Dual Wield: If your kids grew up any time after the 1990s and get Jumanji'd, it's not your fault. According to tiktok dice are a little easier to make than this. If a Protagonist's mom is Bad News, what do you do? BabPod: DIE is a product…

Episode Notes Past Prologue: This episode really gets going as the first post-pilot plot. Bashir is an amazingly dumb twink. Sisco's default setting is "Fuck the Cardassians". Jude loves a sexy lizard. A Man Alone: A lot of info about writers rooms and credits, sorry. Keiko/Miles trouble! "Take time to be comfortable with your discomfort"--Star Tre…

Risk: Chuck's luck only stretches so far. The daughter reveal is a hammer blow. Neither Justen nor Jude should play poker. Every page in DIE is a piece of art. The joy that comes from a party adopting an NPC. RIP Fordi la George. Hidden Role: It's not like Molly can die worse. Human Centipede Orobouros. The False Friend is quite a God. BabPod: DIE …

Episode Notes Remember Wolf 359? Benjamin Sisko sure does! We meet all the oddballs and non-Federation characters (purportedly to get around various Roddenberry rules). Jude contemplates the non-orb-shaped-orb. Wormhole shenanigans! Religion! Ear Stuff! Sisko is Captain Dad. Star Trek says Trans Rights. Ana loses it completely at one point. Enjoy. …

Episode Notes This is now a Star Trek podcast. Yes, after covering JMS's one-sided slapfight with DS9, we are now covering DS9. Get ready for lots of warcrimes airhorn. BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So network. Connect with the show at @babylonpodject Help us keep the lights on via our Patreon! Justen can be found at @justenwrites Ana can …

Jude uses scrum in RPGs. Self-Insert: Charlotte Bronte? We start to get some answers, for what that's worth. Worldbuilding! What is an RPG? Children are sociopaths. The X-Card: Fate can only bend around one person. Not enough vampire fiction uses the mist power. Ash is a part of the world of DIE in a way the other paragons seem to not be. Being a m…