The Ready Room 214: You Don’t Have to Breathe that Zenite / by Trek fm

The Cloud Minders.

Running Time: 1 hour 46 minutes 38 seconds
Download / RSS / Send us a message / Discuss the show / Support Trek.fm

Kirk has a history of getting involved in the domestic disputes of other worlds and trying to set the locals straight. That’s why the little Federation clean-up ship is always trailing the Enterprise. Of course, when the planet in question is a member of the Federation, is refusing to do its part to help another member world, and is torturing its own people, it’s a lot easier to justify stepping in. That’s what happened in the third-season episode “The Cloud Minders.”

In this episode of The Ready Room, host C Bryan Jones is joined by Zachary Fruhling, Amy Nelson, and Justin Oser to discuss this story of a city in the sky, cave dwellers, the stratification of society, and deadly gas. Along the way we debate what it means to be part of the United Federation of Planets, how laws might apply to such a vast political organization, and why Spock is so flirty when his head is in the clouds.

In our news segment, we examine Mike Okuda’s new design for NASA’s flight operations emblem, talk about the winners of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, and explore what it will take to make a Star Trek-style medical tricorder a reality.

News

Intro (00:00:00)
Mike Okuda Designs New NASA Flight Operations Emblem (00:03:05)
How Close Are We to a Real Star Trek-Style Medical Tricorder? (00:12:39)

Feature

Initial Thoughts (00:23:33)
Science Fiction Parallels (00:25:41)
Federation Law and Member Worlds (00:32:34)
Caste System (00:41:17)
Flirty Spock (00:48:47)
David Gerrold’s Original Story (00:58:53)
Manny Coto’s Magic Bag of Hindsight (01:09:53)
Caste Systems Revisited (01:16:38) Final Thoughts and Ratings (01:26:00)
Closing (01:33:42)

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Zachary Fruhling

Guests

Amy Nelson and Justin Oser

Production

C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

More recent episodes of The Ready Room…
The Ready Room 234: When You Orb an Orb [Anything Is Possible]
The Ready Room 234: When You Orb an Orb [Anything Is Possible]

The State of Star Trek 2022. We discuss each of the “modern” series, dig into the fan split over old and new, and imagine what new series might be on the horizon. We also debate the pros and cons of the streaming model for storytelling and talk about how Star Trek and Star Wars are pushing each other forward.

The Ready Room 233: Too Many Licks and Not Enough Tongue
The Ready Room 233: Too Many Licks and Not Enough Tongue

Star Trek: Lower Decks after two seasons. We take a broad look back at the first two seasons and discuss how the series has connected with fans, why it has won over many early skeptics, and how it serves as a brilliant love letter to the franchise. We also ask whether some moments are a rebuke of modern Star Trek.

The Ready Room 232: What a Genius That Guy Was!
The Ready Room 232: What a Genius That Guy Was!

Marking our 10th anniversary. We deep-dive into Star Trek’s return to television, which way the fan pendulum is swinging today, screen vs. visual canon, whether Star Trek is an historical piece, dealing with toxic fandom, the status of The Con of Wrath, and more.

The Ready Room 231: Hope Is a Powerful Thing
The Ready Room 231: Hope Is a Powerful Thing

Adil Hussain interview. We’re to talk about the Covid-19 situation in India, the art of acting and what inspired Adil’s portrayal of Sahil, as well as Star Trek and entertainment as a coping mechanism during difficult times. He also shares thoughts on how we might reach that more prosperous future that Gene Roddenberry envisioned.

The Ready Room 230: Nacelles Sold Separately
The Ready Room 230: Nacelles Sold Separately

Looking Back at *Discovery* Season Three. We reflect on the story, how it played out compared with what we expected, how we feel about key plot points, and how it all fits into the overall Star Trek picture.

The Ready Room 229: Grudge Cat Is a Big Nirvana Fan
The Ready Room 229: Grudge Cat Is a Big Nirvana Fan

Discovery Season 3 preview. We discuss the premise, what the episode titles may reveal about the story, potential real world parallels, the addition of transgender and binary characters, and more.

The Ready Room 228: Real-World Star Trek Dripping In
The Ready Room 228: Real-World Star Trek Dripping In

Lower Decks midseason review. We pay a visit to the insignificant little USS Cerritos as its journey reaches the halfway point to share our thoughts on this animated rendition of Star Trek.

The Ready Room 227: Way Bigger Than Praxis
The Ready Room 227: Way Bigger Than Praxis

Expanding the Star Trek universe. Using Alex Kurtzman’s interviews from the Star Trek Emmy promotion campaign as a springboard, we explore Section 31, Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, Prodigy, and the overall expansion of the Star Trek universe—including risks and rewards.

The Ready Room 226: Waiting Naked in a Shuttlepod
The Ready Room 226: Waiting Naked in a Shuttlepod

Lower Decks pre-launch thoughts and Star Trek Emmy nominations. We look ahead to the Lower Decks premiere and discuss the Star Trek franchise’s six Emmy nominations as well as how virtual cons are changing the nature of fan interaction in the age of coronavirus.

The Ready Room 225: Monty Python’s Contractual Obligation Album
The Ready Room 225: Monty Python’s Contractual Obligation Album

Picard Recap and Strange New Worlds. We look back at the full season of Star Trek: Picard and take a first look at the recently announced Captain Pike series.