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Pack your bags! Because on this week’s TrekRanks we are visiting your “Top 5 Dream Destinations” in Star Trek! It’s the locations in the Trek universe where you want to visit or see in person or take a vacation, however you define your Prime Directive. Our expert LCARS panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Chris Burris and Craig Main cover everything from planets to space stations to museums across the Alpha, Gamma and Delta quadrant! Make sure your interplanetary travel documents are up to date for this fun episode of TrekRanks! Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: We get into the details of what is now an ongoing series of “destination” topics in TrekRanks, with Dream Destinations being the third in this new series. Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that hel

Peldar joi, everyone! It’s time for a festival celebration at TrekRanks as we take on the “Top 5 Bajoran Episodes” with our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Brooke Horton and Duncan Barrett. Since their debut on The Next Generation, Bajorans have provided some of the most layered and contextualized storytelling in all of Star Trek, and this episode gets deep into the cultural, religious and historical context Bajorans have provided throughout Deep Space Nine and beyond. This one includes quite a few hot takes, just like your favorite hasperat, made with the most tongue-searing, spicy brine! Episode Rundown:  Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show’s specific topic and run through a roll call of previous “species” featured on TrekRanks. Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original

This week's TrekRanks is all about the “Top 5 Crash Landings” in Star Trek as we attempt to to navigate our shuttle safely through some kind of magnetic disturbance in the atmosphere or through an ion storm or a weird orbital displacement shift - and guide our crew to safety. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Paige Thatcher and Sebas de Toma steer us through every variation of crash landing in Trek, uncovering more than a few fun trends, tropes and surprises. Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: We break down all the different types of crash landing we’ve seen in Star Trek through the years and how they are represented in so many different ways. Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s LCARS panel relay exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the usual TrekRanks’ “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with the single episode that best frames their choice. Secondary Systems: For a few ext

We are getting dark and dirty on this week’s TrekRanks as we maneuver down some of Starfleet’s back alleys to uncover the “Top 5 Treacherous Bastards” in the history of Star Trek. Our expert panel is packed with unsavory characters, including host Jim Moorhouse and guests Ryan Riddle and Michael Bentley, as they get into the underbelly of the influences that have motivated so many of our picks. This is a fun episode that also goes deep … into treachery!  Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: We give a quick definition of “treacherous” and how that might compare to “traitorous.” (Note: they are basically the same thing.) Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s LCARS panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice. Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our fi

We celebrate episode 200 of TrekRanks with perhaps the most wide-open topic in the history of our show. Which means we are covering more Star Trek ground than ever! This week we enter a stable temporal fissure to revisit many of the fun topics in our illustrious past with TrekRanks Potpourri 2.0 with host Jim Moorhouse and our expert panel of Alex Perry, Jenn Tifft and Abby Sommer. As you know, the TrekRanks catalog has no boundaries – from “Scenes in Trek” to “Abstract topics” to “Character Moments” and “Season Recaps” – and this week each member of our LCARS panel picks five of their favorite topics from our history to discuss (and, of course, make one episode pick for that topic as well). It's another standout entry of the most comprehensive, informative and consistently fun Star Trek podcast in the Alpha Quadrant. Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show’s specific topic. Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s panel revea

We’re dunking into Star Trek: Lower Decks like a big ol’ cookie on this week’s TrekRanks with a breakdown of the “Top 5 Lower Decks Season 5 Moments”! It’s a happy-sad celebration of Captain Freeman and the entire crew of the USS Cerritos as they investigate a series of temporal fissures (with new friends and old) all season long. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests Bill Mann and Arielle K. break it all down in our exclusive TrekRanks style. Episode Rundown:  Level One Diagnostic Cycle: We break down the five distinct categories we use in our season recap shows. In order, this week’s panelists reveal their picks in the following categories: Production Design, Creative MVP, Dabo Round Wildcard, Character and Episode! Prime Directive: Our crew breaks down exactly how they defined their lists. The Order of Things: Everyone reveals their picks with the usual “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice. Secondary Systems: Our guests

It’s time for another topic you are only going to hear on TrekRanks! This week we are breaking down the “Top 5 Five-Minute Characters” – which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a celebration of those characters who appeared in maybe only one or two scenes for no more than five minutes total, but for some reason you still think about them and probably want to see more of them. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests John Krikorian and Anika Dane get deep into the weeds on five-minute characters in this classic episode of TrekRanks. Episode Rundown: Prime Directive: We skip our Diagnostic Cycle this week to jump straight into how each member of our panel narrowed down their list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with the episode for their character. Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list. Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps thei

What makes Deep Space Nine … Deep Space Nine? That’s the question on our minds this week as we explore the Top 5 DS9 Vibes in our ongoing deep dive into the five legacy Trek series. We are analyzing the vibes you get from specific series and characters and episodes. What better way to get into the conduits of Trek than discussing vibes, with is defined as an atmosphere of a place as communicated to and felt by others? Our panel, featuring host Jim Moorhouse, guest Adam Hunault and Sam Nelson discuss every angle of our favorite fascist Cardassian eyesore in this fun episode. Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: We discuss the specific definition of “vibe” to try and carve out exactly what this episode is about. Prime Directive: The crew breaks down exactly how they came up with each of their vibes. The Order of Things: Everyone reveals their picks with the usual “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that helps to frame their choice. Secondary Systems: Our guests each rattle

At TrekRanks we can always see the forest through the trees, especially when we are breaking down the “Top 5 Scenes in the Woods” as part of our ongoing “Scenes in Trek” series. Three unique Prime Directives lead to some surprising results as our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guest Debbie Moltisanti and Ben Nicholson get deep into the woods on this fun topic, the 17th time we’ve tackled a “Scenes in Trek” topic on TrekRanks. Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of defining the show’s specific topic and run down our “Scenes in Trek” role call of past topics! Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary. Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list. Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their picks and we dissect some

All hands-on deck for this classic episode of TrekRanks as we tackle the “Top 5 Hands-On Episodes” in Star Trek history. It’s episode 195 of TrekRanks and literally anything is in play this week on this wide-open topic. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests Dana Kenedy, Kimberly Lawler and Izaak Brown cover a lot of territory with their Prime Directives, from down-and-dirty episodes to singularly focused hands-on moments. This is a fun one in that classic TrekRanks style. Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: We breakdown exactly what we mean by “hands-on episodes” in this wide-ranging topic. Prime Directive: Each of our panelists reveal exactly how they narrowed down their lists and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary. Secondary Systems: We relay a few extra picks that just missed our lists. Regeneration Cycle: The panel recaps their selections and we dissect some of the inte

With Star Trek: Lower Decks launching their fifth and final season, we celebrate the groundbreaking series in the most appropriate way possible – by highlighting the “Top 5 Crazy F*cking Things Mike McMahan Did to Show Us How Much Lower Decks Loves Star Trek”! Pakleds with big helmets? Check! The return of Ensign Sonya Gomez? Check! Check! Our favorite crew hanging out at Sisko’s? Check! Check! Check! There is literally no end to the Star Trek tributes and homages in Lower Decks and Mike McMahan is the crazy [CENSORED] person most responsible for that! Thanks, Mike!  Episode Rundown:  Diagnostic Cycle: Where we briefly get into the details of how we define the “crazy f*cking things Mike McMahan did.: Prime Directive: Each guest reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and this week all four guests have taken very different paths toward finalizing their picks. The Order of Things: All the selections are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary, alon

Cool looking technology has been a staple of Star Trek for 60 years, and on this week's TrekRanks we deep dive into exactly that with a can't miss episode focused on the "Top 5 Coolest Looking Tech." From tricorders to plasma coils, "cool looking tech" is about as broad and succinct as you can get for a classic TrekRanks topic. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Paul Edinger and Kelli have great time getting into Trek's cool technological lore in this one. Episode Rundown:  Diagnostic Cycle: It’s a new TrekRanks series! “Coolest” topics. (This is the third one we’ve done, so we recap the others.) Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five word summary and a hashtag,” along with one episode to help frame their choice. Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list. Regeneration Cycle: T

Voyager’s chief engineer is beloved for a variety of reasons, and we break them all down in this essential episode of TrekRanks – “The Top 5 B’Elanna Torres Episodes.” From the Maquis to Starfleet, B’Elanna Torres showcased a myriad of skills, qualities and styles in her seven years on Voyager, fighting and defeating more than a few personal demons along the way. Portrayed by Roxann Dawson, there’s no doubt how popular Torres was, and our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Daniel Martin, Teresa Jusino and Anjali Mathai go deep with the picks. No recalibration necessary to sitback and enjoy the “Top 5 B’Elanna Torres Episodes.”  Episode Rundown:  Diagnostic Cycle: We go through our normal character episode roll call and remind everyone that we call this a “top 5 episode” topic, but you can just as easily choose a small moment as you can a big character episode. Prime Directive: Before revealing their Prime Directives and how the finalized their picks, our pane each reveal one wo

For the first-time in Star Trek history, 20 episodes were released simultaneously, and we break it all down this week with the “Top 5 Prodigy Season 2 Moments.” At this point, when it comes to Star Trek Prodigy, the secret is out: this is not just a kids’ show! We protowarp our way through all 20 episodes via our exclusive TrekRanks matrix with host Jim Moorhouse and guests Abby Sommer and Josh Zeller, relaying our favorites from production to creatives to characters to episodes. We even get some surprise young listener feedback in our Temporal Inversion! Go fast and join us for the most comprehensive recap you’ll find anywhere of this very special season of Star Trek. Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: We break down the five distinct categories we use in our season recap shows. In order, this week’s panelists reveal their picks in the following categories: Production Design, Creative MVP, Dabo Round Wildcard, Character and Episode! Prime Directive: Our crew breaks down exactly how they defined th

A short TrekRanks update for our listeners, as we release our first-ever supplemental episode to keep everyone up-to-date on the latest with TrekRanks. After seven years and a long, fruitful relationship with our friends at The Tricorder Transmissions Podcast Network, the TrekRanks Podcast is finally going independent as of Sept. 1, 2024. (This has nothing to do with the Bell Riots, we swear!) This quick update from host Jim Moorhouse will keep you informed on the reasons behind the decision and the logistics that went into it. For now, you really don’t need to do anything if you already follow us, as all of our followers are being redirected from Tricorder, but, of course, if that link ever went away (something we don’t anticipate happening), you would need to refollow us again. Anyway, 190 episodes down, and plenty more exciting topics coming up, as well as some new fresh content from TrekRanks as we approach episode 200. More on that to come in the next couple of months. Thanks for all of your support

We combine two of your favorites this week: our “abstract” topics with another “convention live show”! This week it is “Abstract V” live from Las Vegas with host Jim Moorhhouse and a panel five expert Trek fans (Alex Perry, Claire Little, Matt Hansen, Jamie McGregor and Ken Reilly) targeting their abstract picks related to the letter V (or is that a Romulan numeral V?!?). Anything is on the table for our abstract topics and for our live shows from Las Vegas, and there are more than a few surprises this week (including a surprise guest appearance). Episode Rundown: Prime Directive: With such a large panel, we skip our Diagnostic Cycle and jump into everyone’s quick Prime Directives to see how they made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice. Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list. Regeneration Cycle: The panel

This one is a deep cut. It’s the “Top 5 Two-Hander Episodes” in Star Trek, which in television parlance is a production term referencing stories centered around two characters who are often isolated together in contrast. There are plenty of examples in Trek history where scripts have focused on a pair of characters who share a number of scenes together as the focus of the story. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Chris Burris and Lee Hutchison go through an array of picks in this classic TrekRanks topic. Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: We discuss in detail exactly what a two-hander in television production is. Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice. Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list

“My mind to your mind…” Not sure there is anything more pervasive on Star Trek than a psychic transfer, where someone's consciousness ends up some place it is probably not supposed to be! Which sounds like the perfect reason for TrekRanks to tackle the "Top 5 Psychic Transfers or: Fal-tor-panDEMONIUM" on this week's amazing new episode! From Freaky Friday mind swaps to Vulcan mind melds and all the bonkers examples in between, our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests Jenn Tifft and Ross Webster explore it all. This is an essential episode of TrekRanks! Episode Rundown:  Diagnostic Cycle: Where we get into the details of defining the show’s specific topic (and we explain the origins of that “fal-tor-panDEMONIUM” subtitle). Prime Directive: Each guest on this week’s panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down their lists and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks’ original “Five word summary and a hashtag,” along with one ep

It’s time for another deep-dive topic as we get into the “Top 5 Unjustly Accused Storylines” just in time for the Season 3 premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks, which ended on a brilliant Captain Freeman cliffhanger. There are no shortages of engrossing stories in Star Trek’s history involving our heroes being unjustly accused, both in major, life-changing ways, as well as in small personal ways. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Matt Hansen and Ross Webster are guaranteed to bring the gavel down in both big and small ways as they tackle every corner of Trek on this fun episode. Episode Rundown: Prime Directive: We jump straight into our prime directives to figure out how everyone is going to breakdown this very broad topic and then narrow down their lists. The Order of Things: Everyone reveals their picks with the usual “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice. (This week’s picks include the craziest statistic in TrekRanks history!) Se