A Star to Steer Her By

16/08/2024

Preceding our own Neelix appreciation post, Steve Shives also released a Trek Actually exploring the good and bad of our favorite Talaxian chef! If even Steve can come around to the guy, you know there's something great about this character.

▶Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/steveshives/join▶Watch more Trek, Actually videos at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

16/08/2024

If you enjoy Star Trek: Prodigy as much as we do, slap your name on the petition! Go fast!

16 signatures are needed, let’s get there by the end of the day?

15/08/2024

Our best and worst Neelix moments are on the menu in the mess hall today! Put your order in with the chef by heading over to the blog!

By Ames At some point, the Star Trek fan base decided the worst main character of the franchise is Neelix – he’s obnoxious, his jokes don’t land, he’s dating a two-year-old, he looks like that. But…

15/08/2024

Well now the Romulans have gone and done it! In their convoluted attempt to destabilize the region they've just gone and helped lay the groundwork for the eventual United Federation of Planets! Maybe there was a better use for their super psychic powered self-repairing ships than this? Also Trip and T'Pol's relationship takes a decidedly teen drama turn in the 11th hour because why not? Join us for "United" and "The Aenar"!
Also this week: ancient traditions*, iced coffee in space, and Neelix!
[timestamps: episodes: 01:10; the Ambassador: 51:16]
[ambassador, reporter, sitter, cook: https://www.tumblr.com/sshbpodcast/758822816123666432/character-spotlight-neelix?source=share ]

https://soundcloud.com/sshbpodcast/episode-361-the-big-special-best-friend-ship-fleet

Well now the Romulans have gone and done it! In their convoluted attempt to destabilize the region they've just gone and helped lay the groundwork for the eventual United Federation of Planets! Maybe

08/08/2024

Computer, activate Emergency Medical Blogpost! We're spotlighting the Doctor over on the tumblr this week, so report to sickbay!
🔗 https://www.tumblr.com/sshbpodcast/758190703422717952/character-spotlight-emergency-medical-hologram 🔗

By Ames Please state the nature of the medical emergency. For a hologram who was never constructed to be left on indefinitely, the Emergency Medical Hologram sure does get a lot of development. He s…

08/08/2024

[Not sure what mood FB is going to be in this week so to try and save ourselves another headache please check the comments for the usual links.]
Everyone's up to something this week, tho motivation is maybe a bit vague. First up: voyeuristic aliens are being really creepy and possessing the crew just so they can watch people die in "Observer Effect". After that, someone has come up with a needlessly elaborate ship to try and start a war between the Andorians and Tellarites in "Babel One".
Also this week: special special humans, emotional violence, and The EMH!
[Timestamps: Observer Effect: 01:02; Babel One: 24:31; The Doctor: 1:05:06]

04/08/2024

Chris genuinely had the perfect last image on hand for this meme he saw on another page

01/08/2024

Strap in for a sweet saxophone solo as we highlight Ensign Kim this week!
🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷

By Ames This week’s character spotlight shines on the Voyager’s favorite forever-ensign, Harry Kim, who lord knows has done enough throughout the show to warrant enough promotions to rival Janeway a…

01/08/2024

Hey, kids, this week's episode is live but we've got some posting issues here. Check it out in the usual spots!

28/07/2024

"Mom, can we get "Guardians of the Galaxy"?"
"We have "Guardians of the Galaxy" at home."
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" we have at home:

Star Trek: Section 31, a Paramount+ Original Movie, stars Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou who joins a secret division of Star...

25/07/2024

Invaders! Invaders! Don't worry, Tom Paris is here to save the galaxy from the likes of Dr. Chaotica and his goons. Drop your color saturation with us as we enter Tom's world in this week's character spotlight!

By Ames Strap in and get ready to go fast! A Star to Steer Her By has Tom Paris in the driver’s seat for this week’s character spotlight. Tom is a solid character throughout all of Voyager, with man…

25/07/2024

"Enterprise" woke up one day and realized they'd kinda made the Vulcans sort of a mess. So they've decided to semi retcon it so that it's just one dude in the High Command who's evil and everything else is more like we remember it. Mind melding is fine now, we promise! Also, look, it's T'Pau in a deeply unnecessary appearance! And Surak is here, but in brain ghost form! So join us for the first two parts of a three-part Vulcan epic with "The Forge" and "Awakening".
Also this week: cults are always right, Tommy Paris, and fanfic name draws!
[episodes: 01:09; Paris: 55:35; fanfic plans: 1:13:38]
[set a course to the Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/sshbpodcast/756920957763026944/character-spotlight-tom-paris?source=share ]
https://soundcloud.com/sshbpodcast/episode-358-the-forge-awakens

"Enterprise" woke up one day and realized they'd kinda made the Vulcans sort of a mess. So they've decided to semi retcon it so that it's just one dude in the High Command who's evil and everything el

18/07/2024

Examples of how Uma Thurman in Gattaca gives off big Tamara de Lempicka vibes.

18/07/2024

Since there's been some genetic engineering talk on "Enterprise" recently we decided to finally take a look at 1997's "Gattaca". It's the story of a near-futuristic (or alternate present?) dystopia with designer babies and a future determined entirely by one's genes. But Ethan Hawke wants to go to space, dangit, and he'll do whatever it takes, including some deeply upsetting stuff to his legs!
Also this week: cripes what a pretty cast; Tamara de Lempicka; and an inordinate amount of urine tests!
[content warning: discussion of su***de]
[the art: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoportrait_(Tamara_in_a_Green_Bugatti)
https://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_68885/Tamara-de-Lempicka/Young-Lady-with-Gloves,-1930
https://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_68915/Tamara-de-Lempicka/The-Girls,-c.1930 ]
https://soundcloud.com/sshbpodcast/ten-forward-39-gattaca

Since there's been some genetic engineering talk on "Enterprise" recently we decided to finally take a look at 1997's "Gattaca". It's the story of a near-futuristic (or alternate present?) dystopia wi

13/07/2024

Divert power to the warp core because it's time to highlight the Voyager's half-Klingon engineer, B'Elanna Torres! Grab yourself some banana pancakes and have an honorable day.

By Ames Get ready to have an honorable day as we swivel our character spotlight over to the Voyager’s chief engineer this week on A Star to Steer Her By. Every day is an identity crisis for B’Elanna…

11/07/2024

"Enterprise" has left infurating war crimes behind and has gone back to the familiar comfort of dull and copying older "Trek". In parts two and three of a story that did NOT need to be a three-parter, the Augments go on a rampage and Soong realizes maybe he did, in fact, do a bad thing by unleashing them on the galaxy. Join us, won't you, for "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments".
Also this week: too many nods, a pointless brother, and B'Elanna!
[Timestamps: Cold Augment Dozen: 00:36; Torres: 54:21]
[note: minor spoilers for "Picard" S.2, but honestly that's probably the worst of the seasons of that show so who cares?]
[tumbl down to engineering: https://www.tumblr.com/sshbpodcast/755647318423994368/character-spotlight-belanna-torres?source=share ]
https://soundcloud.com/sshbpodcast/episode-357-is-a-bad-plan-better-than-no-plan

"Enterprise" has left infurating war crimes behind and has gone back to the familiar comfort of dull and copying older "Trek". In parts two and three of a story that did NOT need to be a three-parter,

09/07/2024

We promised you this alternate ending for Independence Day, so here it is!

The original biplane ending to Independence Day.

04/07/2024

Jeff Goldblum, still saving us from aliens at 67. And looking great doing it!

Now here's something to roar about: Actor Jeff Goldblum, 67, recreated his famous shirtless pose from 1993's "Jurassic Park". And yep, he's still got it. Unlike the dinosaurs, the dude's making sure that s*x appeal will never go extinct, and if (on the off chance) that it does, we'll extract some more from a piece of amber and have it cloned.

The image was a "reward" for 3,000 fans who registered to vote in the upcoming U.S. elections via Goldblum's Head Count page. "How time flies," he wrote in the Instagram caption, referring to the 27 years that have passed since Steven Spielberg changed the blockbuster game yet again with his adaptation of Michael Crichton's beloved sci-fi novel.

"This election is wildly important, and you have the power to really make a difference — but first, you’ve got to get Good To Vote! If 1,000 of you register to vote, or check your registration status, or request a mail-in ballot (below), I will recreate a Dr. Ian Malcolm moment from Jurassic Park," reads the Head Count page.

The actor recently paid homage to another iconic moment from the dino-centric film by re-staging the explanation of Chaos Theory with a bewildered Sam Neill (Alan Grant) standing in for Laura Dern (Ellie Sattler). It's all good practice for his return to the prehistoric franchise, as Goldblum will be reprising the role of Malcolm (who briefly appeared in 2018's "Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom") alongside Neill and Dern in the upcoming "Jurassic World: Dominion". The threequel is currently in production in the United Kingdom

During a virtual press junket several weeks back, writer-director Colin Trevorrow said that the original Jurassic Park characters will play a major role in "Dominion", which was delayed to summer 2022 as a result of the pandemic. "I think people may be underestimating the size and importance of Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum’s characters in this movie," the filmmaker said. "It is very much an ensemble and that element, the ability to take these beloved characters from almost 30 years now and understand how they interact with each other in the context of a world that we’ve really never seen before and have not been able to witness until now — it’s very exciting for me. I’m having the time of my life."

Happy Birthday, Jeff Goldblum! See less

04/07/2024

Well look at that, July 4th has fallen on our release day this year and it's always fun to take a break from "Enterprise"! So we're finally taking a look at 1996's action-disaster-blockbuster "Independence Day" (aka ID4)! Get those nostalgia goggles off and see if it still holds up when aliens blow up practical effect monuments and only s*xy s*xy Jeff Goldblum and still-mostly-the-Fresh Prince Will Smith can save us with the power of Apple computers!
Also this week: but really, this cast though. As well as some almost-disastrous alternate casting. And some even more disastrous alternate titles!
Welcome to Earth!

Well look at that, July 4th has fallen on our release day this year and it's always fun to take a break from "Enterprise"! So we're finally taking a look at 1996's action-disaster-blockbuster "Indepen

03/07/2024

Tomorrow's Independence Day here in the States, so get ready for a special treat on the podcast! More Brent Spiner action!
👽🇺🇸👽🇺🇸

Become a Screen Ju**ie! ►► http://bit.ly/sjsubscrWatch more Honest Trailers ►► http://bit.ly/HonestTrailerPlaylistWith the announcement of Independence Day 2...

29/06/2024

Get ready to run a 10K with Tuvok as we high- and lowlight the Voyager's best resident Vulcan. (Yes, Vorik, I know you're in the room.)

By Ames It’s been a little while since we highlighted a Vulcan on the A Star to Steer Her By Character Spotlight Series. Like Spock, our pointy-eared Voyager crew member Tuvok has his best moments w…

27/06/2024

Season four finally starts proper after last week's bizarre opener. First up, the crew goes "Home" and does a take on TNG's "Family" if it was a slog and had really bad lessons woven into it. After that: it's part one of what will be multiple three-parters in the final season of "Enterprise" as Brent Spiner guest stars as one of his own ancestors to take us to the "Borderland"!
Also this week: fun with umlauts, big square heads, and Tuvok!
[timestamps: Home: 01:18; Borderland: 45:55; Mr. Vulcan: 1:11:50]
[dance on over to the tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/sshbpodcast/754390653323100160/character-spotlight-tuvok?source=share]
https://soundcloud.com/sshbpodcast/episode-356-the-old-ways

Season four finally starts proper after last week's bizarre opener. First up, the crew goes "Home" and does a take on TNG's "Family" if it was a slog and had really bad lessons woven into it. After th

26/06/2024

You might ask: who is the unofficial 5th SSHB Stalwart? Our Brian Epstein or, perhaps more thematically appropriate, our Jeffery Combs? Frequent guests Liz or Rossi? Perhaps Carl? Or is he more our Majel? Maybe. BUT NO! We can reveal now that the REAL 5th Stalwart is (of late) Jiminy Glick, and we have summoned him back through our sheer force of will!
(shh, we don't post enough so the algorithm forgets us, let me have this!)

As grateful as Martin Short is to be hosting the show, he has a dermatologist appointment he just can’t move this week so he asked his best friend/Hollywood'...

22/06/2024

As mentioned in this week's episode during the discussion about the complicities in N**i portrayal in media (ya know, in this podcast mostly about dick jokes), here's the Holocaust-awareness apparel company founded in an episode of Nathan For You.

Summit Ice® is a not-for-profit company dedicated to producing quality outdoor apparel and raising awareness of the Holocaust.

20/06/2024

A-koo-chee-moya. Listen, a lot of fans don't give Chakotay a chance, but when you pay attention, what you actually have here is the conscience of the Voyager, a gently nuanced character who is so consistent you sometimes forget he's there, a generous lover, and the best damn tub you can find when you're marooned on a planet. Not put the panflutes away.

By Ames There is a saying among my people: Chakotay is a tragically underused character on Star Trek: Voyager. Okay, that’s just a quote from me on A Star to Steer Her By, but I do say it all the ti…

20/06/2024

EVERYONE SHUT UP! THIS IS IMPORTANT!

In Season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy, these six young outcasts who make up the Prodigy crew are assigned a new mission aboard the U.S.S. Voyager-A to rescue Cap...

20/06/2024

When we last left our heroes there were aliens in WW2 because why not, right? Sure. Fine. So we're picking up that thread and it turns out to be a bunch of Temporal Cold War nonsense in "Storm Front", parts 1 and 2. On the plus side it's also the end of that idiot saga.
Also this week: a questionable montage, Machine Gun Reed, and Commander Chakotay!
[timestamps: Storm Front: 01:25; The Gentlest Maquis: 52:51]
[Just ignore the phony Native American stuff and he's pretty good:
https://www.tumblr.com/sshbpodcast/753747139156393984/character-spotlight-chakotay?source=share ]
https://soundcloud.com/sshbpodcast/episode-355-enterprise-vs-the-naughtzis

When we last left our heroes there were aliens in WW2 because why not, right? Sure. Fine. So we're picking up that thread and it turns out to be a bunch of Temporal Cold War nonsense in "Storm Front",

13/06/2024

The Delphic Expanse is finally behind us, so we took this opportunity to decompress and fairly analyze the full Xindi arc as a whole. Just kidding, here's a very angry retrospective based mostly on how much we loathed season three of Enterprise.

by Ames What’s the worst season of all of Trek? Season 3 of TOS? Season 2 of Picard? All of The Animated Series? Well your hosts at A Star to Steer Her By have a contender. We just finished our watc…

13/06/2024

Oh God quick finish it up now, now, NOW! It's "Zero Hour" on "Enterprise" as everything is just tied up in a...well, not a neat little bow. Kind of a last-minute convoluted bow? Also somehow everything and nothing happens all at the same time. Then it's topped off by maybe the dumbest cliffhanger ever?
Also this week: too long a shorter season, lotta "Star Wars" in this "Star Trek", and wrapping an absolutely abysmal season of "Trek".
[timestamps: Zero Hour: 1:08; S.3 rankings: 38:19]
[The List: https://www.tumblr.com/sshbpodcast/753105347531718656/the-worst-season-of-all-of-star-trek?source=share]
https://soundcloud.com/sshbpodcast/episode-354-just-get-it-over-with

Oh God quick finish it up now, now, NOW! It's "Zero Hour" on "Enterprise" as everything is just tied up in a...well, not a neat little bow. Kind of a last-minute convoluted bow? Also somehow everythin

08/06/2024

This has definitely happened to Chris while watching "Enterprise". Because falling down a wikihole is more entertaining