Welcome to Set Phasers, A Highly Illogical Star Trek Podcast!

Videos

Oct. 3, 2021

Star Trek Lower Decks S2 E8 "I, Excretus" Recap

Mariner's feeling a bit sour because she and the lower decks gang go left out in space for six hours when the Cerritos has to warp away to help another ship in trouble. Also, a Starfleet drill instructor is showing up to run the entire crew through performance reviews and…

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Sept. 26, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 2 Episode 7 ”Where Pleasant Fountains Lie”

First, there's this evil supercomputer that caused a hundred years of war on a nameless planet. Boimler and Mariner are tasked with bringing it to the Daystrom Institute to be put on ice, but when they get stranded on a deserted planet. AGIMUS, the aforementioned, does his best to put…

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Sept. 26, 2021

Star Trek Lower Decks S2 E7 "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie"

First, there's this evil supercomputer that caused a hundred years of war on a nameless planet. Boimler and Mariner are tasked with bringing it to the Daystrom Institute to be put on ice, but when they get stranded on a deserted planet. AGIMUS, the aforementioned, does his best to put…

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Sept. 19, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 2 Episode 6 ”A Spy Humungous”

There is, indeed, a spy humongous on the USS Cerritos. Capt. Freeman and Shaxs have gone down to the Pakled planet (which they called "Pakled Planet") to try and negotiate a peace. But then a "prisoner" from the planet "escapes" to the Cerritos and asks for "asylum" – and also…

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Sept. 12, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 2 Episode 5 ”An Embarrassment of Dooplers”

The Cerritos is headed to Starbase 25 for the annual Command Conference (which is purported to have one of the most outrageous after-parties in the quadrant!) and it will be the only California-class ship attending. Captain Freeman is rather chuffed. There's just the problem of the Doopler Ambassador who gets…

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Sept. 5, 2021

Star Trek Lower Decks | Season 2 Episode 4 ”Mugato Gumato”

So there's this big scary mugato creature on on Frylong IV, precisely where it shouldn't be. Cerritos is dispatched to get to the bottom of it. So what if they're poisonous, carnivorous, and incredibly strong? Shaxs leads the away mission and turns out there are Ferengi (like old school electro-whip…

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Sept. 5, 2021

Set Phasers Lower Decks S2 E4 "Mugato Gumato"

So there's this big scary mugato creature on on Frylong IV, precisely where it shouldn't be. Cerritos is dispatched to get to the bottom of it. So what if they're poisonous, carnivorous, and incredibly strong? Shaxs leads the away mission and turns out there are Ferengi (like old school electro-whip…

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Aug. 29, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 2 Episode 3 ”We‘ll Always Have Tom Paris”

Lieutenant Paris is visiting the Cerritos! You know, Janeway’s hand-selected, to-be-redeemed, ace pilot. He’s visiting! Also, Tendi is sent on a mission by Dr. T’Ana and decides to bring Mariner along for a “Girl’s Trip.” Hijinks ensue. Rutherford wants to know how Shax is back from the dead but knows…

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Aug. 23, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 2 Episode 2 ”Kayshon, His Eyes Open”

Season two of Lower Decks rapidly picks up speed. First we meet the new head of security (a Tanarian named Kayson) and then we see Boimler hard at work trying to fit in with the pugilistic types on his new ship. Lt. Kayshon leads the Cerritos gang (along with Jet,…

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Aug. 15, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 2 Episode 1 ”Strange Energies”

It's strange energy indeed, as we return to life aboard the Cerritos with Ensign Mariner and her mother Captain Freeman. Things are going great – and they both secretly hate it! You would think they could talk about it, but it seems like they can't. It takes Ransom heading down…

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Aug. 8, 2021

Star Trek Movie X ”Nemesis” Watchalong

Star Trek: Nemesis. The final TNG-movie watch-along! Released in 2002, the last of the four TNG movies is an uncharacteristically dark affair. It has very little of light-hearted hijinks of the previous three and ends *pretty* sadly. That said, it starts with the wedding of Troi and Riker; Data has…

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Aug. 1, 2021

Star Trek Movie IX ”Insurrection” Watchalong

Another Watch-Along! This time, well, we decided to do all the TNG movies and we will not be thwarted! Even if this one is somewhat hard to watch it is still full of the wonder and joy and space (and unasked for group singing) that are the hallmarks of a…

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July 25, 2021

Star Trek Movie VIII ”First Contact” Watchalong

Strap in as we watch through 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact directed by none other than TNG’s own Jonathan Frakes. It’s got everything you could want — space fights, ship fights, the Borg, time travel. And poor Captain Picard must battle not only the Borg but also his own internal…

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July 18, 2021

Star Trek Movie VII ”Generations” Watchalong

Are you ready for a watch along?! Your intrepid hosts, Akie & Stevie, get together to watch the all the TNG movies adding our own... uh... incisive commentary. First up is 1994's Generations – replete with cameos by Scotty, Chekov, and James T. Kirk himself. There is funky time stuff…

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July 11, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 10 ”No Small Parts”

Season Finale?!?! ALREADY?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... ok. So, Boimler let's slip that Mariner is the daughter of Captain Freeman. Everyone starts coming to Mariner to curry favor and so she considered applying for a promotion to the USS Sacramento – the same one Boimler is gunning for. That would be drama enough,…

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July 4, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 9 ”Crisis Point”

Mariner and Captain Freeman's constant arguing comes to a head but instead of throwing Mariner in the brig for subordination, Freeman makes her take mandatory therapy. Mariner thinks it's worthless, but decides she can *really* work through some stuff when Boimler reveals a holodeck program with complete personality work ups…

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June 27, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 8 ”Veritas”

Mariner, Tendi, Rutherford and Boimler are thrown in a jail cell and then brought before a tribunal to testify as to the actions of senior crew on a particular stardate in question. Mariner remembers nothing important, Boimler remember nothing other than his embarrassment, Tendi remembers waaaay too much, and Rutherford's…

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June 20, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 7 ”Much Ado About Boimler”

Captain Freeman, Ransom, and Shaxs are called away on an urgent, covert, seed-planting mission, so there will be a visiting captain on board the Cerritos. At first, Mariner is upset by this, but then she discovers it is her old friend from the academy, Amina Ramsey. Ramsey selects Mariner to…

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June 13, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 6 ”Terminal Provocations”

This week the Cerritos is locked in a pitched and literal tug-o-war with a ship of Drookmani over some ancient Starfleet wreckage and Captain Freeman is doing her best to resolve the issue without violence. In response, the Drookmani start throwing debris at the Cerritos with their tractor beams to…

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June 6, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 5 ”Cupid’s Errant Arrows”

Brad Boimler has a girlfriend! Her name is Barbara Brinson. Try saying that fast. Akie does a bunch this episode and it pretty much broke him. Mariner thinks Brinson is too good to be true and is on a mission to prove that she is some sort of man-eating alien.…

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May 30, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 4 ”Moist Vessel”

The Cerritos is hauling an ancient generation ship across space with the USS Merced. The ship has some kind of super biology juice inside of it that turns anything it touches into trees and rocks and water. So, careful, everyone! Meanwhile, Captain Freeman is sick of Mariner's disrespect and immaturity…

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May 23, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 3 ”Temporal Edict”

What do you know about "buffer time?" You know, like, the crew of ship says it takes four hours to fix the dilithium mix, but it really on takes two hours? I mean, we *all* kind of know that, right?! Captain Freeman didn't and when she cracks down on buffer…

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May 16, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 2 ”Envoys”

Ensign Boimler is SUPER excited to be shuttling a Klingon ambassador down to the surface but Mariner crashes the party. She and General K'orin drink too much bloodwine and the ambassador passes out... then he steals the shuttle and goes joy-riding around the Klingon district wreaking havoc. As they pursue…

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May 9, 2021

Star Trek: Lower Decks | Season 1 Episode 1 ”Second Contact”

Welcome aboard the USS Cerritos (small hills?!), listeners! Meet ensigns Boimler (nervous goody-two-shoes), Mariner (bad-ass rebel and rule-breaker), Tendi (hyper enthusiastic science officer), and Rutherford (innocent, newly-cybernetic engineer) – our plucky heroes. Don't worry about the command staff on the bridge, we're plumbing the depths of this starship – where…

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