Alienating Ourselves Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This week, we take a quick detour from "Alien Nation" to review the recently completed 1st season of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy."

- Which co-host leaned toward not liking this show? And, which co-host accepted that he may not be the target audience and liked it a little better than other recent "Star Trek" incarnations?

- Which opinion about female leadership in the cast of characters was something Nick & Todd both agreed with right away?

- Who were Todd & Nick's respective favorite cast members?

- Did the co-hosts agree or disagree about the lines given to Stephen Colbert as the Digital Dean voice?

- Which cadet character was under-utilized according to one co-host?

- Which co-host was very careful to highlight diversity, inclusion, and representation, as strengths of the show, partially in hopes to avoid being lumped in with people complaining that this show is "too woke" (along with other "Star Trek" installments)?

- Which co-host appreciates the show's positive attitude toward Starfleet as an organization?

- Which co-host noted similarities between the atrium set of Starfleet Academy and the interior of the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta, one of five host hotels for Dragon Con, which both co-hosts attend annually?

- Which co-host complimented the show's tone & format.

- Was there agreement that the Klingon-focused episode was one of the better episodes of the season?

- Which co-host had an issue with the show's anti-authoritarian tone?

- Which co-host felt this show, allegedly about a school, wasn't enough about...school?

- Which co-host pointed out that it sometimes feels like the academy only has about 6 or 7 students?

- Which co-host described everything in the show as being "half-baked"?

- Did both co-hosts agree on being frustrated with the main bad guy character (not including the performance of the actor)?

- Which co-host...very carefully...counted both diversity & production quality as both positives & negatives?

- What is the War College, and why is it there?

- Were there too many cultural inconsistencies assigned to one character, when it comes to the Klingon cadet, Jay-Den Kraag?

- What directions did the co-hosts feel this show, as well as the whole franchise, should go in the future?

- How did conversation of this show lead to mentions of other TV shows including "Community," "Beverly Hills 90210," and "Star Trek: Picard"?

- If this podcast were to ever review "Star Trek: Picard," does Todd have the strength to rewatch season 1 (or 2, or 3, but especially 1)?

- How did the "drive by" of episode 5 ("Series Acclimation Mil") turn into a half-hour deep dive, and which co-host lost his mind about this episode?

- What were the main complaints about episode 5, and how did this episode fail (according to one co-host) to pay homage to "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" as producers & some fans claim it did?

- Tangent Topic: Why, why, why, for the love of everything good & holy, was there not a season, or at least one single episode, of "Star Trek: Picard" about Picard's love of archeology?!?!?

- Despite disagreeing on overall sentiment, how close were Nick & Todd's average grades for the whole season?

Listen now for the answers to these and other academic questions as Nick & Todd take a class on "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy."

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Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

This week Nick & Todd reach the halfway point through "Alien Nation" with the episode "Chains of Love." Someone is drugging unsuspecting victims with the Tenctonese love potion Sardonac, a potential victim is accidentally bonded to Matt via Sardonac, and George & Susan consider using Sardonac themselves to strengthen their marriage.

- Nick & Todd read listener e-mail from Preston who asks about alien holidays & yogurt. What did Nick & Todd have to say about it, and is Cathy Frankel a vegetarian or not? Do worms count as meat?

- Between both co-hosts, who were the two performance VIPs this week?

- Which character's laughter was a major perk this episode?

- In what creative, thoughtful, and articulate way does Matt find to apologize to Cathy?

- What were some of Nick's favorite moments of comedy in the episode?

- What did Todd wonder about how Tenctonese have so many traditions & rituals as opposed to their oppressive time on a slave ship?

- Which cultural, culinary, and geometric factoids did Nick enjoy from the episode?

- What did Nick notice most about Hobbs' appearance in the episode?

- What inconsistency did Nick notice about cinematography and the hallway between Matt & Cathy's apartments?

- How did Todd have only one nitpick for the whole episode, and what was it?

- What misogynist moments did Matt exhibit in this episode?

- What guest star in this episode had a connection to "Xena: Warrior Princess"?

- What weird connections did Todd make between a scene in this episode and one from "Babylon 5"?

- Is there actually a significant Dobb's Watch in this episode?

- Why was the Albert Einstein Award more of a challenge this week?

- What are other moments & trivia from this episodes were notable?

- With this being halfway through the season, what did Nick & Todd have to say about the season so far and what they hope for in the 2nd half?

Listen now for the answers to these and a chain of other lovable questions as Nick & Todd court the "Chains of Love."

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes on the Spotify or GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com.

Royalty-free music from this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

The "Alien Nation" rewatch will definitely continue, but this week (and next), Nick & Todd take a detour to talk about one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all..."Star Trek." We're calling it a primer because we discuss the whole franchise in broad strokes, comparing notes on what we've seen, haven't seen, loved, liked, disliked, hated, and still want to see. It ended up being such a big topic, we had to split it into a two-parter.

- What opening advice did Todd & Nick give regarding "Star Trek" and "Toy Story" action figures?

- What did Todd say the "Star Trek" franchise means to him, and what annoying way did he still find for comparing it to "Babylon 5"?

- How young was Nick when he first started watching "The Original Series" before "The Next Generation" even came out, and how did Nick compare "Star Trek" to "Star Wars"?

- What were some of Nick's favorite episodes of "The Original Series"?

- What are the merits of "Star Trek: The Animated Series," and despite low-budget animation, does it deserve to be canon?

- Why did Todd insist on including a fan-funded web series called "Star Trek Continues" into this discussion? How authentic was the web series to the original look & feel of "Star Trek;" and what are the merits of its storytelling, including something it did similar to "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"?

- Are spoofs & stereotypes about Captain Kirk, especially his mannerisms, vocal cadence, and reputation with women, all completely deserved; or is Kirk usually portrayed as a fully professional yet possibly lonely military officer?

- How surprising is it which "Star Trek" movie is Nick's favorite?

- What continuity errors does Todd (via Joanna) point out about the rocketboot scene in the turbolift shaft in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier"?

- When trying to narrow down "The Next Generation" for key episodes to show his son, what number did Nick get down to?

- What hot take did Nick have about TNG season 1?

- What do Nick & Todd feel about the infamous "Sub Rosa" episode, where Dr. Crusher has sex with an alleged ghost?

- Which TNG episodes does Nick hate?

- What letter grade does Todd give each TNG season?

Listen now for the answers to these and other enterprising questions, as Nick & Todd explore sci-fi's greatest universe in their Star Trek Primer.

And, stay tuned for Part 2, as Nick & Todd will continue discussing "The Next Generation" as well as more Trek movies, "Deep Space Nine," and beyond...

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can comment on individual episodes using the Spotify or GoodPods apps. Our e-mail is alienatingourselves@gmail.com.

Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com and FreePD.com.

This week, Nick & Todd review the 5th "Alien Nation" episode, "The Takeover," a story about a police station siege during a city riot, with the themes of control and...smells(???). Along the way, we get to see a remnant of the controlling ship gas, from the Tenctonese slave ship, in action.

- Why does one co-host think command and...smells...are the two main themes of the episode?

- How many ways does Albert save the day in the episode?

- How many ways are George's frustrations & harsh words in this episode interesting or add variety to his demeanor?

- What do we learn about Tenctonese language, gestures, and culture, in this episode?

- How well can Nick imitate the clicking noise that Tenctonese use in their language?

- In what way does one guest character actually say the title of the show out loud?

- Which moment of slow motion did Nick & Todd both note as being awkward?

- Just how annoying was the Matt Sikes character in the first half of the episode?

- Did this episode include more instances of bad police work, or just Humans being bad people in general?

- Were Todd or Nick impressed at all by the subplot where Captain Bryon Grazer suggests an end to the riots using a thesis he wrote in school about ancient city strategies?

- What did Nick & Todd find strange and/or silly about a subplot in which Matt is helping to catch an old girlfriend's stalker?

- Does the episode do enough...or nothing at all...to explain where the canister of ship gas came from?

- Which guest star played a female Klingon in several installments of the "Star Trek" franchise, including episodes in two series and one of the movies?

- What other connections did Nick make between guest stars in this episode and other TV series & movies?

- Which guest star did Todd recognize from the movie "Erin Brockovich" just because of how the character put his hand over his mouth. And, which character did Nick say that actor played in a "Batman" movie?

- How much is Dobbs given to do in this episode, and how many main & support characters are missing from this episode?

- In what way does a Tenctonese character win this week's Albert Einstein Award...on a technicality?

- When Todd listed things he would do if he had a gas that could control people, like the one in the episode, what eight TV-related things did he choose, what one totally random thing did he choose, and was a reboot of "Firefly" one of the choices? Improvising some ideas of his own, what did Nick come up with, related to Star Wars & movie theaters?

- And, what were Nick & Todd's final grades and feelings about whether this could be skipped or not?

Listen now for the answers to these and other...commanding...questions, as Nick & Todd try to survive..."The Takeover."

Note: The next two weeks will be a two-parter about Nick & Todd's loves, likes, dislikes, and gaps in viewing, of the "Star Trek" franchise. Reviews of "Alien Nation" will resume after the two-week Star Trek "primer."

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can post comments directly on episodes in Spotify & GoodPods apps. Our e-mail is alienatingourselves@gmail.com.

Royalty-free music used in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

Nick & Todd are really enjoying rewatching & podcasting about "Alien Nation." But, even the best things in life aren't always perfect. Join Nick & Todd as they critique the first disappointing episode of the show, "Fifteen With Wanda," while still talking about redeeming qualities and the usual guest cast connections to other shows.

- What was Nick's first really insightful point, and what was Todd's first really bizarre point?

- What observations about Tenctonese culture, language, or religion, did Nick & Todd point out this time?

- What was Todd's favorite funny line from the episode?

- What Tenctonese love potion featured in this episode will we see & hear more about in the future?

- What did Todd ponder about Tenctonese raw meat cuisine?

- Which real human name and fictional alien name did George get mixed up?

- What kind of shout out did Todd give the Susan character this week?

- What did Nick like about the final showdown in the adult store scene?

- In what good ways & bad ways did this episode explore parenthood, and how were Tenctonese not completely allowed to be parents while on the ship (leading to great frustration by George)?

- Did this episode continue the trend of bad police work, and if so, how?

- What did Nick not like about Matt's scenes with his ex-wife?

- What questionable teen fashion statement was dinged by Nick with agreement from Todd?

- What strange tropes did Todd & Nick notice in the episode?

- Nick & Todd both missed a Tenctonese main character absent from this episode. Which "Babylon 5" character did Todd compare her to?

- Todd was frustrated by the character of Matt's daughter in the episode. Which character from the movie "Volcano" did he compare her to?

- How many guest actors this week also had guest roles in the "Star Trek" franchise or other notable properties?

- What did Todd learn about some of the actors in the opening credits by sneaking a peak at episode 14?

- Is this now the 3rd episode to have a strange voiceover at or near the end of the episode?

- Which actor on the show did Todd point out as the saving grace of the whole show so far?

- Did Nick feel this episode is still important to watch or skippable? How low did Todd's score go?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as Nick & Todd put "Fifteen With Wanda" into protective custody.

Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also leave us comments on individual episodes via the Spotify and Goodpods apps.

Royalty-free music from this episode came from Pixabay.com and FreePD.com.

Nick & Todd return to talk about the 3rd episode of "Alien Nation" in which Detective Matt Sikes tries to protect a teenage Tenctonese girl who's life has taken a bad direction. When the situation takes an unexpected turn, Matt & George go undercover to take down a dangerous Tenctonese prostitution ring.

- How did discussion of this episode start off about goats?

- How much did Todd & Nick enjoy the return of Uncle Moodri and the exploration of Moodri's religion, philosophy, and special abilities?

- What was Todd's favorite part of the episode, and how did dialogue from that scene remind him of something from "Babylon 5" (as so many things do, apparently)?

- The character of Matt Sikes is often hyper and/or annoying, but what good aspects of Matt were pointed out in this episode?

- What weird Matt Sikes fashion statements in this episode did Todd & Nick both flag?

- What nitpicks did Nick & Todd have, including Buck's story line, an alien makeup issue, an overly-convenient voiceover, and inconsistencies in Tenctonese attitudes about attraction & sexuality?

- How did this episode revisit the concept of the Kleezantsun (a.k.a. Overseers), and was it totally consistent with things suggested in previous episodes?

- What connections did Nick & Todd note between support actors in this episode and other TV shows & movies, and which guest actor is a prolific stuntman?

- How many Tenctonese names in this episode were references to authors, actors, famous characters, city names, a line of a Billy Joel song, and even a former presidential press secretary?

- What additional things about Tenctonese biology, culture, religion, and language, get mentioned in this review?

- Which Moodri & Buck moment got Nick emotional?

- What does Todd continue to ponder about whether Tenctonese travel the planet or move to other parts of the U.S.?

Listen now for the answers to these and other dramatic & heart-felt questions, as Nick & Todd protect & serve "Little Lost Lamb."

Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can comment on individual episodes via the Spotify & GoodPods apps.

Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

Nick & Todd are back for the first "Alien Nation" 1-hour episode entitled "Fountain of Youth." This is an episode that explores the topic of aging from two different angles. Something about Tenctonese physiology may help slow or even reverse aging in humans, and Susan struggles to find work in her field due to her age.

- This is the first installment of "Alien Nation" to have a standard weekly opening credit sequence. How did Nick & Todd feel about it and the sequence's very alien-sounding theme song?

- How much alien religion & culture is subtly packed into one quick & low-budget Tenctonese funeral scene? Which shows did Nick & Todd site as also being low budget and them being very forgiving of that for great story?

- Which beloved recurring character is introduced in this episode and what kind of heard-but-not-seen companion(s) does that character come with?

- Which non-cop character from the main cast do the co-hosts really enjoy?

- What did the co-hosts think about how oddly close Matt & George sit on a sofa, about a dark & depressing quote from Matt near the end of the episode, and the prejudice subtly portrayed by one support guest character?

- How frustrating was Matt in this episode as a cop and as a person in general?

- How did this episode lead to a lesson about HIPAA & patient privacy?

- What various issues did the co-hosts have with a party scene in this episode?

- Which movie does Nick site as having a similar premise as this episode?

- How many guest actors in this episode have also been in the "Star Trek" franchise?

- At what rate do Tenctonese age, and how old are Nick & Todd in Tenctonese years?

- And, which fashion statements do Nick & Todd site from this episode?

Listen now for the answers to these questions that will hopefully age well?

You can send us a message at alienatingourselves@gmail.com. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leaves us comments or rate individual episodes via Spotify or the Goodpods app.

Royalty-free music in this episode is from Pixabay.com.

Nick & Todd are back and diving in to the "Alien Nation" pilot TV movie (counting as episode 1 of the TV series). This episode is packed with world-building, character development, and social commentary.

- What was Todd's favorite moments, and how did Nick react to it differently?

- Did the TV pilot continue the trend in the theatrical movie of Matt Sikes doing bad police work?

- What in-world alien advertisements did Nick take note of?

- What differences between the theatrical movie and the TV show did Nick & Todd point out?

- What were the opinions on the obnoxious teenage Buck Francisco character?

- How many instances of discrimination, bullying, and racial slurs, were in the TV pilot, proving the show called "Alien Nation" is an exploration of...alienation?

- What did we all learn about Tenctonese physiology from the uncomfortable bedroom scene, and how did that lead to an "Ally McBeal" reference?

- What did we learn about the Tenctonese religions?

- What did Nick & Todd love so much about the conversations Matt had with his new Tenctonese neighbor Cathy Frankel, and how insightful were they about life on the Newcomers' former slave ship?

- How did a conversation between two child characters work its way into Todd's favorite moments?

- Todd's favorite moment came near the beginning of the episode. Which of Nick's favorite moments came near the end of the episode, and how does involve...velcro?

- What bizarre & illogical ways did the makers try so hard to integrate the theatrical movie into the TV pilot while also so blatantly retconning other aspects of the theatrical movie?

- What strange writing, directing, and/or editing choices were made near the end of the episode?

- What flimsy & possibly coincidental connection did Todd make between something in this episode and the novel "Ender's Game"?

- How many connections did Nick & Todd make between the actors in the show and their roles in other shows, and how many of those other roles were in the "Star Trek" franchise?

- How did Nick & Todd work in references to "South Park," "Spaceballs," "Little House on the Prairie," "Mac & Me," and much more?

- How did the vote split this week for the Albert Einstein Award?

- Which exotic & haunting musical instrument, featured in this episode, did Nick love & research further?

- What was Todd's head-canon theory about Emily's friend Jill, and if he's right, how does that fit the themes portrayed more blatantly in the rest of the episode?

- How did Nick & Todd score this episode, and what did Todd give it on his Head-Explode-O-Meter?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as Nick & Todd examine the TV pilot of "Alien Nation."

You can contact us at alienatingourselves@gmail.com

Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

Welcome to the Alienating Ourselves Podcast, the brand new podcast where Nick & Todd explore sci-fi entertainment with a focus on aliens and the humans they interact with. In the beginning, we'll be reviewing the TV show & movies of the "Alien Nation" franchise.

Listen now to our first episode where we take a deep dive into the theatrical movie that started it all (and stay tuned for next episode where we start reviewing the "Alien Nation" TV show).

You can e-mail us at alienatingourselves@gmail.com.

Royalty-free music used in the episode comes for Pixabay.com.

This week, we review one of the best episodes of "Alien Nation." It's called "The Game," and it's an episode that keeps on giving, with multiple big reveals and an emotional ending.

- With both co-hosts agreeing that this is a great episode, Todd focuses on performances, and Nick focuses on the world-building.

- How does this episode have not just one "Babylon 5" connection but two?

- How many great moments of performance did Eric Pierpoint have as George Francisco, and how many great reveals are there?

- What do the co-hosts appreciate about the Day of Descent holiday depicted in the episode?

- Despite being a serious episode, what moments of humor does the episode have? And, despite being a great episode, what few flaws does it have?

- This episode continues the tradition of this show capping things off with an amazing final scene. What is it about this episode's final scene that almost got one co-host choked up?

- What were this episode's moments of bad police work, and was George guilty of it this week instead of Matt?

- As much as this week's titular game was a central aspect of the episode and a great source for storytelling, which nitpicks did the co-hosts still point out about it?

- Which actress from the opening credits is finally back in this episode but doesn't even get a line a dialogue?

- Which technical nitpicks did Todd point out?

- Which connection to another movie, pointed out by Nick, led Todd to explain a possible, brief, vague, boring, and convoluted connection he might have had years ago?

- Nick usually does a "Star Trek" actor count, and this week, Todd does a "Babylon 5" actor count too. How high did the counts go?

- Seriously, how many minutes did Todd rattle on about this week's "Babylon 5" connections? Was there almost certainly a quicker way of saying it? And, how did Todd make fun of himself for it, through the editing?

- George Francisco is one of Todd's favorite characters, but what is his all-time overall #1 favorite character, any genre, any medium, and why is it relevant to this episode?

- What connection did Nick find between this episode and the 1980s TV show "Manimal," leading to a brief mention of Joe Crowe, director of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track at Dragon Con?

- And, was "Dobbs Watch" a productive segment this week?

Listen now to the answers to these and other strategic questions as the co-hosts are lucky enough to dissect, "The Game."

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify and GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com.

Royalty-free music used in this episode came from Pixabay.com.