Explore every episode of the podcast Vulcan Hello (An aftershow for new Star Trek)

Scott has the command codes and Jason has been banished to a spooky haunted starship, or is a puppet now, or maybe is fighting his fairy-tale doppelganger? Meanwhile, three lovely guests are joining Scott to discuss the just-concluded season of “Strange New Worlds.”

Host Scott McNulty with Antony Johnston, Joe Rosensteel, and Heather Berberet.

From white hole to black hole, from the near future to the present (of the future), it’s time for Scott and Jason to wrap up another season of “Strange New Worlds” with a delightful time-bending episode that puts Uhura(s) at the center. (Don’t miss Scott’s triumphant return to Random Trek! And stay tuned soon for our season-wrap-up panels both here and on The Incomparable!)

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Once upon a time, there was a fantasy kingdom in a “Star Trek” episode. Twice upon a time, they revisited that story and tried to bring La’An’s seasonlong struggle with herself to a conclusion. Is double the crew double the fun? Is Spock a wizard or a Vulcan, and does he wield magic or logic? We break down the penultimate episode of the penultimate season of “Strange New Worlds!”

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

In this fantastic episode, a “badmiral” takes control of the Enterprise and teaches (randomly on the ship) Jim Kirk some important what-not-to-do lessons about command. Jim and Sam Kirk have a surprising, emotionally resonant conversation about their father. A coffee fetish meets Chekov’s Cordrazine*! And in the B plot: caves! (Which, for the record, we also like very much.) Pop pop! * Ask your doctor if cordrazine is right for you. Side effects include paranoia, accidentally bringing Hitler to power, and serious cardiovascular complications. Do not take if you are pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant, or are allergic to cordrazine.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Don’t catch the Space Madness, because it’s time to talk about the latest episode of “Strange New Worlds,” in which Trelane puts the Enterprise (except Pike) into a soap opera! Once again, we’re genre hopping—but is “Q episode” not a tried-and-true Trek genre? And does this not emotionally serve Pike, who recently survived a “life-in-a-day” episode of his own? Get your popcorn ready and watch out for evil twins.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This week’s episode has everything: Broken bones and crushed torsos; a detailed look at the past, present, and future of the ship’s medical org chart, a remote control Mind Meld, and the start of the most important character pair in the history of Star Trek: Scotty and the Enterprise.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s the muppet show!!!!! [kermit flail]

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This podcast is presented in vivid black-and-white, as we discuss a Strange New World visit that reminds us a lot of a TOS episode—but without the bright colors designed to sell color television sets in the 1960s. Una ponders space doppelgangers, M’Benga enjoys a selection of hats and coats, and Uhura gets the mind probe. Gratuitous Klingon guest stars! Confusing sci-fi rules! And if you haven’t seen “Casablanca,” well…

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s time for the next spin on the genre wheel, as “Strange New worlds” lurches from horror to comedy. Dave Foley is a weird alien with a weird pleasure planet. There’s a thin strand of plot and a Star Trek take on “The Hangover.” Pike gets a lot of tattoos! There’s Klingon karaoke! Someone’s wearing a Mugato suit! Most importantly, Scotty and Ortegas learn to understand each other and Spock bonds with an imaginary—or is he?—Jim Kirk. Also, prompted by the last two weeks’ genre whipsaw, Scott and Jason have deep thoughts about what we like, why we like it, and how we process stuff that doesn’t fit in our definition of the thing we like.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Boo! It’s a spooky situation as Kirk, Spock, and La’an encounter a dead starship and face their worst fears. How did we, as non-horror fans, like the episode? That might be the scariest reveal of all.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Scott and Jason are back to answer your most important Star Trek and horse-related questions! And they’re so excited they could punch a dinosaur! We break down the pulp-SF-flavored Season 4 premiere of “Strange New Worlds,” featuring martians and dinos and also a bonus jerk Vulcan!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

“Starfleet Academy” finishes the end of its first season with the conclusion of numerous plot lines, a lot of character moments, and some problem solving. We discuss how this episode worked, the season as a whole, and how “Starfleet Academy” builds on the shows that came before it. See you again when “Strange New Worlds” returns!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

School’s out, but adventure is in! Scott and Jason discuss the penultimate episode of the first season of “Starfleet Academy,” including stealing shuttlecrafts, insulting your friends, hiding out in airlocks, and the perils of having to automate an entire starship!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

From the space-time weirdness of Kasq to the stage of “Our Town,” it’s a “Starfleet Academy” episode where theater helps process trauma and a certain hologram learns to love again. Oh, and Tilly shows up, reminding us why she’s a top-tier Star Trek character. Come join us in our little one-act play, or as we call it, a podcast.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Get out your space swiffers and prepare to visit the Dry Moon of the Fish People! It’s time to discuss the change-of-pace episode “Ko’Zeine,” which we found to be… fine. If this is the baseline for “Starfleet Academy,” that’s good news, but we do have some thoughts on all the ways this episode failed to rise above being perfectly cromulent. We do love that Warp Slug, though.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This one gets pretty dark, with a training mission that goes horribly wrong, leading to casualties. Meanwhile, Holly Hunter watches Paul Giamatti chew scenery (in the best possible way). Plus, don’t forget the YA-mandatory and story-arc-relevant sexy times!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This week the fate of The Sisko is revealed, sort of, as Sam investigates one of the great mysteries of the universe: What exactly happened in the “Deep Space Nine” series finale? More than a nostalgia trip, it’s a story that sets one of the “Starfleet Academy” characters on a new course. Plus: Our boy Kyle is back!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

The Klingons are back, and they’re not doing so hot! We discuss debate etiquette, podiums, who writes The Doctor’s introductions, and maybe a little cultural imperialism, Federation style.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Like a mocking plant that just keeps growing, Vulcan Hello returns to break down the latest episode of “Starfleet Academy.” Why don’t they just play basketball? Why does Holly Hunter love furniture? Why should we try French-Klingon fusion? And who’s the sweaty man in that Mugato costume?

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s the second episode of “Starfleet Academy,” and things are picking up speed. Political negotiations via college debating society! Betazoid mental shields! Many, many, many robots and aliens. But is it too much, or just enough? We break it all down, reassess “Star Trek Voyager” and complain about theme songs, and ultimately make an Important Contribution To (Head) Canon with the introduction of Whale Academy.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

A new “Star Trek” series arrives! Scott and Jason discuss their expectations for this new series, then dive in and break down their (surprising?) reactions to the first episode of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” [We’ll cover episode 2 in a few days, in a separate episode.]

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s almost time for “Starfleet Academy,” but before we sit down to watch the newest “Star Trek” series, we’ve got to wrap up our “Wreath of Khan” series with a look at “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Khan is in it (spoilers!), but should he be? What makes this movie work, and where does it fall apart?

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

The Wreath of Khan rolls on with part 3 of 4, as Scott and Jason spend some time discussing one of their favorite movies, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” after having followed Khan from “Space Seed” through “Star Trek: Khan.” We don’t know how many times we can say that we love this movie, but we tried and it seems like we could do it forever.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

The Wreath of Khan continues with our review of the “Star Trek: Khan” audio drama—available where you get podcasts.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

We kick off “The Wreath of Khan,” our monthlong celebration of Star Trek’s favorite mad tyrant, with a look back at where it all started: “Space Seed.” At least, after Khan wakes up 15 minutes into the episode…

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

A season of “Strange New Worlds” comes to an end, and so does this season of our podcast! But before we go, we have thoughts about Pike and Batel, “Doctor Who” plots, ley lines, parallel timelines, and even “Star Trek: Scouts” and “Star Trek: Khan”!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Who knew that the opposite of an Arena was an Enemy Mine?

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Never before has Vulcan Hello said hello to so many Vulcans. (And a Romulan, but shh, don’t say Romulan for canonical reasons!) We discuss Trek comedy, the delightful true fan of Humanity known as Doug, the depth of Number One as played by Rebecca Romijn, the action buddy comedy starring Kirk and Scotty, Batel’s jerk Vulcan boss, and Chapel’s inability to make good Plomeek soup.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

“Strange New Worlds” gets the documentary treatment this week, as the Enterprise is confronted with some difficult choices that call into question some of Starfleet’s most deeply held beliiefs. The documentary has a real character arc, going from deep skepticism to a final understanding in just 40 minutes. Unfortunately, that’s not how documentaries work!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Captain Kirk takes control of the USS… Farragut! While he’s facing his first crucial command decisions in an emergency situation with the help of a few familiar faces, Pike and company are repelling a monstrous boarding party. (The monsters are, in hindsight, exactly who you should have expected.)

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Not all red shirts wear red! (But some do!) This episode has a lot of death, an alien mystery, some questionable archaeology, a reversal of cause and effect, and multi-dimensional layering. In other words: It’s Star Trek! Also, Jason passes on a wild theory about Batel’s new Gorn-chimera lifestyle.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This week’s “Strange New Worlds” is an homage to 1960s Star Trek, 1970s murder mysteries, and all murderous holodeck stories throughout Trek history. Also, Paul Wesley gets to do his best Shatner. It’s called acting!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This week we’re balancing Moss Zombies with Gorn Consumption as Pike and M’Benga take a “Shuttle to Kenfori!” It’s a character episode with some zombies in the background, and also one particularly grumpy Klingon. Jason looks up the Klingon word for “redshirts.” Also: Paramount finally gets bought, and there are new pictures from “Starfleet Academy!”

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

A nigh-omnipotent wedding planner threatens the Enterprise crew with a good time! We’re here to talk about the second new “Strange New Worlds” episode of the premiere week, in which Spock and his romantic rival must unite to find a way to bring back reality, or become dogs trying.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

And now, the conclusion! “Strange New Worlds” returns with the resolution of the season 2-ending storyline involving the Gorn, including Chris Pike’s very bad day. We dive into the action after a discussion of the precarious position Paramount and Star Trek are in right now.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Scott and Jason review the Paramount+ original movie “Star Trek: Section 31” and then, just for fun, rank all the Star Trek movies from worst to best!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This is it! We’re reviewing a new “Star Trek: Discovery” episode for the last time. From binary stars to binary black holes, we’ve been here through it all. This time we’re doing our usual nonsense, expressing feelings first, then discussing the specially shot series-end segment, then backing into the main core of the episode. Mind-bending corridors! Lengthy bridge discussions! Fancy dress wedding! Book’s new living room! We cover it all.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

The season-long plot nears its conclusion—but this is “Discovery,” so there’s still time for a heart-to-heart while wearing Breen helmets. Jason and Scott have an oil bath to get to, but before they do, they break down the penultimate episode! Saru’s back! Vulcan flower holders! And the most dramatic scene of a man sitting in a chair that we’ve seen in years.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Into the space library we go! Burnham faces a mental labyrinth while on the outside, the Breen are busy doing Breen stuff—being annoying, mostly. We discuss Moll’s commitment to her husband, delight in library wardrobes, and more—but only after Jason makes strange, brief digression to discuss “Magnum, p.i.” and how it’s not connected to “Star Trek.” Except where it is.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Discovery rolls on toward its end, with an episode that should involve a lot of plot pivoting, but ends up being an old-fashioned talky diplomatic dilemma crossed with scientific puzzle solving. Also, so many Breen! And Rayner learns that when you’re in trouble, you have to take the walk of shame instead of beaming home.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

What’s more Star Trek than violating the Prime Directive? This week’s “Discovery” episode feels familiar in a very good way. Jason defends Captain Burnham in imaginary Prime Directive court, but Judge Scott is not hearing it. Also, we spend a surprising amount of time wondering about how replicated food works. We blame Culber’s abuela.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

At long last, this episode of “Star Trek: Discovery” answers the question fans have been asking about for decades: What’s under that Breen helmet? Wait, was that not your question? How about some backstory for this season’s antagonists? No? You wanted to know more juicy details about the Mirror Universe? Well, we don’t know what to tell you. Look in the mirror. We did.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Time may change me, but I can’t trace time! We ping-pong through the personal history of the USS Discovery as Michael tries to teach herself how far she’s come, Rayner learns to let the Burn go and live a little, and Stamets gets to construct a box to crush a Time Bug. Also, a Short Trek is surprisingly relevant! We break it all down.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

This week Burnham and Book take another hike to find a clue; Tilly explains to Rayner that he’s not on his old “Star Trek” show anymore; Saru tumbles into a Ni’Varian episode of “Veep”; and Gray and Adira go their separate ways, worlds apart. It’s all about connections, you see. And this episode connects Scott and Jason to each other, and both of them to you. See, we’re going with the Disco flow.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Live Star Trek is back in season! “Star Trek Discovery” has returned with a two-episode premiere, and we’re here to break it down. Once again, we profess our love for Jerks Who Are Right. We discover what form a Vulcan Proposal takes. Our new villains look like they’re space Bonnie and Clyde, but maybe they’re just misunderstood. And we enter Conspiracy Corner in order to ponder secret clues for what might be coming next—but not before a moment’s silence for Fred.

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

With season 2 of “Strange New Worlds” in the rear-view mirror, Jason recorded a season overview on the Mothership. But so many people watched and enjoyed the season that we have brought back the Vulcan Hello season wrap-up panel, too!

Host Moisés Chiullán with Cicero Holmes, David J. Loehr, Heather Berberet, and Houman Sadri.

We wrap up season two of “Strange New Worlds” with a discussion of canon breaking and why it’s okay, how we liked the season as a whole, and why the most Star Trek solution to a problem involving enemy alien monsters may be to try to understand them better. To be continued… eventually!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

We’re so excited about this episode of “Strange New Worlds” that we’ve gotta sing! But we’re not going to dance very much. And Scott doesn’t sing. What we can do, though, is talk about Star Trek!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

War! Finally, we get (some of) the story about M’Benga and Chapel’s time during the Klingon war. There’s a “Deep Space Nine” level of darkness in this episode, but did it succeed at what it was trying to do? Or was it just a cup of cold replicated Raktajino?

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Jason and Scott return, and sooner than expected, to cover the surprise release of the “Strange New Worlds”-“Lower Decks” crossover episode. It’s full of jokes, and references, and—what’s this?—unexpected emotional heft and character nuance! Plus more jokes! Grab an Orion cocktail and pull up a chair, there’s an ancient game of Dom-jot to be played!

Hosts Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.