The Measure of an Episode: Star Trek Edition

By The Measure of an Episode

Jonathan and Paul embark on a thirteen-and-a-half-year mission, combing through all 703 episodes of Star Trek to discover what makes Star Trek “Star Trek”, and not just good TV. Or great TV. Or really, really bad TV. They subject their well-honed criteria to one randomly selected episode at a time.

Listen on SpotifySend voice message

Available on

Report content on Spotify

174: Strange New Worlds S2E09 "Subspace Rhapsody"

The Measure of an Episode: Star Trek EditionMar 04, 2024

00:00

36:22

174: Strange New Worlds S2E09 "Subspace Rhapsody"

We miss Hemmer. And a big THANK YOU to Jeremy. You'll hear why.

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

Mar 04, 202436:22

173: Strange New Worlds S2E8 “Under the Cloak of War”

At least now we know what the story behind the super juice is.

Feb 11, 202422:26

172: Picard S3E10 “The Last Generation”

Jupiter is much bigger than it looks.

Feb 09, 202442:01

171: Picard S3E9 “Võx”

What's with the tilde?

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

Feb 09, 202445:56

170: Picard S3E8 "Surrender"

Wesley is behind the door. Probably.

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

Jan 16, 202444:39

169: Strange New Worlds S2E7 "Those Old Scientists"

Is a scarf a necktie?

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

Jan 01, 202438:11

168: Picard S3E7 "Dominion"

Stun now, ask questions later. How many times do we have to say it?

Dec 25, 202345:28

167: Lower Decks S4E09-10 "The Inner Fight" & "Old Friends, New Planets"

Your time is valuable so we decide you deserve a two-fer. Also, how happy is Paul they closed the season with a two-parter?

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Come find us on YouTube! Lots of video content there.

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

Nov 30, 202344:37

166: Lower Decks S4E8 "Caves"

This episode contains the best science fiction concept of all Star Trek. How 'bout that for clickbait?

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

Oct 31, 202331:45

165: Lower Decks S4E7 "A Few Badgeys More"

Is pizza a salad?

Oct 23, 202330:27

164: Lower Decks S4E6 "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place"

We know what the title is in reference to, but for some reason we never talk about it.

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 16, 202330:05

163: Lower Decks S4E5 “Empathalogical Fallacies”

Prepare to be underwhelmed by commentary.

Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.

We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 12, 202325:15

162: Lower Decks S4E4 "Something Borrowed, Something Green"

Who would have thought Tuvix was so contentious on YouTube? We also talk about Lower Decks.
Shoot us an email: TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com

Oct 02, 202340:19

161: Lower Decks S4E3 "In the Cradle of Vexilon"

We uncover Picard's lack of curiosity about objectively intriguing events, which means he'd probably find the Vexilon Ring annoying and a waste of time.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 26, 202339:41

160: Lower Decks S4E2 "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee"

Sorry.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 18, 202340:21

159: Lower Decks S4E1 "Twovix"

Ha HA! Surprise! Not Picard, but Lower Decks with a Voyager plotline. Couldn't pass it up.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 11, 202333:10

158: Strange New Worlds S2E6 "Lost in Translation"

Apologies for our tardiness. Spock would be infuriated.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 07, 202354:12

157: Picard S3E06 "The Bounty"

What do Santa Clause and Worf have in common?
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Aug 21, 202352:24

156: Strange New Worlds S2E05 "Charades"

Finally, an episode that ISN'T about Carol Kane.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Aug 14, 202349:48

155: Picard S3E05 “Imposters”

We promise this’ll be the last time Jonathan is responsible for all that ambient noise (until the next time), which he does entirely alone and is not Paul’s fault.
Shoot us an email: TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
This podcast is a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over to Treksphere.com for great Trek content!

Aug 08, 202342:57

154: Strange New Worlds S2E04 “Among the Lotus Eaters”

Sorry about all the ambient noise. It’s definitely all Jonathan’s fault and not Paul’s.
Shoot us an email at themeasureofanepisode@gmail.com
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere network. Head over to Treksphere.com for more Trek content!

Aug 03, 202343:47

153: Picard S3E04 "No Win Scenario"

...where grammar isn't the only thing that doesn't matter.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jul 24, 202339:59

152: Strange New Worlds S2E03 "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"

Time Cop
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jul 17, 202348:14

151: Picard S3E03 "Seventeen Seconds"

Finally we get an episode about Deanna Troi! Join us as we dive deep.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jul 10, 202346:27

150: Strange New Worlds S2E02 "Ad Astra per Aspera"

A courtroom science fiction episode? Do we finally care about Una? Only one way to find out.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jul 03, 202346:47

149: Picard S3E02 "Disengage"

What does the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Timecop have in common with this episode? Tune in to find out it's probably absolutely nothing.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jun 28, 202345:16

148: Strange New Worlds S2E01 “The Broken Circle”

We're thrust into a new season with a premiere that doesn't belong as the season premiere. What's going on here?
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jun 19, 202334:19

147: Picard S3E01 "The Next Generation"

After a short hiatus dedicated to diving deep into Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer lore, we're back with a vengeance!
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jun 12, 202352:60

146: Prodigy S1E13 "All the World's a Stage"

We won't be the first to say this episode's plot is the same as Galaxy Quest in the same way Pixar's Cars plot is the same as Doc Hollywood... but we won't be the last either.
Also, apologies for the extended hiatus. Paul had a kid and Jonathan has kids so it was a busy holiday season to say the least. But don't worry... there's more coming.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jan 23, 202330:02

Meta of an Episode S1E01: The Missing Episode

Is this less-than-five-minute clip this week’s episode? What is going on? Take a quick moment to listen and find out, and maybe send a note congratulating Paul!

Nov 24, 202202:34

145: Prodigy S1E12 "Let Sleeping Borg Lie"

Prodigy surprises both of us with an intriguing Borg episode. Its faithfulness to the long-standing arch villain of Star Trek was refreshing and might've even hooked these podcasters.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Nov 14, 202230:51

144: Voyager S8E11 "Asylum"

Could it be true? Season 8 of Voyager? Or maybe is it another, more kid-friendly animated series? Only one way to find out.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Nov 07, 202217:19

143: Lower Decks S3E10 "The Stars at Night"

We break down how firing phasers works while at warp and also reminisce about pagers. Also Justice Alito.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 31, 202233:36

142: Lower Decks S3E9 "Trusted Sources"

Paul finally gets what he's been wanting since the inception of The Measure of an Episode. It's a momentous episode.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 24, 202238:36

141: Lower Decks S3E8 "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus"

And also Crisis Point [1] since we hadn't watched it yet. Consider this a double feature episode, which means we'll have to charge your card for double the amount this week.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon. And consider leaving a comment where you find your episodes. It helps us tremendously!
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 17, 202239:48

140: Lower Decks S3E7 "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption"

Listen in and find out what this episode and a duck wiener have in common.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 11, 202214:49

Patreon Preview 9: Picard Season 3 Trailer Reactions

Yep, we've finally jumped the shark and posted a reaction episode to the Picard Season 3 teaser. Or is it a trailer? Either way, we did it, and that's all that matters.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 11, 202228:58

139: Lower Decks S3E6 "Hear All, Trust Nothing"

Tune in for more clarity on why Lower Decks is like and not like the 15-year-old ABC show Lost. We also have another appearance by our favorite special guest star.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Oct 03, 202233:09

138: Lower Decks S3E5 "Reflection"

We uncover some intrigue in the Lower Decks canon that you might not have noticed, and it intimates some serious civilian dissent against Starfleet. Also $10 to whoever can guess who our returning guest is.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 26, 202235:48

137: Lower Decks S3E4 "Room for Growth"

We have references about references in this one and we list every mask movie we can think of, including Daryl Hannah's digital hair.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 20, 202234:56

136: Lower Decks S3E3 "Mining the Mind's Mines"

What does pterodactyl really mean? Also, some back and forth about the vagaries of the latest Lower Decks. But mostly pterodactyls.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 12, 202231:54

135: Lower Decks S3E2 "The Least Dangerous Game"

Running high off the good vibes that the holidays are finally upon us, we dive deep into the continuation of Lower Decks. Also, is Scrubs a sitcom and is YouTube a social media platform? You might be surprised to learn the truth.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Sep 05, 202235:52

134: Lower Decks S3E1 “Grounded”

We were so wrong. Kevin Costner was in five movies in between Robin Hood and Waterworld.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Aug 29, 202242:01

133: Prodigy S1E2 "Starstruck"

Somehow we found a link between The Good Place and Cheers and Prodigy. Also some update feedback on our sign-off.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Aug 22, 202250:00

Patreon Preview 8: Is a joke funny if you don't laugh at it?

Paul got a case of the 'VID so we decided to pull back the Patreon curtain, giving ya'll a peak at the perks when supporting the show. In this one, we tackle the difficult question of determining if a joke is funny if you don't laugh at it. Lots of science in this one. Originally released to patrons in two parts, you're getting two for the price of one. Lucky you.
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Aug 17, 202233:03

132: The Animated Series S2E2 "Bem"

Paul is out of town, so we're joined by our guest host Paul in our inaugural episode of The Animated Series. Basically it's established the animation doesn't stack up to the quality of He-Man, which, you know, isn't saying much.

Aug 10, 202245:45

131: The Next Generation S2E12 "The Royale"

Tune in to hear how we make this great episode even greater. And darker. And dirtier.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Aug 03, 202231:31

130: Voyager S4E13 "Waking Moments"

Chakotay finally gets his own episode. Or is he only dreaming?
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jul 27, 202253:41

129: The Next Generation S3E6 "Booby Trap"

The episode that inaugurated Geordi's predilection for computers over real people.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jul 22, 202246:22

128: Strange New Worlds S1E10 "A Quality of Mercy"

We humbly present the season finale of Strange New Worlds, and about a week late! Sorry about that. But it was worth the wait.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot us a line at TheMeasureOfAnEpisode@gmail.com
Please consider supporting the show on Patreon.
We’re a proud member of the Treksphere Network. Head over there for more excellent Trek content.

Jul 19, 202249:58