We combine two of your favorites this week: our "abstract" topics with another "convention live show"! This week it is "Abstract V" live from Las Vegas with host Jim Moorhouse and a panel of five expert Trek fans (Alex Perry, Claire Little, Matt Hansen, Jamie McGregor and Ken Reilly) targeting their abstract picks related to the letter V (or is that a Romulan numeral V?!?). Anything is on the table for our abstract topics and for our live shows from Las Vegas, and there are more than a few surprises this week (including a surprise guest appearance).

This one is a deep cut. It's the "Top 5 Two-Hander Episodes" in Star Trek, which in television parlance is a production term referencing stories centered around two characters who are often isolated together in contrast. There are plenty of examples in Trek history where scripts have focused on a pair of characters who share a number of scenes together as the focus of the story. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Chris Burris and Lee Hutchison go through an array of picks in this classic TrekRanks topic.

Season 3 is here and First Flight, and the Carrot Crew, have many things to discuss! Chris and Abby are getting to know the Xindi Arboreals better, watching minds change, and are chatting about "The Shipment." After infiltrating a Xindi-Arboreal plant that synthesizes vital explosive materials for the Xindi super-weapon, Archer, Reed and Major Hayes capture and interrogate the plant foreman, Gralik, who upon learning of the Xindi council's attack on Earth, establishes an uneasy alliance with Archer. Season 3 Format: -Welcome & Reed Alert (spoiler warning) -Captain's Log & Haiku (episode recap) -Pros and Decons (analysis of episode) - Viewscreen On (calling out a beautiful visual shot or director&s choice of shot) - Flipping Duras and/or VAMF (Vulcan as a Mother Flipper) Awards as needed -Porthos& Pick (our favorite parts) -Trivia -Vulcans& Verdict (rating the episode on a scale of 1-10 grapplers) Feel free to let us know your Porthos& Picks and Grappler Rankings, and/or your general thoughts on this episode! We save these and share them on special Mail Bag episodes. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Bluesky: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Email us feedback (90 secs or less) firstflightpod@gmail.com Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf

"My mind to your mind…" Not sure there is anything more pervasive on Star Trek than a psychic transfer, where someone&s consciousness ends up some place it is probably not supposed to be! Which sounds like the perfect reason for TrekRanks to tackle the "Top 5 Psychic Transfers or: Fal-tor-panDEMONIUM" on this week&s amazing new episode! From Freaky Friday mind swaps to Vulcan mind melds and all the bonkers examples in between, our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests Jenn Tifft and Ross Webster explore it all. This is an essential episode of TrekRanks!

Season 3 is here and First Flight, and the Carrot Crew, have many things to discuss! Chris and Abby are chatting about "Exile" and all spheres, crystals and castle cliffs it brings. While working to translate the Xindi database, Hoshi is contacted by a mysterious telepathic alien who offers to help Enterprise on their mission to find the Xindi. His motives are far from altruistic, though - he wants Hoshi for his own, and he'll do anything to keep her with him - even kill the crew of Enterprise. Season 3 Format: -Welcome & Reed Alert (spoiler warning) -Captain's Log & Haiku (episode recap) -Pros and Decons (analysis of episode) - Viewscreen On (calling out a beautiful visual shot or director&s choice of shot) - Flipping Duras and/or VAMF (Vulcan as a Mother Flipper) Awards as needed -Porthos& Pick (our favorite parts) -Trivia -Vulcans& Verdict (rating the episode on a scale of 1-10 grapplers) Feel free to let us know your Porthos& Picks and Grappler Rankings, and/or your general thoughts on this episode! We save these and share them on special Mail Bag episodes. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Bluesky: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Email us feedback (90 secs or less) firstflightpod@gmail.com Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf

Honestly, sometimes nothing quite hits the spot like a good, solid mediocre episode of Star Trek, and we put that theory to the test this week on TrekRanks with a gloriously fun topic: the "Top 5 Mediocre Episodes" in Trek! This one is an absolute celebration of those mid-level, mid-tier, mid-table, mediocre episodes of Trek, that deep down, we all love. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Alex Perry, Dana Kenedy and Matt Finbow reveal a lot about their Trek psyche in this raucous episode of TrekRanks in which everyone is shooting from the hip and having a blast.

First Flight loves ALL Trek and today The Carrot Crew knows that Abby and Chris ADORE Star Trek Prodigy and, since Season 2 just dropped on 7/1, they binged it all day one. They even got to live text with each other for a chunk in the middle of the season! Here is a bonus episode that has their initial - less than 18 hours from first full watch - thoughts. If Prodigy is NOT your flavor of Trek, don't worry, we'll be back with Enterprise S3 Ep 6 "Exile" next week at our usual time. If Prodigy IS your flavor of Trek, don't worry, we'll be back with a full length review of the season after some time has passed and all have time to watch. Feel free to let us know your thoughts on this Prodigy Season 2! We will save these and share them on special Mail Bag episodes. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Bluesky: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Email us feedback (90 secs or less) firstflightpod@gmail.com Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf

First Flight loves ALL Trek and today we bring you a bonus episode that let's Abby and Chris reflect and chat about the entire series of Star Trek Discovery, which just finished its last season. We could talk for hours, but we have distilled our five season discussion down into the following format. Bonus Discovery Reflection Format: - Welcome & Black Alert (spoiler warning) - Main Character Review - Secondary and Supporting Character Review - Season Features (5 words and a hashtag, haiku on the captain, haiku on the threat/villain, Top 3 Eps and Season grappler rating) - Grudge Grumbles (our favorite theme, production element and wild card) - Spore Jump Rating (a final haiku & rating the series on a scale of 1-10 spore jumps) Feel free to let us know your picks for each question so we can share them on our next Mail Bag episode. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Bluesky: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Email us feedback (90 secs or less) firstflightpod@gmail.com Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf

It's a personal TrekRanks deep dive of those "Top 5 Comfort Characters" that everyone has. It's the go to characters you gravitate toward when you need an episode that you know is going to settle you down and bring you to a place of Zen – or that place of comfort. Our veteran panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Debbie Moltisanti and Ryan Riddle each come up with their own unique take on defining their "comfort characters" that see big name characters, recurring characters and one-off characters all get selected.

Season 3 is here and First Flight, and the Carrot Crew, have many things to discuss! Chris and Abby are chatting about "Impulse" and all the creepy shots, Vulcan zombies and the heebie jeebies it gives us. When Enterprise responds to a distress call from a Vulcan ship stranded in the Delphic Expanse, Archer and his boarding team are attacked by insane zombie-like Vulcans. Season 3 Format: -Welcome & Reed Alert (spoiler warning) -Captain's Log & Haiku (episode recap) -Pros and Decons (analysis of episode) - Viewscreen On (calling out a beautiful visual shot or director's choice of shot) - Flipping Duras and/or VAMF (Vulcan as a Mother Flipper) Awards as needed -Porthos' Pick (our favorite parts) -Trivia -Vulcans' Verdict (rating the episode on a scale of 1-10 grapplers) Feel free to let us know your picks for each question so we can share them on our next Mail Bag episode. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Bluesky: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Email us feedback (90 secs or less) firstflightpod@gmail.com Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf

"Long will we Rank! Long will we Rank!" After five great seasons, it's time to bid adieu to Star Trek: Discovery with our "Top 5 Discovery Season 5 Moments." Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Caleb Dorsch and Jordan La Fordan break it all down with TrekRanks Matrix by choosing their favorite production elements, behind-the-scenes creatives, characters, episodes and one Dabo Round wildcard pick. The red directive has been lifted for this episode, so download and listen now!

Season 3 is here and First Flight, and the Carrot Crew, have many things to discuss! Chris and Abby are chatting about "Rajiin" and all the twists, Reptilians and gauzy costumes it offers. Rescued by Archer from an alien bazaar, a captivating slave girl, Rajiin, uses her sultry, hypnotic mental powers on the crew to steal data on humans for her Xindi overlords. But when her deception is discovered, Archer throws her in the brig, forcing the Reptilian Xindi to storm the ship, weapons blazing, to spring her free. Season 3 Format: -Welcome & Reed Alert (spoiler warning) -Captain's Log & Haiku (episode recap) -Pros and Decons (analysis of episode) - Viewscreen On (calling out a beautiful visual shot or director's choice of shot) - Flipping Duras and/or VAMF (Vulcan as a Mother Flipper) Awards as needed -Porthos' Pick (our favorite parts) -Trivia -Vulcans' Verdict (rating the episode on a scale of 1-10 grapplers) Feel free to let us know your picks for each question so we can share them on our next Mail Bag episode. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Bluesky: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Email us feedback (90 secs or less) firstflightpod@gmail.com Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf

Our longest running series returns with the "Top 5 Scenes with a Beam." It's the 16th edition of our great "Scenes in Trek" series, and this time we are going broad, because a scene with a beam can be just about anything. A transporter beam, a phaser beam, a tractor beam, a deflector beam – the list just keeps on going! Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Claire Little and Ken Reilly go deep on this one, even dissecting the many different definitions of the word "beam." Beam yourself up for this one.

Season 3 is here and First Flight, and the Carrot Crew, have many things to discuss! Chris and Abby are chatting about "Extinction" and its flames, intense squatting and moral moments. Their ongoing quest for the Xindi leads the Enterprise crew to a tropical alien world where Archer, Reed and Hoshi are exposed to a highly contagious virus that transforms their bodies and minds into those of the long extinct alien inhabitants of the planet. Season 3 Format: -Welcome & Reed Alert (spoiler warning) -Captain's Log & Haiku (episode recap) -Pros and Decons (analysis of episode) - Viewscreen On (calling out a beautiful visual shot or director's choice of shot) - Flipping Duras and/or VAMF (Vulcan as a Mother Flipper) Awards as needed -Porthos' Pick (our favorite parts) -Trivia -Vulcans' Verdict (rating the episode on a scale of 1-10 grapplers) Feel free to let us know your picks for each question so we can share them on our next Mail Bag episode. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf Find Us on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky and Facebook: @firstflightpod

It doesn't get much more clear that the "Top 5 Love Letters to Trek." This week on TrekRanks our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Heather Kirby, Chris Chaplin and Patrick Carlin, do a deep dive into those episodes that pay respect to the core of Star Trek. Our crew covers a lot of ground from the heart and soul of the franchise, to the mechanics of the show, and, of course, to the series' 60-year history. This one you can't miss.

Season 3 is here and First Flight, and the Carrot Crew, have many things to discuss! Chris and Abby are very excited to chat about "Anomaly" and the many intense moments of the episode. The mission to find the Xindi takes a grim turn when Enterprise is crippled by inexplicable, destructive spatial anomalies that distort the laws of physics. With systems down, alien pirates board and raid valuable supplies from the ship. The crew captures one of the marauders and a determined Archer interrogates the prisoner. Season 3 Format: -Welcome & Reed Alert (spoiler warning) -Captain's Log & Haiku (episode recap) -Pros and Decons (analysis of episode) - Viewscreen On (calling out a beautiful visual shot or director's choice of shot) - Flipping Duras and/or VAMF (Vulcan as a Mother Flipper) Awards as needed -Porthos' Pick (our favorite parts) -Trivia -Vulcans' Verdict (rating the episode on a scale of 1-10 grapplers) Feel free to let us know your picks for each question so we can share them on our next Mail Bag episode. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf Find Us on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky and Facebook: @firstflightpod

"Fire!" As in "Abstract Fire," which sees TrekRanks return to one of our most popular recurring topics. This week it's a discussion of one of the original "elements" – fire, which, of course, can mean a lot of different things in the Star Trek universe. This is a fun one for host Jim Moorhouse and guests Bill Mann and Craig Main to get deep into the lore of Star Trek through a lens one wouldn't expect. Nothing is too abstract for TrekRanks!

Season 3 is here and First Flight, and the Carrot Crew, have many things to say! Chris and Abby are very excited to chat about "The Xindi" - the Season 3 premiere. Six weeks into the Delphic Expanse, Captain Archer and his crew learn of a Xindi working at a mining colony, and set out to track him down and gain information about the mysterious antagonistic race. Season 3 Format: -Welcome & Reed Alert (spoiler warning) -Captain's Log & Haiku (episode recap) -Pros and Decons (analysis of episode) - Viewscreen On (calling out a beautiful visual shot or director's choice of shot) - Flipping Duras and/or VAMF (Vulcan as a Mother Flipper) Awards as needed -Porthos' Pick (our favorite parts) -Trivia -Vulcans' Verdict (rating the episode on a scale of 1-10 grapplers) Feel free to let us know your picks for each question so we can share them on our next Mail Bag episode. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf Find Us on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky and Facebook: @firstflightpod

We celebrate the many great guest actors that have helped make Star Trek what it has been for the past 60 years by celebrating the "Top 5 Recurring Actors." It's a huge, massive topic and we cover a lot of ground in this one with host Jim Moorhouse and guests Daniel Martin and Peter Hong. From unknown gems to recognizable names, these incredible performers give life to the words on the page and have been integral to the success of Trek through their craft. This is a fun topic getting into the production side of things (and is a nice companion piece to Episode 131 highlighting the "Top 5 One-Off Guest Stars").

First Flight loves seeing Enterprise honored in New Trek so we are bringing you a bonus episode all about it! Abby and Chris will each discuss one of the many Enterprise connections from each New Trek series, plus the Kelvin-verse and a special surprise. Feel free to let us know your picks for each question so we can share them on our next Mail Bag episode. (Please note, contributions might be shared on the podcast!) Find Us on Twitter: @FirstFlightPod Abby: @abbymsommer Chris: @ShelfNerds Find Us on YouTube: First Flight's Channel: Tricorder Transmissions Network Chris' Channel : Completing the Shelf Find Us on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky and Facebook: @firstflightpod