After our Mission Log Reactor recap of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 6, "Come, Let's Away," we opened the channel, and our Star Trek Pals delivered.

This week's live discussion dives deep into the moral calculus of trusting Nus Braka (again), whether Starfleet's diplomacy still works in a fractured galaxy, and if the Federation's reputation for paternalism is something it simply can't shake. Callers unpack Ake's choices, debate whether letting the villain monologue is negotiation or naïveté, and question whether Starfleet has truly learned to meet other cultures where they are.

Along the way, we get sharp psychological analysis, comparisons to Janeway and the Borg, musings on Shakespeare references, comic book lore in a post-Burn galaxy, and the eternal question: how much premise-swallowing is too much premise-swallowing?

This is Mission Log Live: thoughtful disagreement, sharp insight, a few laughs, and space to wrestle with the bigger ideas behind the action.

Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log: Reactor:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

Join us Mondays for Mission Log Live, our audience call-in talkback show.

Streaming FREE every Monday at 7pm PT / 10pm ET on Patreon:

patreon.com/missionlog

(Audio-only versions drop immediately after the live show.)

For more Star Trek podcasts, videos, and discussion, visit:

missionlogpodcast.com

We're back with a fresh recap & review of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 6, "Come, Let's Away"!

Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion get out of the classroom and take a field trip into danger, with Nus Braka as a guest lecturer. Hope you studied up, there'll be tests. So. many. tests. Join us for a spoiler-heavy Star Trek podcast as we break down all the latest from this exciting new television series.

Also! Join us Mondays at 7PM PT/10PM ET for our live talkback for each episode, FREE on Patreon. We'll hear your thoughts and questions as we embark on this journey together! https://www.patreon.com/missionlog/events/150616376

This is the audio-only podcast version of Mission Log: Reactor. If you'd like to watch the conversation, the full video edition is available on YouTube:

Mission Log: Reactor on YouTube

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

Join us Mondays for Mission Log Live — our audience call-in talkback show covering each new episode.

Streaming FREE every Monday at 7pm PT / 10pm ET on Patreon:

patreon.com/missionlog

For more Star Trek podcasts, videos, and discussion, visit:

missionlogpodcast.com

Mission Log Live is all about the conversation.

Following our Mission Log Reactor discussion of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 5, "Series Acclimation Mil,"we open the channel to our listeners for a wide-ranging call-in discussion that explores SAM's journey, manufactured intelligence, and what it means to "understand" humanity at all.

Callers bring deeply personal reactions to SAM's story, comparisons to Data and "Data's Day," reflections on Benjamin and Jake Sisko, and thoughtful debate over whether this episode is a sincere exploration of identity or an uneven mix of whimsy, fan service, and big ideas. We hear perspectives shaped by love of Deep Space Nine, fresh eyes new to DS9, and everything in between, with space for minds to change and opinions to clash respectfully.

This is Mission Log Live at its core: a welcoming space for thoughtful disagreement and shared curiosity about Star Trek's message.

Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

Join us for Mission Log Live every Monday night — our audience call-in talkback show, FREE for everyone at:

patreon.com/missionlog

(Audio-only versions drop after the live show.)

For more Star Trek podcasts, videos, and discussion, visit:

missionlogpodcast.com

We're back with a fresh spoiler-heavy recap and review of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Season 1, Episode 5, "Series Acclimation Mil."

Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion enroll in a class on the unknowable, following SAM as she tries to understand organic life and the legacy of Benjamin Sisko. Along the way, we dig into big questions about identity, predestination, and whether learning can ever really be quantified. Plus: holographic hangovers, blobfish, and just how much whimsy is too much whimsy.

This is the audio-only podcast version of Mission Log: Reactor. If you'd like to watch the conversation, the full video edition is available on YouTube:

Mission Log: Reactor on YouTube

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

Join us Mondays for Mission Log Live — our audience call-in talkback show covering each new episode.

Streaming FREE every Monday at 7pm PT / 10pm ET on Patreon:

patreon.com/missionlog

For more Star Trek podcasts, videos, and discussion, visit:

missionlogpodcast.com

Mission Log Live puts the spotlight on you.

Following our Mission Log Reactor discussion of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 4, "Vox In Excelso," we open the channel to our listeners for a wide-ranging conversation about Klingon identity, family, myth, debate, and what Star Trek is, and can be, right now.

Callers bring everything from joyful tears to thoughtful critique. We hear deeply personal reactions to Jay-Den Kraag's story, discussions of chosen family and queer representation, debates over how truth is framed versus discovered, and even speculation about whether Caleb might be hiding something more than exceptional talent. Along the way, we wrestle with empathy versus charity, cultural self-determination, and the power of storytelling to shape identity.

This is Mission Log Live at its best: respectful disagreement, unexpected insights, and a reminder that Star Trek works most powerfully when it invites conversation rather than closing it down.

🎥 Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

"Vox in Excelso"

📺 Join us every Friday for Mission Log Reactor on YouTube:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon members get Reactor a day early!)

💬 Mission Log Live streams Monday nights and is FREE for everyone:

patreon.com/missionlog

(Audio-only versions drop after the live show.)

SPECIAL RELEASE

Before we return to our regular release schedule, here's the second—and final— specialaudio drop from our Patreon-exclusive Mission Log Live discussions.

This episode focuses on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 3, "Vitus Reflux." The rivalry between Starfleet cadets and the War College heats up, culminating in a competitive game of Calica (laser tag of the future), a full-blown prank war, and a fast-growing, mockery-spouting fungus at the center of it all.

As always, Mission Log Live is driven by you. Callers weighed in with reactions ranging from unabashed enjoyment to a resounding "meh," sparking a wide-ranging conversation about tone, tropes, and what this episode is really trying to say. To help put some of the criticism into perspective, we're joined by special guest Larry Nemecek (aka Dr. Trek) for additional context and critique.

🎥 Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

https://youtu.be/_2mQ4nY7UWk?si=yTguxbip-blimEgn

📺 Join us every Thursday for Mission Log Reactor on YouTube:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon subscribers get Reactor a day early!)

💬 Mission Log Live streams weekly on Monday nights at:

patreon.com/missionlog

(Audio-only versions will drop immediately after the live show going forward.)

SPECIAL RELEASE

You asked, and we listened. To make sure no version of Mission Log Live is missed, we're releasing the audio from our Patreon-exclusive live chats into the main podcast feed.

In this first special release, we dive into the opening two episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy — "Kids These Days" and "Beta Test." From early reactions to cadet romances and clashing personalities, to over-the-top villains and big thematic swings, this is where the conversation really starts.

Hear your comments, questions, and takes as Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion unpack what's working, what's raising eyebrows, and what these episodes might be setting up for the future of the series.

🎥 Watch our initial reactions on Mission Log Reactor:

https://youtu.be/a1-ijIWK5_s?si=fgh1d5fnDytqYjUE

📺 Join us every Thursday for Mission Log Reactor on YouTube:

youtube.com/@MissionLogPodcasts

(Patreon subscribers get Reactor a day early!)

💬 Mission Log Live streams weekly and is free for everyone at:

patreon.com/missionlog

Episode 4 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has daddy issues that could decide the fate of the Klingon Empire, to be resolved only in reasoned debate or an interplanetary pillow fight!

Jessica Lynn Verdi and John Champion discuss "Vox In Excelso," which lets us in on how the Burn affected the Klingons, and gives us Jay-Den Kraag's origin story. Enjoy our honest-to-goodness, SPOILER HEAVY review and chime in with YOUR thoughts in the comments.

Also!

Join us Mondays at 7PM PT/10PM ET for our live talkback for each episode, FREE on Patreon. We'll hear your thoughts and questions as we embark on this journey together!