TrekRanks

Episode 237: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry and Debbie Moltisanti 

It’s classic TrekRanks in all its forms this week as we take on the “Top 5 Coolest Character Names,” and fair warning: this one goes off the rails early. Which is probably how it should be for a topic that is all about those cool names, monikers and designations in Star Trek that have adorned literally thousands of characters from TOS to Starfleet Academy across 60 years. Our panel gets deep into the lore (and a little bit of name-calling ourselves) to break it all down. This is one name you won’t forget.

Episode 236: with Jim Moorhouse, Lee Hutchison and Duncan Barrett 

It’s a return to our fun “abstract series” in which we truly get deep into dissecting what we love about Star Trek and this week it’s all about “Abstract Phaser Blasts!” (We have no idea what it means either! Which makes this episode even more fun than you can imagine!) Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Josh Zeller, Paige Thatcher and Hauke Fischer cover the spectrum of hand phasers, ship phasers, random phaser-like energy blasts – in making their picks from all across the 60-year history of Star Trek. This one is truly (wait for it) … a blast.

Episode 235: with Jim Moorhouse, Josh Zeller, Paige Thatcher and Hauke Fischer 

It’s a return to our fun “abstract series” in which we truly get deep into dissecting what we love about Star Trek and this week it’s all about “Abstract Phaser Blasts!” (We have no idea what it means either! Which makes this episode even more fun than you can imagine!) Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Josh Zeller, Paige Thatcher and Hauke Fischer cover the spectrum of hand phasers, ship phasers, random phaser-like energy blasts – in making their picks from all across the 60-year history of Star Trek. This one is truly (wait for it) … a blast!

Episode 234: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda and Katharine Robinson 

You can always find something new on TrekRanks, and this fun topic opens up a whole genre of possibilities for future shows. This week it’s the “Top 5 B-List Aliens” in Star Trek. Lots of different elements in play for deciding a topic like this (who’s on the A-List? Who’s on the D-List? And who is in that B-List sweet spot! This one is more fun than a game of choose the changeling (are they B-List?), so join us as we branch into some new TrekRanks territory.

Episode 233: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann, Simon Foster and Kelli 

Everyone loves that sweet spot of a classic mediocre Star Trek episode, and for the second time now on TrekRanks, we dive deep into a celebration of Trek mediocrity with the “Top 5 Mediocre Episodes II.” It’s mid-level, mid-tier, mid-table joy in all its glory in this first-ever TrekRanks sequel. Our panel gets deep into their personal mediocre mindsets for this fun partner show to Episode 187, which also covered a ton of delightful mediocrity.

Episode 232: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry and Amy Arrant 

We got your back on this week’s TrekRanks as we breakdown the “Top 5 Ride or Die Characters” in Star Trek. There is a lot of ground to cover in this great topic and our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Alex Perry and Amy Arrant each approach it in a unique and personal way to finalize their lists. The results are picks that range from major, upright characters you might expect to some deep-dive characters with reputations of disrepute. This is another fun one!

Episode 231: with Jim Moorhouse, Abby Sommer and Foz Rotten 

“Weddings” wasn’t quite big enough for us this week, so we said “I do” to opening up this topic to include the “Top 5 Marriage Moments,” making it a massive canvas, even for TrekRanks. From weddings to proposals and honeymoons to philosophical discussions on co-habitation, we have it all covered with our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Abby Sommer and Foz Rotten. This is a fun one to commit to.

Episode 230: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt and Craig Main 

This one is kind of hard to explain, so not sure we are going to even try. But it’s episode 230 of TrekRanks – the “Top 5 Episodes that Would Hurt Most to Only Watch One More Time.” With a title that long and that confusing, our expert panel is bound to come up with a bunch of unique Prime Directives (and they do!), but in the end the conversation is lively and fun and stays (mostly) focused on all the things we love about Star Trek! Let’s call this one an outlier!

Episode 229: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft and Michael Bentley 

The first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is truly special from top to bottom and we joyously break it all down in our usual TrekRanks style this week with the “Top 5 Starfleet Academy Season 1 Moments.” From the introduction to Trek of Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti to the sheer youthful enthusiasm and vigor of the new cast and cadets, this show aced every test thrown its way. Our expert panel covers the entire SFA syllabus with their picks (and also commiserate on the bad timing of learning about the series’ long-term demise).

Episode 228: with Jim Moorhouse, Ryan Riddle and Jonathan B. 

It’s classic TrekRanks this week as we tackle the “Top 5 Loudest Episodes” in Star Trek history in a fun, bombastic topic in which you better keep your hand on the volume of your podcast player of a choice! Our expert panel get loud and broad with their definition of “loudest episodes” in a cool companion piece podcast to our previous show on the “Top 5 Quietest Episodes,” way back on Episode 152. And the best thing about this episode (spoiler alert) is that it is also a mini-Starfleet Academy S1 preview/recap episode. This is episode is loud and awesome! Don’t miss it!

Episode 227: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft and Daniel Martin 

Starfleet’s very own “miracle worker” is celebrated this week on an extremely special episode of TrekRanks. It’s the “Top 5 Scotty Episodes” as we highlight one of the most popular characters in the history of Star Trek, portrayed now across TOS, the Kelvin Timeline and Strange New Worlds by James Doohan, Simon Pegg and Martin Quinn. From b-story, third-in-command triumphs to engineering heroics, our panel has every corner covered of this deep-dive analysis. The haggis is surely in the fire for this one!

Episode 226: with Jim Moorhouse, Adam Hunault and Mike Rittenhouse 

We celebrate a true legend of Star Trek this week with a deep dive into the “Top 5 Jeffrey Combs Moments.” There is no one more revered in the Star Trek fandom for his unique skillsets and broad range through more than 50 on-screen appearances, and our panel celebrates it all via his portrayal of nine major characters across four different series. We’ve been waiting a long time to tackle this one, so follow along and let us know your favorites from Jeffrey Combs’ vast catalog!

Episode 225: with Jim Moorhouse, Teresa Jusino and Todd Kehoe 

We are commemorating the launch of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy by diving deep into the Top 5 “Coming of Age” Episodes in Trek lore. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Teresa Jusino and Todd Kehoe discuss those key episodes and moments where characters move through life – often from childhood to adulthood – while learning “coming of age” really never stops throughout a lifetime. This one will have you thinking about Trek in new and different ways.

Episode 224: with Jim Moorhouse, Deb Moltisanti, Chris Burris and Adam Sanders 

It’s another classic “Scenes in Trek” topic as we head into white out conditions to take on the “Top 5 Scenes in the Snow.” Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Debbie Moltisanti, Chris Burris and Adam Sanders, “make it snow” in melting their way through a very narrow list of options for this cool Trek topic. (Meaning: there aren’t a whole lot of scenes in the snow in Trek, but we think we have them all covered!) The challenge for you is to let us know if we missed any!

Episode 223: with Jim Moorhouse, Josh Zeller and Geoff Owen 

We love just picking episodes on TrekRanks and that’s what we do this week when we set our sights on the “Top 5 One-Word Episode Titles.” It’s that simple. It’s pure TrekRanks! What are your favorite “one-word episode titles” in Star Trek history? We all know episode titles hit different in the world of Star Trek – they just do – and we get into exactly why that is as our panel relay their personal Prime Directives and make their picks covering everything from deep cuts to popular favorites.

Episode 222: with Jim Moorhouse, Kimberly Lawler and Paul Edinger 

For Episode 222 we had to do something unique, since everyone knows how much we love numbers and statistics on TrekRanks. So for an episode with three “twos” in the title, we are finally doing the “Top 5 Duos” (a topic we also can’t believe we haven’t yet tackled). In this TrekRanks classic, our panel lists their favorite pairings and duos of characters from Trek’s great history. Nothing cute here. This isn’t about ‘ships or bromances or a nebulous definition of “duo” – this one is about the great character pairings in Star Trek, with quite a few deep cuts thrown in, as well!

Episode 221: with Jim Moorhouse, Michael Angie and Melanie 

“You can’t be afraid of the wind” and you can’t be afraid of the new TrekRanks as this week we salute the heroic captain of the NX-01 Enterprise with our “Top 5 Archer Episodes.” It’s a deep dive episode of TrekRanks that traverses the temporal cold war to bring you all of Archer’s greatest moments from “Broken Bow” to “Terra Prime.” Our expert panel gets deep into the defining actions and motivations of Starfleet’s original captain – the one who set the standard for all who followed. This is a very special episode of TrekRanks. Don’t miss it.

Episode 220: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Claire Little and Ken Reilly 

It’s another “everything goes” abstract topic on TrekRanks as our expert panel tackles “Abstract L,” labeling luminous locations and lightships of all sorts that randomly begin with the letter L. This is TrekRanks at its abstract finest! Led by host Jim Moorhouse and guests Alex Perry, Claire Little and Ken Reilly, literally anything is on the table in this fun “flash ranks” episode recorded live at STLV via a temporal anomaly. Log in and let’s fly!

Episode 219: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft, Caleb Dorsch and Patrick Carlin 

“Do not pass Go! Do not collect $200!” But do make sure you listen to this episode of TrekRanks covering the “Top 5 Games and Gaming References” throughout the history of Star Trek! From Kal-toh to Kadis-kot to Kotra (try to keep those three straight!), our Trek panel has a great time spinning the wheel and rolling dice and shuffling the cards on all the fun gaming options featured in Trek. This one is a stone cold TrekRanks classic. One of our favorites! Game on!

Episode 218: with Jim Moorhouse, Sam Nelson and Amy Arrant 

The third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was an incredible mix of big swings and rotating genres that now receives the TrekRanks treatment with our patented breakdown of the “Top 5 Strange New Worlds Season 3 Moments.” You can rest assured that our expert panel loved this season’s mélange of interesting styles and commentaries, and they cover it all with a range of picks including everything from Gorn body horror to Trelane the Wedding Planner to those pesky Metrons.

Episode 217: with Jim Moorhouse, Lee Hutchison and Kelli 

We unlock another classic episode of TrekRanks with the “Top 5 Locked-Door Moments.” Whether it’s a door you are trying to get through or a door you have locked behind you, this is the kind of fun, unpredictable topic you will continue to find only find on TrekRanks. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Lee Hutchison and Kelli cover a ton of locked-door territory, from the literal to the metaphysical in this great topic.

Episode 216: with Jim Moorhouse and a Panel of Eight 

We are doing it again. It’s another crazy TrekRanks live show from Las Vegas, and this one is a sequel to the show we did on Episode 166 featuring “The. Best. Deaths.” On this week’s TrekRanks live recording it’s Episode 216 and the topic is even more rowdy with a breakdown of “The. Best. (Fake.) Deaths.” This is a fun one for our host Jim Moorhouse and our massive panel of eight guests, including Star Trek experts Alex Perry, Claire Little, Ken Reilly, Matt Hansen, Jamie McGregor, Thad Hait, Carl Wonders and John Krikorian, as they power through 45 rapid fire selections for “The. Best. (Fake.) Death."

Episode 215: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann, Arielle K. & Beverly Falls 

It’s a TrekRanks classic. This week we shine the spotlight on the “Top 5 Episodes Nobody Likes But Me.” It’s those episodes that you’ve realized over the years, “Oh, I really like that episode, but I don’t think anyone else does! What’s up with that?!?” It’s those episodes that for some reason they’ve connected with you, but not the masses. Our panel goes deep into the Trek oeuvre to pick and defend some unbelievable choices. This one you can’t miss.

Episode 214: with Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little & Rick Everson 

On this week’s TrekRanks we get up-close and personal with some of those off-beat, hard-luck, put-upon characters with a deep dive on the “Top 5 Sad-Sack Characters” in Trek. It’s a celebration (mostly!) of those maybe slightly out-of-place characters who sometimes deservedly and sometimes undeservedly get a bad reputation. Our panel has a fun time breaking this one down with some deep cuts and top shelf choices!

Episode 213: with Jim Moorhouse, Katharine Robinson, Todd Kehoe & Dan Briggs 

On the surface, this topic might look like a kids’ game, but in practice, the “Top 5 Hiding Places” in Star Trek is one of the broadest topics you can tackle. From objects and individuals to ships and whole planets, there is no limit to the amount of things being hidden in Trek, both tangibly and metaphysically and via cloak – the hiding just never ends. Our panel definitely goes deep in defining their picks and ultimately you are going to be glad you found this TrekRanks to listen to!

Episode 212: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Jamie McGregor 

We go with our gut instincts on this week’s standout episode of TrekRanks, breaking down the “Top 5 Visceral Episodes” in Trek. It’s all about instinct and raw emotions on this deep dive into the dark recesses of some of Star Trek’s most impacting moments and episodes. But hey, we have a lot of fun, too! How could we not with an A list panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Jenn Tifft and Jamie McGregor. This one covers all the bases as both dark and fun! Join us … if you dare!

Episode 211: with Jim Moorhouse, Deb Moltisanti, Adam Sanders & Anthony Moltisanti 

In the history of Star Trek there have been 185 episodes that begin with the word “The,” and on this week’s TrekRanks, for absolutely no reason at all, we are breaking down our “Top 5 Episodes that Begin with The.” Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Deb Moltisanti, Adam Sanders and Anthony Moltisanti each come up with their own reasons for how they made their picks, but one thing was consistent throughout – there is no doubt that many of the greatest episodes in Star Trek history being with the word “the.” This one is a surprising TrekRanks classic.

Episode 210: with Jim Moorhouse, Carl Wonders, Peter Hong & Nate Perkins 

We get deep into the lore of Deep Space Nine by talking about a variety of episodes that are not DS9, but feel like it! It’s the “Top 5 Episodes that Feel Like DS9” on this week’s TrekRanks, continuing our ongoing series of popular “Feels Like” topics. There are probably more shades to DS9 than any other series of Star Trek, and we cover them all by picking episodes from across the Trek lexicon – everything from TNG to Strange New Worlds. Join us in the Gamma Quadrant for this fun episode of TrekRanks.

Episode 209: with Jim Moorhouse, Ross Webster & Anika Dane 

Our Abstract Series returns with an absolute classic. This one is as abstract as it gets! It’s “Abstract Color Blasts!” on this week’s TrekRanks! What’s an “Abstract Color Blast!” you ask? Well, listen in and figure it out with our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert color analysts Ross Webster and Anika Dane, who come at this topic from every angle. One thing we learn for sure is that an “Abstract Color Blast!” can literally come from anywhere and be anything in Star Trek! This is a colorful conversation you will not want to miss!

Episode 208: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry & Carlos Miranda 

It feels fitting that the first Kelpien in Starfleet is also the first character from the new era of Star Trek to get the TrekRanks character deep dive treatment as this week we jump all the way to Kaminar to take on the “Top 5 Saru Episodes.” Brought to life by the legendary Doug Jones, Saru embodied the emotions and hope on display throughout five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, never wavering in his duty to Starfleet. Our expert panel can  sense the coming of a whole lot of love for Saru in this breakdown of one of Trek’s most legendary alien outsiders.

Episode 207: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry & Carlos Miranda 

It’s a classic TrekRanks deep dive on the “Top 5 World-Building Episodes” in the history of Star Trek, where we breakdown the stories, details and moments that helped establish the expansive universe that we’ve all known and loved across the past 60 years. Our panel gets into the nooks and crannies of both the big and small world-building moments that have helped establish Star Trek as the modern mythology of our times.

Episode 206: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt, Kim Lawler & Foz Rotten 

It’s maybe the most expansive topic in TrekRanks history. In a return to our ongoing “Scenes in Trek” series we tackle the “Top 5 Scenes on a Bridge.” And in Star Trek, as you know, a whole lot of the show takes place on the bridge! Our expert panel have a great time covering this massive topic with heavy hitters, deep cuts and some emotional wallops. It’s another TrekRanks classic!

Episode 205: with Jim Moorhouse, Paul Edinger, Todd Kehoe & Kelli 

We all have those episodes we’ve seen a bunch of times, but every time you turn it on, for some reason it feels like you are watching it for the first time. And that is what this week’s TrekRanks is all about. It’s the Top 5 Episodes that Always Feel Like a First-Time Watch! Our expert panel recorded this one “FlashRanks” style, with about 24 hours to prep their choices. We cover a lot of ground on this extremely fun episode of TrekRanks – that I’m sure you will want to listen to again for the first time.

Episode 204: with Jim Moorhouse, Chris Burris & Craig Main 

Pack your bags! Because on this week’s TrekRanks we are visiting your “Top 5 Dream Destinations” in Star Trek! It’s the locations in the Trek universe where you want to visit or see in person or take a vacation, however you define your Prime Directive. Our expert LCARS panel covers everything from planets to space stations to museums across the Alpha, Gamma and Delta quadrant! Make sure your interplanetary travel documents are up to date for this fun episode of TrekRanks!

Episode 203: with Jim Moorhouse, Brooke Horton & Paige Thatcher 

Peldar joi, everyone! It’s time for a festival celebration at TrekRanks as we take on the “Top 5 Bajoran Episodes.” Since their debut on The Next Generation, Bajorans have provided some of the most layered and contextualized storytelling in all of Star Trek, and this episode gets deep into the cultural, religious and historical context Bajorans have provided throughout Deep Space Nine and beyond. This one includes quite a few hot takes, just like your favorite hasperat, made with the most tongue-searing, spicy brine!

Episode 202: with Jim Moorhouse, Paige Thatcher & Sebas de Toma 

This week's TrekRanks is all about the “Top 5 Crash Landings” in Star Trek as we attempt to navigate our shuttle safely through some kind of magnetic disturbance in the atmosphere or through an ion storm or a weird orbital displacement shift - and guide our crew to safety. Our expert panel steer us through every variation of crash landing in Trek, uncovering more than a few fun trends, tropes and surprises.

Episode 201: with Jim Moorhouse, Ryan Riddle & Michael Bentley 

We are getting dark and dirty on this week’s TrekRanks as we maneuver down some of Starfleet’s back alleys to uncover the “Top 5 Treacherous Bastards” in the history of Star Trek. Our expert panel is packed with unsavory characters, including host Jim Moorhouse and guests Ryan Riddle and Michael Bentley, as they get into the underbelly of the influences that have motivated so many of our picks. This is a fun episode that also goes deep … into treachery!

Episode 200: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Jenn Tifft & Abby Sommer 

We celebrate episode 200 of TrekRanks with perhaps the most wide-open topic in the history of our show. Which means we are covering more Star Trek ground than ever! This week we enter a stable temporal fissure to revisit many of the fun topics in our illustrious past with TrekRanks Potpourri 2.0. Our catalog has no boundaries – from “Scenes in Trek” to “Abstract topics” to “Character Moments” and “Season Recaps” – and this week each member of our LCARS panel picks five of their favorite topics from our history to discuss (and, of course, make one episode pick for that topic as well). It's another standout entry of the most comprehensive, informative and consistently fun Star Trek podcast in the Alpha Quadrant.

Episode 199: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann & Arielle K. 

We’re dunking into Star Trek: Lower Decks like a big ol’ cookie on this week’s TrekRanks with a breakdown of the “Top 5 Lower Decks Season 5 Moments”! It’s a happy-sad celebration of Captain Freeman and the entire crew of the USS Cerritos as they investigate a series of temporal fissures (with new friends and old) all season long. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and expert guests Bill Mann and Arielle K. break it all down in our exclusive TrekRanks style.

Episode 198: with Jim Moorhouse, John Krikorian & Anika Dane

It’s time for another topic you are only going to hear on TrekRanks! This week we are breaking down the “Top 5 Five-Minute Characters” – which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a celebration of those characters who appeared in maybe only one or two scenes for no more than five minutes total, but for some reason you still think about them and probably want to see more of them. Our panel gets deep into the weeds on five-minute characters in this classic episode of TrekRanks.

Episode 197: with Jim Moorhouse, Adam Hunault & Sam Nelson

What makes Deep Space Nine … Deep Space Nine? That’s the question on our minds this week as we explore the Top 5 DS9 Vibes in our ongoing deep dive into the five legacy Trek series. We are analyzing the vibes you get from specific series and characters and episodes. What better way to get into the conduits of Trek than discussing vibes, with is defined as an atmosphere of a place as communicated to and felt by others? Our panel discusses every angle of our favorite fascist Cardassian eyesore in this fun episode.

Episode 196: with Jim Moorhouse, Debbie Moltisanti & Ben Nicholson

At TrekRanks we can always see the forest through the trees, especially when we are breaking down the “Top 5 Scenes in the Woods” as part of our ongoing “Scenes in Trek” series. Three unique Prime Directives lead to some surprising results as our expert panel gets deep into the woods on this fun topic, the 17th time we’ve tackled a “Scenes in Trek” topic on TrekRanks.

Episode 195: with Jim Moorhouse, Dana Kenedy, Kimberly Lawler & Izaak Brown

All hands-on deck for this classic episode of TrekRanks as we tackle the “Top 5 Hands-On Episodes” in Star Trek history. It’s episode 195 of TrekRanks and literally anything is in play this week on this wide-open topic. Our panel covers a lot of territory with their Prime Directives, from down-and-dirty episodes to singularly focused hands-on moments. This is a fun one in that classic TrekRanks style.

Episode 194: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Jenn Tifft & Mike Rittenhouse

With Star Trek: Lower Decks launching their fifth and final season, we celebrate the groundbreaking series in the most appropriate way possible – by highlighting the “Top 5 Crazy F*cking Things Mike McMahan Did to Show Us How Much Lower Decks Loves Star Trek”! Pakleds with big helmets? Check! The return of Ensign Sonya Gomez? Check! Check! Our favorite crew hanging out at Sisko’s? Check! Check! Check! There is literally no end to the Star Trek tributes and homages in Lower Decks and Mike McMahan is the crazy [CENSORED] person most responsible for that! Thanks, Mike!

Episode 193: with Jim Moorhouse, Paul Edinger & Kelli

Cool looking technology has been a staple of Star Trek for 60 years, and on this week's TrekRanks we deep dive into exactly that with a can't miss episode focused on the "Top 5 Coolest Looking Tech." From tricorders to plasma coils, "cool looking tech" is about as broad and succinct as you can get for a classic TrekRanks topic. Our expert panel have a great time getting into Trek's cool technological lore in this one.

Episode 192: with Jim Moorhouse, Daniel Martin, Teresa Jusino & Anjali Mathai

Voyager’s chief engineer is beloved for a variety of reasons, and we break them all down in this essential episode of TrekRanks – “The Top 5 B’Elanna Torres Episodes.” From the Maquis to Starfleet, B’Elanna Torres showcased a myriad of skills, qualities and styles in her seven years on Voyager, fighting and defeating more than a few personal demons along the way. Portrayed by Roxann Dawson, there’s no doubt how popular Torres was, and our panel go deep with the picks. No recalibration necessary to sitback and enjoy the “Top 5 B’Elanna Torres Episodes.”

Episode 191: with Jim Moorhouse, Abby Sommer & Josh Zeller

For the first-time in Star Trek history, 20 episodes were released simultaneously, and we break it all down this week with the “Top 5 Prodigy Season 2 Moments.” At this point, when it comes to Star Trek Prodigy, the secret is out: this is not just a kids’ show! We proto-warp our way through all 20 episodes via our exclusive TrekRanks matrix, relaying our favorites from production to creatives to characters to episodes. We even get some surprise young listener feedback in our Temporal Inversion! Go fast and join us for the most comprehensive recap you’ll find anywhere of this very special season of Star Trek.

Episode 190: Live from Las Vegas

We combine two favorites this week: our “abstract” topics with another “live show”! It's “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).

Episode 189: with Jim Moorhouse, Chris Burris & Lee Hutchison

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 goes through an array of picks in this classic TrekRanks topic.

Episode 188: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Ross Webster

“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, this is an essential episode of TrekRanks!

Episode 187: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Dana Kenedy & Matt Finbow

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 reveals a lot about their Trek psyche in this raucous episode of TrekRanks in which everyone is shooting from the hip and having a blast.

Episode 186: with Jim Moorhouse, Debbie Moltisanti & Ryan Riddle

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 comes up with their own unique take on defining their “comfort characters” that sees big name characters, recurring characters and one-off characters all get selected.

Episode 185: with Jim Moorhouse, Caleb Dorsch & Jordan La Fordan

“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 breaks it all down with our 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!

Episode 184: with Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little & Ken Reilly

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 go deep on this one, even dissecting the many different definitions of the word “beam.” Beam yourself up for this one.

Episode 183: with Jim Moorhouse, Heather Kirby, Chris Chaplin & Patrick Carlin

It doesn’t get much more clear that the “Top 5 Love Letters to Trek.” This week on TrekRanks our expert panel does 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.

Episode 182: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann and Craig Main

“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 our panel to get deep into the lore of Star Trek through a lens one wouldn’t expect. Nothing is too abstract for TrekRanks!

Episode 181: with Jim Moorhouse, Daniel Martin and Peter Hong

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. 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”).

Episode 180: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt and Thad Hait

In celebration of the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery, we are diving deep into the “Top 5 Final Adventures” on this week’s TrekRanks. A “final adventure” in Star Trek can be a lot of things. It can be super big and broad, or really small and focused. It can be a series, a season, a character, a ship, a story arc – almost anything can include a final adventure, so we have a lot of ground to cover this week with our panel. This one is guaranteed to be an adventure.

Episode 179: with Jim Moorhouse, Heather Kirby and Michael Bentley

“One-Off Captains” are on the table this week as TrekRanks returns to one of our favorite ongoing series. Our panel breaks down those one-time appearances of captains from Starfleet to Romulus and from the 22nd century to the 32nd! Lots of different ways to analyze this one from the bridge of whatever ship you might currently be stationed.

Episode 178: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda and Abby Sommer

What makes Enterprise … Enterprise? That’s the question on our minds this week as we explore the Top 5 Enterprise Vibes in our ongoing series dissecting the heart of Trek. What better way to get into the conduits of Star Trek than discussing vibes, which are defined as an atmosphere of a place as communicated to and felt by others? Characters to episodes to moments – vibes abound in the atmosphere of Trek.

Episode 177: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft, Matt Hansen and Teresa Jusino

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we get up close-and-personal on this week’s TrekRanks with a deep dive into the Top 5 Kisses in Star Trek history. From hot-and-steamy to plutonic pecks and sweet little captain kisses (!!!), we embrace one of the biggest topics in TrekRanks history. (I mean, there is actually a lot of kissing in Star Trek!) Open yourself up this one with our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Jenn Tifft, Matt Hansen and Teresa Jusino.

Episode 176: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Dan Caseley and Kelli

In honor of TrekRanks 176 (the same number of episodes in TNG’s run!), we get deep into the lore of Star Trek: The Next Generation in one of the more unique topics in TrekRanks history. It’s the “Top 5 Episodes that Feel Like TNG,” which means everything is on the table except for TNG episodes. Our panelists each tackle the topic in different ways that make for a great listen.

Episode 175: with Jim Moorhouse, Debbie Moltisanti, Ross Webster and Caleb Dorsch

This week’s topic is one of the most personal and joyous episodes in TrekRanks history, tackling the “Top 5 Episodes You Want to Watch Again for the First Time.” Our four-person panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Debbie Moltisanti, Ross Webster and Caleb Dorsch each take a personal angle in compiling their list of these episodes (both old and new) that would be great to experience again for the first time. This one will inspire.

Episode 174: with Jim Moorhouse, Anika Dane and Simon Foster

Everyone contributes in this episode of TrekRanks as we break down the “Top 5 Ensemble Episodes.” Our panel highlight those episodes in which the entire cast play important roles and help portray the group as a whole, rather than as individuals. From heavy hitters to deep cuts and everything in between, this one quite appropriately covers it all.

Episode 173: with Jim Moorhouse, Chris Burris and William Overton

The most important person in Starfleet! It’s just that simple. This week on TrekRanks we tinker around with the “Top 5 Miles O’Brien Episodes,” a comprehensive analysis of the non-com who could do it all. Soldier, spy, engineer, husband, father, friend – those descriptors only begin to scratch the surface of O’Brien. So grab your ODN recoupler and join our panel for a duonetic deep dive on Chief Miles Edward O’Brien.

Episode 172: with Jim Moorhouse, Arielle K., Foz Rotten and Adam Sanders

It’s another edition of “Scenes on Trek” as our four-deep panel takes on the “Top 5 Scenes on an Alien Ship.” From one-off visitors across all four quadrants to weekly regulars like the Romulans and Klingons, there are an immeasurable number of scenes taking place on alien’s ship. And our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Arielle K., Foz Rotten and Adam Sanders beam on board to relay all their choices.

Episode 171: with Jim Moorhouse, Brooke Horton and Nathan Royster

We deep dive into the “Top 5 Game Changers” in Star Trek history with an analysis of those big shifts and adjustments to some of the show’s regular elements. This episode is a fun companion piece to episode 107 of TrekRanks, the “Top 5 Improvements.” Our panel covers everything from in-universe choices to production decisions that made significant changes to Trek’s trajectory through the decades. This is a good one!

Episode 170: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt and Todd Kehoe

TrekRanks joins Nova Fleet this week to report on the latest from Star Trek: Lower Decks with our comprehensive look at the “Top 5 Lower Decks Season 4 Moments.” From Orion to Feringinar and every Kolvoord Starburst in between, this season of Lower Decks was another sidesplitting, tear-inducing masterpiece from showrunner Mike McMahan. Our panel list their favorites from production to creatives to characters in this awesome tribute.

Episode 169: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry and Jenn Tifft

We dissect the DNA of Star Trek this week with the “Top 5 Trek Tropes,” a topic we’ve been waiting to do for more than five years. Our expert panel discusses those elements of Trek that make Star Trek, Star Trek! From storylines to production elements and from dialog to visuals, this dynamic conversation helps crystalize exactly how we all think about Star Trek.

Episode 168: with Jim Moorhouse, Abby Sommer and Bryan

We get abstract again on TrekRanks in one of our most popular recurring topics. This week it is “Abstract Counting” where our panel, featuring host Jim Moorhouse and guests Abby Sommer and Bryan, make a myriad of picks related to different counts in Trek. From big broad numbers to the incredibly mundane and specific, no count is too abstract for this fun episode!

Episode 167: with Jim Moorhouse, Ross Webster and Katie Nickolaou

Do not adjust your Weather Modification Network for this great episode of TrekRanks as we examine the “Top 5 Weather-Related Incidents” in Star Trek history. From rain on Ferenginar to firestorms, well, pretty much everywhere (!), we shelter in a safe place to report on the weather thoughout Trek. Our panel includes an actual meteorologist, who educates all of us on the realities of weather in Trek (and you will even learn what a “haboob” is).

Episode 166: with Jim Moorhouse and a Panel of Eight

It’s another fun TrekRanks live show and this one is as lively as it gets, as host Jim Moohouse and a panel of eight guests, including Star Trek experts Alex Perry, Jenn Tifft, Claire Little, Ken Reilly, Matt Hansen, Jamie McGregor, Thad Hait and Josh Duffy, power through 45 rapid fire selections for “The. Best. Deaths.” This topic is not the Top 5 Best Deaths. No. This one is “The. Best. Deaths,” which takes it a level beyond that. It’s the most picks in the history of TrekRanks, so get ready for some of the craziest, most dramatic, somber and edgy moments in Trek history.

Episode 165: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda & Paul Edinger

Connections, characters, crossovers and chorus! It’s time for the “Top 5 Strange New Worlds Season 2 Moments,” a deep dive into one of the most complete and satisfying seasons of Star Trek ever. Our panel runs through their favorites from production to creatives to characters to episodes in this comprehensive recap! We cover a lot of ground from Spock/Chapel to La’an/Kirk and everything in between.

Episode 164: with Jim Moorhouse, Jamie McGregor & Paige Thatcher

Connections, characters, crossovers and chorus! It’s time for the “Top 5 Strange New Worlds Season 2 Moments,” a deep dive into one of the most complete and satisfying seasons of Star Trek ever. Our panel runs through their favorites from production to creatives to characters to episodes in this comprehensive recap! We cover a lot of ground from Spock/Chapel to La’an/Kirk and everything in between.

Episode 163: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Swapna Krishna

It’s been a part of Star Trek since the very beginning and on this week’s TrekRanks, we observe the “Top 5 Stargazing Moments” throughout Trek’s history. From literally studying the cosmos to charting a course or making a deep personal connection, stargazing can come in many different formats, as our expert panel discover. Get your telescope ready, because this episode comes in equal parts emotion and joy.

Episode 162: with Jim Moorhouse, Debbie Moltisanti & Lee Hutchison

Parents. Children. Siblings. Cousins. Many of your favorite Star Trek characters have met up with relatives of all sorts throughout the series, but who would make your list of “Top 5 One-Off Relatives” that appeared in an episode just one time. Our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Debbie Moltisanti and Lee Hutchison cover all the bases as we chart the family tree of the best one-off relative appearances from TOS to Strange New Worlds.

Episode 161: with Jim Moorhouse, Nate Perkins & KJ

TrekRanks does it again. It’s time to get abstract – this time with the letter “T.” That’s it. It’s “Abstract T,” where our panelists each make five unique selections from Star Trek all relating to the letter “T” in some format. (Although, to be fair, we eliminated James T. Kirk and Earl Grey Tea from contention this week!) Our abstract topics are always transcendent, and this one is no different.

Episode 160: with Jim Moorhouse, Adam Hunault & Josh Zeller

It’s time to get messy on TrekRanks with a breakdown of the “Top 5 Best Hot Mess,” a soirée into the characters and situations in Trek that really can only be described as – a hot mess. From the grandiose to the understated, and from the nefarious to the well-intentioned, hot messes come in all shapes and sizes. Our messy panelists each target their own personalized choices to cobble together their lists. Recorded live and in person, this episode is a fun one – and a bit of a hot mess on its own.

Episode 159: with Jim Moorhouse, Thad Hait & Jarrah Hodge

Kroykah! Or actually, don’t Kroykah! Keep listening. It’s time for a TrekRanks kal-if-fee as we take on the “Top 5 Vulcan Episodes.” Other than maybe Klingons, no species in Star Trek has had a bigger impact on the franchise than Vulcans. From Spock to, well, Spock again, the planet has received deep dives in culture, philosophies and language, and we tackle it all in breaking down a wide variety of logical choices.

Episode 158: with Jim Moorhouse, Arielle K. & Nathan Royster

We return to our popular “Scenes in Trek” series for the 14th time with a fun one: it’s the “Top 5 Scenes in Water.” As always, that could mean anything on TrekRanks. It could be a water adjacent scene or a huge location shoot or a watery scene on set – literally anything. There is definitely no shortage of scenes in water in Star Trek and everything is in play with our “brine in the veins” expert panel.

Episode 157: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Mike Rittenhouse

Previously on … Enterprise! This week’s TrekRanks is a deep dive into one of the most satisfying and underrated seasons of Star Trek ever. It’s the “Top 5 Xindi War Moments,” dissecting the epic, serialized arc across the third season of Enterprise. From trellium-D to the Sphere-Builders, it was a year of epics highs and thrilling connections. Our expert panel relays the moments that helped guide the NX-01 to victory.

Episode 156: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda, Chris Burris & Kim Lawler

It’s the end of an era and the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3, one of best seasons of Star Trek ever, and we break it all down in classic TrekRanks fashion with our “Top 5 Picard Season 3 Moments.” From the Titan to the Enterprise-G, our panel get into all the details with our returning TNG favorites and new standout characters. This one covers it all.

Episode 155: with Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little & Dominic Burgess

What makes Voyager…Voyager? That’s the question on our minds this week as we explore the Top 5 Voyager Vibes in a new series doing a deep dive into the five legacy Trek series. We are analyzing the vibes you get from specific series and characters and episodes. What better way to get into the conduits of Trek than discussing vibes, which is defined as an atmosphere of a place as communicated to and felt by others? Our panel, featuring host Jim Moorhouse, guest Claire Little and actor Dominic Burgess (Mr. Vup) discuss every angle of Voyager in this fun episode.

Episode 154: with Jim Moorhouse, Ross Webster & Michael

Star Trek is a modern day mythology with connective threads running throughout it’s 50-plus year history. This week’s TrekRanks gets experimental as our panelists each spin their own narrative thread by connecting one episode to the next from pick 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 and eventually to a number one choice that completes the “Connective Trek” they are weaving. The topics vary from deep and personal to minutia revealing and everything in between. This one will keep you guessing.

Episode 153: with Jim Moorhouse, Ron Worbel, Swapna Krishna & Daniel Martin

Today is a good day to Worf! He is the most prolific character in the history of Star Trek and this week he goes under the TrekRanks microscope as we select our “Top 5 Worf Episodes.” The Son of Mogh, the brother of Kurn and the Par’Mach’Kai of Jadzia, K’Ehleyr and Troi (at least in a few universes), Worf has literally done it all in Star Trek, as our warrior panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Ron Worbel, Swapna Krishna and Daniel Martin discuss. This might just be the most honorable episode of TrekRanks yet!

Episode 152: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Dana Kennedy & Jim McMahon
The first-ever Trek series created for kids first and adults second was a spectacular success. On this week’s show we protowarp into our breakdown of the “Top 5 Prodigy Season 1 Moments.” Our pannel run through all their favorites from production to creatives to characters to episodes. Both Jenn and Chris are parents who watched with their kids, and they include their feedback in the discussion. Go fast and join us for the most comprehensive recap you’ll find anywhere of this very special first season of Prodigy.

Episode 151: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Chris Chaplin
The first-ever Trek series created for kids first and adults second was a spectacular success. On this week’s show we protowarp into our breakdown of the “Top 5 Prodigy Season 1 Moments.” Our pannel run through all their favorites from production to creatives to characters to episodes. Both Jenn and Chris are parents who watched with their kids, and they include their feedback in the discussion. Go fast and join us for the most comprehensive recap you’ll find anywhere of this very special first season of Prodigy.

Episode 150: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann, Abby Sommer & Carl Wonders
In celebration of our 150th episode, we hit the biggest and broadest topic in our history. This week we tackle TrekRanks Potpourri with a spin of our random chroniton episode generator before each pick as our crew dive into our catalog of 150 unique Star Trek topics. “Scenes in a Cave,” “Two-Part Episodes,” “Coolest Looking Aliens”? Literally any topic from our vast array of past shows could find their way into this incredible episode. It’s Episode 150. And it’s massive.

Episode 149: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt & Jamie McGregor
Pull up a chair and take a seat at the TrekRanks table for another episode of our popular “Scenes in Trek” series! This week we are serving up another deep cut special with the “Top 5 Scenes at a Table,” a topic you will definitely hear only on TrekRanks. And this is a fun one, with picks coming from every corner of the Star Trek universe from our expert Trek panel. Do not table this one.

Episode 148: with Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little & Paul Edinger
We wrap our arms around … well, uh, we get our hands on … nope, that doesn’t work either. Well, we set our sights on identifying the Top 5 Non-Corporeal Aliens on this week’s new TrekRanks Podcast! Nailed it. They are known by many monikers through 50-plus years of Star Trek in (incorporeal, non-physical, formless, even trans-dimensional), but one thing is for sure: non-corporeal aliens have been a staple of Star Trek forever. Our panel consume it all in this fun, classic topic. 

Episode 147: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Jenn Tifft & Carlos Miranda
Despite a bad ion storm affecting our recording, we are back with yet another episode of the Terran TrekRanks Podcast, your source for nitpicking and complaining about all things Star Trek. As we do every week (or at least in every episode that ends in “47”), we highlight a topic that allows us to really come down hard on all the things we dislike about Star Trek, and this week our panel takes aim at Trek’s “Top 5 Ridiculous Choices.” Listen to Terran TrekRanks and avoid the agony booth! 

Episode 146: with Jim Moorhouse, Thad Hait & Sue Kisenwether
We go into Bold Boimler mode to break down the latest from Star Trek: Lower Decks with our deep dive into the “Top 5 Lower Decks Season 3 Moments.” From the developments with Rutherford to Mariner’s transformation into Starfleet material, it was another fantastic season of humor, nostalgia and more Star Trek action than you could fit into an old brown pot excavated from the Bitrus Expanse. Our panel runs through their favorites from production to creatives to characters to episodes in this fun retrospective. 

Episode 145: with Jim Moorhouse, Sam Nelson & Peter Hong
In a landmark edition of TrekRanks, we highlight the “Top 5 High-Concept TOS Episodes,” the final show in our breakdown of Trek’s five legacy series via big and bold science fiction ideas. High-concept episodes come in all shapes and sizes, and in this final edition we tackle deep cuts and heavy hitters in equal measures, dissecting the series that started it all. Our expert panel brings it all together in not only the finale for our “High-Concept” shows, but also our 15-part legacy Trek shows on Guilty Pleasure Episodes and Underrated elements. 

Episode 144: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Debbie Moltisanti, Josh Zeller & Jamie McGregor
A live show from Las Vegas is the perfect place to tackle the “Top 5 Trek Gambles,” a topic that can go in a bunch of different directions. From life-or-death gambles to production gambles to on-screen games of chance, our panel cover all their bets in making the tough calls this week. We bet you’re going to love this one. 

Episode 143: with Jim Moorhouse, Jamie Rogers, Mike Bovia & Ellie
Our “guilty pleasure” series concludes this week with our Top 5 DS9 Guilty Pleasure Episodes – and it goes out with a bang. Per usual, we dive into quite a few episodes that might be less beloved by the masses, but who really cares? If you love it, that’s good enough for us! Our panel highlight more than a few unheralded Deep Space Nine selections that for some reason or another, connect with each of them. It’s a classic deep cut special on this week’s TrekRanks! 

Episode 142: with Jim Moorhouse, Chris Burris, Beverly Falls & Ryan Riddle
On this week’s TrekRanks we celebrate the life, career and impact of Nichelle Nichols, arguably the most legendary performer in Star Trek history. Nichols’ impact as an actor, singer, dancer and civil rights advocate can never be overstated, and in breaking down our “Top 5 Uhura Episodes” we dive deep into not only her body of work, but also onto the platform she created for both Zoë Saldana and Celia Rose Gooding to follow. This is an emotional episode covering a lot of ground. 

Episode 141: with Jim Moorhouse, Matt Hansen & Ross Webster
It’s time for another deep-dive topic as we get into the “Top 5 Unjustly Accused Storylines” just in time for the Season 3 premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks, which ended on a brilliant Captain Freeman cliffhanger. There are no shortages of engrossing stories in Star Trek’s history involving our heroes being unjustly accused, both in major, life-changing ways, as well as in small personal ways. Our panel is guaranteed to bring the gavel down in both big and small ways as they tackle every corner of Trek on this fun episode. 

Episode 140: with Jim Moorhouse, Kimberly Lawler & Christian Juel
In the fifth and final installment of our “Underrated” shows for Star Trek’s five legacy series, this week we tackle the “Top 5 TNG Underrated.” It’s an episode dedicated to celebrating the unheralded moments and episodes from Star Trek: The Next Generation. As always, we use the TrekRanks Matrix to break this topic down in five distinct categories: production design, performer/creative, wildcard Dabo round, character and episode! Our panel covers every square inch of the Enterprise-D and its crew. 

Episode 139: with Jim Moorhouse, Josh Zeller & Melanie
"Strange New Worlds" is not only one of the greatest first seasons in Trek history, it is one of the great seasons in all of Star Trek. It was that good. From Pike’s battle with his ignominious future to dramatic and subtle retconning that you didn’t think you’d see and didn’t know you wanted – the season packed an insane amount of heart, emotion and action into 10 episodes. And on this week’s TrekRanks, we get deep into the Top 5 Strange New Worlds Season 1 Moments with our panel. You’ll want to listen to this one just to relive all the glory of this amazing season of Trek. 

Episode 138: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Beverly Falls
We return to our popular “Scenes in Trek” series for the 12th time, this week tackling the “Top 5 Scenes in Engineering.” From the warp core to the spore drive to the intermix chamber on any number of starships, this broad topic touches every corner of the Star Trek universe. Our expert panel give it everything they’ve got in relaying their picks, which include heavy-hitters and deep cuts in equal measure. Whether or not your antimatter containment system is fully regulated or not, this episode is a blast. 

Episode 137: with Jim Moorhouse, Brooke Horton & Clive Burrell
It’s a classic, straight-forward topic on this week’s TrekRanks – the “Top 5 Coolest Looking Aliens” in Star Trek. From Andorians to Zalkonians and from CGI creatures to forehead prosthetics, everything is in play on this wide-ranging topic that spans a huge canvas of more than 55 years. Our expert panel end up with a wide array of choices covering almost every incarnation of Trek. This one is cool! 

Episode 136: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Claire Little, Jenn Tifft, Ken Reilly, & Matt Hansen
There is no better way to tackle a topic like the “Top 5 Sleazy Locales” in Star Trek than with a wild, live recording at a Star Trek convention. From seedy bars to characters of disrepute, and from pleasure planets to interstellar outposts, we cover a huge swath of the Star Trek universe in tackling this subject. Our expert panel can’t be contained, turning this podcast into a sleazy locale unto itself. You’ve been warned! 

Episode 135: with Jim Moorhouse, Ron Wrobel & Arielle K.
“Let’s see what’s out there.” The second season of Star Trek: Picard is likely the most bingeable, complete season in Star Trek history, telling one amazing, 10-episode time-travel story on near modern-day Earth. The season was thought provoking, profound and, also, fun! From Q to Guinan and from the Borg Queen to Soong, our expert panel break it all down in our Top 5 Picard Season 2 Moments, featuring our unique five rounds of topics (production design, creative, wildcard, character and episode). 

Episode 134: with Jim Moorhouse, Debbie Moltisanti & Chris Burris
With the launch of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds upon us, TrekRanks previews the new series with a quintessential Trek topic: the “Top 5 Spock Episodes.” Spock has been forever present in Trek, from the very first scene through the Kelvin Timeline films, and even Star Trek: Discovery. With Strange New Worlds he is about to become the first character in Trek history to be a regular on three different live-action series, and our panel explores every angle of the legendary character. 

Episode 133: with Jim Moorhouse, Ryan Riddle & Ashley V. Robinson
Crushes can come in all different shapes and sizes – infatuation, forbidden fruit, school yard – and on this week’s TrekRanks it is time to reveal yours! It’s time to get your crush on. It’s the Top 5 Trek Crushes! (Not Crushers – that was Episode 108.) Our amazing panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Ryan Riddle and Ashley V. Robinson cover a lot of territory from TOS to Discovery and everything in between. 

Episode 132: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann & Abby Sommer
Another great season of Trek is in the books, which means it is time for another glorious TrekRanks recap show. We bust through the Galactic Barrier to bring you the Top 5 Discovery Season 4 Moments. Our expert panel covers it all from the DMA to Species Ten-C. As always, we use the TrekRanks Matrix to cut through our season recap shows, with five distinct categories in each round (production design, performer, wildcard, character and episode)! In the end it was a season of Trek like no other, and this is the recap show to do it justice. 

Episode 131: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt & Peter Hong
We expand our one “one-off series” with a huge topic: a breakdown of the “Top 5 One-Off Guest Stars v1.0” in Trek. It’s those actors and guest stars who made an impact in just one, single role in 800-plus hours of Star Trek. There are plenty of actors who have played multiple roles or recurring roles, but this is about those amazing one-time guest stars! From huge stars to character actors, our panel highlights all their favorite standout performances. 

Episode 130: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry & Zane Brumley
TrekRanks enters the Q Continuum for the first time with the *snap/whoosh* Top 5 Q Moments! In 13 appearances across four series, Q always proved himself to be not only one of the edgiest foes in Star Trek history, but also one of the most comical. No easy feat for anyone to pull off, but something that John de Lancie and the other Q always handled with perfection! Just in time for the debut of season 2 of Star Trek: Picard, our panel dive deeps into the wonderfully omnipotent world of the Q! *snap/whoosh* 

Episode 129: with Jim Moorhouse, Kimberly Lawler & Matt Price
The beginning. A start. An introduction. … A wide-open topic that our panel explores in many first-time directions. And, of course, for a topic like this, we are joined by two first time guests: Kimberly Lawler and Matt Price. This original topic is a catalyst for another great TrekRanks deep dive! On this week’s TrekRanks it’s the “Top 5 First Times” in Trek. 

Episode 128: with Jim Moorhouse, Adam Hunault & Arielle K.
It’s another round of “Abstract TrekRanks” as we pick a random topic and apply it to Trek. This week it is “Abstract Silence,” which could mean anything in the world of Trek. Silence on the screen, silent communication, in-universe silence – the entire Star Trek canvas is in play for this wide-open topic. And our panel takes full advantage of that with host Jim Moorhouse and guests Adam Hunault and Arielle K. getting deep into the abstract. 

Episode 127: with Jim Moorhouse, Heather Kirby & Patrick Carlin
We return to our “Underrated Series” by diving deep into our “Top 5 Voyager Underrated.” It’s an episode dedicated to celebrating some unheralded moments from Star Trek: Voyager and captain Janeway and her crew. As always, we use the TrekRanks Matrix to break this topic down in five distinct categories: production design, performer/creative, wildcard round, character and episode! Our panel gets into the nitty-gritty of some of the shows most underrated moments. 

Episode 126: with Jim Moorhouse, Ross Webster & Debbie Moltisanti
Who fooled ya?!? This week we get to know all those characters you maybe thought were one thing and then turned out to be something else. It’s the “Top 5 Characters that Fooled Ya”! It could have been their motivations that fooled ya. Or their appearance that fooled ya. Or their identity that fooled ya. You can trust our panel to not be fooled by any of these picks as we get deep into identifying all the different suspects! 

Episode 125: with Jim Moorhouse, Dana Kenedy & Chris Burris
Star Trek is obviously about the human condition and the exploration of strange new worlds ... but, you know, sometimes it’s also about fisticuffs! And on this week’s TrekRanks we return to our “Scenes in Trek” series with the “Top 5 Fight Scenes.” (Which in this case is not about phaser fights or space battles or verbal sparring, but about knockdown, drag-out, physical altercations…and there are a ton of them in Trek.) Our panel enters the ring to faceoff with all their favorites. 

Episode 124: with Jim Moorhouse, Beverly Falls & Michael
Sometimes an episode of Star Trek will transport you back to a time and place of your youth. Sometimes it will inject you with youthful energy. And sometimes on TrekRanks we breakdown the “Top 5 Episodes that Make You Feel Like a Kid Again.” And we guarantee you that is exactly what this episode will do! Make you feel like a kid again! Our panel of OG Trek fans tackle the old and new in recapturing their Star Trek youth. 

Episode 123: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry & Abby Sommers
Spatial anomalies abound in the universe of Star Trek, and we warp straight into the heart of them on this week's show with the Top 5 Spatial Anomalies. From temporal to atmospheric to organic – spatial anomalies take all forms and we cover them all on this deep cut episode of TrekRanks. Our expert panel leave no sector unscanned as they unveil their picks. Stick with us and we’ll guide you through this anomaly.” 

Episode 122: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda & Rich Masters
“It’s the Cerritos!” And with that glorious exclamation a classic season of Star Trek came to an end, which means another season breakdown episode from TrekRanks – this week it is the “Top 5 Lower Decks Season 2 Moments.” From Kayshon to the Kazon, this season of Trek had it all, right down to an amazing season finale (“First First Contact”) and one of the greatest introspective episodes in Star Trek history. The season was that good. “Warp me!” 

Episode 121: with Jim Moorhouse, Rick Everson & Claire Little
With the latest incarnation of Star Trek debuting this month and showcasing the return of both Kate Mulgrew and the Delta Quadrant, this is the perfect time to deep dive into our Top 5 Delta Quadrant Species on the new episode of TrekRanks. Our panel previews the new animated series, Star Trek Prodigy, while also deep diving into seven years and 168 episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. Whether they be major players or one-off appearances, we cover it all from the Ankari to the Zahl. 

Episode 120: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Arielle K.
Scientist. Counselor. Klingon icon. Dax was all of these and more. It’s another character deep dive topic on TrekRanks as we explore the 350-year-old Trill symbiont who joined with some of Starfleet’s most legendary officers: Jadzia. Ezri. Curzon. It’s the “Top 5 Dax Episodes” in this, our 13th character breakdown in TrekRanks history. Our expert panel picks their favorite moments and episodes from throughout Dax’s exploits on Deep Space Nine. 

Episode 119: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann & Jen Howse
Vaughn Armstrong has played more distinct characters on Star Trek than any other person, and on this week’s show we highlight that scope of work with our “Top 5 Vaughn Armstrong Moments.” You will know him best as Enterprise’s Admiral Maxwell Forrest, but he has also been a Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian and more! All told, he has played 11 different characters across four different series and 28 overall episodes. He may not be a household name, but in the Trek Universe he is a legendary chameleon! 

Episode 118: with Jim Moorhouse, Ron Wrobel & Grace Moore
The Ferengi Commerce Authority has granted us the power of Grand Proxy to relay our Top 5 Ferengi Episodes on this week's TrekRanks! Our Board of Liquidators for this valuable topic includes host Jim Moorhouse and guests Ron Wrobel and Grace Moore, both experts on all 285 Rules of Acquisition. And don’t forget Rule No. 34 ½! TrekRanks is good for business! 

Episode 117: with Jim Moorhouse, Jamie McGregor & Melanie
This one is all about triumphant returns, resurgences and recoveries! It’s the Top 5 Epic Comebacks on the latest TrekRanks (just in time for the premiere of Season 2 of Lower Decks, which will have an epic comeback of its own at some point with Boimler somehow getting back to the Cerritos). Our panel gets deep into Trek lore with comebacks that span series, seasons and episodes, as well as non-universe production elements. This is a great episode to comeback to TrekRanks for! 

Episode 116: with Jim Moorhouse & Adam Drosin
On this week’s TrekRanks we get into a deep-dive conversation on “Trek Minutiae,” which is best defined as the small, precise and trivial details of any specific topic. Which for us means: Star Trek. This episode has a little bit of everything for the Trek connoisseur – in-universe picks, production picks, character specific picks, episode specific picks. Our panel has a fun time breaking down those tiny details (some mundane, some profound) that you’ll find throughout Trek! 

Episode 115: with Jim Moorhouse, Heather Kirby & David Majors
High-concept episodes come in all shapes and sizes, which we showcase in a bunch of different ways on this episode of TrekRanks featuring the “Top 5 High-Concept DS9 Episodes.” Deep Space Nine is a very different Star Trek series, and we highlight that across a selection of deep cuts and heavy hitters from the series’ seven-year run. 

Episode 114: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Matt Finbow
Our “Scenes in Trek” series returns with another unique topic: the Top 5 Scenes on a Cliff! (Which is totally and completely different from Episode 70 when we did Top 5 Scenes in a Cave. They are nothing alike. And besides, that was like 50 episodes ago.) Anyway, there are lots of scenes in Star Trek, ranging from dangerous to majestic, that take place on cliffs and precipices, and our panel breaks them all down. Watch your footing on this great episode of TrekRanks. 

Episode 113: with Jim Moorhouse, Beverly Falls & Capt. Pike-a-chu
Since 2009, there have been 75 new episodes and films of Star Trek and they all have one thing in common: Alex Kurtzman, who started as a screenwriter on Star Trek (2009) and is now the executive producer overseeing every new Trek series. With five new seasons of Trek in production right now, this is the perfect time to dive into our “Top 5 Kurtzman Era Episodes” with our expert panel. 

Episode 112: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt & Daniel Martin
Klingons have been at the core of Star Trek storytelling for more than 50 years, and sometimes it only takes one appearance to have a lasting impact on our favorite episodes and characters. This week on TrekRanks we deep dive into the Top 5 One-Off Klingons across the whole of the franchise and learn even more about Trek’s most popular alien species. tlhIngan maH taHjaj! 

Episode 111: with Jim Moorhouse, Abby Sommer & Chris Chaplin
TrekRanks’ one-of-a-kind “abstract series” returns in Episode 111 with a singular topic that literally stands alone. Its “Abstract One” on TrekRanks with our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Abby Sommer and Chris Chaplin diving into a fun and broad topic that can be defined in a myriad of unique ways. This one covers a lot of territory – from TOS to Lower Decks and everything in between. 

Episode 110: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry & Dana Kenedy
Computers in need of repair, malfunctioning computers, alien infested computers – computers are often at the heart of the drama in Star Trek and on this week’s TrekRanks we deep dive into the “Top 5 Computer Crises” as part of Episode 110. (Not quite “11001001,” but close enough!) Our panel of Star Trek diehards power up the duotronic processors to figure out how to breakdown such a massive Trek topic. Computer, run program for our loyal listeners! 

Episode 109: with Jim Moorhouse, Ryan Riddle & Caleb Dorsch
It’s a return to our “guilty pleasure” series on this week’s TrekRanks, as we take on the Top 5 TOS Guilty Pleasure Episodes. We love all Trek, so there is never any guilt for us in watching any particular episode, but everyone has their secret favorites that maybe aren’t as highly regarded by the masses. And in TOS, those options are endless. From bright colors and sparse sets to dayglo and go-go boots, our panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guess Ryan Riddle and Caleb Dorsch break it all down. 

Episode 108: with Jim Moorhouse, Amy Nelson & Christos Giannaris
Our series of "character breakdown" episodes returns with a twist. We are tackling the Top 5 Crusher Episodes, and that means exactly what you think it does! All of the Crushers are in play for this TNG-centered topic: Beverly, Wesley and even Jack. Our panel, featuring host Jim Moorhouse and TNG fans Amy Nelson and Christos Giannaris, mix it up in a bunch of different ways to finalize their lists. It’s a Crusher family deep dive on this week’s fun episode of TrekRanks. 

Episode 107: with Jim Moorhouse, Katharine Robinson & Ross Webster
Star Trek is pretty darn close to perfect just the way it is, but every once in a while they come along and improve it! On this week’s TrekRanks, we highlight the “Top 5 Improvements” in Trek, both in terms of production choices and in-universe narrative decisions. And based on this breakdown with our panel, “improvements” can cover a lot of territory! The discussion is one you’ll find only on TrekRanks and covers everything from TOS to the most recent season of Star Trek: Discovery! 

Episode 106: with Jim Moorhouse, Brooke Horton & Noah Averbach-Katz
Rescue missions are an integral part of the framework of Star Trek and on this week’s TrekRanks we put our expert team together to take on the Top 5 Rescues in Trek history. Host Jim Moorhouse is joined by guests Brooke Horton and Noah Averbach-Katz, the actor and Star Trek fanatic who played the Andorian Ryn during the third season of Star Trek: Discovery, and they plan it all out to dissect every type of rescue (literally) in Trek. This is a fun one! 

Episode 105: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda & Geoff Owen
There are corridors everywhere on Star Trek, and in this week’s episode of TrekRanks we return to our popular “Scenes in Trek” series with a look at the Top 5 Scenes in a Corridor. From walk-and-talks to long exposition to action-packed thrills, corridors on Trek have seen it all. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Carlos Miranda and Geoff Owen break it all down with picks covering every corner of the ship. Deep cuts abound on this round of TrekRanks! 

Episode 104: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & John Denniston
Play ball! Sports have been an integral part of the Star Trek narrative through the years, and on this week’s TrekRanks we break down the Top 5 Sports References in Trek history. From real sports (baseball, football, soccer!) to those classic in-universe references (parrises squares, velocity, geskana!), our panel has it all covered and get into the thick of it regarding that age old question: What is it about sports? Why do they matter? This is a good one. 

Episode 103: with Jim Moorhouse, Jamie McGregor & Patrick Escudero
Nothing like a Starfleet admiral to appear and muck everything up! We hold all of Starfleet’s top brass accountable in this fun episode of TrekRanks as we highlight the Top 5 Badmirals! For our purposes on this show, we are leaving it up to you to define a badmiral as either a bad person or a badass, which allows for some interesting picks from our panel. Attention all hands: the Badmirals are on deck! 

Episode 102: with Jim Moorhouse, Teresa Jusino & Ebony Elizabeth Thomas
On this week’s episode of TrekRanks we jump all the way to the 32nd century to break down the Top 5 Discovery Season 3 Moments. Our expert panel covers everything from the Emerald Chain to Su’Kal. As always, for our season recap shows, we use five distinct categories to cut through it all: production design, performer, Dabo round wildcard, character and episode! You ready for a comprehensive look back at a phenomenal season? Let’s fly! 

Episode 101: with Jim Moorhouse, Abby Sommer & Thad Hait
On this unique TrekRanks, there is no topic. Instead, our guests define their picks based on their own personal Prime Directive to come up with a special Trek 101 lesson that serves as an educational deep dive into Trek for newcomers and veterans alike! It’s all about what makes Star Trek personal for you, and our panelists, including host Jim Moorhouse and guests Abby Sommer and Thad Hait, discuss the episodes that have shaped our fandom and professional lives! 

Episode 100: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt, Foz Rotten & Melanie
To celebrate the 100th episode of TrekRanks we highlight one of Star Trek’s most defining characters! It’s the Top 5 Janeway Episodes as we dive deep into the inspirational saga of Captain Katherine Janeway of the USS Voyager. Behind unparalleled leadership and decisive decision-making acumen, Janeway did it all in the face of unrivaled adversity. We cover the defining events and personal moments that characterize Janeway’s journey in guiding her crew safely home from the Delta Quadrant. It’s the perfect way to round out 100 episodes of TrekRanks! 

Episode 99: with Jim Moorhouse, Carl Wonders & Debbi Moltisanti
Cue the orchestra and get ready for the first-ever episode of TrekRanks tackling the great music in Trek that we all love so much. We are choosing our Top 5 Main Title Themes in Trek history. The entire scope of Trek music from great composers like Jerry Goldsmith, Michael Giacchino and Dennis McCarthy is too much for one episode, so we are narrowing the list to Main Title Themes from each series and film. Our panel gets deep into the lore of the music of Trek in this huge episode of TrekRanks. 

Episode 98: with Jim Moorhouse, Adam Hunault & Chris Burris
For the first time in TrekRanks history, we are doing a topic that flips the tables. Instead of choosing episodes from one specific series like we sometimes do, this time all of Trek is in play except for one series. It’s the Top 5 Episodes that Feel Like TOS, where we get deep into the lore of TOS by picking episodes from other incarnations of Trek that feel like TOS. This is a fun one for old school Trekkies and new fans alike. Don't miss it. 

Episode 97: with Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little & Amy Nelson
It’s peak 24th century Trek on this week’s TrekRanks Podcast as we ‘make it so’ in selecting our Top 5 High-Concept TNG Episodes. Host Jim Moorhouse is joined by Claire Little and Amy Nelson to contrast and compare many of TNG’s biggest and best episodes, as well as quite a few deep cuts. The comprehensive conversation engages TNG forays into big themes and epic sci-fi concepts, and the result is another great episode for fans of deep cut picks. 

Episode 96: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda & Ian Howse
“Attention Bajoran workers… failure to listen to this week’s episode of TrekRanks discussing the “Top 5 Cardassian Episodes” could result in your removal from the Detapa Council. This is a directive from Central Command in direct opposition of the Obsidian Order. Council chairman Jim Moorhouse and military advisors Carlos Miranda and Ian Howse break down their favorite episodes across the Cardassian Union, from the Chin’toka System to Cardassia Prime. Failure to comply would not be advised.” 

Episode 95: with Jim Moorhouse, Brooke Horton & Ron Wrobel
“It’s warp time!” Brilliant in concept, design and execution, Star Trek: Lower Decks is jampacked with heart, humor, story, emotion and references – and, of course, we break it all down in this week’s TrekRanks with our Top 5 Lower Decks Season 1 Moments. From the stellar cast to the expert animation, host Jim Moorhouse and guests Brooke Horton and Ron Wrobel run through every subtle jab and laugh-out-loud spit take from the hilarious new series. “Warp me!” 

Episode 94: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Josh Zeller
It’s another deep cut special on TrekRanks as we take on the Top 5 Cold Opens across the history of Star Trek. A “cold open” is industry slang for the opening teaser in television storytelling that can do any number of things, but ultimately is designed to peak the viewer’s interest and keep them watching. In Trek, cold opens come in every shape and size and ton, and we break it all down with our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Jenn Tifft and Josh Zeller. Hopefully you’ll listen all the way to the end on this one! 

Episode 93: with Jim Moorhouse, Jen Howse, Dana Kenedy, Daniel Martin & Lyrian McGregor
Star Trek is predominantly boldly going where no one has gone before, but there are also a bunch of episodes and scenes that take place right here on Sector 001. So, for this special episode of TrekRanks, we have guests from five different countries across the globe (Australia, Canada, England, the Korea Republic and the USA) joining us to break down our Top 5 Scenes on Earth. Our panel covers a ton of territory on terra prime in this classic “Scenes in Trek” episode of TrekRanks! 

Episode 92: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry & Abby Sommer
“10 seconds to structural failure. 9, 8 ...” We need you to listen to this week’s latest unique TrekRanks topic (the Top 5 Buzzer Beaters) to help us avoid structural TrekRanks failure! “7, 6, 5 …” From computer countdowns to near-miss anomalies to last-second heroics, there are no shortage of Buzzer Beaters throughout the history of Star Trek and we break it all down. “4, 3 …” Our expert panel take us through all the best close calls to make sure our structural integrity stays intact. “2, 1 …” Engage! 

Episode 91: with Jim Moorhouse, Grace Moore & Ryan Riddle
You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is an episode of TrekRanks dissecting the Top 5 Twilight Zone Episodes of Trek. This is a jam-packed show filled with scores of references and call-outs that connect two of the great franchises in science fiction history. (Honestly, you won’t believe how interwoven these shows are!) That’s the signpost up ahead! Your next stop, TrekRanks!  

Episode 90: with Jim Moorhouse, Adam Sanders & Melanie
First contact. The first official encounter between representatives of two planets. It’s one of the Federation’s primary missions and we highlight it in our Top 5 First Contact Moments. There are lots of surprises this week, including a shout-out to the latest Trek series Lower Decks, whose primary mission just happens to be—second contact. First contact gems abound from TOS to Discovery. This is a can’t miss episode!  

Episode 89: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda & Lee Hutchison
A classic TrekRanks topic to be sure. For the first time, we tackle a topic that only includes the 13 Star Trek films. Villains are a quintessential part of Star Trek and we dive deep into the films to analyze what makes a good one. And some of what we uncover in our Top 5 Movie Villains might just surprise you! Our expert panel make this a spirited episode of TrekRanks, and, as always, a fun one! This is an episode of TrekRanks that is definitely best served cold! 

Episode 88: with Jim Moorhouse, Kerry Purvis & John Krikorian
We get “abstract” for the second time on TrekRanks this week as we explore Abstract H. It’s definitely a unique and odd topic, and that is literally it. Just the letter “H.” Whatever that means to you in the world of Star Trek. A place, a character, a concept. It’s up to you. It’s Abstract H. Our expert panel get deep into the alphabet and break it all down in this fun, original topic! 

Episode 87: with Jim Moorhouse, Heather Kirby & Stephen Pastran
Our “guilty pleasure” series picks up again this week with our Top 5 Enterprise Guilty Pleasure Episodes. Obviously we never truly feel guilty watching any episode of Trek, since we love them all, but there are those episodes that may not exactly be Top 10 quality or for some reason have a reputation with the masses, but for whatever reason – we still love them. And that is a guilty pleasure! We get into the heart of the deep cuts of Enterprise in this fun episode! 

Episode 86: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Justin Oser
Our “guilty pleasure” series picks up again this week with our Top 5 Enterprise Guilty Pleasure Episodes. Obviously we never truly feel guilty watching any episode of Trek, since we love them all, but there are those episodes that may not exactly be Top 10 quality or for some reason have a reputation with the masses, but for whatever reason – we still love them. And that is a guilty pleasure! We get into the heart of the deep cuts of Enterprise in this fun episode! 

Episode 85: with Jim Moorhouse, Brooke Horton & Dominic Burgess
This week's special episode of TrekRanks not only features a classic Star Trek topic, but also a classic Star Trek guest. We tackle the Top 5 Cliffhangers on Episode 85 of TrekRanks and are joined by Brooke Horton and Dominic Burgess, the actor and Star Trek fanatic who played Mr. Vup on Star Trek: Picard. From big action moments to quiet character reveals, Trek cliffhangers come in all shapes and sizes, and our expert panel covers it all across 50-plus years. 

Episode 84: with Jim Moorhouse, Hayley Stoddard & Dan Davidson
We celebrate the work of René Auberjonois on this week’s TrekRanks with the Top 5 Odo Episodes. As a renowned character actor for six decades, his reputation had been built long before he stepped into the weighty shoes of Deep Space Nine’s beloved constable. His passing in 2019 was an immeasurable loss for Trek, and on what would have been his 80th birthday (June 1, 2020) we dig deep into our favorite moments and episodes of everyone’s favorite changeling. 

Episode 83: with Jim Moorhouse, Katharine Robinson & Sam Nelson
Please state the nature of the medical emergency. The heart and soul of many a Star Trek episode through the years has taken place in sickbay, and on this week’s episode of TrekRanks we return to our Scenes in Trek series with our Top 5 Scenes in Sickbay. Whether it’s an old school sickbay or the DS9 infirmary or a triage situation somewhere, everything is in place for our panel! 

Episode 82: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann & Matt Hansen
We tackle more episodes than ever before on this week’s TrekRanks. It’s the Top 5 Run of Five Episodes, which means we are highlighting the best runs of five consecutive episodes in Trek history. Our guests each make 25 picks, so we break down 75 total episodes on this jam-packed show! Broadcast order, production order, in-universe chronological order – there are many ways to tackle this topic. This one is about all the big episodes and deep cuts, too! 

Episode 81: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt & Kerry Purvis
It’s the spring of 2020 and there is an unprecedented “stay at home” mandate not only in the United States, but all over Sector 001. To help add perspective to this unique time in our modern history, TrekRanks is looking at Star Trek’s Top 5 “Sheltered in Place” Episodes. There are a lot of “in universe” reasons for characters to be holed up together or individually – everything from weather to war to malfeasance. We have every corner of sequestered Trek covered this week! 

Episode 80: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry, Brooke Horton & Daniel Martin
Captain Picard returned in glorious and unexpected ways for the first season of Star Trek: Picard, the seventh live-action series in Star Trek history. We break it all down on Episode 80 of TrekRanks with our Top 5 Picard Season 1 Moments! Host Jim Moorhouse is joined by an expert panel featuring Alex Perry, Brooke Horton and Daniel Martin. From the woods of Viveen to deep inside the Artifact, we cover the journey of La Sirena and Picard’s new ragtag crew! 

Episode 79: with Jim Moorhouse, Dana Kenedy & Matt Finbow
It’s a milestone episode for TrekRanks as we reach Episode 79 (the same number of TOS episodes). To celebrate we are tackling our first-ever do-over topic, going way back to Episode 1 of TrekRanks with our Top 5 Comfort Food Episodes (Redux). A “comfort food” episode speaks to you personally and can literally be anything to anyone! Host Jim Moorhouse and husband-and-wife team Matt Finbow and Dana Kenedy cover all the basis in this cozy, warm blanket of an episode! 

Episode 78: with Jim Moorhouse, Patrick Escudero & Melanie
The ship is always there. Sometimes in the background and sometimes in the foreground. On this week’s TrekRanks we break down our Top 5 Episodes Where the Ship Is a Character (and by “ship,” of course, we mean anything: a hero ship, a one-off ship, a space station, a shuttle – whatever fits your Prime Directive). Host Jim Moorhouse and guests Patrick Escudero and Melanie go in a bunch of directions to narrow down their lists and dive into Trek lore. This topic is a fun one! 

Episode 77: with Jim Moorhouse, Duncan Barrett & Clara Cook (and Alex Perry & Jenn Tifft)

What the F*%#?!? There has surely been plenty of times you’ve said that while watching Star Trek, and this week we break down the Top 5 WTF Moments in Trek history. Bizarro moments, shock twists, mind-blowing reveals – WTF Moments come in all shapes and sizes, and our panel gets into all the nitty gritty with their picks. The episode also features our first-ever TrekRanks Slipstream Round to cover a recent WTF Moment in Trek that we couldn’t miss out on! WTF? It’s all here! 

Episode 76: with Jim Moorhouse, Thad Hait & Ron Worbel
Star Trek is funny. Don’t let anyone tell you any different, and it is filled with hilarious characters. This week on TrekRanks we put the spotlight on those characters that keep us laughing with our Top 5 Comedic Characters. From series regular to recurring to characters to one-off standouts, there is an entire universe of characters for our guests Thad Hait and Ron Worbel to choose from. Cue the laugh track! 

Episode 75: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Josh Duffy
It’s a TrekRanks first as we dive into our Top 5 Short Treks Moments, the new platform for Trek to showcase one-off stories in all shapes and sizes. There have been 10 Shorts Treks through January 2020, and we cover them all with our expert panel of Jenn Tifft and Josh Duffy, along with host Jim Moorhouse. From Runaway to Children of Mars, it’s a deep dive episode of TrekRanks. 

Episode 74: with Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little & Carlos Miranda
Our third and final episode of TrekRanks previewing the Star Trek: Picard series is as big a topic as we’ve ever tackled. This week it is our Top 5 Picard Episodes. He’s arguably the greatest character in Trek history, guided by an unrivaled moral compass and leadership qualities. Our panel covers the major events and quiet moments in equal measure, unleashing quite a few surprises along the way. This is essential TrekRanks. 

Episode 73: with Jim Moorhouse, Jamie McGregor & Brooke Horton
In the second of three episodes of TrekRanks previewing the Star Trek: Picard series, we look at the Top 5 Crossover Moments in Trek history. It's all those great tangible moments when characters and actors from one series appear in an episode of another series. With Voyager’s Seven of Nine set to appear alongside Jean-Luc Picard, our panel goes deep into Trek lore to discuss some of the biggest crossovers ever seen in Trek. 

Episode 72: with Jim Moorhouse, Jen Howse & Rob Chapman
Resistance is definitely not futile this week as we tackle our Top 5 Borg Episodes in the first of three shows previewing Star Trek: Picard, the seventh live action Trek series debuting in January 2020. The distinctiveness of our panels picks will be added to the collective of your hive mind as we breakdown the heavy hitters and the niche picks, making sure to leave no drone unturned. 

Episode 71: with Jim Moorhouse, Bill Mann & Ross Webster
It's another deep-cut topic on TrekRanks as we dive into our Top 5 Meta Trek References. It's all about those little hidden moments inside of Trek where the writers, producers and actors wink at the audience and themselves, as they basically reference Star Trek the show – inside Star Trek the show. Two great TrekRanks veterans, Bill Mann and Ross Webster, join host Jim Moorhouse to dig deep into Trek’s 700-plus hours to create their unexpected lists.
 

Episode 70: with Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry & Debbie Moltisanti
There are so many Star Trek scenes in a cave! And we break down more than a few of them on this week’s TrekRanks with our Top 5 Scenes in a Cave! It’s the return of our Scenes in Trek series, and our expert panel of Jim Moorhouse, Alex Perry and Debbie Moltisanti is more than up to the task of spelunking into one of the all-time great Trek tropes. Planet Hell knows no bounds and no cave is too deep for us to highlight! This is a fun one! 

Episode 69: with Jim Moorhouse, Carl Wonders & Jonathan
This week we celebrate the Top 5 Nog Episodes and everything Aron Eisenberg gave to us in his amazing portrayal of Starfleet’s favorite Ferengi. Nog was there from the beginning to the end of DS9, playing a critical role in grounding the series storytelling in family, love and loss. And as much as that was on the page, it was Eisenberg’s incredible skills that gave Nog life. We break down everything Nog with guests Carl Wonders and Jonfucius Online. If you love Trek, you'll love this celebration of Aron Eisenberg. 

Episode 68: with Jim Moorhouse, Brooke Horton & Geoff Owen
It’s probably our most unique TrekRanks topic yet. Three. That’s it (or Abstract Threes, to be more exact). Three of a kind. Three of something on screen. Three of something off screen. Three anything. Three whatever. Three. Abstract Threes. Our expert panel of host Jim Moorhouse and guests Brooke Horton and Geoff Owen, take three to heart and goes deep with their abstract picks on this fun, original topic. 

Episode 67: with Jim Moorhouse, Jenn Tifft & Ron Worbel
Sometimes you just don't realize how good an episode is. And that's what this topic of Top 5 Sneaky Good Episodes is all about. These aren't necessarily underrated or guilty pleasures, they're those episodes that over time, after maybe not thinking much about them, that you suddenly realized are actually really, really good. They’re "Sneaky Good!" Of course, everyone has a different way to define Sneaky Good, so our picks from guests Jenn Tifft and Ron Worbel cover every angle of Trek. 

Episode 66: with Jim Moorhouse, Dana Kenedy & Melanie
Scientist, ambassador and loyal compatriot of the NX-01 Enterprise crew. Once you sit down & analyze everything Sub-commander T’Pol achieved on Enterprise, you realize she is one of the most accomplished characters in Star Trek history. This week we jump into our Top 5 T’Pol Episodes, with host Jim Moorhouse and guests Dana Kenedy and Melanie, to highlight the moments throughout Star Trek: Enterprise that helped define her fight against right and wrong. 

Episode 65: with Jim Moorhouse, Adam Hunault & Josh Zeller
It’s a quintessential plank in the Star Trek platform: Villains Who Weren’t Really Villains. This week’s TrekRanks could not be any more Star Trek, as our expert panel of Adam Hunault and Josh Zeller join host Jim Moorhouse to get deep into Star Trek lore. It’s a fun and pointed episode of TrekRanks as more than a few of our “Not Really Villains” picks challenge the status quo and spark the kind of debate rarely seen on TrekRanks. Don’t miss this one. 

Episode 64: with Jim Moorhouse, Carlos Miranda & Lee Hutchison
Our “Underrated Series” continues with our Top 5 DS9 Underrated by celebrating the unheralded elements of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This great series is anything but underrated, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t segments of it that haven’t received their due. We break it in five distinct categories: production design, performer, Dabo round, character and episode! Our panel gets into the nitty-gritty of some of the shows most underrated moments. 

Episode 63: Live from STLV

This week’s episode is our second annual live STLV show. And the topic is perfect as we breakdown our Top 5 Costumes. There is an array of dresses, outfits and EV suits from which to choose, but our panel cuts through the fabric of space-time with a canvas of broad overarching selections and deep cut picks. It’s an epic episode of TrekRanks featuring the most ranks ever! Featuring Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little, Ken Reilly, Adam Drosin, Jordan Hoffman & Alexander Perry.​
 

Episode 62: with Jim Moorhouse, Claire Little & Sue Kisenwether

Our furry family takes center stage as TrekRanks highlights our Top 5 Trek Pets. Well, to be fair, this week’s selections are not all furry, but they are all beloved animal friends. Our highlight of favorite Trek pets coincides with Clear The Shelters Day as we encourage everyone to add a new family member to your household, and to adopt, not shop. Sue Kisenwether of Women at Warp & Claire Little join us to celebrate Trek Pets with a variety of four-legged friends!​
 

Episode 61: with Jim Moorhouse & Adam Drosin

Where do you want to hang out in the Star Trek universe? There are so many options, it’s hard to choose! We’ll help you narrow it down on this week’s TrekRanks as we get into the nitty-gritty of Trek’s Top 5 Hangout Spots! From the social to the non-social locations, and from the quiet hole-in-the-wall restaurants to bustling bars and rec rooms, we have it all covered! You won’t need reservations, just hit play and enjoy.​
 

Episode 60: with Jim Moorhouse, John Tenuto & Alex Perry

Our Scenes in Trek continues with our Top 5 Scenes on Location. Host Jim Moorhouse and frequent guest Alexander Perry are joined by legendary Star Trek historian John Tenuto for a topic that is tailor made for his expertise. The choices range from the epic to the subtle and the grandiose to the pragmatic. Both deep cut and iconic picks abound as we highlight some of the best location shoots in Star Trek history.​
 

Episode 59: with Jim Moorhouse, Jen Howse & Chris Burris

I’m a doctor, not a mathematician! Well, this week you're a mathematician, because TrekRanks is ranking our Top 5 Series Doctors! This medical emergency will see us highlight our favorites among the six series regular doctors: Leonard McCoy, Beverly Crusher, Julian Bashir, The Doctor, Phlox & Hugh Culber. With this being a finite topic, we’ll go through each of our doctors and name an episode or moment that we love about that character. Once the dermal regenerator kicks in, we’ll rank our selections in The Order of Things!​
 

Episode 58: with Jim Moorhouse, Debbie Moltisanti & Jamie McGregor

This week we are packing up our runabout and powering up the impulse engines to discuss our Top 5 Road Trips in Star Trek. So whether you are departing Sector 001 in a shuttlecraft or hiking through the Vulcan Forge with a friend, there are an infinite number of ways to approach this fun topic. Host Jim Moorhouse and guests Debbie Moltisanti and Jamie McGregor discover more than a few short cuts on their trip deep into the Trek archive.​
 

Episode 57: with Jim Moorhouse, Heather Barker & Rick Everson

We’ve done “underrated” topics on TrekRanks, but “underappreciated” is something very different. The conversation goes deep this week as we dive into our Top 5 Underappreciated Characters, where a number of interesting trends are uncovered with our picks. Host Jim Moorhouse is joined by Heather Barker and Rick Everson to tackle this fascinating topic, which has each of our panelists going in different directions with their selections.​
 

Episode 56: with Jim Moorhouse, Ross Webster & Jenn Tifft

It’s peak TrekRanks this week as we dive into one of those odd-ball topics that you won’t hear anywhere else. This week we are breaking down our Top 5 Shapes. It’s that simple. What Star Trek shapes have always resonated with you? Basically everything is eligible for selection this week, so get ready for a unique TrekRanks conversation as host Jim Moorhouse is joined by SnapTrek Podcast duo Jenn Tiff and Ross Webster to take on this fun topic.​
 

Episode 55: with Jim Moorhouse, Heather Kirby & Alex Perry

Pretty safe to say Star Trek: Discovery's second season most definitely went where no Trek had gone before. And on this week’s TrekRanks Podcast we break down our Top 5 Discovery Season 2 Moments in five distinct categories: production design, performer, wildcard Dabo round, character and episode! TrekRanks regulars Alex Perry and Heather Kirby join host Jim Moorhouse to dissect the amazing developments in a unique season of Trek that broke new ground and dove deep into established Trek lore.​
 

Episode 54: with Jim Moorhouse, Foz Rotten & Brittany Feury

It’s time to get your Star Trek and chill on with TrekRanks as we breakdown our 5 Episode Marathon for a Rainy Day. It’s that simple. Host Jim Moorhouse is relaxing and kicking back with guests Foz Rotten and Brittany Feury to contrast and compare our Trek marathons. If you’re a Star Trek fan, then you definitely know how to marathon some episodes! So get your snacks ready and get ready for some deep cuts as we get into this week’s show!​
 

Episode 53: with Jim Moorhouse & Brandon-Shea Mutala

It’s time to get your Star Trek and chill on with TrekRanks as we breakdown our 5 Episode Marathon for a Rainy Day. It’s that simple. Host Jim Moorhouse is relaxing and kicking back with guests Foz Rotten and Brittany Feury to contrast and compare our Trek marathons. If you’re a Star Trek fan, then you definitely know how to marathon some episodes! So get your snacks ready and get ready for some deep cuts as we get into this week’s show!​
 

Episode 52: with Jim Moorhouse, Scott Matteson & Rick Tetrault

You have been confined to your quarters for the duration of this podcast to listen to our Top 5 Scenes in a Brig, the latest in our “Scenes in Trek” series. Brigs on Star Trek are oft-seen and oft-heard, and we get deep into the lore of Trek’s most famous holding cells with host Jim Moorhouse and guests Scott Matteson and Rick Tetrault. No location is too deep for us to explore in our “Scenes in Trek” series.​
 

Episode 51: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt & Bill Mann

The 50-episode celebration of TrekRanks continues with our Top 5 ‘ships (no, not spaceships; you can find that in the previous episode). This is Episode 51 and we are highlighting our favorite “will they or won’t they” relationships! Long-term couples, one-time couples or never-wear couples are all eligible as we break it down with veteran TrekRanks guests Charlynn Schmiedt and Bill Mann, who join host Jim Moorhouse to play matchmaker.​
 

Episode 50: with Jim Moorhouse, Charlynn Schmiedt & Bill Mann

To celebrate our 50th episode we tackle two popular topics in a special two-part episode of TrekRanks! Part 1 is our Top 5 Ships and Part 2 is our Top 5 ‘ships! Yep. It’s your favorite space-faring vessels and your favorite “will they or won’t they” relationships! It’s a lot to cover, which is why we’ve broken it into two different episodes and brought in the talented Charlynn Schmiedt and Bill Mann to join host Jim Moorhouse in an epic analysis.​