Critical Care (Star Trek: Voyager, S7 E5) was recommended by Marky See He/Him, who said: Hi Folks,

I am loving the show. Growing up, my Dad and I weren't very close, he was much more inclined to sports where I am cut from a much nerdier cloth. We do however share a love of Sci Fi and I remember vividly sitting down together to watch Voyager when it came out.

Inspired by the Joy of Trek, I set out to rewatch Voyager as I haven't watched an episode since the early 00s.

As a teen, I loved Voyager for the danger, action and adventure, but on the rewatch I have really enjoyed the study of humanity portrayed by characters like Seven and The Doctor.

I love this episode as it adds to the numerous other discussions and the theme of whether or not The Doctor is a sentient being or just a piece of very smart technology. Building on his morals being overwritten in Equinox so he could experiment on Seven, his memory being erased in latent image so he could keep functioning and now in climax Critical Care, choosing a path of action that could actually cause harm to a patient in a tiered system of health care that sadly is not unfamiliar to us 23 years after it was aired.

Critical Care first aired on November 1, 2000, written by story by Kenneth Biller and Robert Doherty, teleplay by James Kahn, and directed by Terry Windell

The Doctor's program is stolen and he is forced to work in an alien hospital, where he skillfully manipulates the system to provide ethical medical care.

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

"When on Risa..." by SeemaG, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/19760191

"Worf and Dax discover one of the hidden delights of Risa."

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

Masks (Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), S7 E17) was recommended by He/him, who said: Although many find the episodes "incomprehensible" or "incoherent," I find it a joy.

First, Brent Spiner gets to really through himself into an array of personality types. He gets to show off his acting chops in ways that he rarely gets to, and almost never gets to on Star Trek.

Second, I truly enjoy this quick peek at a mythology where we can recognize all the parts as familiar to Earth mythologies, but they fit together in ways that we don't normally see. We get to follow Picard into seeing how he, as an archology student himself, would piece together that mythology from just the few pieces given to him.

Masks first aired on February 21, 1994, written by Joe Menosky, and directed by Robert Wiemer

The Enterprise finds an ancient library that recreates its civilization by taking possession of Data and transforming the ship.

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

"The Adventures of Proton Junior" by stardustinthesky, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/3717790

"It was supposed to be a quiet Saturday. Tom, Harry and Miral have a different kind of day planned for B'Elanna."

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

Empok Nor (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), S5 E24) was recommended by Nerdimus Prime, who said: Empok Nor, like The Omega Directive, is an unusual episode

We have tough characters in Star Trek. We have brave ones. We have smart and sassy characters as well. And we had evil characters (looking at you Gul Ducat).

But Garrak, as it turns out, is the only Terrifying character in Star Trek.

And we put him against the most competent. Oh. My.

Empok Nor first aired on May 19, 1997, written by story by Bryan Fuller, teleplay by Hans Beimler, and directed by Mike Vejar

O'Brien, Garak, Nog and an engineering team go to Deep Space Nine's abandoned sister space station, Empok Nor, to salvage components. The away team soon discover that all is not as it seems.

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

"Life, When It Gives You Lemons" by theladygeneral, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/58070146

"When another workplace accident on the Cerritos leaves the hydroponics bay and Kayshon's garden in shambles, it's Ransom to the rescue."

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

Cease Fire (Star Trek: Enterprise, S2 E15) was recommended by nazzy (she/her), who said: For being a founding member of the Federation, the Andorians have gotten seriously short shrift over the years by various Trek series. Enterprise made that up to us, giving us more Andorians per capita than any Trek before or since! And best of all, it gave us Shran, quite possibly Jeffrey Combs's best role in a career full of them.

And Cease Fire is a great showcase for the Andorians, and for Shran. We learn more about the long, ugly war between Andoria and Vulcan, and how that conflict has poisoned perceptions on both sides, leaving humans (in the form of Jonathan Archer) as possibly the only group capable of bridging the gap. And for a delightful bonus, we get the wonderful Gary Graham in fine form as Ambassador Soval, whose Vulcan reserve can't hide the fact he doesn't think Archer can hack it either.

Cease Fire first aired on February 12, 2003, written by Chris Black, and directed by David Straiton

Captain Archer negotiates a cease fire between the Andorians and the Vulcans.

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

"Wearing Your Colours" by apolesen, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/19244734

"Many years after the castellanship of Elim Garak, a young man finds the courage to wear a pin of his hero in an unusual colour scheme."

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.

Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook