Episode Notes Continuing our tradition of being totally unstuck in time, CONCLAVE DISCUSSION WARNING. And also we're doing some episodes out of order, sorry. Things Past: We go back to Terok Nor. Quark the collaborator. Dukat is so gross. Cardassian justice, the speed thereof. Another changeling? An Odo morality play. Maybe Garak episodes are only …

Episode Notes Is the Department of Temporal Investigations the worst job in Starfleet? Probably. Wait, what is that music playing? It's the ORIGINAL Federation Enterprise! Continuity errors repaired. Kirk's 17 temporal violations. The red/gold swap. We're too busy enjoying this work to ask how they did it. Bashir can only lie in the Holosuites. Odo…

How did Tolkien start writing his epic tale, “The Lord of the Rings”? Join Jude and Stef as they discuss the humble beginnings of the book that became the Fellowship of the Ring in this month’s episode about volume six of the History of Middle-earth, The Return of the Shadow. We chat specifically about the Foreword by Christopher Tolkien, and dig d…

Episode Notes Nor the Battle to the Strong: Jake is saved from medical mean girl drama by a Klingon invasion. Ferengi pregnancies are... renting? Jake learns many lessons in frontline combat. Odo forgets he has bones. The value of gallows humor in terrible situations. The Assignment: O'Brien and Bashir are in trouble. Except they aren't, because Ke…

Episode Notes Lots of hot takes in our intro. Dax negging Worf. Quark's ex-wife! Worf... picks on Morn, and then pretends to be a traditional Klingon. Worf sulks in a corner while Dax and Quark talk about Grilka. Is Worf a Klingon weeb, or is he just autistic? Quark has to fight another Klingon. Quark meat puppet time! Dax victorious. Oh yeah there…

We made it to the History of Middle-earth volume 5, “The Lost Road and Other Writings” in our Lesser-trod Histories series! This month we’re chatting about the Etymologies, a list of stems and their derivatives upon which Tolkien’s Elvish languages are built. Join us to learn about the Professor’s interest in the process of language evolution throu…

Episode Notes We begin the 5th season of Deep Space 9 with the 50th episode of PodSpace9! Buckle up, folks. Apocalypse Rising: HEIST! Sad formerly goo boy. The problem with prototypes. Oh good more questionable science. Dukat just wants a selfie. Kira is very pregnant. One of the greatest 4th wall breaking jokes in Star Trek, or possibly TV, histor…

Episode Notes Puberty or Menopause? Weird Gowron voicemails. Break out the family van, it's time to take Odo to the doctor. Looks like it's a psychosomatic illness, time for a trial? Garak gets Worfed. Odo giblets. Lots of things in this episode are more surprising than Gowron being a changeling. All the terrible things that come with becoming a so…

We’re back to our Lesser-trod Histories series! This month, we are looking at the History of Middle-earth Volume 4, The Shaping of Middle-earth. Jude and Stef chat about the Dagor Dagorath (a.k.a. the Last Battle, or the Second Prophecy of Mandos) from its earliest stages in the Sketch of the Mythology through to the most recent version in The War …

Episode Notes CW: Pandemic/Bioweapon The Quickening: The most annoying Quark has been, and the most angry Worf has been, so far. Kira, Bashir, and Dax road trip time! Bashir grapples with Big Emotions. Body Parts: Miles Suffers (parental). Body Swap plot, but a brand new version--and the most Star Trek gender reveal party ever. What a great way to …

Episode Notes Instead of a hard-hitting question we dive into food porn for a bit. For the Cause: What are industrial replicators? Uh oh, Ben. This is point where the Maquis jump the shark. Cardassian saunas. Where's the episode where Sisko's security clearance is reviewed? Garak makes Bashir jealous. Jude's theory of bad hairlines. To the Death: H…

This month we are joined by Tolkien professor and scholar, Dr. Sara Brown! Join us for Sara’s lesser-trod path, Feminist criticism of Tolkien’s work! In context of the four waves of feminism, Sara gives us an overview of the past and present of feminist criticism of Tolkien’s work, as well as some thoughts on the future. Thanks for joining us, Sara…

Episode Notes CW: Self-Harm Rules of Engagement: Watch this episode, it's a really good Star Trek Legal Drama. The Klingons want to extradite Worf for... murder? What is Worf's holosuite history? Good Sisko Dad moment. The lawyer may be a piece of shit but he's not questioning the sentience of an obviously sentient being. Odo says ACAB. Hard Time: …

Episode Notes As a holiday treat to ourselves, we are going a bit out of order and temporarily skipping two warcrimes (airhorn) episodes. We'll come back, don't worry! Shattered Mirror: Time for some mirror universe shenanigans! Mom?! Our own Defiant, but made out of spare Pepsi cans and chewing gum. Jude reminds us, again, of one fo his kinks. Jak…

Join us this month for a deep dive on Tolkien’s bodacious baddie, the one and only Sauron. Tolkien scholar and Sauron expert, Cameron Bourquein, leads us down her lesser-trod path exploring Sauron’s evolving nature, the meanings of his name, and his changing role in the legendarium throughout its development. Citations: Thank you to our guest host,…

Episode Notes STRIKE! Quark's bar workers unionize. Unfortunately, this is against Ferengi law, and also anathema to Cop Odo. Maybe that's why they love each other so much. Where did Rom get hold of a copy of Marx translated into Ferengi? Jude gets frustrated with the relentless flirting between Dax and Worf. Odo has been sitting on that datapadd f…

Episode Notes Some very timely holiday content. Sons of Mogh: Time for a ritual killing! Worf and Dax. Worf was cucking Ricker. Dax is basically a Klingon for the purposes of this show. Murdering family members is a bridge too far. Klingon Operation would be really complicated. The triumphant return of the warcrimes airhorn. Jude does not like the …

In this very special AthraChat, Jude and Stef sit down to discuss the new film, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, directed by Kenji Kamiyama. We ruminate on giant turkey legs, things that go crunch in the water, and general punching. Beware of spoilers! Citations: Smith, Chris. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Visual Companion. …

Stef and Jude are joined by Tolkien collecting expert and moderator of the Tolkien Collector’s Guide, Andrew “Trotter” Ferguson. Andrew tells us about his experience collecting and sharing the Professor’s material culture. As it is the holiday season, we finish our discussion with the Father Christmas Letters. Thank you for joining us, Andrew! Cita…

Episode Notes We're all 90s kids. Crossfire: Worf and Odo bond over being neurodivergent and cops. Odo is stuffed into the third wheel. Quark is a good dude, in his own way--and possibly the only character that recognizes that Odo has actual emotions. Jude has thoughts about the cuck chair. Major Kira likes Bland Powerful Hot Boys, and Jude curls a…

Episode Notes We recorded this before the election. Sorry. Jude gets some managerial advice. Home Front: At least there's another Dad in this. Cadet Nog! Sabotage! Babylon 5 I Know That Face! "Ancient Klingons slew our gods a millennia ago." Nog is part of the Sisko family now. Paradise Lost: Planetary Emergency! ...what is Red Squad? Lots of stuff…

Join us this month for a special interview with Shaun Gunner, Chair of the Tolkien Society. We discuss Shaun’s time with the Society, the upcoming Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference, and a brand new event for 2025. Citations: Thank you to our special guest, Shaun Gunner! Twitter: @ShaunGunner Websites: shaungunner.com Tolkien Society- https:/…

Episode Notes Sword of Kahless: The only evil telepaths in Star Trek. Cursed or totemic? More Klingon lore and the central conflict of Worf than we've really ever previously gotten. Yeet that artifact into space. Our Man Bashir: This gets pretty unhinged, you've been warned. Garak's introduction to the Bond Franchise. Bond Girl Kira? Justen rants a…

To celebrate the ghastliest time of the year, the Weenie gang is back in this very special bonus episode of creepy chimeras and monstrous mills. Join us for Hobbitween 5, and Happy Hobbitween to one and all! Citations The One Ring role playing game by Free League: https://freeleaguepublishing.com/en/games/the-one-ring/ Cast: Lore Master: James Kaku…

Episode Notes Jude gets busted down to acting ensign due to an HR error. Starship Down: Justen goes feral. The Ferengi are like a bad cell phone company. Sloppy-style concussy. Worf learns a management lesson from O'Brien, and pulls a TNG move. Quark and Hanok are great, and it's nice to see Quark succeeding. Little Green Men: Klingon and Ferengi c…

Episode Notes Indiscretion: A bottle episode with Dukat and Kira? Hilarity ensues. Dukat drops the mask a bit. Kira is surprised by well-read Dukat, and has to deal with Cardassians as something other than the oppressor. Foreign-object-in-butt jokes are funny. The... Breen? Sisko biffs it. Dax channels Curzon for a bit. Rejoined: Jadzia has never l…

We are bummed that Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is over. Join us for one last AthraChat for episode 8, “Shadow and Flame.” Beware of spoilers and sexy Sauron. Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/ Join the conversation on the Athrabeth discord! Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.…

In episode 75, Jude and Stef take you on a textual safari to explore the... let's be honest… very weird magic of Sauron. Jude connects the Ósanwe-kenta to how Sauron gets the title of Necromancer, and we have a SPIRITed (hah, see what we did there) discussion of explicit descriptions of his magic in The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion. Come …

This isn’t fine…. We just dropped a new AthraChat in which Jude and Stef discuss just how Celebrimboned everyone is in Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 7, “Doomed to Die.” Beware of spoilers and aerial horse acrobatics. Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/ Join the conversation on the Athrabeth di…

Episode Notes The Visitor: In which we traumatize Jude. Captain Dad is the best even when temporally displaced. What else did this writer do? Oh, In the Pale Moonlight. Uh oh. The one mistake they made is getting Alexander Siddig's aging completely wrong. Some tech Trek gets right, some it gets hilariously wrong. Hippocratic Oath: O'Brien/Bashir be…

Take the plunge with us in our new AthraChat episode as we discuss Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 6, “Where Is He?” We’re taking a deep dive and making a splash! Water you waiting for? Beware of spoilers in the Abyss! Citations Tolkien Gateway entry for “Secret Fire” https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Secret_Fire …

Citations Lea’s Tiktok account- silmarilleanne https://www.tiktok.com/@silmarilleanne?lang=en Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/ Join the Athrabeth discord: https://discord.gg/4rZynfWv3f Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.By Jude Vais & Stef Midlock

Episode Notes Be ready for the longest summary in the history of the podcast... Jude gets a promotion! The Galaxy Class is the Worf of the Federation ships. Klingon Armadas are disruptive. Worf is also disruptive. Odo shows his affection by spying on you. Certainly nothing could go wrong with a Klingon preemptive strike... Clearly they added Worf t…

Join Jude and Stef for a fun, informal AthraChat about Amazon’s The Lords of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 4. Beware of spoilers and a tree or mud that may swallow you.By Stef Midlock, Jude Vais

Citations: Francesco Nepitello on Twitter: @FNepitello The One Ring by Free League Publishing: https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/the-one-ring/ (Accessed August 27, 2024) War of the Ring strategy game by Ares Games: https://www.aresgames.eu/games/war-of-the-ring-line (Accessed August 27, 2024)By Francesco Nepitello, James Kaku Pierson, Jude Vais, Stef Midlock

Find Athrabeth on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/ Join the Athrabeth discord: https://discord.gg/DH2WJP452aBy Jude Vais, Stef Midlock

Jude and Stef discuss the first episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - season two! Beware spoilers for episode 1 of season 2, as well as spicy opinions about Elrond, elven set-design, and which version of Sauron is sexiest!By Jude Vais, Stef Midlock

Episode Notes Facets: Nothing can go wrong with everyone embodying Dax's former hosts, right? Dax gives Quark an earjob just to make him be a woman. Kurzodo? Maybe this episode is more about Kurzon and Sisko's relationship? Yikes. Nog is starting on a great journey, and Rom is lovely. The benefits of a strong ensemble cast. Avery Brooks' "creepy vo…

Episode Notes It's still a provisional government?! A lot happens in this episode to move the Bajor plot forward. Disability and injury in storytelling. 20th century comparisons. Kai Winn is charismatic, unfortunately. BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So network. Connect with the show at @babylonpodject Help us keep the lights on via our Patr…

Citations: Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lays of Beleriand. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 3, George Allen and Unwin, London, 1985. Kindle edition, eISBN: 978-0-358-61268-1, Version 07182023KO v1.0421 (Accessed July 12, 2024) Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. HarperCollins e-books. Apple Books edition. (Accessed July 12, …

Episode Notes Jude bucks for a promotion again (they all forgot he got one at the beginning of season 2). Explorers: Sisko advances to "project sailboat in the garage" dad status. Oh yeah, Dax was a dad at one point. Bashir gets lovingly teased by roughly half the principal cast. What a great Bashir and O'Brien scene. Jake's career plans, and Jake'…

Episode Notes Improbable Cause: Directed by Avery Brooks! It's weird how major diplomatic incidents frequently get explained away by "they're Romulan". [GENERIC CAVE SET]. This episode is like "Coming of Shadows" from DS9. Garak is so perfectly disinterested in Julius Caesar. Jude admits he doesn't hate Odo any more. The principles of not over-usin…

Citations: Garth, John. Tolkien And The Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth. First Mariner Books edition 2005. eISBN 978-0-544-26372-7. V2.0519. (Accessed June 30, 2024) Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales, Part II. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 2. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1984. (Accessed June 30, 2024)…

Episode Notes Mirror Kurzon was definitely into it. Maybe the reason the Mirror Universe is so stupid is because the blood goes down to your junk. Cross-dimensional STIs. Mirror Garak is a pathetic little meow-meow. Sisko is a good action commander. Mirror Universe episodes are a chaotic, horny delight. BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So net…

Episode Notes Visionary: O'Brien Suffers Level--Harry Kim. Klingons, Romulans, and weird radiation, oh my. Klingon spies. Romulans went down a different 4x tech tree. Jude makes a prediction about Morn. O'Brien is so good because he follows regulations and makes good decisions. Distant Voices: Bashir is turning 30! Every Trek series needs a dream s…

Citations Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales, Part I. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 1. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1983. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales, Part II. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 2. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1984. Takahashi, Dean. A new generation of J.…

Episode Notes Destiny: We stuff each other in lockers. No vole fights. Sisko's struggles with the role of Emissary. The Stressed Cardassian, the Horny Cardassian, and the Angry Cardassian. We like Galora better than Lochley. Dax has been allll over. O'Brien Suffers Level--propositioned in a Jeffries Tube. Prophet Motive: Directed by Odo. Jude hates…

Episode Notes Jude is Calvin's Dad. Life Support: Odo resolves any problem via incarceration, including friendships. Sisko continues to be Good Dad. The Ferengi misogyny is real bad, and the Nog plot is only redeemed by knowing what it is going to be set in contrast with. Bashir is stuck between a rock and a hard Kai. Heart of Stone: The Cave Set r…

Episode Notes Jude is not well during the first half of this episode so it's a little rough. Also, Jude and Justen have some Dune Thoughts. Worm. Past Tense Part 1: This meeting could have been an email. 2024?? Chroniton plot armor. 2024 looks are just rancid 90s looks. Why is Dax so much better than Sisko and Bashir at committing identity fraud? H…

Episode Notes Defiant: You know this is a utopia when the doctor can order vacations. Dax clearly thinks that Kira banged Riker. Because Dax also clearly banged Riker. You know something's wrong when someone is mean to O'Brien. Villainous Goatee! What happens if you put aluminum foil in the replicator? Kira being the A-plot main character is very p…