TFM (Trek.fm & The 602 Club)

The Uprising. One of the most popular and longest running genres in film as been the historical epic because dramatizing important parts of our history can be a powerful way of experiencing the past. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about The Uprising. We discuss title confusion, the written word, mob justice, using God, the cast, production and our ratings. Chapters Title Confusion (00:02:19) The Written Word (00:10:50) Mob Justice (00:17:17) Using God (00:22:50) The Cast (00:26:13) The Production (00:30:50) Ratings (00:35:58) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

“Orders of Magnitude” The Enterprise crew are thrilled to meet a living legend, Admiral Simon Reeger, but excitement soon turns to tension when he commandeers the Enterprise for his own purposes. Stranding Pike, Una, Uhura, and A’Sha, who are on an away mission and out of communications range, Reeger sets off in pursuit of a ship that he claims is responsible for the deaths of five million. His XO for the mission is none other than James T. Kirk, who conveniently happens to be visiting the Enterprise once again. Ultimately, that turns out to be a good thing, as it is Kirk who uncovers the admiral’s true motives and stops him for executing General Order 24 and destroying all life on a planet where the alleged mercenary ship attempts to hide. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Orders of Magnitude.” We discuss the Star Trek feel, a classic badmiral, the untold (and unknown) history of the Kirk family, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) A Breath of Fresh Air (00:02:56) I Was in the Neighborhood (00:07:04) Badmirals Are Back! (00:10:08) A Drug Too Many? (00:17:24) No Objections (00:28:09) Kirk Family History Hour (00:35:15) Angry Andorians (00:42:44) Uhura and A’Sha (00:45:33) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:52:36) Closing (00:57:26) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Like Chronitons through the Hourglass” When the Enterprise again encounters the “cosmic entity” who once staged a wedding for Spock and Chapel, the crew find themselves trapped in a soap opera filled with classic tropes, melodrama, camera work, and music. There’s even an evil twin brother. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Like Chronitons through the Hourglass.” We discuss the format, the potential, the execution, and … Sybok. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Nailed the Sybok (00:01:34) What the Hell Is a Soap Opera? (00:03:14) Lost Pain (00:09:13) Inept Writing (00:12:46) The Story that Could Have Been (00:17:05) Counselors Are Back! (00:20:39) Q Connection (00:25:43) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:04) Closing (00:36:12) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. There are some animated shows that transcend their genre and become something that defines an entire generation as well as those that come after it which happened on Nickelodeon from 2005-2008. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. We discuss our Avatar story, should it have been in the theater, rebuilding the world, forging a new family, expanding the lore and our ratings. Chapters Our Avatar Story (00:02:15) Should It Have Been in the Theater (00:07:17) Rebuilding the World (00:13:06) Forging a New Family (00:24:25) Expanding the Lore (00:29:21) Ratings (00:35:53) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

Invasion! Time's Enemy. With the first two books setting up an epic new enemy, maybe it’s time for a side quest with the crew of Deep Space Nine. Something that’s Fury-adjacent and chock-full of technobabble. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan discuss the book, Time’s Enemy, book three and DS9’s entry in the Invasion! saga. They discuss the connections to the other books in the series, the mystery that kicks off the novel, hard sci-fi vs political sci-fi, a new alien threat, and much more! And most importantly, they ponder on where the Furies are. Feature: Time's Enemy Connections to the Other Books (4:05) Technobabble (9:41) Character Voices (13:19) Writing Team (17:40) The Mystery, the Symbiont, and the Science (19:04) Kira and the Hard Suit (24:10) Hard Sci-Fi vs Political Sci-Fi (26:32) The Vulcan Captain (31:49) A New Alien Threat (33:58) Back in Time (38:28) Spin-Off Novel (42:58) Final Thoughts (44:41) Closing (47:29) Hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan Production Matthew Rushing (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Casey Pettitt (Editor and Associate Producer)

“Off-Hour” TGIF is in the air as the Enterprise alpha shift crew gets set for its weekend break. But all hell breaks loose when the ship is pulled into a slipstream wormhole. With the phenomenon knocking out power and accelerating them to greater and greater speeds, they must beat the clock to break free before the Enterprise passes the warp threshold and is torn apart. But first, a concert! In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Off-Hour.” We discuss the latest genre swing, the character development, the technobabble, crawling on the ship, surprise faces, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) A Storytelling Revelation (00:02:16) A Genre That Fits (00:07:16) Classic Technobabble (00:15:37) Crawling on the Ship (00:19:56) Chapel and M'Benga (00:24:25) Scotty's One True Love (00:29:07) Boyce Boyce Baby (00:35:25) Making Genre Work (00:40:08) A Grotesque Obsession (42:42) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:46:53) Closing (00:51:57) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

Coyote vs. Acme. In 2022 Warner Bro. Discovery shelved its next DC film, to cut costs and then in 2023 it did the same thing with a Looney Tunes film to obtain a tax write-off. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about the finally released Coyote vs. Acme. We discuss a crazy ride, was it worth it, surprising depth, using others, the cast, the comedy, Looney World and our ratings. Chapters A Crazy Ride (00:01:57) Was It Worth It? (00:07:14) Surprising Depth for 2D (00:12:44) Using Others (00:26:25) The Cast (00:33:36) The Comedy (00:39:38) Looney World (00:43:50) Ratings (00:47:31) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

Troy: Director’s Cut. Adaptation of a beloved work of literature is fraught with pitfalls, it is one of the hardest things to do in cinema, making a successful movie of a book that people love in a film they will also love. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about Troy: Director’s Cut. We discuss the director musical chairs, the production, no gods seen, honor, glory and leadership, the director’s cut, a stacked cast, the action, score and our ratings. Chapters Director Musical Chairs (00:01:55) The Production (00:06:33) No God’s Seen (00:12:38) Honor, Glory and Leadership (00:19:06) The Director’s Cut (00:29:15) A Stacked Cast (00:36:29) The Action (00:40:05) The Score (00:42:36) Ratings (00:45:51) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

“Level-Five Transporter Accident” Still miffed about the success of his Starfleet Academy nemesis, Declan Milder, Scotty is determined to extend the transporter range record he already set, a record previously owned by said nemesis, who is currently nearby as an engineer aboard the USS Witmere. And to rub salt in the wound, Scotty plans to beam his childhood puppet, Little Ricky, directly into Milder's quarters. But when the transport goes awry, the entire crew of the Enterprise is transformed into puppets. Only Spock, who was away aboard a shuttle, remains flesh and blood. That puts him in a tough spot when Orions intercept the Enterprise and decide to take over the ship. Now it’s up to Spock to save the day by doing everything himself, with a bit of help from Muppets hijinks. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Level-Five Transporter Accident.” We discuss the concept, the puppets, the characters, the ending, the use of limited time, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Hey Ricky! I'm Home! (00:02:14) Transporters Gone Wild (00:03:47) The Big Breakup (00:11:38) Internal Illogic (00:17:21) The Art of Puppetry (00:26:26) What an Undercut! (00:29:37) Spock Amok (00:35:49) Write Your Own Ending (00:38:07) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:41:29) Closing (00:51:05) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

The End of Oak Street. Hollywood today seems to be run by IP as studios are all looking for the next big film in their franchises to get people into theaters, leaving little room of original movies. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about The End of Oak Street. We discuss non-IP, fractured family, self sacrifice, the cast, effects and story, the score and our ratings. Chapters Non-IP (00:01:40) Fractured Family (00:10:41) Self Sacrifice (00:18:48) The Cast (00:30:43) Effects and Story (00:36:09) Score (00:40:19) Ratings (01:42:48) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

“A Case of Chiaroscuro” When a stray probe wanders into the Mat'Aar system, Number One leads a team to retrieve it and send it back to Earth. There's just one problem. The 12th planet in the system is occupied by Klingons, and there's a D7 cruiser keeping watch. Actually, there are two problems. Thanks to unique properties of the Mat’Aar sun, everything is black and white. Forget the neutral zone, welcome to the no color zone! The crew take shelter on the planet while they wait for a clear path to avoid the D7. And that's where the third problem comes in. When they head into town, Number One is welcomed by the resistance because she just happens to be the spitting image of their missing leader, Nevette. To escape this occupied world, she must help the resistance finish their plans to fight back against the Klingons. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “A Case of Chiaroscuro.” We discuss the black-and-white format, Number One's character story, a familiar face, the creative patchwork that the series has become, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) I Got That Monochrome Vision (00:02:42) An Obsession with Genre Remakes (00:09:30) Breaking the Number One Rule (00:11:56) In Living Color (00:16:17) What a Korincidence! (00:25:46) La'an's Paranoia (00:32:03) Spock's Fast Slide into Logic (00:35:49) Seeing the Forest for the Trees (00:38:17) Creating a Patchwork Legacy (00:42:03) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:54:09) Closing (00:59:21) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Human Best Friend” It's time for shore leave! And what better place to spend it than on a planet run by Wisconsin's own Dave Nelson (no, really, he's Canadian … but not a spy), surrounded in air that naturally intoxicates you? The crew of the Enterprise get to go wild and explore their innermost thoughts, desires, and even fears as they take time off from Starfleet duty to experience the ultimate hangover. Bingo! In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Human Best Friend.” We discuss intoxicating air, characters gone wild, Star Trek's hangover, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Star Trek's Hangover (00:02:35) Character Reactions (to Secondhand Atmosphere) (00:07:15) Total Eclipse of the Heart (00:11:04) Deep Desire to Be an Idiot? (00:13:32) Lower Decks Creeping In (00:19:22) Conflicting Concepts (00:23:26) Ortegas and Scotty (00:26:14) Spock and Kirk (00:32:04) Diplomacy on Drugs (00:36:20) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:38:11) Closing (00:46:38) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

Invasion! The Soldiers of Fear. What is your greatest fear? What if your enemy could trigger that fear to use it against you? Well just think about gargoyles, touch a batleth, or whatever else you can think of to overcome your fears, because there's Furies to vanquish. Again. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan discuss the second book in the Invasion! saga, The Soldiers of Fear - a Next Generation adventure written by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. They discuss fear weapons, redshirts, the need for crossover characters between the books, and so much more. In the news section, there's a new book! Star Trek: Picard: Rebuilding the Bridge, by Liz Kloczkowski and published by Master Replicas. Coming out in September 2026. News Rebuilding the Bridge (3:27) Feature: The Soldiers of Fear Recap and First Impressions (6:44) Timeline and Set Inconsistencies (15:55) Fear as a Weapon (19:01) Redshirt Redbay (22:31) Should Have Crossover Characters (27:32) Guinan's Gargoyles (31:46) Worf's Batleth (34:35) Data's Invulnerability (36:07) Tragic or Pathetic? (37:57) Final Thoughts and Ratings (42:38) Closing (44:03) Hosts Jonathan Koan and Casey Pettitt Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Casey Pettitt (Associate Producer)

“The Griffin Incident” After the Future Federation Leaders retreat, Jim Kirk decides to hitch a ride home with fellow attendees Spock and La'an Noonien-Singh. But their sail back is nothing but smooth when they come across a long-lost Federation starship, the USS Griffin. Missing for almost a decade for unknown reasons, the Griffin seems to be haunted. And when their shuttle is destroyed, the trio finds themselves trapped in a house of horrors that plays on their innermost thoughts and fears. Thankfully, Pike and the Enterprise crew beam over to save them. Or do they? In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “The Griffin Incident.” We discuss the horror and gore, character development for Kirk, Spock, and La'an, the lack of Gryffindors, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) This Feels Familiar (00:02:11) A Horrorful Story (00:08:25) Inside Spock's Head (00:12:39) Inside Kirk's Head (00:21:35) Inside La'an's Head (00:32:13) What the Hell Is Going On? (00:39:52) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:44:54) Closing (00:50:08) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Since his introduction to comics Peter Parker as well as his more famous alter-ego have been one of the most relatable characters because of the struggles they went through mirroring the ones readers and now viewers are experiencing. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We discuss the possibility of MCU malaise, picking up the story, Peter’s progress, Punisher tears, Jean Grey, the Hulk, unintentional villains, Peter’s past, action and effects, post credits, music, why it resonates, our ratings and rankings. Chapters MCU Malaise? (00:02:43) Picking Up From No Way Home (00:08:27) Peter’s Progress (00:18:16) Punisher Tears (00:35:09) Jean Grey (00:41:00) The Hulk (00:47:18) Unintentional Villains (00:51:41) Peter’s Past (00:56:16) The Action and Effects (01:03:34) Post Credits (01:07:31) Music (01:10:24) Why This Resonates? (01:12:21) Ratings (01:18:24) Rankings (01:18:59) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

The Sheep Detectives. There are times when a movie seems to come out of nowhere, completely surprising audiences and winning them over with a film they just didn’t see coming. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about The Sheep Detectives. We discuss our experience with the movie, the mystery, the importance of shepherds, doing hard things, a comedy, the voice cast, the live cast, the production and our ratings. Chapters Experience With the Movie (00:02:04) The Mystery (00:07:48) Importance of Shepherds (00:10:58) Doing Hard Things (00:20:14) A Comedy (00:28:58) The Voice Cast (00:33:03) The Live Cast (00:36:04) The Production (00:39:15) Ratings (00:42:42) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

“Valles Marineris” After some equestrian fun time, Pike and the crew of the Enterprise are sent to observe a giant space squall. Once there, they pick up a distress signal and attempt to respond. But the squall overwhelms the ship and the Enterprise is thrown to an unknown system with three class M planets. It turns out that their new location isn't so unknown after all—it's the Sol system. But there's a catch: they've traveled 65 million years into the past. The landing party has ventured down to prehistoric Earth in search of iridium to restart the warp drive and the Enterprise has been captured by a powerful ship from Mars. There's also an extra planet on the way to out to Jupiter, one that's at war with Mars. To get home, the crew must put their skills to the test against hostile aliens, dinosaurs, engine warning lights, and a particularly spunky Vulcan cadet. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing warp into Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Valles Marineris.” We discuss the feel of the story, how it connects with the best of Star Trek, rewriting history, character moments, hopes for the season, and more. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) First Impressions of Season 4 (00:03:28) A Real TOS and Star Trek Feel (00:11:03) Rewriting History (00:15:22) An Obsession with Fate (00:21:58) Are You Going to Tell Us about the Dinosaurs? (00:26:16) Fate and the Prime Directive (00:28:13) Mean Girls Vulcan (00:37:58) Costume Tweaks (00:42:32) The Scotty-Ortegas Rivalry (00:45:06) The La'an Tease (00:51:03) Time Loops (00:58:51) Too Much Creative Freedom? (01:00:42) Final Thoughts and Ratings (01:07:21) Closing (01:13:01) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

The Odyssey. Homer’s epics are a cornerstone of Western Civilization, of Greek culture and literate classes in high school. Christopher Nolan has become one of greatest directors of the last twenty-five years, so this should be a match made in heaven. In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about The Odyssey. We discuss coming into the movie, defy the gods, change of character, to myth or not to myth, scope, the cast, the score, theaters, our ratings and rankings. Chapters Coming Into the Movie (00:02:39) Defy the Gods (00:07:12) Change of Character (00:21:04) To Myth or Not to Myth (00:30:55) Scope (00:37:10) The Cast (00:42:03) The Score (00:47:45) Theaters (00:53:28) Ratings (00:58:08) Rankings (00:59:44) Host Matthew Rushing Co-Host Ry Paulson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm Letterboxd: the602club

Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues. The 602 Club proudly presents this bonus show, The Indy Files. In this episode hosts Matthew Rushing & Yancy Evans continue our discussion of Indy’s adventures in 1920s Chicago as well as the return of Harrison Ford! Hosts Matthew Rushing & Yancy Evans Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Social Twitter: @The602Club Instagram: @the602clubtfm

Dayton Ward: To Defy Fate. Wesley Crusher has always been a polarizing figure in Trek fandom — TNG's boy genius, adored by some and a source of groaning for others. But his arc from teenage prodigy to full-fledged Traveler is one of the franchise's more underappreciated journeys, and Picard season 3's finale left a perfect opening: what exactly was Wesley up to in the weeks following the Borg crisis? Dayton Ward answers that question with To Defy Fate, a novel that puts the former wunderkind squarely at the center of a sprawling story touching timelines, civilizations, and the nature of fate itself. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan sit down with Dayton Ward, author of Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate. We discuss the choice to lead with Wesley, the novel's driving antagonist and what makes her such a compelling character, mysterious figures like Kovich and what their presence means for Trek's larger tapestry, the complex web of timelines the book navigates, and what it ultimately means — and costs — to defy fate. Check out cover artist Callum Seymour on Instragram - @seymourdraws News Cover Reveal (2:55) Feature: Dayton Ward Dayton 400 (5:42) Why Wesley? (6:36) Journey's End Prologue (11:39) Kovich (12:59) Writing a Hardcover (16:38) Bookend with The Last Best Hope (19:02) Likara's Convictions (22:22) The Metron Kid (28:26) Timelines (31:36) Quintessential DS9 Theme (36:13) The Picard-Crusher Guy (39:56) Last Things First (45:27) The Narada Incursion (47:00) Defying Fate (49:01) Margaret's Fingerprints (51:23) Cover Art (54:38) Dayton's Future (56:16) Closing (58:13) Hosts Jonathan Koan and Casey Pettitt Guest Dayton Ward Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Casey Pettitt (Associate Producer)