Alienating Ourselves Podcast

#021 - Alien Nation 1.15 "Eyewitness News"

This week's episode of "Alien Nation" is guest starring Oscar-nominated, SAG award winner, BAFTA-nominated, DGA-nominated, Emmy-nominated, Golden Globe winner, Angela Bassett, Queen Mother of Wakanda herself, as a local TV news reporter in an episode appropriately called, "Eyewitness News." - What line, delivered by Angela Bassett, made Todd laugh out loud? - What sexually-awkward scenes between Matt & Cathy did Nick enjoy? - In what ways did Nick feel this episode was progressive? - What did we learn about Tenctonese pregnancy? - What quaint 1990s party decoration did Todd point out during the fake birthday party scene? - What reference to a 1990s canine celebrity did Nick appreciate? - How did the show work in a brief Ronald Reagan mention? - What was interesting about the test of the Emergency Broadcast System and how one Newcomer reacted to it? - What weird fashion choice of Matt's did one co-host point out this week? - What moment in the episode felt unusually preachy? - How did one co-host compare Matt & Cathy's on-and-off-again flirtations to a recurring segment of "The Late Show with David Letterman"? - Which behaviors of Matt's were pointed out in this week's segment of "Yikes, Sikes"? - What about this episode reminded Todd of two episodes of "Babylon 5"? - Which guest star from this episode was also in Gary Graham's movie, "Robot Jox"? - Which "Alien Nation" actor was the son of a CBS News correspondent? - And, what about this episode lead to a tangent conversation about city mayors? Listen now for the answers to these and other hard-hitting questions, as we do an exposé on..."Eyewitness News." Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify & GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com. Royalty-free music used in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

#020 - Alien Nation 1.14 "Generation to Generation"

Uncle Moodri is back, Matt becomes a big brother, and we explore the "Heart of Tencton" in this week's review of "Alien Nation" episode "Generation to Generation." - How good is it to have Uncle Moodri back? - What do the co-hosts think of the name Vessna for the upcoming Francisco baby? - How strange is it to see the depiction of an auction where the main items for sale are related to forms of slavery? - What do the co-hosts think about Matt becoming a big brother and the kid he mentors? Why is the kid so nice & thankful? Are there suspicions that there's something wrong with grandma (the kid's guardian)? - The kid mentions wanting to go camping with Matt. What creative (and derogatory) name does one co-host have for camping.? - Which co-host was pleasantly surprised & relieved that the kid wasn't a psychopath? - What did the co-hosts think about the Tenctonese culture this week, including a certain kind of memorial service? - What did the co-hosts have to say this week about plot points, pacing, and structure? - Which co-host was surprised to find out he's had the "Alien Nation" DVD box sets this whole time and feels stupid for not being able to find his DVD player remote control? - Speaking of boxes, what did the co-hosts think about "The Box," also known as the Heart of Tencton, in this week's episode? - Which of Matt's traits were featured in this week's "Yikes, Sikes!" segment? - And, what did Todd come up with from the "Unofficial Companion" book and for the "Wheel of Press Kit" segment? Listen now for the answers to these and other out-of-the-box questions, as we look back at..."Generation to Generation." Please like or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify and GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com. Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com (plus one from the now defunct FreePD.com).

#019 - Alien Nation 1.13 "The Spirit of '95"

It's election week...maybe not in real life, but it is in this week's episode of "Alien Nation." We review "The Spirit of '95" when there's a referendum for giving Tenctonese the right to vote. - How tough is George for going into enemy territory to defend his family? - What was going on with the bag that Matt was carrying down the hall and that he dropped? Was it groceries coming in or trash going out? What did Cathy spot in Matt's bag, and why did she think it smelled so good? - What lessons did Matt learn in this episode? - What adorable thing did Cathy say this week? - Why was George grouchy with his family, when they were almost victims of a bombing? - Are Tenctonese less protective of pregnant women, and is it because Tenctonese women and/or their...pods...are tougher than Human equivalents? - Did the plot twist work well in this episode? - How well did the political content work in this episode? Should we have seen more? - Which guest star of this "Alien Nation" episode was also in a low-budget sci-fi movie, filmed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for which Todd got to visit the filming, on the night they blew up a van and set a stuntman on fire? - How long did it take before major character George Francisco actually showed up in this episode? - What does "I love you" sound like in Tenctonese? - And, what philosophical question during an interrogation scene totally blew Nick away? Listen now for the answers to these and other civil questions as Nick and Todd debate "The Spirit of '95." Please like, subscribe, or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify and GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com Royalty-free music used in this episode came from Pixabay.com.

#018 - Alien Nation 1.12 "The Red Room"

After a brief "Star Trek" detour, we're back to our "Alien Nation" rewatch with 1.12 "The Red Room," an episode that explores another dark secret in George Francisco's past. - What did Nick like so much about the Monopoly scene? - What did Todd notice & appreciate so much about the episode? - What is special about this week's medical examiner character and the actress that plays her? - In what ways does this episode explore the growing friendship (and possibly more) between Matt & Cathy, and what was illogical about some of Matt's reactions this week? - What scenes had seemingly bad police procedures? - What things did both co-hosts like from George's hypnosis scene? - What nitpicks did Nick have involving animals, keyboards, teasing, and hypocrisy? - Was there anything notable and the writing, directing, locations, or casting, this week? - What brand new weekly segment did Todd introduce, based on something he got for Christmas (well, almost weekly; he forgot it one week, possibly the week right after introducing it)? - And, how well did this week's episode explore psychology, government agencies, and technology? Listen now for the answers to these and other mind-altering questions, as we investigate..."The Red Room." Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify & GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com. Royalty-free songs used in this episode come from Pixabay.com (and one from the former site, FreePD.com).

#017 - Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Season 1 Review

This week, we take a quick detour from "Alien Nation" to review the recently completed 1st season of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy." - Which co-host leaned toward not liking this show? And, which co-host accepted that he may not be the target audience and liked it a little better than other recent "Star Trek" incarnations? - Which opinion about female leadership in the cast of characters was something Nick & Todd both agreed with right away? - Who were Todd & Nick's respective favorite cast members? - Did the co-hosts agree or disagree about the lines given to Stephen Colbert as the Digital Dean voice? - Which cadet character was under-utilized according to one co-host? - Which co-host was very careful to highlight diversity, inclusion, and representation, as strengths of the show, partially in hopes to avoid being lumped in with people complaining that this show is "too woke" (along with other "Star Trek" installments)? - Which co-host appreciates the show's positive attitude toward Starfleet as an organization? - Which co-host noted similarities between the atrium set of Starfleet Academy and the interior of the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta, one of five host hotels for Dragon Con, which both co-hosts attend annually? - Which co-host complimented the show's tone & format. - Was there agreement that the Klingon-focused episode was one of the better episodes of the season? - Which co-host had an issue with the show's anti-authoritarian tone? - Which co-host felt this show, allegedly about a school, wasn't enough about...school? - Which co-host pointed out that it sometimes feels like the academy only has about 6 or 7 students? - Which co-host described everything in the show as being "half-baked"? - Did both co-hosts agree on being frustrated with the main bad guy character (not including the performance of the actor)? - Which co-host...very carefully...counted both diversity & production quality as both positives & negatives? - What is the War College, and why is it there? - Were there too many cultural inconsistencies assigned to one character, when it comes to the Klingon cadet, Jay-Den Kraag? - What directions did the co-hosts feel this show, as well as the whole franchise, should go in the future? - How did conversation of this show lead to mentions of other TV shows including "Community," "Beverly Hills 90210," and "Star Trek: Picard"? - If this podcast were to ever review "Star Trek: Picard," does Todd have the strength to rewatch season 1 (or 2, or 3, but especially 1)? - How did the "drive by" of episode 5 ("Series Acclimation Mil") turn into a half-hour deep dive, and which co-host lost his mind about this episode? - What were the main complaints about episode 5, and how did this episode fail (according to one co-host) to pay homage to "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" as producers & some fans claim it did? - Tangent Topic: Why, why, why, for the love of everything good & holy, was there not a season, or at least one single episode, of "Star Trek: Picard" about Picard's love of archeology?!?!? - Despite disagreeing on overall sentiment, how close were Nick & Todd's average grades for the whole season? Listen now for the answers to these and other academic questions as Nick & Todd take a class on "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy." Please like & review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave reviews for individual episodes on the Spotify & GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is alienatingourselves@gmail.com. Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.