Standard Orbit: A Star Trek Original Series Podcast
Oct 24, 2026 · 43 min · 12 segments
“The Naked Time” 60th-anniversary reflections. The Enterpris* arrives at the dying world of Psi 2000 to evacuate the Federation outpost and observe the planet’s disintegration. Spock and Lieutenant…
C Bryan JonesHost
Matthew RushingHost
So Matthew, as I mentioned, this is the fourth episode to air, although it was not the fourth episode produced.
And the thing that stands out to me about it, I guess, is just as a starting point for the discussion is how well it sets the tone for the original series and what the series could be and what it would become.
Because I really feel like Everything from the characters to the situation, the mix of seriousness and humor and silliness and the character development, everything that we get in this episode feels closer to what I think of when I think of the original series than the first three episodes that we discussed.
And like you said, the thing that this does the most is kind of capture the spirit of the way in which – and you said this just so well.
Almost like a silliness and a seriousness are going to be – the hallmarks of this show, right? And I think it's, it's one of the things that people end up loving about the show is because it has a real tonal balance to it.
And, you know, there are obviously going to be episodes where the balance is not like this, right? You know, you think of like a piece of the action or something like that, where, The episode will lean much more into the silly.
And then you get an episode like, of course, City on the Edge of Forever where there's almost zero silliness in that episode.
And so I think that this just shows kind of the range in which we're going to be playing with the series.
And – No, I was – I just completely agree with you because I was re-watching this today, and I was just thinking normally – and we talked about this when we talked about it on The Orb, right? Where they have the episode where – in the first season where everybody kind of goes crazy, and you don't feel like you know the characters well enough to have that happen.
But I think that the beauty of this episode is that it's not about the characters going crazy.
It's about the characters being able to reveal themselves because all of their walls fall down.
You know, what is it? Shaka when the walls fell down or whatever? You know, so...
And that's what happens in this episode, and I think when you are bringing a series out, you want people to be able to connect with your characters and understand your characters very, very quickly.
And I think even just thinking about this in the fourth slot then, these episodes – Do a great job of helping people to truly understand kind of who your main characters are.
But even him as kind of being the third and the triumvirate, we see him being a character who's just incredibly serious about his job.
Yeah, I mean, this just does a great job of setting us on a course, I guess pun intended, of where we're going to go with the rest of this season.
So Matthew, as I mentioned, this is the fourth episode to air, although it was not the fourth episode produced.
And the thing that stands out to me about it, I guess, is just as a starting point for the discussion is how well it sets the tone for the original series and what the series could be and what it would become.
Because I really feel like Everything from the characters to the situation, the mix of seriousness and humor and silliness and the character development, everything that we get in this episode feels closer to what I think of when I think of the original series than the first three episodes that we discussed.
And like you said, the thing that this does the most is kind of capture the spirit of the way in which – and you said this just so well.
Almost like a silliness and a seriousness are going to be – the hallmarks of this show, right? And I think it's, it's one of the things that people end up loving about the show is because it has a real tonal balance to it.
And, you know, there are obviously going to be episodes where the balance is not like this, right? You know, you think of like a piece of the action or something like that, where, The episode will lean much more into the silly.
And then you get an episode like, of course, City on the Edge of Forever where there's almost zero silliness in that episode.
And so I think that this just shows kind of the range in which we're going to be playing with the series.
And – No, I was – I just completely agree with you because I was re-watching this today, and I was just thinking normally – and we talked about this when we talked about it on The Orb, right? Where they have the episode where – in the first season where everybody kind of goes crazy, and you don't feel like you know the characters well enough to have that happen.
But I think that the beauty of this episode is that it's not about the characters going crazy.
It's about the characters being able to reveal themselves because all of their walls fall down.
You know, what is it? Shaka when the walls fell down or whatever? You know, so...
And that's what happens in this episode, and I think when you are bringing a series out, you want people to be able to connect with your characters and understand your characters very, very quickly.
And I think even just thinking about this in the fourth slot then, these episodes – Do a great job of helping people to truly understand kind of who your main characters are.
But even him as kind of being the third and the triumvirate, we see him being a character who's just incredibly serious about his job.
Yeah, I mean, this just does a great job of setting us on a course, I guess pun intended, of where we're going to go with the rest of this season.
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