Marissa and Lisa wrap up their first-ever season of Star Trek: The Next Generation with a final batch that’s emotional, messy, unsettling, and very much still finding its footing.

Season 1 ends not with a neat bow, but with loss, paranoia, time fractures, and a warning that much bigger threats are coming.

🖖 Episodes Discussed

“Skin of Evil”

A tar-like entity, a senseless death, and the sudden loss of Tasha Yar. The crew confronts grief without meaning, Data uses empathy as strategy, and Starfleet learns that not every death has a lesson.

“We’ll Always Have Paris”

Time fractures, Picard revisits a long-avoided romantic regret, and Data becomes the key to repairing reality. High-concept sci-fi meets awkward emotional closure.

“Conspiracy”

Starfleet paranoia turns into full-blown body horror. Parasitic aliens infiltrate command, trust collapses, and the season briefly becomes a 1980s sci-fi thriller—with bugs.

“The Neutral Zone”

Cryogenically frozen 20th-century humans wake up in a post-scarcity future just as the Romulans re-enter the picture. Old values clash with new realities, and Picard warns that bigger forces are on the horizon.

🌌 Season 1 Takeaways

• The show is finding its voice—even when it stumbles
• Chosen family matters
• The Prime Directive is the backbone of this world
• Grief, ethics, and power are recurring themes
• Data, Geordi, and Worf are just getting started
• Season 2 promises higher stakes and sharper focus

Season 1 complete.
Season 2… engage. 🖖

Marissa and Lisa continue their first-time watch of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and for the first time… things are starting to feel normal. Or maybe they’re just acclimating to the chaos.

This batch blends classic sci-fi ethics, early anti-drug messaging, and some standout character development—especially for Worf and Geordi.

🖖 Episodes Discussed

“Home Soil”

Terraforming goes wrong when the crew discovers intelligent silicon-based life. A clear anti-colonization message, a memorable insult (“ugly bags of mostly water”), and another Data-as-elite-diplomat win.

“Coming of Age”

Wesley takes the Starfleet Academy entrance exam—and doesn’t make it. A surprisingly thoughtful look at failure, fear, mentorship, and Picard finally opening up about his own setbacks.

“Heart of Glory”

Worf confronts Klingon culture, loyalty, and what it means to choose Starfleet as his family. Includes rogue Klingons, death rituals, primal screaming, and one very definitive ladder fight.

“The Arsenal of Freedom”

An automated weapons system tries to sell itself by nearly killing everyone. Geordi takes command, thinks creatively under pressure, and proves exactly why he belongs in the captain’s chair.

“Symbiosis”

Two planets locked in an exploitative drug economy force Picard into a brutal Prime Directive decision. Heavy 1980s “Just Say No” energy, moral discomfort, and a very awkward Wesley drug talk.

🌌 Big Takeaways

• Colonization and exploitation are recurring villains
• Failure doesn’t disqualify you from leadership
• Chosen family keeps showing up
• Geordi La Forge is an elite crisis leader
• The Prime Directive is… complicated
• Season 1 is finding its footing

Until next time—
Make it so. 🖖

Marissa and Lisa continue their first-time watch of Star Trek: The Next Generation, tackling one of Season 1’s strangest batches yet. From evil android siblings to questionable gender politics and a planet that kidnaps children, these episodes raise big questions—even when the execution gets… very 1980s.

🖖 Episodes Discussed

“Datalore”

Data meets his manipulative brother Lore, forcing questions about humanity, ethics, and chosen family. Also: Wesley is right, gets yelled at anyway, and we officially hate “Shut up, Wesley.”

“Angel One”

A matriarchal planet offers peak 80s cringe and a lesson in why “gender reversal” isn’t feminism. Riker’s wardrobe (and behavior) does not help.

“11001001”

Binary beings hijack the Enterprise to save their civilization while Riker beta-tests the holodeck in the horniest way possible. Surprisingly tender themes of trust, forgiveness, and asking for help.

“Too Short a Season”

An aging admiral uses a de-aging drug with tragic results. Dry episode, big questions about power, pride, and why Starfleet won’t let people retire.

“When the Bough Breaks”

A “utopian” society kidnaps the Enterprise’s children to solve infertility. Wesley leads a peaceful kid rebellion, myths fall apart, and we’re left thinking about resistance, survival, and letting go of comforting stories.

🌌 Big Takeaways

• Chosen family matters
• AI ethics were already haunting sci-fi in 1987
• Patriarchy (and bad allegories) age poorly
• Small acts of resistance can force change
• Things are impossible… until they aren’t

Until next time—
Make it so. 🖖

Marissa and Lisa Garza kick off their journey aboard the USS Sisterhood, diving into the early episodes of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.' The sisters discuss the cultural context of the '80s, the evolving dynamics of the show, and memorable moments from episodes like 'The Naked Now,' 'Code of Honor,' 'The Last Outpost,' 'Where No One Has Gone Before,' and 'Lonely Among Us.' Themes such as the Prime Directive, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and character development are explored, alongside lighter, comedic elements. They reflect on the portrayal of gender and race, the impact of the DEI knowledge gap from the '80s, and highlight standout performances and scenes. The episode concludes with a call for listener feedback and ratings.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:35 Discussing the Episodes
02:36 Prime Directive and Its Challenges
05:53 Review of 'The Naked Now'
14:24 Review of 'Code of Honor'
26:48 Introduction to 'The Last Outpost' Episode
27:20 Moral Dilemmas and Comedic Moments
29:00 Historical References and Character Highlights
30:20 Diplomacy and Conflict with the Ferengi
34:40 Trivia and Future Appearances of the Ferengi
35:09 Introduction to 'Where No One Has Gone Before'
35:24 The Mysterious Traveler and Kozinski's Arrogance
38:26 Journey to the Unknown and Wesley's Potential
40:45 Return to Safety and Wesley's Promotion
44:51 Introduction to 'The Lonely Among Us'
45:27 Energy Being and Sherlock Holmes Data
47:03 Diplomatic Challenges and Picard's Ordeal
51:11 Final Thoughts and Viewer Engagement

Marissa and Lisa Garza kick off their journey aboard the USS Sisterhood, diving into the early episodes of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.' The sisters discuss the cultural context of the '80s, the evolving dynamics of the show, and memorable moments from episodes like 'The Naked Now,' 'Code of Honor,' 'The Last Outpost,' 'Where No One Has Gone Before,' and 'Lonely Among Us.' Themes such as the Prime Directive, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and character development are explored, alongside lighter, comedic elements. They reflect on the portrayal of gender and race, the impact of the DEI knowledge gap from the '80s, and highlight standout performances and scenes. The episode concludes with a call for listener feedback and ratings.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:35 Discussing the Episodes
02:36 Prime Directive and Its Challenges
05:53 Review of 'The Naked Now'
14:24 Review of 'Code of Honor'
26:48 Introduction to 'The Last Outpost' Episode
27:20 Moral Dilemmas and Comedic Moments
29:00 Historical References and Character Highlights
30:20 Diplomacy and Conflict with the Ferengi
34:40 Trivia and Future Appearances of the Ferengi
35:09 Introduction to 'Where No One Has Gone Before'
35:24 The Mysterious Traveler and Kozinski's Arrogance
38:26 Journey to the Unknown and Wesley's Potential
40:45 Return to Safety and Wesley's Promotion
44:51 Introduction to 'The Lonely Among Us'
45:27 Energy Being and Sherlock Holmes Data
47:03 Diplomatic Challenges and Picard's Ordeal
51:11 Final Thoughts and Viewer Engagement

We’re back on the bridge! In this first real episode of USS Sisterhood, sisters Marissa and Lisa dive into Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes 1 & 2, which aired as a two-part premiere called “Encounter at Farpoint.” There’s a lot to cover: courtroom chaos, space jellyfish, aggressive eye contact, and the moral ambiguity of freezing people mid-sentence.

Lisa’s confused (but intrigued). Marissa’s nostalgic (but also confused). Together, they boldly go where thousands of fans have gone before… but for the first time.

🪐 In This Episode:

• Epcot-core aesthetics: is this a TV show or are we just in 1987 Spaceship Earth?
• Meet the crew: Picard journals, Riker beams in hot, and Data can’t whistle
• Q shows up as a Shakespearean space tyrant (with freezing powers and a big bell)
• Our first big moral dilemma: can five humans prove humanity deserves to exist?
• A surprise appearance by... space jellyfish soulmates??
• The hollow deck = space Casa Bonita (with imaginary cliff divers and puppet shows)
• Wesley Crusher: the ultimate early 2000s Tumblr soft boy
• Deanna Troi feels everything and might actually be the most powerful one aboard
• Behind-the-scenes trivia: spandex complaints, Patrick Stewart’s one-week suitcase, and that very old man you didn’t recognize

🧠 Big Themes We Loved:

• Sci-fi as real-world magic: how technology mirrors imagination
• Emotional intelligence as a form of strength and strategy
• The ethics of judgment, progress, and collective accountability
• Representation: from disability inclusion to gender-fluid uniforms to kids on the bridge

🔍 Favorite Quotes:

👯‍♀️ Sister Takes:

• Lisa’s fave: the guy who aggressively rings the courtroom bell
• Marissa’s fave: Data trying to whistle in a tree on the holodeck
• Shared confusion: was the game of Life spinner actually a jellyfish?

🚀 What's Next:

Next week, the sisters tackle S1E3: “The Naked Now” (and yes, they double-checked—it's Naked Now, not Naked Later).

Future episodes will cover five episodes at a time—this one was a special case to kick things off. Join us as we warp through Season 1 together!

⭐ Call to Action:

If you’re loving the USS Sisterhood vibes, beam us some five-star love! Ratings, reviews, and shares help other Trek-curious folks find us. And if you’ve got fun facts, theories, or trivia? Drop us a message—we love learning new lore.

🖖 Until next time… make it so.

Welcome aboard the USS Sisterhood! In this launch episode, sisters Marissa Garza and Lisa Garza set course for a new adventure: watching Star Trek: The Next Generation together for the first time—one seasoned casual fan, one total newbie, and zero working knowledge of the theme song.

Expect space jokes, sibling banter, and a heartfelt exploration of what it means to boldly go... as sisters.

🪐 In This Episode:

• Why this podcast exists and what inspired the idea
• Lisa's Star Trek exposure: limited to Lower Decks and vibes
• Marissa's casual Trekker roots: movies, space whales, and childhood TV memories
• Sci-fi vs fantasy, aphantasia, and what makes science feel like real-world magic
• Our sci-fi faves: Andor, The Expanse, Cocoon (yes, that 80s alien pool movie)
• The plan: Watch TNG Season 1 in batches of five episodes
• Theme music and art? All Lisa. Podcast nerdiness? All Marissa.
• The USS Sisterhood origin story (and its secret roots in GarageBand)

👯‍♀️ Why "USS Sisterhood"?

We’re eight years apart, but pop culture has always been our bridge. This podcast is a way to play, explore sci-fi, and document what happens when two sisters dive into a beloved universe—one warp core breach at a time.

🌌 Who This Show Is For:

• TNG newbies curious about Star Trek (but not ready to learn Klingon)
• Lifelong Trekkies looking for a fun, heart-forward rewatch
• Sci-fi fans who love pop culture, sisterhood, and deep tangents about ET
• Anyone who’s ever watched Lower Decks and wanted to see the real thing

⭐ Call to Action:

If you’re excited to take this journey with us, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review! (Especially if you believe five stars are the most stars in the known galaxy.)

🖖 Make it so.