Stigma.

During Viacom’s HIV Awareness campaign of early 2003, Brannon Braga and Rick Berman penned an Enterprise episode that drew parallels between the disease and the Vulcan practice of mindmelding. It’s one of the show’s more heavy-handed moments of social commentary, yet still has much to say about rights and equality beyond HIV and AIDS. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Warp Five’s Kate Walsh and John Champion of Mission Log to discuss this episode, “Stigma,” the arrogance and intolerance of 22nd-century Vulcans, how the episode applies to general LGBT rights in the modern day, and the pros and cons of the unique family structure of Denobulans.

In our news segment we look at the DVD release of Shatner’s Captain’s Close Up series, a special best of TOS Blu-ray called Star Trek: Origins, a Trek-themed hotel suite in Brazil, and Star Trek Into Darkness Live In Concert. Plus, we find out why Star Trek and Pokémon have more in common than you might think.