A Christmas Carol and Tapestry. The halls are decked, the wine is mulling, and the presents are neatly stacked under the tree. But what hope is there of a white Christmas in the inky black of outer space? Traditionally, Star Trek has steered clear of more than glancing references to the festive season, yet popular holiday stories—such as A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life—have worked their way into the plots of fan-favorite episodes.

In this special Christmas installment of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Clara Cook to consider the influence of Charles Dickens’s classic on The Next Generation’s “Tapestry” and how Patrick Stewart’s experience playing Mr. Scrooge might have informed his characterization of Captain Picard. Along the way, we talk about regrets and redemption, how a good person can follow a bad path, and the role Christmas plays in the secular societies we see in Star Trek.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) “Tapestry” (00:07:26) A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life (00:13:40) “All Good Things…” (00:23:40) Why Christmas? (00:32:52) Regrets? We’ve Had a Few (00:41:39) Dickens the SF Writer (00:51:26) Christmas in Star Trek? (00:58:50) Final Thoughts (01:09:30) Host Duncan Barrett Guest Clara Cook Production Tony Robinson (Editor) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)