First Flight.

Archer’s involvement in Starfleet’s NX project was key to his ultimate assignment as captain of the Enterprise—and to seeing his father’s work through to completion. Beyond the test flights themselves, the journey through the ups and downs of the project shaped the leader Archer became. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Matthew Rushing and Colin Higgins to discuss “First Flight” and how the competition with fellow Commander A.G. Robinson changed the way Archer approached life. We also talk about how the NX program influenced Archer’s view of Vulcans, how he met Trip, and how the origin of the Starfleet School of Fashion’s Admiral Uniform Modification Program can be traced back to this episode.

In news we look at the new trailers for “The Best of Both Worlds” and Enterprise Season One Blu-rays, the Shatoetry Valentine’s update, new KRE-O toys from Hasbro, and how Pine and Cumberbatch are trying to seduce you from Entertainment Weekly’s new Star Trek Into Darkness covers. Plus, we reveal the surprising identity of the character Cumberbatch is actually playing in the new film.