TFM (Trek.fm & The 602 Club)

Invasion! The Soldiers of Fear.

What is your greatest fear? What if your enemy could trigger that fear to use it against you? Well just think about gargoyles, touch a batleth, or whatever else you can think of to overcome your fears, because there's Furies to vanquish. Again.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan discuss the second book in the Invasion! saga, The Soldiers of Fear - a Next Generation adventure written by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. They discuss fear weapons, redshirts, the need for crossover characters between the books, and so much more.

In the news section, there's a new book! Star Trek: Picard: Rebuilding the Bridge, by Liz Kloczkowski and published by Master Replicas. Coming out in September 2026.

News
Rebuilding the Bridge (3:27)

Feature: The Soldiers of Fear
Recap and First Impressions (6:44)
Timeline and Set Inconsistencies (15:55)
Fear as a Weapon (19:01)
Redshirt Redbay (22:31)
Should Have Crossover Characters (27:32)
Guinan's Gargoyles (31:46)
Worf's Batleth (34:35)
Data's Invulnerability (36:07)
Tragic or Pathetic? (37:57)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (42:38)
Closing (44:03)

Hosts
Jonathan Koan and Casey Pettitt

Production
Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Casey Pettitt (Associate Producer)

“The Griffin Incident”
After the Future Federation Leaders retreat, Jim Kirk decides to hitch a ride home with fellow attendees Spock and La'an Noonien-Singh. But their sail back is nothing but smooth when they come across a long-lost Federation starship, the USS Griffin. Missing for almost a decade for unknown reasons, the Griffin seems to be haunted. And when their shuttle is destroyed, the trio finds themselves trapped in a house of horrors that plays on their innermost thoughts and fears. Thankfully, Pike and the Enterprise crew beam over to save them. Or do they?
In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our look at Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “The Griffin Incident.” We discuss the horror and gore, character development for Kirk, Spock, and La'an, the lack of Gryffindors, and more.

Chapters
Intro (0:00:00)
This Feels Familiar (00:02:11)
A Horrorful Story (00:08:25)
Inside Spock's Head (00:12:39)
Inside Kirk's Head (00:21:35)
Inside La'an's Head (00:32:13)
What the Hell Is Going On? (00:39:52)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:44:54)
Closing (00:50:08)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Since his introduction to comics Peter Parker as well as his more famous alter-ego have been one of the most relatable characters because of the struggles they went through mirroring the ones readers and now viewers are experiencing.

In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We discuss the possibility of MCU malaise, picking up the story, Peter’s progress, Punisher tears, Jean Grey, the Hulk, unintentional villains, Peter’s past, action and effects, post credits, music, why it resonates, our ratings and rankings.

Chapters
MCU Malaise? (00:02:43)
Picking Up From No Way Home (00:08:27)
Peter’s Progress (00:18:16)
Punisher Tears (00:35:09)
Jean Grey (00:41:00)
The Hulk (00:47:18)
Unintentional Villains (00:51:41)
Peter’s Past (00:56:16)
The Action and Effects (01:03:34)
Post Credits (01:07:31)
Music (01:10:24)
Why This Resonates? (01:12:21)
Ratings (01:18:24)
Rankings (01:18:59)

Host
Matthew Rushing

Co-Host
Ry Paulson

Production
Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

Social
Twitter: @The602Club
Instagram: @the602clubtfm
Letterboxd: the602club

The Sheep Detectives.

There are times when a movie seems to come out of nowhere, completely surprising audiences and winning them over with a film they just didn’t see coming.

In this episode of The 602 Club hosts Matthew Rushing and Ry Paulson talk about The Sheep Detectives. We discuss our experience with the movie, the mystery, the importance of shepherds, doing hard things, a comedy, the voice cast, the live cast, the production and our ratings.

Chapters
Experience With the Movie (00:02:04)
The Mystery (00:07:48)
Importance of Shepherds (00:10:58)
Doing Hard Things (00:20:14)
A Comedy (00:28:58)
The Voice Cast (00:33:03)
The Live Cast (00:36:04)
The Production (00:39:15)
Ratings (00:42:42)

Host
Matthew Rushing

Co-Host
Ry Paulson

Production
Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

Social
Twitter: @The602Club
Instagram: @the602clubtfm
Letterboxd: the602club

“Valles Marineris”
After some equestrian fun time, Pike and the crew of the Enterprise are sent to observe a giant space squall. Once there, they pick up a distress signal and attempt to respond. But the squall overwhelms the ship and the Enterprise is thrown to an unknown system with three class M planets. It turns out that their new location isn't so unknown after all—it's the Sol system. But there's a catch: they've traveled 65 million years into the past. The landing party has ventured down to prehistoric Earth in search of iridium to restart the warp drive and the Enterprise has been captured by a powerful ship from Mars. There's also an extra planet on the way to out to Jupiter, one that's at war with Mars. To get home, the crew must put their skills to the test against hostile aliens, dinosaurs, engine warning lights, and a particularly spunky Vulcan cadet.
In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing warp into Strange New Worlds Season 4 with “Valles Marineris.” We discuss the feel of the story, how it connects with the best of Star Trek, rewriting history, character moments, hopes for the season, and more.

Chapters
Intro (0:00:00)
First Impressions of Season 4 (00:03:28)
A Real TOS and Star Trek Feel (00:11:03)
Rewriting History (00:15:22)
An Obsession with Fate (00:21:58)
Are You Going to Tell Us about the Dinosaurs? (00:26:16)
Fate and the Prime Directive (00:28:13)
Mean Girls Vulcan (00:37:58)
Costume Tweaks (00:42:32)
The Scotty-Ortegas Rivalry (00:45:06)
The La'an Tease (00:51:03)
Time Loops (00:58:51)
Too Much Creative Freedom? (01:00:42)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (01:07:21)
Closing (01:13:01)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)