REVIEW: Eulogizing the end of ‘Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast’

Photo: Crowds pack the Jacob Javits Center for the first Star Trek: Mission New York. Photo by John Soltes.

I’m bummed.

Yesterday, I caught a quick headline on my Facebook feed that seemed untrue, like a belated April Fool’s joke. It was some type of Mirror Universe mumbo jumbo meant to screw with my head.

But, alas, it’s true. Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast, hosted by Jordan Hoffman (along with his trusty engineer, Brian), has come to an end. In those dreadful Star Trek terms, the show’s mission has finished, having reached the final frontier, after all.

Jordan goes into detail in the final episode, posted this week, on why the successful and entertaining podcast is calling it a day (of honor). The behind-the-scenes story is not scandalous or headline-worthy. It appears to have been a simple business decision, but not on the part of CBS or Star Trek. Jordan also told his loyal audience that he has no plans to go all rogue (planet) and offer an unofficial podcast. It appears Engage is complete for good.

Much like other listeners who ate up each episode of Engage, I was part of the nebulous network of diehard Trekkers and Trekkies who tuned in to hear the interesting commentary, conversations and interviews with Trek stars and sympathizers. I was part of his listening community, and I simply loved my spot in the audience. (I’m struggling with the past tense of these sentences.) There was a real sense of camaraderie and sci-fi sustenance from week to week, keeping my appetite suitably full in between conventions and episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.

The access that Jordan had into the Star Trek universe was unparalleled. These past two years had him interviewing the likes of George Takei (or as autocorrect likes to call him, George Take), Ethan Phillips, Armin Shimerman, Nana Visitor, Robert Picardo and many others. He touched upon each incarnation of the franchise and offered honest critiques and effusive fanboy love.

We came to know Jordan’s favorite episode, favorite Star Trek movie and favorite characters. He talked politics, society, discrimination, history and science. The interviews seemed raw and unedited (although there must have been a few Corbomite Maneuvers to keep everything sounding seamless). He let listeners take a peek behind the scenes at Star Trek: The Cruise and Creation Entertainment’s Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas. For fans who did not have the means to travel to these faraway locales, the access was appreciated.

I saw Jordan in person at Star Trek: Mission New York, a convention that celebrated 50 years of the franchise (and really needs to come back as an annual tradition). He was up on stage interviewing stars of this fictional universe we have all come to know and love. While sitting with the hundreds of others in the audience at the Jacob Javits Center, one thing hit home: Star Trek is a community-based entertainment, one that thrives on canon, context and conversation. The hundreds of episodes of television and many, many movies, books and comic books are meant to be starting points for interesting, revealing dialogues about human nature. Engage was a focal point for this dialogue, one that will be sorely missed.

Not everyone agreed with Jordan’s every assertion, myself included, but the podcast generated talk, adulation and spirited back and forth.

It’s hard not to be bummed right now because Engage’s disengagement comes a few weeks after another sad revelation. Creation Entertainment recently canceled its New Jersey “Continuing Voyage” convention, which means fans need to head to Las Vegas this year (a rite of passage), the only official Star Trek convention on the calendar in the U.S. Although I will be in Vegas this year, it was nice to have that New Jersey tradition closer to home.

So at the same time that Star Trek: Discovery is rightfully earning the respect of TV viewers, there’s the unfortunate news of Engage’s demise and a shrinking of the convention circuit. One hopes that CBS, Star Trek and others remember and never forget that the community will live on, but it’s aided by these fangirl/fanboy extras.

It seems like an easy enough proposal: The East Coast should have a Star Trek convention, and Star Trek should have an official podcast.

I’m thankful that Jordan and the team are keeping the 90 episodes alive in the archives. There are some interesting factoids to be had in those hours of radio, and like Star Trek’s TV incarnations, a few segments worthy of debate and maybe some furrowed brows.

For me, I have some built-in backups. I’m a fan of Women at Warp, Mission Log and Priority One, all from Roddenberry. There’s equally solid content on these podcasts, and having the Roddenberry name attached warms the heart.

I still have two months to keep checking out Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience at New Jersey’s Liberty Science Center. There’s still season two of Star Trek: Discovery on the horizon. There’s still Creation’s Las Vegas con, which sounds more awesome every time additional news comes out. There are still the memories and reruns.

Still …

When thinking about my Star Trek, I like adding not subtracting, and this week we received a sad, unfortunate subtraction.

Jordan reports in the final podcast that he will be around conventions and still have a presence in fandom. Here’s hoping Star Trek keeps going boldly. I know it will — but maybe with a little turbulence along the way.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com