This week on Hailing Frequencies Open, we’re joined by lesbian cosplayer, actress, model, playwright, and all-around nerd Jessica Crouse!

Jessica talks with us about her journey into cosplay, bringing iconic characters like Xena Warrior Princess, Seven of Nine, Jadzia Dax, Black Widow, and Bellatrix Lestrange to life, and what it means to create characters that resonate with the LGBTQ+ community. We also dive into convention culture, queer representation in fandom, the art and craft behind cosplay, and why sometimes the most important part of being a queer nerd is simply finding your people.

And of course, because this is HFO, expect plenty of ridiculousness, some spicy opinions, and a whole lot of queer nerd energy!

www.instagram.com/jessicacrouse/

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🖖 Live Long and Prosper.

Ever wonder how Star Trek’s aliens go from an actor in a chair to a fully realized character? Hailing Frequencies Open goes behind the scenes with Bradi Boulet, a talented prosthetic artist whose work has helped bring the worlds of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to life! 🖖

https://www.brandiboulet.com/

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🔮 Trek Deck Tarot by: https://deosildesigns.com/
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🖖 Live Long and Prosper.

The crew of the Hailing Frequencies Open is back aboard the Enterprise, and this time we’re breaking down the first SIX episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4!

Mike, Damian, and Lanita are joined by Matt Jennings, Jodi Pickens, and Anna Rozay for a lively, hilarious, and occasionally VERY opinionated discussion of everything SNW has thrown at us so far. From the stories and character arcs to the big swings, questionable decisions, surprises, and those moments that had us yelling at the screen—we're getting into all of it.

What’s working? What isn’t? Which characters are stealing the show? And where does Season 4 rank among the best of Strange New Worlds so far?

Come aboard as we laugh, argue, overanalyze, and boldly go through Episodes 1–6 of Season 4!

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This episode discusses Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episodes 1–6 in detail. Watch the episodes before listening!

Guest Info:
Matt Jennings https://www.instagram.com/1701blerd/
Jodi Pickens https://www.instagram.com/jpickens01/
Anna Rozay https://www.instagram.com/observationlounge2/

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🔮 Trek Deck Tarot by: https://deosildesigns.com/

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and leave a comment—it helps more Trek fans discover the show!

🖖 Live Long and Prosper.

Falling smack in the middle of the Star Trek / Comedy / Musical theatre ven diagram, Khan!!! The Musical! feels like it was written just for us! We sit down with creator Brent Black to talk about the wild, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt journey of turning Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan into a stage musical. We get into the inspiration behind the show, the challenges of adapting Trek for the stage, the music, the comedy, and what it’s like taking one of fandom’s most legendary characters and making him sing!

🎭 Khan!!! The Musical! https://khanthemusical.com/
🖖 Hailing Frequencies Open — where queer, ridiculous, and thoughtful Trek conversations collide!

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Guest Info: Brent Black — https://brentalfloss.com

🖖 Live Long and Prosper.

What happens when Star Trek, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and unapologetic nerd culture collide? We sit down with Jonathan Lovitz from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to talk about the power of finding your community, why queer representation matters, and how fandom can help change the world. From Trek to identity to building spaces where everyone belongs, this is a conversation full of heart, hope, and plenty of geeky fun.

🚀 Join the HFO Community!

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🔮 Trek Deck Tarot by: https://deosildesigns.com/

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and leave a comment—it helps more Trek fans discover the show!

🖖 Live Long and Prosper.

"The Curtain Rises" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week on Hailing Frequencies Open, Mike, Damian, and Lanita are joined by @Zilatreks, a Star Trek content creator whose videos have entertained and connected fans across social media.

We talk about creating Trek content, navigating fandom online, favorite series and characters, the ever-growing Star Trek universe, and the community that keeps fans coming back for more. Along the way, we share plenty of laughs, geek out over all things Trek, and explore what makes this fandom so unique.

Whether you've been following @Zilatreks for years or are discovering her for the first time, this episode is a fun conversation celebrating the creativity and passion that make the Star Trek community thrive.

Be sure to follow @Zilatreks www.instagram.com/zilatreks

🚀 Join the HFO Community!

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☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/hailingfreqopen

📱 Follow HFO: https://linktr.ee/hailingfreqopen

🔮 Trek Deck Tarot by: https://deosildesigns.com/

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and leave a comment—it helps more Trek fans discover the show!

🖖 Live Long and Prosper.

"The Curtain Rises" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Brace yourselves—this one's going to start arguments.

Hosts Mike, Damian, and Lanita are joined by Nzinga, Leigh Ellen, and Sonyl to confess their biggest, boldest, and most controversial Star Trek opinions. From beloved captains and overrated series to unpopular character takes and fandom taboos, nothing is off-limits.

Will you agree? Will you rage in the comments? Either way, we want to hear your hottest Star Trek take!

🚀 Join the HFO Community!

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💬 Be part of the conversation on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/BqWVXXXdW6

☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/hailingfreqopen

📱 Follow HFO: https://linktr.ee/hailingfreqopen

🔮 Trek Deck Tarot by: https://deosildesigns.com/

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and leave a comment—it helps more Trek fans discover the show!

🖖 Live Long and Prosper.

"The Curtain Rises" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

As another year in the Final Frontier comes to a close, we're taking a moment to reflect on Star Trek in 2025—the highs, the surprises, the debates, and the moments that kept the fandom buzzing. From new episodes and familiar faces to the ever-evolving state of Trek on streaming, we look back at what worked, what challenged us, and what it all means for the franchise we love.

Then, we set our phasers to the future and talk about what's coming in 2026. What do we know, what are we hoping for, and what questions are still out there? Join us for a thoughtful, fun, and very Trek-loving conversation about where we've been—and where Star Trek boldly goes next.

If you enjoy the show and want to help keep us boldly going, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. Every contribution helps us continue creating thoughtful, independent Star Trek content for the community. 🖖 https://ko-fi.com/hailingfreqopen

"The Curtain Rises" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/