110: Boys with Toys

Primitive Culture: A Star Trek History and Culture Podcast

James Bond and Julian Bashir. Not many film franchises can boast 25 installments over the course of more than half a century, so for sheer longevity the James Bond cinematic franchise certainly gives Star Trek a run for its money. In some ways, the old-fashioned brutal masculine ethos of Bond feels very much out of place in the utopian Trek future, and yet both are properties forged in the cultural crucible of the 1960s that have been forced to reinvent themselves with every passing generation.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Carlos Miranda for a trip to the Double-Oh Heaven of Julian Bashir’s favorite spy holoprogram. We consider the lasting influence of “Our Man Bashir”—not just on the good doctor’s story arc but on the shape of Deep Space Nine as a whole— and try to answer the thorny question of what our fantasy lives have to say about our innermost character. We also ponder whether Commander Bond of M16 would feel more at home in Starfleet or the Obsidian Order. Host Duncan Barrett Guest Carlos Miranda Production Duncan Barrett (Editor, Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)