Entertainment
The Star Trek Episode That Only Exists Because Of A Sex Joke
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Star Trek has, historically, had a complicated relationship with sex. On the one hand, Captain Kirk famously earned a reputation for sleeping with any woman (alien or otherwise) who gave him a second glance, and The Original Series set pop culture on fire with a sexy, dancing Orion slave girl. On the other hand, the sequel show, The Next Generation, was comparatively chaste: sex and even romance were relatively sparse, and Patrick Stewart went out of his way to beg writers to get Captain Picard active more often.
The pendulum had swung back the other way by the time Star Trek: Voyager came out. This is a show where revved-up Vulcans push mind melds, Captain Janeway bones a hologram, and Tom Paris has such loud relations with B’elanna Torres that the entire deck can hear it. Oh, and they tamed a female Borg and then made her wear a catsuit so tight even Kirk would blush. But that’s not the worst of it: you see, an entire Voyager episode was created because of a sex joke!
Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby!
The episode in question is “Elogium,” which has an A plot about tiny spacefaring organisms that glom onto the hull and start draining power from the ship’s systems. That’s bad enough, but their presence induces weird changes in Kes. Eventually, the Doctor discovers that these space critters have prematurely activated Kes’s mating cycle, something that wasn’t supposed to happen for another three or four years. Now, as Captain Janeway explores how to save her ship, Neelix and Kes must explore whether they are ready to have children.
During the Golden Age of Star Trek, freelancers and other fans were always encouraged to pitch stories and even send unsolicited scripts. The episode was originally pitched by both Steve J. Kay and Jimmy Diggs, the latter of whom was a Vietnam War veteran. The A Plot of “Elogium” was inspired by Diggs’ time in the Navy, when he was cleaning his vessel on a starless night. The darkness was only lit up by the ship’s own lights, which ended up attracting thousands of fish. The sight of these creatures really moved Diggs, who imagined the glittering fish as moving stars, illuminating his journey through the galaxy.
Captain, We’ve Lost Our Sex Appeal
Obviously, those fish inspired the space critters that are attracted to Voyager’s hull in “Elogium.” But the producers thought the episode still needed a B Plot, which is why Jeri Taylor pitched the idea of these interstellar creatures triggering Kes’s mating cycle. Diggs later confessed to The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine that Taylor’s idea caused him to make a spur-of-the-moment joke while pitching. “I said, when the crew discovers a way to rid themselves of the creatures and the beings eventually drift away from the vessel, Tuvok can say, ‘Captain, I believe that we’ve lost our sex appeal.”
According to Diggs, his joke amused Brannon Braga, who then said the “magic word” that every writer longs to hear: “sold.” Afterward, Diggs was understandably proud of his success, saying, “Star Trek bought my very first story because of that one, funny, tag line.” First is the keyword here, as Diggs went on to successfully pitch more Star Trek episodes than any other freelance writer in franchise history. This included “Doctor Bashir, I Presume,” which revealed that the titular physician had received Khan-like genetic augmentation. Diggs also pitched Voyager’s “The Omega Directive,” which would, decades later, inspire the galaxy-threatening plot of Starfleet Academy’s first season.
While Jimmy Diggs never became a major Hollywood writer outside of this franchise, he has the honor of pitching some of Star Trek’s coolest stories. He also had the dubious honor of cementing Voyager’s reputation as Trek’s horniest show. Sure, future shows would try to entice viewers with everything from Klingon boobies to erotic underwear massages. But only Voyager can boast that it created an entire episode thanks to someone’s well-timed sex joke.
Entertainment
The best Hulu deals and bundles in April 2026
HULU BUNDLES: Hulu is offering a range of bundle deals so you can stream from its impressive library without breaking the bank.
The best Hulu deals and bundles in April 2026:
There’s a wide range of excellent shows and films to watch on Hulu. From The Testaments to season two of Paradise, it’s a library that’s full of options to keep you entertained this spring.
If these have caught your eye and have you itching to sign up for Hulu, we’re here to help you get the best deal. Outside of the standard ad-supported and ad free plans, there are quite a few bundle deals available with Hulu that are worth exploring if you’re looking to save some cash. This includes the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max package.
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Below you can find details on Hulu’s best bundles at the moment — alongside information on both its ad-supported and ad free plans, if you just want the basics — offering you a way to save on the service right now.
Best Disney+ bundle deal
$12.99 per month with ads
Why we like it
For those interested in the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu Bundle, which sets you up with Disney+ alongside Hulu, it starts at $12.99 per month. If you’d prefer the Premium ad-free version of this plan, this jumps to $19.99 per month.
Best HBO Max bundle deal
$19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free
Why we like it
This is one of the best Hulu bundles available at the moment. Starting at $19.99 per month, this bundle grants you access to Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max’s streaming services for a much lower price than what you’d pay for the three of them separately. It’s an incredible deal to take advantage of, especially if you’ve already got Disney+ and HBO Max subscriptions. There are two plans to choose from with this bundle, and they are:
Best student deal
Hulu with ads for $1.99/month
Why we like it
If you’re a student enrolled at a university, you can score a Hulu (with ads) plan for even lower than the above bundles. Hulu’s Student Deal gives eligible college students the ability to buy a Hulu (with ads) plan for just $1.99 per month. Hulu notes that the deal lasts “so long as student enrollment status remains verified,” then it goes back up to the standard monthly price.
Best ESPN bundle deal
Why we like it
Alongside the big Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max bundle, Hulu also has plans for sports fans that throw in ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited. According to ESPN, “ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan. ESPN Unlimited includes all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+.”
The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle, which has ads, is available for $35.99 per month. The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited premium bundle without ads is available for $44.99 per month.
Mashable Deals
Hulu’s monthly plans
If you’re just looking to jump straight into Hulu’s library without any fancy bundles, there are a couple of subscription options to consider. The ad-supported tier comes in at $11.99 per month, but you’ll get your first month free, which is a great way to test the waters and see if it’s the right fit for you. If you want to go ad free, that’ll cost you $18.99 per month. Unfortunately, this plan does not offer a free trial like its ad-supported sibling.
If you really want to go big on a streaming investment, there’s the Hulu + Live TV plan. This costs a whopping $89.99 per month for its ad-supported plan, but comes with plenty to keep you busy. Hulu + Live TV (with ads) gets you access to 95+ channels, unlimited DVR, Disney+ (with ads), ESPN Select (with ads), and Hulu (with ads). If you want to go even bigger with the ad-free plan — which offers Hulu (no ads), Disney+ (no ads), and ESPN Select (with ads) alongside Live TV — it’ll cost you $99.99 per month. The ad-supported plan also offers a free trial, but for just three days instead.
Wondering what to watch once you get set up with a Hulu plan or bundle? We’re here to help with that as well. Have a look at our roundups of the 30 best comedies on Hulu, the 25 best sci-fi movies on Hulu, and the 26 best horror movies on Hulu to start building your watchlist. And if you’re in the mood to binge-watch a show, check out our breakdown of the 25 best shows on Hulu.
Entertainment
The DJI Mini 5 Pro drone is down to its record-low price at Amazon — save over $500 this weekend
SAVE $500: As of April 11, the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,089 at Amazon. That’s over $500 off the list price and the best-ever price at Amazon.
$1,099
at Amazon
$1,599
Save $500
The 2026 drone market is currently in a weird state of flux. Legislative pressure is mounting on DJI imports. We’ve moved past the phase of uncertainty into genuine panic buying before stock disappears for good.
Any sort of deal during this frantic period is very much welcome. Any sort of deal down to a record-low price cannot be ignored.
As of April 11, the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is down to $1,089 at Amazon — its all-time low and over $500 off the list price for a limited time.
Mashable Deals
The Mini 5 Pro remains the champion of the lightweight category. For creators, the one-inch CMOS sensor is the star of the show, delivering 4K HDR at 60fps that looks like it belongs on a cinema screen. The 360-degree Nightscape sensing maps obstacles in low light while the specialized Nighttime Return-to-Home ensures your investment doesn’t end up as a permanent resident of a neighbor’s tree.
Mashable Deals
We’ve monitored this price point across several sale cycles, and this looks like the floor. If you’re a content creator looking to future-proof your kit with a drone that doesn’t require a commercial pilot’s license, this is the deal to snipe before stock drops.
We’re not encouraging panic buying, but we do believe in tactical shopping — and there’s never been a better time to invest in this versatile drone.
Entertainment
T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to claim
TL;DR: Score a free iPhone 17e when signing up for a T-Mobile plan with no trade-in required. Alternatively, you can get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing up for an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible device.
In the mobile world, the word “free” is usually followed by a list of caveats that make you wish you never started looking for a deal. You usually need to sign up for the most expensive plan or trade-in a premium phone to get your hands on what you really want. But that’s not the case with the latest T-Mobile offer.
T-Mobile is offering a rare deal on the newly-released Apple iPhone 17e. For a limited time, you can pick up this A19-powered device for free by simply opening a new line.
You’ll need to activate a new line on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond or Experience More plans to get the iPhone 17e. The phone’s full retail price is covered via 24 monthly bill credits, and since you aren’t trading in your old phone, you can keep it as a backup, give it to a kid, or sell it on a third-party site to actually make money on this deal. We did say this was a rare opportunity to save.
Mashable’s Stan Shroeder got his hands on the iPhone 17e and said “The combination of having Apple’s latest chip and a decent amount of storage means this phone will be relevant for at least four to five years.” That’s an impressive lifespan for a budget-friendly phone, particularly when it’s free.
If you need something a little more powerful, you can also pick up the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing on for 24 months of an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible phone. That gets you unthrottled 5G data, 4K streaming, and enough international roaming for even the most adventurous of travellers.
Mashable Deals
It’s important to note that T-Mobile will charge taxes on these free deals and a $35 device connection fee. Is this really “free” when you need to sign up to something or pay an upfront fee? It’s a gray area, OK? We’re doing our best.
Score an iPhone 17 for free this weekend with T-Mobile.
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