3...2...1...Liftoff. We're rounding out this year's birthday episodes with one of Reid's favorite genres: space opera! With themes of language, sacrifice, and human connection, the backdrop of space provides a rich setting for us to play in.

Media discussed in this episode include:
- "Protostellar" by ninamonday (BTS RPF) — fanfiction
- "A Memory Called Empire" by Arkady Martine — novel
- "Project Hail Mary" — movie
- "The Deep Humanity of Project Hail Mary" by Rachel Kessler — essay on Reactor Mag