M: Within the last month, there was a podcast about the guy who did the majority of our research into snack foods and the satisfaction point of various things and is kind of responsible for the development of Cheetos, even if it's just indirectly. And I found it interesting because it was talking about protein and how meat is basically a lot easier to feel satisfied by. Would you be able to find the podcast? If I had to guess, it's somewhere in the Stuff You Should Know catalog. It may be one of the shorts.

G: I think I found exactly what you were referring to—it's indeed a “Short Stuff” episode from Stuff You Should Know, titled “Short Stuff: Bliss Point”, and it was released within the last month (specifically on July 30, 2025) citeturn0search2.

In this short episode, they explain that even a modest protein content—about 14 percent—can make you feel satisfied much faster, which is why high-protein diets are often recommended citeturn0search2. They also cover how many snacks are intentionally engineered to hit a “bliss point” through combinations of fat, sugar, and salt that override natural satiety signals—protein, by contrast, tends to naturally curb appetite faster citeturn0search2.

While that episode doesn’t specifically name the person responsible for research into snack palatability or the development of Cheetos, it clearly aligns with what you recall—discussing snack satisfaction, protein’s satiating effect, and bliss point design. It also falls under the “Short Stuff” category of SYSK, just as you suspected.

Would you like help locating the full episode transcript, or details on where it's available to listen?

G: You’re not crazy 😅—your memory has some grounding. While Kirk never busts out a lucha-libre textbook Hurricanrana, he did have a signature fighting style that fans jokingly call “Kirk Fu.”

That includes:

Flying dropkicks (usually two-footed, straight into someone’s chest).
Overhead shoulder flips where he’d grab an enemy, leap, and roll them over.
Hip-throws and scissor-like leg moves—in some episodes he wraps his legs around an opponent’s torso or head to flip them, which really does look like a proto-wrestling maneuver.

The moment that probably triggered your “Hurricanrana” memory is in “Arena” (Season 1, Episode 18), the Gorn fight. Kirk vaults, leaps, and body-twists in a way that’s not far from a Hurricanrana if you squint. Another good candidate is “Gamesters of Triskelion” (Season 2, Episode 16), where Kirk fights with gladiators and does a very acrobatic leg-grab and throw.

So: not an exact Hurricanrana, but definitely Kirk Fu’s precursor version—a pop-culture ancestor of flashy wrestling throws. It’s become a running joke in Trek fandom that William Shatner invented “space lucha.”

Would you like me to pull together a list of the most Kirk-Fu-heavy episodes so you could skim and find the exact throw you’re remembering?

G: You're not crazy—and your memory is sharper than you might think! The scene you’re recalling is from the classic episode “Journey to Babel” (Season 2, Episode 15 of The Original Series). In it, Kirk has a fierce tussle with the Andorian delegate Thelev in one of the Enterprise corridors—not in an open arena—and it features exactly that kind of kinetic, acrobatic wall-based move that could easily evoke the feel of a proto-Hurricanrana.citeturn1search0turn1search1

Here’s what happens in brief:

Kirk is stabbed by Thelev and, in the fray, subdues him in the corridor outside his quarters. The battle includes Kirk pushing off the walls and even launching at Thelev to deliver a dual-footed kick—yes, that very move people sometimes liken to an off-the-wall reversal or early wrestling maneuver.citeturn1search1turn1search3
Fans and official sources (like StarTrek.com) highlight this corridor melee as one of Kirk’s most memorable “Kirk Fu” moments, noting especially how he uses the walls dynamically during the fight.citeturn1search0

So what you remembered—Kirk hooking the guy and kind of falling or flipping off the wall—is spot-on. While it’s not technically a Hurricanrana, the visual feels very much like one.

Would you like me to find a clip of that fight or point you to where you can stream the episode?

G: Here’s a clip that perfectly fits what you described—a dynamic fight in a corridor where Captain Kirk takes on the Andorian assassin, Thelev, in “Journey to Babel” (Season 2, Episode 10):

videoStar Trek – Kirk's Fight With an Andorian Imposter (Journey to Babel)turn1search0

This clip showcases Kirk using the walls to leverage himself in combat—running, jumping, and possibly hooking Thelev in a way that echoes the acrobatic ingress of a Hurricanrana. It aligns closely with your memory of Kirk hanging onto the wall and flipping through the legs of his opponent.

Why it matches your recollection:

The fight occurs in a narrow corridor (not an arena or open space), just outside Kirk’s quarters.citeturn0search3turn1search4
The move you recalled—using the wall as momentum and throwing Thelev over or through the legs—is exactly the kind of dynamic move that has fans discussing it as a proto-Hurricanrana.citeturn1search13turn1search4

Let me know if you’d like help locating the streaming platform to watch the full episode or maybe finding a transcript of that scene!

G: I wasn’t able to find a scene involving Captain Kirk interacting with a mesh wall or cage-like structure, especially one with red lighting, in The Original Series. The classic episodes with strong “Kirk Fu” moments don’t match your description exactly—but here are the closest possibilities that come to mind:

Possible Matches & Why They Don’t Quite Align:

“Space Seed” (TOS, Season 1, Episode 22): Kirk does engage Khan in hand-to-hand combat, including a moment where he wraps his legs around Khan’s neck, reminiscent of a grappling moveciteturn0search5turn0search6. However, this takes place in an open room—not against any mesh wall or red-tinged structure.
“Journey to Babel” (TOS, Season 2, Episode 15): The corridor fight with the Andorian Thelev is memorable for its acrobatic moves, including wall-based techniquesciteturn0search11. Still, the setting lacks mesh or cage panels and doesn’t have red tones.
Other classic “Kirk vs. opponent” fights like in “Arena” (Gorn), “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, or “Shore Leave” feature iconic violence, but none of them involve mesh or a red-lit enclosureciteturn0search5turn0search16.

What You Remember Might Be Either:

A non-TOS episode with metallic or industrial set design—possibly from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, or one of the movies—featuring mesh panels or red lighting.
A stylized or enhanced digital effect from a remastered or fan-edited version of The Original Series.
A memory blending multiple scenes or aesthetic elements from different Trek installments.

Next Steps — Let’s Pin It Down Together:

Could any of these help narrow it down?

Series or Era: Might it be from TNG, DS9, Voyager, or one of the films?
Character & Opponent: Was it definitely Kirk vs. a humanoid, or possibly a fight with icluding security fencing, holographic structures, or combat suits?
Setting Details: Was it aboard the Enterprise, in an alien facility, or on a planet? Any other visuals—like smoke, sparks, or glowing panels?

Let me know any extra detail you recall—even tiny ones—and I’ll dig deeper.

M: It certainly was a classic episode. If you can find a clip of when he goes after Khan in episode 22, like you said, that might be it. It's possible that it wasn't Kirk, but I doubt it. The problem here is that the thing I remember most clearly is saying to myself, holy shit, Kirk just did a Hurricanrana. I was only half paying attention to it at that point, so the details really didn't register. In fact, the way that I said it, it's entirely possible that I just said, holy shit, he just did a Hurricanrana. The point being, it could have been Scotty or someone like that, although, given the nature of the show, I don't see that happening without involving Shatner.

G: [Non-text content: thoughts; content_type=thoughts]

G: [Non-text content: reasoning_recap; content_type=reasoning_recap]

G: You’re remembering “Space Seed” (TOS S1E22)—the engineering-room brawl with Khan. Kirk climbs/leans on the metal grating (“fence”) and does a neck-scissor wrap that reads like a proto-hurricanrana.

Clips:

Official StarTrek.com clip — Kirk vs. Khan (Space Seed). citeturn0search3
YouTube cut — Star Trek – Kirk vs. Khan. citeturn0search0
Alternate YouTube cut — Kirk Vs Khan (TOS). citeturn0search1

Why this fits your mesh/red memory: StarTrek.com’s own roundup describes this fight as Kirk “clinging to a fence” and wrapping his legs around Khan’s neck, exactly the visual you recalled. citeturn0search5

If you want a fun confirmation from outside sources, WatchMojo even labels the move the “Kirk Scissor Choke” from Space Seed. citeturn0search13

G: Yes — you nailed the instinct. What Kirk does against Khan in “Space Seed” is in the Hurricanrana family, but with a different finish.

In pro-wrestling terms, the closest equivalents are:

Headscissors takedown → the umbrella move: leap up, wrap the legs around the opponent’s head/neck, and use body weight/torque to flip or pull them over.
Tilt-a-whirl headscissors → often done with rotation off momentum, which visually resembles Kirk twisting off the mesh wall.
Side headscissors takeover → rather than flipping backward (as in the classic lucha Hurricanrana), Kirk drops sideways, dragging Khan down with him.

So what Shatner does isn’t a textbook Hurricanrana (no back-bump and roll-through pin attempt), but it’s absolutely a headscissors takeover, and fans wouldn’t be wrong to call it a proto-rana. In fact, the way he rolls off to the side instead of through the legs is basically a lucha headscissors without the pinning finish.

That’s why when you said “holy shit, a Hurricanrana,” your brain was dead-on — it is the same family tree, just an early TV stunt-fight variant.