Earl Grey: A Star Trek The Next Generation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Earl Grey 63: Does Data Dream of Positronic Sheep Nov 25, 2014

Show notes

AI in the 24th Century.

Star Trek The Original Series is filled with the twenty-third century crew encountering robots, androids, and god-like computers. In the twenty-fourth century, artificial intelligence still surprises Starfleet's flagship, falling under the category of "new life and new civilizations."

In the episode of Earl Grey, Darren, Daniel, and Phillip discuss The Next Generation's episodes that feature Soong-type androids, Starfleet's computer systems (LCARS), holographic intelligence ("Elementary, Dear Data" and "Ship in a Bottle"), and machines that grow beyond their original programming ("Evolution" and "The Quality of Life"). What is the definition of life? How does artificial intelligence in TNG challenge that definition? Join us as we tackle these issues.

Hosts

Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, and Darren Moser

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producer

Will Nguyen

Chapters

Data: Encounter at Farpoint (00:03:09)

Lore: Brothers (00:06:45)

Lal: The Offspring (00:10:36)

The Computer: Emergence (00:17:00)

Minuet: 11001001 (00:25:51)

Moriarty: Ship in a Bottle (00:31:02)

Exocomps: Quality of Life (00:39:11)

Nanites: Evolution (00:44:31)

Closing (00:46:14)

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Earl Grey 62: Armrest Cheat Sheet Nov 18, 2014

Show notes

Season Four Overview.

Viewers flocked to the season-four premiere of The Next Generation to see if the Enterprise-D would survive the Borg attack and whether Locutus of Borg versus Captain William T. Riker would mean the end of Jean-Luc Picard. The rest of the season introduced the family members of our crew ("Family," "Brothers," "Reunion"), saw Chief O'Brien get married ("Data's Day"), and Wesley Crusher finally moved on from the Federation flagship ("Final Mission").

In this episode of Earl Grey, Daniel, Phillip, and Darren discuss the introduction of the Cardassians, the expansion of the Klingon civil war arc (featuring Daniel's favorite shadowy Romulan), and what episodes made us laugh, think, and cry the most during the season that fully established TNG as a Star Trek incarnation with its own identity and success.

Hosts

Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, and Darren Moser

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producer

Will Nguyen

Chapters

The Best of Both Worlds (2:03)

Family (5:51)

Passing TOS (11:03)

Family Season? (16:51)

Wesley Leaving (21:03)

O'Brien (30:25)

Highlights of Season Four (33:37)

Fun with Titles (38:58)

Q (44:20)

Final Thoughts (47:00)

Closing (52:03)

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Earl Grey 61: VISOR Infomercial Nov 11, 2014

Show notes

Lost Plotlines.

There are times when an episode of The Next Generation causes a viewer to ask, "Hey, whatever happened to…?" TNG is sometimes criticized as being too episodic compared to more modern television shows thanks to characters, guest stars, and plotlines that would be introduced and then promptly disappear.

In this episode of Earl Grey, Phillip, Daniel, and Darren explore these vanishing acts, from Dr. Pulaski telling La Forge that she could give him ocular implants in "Loud As a Whisper" to a conclusion for Commander Sela in "Redemption" and "Unification" to the destructive effects of warp travel in "Force of Nature." Join us as we imagine the storylines that could have been if followed up on in later TNG, DS9, or Voyager.

Hosts

Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, and Darren Moser

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producers

Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm

Chapters

Geordi's Sight (4:00)

Sela (9:40)

Ambassador Tomalak (15:40)

Wesley (17:20)

Jeremy Aster (19:05)

Bynars (20:52)

Tin Man (24:55)

Conspiracy (28:46)

Ship In a Bottle (36:00)

Warp Speed Limit (41:00)

Q (43:16)

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Earl Grey 60: Save the Stardate Nov 04, 2014

Show notes

The Worf-Dax TNG Wedding Invitations.

We all remember the big wedding in Star Trek: Nemesis that finally united two characters who we saw fall in love throughout the years on TNG. But we would have loved to see our beloved TNG crew attend Lt. Commander Worf's wedding years prior in the Deep Space Nine episode "You Are Cordially Invited." The real-life limitations of budget, an existing storyline, and actor availability kept our favorite Klingon's friends and family from attending the ceremony. Nevertheless, in this episode of Earl Grey, we discuss who should have been sent calligraphy-engraved PADDs inviting them to attack Worf with painsticks at his bachelor party. From Worf's adopted parents and brother, to his closest friends on the Enterprise-E, to other people he encountered while serving under Picard, Darren, Daniel, and Phillip arrange the seating at the wedding reception to include those who would have enjoyed being part of Worf and Jadzia Dax saying, "I do."

Hosts

Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, & Darren Moser

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producers

Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm

Chapters

The Setting (5:13)

Where Were the TNG crew? (9:38)

Captain Picard/Riker (10:05)

Mr. & Mrs. Rozhenko (16:46)

Nikolai Rozhenko (20:44)

Kurn (21:32)

Jeremy Aster (22:06)

Dr. Pulaski (23:08)

Guinan (23:53)

Data (28:26)

K'Ehleyr (30:43)

Crossover Conundrum (32:02)

Alexander (33:56)

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Twitter: @trekfm

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Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

Earl Grey 59: The B, C, & D Team Oct 30, 2014

Show notes

Casting TNG with Larry Nemecek.

The familiar credits roll during every episode of The Next Generation. But how did our favorite actors get these timeless roles? And how close did other actors come to crewing the first version of Star Trek to take place in the 24th century? In this episode of Earl Grey, "Dr Trek" himself, Larry Nemecek, joins us to discuss casting The Next Generation. Darren, Phillip, and Daniel talk about how important it was to get "famous" names in Trek's second televised live-action incarnation, where each of the actors were in their careers in the mid 1980s, and how close Wesley came to being "Leslie" Crusher. Larry also reveals what actors lost out in being cast in the main roles and in what subsequent episodes they appeared in as guests, as well as which actor ended up being cast in a main role in a later Star Trek series. Get your glossy headshots ready, break a leg, and join us in discussing the casting process on TNG.

Hosts

Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, & Darren Moser

Guests

Larry Nemecek

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producers

Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm

Chapters

Patrick Stewart (3:07)

LeVar Burton (10:17)

Marina Sirtis / Denise Crosby (18:30)

Phillip Returns (24:08)

Wil Wheaton (25:10)

Gates McFadden (29:28)

Runner-up Choices (31:40)

Jonathan Frakes (33:55)

Big Names (35:15)

Brent Spiner (38:25)

Michael Dorn (43:15)

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Twitter: @trekfm

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Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact

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Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

Earl Grey 58: Scarcity Scarcity Scarcity Oct 21, 2014

Show notes

Money.

There are many aspects of The Next Generation that put the "fiction" in "science fiction." One of those futuristic concepts that boggles the 21st-century viewer is imagining a world without money. What does it mean to live in a time when, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard explains in Star Trek: First Contact, "the acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives"? Does the existence of replicators and seemingly endless energy destroy any modern concept of economics?

In this episode of Earl Grey, Daniel, Darren, and Phillip attempt to suppress their Ferengi capitalistic instincts and try to explain how Federation society works without any identifiable currency. They also tackle how Starfleet exists in the same galaxy as other species who use latinum, leks, darseks, and other forms of money in their pursuit of trade agreements and resource exchange. Get your bitcoin account ready to accept Federation credits as Earl Grey tackles money—or the lack thereof—in the 24th century.

Hosts

Phillip Gilfus, Daniel Proulx, and Darren Moser

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producers

Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm

Chapters

Money in TOS-TNG (4:02)

Federation Interactions with Species with Currency (13:17)

Menial Jobs (16:09)

Why Work? (29:16)

No Personal Wealth (40:02)

Is This Possible? (45:20)

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Twitter: @trekfm

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Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

Earl Grey 57: Kindle Comes From the Nautical Term... Oct 14, 2014

Show notes

Ship of the Line Book Review.

The power of Star Trek novels is that they can fill in the gaps of time periods set between the television series and the feature films. Noted Star Trek author Diane Carey did this—and more—in her 1997 novel Ship of the Line. This story tells the complete tale of Captain Morgan Bateson and the crew of the U.S.S. Bozeman, first introduced in the TNG episode "Cause and Effect."

In this first ever book review episode of Earl Grey, Darren, Daniel, and Phillip travel through three time periods: The untold time between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; the events immediately following "Cause and Effect"; and what happened to the crew of the Enterprise-D after its destruction in Star Trek Generations. This book even briefly allows Jean-Luc Picard to observe the events in the TOS episodes "Balance of Terror" and "The Enemy Within." Old Klingon enemies, a familiar Cardassian interrogator, and Scotty, too, all make appearances in this literary adventure of The Next Generation crew that launches the maiden voyage of the NCC 1701-E.

Hosts

Phillip Gilfus, Daniel Proulx, and Darren Moser

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producers

Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm

Chapters

Perspective (3:20)

Plot 1: Morgan Bateson (21:13)

Plot 2: The Construction of the 1701-E (29:30)

Plot 3: Picard and the Medred Villages (48:33)

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Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

Earl Grey 56: The One Where Worf Goes to DS9 Oct 07, 2014

Show notes

Worf with The Orb.

The idea of a Klingon serving in Starfleet may have struck some fans as heresy when Worf debuted in the 1987 TNG pilot "Encounter at Farpoint." However, as the journey of this Klingon unfolded, he became a fan favorite. Over the seven seasons of The Next Generation, as well as the feature films, Lieutenant Worf took his place as tactical officer of the Enterprise-D and continued to struggle with his dual identities resulting from being a Klingon who was raised by humans. Whether discovering a long-lost brother, a long-lost son, or a long-lost Klingon homeworld (with its own political turmoil and machinations), Worf helped viewers explore Klingon culture and expanded on what knew about this "warrior race" during the Captain Kirk's time.

In order to better understand this vital character, we're joined in this episode of Earl Grey by Christopher Jones and Matthew Rushing, co-hosts of The Orb, to discuss the seeds of his story which continued on Deep Space Nine. So sharpen your teeth, grab your bat'leth, and join in the warrior fun.

Hosts

Phillip Gilfus, Daniel Proulx, and Darren Moser

Guests

Christopher Jones and Matthew Rushing

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producers

Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm

Chapters

Klingon on the Bridge?! (3:00)

Death of Tasha Yar (8:14)

A Good Day for Honor!....or not. (16:00)

Family Matters (24:20)

Connection to Picard (35:00)

Klingon Culture (42:15)

Worf in the Movies (49:13)

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Earl Grey 55: The Badmiral and the Fountain of Youth Sep 30, 2014

Show notes

Insurrection. Star Trek: Insurrection was released on December 11, 1998, and reactions from fans of The Next Generation have been divided ever since. The third movie in the TNG franchise, following the popular Star Trek: First Contact, has been described as feeling like an authentic episode from the television series, while other fans view it as one of the least successful films in all of the Star Trek film franchise.In this episode of Earl Grey, Phillip, Darren, and Daniel tackle the new technologies introduced in the film, the morality-play plot, and what their favorite crew should have been up to during the Dominion War. We also discuss whether the Troi/Riker relationship should have been advanced, if it made sense to have Worf in this outing, and why the Ba'ku seem to look exactly like humans. Feel the clock go backward, break out the mambo music, and come aboard the captain's yacht for the Earl Grey movie review of Star Trek: Insurrection. Hosts Phillip Gilfus, Daniel Proulx, and Darren Moser Editor and Producer Darren Moser Associate Producers Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm Chapters Worf Is Here (6:28) Everyone Else Is Here (10:39) New Technology (14:00) The Story (18:27) The Federation Council (25:00) Effects on the Crew (28:15) Staying Young (34:21) Final Thoughts (41:47) Support the Network! Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/ Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm

Earl Grey 54: The Mystic Portal Awaits Sep 23, 2014

Show notes

Schisms Commentary.

Click. Click. Click. Click. There are not many episodes of The Next Generation that are considered to be scary, but "Schisms" is an alien abduction story that brings to mind the tone of The X-Files or a horror movie. Darren Moser, Daniel Proulx, and Phillip Gilfus kick off their second year of Earl Grey by providing their own episode commentary for "Schisms," the fifth episode of Season Six. Listeners can follow along to the commentary by queuing up their TNG Blu-rays, DVDs, or episode streaming service, or simply listen to this episode as a standalone podcast. Join the Earl Grey trio as they help Will Riker fight insomnia, wonder about malfunctions in Data's vision, and discover the secret behind the TNG writers' room.

Hosts

Darren Moser, Daniel Proulx, & Phillip Gilfus

Editor and Producer

Darren Moser

Associate Producers

Become one! Support Trek.fm and Earl Grey at the $25/month level or higher! Visit patreon.com/trekfm

Send us your feedback!

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