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 intelligen...
Nov 25, 2014•53 min
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 G...
Nov 18, 2014•1 hr 2 min
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 Whisp...
Nov 11, 2014•58 min
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. N...
Nov 04, 2014•49 min
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...
Oct 30, 2014•1 hr 2 min
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 epis...
Oct 21, 2014•57 min
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 t...
Oct 14, 2014•1 hr 15 min
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. Whe...
Oct 07, 2014•1 hr 7 min
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 tech...
Sep 30, 2014•56 min
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, ...
Sep 23, 2014•56 min
Top Five Favorite Episodes.Whenever fans of The Next Generation gather together, there is an inevitable discussion about which are the best episodes. Earl Grey marks their one-year anniversary by discussing each of the co-hosts five personal favorite episodes. The discussion includes fan favorites such as "Tapestry," the two-parter "The Best of Both Worlds," and the series finale "All Good Things..." as well as "Family," "Gambit, Parts 1 & 2," and "Lower Decks." Daniel Proulx, Darren Moser, ...
Sep 16, 2014•1 hr 33 min
Romantic Guest Stars. Every Star Trek series features guest stars who provide romance for our favorite characters. In this episode of Earl Grey, we discuss the non-Picard romances from The Next Generation. Whether you wanted Suzie Plakson's K'Ehleyr to appear more or thought Data was everyone's "magical boyfriend," Phillip, Darren, and Daniel follow their hearts in analyzing this series's romances.
Sep 09, 2014•1 hr 17 min
Season Three Overview.The third season of TNG introduced uniform collars, a promoted La Forge, the last full season for Wesley, welcomed back Dr. Crusher, and ended on the greatest cliffhanger in Star Trek television history. In this episode of Earl Grey, Darren, Daniel, and Phillip discuss why Season Three is their collective favorite out of all seven years of the series, how most episodes introduced storylines that would continue throughout TNG's television run (in addition to other Trek serie...
Sep 01, 2014•1 hr 33 min
Klingons on TNG.From forehead ridges to bat'leths , from High Council politics to a Romulan-orchestrated civil war, the story of the Klingons was greatly expanded on The Next Generation . In this episode of Earl Grey , Daniel Proulx, Darren Moser, and Phillip Gilfus discuss how having a Klingon on the bridge led to a continuing exploration of the Klingon people and their society. We also examine reoccurring Klingon characters, story-lines, and what aspects of the Empire were expanded on in DS9, ...
Aug 26, 2014•1 hr 9 min
Is TNG a Children's Show?A lot of fans began their love of The Next Generation as children and continued their fandom into adulthood. In this episode of Earl Grey , Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx examine their TNG experiences as children versus as adults. Special guest Andi Vanderkolk, aka @FirstTimeTrek, provides a different perspective as someone who began watching the series as an adult. Join us as we find what aspects of TNG speak specifically to children and what concepts r...
Aug 18, 2014•1 hr 6 min
The Top 47 Things We Love About Trek, Part 2. The number 47 repeatedly comes up in The Next Generation, but since Star Trek is currently celebrating its 48th year, Earl Grey uses its 48th episode to continue our look at the 47 things we love about Trek. In part two of this round-robin discussion, Darren Moser, Daniel Proulx, and Phillip Gilfus complete their run through the 47 greatest aspects of Star Trek as they cover the role of female characters, specific episodes, the various series, ship m...
Aug 12, 2014•53 min
The Top 47 Things We Love About Trek, Part 1. Most fans are aware of the reoccurrence of the number 47 in TNG and subsequent Star Trek series. Join us as Earl Grey celebrates its 47th episode—and the larger "47 conspiracy"—by listing the 47 things we believe make Star Trek a great television and movie franchise as it approaches its half-century mark. Darren Moser, Daniel Proulx, and Phillip Gilfus deliver a round-robin discussion of philosophy, ships, episodes, costumes, and more as they explain...
Aug 05, 2014•1 hr 19 min
Most Forgettable TNG Episodes.Even the most die-hard TNG fan may have trouble remembering the storylines for all 178 episodes that span the seven season of the television show. A good, bad, or mediocre episode can still come as a complete surprise when one does a rewatch of the series. In this episode of Earl Grey , Daniel Proulx, Darren Moser, and Phillip Gilfus do a round-robin style listing of the episodes they can barely remember from The Next Generation . See if you remember these stories t...
Jul 29, 2014•47 min
Cardassians on TNG.Galor-class warships. The occupation of Bajor. The Demilitarized Zone. Marc Alaimo in the armor uniform. These aspects of the Cardassians are seen throughout Deep Space Nine, but they all originated on The Next Generation. In this week's episode of Earl Grey, Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx review all the TNG episodes featuring this species, how they rate as villains for the Enterprise-D crew, and whether the Cardassians stood on their own on TNG or were merely...
Jul 22, 2014•1 hr 5 min
Enterprise Ship Legacy List.The Next Generation's legacy is that, through individual television episodes and feature films, it "filled in" the history of ships named Enterprise. In this episode of Earl Grey, Darren Moser, Daniel Proulx, and Phillip Gilfus give their individual rankings of all the Enterprises that have been seen throughout the entire Star Trek franchise. We cover favorites, ones we didn't like, and which should have been left in dry dock permanently. See if the choices agree your...
Jul 15, 2014•1 hr 13 min
Lost Elements from TOS.How much changes in the Star Trek universe in 100 years? When The Next Generation first aired in 1987, viewers discovered a new Enterprise, a new crew, as well as writers and producers who wanted to "update" several aspects of The Original Series. In this episode of Earl Grey, Daniel Proulx, Darren Moser, and Phillip Gilfus discuss which elements from TOS were purposefully avoided, and whether it was a mistake to "reinvent" Star Trek too much or if it helped TNG create its...
Jul 08, 2014•1 hr 10 min
Uniforms & Wardrobe in TNGFans may debate how much the TNG crew evolved over their many missions, but there is no question that their uniforms evolved from the initial television pilot "Encounter at Farpoint" to the last feature film, Star Trek: Nemesis. From the four kinds of Starfleet uniforms worn by the 24th-century Enterprise officers and crew to the surprisingly skimpy and full-of-ruffles civilian clothes, Phillip Gilfus, Daniel Proulx, and Darren Moser discuss skants, dress uniforms, ...
Jul 01, 2014•1 hr 7 min
The 1701-E.Following the destruction of the NCC-1701-D in Star Trek Generations, a new starship Enterprise was commissioned for the crew of The Next Generation. Featured in the final three TNG films—First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis—the Enterprise-E differs greatly from its Galaxy-class predecessor in both size and appearance, inside and out. In this episode of Earl Grey, Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss the finer details of this Sovereign-class ship, including what...
Jun 24, 2014•1 hr 4 min
Guinan. During the TNG's second season, viewers were introduced to a new character who may have seemed more like the ship's counselor than Troi. Played by comedy superstar Whoopi Goldberg, the sage-like bartender Guinan provided the series with an outside perspective on Starfleet, the Enterprise , and our characters. In this episode of Earl Grey hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx talk all about Ten Forward and its insightful barkeep, who always has an ear to lend, and a pint t...
Jun 17, 2014•59 min
Pen Pals Commentary.The Prime Directive is a centerpiece of Star Trek storytelling, and in TNG's second season we get an early Prime Directive episode in "Pen Pals." A small girl on a dangerously volcanic planet contacts Data looking for help, and the crew must deal with the fallout of this unpredictable situation. In this episode of Earl Grey Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx bring you a commentary track for "Pen Pals" and discuss the many interesting ideas in this episode, which ...
Jun 10, 2014•1 hr 2 min
Divisional Shuffle.What would happen if our favorite TNG characters belonged to other divisions? What if Data worked in security? What if Picard manned the science station? What if Riker sat at tactical? In this episode of Earl Grey hosts Phillip GIlfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss what it might be like if our beloved Enterprise -D crew had their colors scrambled and danced the divisional shuffle. We touch on blue-shirt Picard from "Tapestry," Lieutenant Riker, and a technicolor Data...
Jun 02, 2014•1 hr 4 min
TNG Admirals.From the initial zoom in to Picard on the Enterprise to the final zoom out from the poker table, Star Trek: The Next Generation consistently had Starfleet admirals as recurring and influential characters. More often than not, these admirals were a thorn in the side of the Enterprise crew, sending Picard on questionable missions, making unreasonable scheduling requests, and even dragging Riker into a cover-up of illegal experiments. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Phillip Gilfus...
May 27, 2014•59 min
Picard's Romances.One of the first differences viewers noticed between Captain Picard and his legendary predecessor was his attitude towards love. While not as famous as Kirk's, Picard himself has an interesting and varied history with romance. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx talk all things love as it relates to Jean Luc Picard. From his early relationships before the show even started, in episodes like "Tapestry" and "We'll Always Have Paris...
May 20, 2014•1 hr 10 min
Saucer Separation One unique aspects of The Next Generation was a relic of The Original Series, though one we never saw. It was something Gene Roddenberry had wanted to show but couldn't—a separating ship. Finally, in TNG's pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint," we got to see just what it would look like for the Enterprise's saucer and hull to go their separate ways. In this episode of Earl Grey hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx talk about one ship becoming two. We cover all ...
May 13, 2014•57 min
Ferengi When The Next Generation premiered, many people were surprised to see a Klingon on the bridge of the Enterprise. With the Klingons no longer positioned as the enemy of the Federation, the writers had to bring in a new foe for the crew to battle. Thus the infamous Ferengi were born—and buried within a few short engagements. In this episode of Earl Grey, hew-mon hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx take a close look at the fearful Ferengi, from ships to lobes to laser whip...
May 06, 2014•1 hr
