Conspiracy. Is it possible to follow the council given to not trust anyone? Isn't this the exact type of phrase given to breed mistrust? Friendship is built on trust and how can you take risks for your friends if you don't trust them? Picard takes a very calculated move to trust his crew and find evidence of this conspiracy within Starfleet Command. But his decisions nearly get his crew under the control of the alien invaders. In this episode of Earl Grey , host Amy Nelson with special guest Jus...
Jun 20, 2017•1 hr 2 min
The Drumhead. In any organization, it is good to fix what is broken. But what if nothing is broken and you are still looking for a problem? Captain Picard must find the saboteur after an explosion in engineering and information leaks to the Romulans. Starfleet sends in Admiral Satie to assist Picard. Her determination is relentless. She continues her search even after the resolution of the problems have been found and ends up calling Captain Picard a traitor to the Federation. In this episode of...
Jun 13, 2017•53 min
Ensign Ro. Ensign Ro Laren was introduced in season 5 of The Next Generation and was a recurring role until the end of the series. She came on in part to replace Wesley Crusher at the conn station, but also to be at odds with the main characters. Her character definitely pushed the envelope with each of the main characters and she proves to be an irreplaceable character. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Richard Marquez and Amy Nelson with special guest Justin Oser discuss Ensign Ro's charact...
Jun 06, 2017•1 hr 22 min
Parallels. The ideas of alternate timelines and multiverses are fantastically combined in "Parallels." Worf goes through a quantum fissure on his return from a bat'leth tournament causing him to quantum flux between several parallel universes. It is only through the matching of his RNA that allows him to be returned to his correct universe. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Richard Marquez, Lee Hutchison, and Amy Nelson discuss the seventh season episode "Parallels ." We identify the differen...
May 30, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Movie Trailer Reviews. The Star Trek franchise has both TV series and movies. With each movies comes great anticipation and furthers the story of our beloved crews. Standard Orbit has previously reviewed the movie trailers for Star Trek movies I - VII and for the reboot movies, which can be found here: http://trek.fm/standard-orbit/127, http://trek.fm/standard-orbit/128. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez, Lee Hutchison, and Amy Nelson discuss the movie trailers for Generations,...
May 23, 2017•1 hr
Spock's Brain vs Shades of Grey. "Spock's Brain" has gone down in history as one of the worst hours of genre television ever made, and one that Leonard Nimoy himself said was the first time he's ever felt embarrassed while playing the character. "Shades of Grey" is not that far behind as being considered one of the worst of TNG. The writing for both shows is lacking creativity and ingenuity as evidenced by the use of the word "brain" being said 37 times and a clip show that uses a flimsy medical...
May 16, 2017•49 min
Mental Health and Counselling. One of the stand out additions to the Enterprise-D bridge crew when Star Trek returned to television was a ships counsellor . The addition of a counsellor to the crew was a very bold step and reflected the attitudes of the 1980s towards therapy and sharing your feelings. Did The Next Generation's use of a counsellor and episodes tackling mental health help tackle the taboo of discussing mental health? Or did the use of Guinan as a confidenant with a cocktail reflec...
May 09, 2017•1 hr 17 min
Picard as Captain. Leadership styles come in many different forms and types and each captain adds their own flare to this job. So, how does Captain Picard rate? He tends to be more distant and professional until the very last episode when he joins the crew for a game of poker. However, we learn more about Picard's hobbies, talents and interests than we do the other captains. But, does this make him more personable or relatable? Picard pushes his crew to be their best, yet is this his only respon...
May 02, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Unsung Episodes: Season 3. Every season of The Next Generation has episodes that get overlooked or ignored. Well, not here and not today. Most fans will quickly identify "Who Watches the Watchers," "Yesterday's Enterprise," and "Best of Both Worlds Part I" as being their favorite episodes from season three. So, if we set those episodes aside, which other episodes should we celebrate and recognize from this season? In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Lee Hutchiso...
Apr 25, 2017•51 min
The Game. Most kids can relate to having favorite video games and playing these games for hours on end. It is easy to spend days and weeks trying to beat the game and take it to its end when you are young and have few responsibilities. However in this episode of "The Game," this premise is twisted around so the adults are chronically playing the game while Wesley is left to figure out why. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez and Amy Nelson with special guest Bruce Gibson from Lit...
Apr 18, 2017•1 hr
Mix-n-Match. The Next Generation has some amazing stories within its seven season run, but how would those stories look had they been on a different series? From Captain Archer to The Doctor, we explore how different characters would interact within a TNG episode and storyline. This thought experiment gets your hosts' creative juices flowing! In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Richard Marquez, Lee Hutchison, and Amy Nelson combine different crews into TNG episodes . The stories remain the same...
Apr 11, 2017•41 min
Nemesis. Exhibit A: Star Trek Nemesis has its claim to fame for being the worst performing movie of the franchise with a mere $67 million in box office sales. Exhibit B: B4 is yet another family member for Data; haven't we seen this before? Exhibit C: Photo of bald Shinzon/Picard from his days in Starfleet Academy. This mountain of evidence is more than enough for many fans to despise this movie. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Lee Hutchison, Richard Marquez, and Amy Nelson will hold Nemesi...
Apr 04, 2017•1 hr 4 min
With the launch and recent attention of Star Trek: Deep Space 9, the writers wanted to send a message that this show, The Next Generation , was alive and well and continuing to grow. So season 5 ended with a cliffhanger to prove this point. "Time's Arrow, Part II" was Emmy nominated for outstanding sound editing and received the Emmy Award for outstanding costume design and for outstanding hairstyling for a series in 1993. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Richard Marquez and Amy Nelson are j...
Mar 28, 2017•59 min
Star Trek Tech. Currently in the 21st century, the doubling of computer processing speed every 18 months, known as Moore's Law, is just one manifestation of the greater trend that all technological change occurs at an exponential rate. If we continue at with this same growth rate, we just might realize some of the amazing technology found in the 24th century such as androids, replicators, and interstellar travel. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez, Amy Nelson, and Lee Hutchison ...
Mar 21, 2017•1 hr
Unsung Episodes: Season 2. Every season of The Next Generation has episodes that get overlooked or ignored. Well, not here and not today. Most fans will quickly identify "The Measure of a Man" as being their favorite episode from season two. So, if we set that one aside, which other episodes should we celebrate and recognize from this season? In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Lee Hutchison list their three unsung episodes from season two. Each host puts up a go...
Mar 14, 2017•45 min
Star Trek in the UK. Growing up in the U.K. as a Star Trek fan has its challenges from viewing the television show behind schedule from the United States to product placement within the department stores. Currently, viewing Star Trek is a lot easier than it was back when The Next Generation aired for the first time. Join us in a delightful conversation on the struggles of what it was like to be a Star Trek fan in the early 1990s. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Lee Hutchison, Richard Marque...
Mar 07, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Interview with Morgan Gendel. Before The Next Generation's episode "The Inner Light," the only Star Trek episode to be awarded a Hugo award was the original series episode "City on the Edge of Forever." Join us as we talk to Morgan Gendel about what it was like to write episodes of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. In this episode of Earl Grey, Richard Marquez interviews Morgan Gendel about his Hugo Award, writing "The Inner Light," and other Star Trek episodes. Chapters Intro (00:00:40) ...
Feb 28, 2017•43 min
Uniforms and Costumes. The Next Generation gives us with a very detailed look at fashion for its time. Not only do we see the dress for those serving in the Federation but of other planets and species. The use of red, blue and yellow in Star Trek uniforms mirror the US Navy's use of color to specify different responsibilities and tasks performed on an aircraft carrier. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Richard Marquez, Lee Hutchison, and Amy Nelson discuss uniforms and costumes seen in the 24...
Feb 21, 2017•1 hr 2 min
Star Trek is known for making forward thinking and social commentaries on today's issues. "The Outcast" is no exception. In The Next Generation's fifth season, we experience first hand the writers' take on gender issues and equality. These issues are just as relevant today as they were in 1992. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Lee Hutchison, Richard Marquez, and Amy Nelson discuss the J'naii, an androgynous race. The J'naii consider identifying as male or female as a sickness and as such, mus...
Feb 14, 2017•1 hr 10 min
The Road to Voyager. The 24th century begins with The Next Generation and continues through Voyager . As an audience, we see particular themes, characters and species introduced in The Next Generation and continued in the other Star Trek series. In this episode of Earl Grey , hosts Richard Marquez and Amy Nelson discuss how Voyager continues the Borg and Q stories, how the Maquis and Cardassian conflict started and paralleled the conflict on Dorvan V, and if there were any missed crossover oppor...
Feb 07, 2017•1 hr
Tin Man. Based on the 1976 short story “Tin Woodman” by Dennis Russell Bailey and David Bischoff, “Tin Man” was the first episode of The Next Generation that Earl Grey co-host Richard Marquez saw, and it is what launched his Star Trek fandom. Originally published in Amazing Science Fiction Stories and later as a novel in 1979, the original “Tin Woodman” story was nominated for a Nebula Award in 1977. Bailey and Bischoff are also credited with writing the TNG episode. In this episode of Earl Grey...
Jan 31, 2017•34 min
Earl Grey 162: Grr... Yeah Recast TNG. James T. Kirk and Spock are arguably the most beloved and well-known characters in Star Trek. With the newest movies released, does one prefer William Shatner over Chris Pine or Leonard Nimoy over Zachary Quinto? What will happen if we reboot The Next Generation? As it stands now, Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner are the names associated with Jean-Luc Picard and Data, respectively. But, who would play these characters now? In this episode of Earl Grey, host...
Jan 24, 2017•42 min
Unsung Episodes: Season 1. Every season of The Next Generation has episodes that get overlooked or ignored. Well, not here and not today. Most fans will quickly identify "Encounter at Farpoint" as being their favorite episode from season one. So, if we set that one aside, which other episodes should we celebrate and recognize from this introductory season? In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Lee Hutchison, Richard Marquez, and Amy Nelson list their three unsung episodes from season one. Each hos...
Jan 17, 2017•58 min
TNG 30th Anniversary. The first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation aired on September 28, 1987. Still today, we are watching, enjoying, and discussing this incredible story—and after thirty years, we do it through rose-colored glasses. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Lee Hutchison, Richard Marquez, and Amy Nelson discuss possible future episode ideas and share our hope for this podcast. Hear Lee’s behind-the-scenes wishes, Richard’s hope to travel and meet the cast of TNG and other ho...
Jan 10, 2017•14 min
Q&A Session. As the holiday season comes to a close, we have a special gift for you: a chance to unwrap the new hosts of Earl Grey. We are more than just pretty paper and ribbons; we have a great passion for The Next Generation and Star Trek as a whole. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Lee Hutchison, Richard Marquez, and Amy Nelson open themselves up to questions posed in The Babel Conference, our listeners group on Facebook. How would we handle a reboot? What are our top three episodes? ...
Jan 03, 2017•42 min
The Road to Deep Space Nine. By the time The Next Generation entered its fifth season, the series was enjoying such amazing success and popularity that the studio decided it was time for a third dip into the Star Trek well, and Deep Space Nine went into production in 1992. But what would this new show be about? Which characters would carry over? What species would be highlighted and developed further? The answers would come from specific episodes of The Next Generation. In this episode of Earl G...
Dec 27, 2016•45 min
New Crew Introductions. Earl Grey has enjoyed 155 episodes with Daniel, Darren and Phillip. We encourage everyone to listen to the amazing work these three have contributed to Star Trek fandom. We are indebted to them and thank them. We have a feeling of great joy and gratitude. Star Trek is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, but our new hosts aren’t that old. So how did our new crew come to know Star Trek? How did our new crew come to love The Next Generation ? In this episode, you wil...
Dec 20, 2016•53 min
The 24th Century Utopia. Star Trek has been described as a show about a utopian future; but only The Next Generation really showcased this vision. The Original Series showed the Federation fighting many battles with the Klingons, Deep Space Nine brought war and an undermining of Federation principles by Section 31, Voyager had terrorists serving on the crew, and Enterprise found early explorers struggling with morality. During The Next Generation , it truly was peace time and the Federation and ...
Dec 13, 2016•55 min
First Contact Retrospective. In 1996, Star Trek was celebrating its 30th anniversary, and the biggest event of that year was the release of First Contact . Through the big screen success of Star Trek Generations , the cast of The Next Generation proved it could carry a blockbuster movie. A sequel was guaranteed. With a brand new Enterprise , new uniforms, a bigger budget, and the Borg, anticipation for First Contact was at fever pitch. In this episode of Earl Grey , new hosts Amy Nelson, Richard...
Dec 06, 2016•1 hr 6 min
Crew Finale. "The trial never ended, captain. We never reached a verdict. But now we have. You're guilty." Daniel Proulx, Darren Moser, and Phillip Gilfus stood, provisionally, as representatives of Star Trek: The Next Generation fans for three years - never missing a week of giving testimony and evidence in defense of their favorite Star Trek series. But they now stand before Q one last time to receive their final verdict. The trio ends their time on Earl Grey in this episode - remembering thei...
Aug 23, 2016•1 hr 54 min
