Earl Grey: A Star Trek The Next Generation Podcast

Wesley Crusher. There are few characters on The Next Generation as "debated" as Wesley Crusher. Often criticized for simultaneously filling the young child role and super genius, many people found the character tough to accept. On this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx delve into the character to see what they like, hate, and tolerate. From his pre-Starfleet days, to his numerous attempts at joining the academy, all the way to Star Trek Nemesis. So join us for this wunderkind-sized cup of Earl Grey!

The Seven/Seven Challenge. In each of season of The Next Generation, there are naturally community and fan favorites. In this week’s episode of Earl Grey, our hosts are given the challenge of choosing just a single episode—the one and only story they can’t live without—from each of TNG's seven seasons. Join hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx as they try their best to boil down each season into one forty-minute episode. If you could only choose one episode per season, which would it be?

Season Two Overview. After the first season of The Next Generation premiered, it become clear that the show was successful enough to warrant further seasons. After dealing with cast changes, a writers' strike, and a now-famous beard, Season Two is a bit of an anomaly within TNG. In this episode of Earl Grey hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss their favorite and least favorite episodes, character changes, and even the infamous "Shades of Grey" clip show.

The Prime Directive. One of the threads that is common to all Star Trek series is how we deal with the various species we encounter. Star Trek tried to address this through the Prime Directive, a rule that has served as the basis for countless stories over the years. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss how Starfleet's General Order 1 is handled on The Next Generation. From "Justice" to "Who Watches the Watchers," we explore what works and what doesn't. Do we agree with the actions of the characters in these episodes? Is it consistent with how the Prime Directive is normally portrayed? Join us and see if you agree.

Ships of TNG, Part 2. The Next Generation introduced us to many ship designs that would be used in Star Trek for years to come. In this episode of Earl Grey, Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx bring you the second installment in our Ships of the Line series, TNG Edition. From Ferengi Marauders to Romulan Warbirds to Borg Cubes—and everything in between—we discuss the important alien ship designs that were encountered by Picard's Enterprise.

All Good Things… It's the episode that was the ultimate sign-off for a show that grew from an iffy proposition that no one thought would succeed to one of the most influential dramas—science fiction or otherwise—of its time. "All Good Things…" brought the TNG story full circle by tying everything back to the pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint." In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss "All Good Things…" and how the series changed throughout the seven seasons of the show. We take a trip through time with the characters from before "Farpoint," past Voyager and beyond to find out what we enjoyed and what didn't work quite so well.

Geordi La Forge. In the first season of The Next Generation, we came to know a wise-cracking blind pilot named Geordi. But over the course of seven seasons he became much, much more than just a guy at the helm. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss the man who would finally stop the Enterprise-D's revolving door of chief engineers. We take a look at Geordi La Forge's career in Starfleet—from gold to red—as well as his VISOR and cybernetic enhancements, his strikeouts with the ladies, and more.

Encounter at Farpoint. After a 20-year absence on the small screen, Star Trek returned in 1987 with the two-hour pilot "Encounter at Farpoint." Though it was a drastic shift from what we had seen on TOS, it is often considered a weak pilot. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss Farpoint, what it establishes properly in-universe, as well as its shortcoming and our ideas to make it better. So join us as we sip that very first cup of Earl Grey.

Hollow Pursuits Commentary. Cliff Bole was one of the most prolific contributors to The Next Generation, having directed 25 episodes of the series. His recent passing is a great loss to the franchise, and in this episode of Earl Grey we take a moment to recognize his work through a commentary for "Hollow Pursuits." Join hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx as they take you through the very first appearance of Barclay, which is also one of Cliff Bole's finest moments on TNG.

Q. From the very first episode of The Next Generation to the very last, we were periodically visited by a very interesting character—the omnipotent Q. In a special episode of Earl Grey, Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx are joined by fellow Trek.fm hosts Tristan Riddell and Charlynn Schmiedt of To The Journey to discuss all things Q. We delve into the character as a villain vs. companion, his relationships with the crew, and our favorite Q moments. So join us for this excellent cup of Earl Grey with two scoops of To The Journey.

First Contact. After the release of Generations, TNG fans got their next dose of big screen adventure in 1996's First Contact. With an all new ship and uniforms, the crew is once again faced with an invasion by their biggest foe. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss this heavily praised film. From the Enterprise-E and Zefram Cochrane to the Borg and beyond. Prepare to be assimilated!

TNG Reboot. While Star Trek fans eagerly await the franchise's return to the small screen, some have suggested this take the form of a Next Generation reboot. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss what a TNG reboot might look like. Should it be Prime Universe or Abramsverse? Should it take on a more serialized format? What are some of the possible storylines? We discuss all of these questions and more to decide wether or not we think a TNG reboot is a good idea. Oh… and what about casting?! 

Civilians. Throughout The Next Generation, we were occasionally introduced to characters who were not among Starfleet's best and brightest. These were average people who were onboard in some occupation not requiring graduation from the Academy, or who were brought onboard for an adventure. The civilians on The Next Generation are often overlooked characters, but in this episode of Earl Grey Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss the bartenders and barbers, the teachers and passengers, and all of the other people we see who aren't wearing red, blue, or gold.

The Borg. First introduced in the second-season episode "Q Who", the Borg grew to become one of Star Trek's scariest and most important villains. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx talk about the Borg as portrayed on The Next Generation. We discuss how they evolved over the course of the series, the changes that took place, and compare how they were used on Voyager. We also explore various episodes that deal with development of the Borg as a credible—and maybe not always so credible—threat. So prepare to be assimilated!

William T. Riker. Commander Riker went through a long and interesting development process, from the beardless version in Season One all the way through to captain of the Titan at the end of Nemesis. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss the 24th-century ladies’ man and all around charming second-in-command, William T. Riker. From relationships to career aspirations and pitfalls, we discuss all aspects of the character. We also consider his future, and find out just what it is about him that we all like so much.

Season One Recap. Season One of The Next Generation is frequently maligned and considered inferior to most of Trek. However, not all is bad and in this episode of Earl Grey hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx talk about a few episodes that go against the preconceived notions of the first season. From “Where No One Has Gone Before” all the way through the penultimate episode “Conspiracy” and a few in between, the crew discusses some of the highlights of Season One and what makes some of the season not only worth watching, but a vital piece of Star Trek.

Missing 24th-century Technology. When creating the technology used in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the creators had impressively good vision of what the future might bring. They were not perfect, however, and on this episode of Earl Grey hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss the tech that seems to be missing—or at least used sparingly—in the 24th century. We take a look at more than a dozen types of technology ranging from seat belts to hypospray guns and more!

TNG Philosophy. The Next Generation took a lot from The Original Series—including the general outlook and philosophy of the show. As TNG grew from its initial conception, it gradually evolved a unique identity and started exploring issues all its own. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx talk TNG philosophy. What has changed since TOS? How is “the Roddenberry Vision” represented? We debate these questions and more to decide whether or not TNG represents an accurate vision of the future.

Star Trek Generations with Standard Orbit. In this special episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser and Daniel Proulx are joined by the crew of Standard Orbit—Mike Schindler and Drew Stewart—for a special holiday analysis of Star Trek Generations. Continuing on from Part I of our discussion on Standard Orbit, the super-sized crew looks at the remainder of Generations from a TNG perspective including Kirk vs. Picard, Data’s character development, the Christmas scene, and much more. So join in as the two crews come together for the first time and make an episode to cross the generations.

Ships of TNG. The Next Generation brought us a variety of ship designs. From the workhorse of the fleet—the Excelsior class—to our beloved Galaxy class, all the way through to something radically different like the Olympic class, these ships were used for different purposes and expanded the Star Trek universe. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx discuss a few of the ship designs that we saw throughout the series, the positives and negatives of each, and ship design in Star Trek in general.