"Schisms." 
  
Insomnia. Disturbing memories. Mysterious disappearances. Creepy aliens. The sixth season episode "Schisms" is a frightening hour of television that taps into the fear of being abducted for experimentation by aliens that we're unable to understand. 

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson and Justin Oser are joined by guest Clara Cook of Primitive Culture to discuss both the scary and the surprisingly funny parts of the episode "Schisms." From Riker's insomnia and bedhead to the creepy holodeck scene to alien clicking sounds to Data's hilariously dry poetry, we talk about what intrigues us about the episode and the many questions that it brings up.

Chapters 
Intro (00:01:13)  

Babel Conference Feedback (00:02:18)  

Clara Intro (00:05:42)  

Schisms (00:08:30)  

Troy’s Suggestion? (00:13:20)  

Subspace Messages (00:25:00)  

Data Poetry (00:28:30)  

Secondary Characters (00:42:10)  

The Ending (00:48:50)  

Pillow Talk (00:56:48)  

Final Thoughts (00:58:43)  

Closing (01:02:41)  

 

Runtime 1 hour 8 minutes 40 seconds
 
Hosts
Amy Nelson, Justin Oser

Guest
Clara Cook
 
Production
Richard Marquez (Editor and Producer) Justin Oser (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Dwight Schultz Interview.
 
Lieutenant Reginald Barclay, played by Dwight Schultz, is well-known for being shy and struggling with addiction to the holodeck, but he also had the technical knowledge and ability to think outside the box that could be used to save the day. Dwight Schultz appeared as the popular and unforgettable Lieutenant Barclay over the course of 11 years in 5 episodes of The Next Generation, the movie First Contact, and 6 episodes of Voyager. 

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Justin Oser, Amy Nelson, and Richard Marquez interview actor Dwight Schultz about his role as Lieutenant Barclay on The Next Generation and Voyager. The discussion includes talking about his longtime Star Trek fandom, sharing fascinating and funny behind-the-scenes stories about working in Star Trek and on The A-Team, and the inspiration that the character of Lieutenant Barclay continues to provide to many Star Trek fans 28 years after his first appearance in "Hollow Pursuits."

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00) 
Babel Conference Feedback (00:01:44)   
Welcome, Dwight! (00:06:14)    
Watching TV and Movies as a Child (00:06:52)   
Always a Star Trek Fan (00:09:51)   
Playing Barclay (00:11:39)   
Favorite Barclay TNG Episode (00:15:25)    
Working on the TNG Set (00:18:14)  
Barclay as an Inspiration (00:20:04)  
The Character's Popularity (00:28:05)  
First Contact (00:31:21)  
Working on Voyager (00:33:28)  
What Kept Him Coming Back to Star Trek (00:36:44)  
Recent Years (00:38:59)  
The Present and Future of Entertainment (00:41:58)  
Video Game and Animation Voice Work (00:49:54)  
The A-Team (00:54:02)  
Chowder (00:57:19). 
Conventions (01:00:11)  
More TNG Stories (01:04:58)  
More on The A-Team (01:07:32)  
Hobbies and Interests (01:08:52)  
Final Thoughts (01:17:19) 
Closing (01:23:01)  

Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes 23 seconds
 
Hosts
Justin Oser, Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez

Guest
Dwight Schultz

Production
Justin Oser  (Editor and Producer) Richard Marquez (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

James L. Conway Interview.
 
James L. Conway directed eighteen episodes of Star Trek between 1987 and 2005 on The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. His credits on The Next Generation include directing an episode that was in production before the show premiered ("Justice"), the season 1 finale ("The Neutral Zone"), and an acclaimed season 6 psychological thriller ("Frame of Mind"). He also directed a number of highly regarded episodes of Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise including "Duet," "The Way of the Warrior," "Death Wish," "Broken Bow: Parts I and II," and "In a Mirror, Darkly Part 1."

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Justin Oser, Amy Nelson, and Richard Marquez interview James L. Conway about his work directing Star Trek episodes across four series, including three episodes of The Next Generation. The discussion includes behind-the-scenes stories about his experience working on The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise, how he almost landed the job of directing a Star Trek movie, and what it was like directing The Orville episode "If the Stars Should Appear."

Chapters
Intro (00:01:20)  
Feedback from Babel Conference (00:02:03)  
Conway Interview (00:04:20)  
Final Thoughts (00:51:06)  
Closing (00:56:26)  

Runtime (01:02:41)
 
Hosts
Justin Oser, Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez

Guest
James L. Conway

Production
Richard Marquez  (Editor and Producer) Justin Oser (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

TNG Season 7 Vs. TOS Season 3, Part 2
 
In the spirit of March Madness, we bring you the second part of Trek Madness! The ship's company of Standard Orbit take on the mighty crew of Earl Grey in an epic battle, this time of the best of the best of Season 7 of The Next Generation versus Season 3 of The Original Series. The two teams complete their second crossover of their two episode adventure as they remove their biases and discuss which episodes were the best of the best.

Join Amy Nelson, Zach Moore, Justin Oser, Richard Marquez, and Ken Tripp for some bracketed competition between these two Star Trek series. Enjoy part one on Standard Orbit 213, which released on Monday, March 19th and enjoy the conclusion of the 24 round battle on this episode of Earl Grey. Boldly Listen!!

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00) 
Listener Feedback (00:01:49) 
Welcome, Ken and Zach!  (00:06:15)
That Which Survives vs. Homeward (00:07:35) 
Battlefield vs. Journey's End (00:11:45)
For the World is Hollow vs. Force of Nature (00:18:41) 
Beauty vs. Thine Own Self (00:25:04)
All Our Yesterdays vs. Attached (00:32:39) 
The Cloud Minders vs. Descent, Part II (00:38:44)
Wink of an Eye vs. Preemptive Strike (00:44:58)
The Savage Curtain vs. Parallels (00:50:31)
Whom Gods Destroy vs. The Pegasus (00:56:04)
The Enterprise Incident vs. Gambit (01:02:31)
The Tholian Web vs. Lower Decks (01:06:42)
Day of the Dove vs. All Good Things... (01:11:39)
Final Thoughts from Ken and Zach (01:17:48)
Final Thoughts from Amy, Richard, and Justin (01:19:49)
Closing (01:24:57)

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes 49 seconds
 
Hosts
Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, Justin Oser

Guests
Ken Tripp
Zach Moore
 
Production
Justin Oser (Editor and Producer) Richard Marquez (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Games, Sports, and Hobbies on TNG.
 
What does the crew of The Next Generation do to relax and spend their free time? What do the activities that they pursue when they're not on duty say about the main characters on the show?  

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Justin Oser discuss a selection of games, sports, and hobbies that we see on The Next Generation. Activities covered include poker, fencing, acting, dancing, horseback riding, phaser target practice, Strategema, Dom-jot, Anbo-jyutsu, and Mok'bara.

Chapters
Intro (00:01:14) 
Feedback from Babel Conference (00:02:34) 
Poker (00:05:46)   
Fencing (00:13:50)   
Worf’s Calisthenics (00:18:35) 
Acting (00:24:02) 
Horseback Riding (00:29:50) 
Phaser Target Practice (00:35:06) 
Anbo-jyutsu (00:40:52) 
Strategema (00:44:36) 
Dom-jot (00:46:31) 
Honorable Mentions (00:49:50) 
Final Thoughts (00:56:23) 

Runtime: 1 hour 6 minutes 42 seconds
 
Hosts
Richard Marquez, Justin Oser, Amy Nelson
 
Production
Richard Marquez (Editor and Producer) Justin Oser (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Favorite Badass Picard Moments.
 
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is often thought of first as an explorer and a diplomat. However, Picard does have his share of badass moments throughout the course of The Next Generation episodes and movies. 

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez and Justin Oser are joined by guest Nic Anastassiou to list their three favorite badass Picard moments from The Next Generation. Each choice is discussed and shows Picard as a tough and uncompromising leader, whether in his physical actions or his words.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00) 
Welcome, Nic! (00:01:46) 
Listener Feedback (00:05:21)
Introducing the Topic (00:15:13)
First Picks (00:18:16) 
Second Picks (00:32:29) 
Third Picks (00:49:26) 
Honorable Mentions (01:02:46) 
Final Thoughts (01:10:31) 
Closing (01:20:16) 

Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes 14 seconds
 
Hosts
Richard Marquez, Justin Oser

Guest
Nic Anastassiou
 
Production
Justin Oser (Editor and Producer) Richard Marquez (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

People from the Past Permanently in the Future.
 
The Next Generation has a number of episodes involving time travel to the past or to the future. However, what happens when people from the past end up stuck in the future of  The Next Generation and have to adapt to a new century?

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez and Justin Oser are joined by guest Colin Higgins to discuss episodes of the The Next Generation where we find people from previous centuries ending up permanently in the 24th century. We discuss what we would do in their situations and how each group of people might adapt to their new lives in a new time period. Episodes covered include "The Neutral Zone," "The Emissary," "A Matter of Time," and "Cause and Effect."

Chapters
Intro (00:01:14)
Babel Confrence (00:11:57)
COLIN! (00:13:07)
Time Traveling (00:14:17)
Neutral Zone (00:16:48)
Temporal Incursion (00:33:31)
The Emissary (00:35:26)
A Matter of Time (00:49:06)
Cause and Effect (01:07:58)
Closing (01:19:55)

Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes 16 seconds
 
Hosts
Richard Marquez, Justin Oser

Guest
Colin Higgins
 
Production
Richard Marquez (Editor and Producer) Justin Oser (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Favorite Character Moments Season 3.
 
The Next Generation has a mostly episodic format, but over the course of the show and the movies, there are many great character moments. Those moments, both great and small, can enhance our experience of the show and lead to a new understanding of both regular and recurring characters.  

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Justin Oser list their three favorite character moments from season three. Each host discusses why their chosen moments are important to them and to the development of characters on The Next Generation.

Favorite character moments is a series that will cover all seven seasons and the four movies of The Next Generation.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00) 
Listener Feedback (00:02:02)
First Picks (00:06:50) 
Second Picks (00:16:10) 
Third Picks (00:25:21) 
Honorable Mentions (00:34:30) 
Final Thoughts (00:40:54) 
Closing (00:47:33) 

Runtime: 52 minutes 17 seconds
 
Hosts
Richard Marquez, Justin Oser, Amy Nelson
 
Production
Justin Oser (Editor and Producer) Richard Marquez (Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Romantic Relationships on TNG.
 
There are many romantic relationships on The Next Generation - some of them lasting only an episode and others spanning the course of the entire show and the movies. Whether fleeting or long-lasting, romance on The Next Generation can reveal additional dimensions to the characters and show them in a different light.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez, Amy Nelson, and Justin Oser take the opportunity as Valentine's Day approaches to discuss a selection of important romances on The Next Generation. The relationships discussed are Troi and Riker, Troi and Worf, Worf and K'Ehleyr, Crusher and Picard, Vash and Picard, Picard and Daren, and Picard and Anij.

Chapters
Intro (00:01:15) 
Comments from the Babel Conference (00:02:50) 
Riker and Troi (00:07:41) 
Worf and Troi (00:19:41) 
Worf and K'Ehleyr (00:30:18) 
Picard and Crusher  (00:37:07) 
Picard and Vash  (00:42:36) 
Picard and Daren  (00:47:45) 
Picard and Anij  (00:52:47) 
Closing (00:57:00)   

Runtime: 1 hour 9 minutes 54 seconds
 
Hosts
Richard Marquez, Amy Nelson, Justin Oser
 
Production
Richard Marquez (Editor and Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Justin Oser (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Thomas Appel (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Elizabeth Dennehy Interview. 
  
Elizabeth Dennehy played Commander Shelby in two of the most important episodes in all of Star Trek, "The Best of Both Worlds" and "The Best of Both Worlds: Part II." This was one of her first TV roles and she made an immediate impression with fans for portraying Commander Shelby as an ambitious, no-nonsense expert on the Borg who frequently clashes with Commander Riker. 

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Justin Oser, Amy Nelson, and Richard Marquez interview Elizabeth Dennehy about playing Commander Shelby in "The Best of Both Worlds" two-parter, including how she prepared for the role, what it was like to work with the cast, and which scene was the most difficult to do. We also discuss how the reception of Shelby has changed over time, her convention appearances, her many non-Star Trek roles, and her father - actor Brian Dennehy. 

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00) 
Listener Feedback (00:01:58) 
Welcome, Elizabeth! (00:06:25) 
Acting Influences (00:06:40) 
Brian Dennehy (00:08:32) 
Preparing for the Role (00:15:16) 
Criticism and Backlash (00:18:25) 
"The Best of Both Worlds" (00:21:24) 
Technobabble (00:27:31) 
The Poker Scene (00:30:15) 
Possible Return as Shelby (00:32:18) 
The Cast Dynamic (00:34:40) 
Seth MacFarlane (00:35:57) 
Too Many Shows to Watch (00:37:46) 
Shelby as a Role Model (00:40:43) 
Conventions and the Novels (00:43:28) 
Non-Star Trek Roles (00:47:28) 
Other Activities (00:49:45)
Closing (00:57:49) 

Runtime: 1 hour 2 minutes 2 seconds
 
Hosts
Justin Oser, Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez

Guest
Elizabeth Dennehy

Production
Justin Oser (Editor and Producer) Amy Nelson (Producer) Richard Marquez (Producer) Tony Robinson (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E Hueter (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)