156: Peace in Our Time
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 the ideals of Roddenberry that it represented were explored in a way no other series could. In First Contact, Picard remarked to Lilly that money doesn't exist in the 24th century and that wealth is no longer the driving force. Instead humanity works to better itself.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Lee Hutchison explore Star Trek's vision of a utopian future, whether the society portrayed on The Next Generation is possible, how it could be achieved, and the consequences of a world without money. 

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)  
A Sequel (00:00:50)  
Richard on Utopia (00:02:30)  
Teachers on Utopia (00:04:30)  
Workhorse (00:07:07)  
The 1% (00:09:30)  
The Best (00:12:40)  
Insular Society (00:15:25)  
Stronger Together? (00:17:40)  
Enlist in Starfleet (00:23:16)  
Workers Rights and Jobs (00:26:30)  
Not Everyone Can Be a Poet (00:29:38)  
Intellectual Elitism (00:32:10)  
Unstoppable Progress (00:37:20)  
Money and Trade (00:40:20)  
Starfleet Socialism (00:44:31)  
What We've Learned (00:47:52)  
Closing (00:50:06) 
Hosts
Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Lee Hutchison
Production
Lee Hutchison (Editor) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Michael E. Hueter (Associate Producer) Stephen Boyd (Associate Producer) Ron Saarna (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

 

Direct download: eg-156.mp3
Category:Philosophy -- posted at: 5:00am MDT

Religion in TNG.

The classic topics that are considered impolite to discuss with company are money, religion, and politics. Since Earl Grey already did an episode about money ("EG 58: Scarcity, Scarcity, Scarcity"), it is now time for them to discuss religion. Most fans know that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was an atheist who believed that humans would "outgrow" religion by the 23rd and 24th centuries. The Next Generation features a diverse crew who do not seem to display any beliefs that one would characterize as "religious." Phillip, Daniel, and Darren nevertheless examine Lieutenant Worf's Klingon culturalism and his battles with faith ("Rightful Heir"), Lt. Cmdr Data's search for self-actualization with his "creator" ("Brothers"), and Capt. Picard's role as a leader of a crew with various religious/non-religion beliefs.

The trio also examines the "guest star" aliens' religious beliefs, from Ensign Ro's "cultural Bajora-ism," the conflict in "Who Watches the Watchers?", to the enduring Native American spiritualism in "Journey's End,"; from Ardra's role as the Devil ("Devil's Due"), to the role of "doctrine" in "The Outcast." Join Earl Grey for a discussion about the nature of religion and personal beliefs in The Next Generation.


CHAPTERS
Intro (00:02:05)
Enterprise Crew religions/beliefs
Worf (00:03:42)
Data (00:14:26)
Ro (00:20:18)
Picard (00:27:53)
Riker/La Forge/Troi/Crusher - ???
Alien religion/beliefs
Ardra (00:35:27)
Journey's End (00:40:31)
The Outcast (00:44:21)
Closing (00:48:40)

HOSTS
Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, & Darren Moser

PRODUCTION
Darren Moser (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Michael E Hueter  (Associate Producer) Stephen Boyd (Associate Producer) Ron Saarna (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
 
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Direct download: eg-146.mp3
Category:Philosophy -- posted at: 7:00am MDT

132: Playing Fek'lhr's Advocate

Supernatural Elements.

The Next Generation introduces several individuals, including some "re-shaping" of our own favorite characters, who are seen as supernatural characters. This can mean that they are either all-powerful, mysterious, tricksters, or "flim-flams." Darren, Daniel, and Phillip create their own originally named "Q Continuum" of supernatural beings, from the scary "Kevin" ("The Survivors") on one end to Ardra ("Devil's Due") on the other. 

Supernatural characters can be shrouded in the cloak of religious worship like the Edo Guardian ("Justice") and "The Picard" ("Who Watches the Watchers?") or they could be just a different scale of lifeform like Nagilum ("Where Silence Has Lease") and Q. Join Earl Grey as they seek out new lifeforms who go beyond the realm of human beings and explore supernatural beings in Next Gen.

Hosts
Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, & Darren Moser

Editor / Producer
Darren Moser

Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, & C Bryan Jones

Production Manager
Richard Marquez
 
Content Manager

Will Nguyen


Chapters

Justice - Edo God (00:03:42)
Devils Due - Audra / Fek'lhr (00:12:05)
Who Watches the Watchers - The Picard (00:20:51)
Encounter at Farpoint - Q (00:25:18)
Where Silence Has Lease - Nagilum (00:37:19)
Honorable Mentions (00:41:34)

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Direct download: eg-132.mp3
Category:Philosophy -- posted at: 7:00am MDT

Earl Grey 92: Judge, Jury and ExeQutioner

The Trial.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of the few Trek series to begin and end with the same story - being put on trial by Judge Q. "Encounter at Farpoint" inaugurates the seven seasons of TNG on television with the accusation that humanity is a "dangerous, savage, child race." While the two-hour pilot attempts to refute that charge, the missions of the Enterprise-D can be seen through the lens of those accusations. The finale of "All Good Things..." sees Judge Q telling Captain Jean-Luc Picard that the trial never reached a verdict ... until now, and that humanity is found guilty of being "inferior." Once again, the Next Gen crew must solve a puzzle, one that spans three different time periods, in order to prove that humanity has indeed evolved.

Daniel, Darren, and Phillip join the jury in examining how Q's trial informs what we learn from our favorite Trek series. Do we believe this crew best represents 24th Century humanity? And does humanity simply refer to Terrans or to all of the flagship crew, from andriods to Klingons to Betazoids? Are the "criminal" accusations the same or different in both the pilot and the series finale? Earl Greydeliberates on a verdict of humanity's fate in this episode spanning the entire television run of TNG.
 

Hosts
Daniel Proulx, Phillip Gilfus, & Darren Moser

Editor / Producer
Darren Moser

Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, & C Bryan Jones

Production Manager
Richard Marquez
 
Content Manager

Will Nguyen


Chapters

The Trial (00:07:02)
Judge, Jury and ExeQutioner (00:11:04)
TNG Bookends (00:32:32)
Closing Arguments (00:45:39)

Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
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Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep our shows coming to you every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Direct download: eg-092.mp3
Category:Philosophy -- posted at: 1:09am MDT

Earl Grey 16: Forging the First Link

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.

Direct download: eg-016.mp3
Category:Philosophy -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

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