Michael Piller, Part 1.   One of the most important contributors to the Star Trek franchise, Michael Piller was the showrunner for The Next Generation from seasons three to five and many credit him with helping to improve the overall quality of the show after a rocky first two seasons. During that period, Piller is probably most famous for writing "The Best of Both Worlds" two-parter, a hugely influential set of episodes that took the show's popularity to new heights. Michael Piller was also a co-creator of Deep Space Nine and Voyager and the showrunner for each of those shows during their first two seasons. Piller capped off his career with Star Trek by co-writing "Insurrection" and sadly passed away from cancer in November 2005.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Justin Oser start a two-part series on Next Generation episodes and movies written by Michael Piller. The episodes discussed are "Evolution," "Booby Trap," "The Enemy," "The Best of Both Worlds," "First Contact," and "Ensign Ro." 

Chapters Intro (00:01:24)  Comments from Babel Conference (00:02:29)  Tributes to Michael Miller (00:05:43)  List of episodes for discussion (00:10:39)  Evolution (00:11:04)  Booby Trap (00:15:49)  The Enemy (00:20:35)  Best of Both Worlds Part One (00:27:52)  Best of Both Worlds Part Two (00:33:53)  First Contact (00:49:45)  Ensign Ro (01:00:18)  Final Thoughts (01:04:04)  Closing (01:09:17)    Hosts Richard Marquez, Justin Oser, and Amy Nelson   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) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)