InfiniteJesterII Reviews

Star Trek: Picard: The Last Generation (2023) Season 3, Episode 10

A Proper Ending for the Greatest Generation

[10/10 · 21 April 2023]

This whole season of Picard, I believe, has been the most significant event in Science Fiction television for a long while. It was a reunion of epic proportions that stands on its own merits, in my opinion, as the best single season of all of Star Trek. As for the finale of this season, I am without words. I will articulate my thoughts as best as I can, but the fact remains that I am utterly speechless after having seen this truly brilliant work of art. Never have I seen a finale that so masterfully ties everything up and does not leave the viewer with even an ounce of dissatisfaction. It is full of amazing, beautiful action, especially when Data is plunging the Enterprise-D into the heart of the Borg Cube and dodging the defense system, but that is insignificant compared to the true emotional punch this episode delivers. To see such dear friends which have graced our screens for countless episodes, 4 movies, and countless rewatches depart for good is a truly sad thing indeed. It is only fitting that this final outing take place on the ship that started it all, the Enterprise-D. To see them on that bridge once more, the very same bridge where so many legends were made, brought tears to my eyes.

Thank you, Terry Matalas and crew, for making this season possible. If things were more democratic, and if us fans had any say in who the next creative head of Star Trek should be, Matalas would definitely have my vote. Unlike Kurtzman, he is a fan, and he knows what the fans want, and it is this. He honors the legacy of Star Trek, paying respect to the tremendous wealth of material that came before him, while at the same time weaving this material into a tapestry of things both new and old.

This finale is too perfect. It gives the TNG crew the proper sendoff they deserved and did not get in Nemesis. It gives true closure to the legacy of the Next Generation, the generation that brought so much joy into my life and the lives of other fans. I am eternally grateful that this was made, and am so sad to see it go.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 19: The Convert (2023) Season 3, Episode 3

A unique detour from the main storyline

[9/10 · 20 March 2023]

I must say, I am surprised by the largely negative response this episode has been getting on IMDB. When I first saw it, I thought, without a doubt in my mind, that it would have to be above 9 at least, but to my shock was barely above 7. Seeing all the negative reviews, I must respectfully inquire, what was so bad about it? The only criticism I have seen leveled at this masterpiece of television storytelling is, and I quote this directly from the headings of multiple reviews, "boring!" This rather harsh criticism does not underline any issues with the episode itself, and it only speaks, I believe, to a certain close-mindedness in said reviewers that prevents them from experiencing stories that are not just the Mandalorian and Grogu going on adventures, from appreciating nuance and artful storytelling, and that represents a desire in said viewer to only see what is expected, the status quo, and not something that veers from that format and does something truly unique.

This episode presents multiple fascinating notions to the viewer. Most intriguing to me is the very thin line between the New Republic and the Empire, each being establishments based upon suppressing the individual voice, instead embracing conformity and silencing any variations from their ideologies when they are inconvenient. The New Republic, by not allowing Empire technology and science to be utilized for good shows an interesting facet of this government that I don't think has been explored in detail before. The episode also has fascinating and masterfully executed character and world-building which, considering the short time they had to accomplish this, shows the brilliance of the writing. We are shown a new side of the Empire in which, contrary to what was shown previously in the saga, the people inhabiting it are not necessarily evil, but through no choice of their own are forced into working for them, or if they did work for the empire by choice, that they question their actions and have a conscience. The aforementioned themes, in conjunction with the tone of mind-numbing bureaucracy and characters who seek to rebel against systems of oppression, whether they be the Empire or, in this episode's case, the New Republic, bear a marked resemblance to the themes of Andor, which is in my opinion the best Star Wars show to date. Also, the character of Dr. Pershing, who was a favorite of mine in the previous Mandalorian seasons, gets a chance to develop in a way that his previously insignificant role could not allow.

Suffice it to say, I was thoroughly impressed with the writing, acting, and pacing of this episode and hope to see more Star Wars like this.

Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998 TV Movie)

A moving, epic prequel to Babylon 5

[10/10 · 9 November 2022]

In the Beginning is a brilliant film. The story is told through the framing device of an aging Londo Mollari telling a story to some Centauri children, a story of the events that led up to the creation of the Babylon 5 station.

Wow, J. Michael Straczynski is a genius. The way he weaves together plot lines, foreshadows seasons in advance and then follows up in the most stunning way later, it's astonishing. I found the fact that everything was linked, the chain reaction of events that set everything in motion, and the show's characters' involvement in said events to be, simply, brilliant. It is a love letter to the Babylon 5 fans who invested themselves in the four seasons that had been made up to this point, telling them that their investment was well worth it. The sheer satisfaction of seeing those plots unfold is well worth it. This film left nothing hanging, and it shed light on everything that had happened in the series up to that point, pretty much.

In the Beginning succeeds where other prequels have failed; take for example the Star Wars prequel films; they sucked for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones was that you already knew what would happen -- you knew Anakin would become Vader, that Palpatine was Sidious, and everything that was supposed to be shocking wasn't. This movie, however, enlightens the viewer in regards to things they didn't know yet -- mysteries that had not been revealed, plots left unresolved -- in a way that is satisfying. It ties into the series perfectly, integrating flashbacks and events from the series into the plot of the movie in a seamless manner. This, in short, is how you make a prequel.

Now, to review this film from an objective view point, and not from that of a fan: the writing was excellent, per expectation for JMS. The dialogue was great; the president's speech before the battle of the line moved me almost to tears, as did humanity's response, how they all opted to fight for their people despite the looming defeat that would almost assuredly befall them. The acting, too, was phenomenal. Mira Furlan as Delenn, I think, stood out the most to me; you felt for her as her mentor was slaughtered by the humans and she made a decision she came to regret. You felt for her as she saw the result of her actions, the endless slaughter of the humans, brought on by her. The toll the war took on her soul was apparent here, and Furlan portrayed it brilliantly. Also, of course, Peter Jurasik kills it as Londo, as always, and, in particular, one scene stands out: he says to the mother of the children to whom he told the story that he would wish only to walk with her on a beach for five minutes, and how he has moved so high up, yet asks for so little. That scene perfectly captures what I would imagine the life of a leader to be; you've been appointed to the highest position imaginable, the pinnacle of jobs; you have wealth, power, and you can exert your influence in any imaginable way, yet you long for your old life; you long for a simpler time, for simpler things. Londo's character here is a moving portrait of a leader with all the power in the world and no choices.

Overall, In the Beginning is a nearly flawless film that sets into motion the events of the series in the best of ways. It was one of the best installments in the Babylon 5 universe, and the best prequel film of all time.

Babylon 5: The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari (1998) Season 5, Episode 2

A great episode; surreal and interesting

[8/10 · 12 August 2022]

In this one, we venture into the mind of Londo Mollari when he is in a coma due to a heart failure. We see him as he interacts with a veiled woman, Sheridan, and G'kar in sequences that are reminiscent of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

My favorite scene of this episode would be the scene in which Londo's mind re-enacts the scene from Season 4 in which G'kar is being whipped under the advisement of Emperor Cartagia, though, instead, G'kar and Londo's positions are reversed. Instead, Londo is being whipped, G'kar the observer. In this scene, he is told to apologize by G'kar, but Londo says that he has never apologized in his life. However, when it is the thirty-ninth whip, he says that he is sorry, pounding against a piece of glass shielding pulsing red material, which is his visualization of his heart. He then comes back into consciousness and, crying, he says to G'kar that he is sorry, and G'kar smiles. That has to be one of the most satisfying moments between Londo and G'kar of this show; it almost had me in tears.

Also, in this episode, Lennier is leaving the station to train with the rangers. He has a conversation with Vir before leaving, talking about the shirley temple, which Vir is drinking, saying that he's never heard of this temple before and that he wishes to visit it. That scene was pretty funny.

Overall, this was a wonderful episode with many great moments.

Babylon 5: Objects at Rest (1998) Season 5, Episode 21

A satisfying addition to the closing of Babylon 5's narrative

[9/10 · 11 August 2022]

This episode was, like the finale episode, very sad. Watching the inner anguish Lennier faced was deeply saddening, and watching him do what he did to Sheridan was heartbreaking. I could feel his pain, the pain he experienced for betraying the Anla'shok, as it was foretold in "Day of the Dead" by a vision of Mr. Morden. While I felt that this choice for Lennier's character was a kind of bad one, as, throughout the entire show, he was portrayed as honorable to a tremendous extent, and this decision of his is a complete upending of that preconception, but I can see where he is coming from.

A great episode and a sad departure for some characters.

Babylon 5: Objects in Motion (1998) Season 5, Episode 20

An awesome episode

[9/10 · 11 August 2022]

Objects in motion is the first of three episodes in Babylon 5 that comprises the ending. There are plenty of thrills in this one, including an assassination attempt on Garibaldi, and a mutually beneficial deal with Lyta, G'Kar, and Garibaldi which includes G'kar giving Lyta a ship to find a homeworld for the telepaths and G'Kar, in return, getting a genetic sample from a telepath in order to integrate it into the Narn people's lineage, which has thus far been devoid of any telepaths for a while.

This was a great episode; I really enjoyed the scene when Garibaldi threatened to reveal scandalous information about the board of Edgars Industries in order to get them to step down. Hilarious.

Babylon 5: Sleeping in Light (1998) Season 5, Episode 22

A deeply emotional outing to the greatest show in history

[10/10 · 29 July 2022]

Warning: Do not read unless you have seen this episode

Sleeping in Light is, by light years, the greatest TV finale I've ever seen. It's even better than TNG's "All Good Things," which, too, was phenomenal.

Sleeping in Light is a genius end episode, and I cried at multiple points throughout. Seeing Delenn watching the sunset, Sheridan's spirit beside her -- heartbreaking stuff.

This was a deeply satisfying end to this excellent show; Sheridan passing beyond the rim, Babylon 5 ending in fire, as it was foretold, peace across the galaxy, it really felt like a well-made ending. I believe that this and the previous two episodes served collectively as a wonderful ending to this legendary five year arc, to which there is absolutely no comparison.

You could tell that every single member of the cast of this episode was acting their heart out; Christopher Franke's score was deeply sad and atmospheric, especially his scoring of the last five minutes of the episode.

10/10; simply genius.

Babylon 5: A Tragedy of Telepaths (1998) Season 5, Episode 10

Who is the bad guy here?

[7/10 · 28 July 2022]

In this episode, we again follow Byron and his telepaths as they lock themselves up in down below, in protest of the fact that the ISA won't give them a homeworld. Bester is called to the scene by Captain Lochley. Meanwhile, G'Kar discovers, while on Centauri Prime with Londo, that his aide, Na'toth, is still alive an in a cell. They bust her out, and she goes back to the Narn homeworld. Finally, the members of the ISA are growing restless about the attacks on the shipping lanes. When they find a piece of metal belonging to one of the races, they blame them, and when they find a piece of metal from the ship of another race, they blame them. It is then revealed that it was a setup, that the pieces were not blown off but cut off, and that there are larger forces at play here.

This is an okay story. I do not agree with the irrational reasoning of Byron and the telepaths. They're just kind of being jerks at this point; I could have thought up many more effective ways to have them establish a colony. It may have worked for Ghandi, but it sure as hell won't work for Byron, as you'll see in the next episode.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Great in visuals, lacking in substance

[6/10 · 27 July 2022]

Doctor Strange 2 is just okay. I think that, as always, Cumberbatch is a wonderful actor and Strange is a great character, the CGI is great, the movie's visuals are great, but other than that... not much else is good about this film.

When I saw that Sam Raimi was directing, I went into this movie expecting the genius that was Spider Man 1&2, but we got none of that here. What we do get, though, is a poor attempt at doing horror, but Marvel-friendly. We get to see some blood and stuff, but it isn't scary at all, because, again, Marvel. This is not, however, the only problem.

My major issues are with the script, dialogue, and, in particular, the characterization. I love the MCU films for their complex and in-depth characters, and I went into this expecting no less than that standard. However, what I got was far below that standard. The villains in the MCU usually have somewhat rational motives that you find yourself sometimes identifying with and saying, oh, I get why he'd do that (take Thanos, for instance,) and you could actually sympathize with the villain -- this is what made Marvel villains so compelling. However, in this, you have the Scarlet Witch who is, for absolutely zero explanation, is now this super evil lady that wants to kill people for her fake children. In this movie, she is portrayed in a cartoonish fashion, and she seems like a villain out of a 40s batman comic or something, not an MCU film. The whole point of Wanda-Vision was that she was a conflicted character, who was doing what she was doing for a somewhat noble purpose. And, of course, at the end, she vowed never to do something like this ever again. But, in this movie, she just goes plain evil. There is nothing to sympathize with because she is evil without any redeeming qualities. Again, what made Wanda in Wanda-Vision so compelling was that you could understand and sympathize with her actions, but in this she is literally planning on massacring entire universes. Quite a step in the other direction. Normally, I would be fine with this if there was more explanation. What they did instead was just say, oh, yeah, she's super evil now, without ever showing on screen her descent into that evil, the struggle she must have had. This is a rookie mistake.

Another thing I hated about this movie was the character of America (yeah, that's actually her real name (sigh.)) She just showed up out of no where and said, yeah, I'm super important, and you have to protect me. There is no substance whatsoever to this character; she is literally a plot device which serves to keep the story going. If you replaced her with an artifact or something that could do the same thing, there really would be no difference, except for the fact that we would be spared her wooden and awful dialogue. She was just a MacGuffin, pretty much, not an actual character.

Finally, one major problem is the entire plot. It's supposed to be about the multiverse (hey, it's in the title, right,) but instead, we get a movie that is hardly about the multiverse. There is some multiverse stuff, but it mostly is about evil Wanda and random girl that came out of nowhere. My jaw dropped to the floor when I learned that Patrick Stewart would be reprising the role of Dr. X, which officially means that the X-Men are in the MCU, and John Krasinski as dr. Reed Richards of the Fantastic 4, one of my favorite comics, and also it's Jim. Sadly, they got a couple of lines before being killed off. Very disappointing.

Overall, it's a pretty bad movie, and Spider Man: No Way Home did the multiverse WAYYYYY better than this movie. 6/10.

Babylon 5: The Fall of Centauri Prime (1998) Season 5, Episode 18

A sad chapter for Londo's character

[9/10 · 26 July 2022]

This episode was very good, but it was indeed saddening to see what had happened to Londo. The notion of the Drakh being the puppet-masters of the emperor, and, of course, having all the power in the world yet not having any choices, is pretty depressing to see. It is heartbreaking to see Londo used in the way that he is in this episode, that he has no choice in anything he does. Even the way Peter Jurrasik portrays Londo conveys a sense of sadness and fatigue, a sense of utter defeat. It was quite sad to see this character, who we knew and loved and, sometimes, hated across the 5 seasons of this show turn into this, a mere puppet of scheming masters. Jurrasik's performance, as I touched upon earlier, is simply astonishing. It's touching, bleak, and probably the height of his acting.

I think that this episode ties the mysteries of this season up pretty well, but there are still many unresolved things. That being said, I am aware of a novel trilogy based on the notes of JMS that expands and resolves this arc, and I am looking forward to reading it, as I really feel that some of the threads are unresolved.

Babylon 5: In the Kingdom of the Blind (1998) Season 5, Episode 9

Things start to unfold!

[8/10 · 17 July 2022]

We return to the unfolding saga of the telepaths in what is a pretty good episode that has multiple interesting plot points.

The personal highlight of this episode is the Centauri plot. There is a real sense of mystery here as, finally, foreshadowing is occurring and plot threads are being woven into the tapestry. We return to Centauri Prime, where the dying Regent has seemingly gone mad, asking someone to kill him because he was "not himself." it is obvious that the organism found on himself and Captain Jack in Season 4's Racing Mars is exerting influence over him, and that he is in league with the shadows. Londo is almost assassinated by a knife, which is held back and backfired at the thrower, who was a Centauri nobleman plotting against him. We see what is most certainly a Drakh, standing in the dark. Things are indeed getting interesting.

In all, a good episode in which many intriguing mysteries are laid.

Babylon 5: Day of the Dead (1998) Season 5, Episode 8

Return to Form

[8/10 · 17 July 2022]

This episode was written by the legendary Neil Gaiman, writer of my favorite comic book series The Sandman, and, when I first heard he wrote an episode, I eagerly anticipated it. It didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it was a good episode as a whole, considering Gaiman wasn't particularly versed in Sci Fi writing at the time (he went on to write for Doctor Who in the Moffat era.)

The plot is solid, the concept of the dead returning pretty cool. We get to see some backstory unfold, too, as each character has a person from their memory return from beyond the veil (at least to them.)

I enjoyed the premise, and it was a nice self-contained exploration of the Brakiri culture and of the backstories of the main characters.

Babylon 5: Secrets of the Soul (1998) Season 5, Episode 7

Not a very good episode

[6/10 · 17 July 2022]

In this episode, we get more of Byron. When he is in downbelow with his telepaths, a person from a gang starts harassing him. Byron tells him to hit him, and again, and again, saying that violence, in the end, accomplishes nothing.

Later, Zack Allan asks why Lyta Alexander is hanging around Byron, and she says that she is with him because he treats her like a person, not a means to an end, a weapon, and how Byron won't use her and actually cares about her. At this point, she has just become annoying and rude. The thing I found to be the most lacking part of this episode would be when Lyta and Byron get intimate (ugh.) and she has visions of telepaths growing in vats. To be honest, at this point, the romance between Byron and Lyta feels rushed, as he just comes onto the station and immediately, she's all over him.

After the realization that the Vorlons made telepaths to fight in the Shadow War (which we, the viewers, already knew), took it to to the ISA, demanding a homeworld.

Also, in the back drop we get a completely unrelated filler plot line that seems like it came from a rejected Star Trek script or something, where Dr. Franklin discovers that an alien race with butts for heads murdered their brother race, who, through intermarrying, were providing longevity or something, I don't remember. Then Franklin gets mad and goes all super moral doctor on them. Completely useless storyline.

In all, this episode is pretty subpar compared to other B5 episodes. 6/10.

Babylon 5: Strange Relations (1998) Season 5, Episode 6

Meh

[7/10 · 17 July 2022]

I see that, for the most part, people continually bash Babylon 5's fifth season for multiple reasons, and I agree with them. Although, granted, I am a Babylon 5 fan, and, no matter its multiple issues, I have, thus far, enjoyed the fifth season, but it is indeed a MASSIVE step down from the literal genius that was S3/S4.

First off, I love myself some Psi-Corps/Telepath action, but this... this is just not living up to the awesomeness of the telepaths. In terms of setup for a telepath war, this storyline just doesn't cut it. I don't care how rushed it would have been, but a telepath war would have been nice in this last season. They were certainly building up to it. Bester is awesome, as always, but this is not by any means a good Bester episode compared to the other ones.

Babylon 5: A View from the Gallery (1998) Season 5, Episode 4

A solid self-contained story

[8/10 · 16 July 2022]

This episode was written by JMS, but the story itself was conceived by both JMS and the legendary Harlan Ellison (who is credited throughout the series as the conceptual consultant), which enticed me when I sat down to watch this. It was a very simple premise: an episode in which a wing of alien invader ships attacks and boards B5, but through the slice of life perspective of 2 maintenance workers. However, the writing in this episode delivers, making it a thoroughly entertaining bit of TV to watch.

This general premise reminds me very much of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Lower Decks," which is, as this episode is, the show but viewed by lower personnel as opposed to the senior staff. However, this episode for me works better than "Lower Decks" did, as the two maintenance workers, Mack and Bo, are pretty interesting to watch, and have a strong dynamic. There is definitely plenty of humor in this episode, but also some very good space battles. The aliens in this episode were also interesting, wearing crimson helmets and firing laser weapons. They felt like a classic science fiction alien, such as would be found in pulp fiction of the 30s and 40s. They also kind of reminded me of the Sontarans from Dr. Who.

Overall, this was an interesting episode, one which could have failed but, due to the collaborative genius of JMS and Ellison, pulled off a genuinely captivating episode.

Babylon 5: No Compromises (1998) Season 5, Episode 1

A flawed but interesting foray into B5's fifth season

[8/10 · 15 July 2022]

Season 5 of Babylon 5, by and large, has been criticized by fans for being the worst of the show. I am not too worried about this, as I love all things Babylon 5, but I see where these criticisms are coming from. I enjoyed the episode, writing wise, but the character introductions were what I had a problem with. Firstly, we see the introduction of Captain Elizabeth Lochley, played by Tracy Scoggins. From the moment she said her first couple of lines, I knew what I was in for: I had grown so attached to Sheridan as a character, and felt that his humor and bravery really made him a wonderful person, and just from his first episode, I knew he would be a worthy replacement of Sinclair, and, as I found out later, a better one at that. But Lochley... uh, I don't know about this woman. Basically, her first lines are her getting all angry at poor Lt. Corwin for not having the full command staff present, and when he says they're all busy, she says, "Is this how it always is here," basically, and when Corwin replies, yes, she says, well that's because it isn't run well, and I'm going to run it well. Already, she is a huge jerk. What a way to introduce a character. I hope her character improves over the following episodes. At least she stood up for President Sheridan when he was voicing his opinion about security measures.

Sadly, Lochley isn't the only problem with this episode. Enter Byron. We meet him as a creepy man, standing and staring at Lochley from afar. He comes across as just some stalker, I think, although I do not believe that is the intention. Whenever there are scenes with him, you feel vaguely unsettled, like he's a villain or something, but, from the looks of it, he's not, so, I don't know what's up with him. He arrives at the station with a group of telepaths who escaped the Corps, and he asks Lochley to set up a colony on B5 for them, but she says no. Later, when the issue is taken to Sheridan, he allows them to set up the colony, because all political decisions are his. I feel like Byron is just a poor way to fill in the void of the irreplacable Marcus Cole (long haired, british) that in no way works as a character. The actor does not by any means do a good job of portraying the character, and, again, comes off as really creepy.

Those are my gripes with the episode. Now, to the good parts. Those nitpicks aside, this was actually a solid episode. It was gripping, and it had a fast-paced plot with high stakes. Sheridan is being prepared to be sworn in as president of the newly-formed ISA (InterStellar Alliance,) but an assassin threatens him, saying that he is a dead man. One of Byron's teeps helps reveal the killer, who was posing as the Gaim ambassador, wearing their helmet (an homage to Neil Gaiman's excellent Sandman graphic novels.) He gets away, launching a starfury and posing it just outside of the window before which Sheridan is getting sworn in. Just as he is about to be shot, Garabaldi, in his starfury, swoops in to the rescue, grappling the starfury for long enough for B5's defense grid to take care of him.

Overall, a good introductory episode to this season, but with character flaws that may extend throughout the rest of this season.

Babylon 5: The Deconstruction of Falling Stars (1997) Season 4, Episode 22

A fine episode, but a poor season finale

[7/10 · 15 July 2022]

I am a huge fan of Babylon 5; from the get-go it grabbed me and cemented itself as one of my favorite television shows (aside from Star Trek Next Generation and Dr. Who.) I was, in particular, a fan of this season; it was filled to the brim with action and intrigue, each episode fast paced. The last couple of episodes of this season were, simply put, the most emotionally stirring and amazing episodes of television history, period. I feel like "Rising Star," the penultimate episode, was a stunningly profound episode and would have been a great conclusion. The end scene was good enough to wrap the season up. However, we got this episode instead as a season closer. I question why this was the choice for the final episode; I will say, the premise was good, but it would have been better placed somewhere else in the show, or not at all. It was bizarrely presented, taking place mostly on ISN, portraying debates between people as to wether John Sheridan was a good person or not. This was just strange, and hardly material for a finale. We jump 100 years into the future, where some more people are discussing whether Sheridan was good, when a 140-something-year-old Delenn just walks up to them and says he was and then goes into this speech and leaves. Again, very odd. We then go to my personal favorite segment of this episode, 2762, where a manipulative EarthForce officer is reconstructing different scenes from Babylon 5 via holography, and Garibaldi the hologram outsmarts him by transmitting data to the enemy earthers and blowing up the station on which the officer is located. This was pretty interesting, and probably the best part of the episode. In it, there is mention of Captain Lochley, who will come onto the show in Season 5, and of the station blowing up, but this foreshadowing is nothing like the subtlety Straczynski put on display for us in season 1-3, which was pure genius. This just felt odd and forced, and not at all like the foreshadowing of previous episodes/seasons. We then go to a millennium in the future of 2262, in which Earth has seemingly undergone a societal collapse as a result of things relating to the events which have taken place in the previous segment. We meet a monk guy who is played by the landlord from the Seinfeld episode "The Nose Job," who consults another monk who is having a crisis of faith, saying that the scriptures are wrong, that the Rangers will not return, when in fact the other guy is in secret a Ranger himself. This was pretty neat, I guess. The last segment, though, was a million years into the future; a man, who was behind all of these broadcasts, turns into some encounter-suited being, which was pretty awesome, but hardly a fitting ending to the season. This just felt like an anthology episode of things to come, which was very odd presentation-wise but, as a concept, worked, for the most part. Considering that JMS wasn't sure if the show would be canceled after season 4 and filmed "Sleeping in the Light" just in case, it is not his fault for this season outro; he had to rush to create an ending for the season. Overall, good episode, bad placement.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: A Quality of Mercy (2022) Season 1, Episode 10

How is this possible?

[9/10 · 9 July 2022]

I did not think Kurtzman and Goldman and all of the clowns responsible for singlehandedly ruining Star Trek were actually capable of producing an episode of this caliber. Where was this writing for the last six years? Finally, we get a genuinely good episode, not just by Kurtzman Trek standards, but by general Star Trek standards. I much enjoyed the Romulan redesign, which blended elements of the TNG and TOS Romulans seamlessly. They should have done something similar with, I don't know, THE KLINGONS????!!! I mean, how were these people capable of making these Romulans when they made those godawful Klingons.

The writing, too, was pretty good; there were actual stakes, believe it or not, and you genuinely cared about what would happen next. The story gripped you, and you genuinely wanted to know what happened next.

Although it isn't necessarily as good as 90s-00s trek, I'm no cynic, and I'm fine with this. It is Trek, and I cannot say that for what we have been getting so far. I hope to god that future NuTrek will maintain if not transcend this level of quality. Then, I will be a truly happy person.

Doctor Who: Survival: Part Three (1989) Season 26, Episode 14

The end of an era

[8/10 · 24 June 2022]

---Review of overall serial --- Doctor Who: Survival was the last story of Sylvester McCoy's tv outing as the doctor, save for the appearances he made in the 1996 tv movie, which largely starred Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor. I have heard people liken this episode to the modern Doctor Who in style, and I kind of agree, though it still maintains the classic doctor who format and atmosphere.

This story begins in Perivale, the home of Ace, where all her friends are. We learn that there is evil here in this town, as people are strangely disappearing. The Doctor, sensing something is off about this town, and, in particular, the cats which live there, tries to trap a certain black cat, who we later learn is being controlled by the Master, being used as a set of eyes.

It turns out that the master has an allegiance with an alien race of intelligent feline carnivores, the Cheetah-People, and that the people who are disappearing are in fact being transported to their planet. On the planet, they must evade the crafty Cheetah People, or be ensnared by the hunt.

We then learn that the planet itself transforms its inhabitants, metamorphosing the people who have committed violence, and that the planet is unstable do to its nature. After Ace and one of her friends respectively hurt and kill Cheetah-People, they both begin to transform, her friend transforming fully. He is used by the Master as a link to Earth, which everyone else stranded on the planet uses. The Master then, in a climactic battle, clashes with the Doctor back on the planet, but due to his mercy and unwillingness to commit violence, he is transported back to Earth, the master seemingly left for dead on the decaying planet.

This episode is, more or less, a fitting conclusion to the show, ending with a touching monologue by the Doctor as himself and Ace walk off into the distance. Considering the people working on the episode did not know in advance that the show was ending, they did a pretty good job creating a satisfactory ending.

Doctor Who: The Ark in Space: Part One (1975) Season 12, Episode 5

An Essential Dr. Who Serial

[7/10 · 16 February 2022]

Review of the Ark in Space: Episodes 1-4

The Ark in Space is a wonderfully exciting and interesting story from Tom Baker's legendary run as the Fourth Doctor. Set on the space station Nerva, the Doctor and company find a crew of humans who are the last of their race. Nerva is humanity's last hope, an ark, if you will, containing all that is left of humanity. Also, there seems to be a different species aboard Nerva, an alien being who has taken over the body of another crew member and is intent upon laying its eggs in other members of the crew. This is a very interesting premise -- how could one not like "Noah's Ark in space?" -- and it proves to be a memorable Baker serial.

I have no complaints about this serial, though I found the usage of bubble wrap as the alien skin to be a bit silly, but after a while, I thought it was actually a brilliant idea.

Star Trek: Voyager: Prototype (1996) Season 2, Episode 13

Review of Prototype; Star Trek: Voyager

[8/10 · 11 January 2021]

A gem in the mostly-mediocre season 2 of VOY, Prototype presents an unforgettable race of Robots, called Pralors, and their adversaries. Voyager picks up a robot adrift in space and Torres manages to repair it. However, the robot, upon waking up, does not see that that is enough, and kidnaps Torres so that she can construct a new Automated Unit, so that the Pralor can build an army against their golden enemies.

This episode feels very much like a classic sci-fi story, the design of the Pralors evocative of a 50's or 60's robot from the golden age of sci fi.

A great episode in a great series. 9/10.