Reviews of television shows
“It’s a Jerry Springer kinda family, but for what it’s worth, Zhaan, you are family.” All season long, the crew of Moya have been growing closer—gradually becoming allies, then friends, and finally, family. The season finale could have been a … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×22, “Family Ties”
“There is much cruelty in the universe.” For an ostensible planetside romp episode, there’s a lot going on in “Bone to Be Wild.” The episode has three major throughlines: the A-plot and two heavily serialized subplots. The plots intersect in … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×21, “Bone to Be Wild”
Dungeon Module 7G Ho, adventurer! You have travelled many aeons to this strange new realm. Always the forces of Order press on its borders, seeking to enslave its populace to Exciting Employment Opportunities and render its riches into Year-On-Year Growth. … Continue reading Doctor Who (Classic): S24E04 “Dragonfire”
“He thought it was about his doomsday device—about wormholes. It wasn’t. It was only about the time I kissed a girl.” The basic story of “Nerve”/“The Hidden Memory” is pretty simple. John breaks into a Gammak Base to find a … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×19, “Nerve” / 1×20, “The Hidden Memory”
“How does a damned virus get to be so smart anyway?” A Note: I tried, but I couldn’t find a way to review this episode entirely without spoilers. They’re minor, but there are references to the next two episodes of … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×18, “A Bug’s Life”
“I’ve always wondered what could be beyond the height, depth, width, and time.” “Nausea.” “Through the Looking Glass” is an interestingly vanilla episode, for Farscape. It’s a “ship in trouble” plot with a misunderstood creature at its center, and it … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×17, “Through the Looking Glass”
Noah’s Arc premiered on the Logo Network on October 19, 2005. The series featured a quartet of black gay friends in Los Angeles. The opening credits established their personality types (Romantic, Uptight, Clown, Player). Romantic Noah was the protagonist but … Continue reading LGBT Media: Noah’s Arc
“That’s it. Earth. Minus the sunshine.” “A Human Reaction” is… Aw, fuck. “A Human Reaction” is great. You know it, I know it, the world knows it. A paranoid thriller that deconstructs E.T. way better than the episode that explicitly … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×16, “A Human Reaction”
“I left the half-dead sanctimoniousness of my planet the first chance that I got. I stole food when I was hungry. Jumped transport without voucher. Defended myself when necessary.” “Durka Returns” is, in most respects, a fairly middling episode of … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×15, “Durka Returns”
“The slug who would be king.” There are a lot of things that make “Jeremiah Crichton” a bad episode. The acting from nearly all of the guest stars. Ben Browder’s fake beard. The racist undertones. But probably the worst thing … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×14, “Jeremiah Crichton”
Big Finish review time once more! I started these reviews because I’d slowly built up a collection of Seventh Doctor stories, but foolishly deferred to my completist side by not actually watching or listening to many of them until I … Continue reading Doctor Who (EU): Big Finish Season 24, Part 2
“So how does the pious Zhaan coexist with all that rage?” “Rhapsody in Blue” is a love story. It’s several other things besides—a Zhaan character study, a mild psychological thriller, a vehicle for establishing some more backstory for John—but the … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×13, “Rhapsody in Blue”
“It appears my training is failing me. I don’t want to die alone.” I hate this episode. On the one hand, it’s not skippable, really. The John/Aeryn plot line is a major turning point for them, and it’s a really … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×12, “The Flax”
“Sorry, I don’t make the rules.” “You certainly seem familiar with them.” “Til the Blood Runs Clear” is a very masculine episode of Farscape. Not that other episodes haven’t been masculine, but usually that’s undercut by the way that Crichton … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×11, “Til the Blood Runs Clear”
“When you look at me, what do you see?” “They’ve Got a Secret” is structured as two interlocking mysteries. In one, Moya’s systems are shutting down for unknown reasons; in another, D’Argo wakes up after being spaced believing that the … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×10, “They’ve Got a Secret”
In Which an End is Just a Beginning What is the legend of Korra? The legacy of a show that has always toiled in the shadow of its predecessor. Marred by a difficult production, haphazard release, and near death by a thousand … Continue reading Re-Avatar State: “Day of the Colossus” & “The Last Stand”
Operation: Beifong While writing about a long form narrative, such as a TV show, it’s easy to get wound up in big ideas. Pontificate on characters, themes, and plots that have weaved in and out of the story over the … Continue reading Re-Avatar State: “Operation: Beifong” & “Kuvira’s Gambit”
“You attacked one of your own. Would you do the same to the rest of us?” “Of course.” Farscape has never been particularly coy about the kind of show it is—though on some level, it’s still coming to understand what … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×09, “DNA Mad Scientist”
In Which, Despite Everything, It’s Still You In my opening piece about The Legend of Korra I offered a singular thematic idea that I believed served as the overarching structure of the show, even through the tumult of itss production. That if … Continue reading Re-Avatar State: “Beyond the Wilds”
Reunion Korra’s never really had a full Team Avatar. Though the group comprised of Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Asami have undergirded much of the action of the show, their ability to stick together and work as a unit has been … Continue reading Re-Avatar State: “Reunion” & “Remembrances”
“What are you waiting for?” “A third choice. Although I know there are only two.” Amazon Prime’s episode order for Farscape season one is completely wrong. “I, E.T.” comes seventh; “P.K. Tech Girl” comes fifth; “Back and Back and Back … Continue reading The Wonders I’ve Seen: 1×08, “That Old Black Magic”
