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Reviews
Andor (2022)
If Boring Were Gravity This Show Would Be A Blackhole
Watched Episodes 1 and 2 so far and this is going to be a slow burn. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. There are long shots of unestablished characters standing contemplatively with no dialog that seem go on without end.
I'm not sure who this show is for, but it's not for young kids. And the OG Star Wars fans who've hung this long probably aren't compelled by these characters who are so disconnected from the treble trilogies in this prequel of a prequel. We've seen antiheros in Star Wars before, but the moral ambiguity of the titular character really doesn't align with the major players in the rest of the Star Wars Universe.
Finally, if a series is going to be called Star Wars, it should have either space (stars) or battles (wars), so far, both are in very short supply.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Children of the Comet (2022)
Took out the woke, fixed what was broke!
Episode 2 was not perfect, but it felt more like episodic "old Trek" (TOS and TNG) than any other new Trek series has in a long time. If the writers can only avoid their temptation to make ham-handed, anachronistic references to partisan politics from hundreds of years in the past, I continue to have high hopes for this series.
The show has likeable characters and that haven't yet cried or mutinied, high production value, and a healthy dose of humor. Anson Mount is spectacular in the role of Captain Pike. The new "old" Enterprise looks great, but will take some getting used to. Pike's quarters are bigger than some of the "planet sets" that the crew beam downed to in the TOS "sequel," maybe some TARDIS tech at work here?
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Strange New Worlds (2022)
Kurtzman Couldn't Help Himself!
I had such high hopes for this series, but America's most beloved sci-fi franchise has once again been co-opted by the incorrigible Kurtzman to inject his divisive political commentary. Kurtzman and his 9 other executive producers (really stretching the definition of "executive" here) have hijacked a franchise they neither deserve nor respect to serve as a delivery vehicle for their own social commentary. When the number of executive producers exceeds the number of leading cast members, you may have a problem. Just an observation.
All of the ingredients were there to finally establish a new series worthy of the Star Trek moniker. A solid cast, with most of the endearing characters from the Original Series (TOS), high production value, a return of the iconic NCC 1701 herself, and the winning episodic formula that has been sorely missing from other Star Trek series of late. But then it happened. I shouldn't have been surprised.
This series is set hundreds of years in the future, but a flashback to what is presumably footage of 2020 election protestors are shown in front of the U. S. Capitol and then it's strongly suggested (and I am not making this up) that this was the prelude to either a second civil war or world war 3! Either way, the entire planet is decimated and it's all Trump's fault, or the Republicans, or both. My son and I recoiled in disbelief as we let out simultaneous gasps. To quote the Borg Queen from Star Trek: First Contact (back when Trek was sci-fi entertainment), "How small you've become."
To be fair, there were references to the Eugenics Wars and WW3 in TOS, but never this clumsy, in-your-face, political preaching. Why not tweet, post, blog, vlog, or even write a book to espouse your political views, rather than sully this wonderful franchise with them? To paraphrase another once great, but now fallen from grace American institution, "keep your politics out of my flippin' Star Trek!"
Star Trek: Picard: Fly Me to the Moon (2022)
Picard Season 2 is Back on Track!
What a stunning recovery from the last episode, the Watcher! Fly Me to Moon had everything including an impressive cameo from a Formlabs Form 3L 3D printer. The pacing, the intrigue, and a few plot twists were all there, and since Johnathan Frakes directed this one, I'll give him much of the credit.
Enjoy!
Star Trek: Picard: Watcher (2022)
This Season is Starting to Lose Me
After an auspicious beginning to Season 2, with the first three episodes, the Watcher really disappoints. It fails to advanced the plot in any meaningful way and is frankly tedious to watch. The dialog between the decoupled Borg Queen and Dr. Jurati is particularly insipid. It continues to be overly pedantic about U. S. immigration policy and climate change. And the callback to the outstanding boom box on the bus scene from Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home, really fell flat. A blaring boom box in 2024, really? And there's precious little of Q at the end, which is too bad, as he is easily the best character in the show.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Star Trek in Name Only
Not a single likable or relatable character except maybe Saru. Zero cohesion among the crew. The chain of command is flouted so often it's essentially meaningless. And let's face it, the spore drive is stupid and renders the rest of the Star Trek universe un-retconable. It looks good, I'll give it that.
See You Yesterday (2019)
Laughably bad special effects
The time-travelling quantum techno-babble permanently interrupts any suspension of disbelief. The ending is completely phoned-in. Save your time and pass.