Comment Stream

Re: VOY S6: Muse

A truly great episode of Trek and among the best of Voyager's entire run. There are so many layers to this story's meta-textual ideas (including the elusiveness of artistic inspiration, the internal and external pressures artists navigate, and the challenges of working within prevailing social constructs), but the grandest of them is one that draws from the very essence of Trek. Stories, at their best and most enduring, are myths with archetypes who have the unparalleled ability to stir our hearts and our minds; to imagine different and better paths; to change individual lives and transform societies; to preserve the hope and dream of human betterment.

4 stars unequivocally.

Re: VOY S3: Basics, Part II

An excellent analysis as always, Elliot! Glad to see you're back.

Re: Pondering Patrick Stewart's return to the franchise

Patrick is 78 and will be older when filming actually commences. Your final misgivings about Picard being an 'action-guy' are likely baseless.

Re: DS9 S2: The Wire

@Elliot

Long-time lurker on this site and always found your comments incredibly insightful. You've certainly expressed what I have always found problematic about DS9 and distilled my fondness for Voyager (which was previously inexplicable to me).

Just curious to quickly ask if you have ever watched LOST.

Re: Pondering Patrick Stewart's return to the franchise

Despite Kurtzman's checkered creative history, I have little reason to worry about the new series just yet. Something significant convinced Stewart to return and he insists it will be something "very, very different". I'm inclined to be optimistic. There are infinite possibilities for a Trek show returning to the late 24th century (and early 25th century potentially). I'd certainly love to see a Trek series try to recapture the sense of optimism that our world sorely lacks.

As always, time will tell.

Re: VOY S2: Basics, Part I

I'll keep this short, because that is really all this episode (really, any episode with a Seska scheme) deserves - too much stupidity from the crew to be enjoyable.

Re: DSC S1: The Vulcan Hello / Battle at the Binary Stars

Caught the premiere last night, and the show certainly looked pretty. It also had some interesting concepts. As opposed to others, I found Michael to be a rather compelling character - she is clearly conflicted to some degree (her humanity versus her Vulcan training) so I look forward to further exploration of her background. The Science Officer was also unique and entertaining. I liked Michelle Yeoh, but found it hard to get invested in her character when I knew that she would be kicking the bucket soon.

My issues with the show so far are as follows:

1. Continuity is out the window. I honestly am confused whether this is supposed to be in-continuity for the Abrams-verse or the original universe. Certainly seems much more Abrams to me.

2. The Klingons makeup. HATE it. Too heavy, too fake. Yuck.

3. The Klingons motivation. "The Federation are too nice. Me fight them." Unless I missed something (which is possible).

4. Lens flare. Please...just...stop.

5. CBS All Access. No thank you. See you on Netflix.

Lots of comments comparing this premiere to the prior Trek outings. While I agree that Farpoint was a very weak episode, at the time of first airing I seem to recall that most fans enjoyed it rather than hated it. I will grant that the reaction was more akin to "Yay, new Star Trek!" than to the quality of the episode itself, but that is my recollection.

Re: ORV S1: Old Wounds

I'm in agreement with many of the other reviews in that I found the show unoffensive, but ultimately uninspiring. There were a few chuckles, a few more awkward pauses and several more, just, sloooooow moments. I'm a patient sort, so I'll give it another chance, but I'm not hopeful.

Re: TNG S7: Preemptive Strike

Just finished watching this episode, and have to commend (as Jammer does) that final shot of Picard. So much emotion, so much conveyed without a single word being spoken. Compelling.

Re: Reflections upon 20 years and the elasticity of time

As always, your site speaks for itself as an amazing little corner of the internet. I look forward to seeing what you write in the future, and I'll always enjoy revisiting what you have written.

My best to you and yours!

Re: BSG S1: You Can't Go Home Again

I absolutely hated this episode. It felt like watching some silly Disney show where everything happens to work out perfectly in an absurd yet predictable set of events.

How on earth could Starbuck fly a Cylon ship that she has had NO experience with so well that she could out perform Apollo? Cmon people, she's like kicking organs and tentacles and somehow out flying the second best pilot in the squadron? It's so ridiculous. I can usually look past plot holes and silly things but this is way too overboard. It just blows my mind how people can look past such blatant fairy tale writing and not see it as something that makes absolutely no sense.. even in this sci fi world. I wish Apollo shot her outta the sky.

Re: Jammer's hiatus explained with a special announcement

Congratulations to you and Kathy! I wish you all the best! :D

Re: DS9 S4: The Way of the Warrior

Worf saved ds9. Now is where the series starts to be really good.

Re: The TRT-909: An engineering marvel

There must be a Battlestar Galactica joke in the comment about the shaky-cam video. Perhaps your next posted video should be of you shaving?

Seriously, though, that is one cool machine. I'm astounded at how close the construction workers get to it. I'd worry about sticking an arm where it didn't belong. It is probably good that I don't work construction, given my occasional lack of situational awareness.

Re: TNG S5: Disaster

Well, you sure as hell seem to be suggesting as much!

Re: BSG S2: The Captain's Hand

Who would want to be the Commander of the Pegasus? 3 down from 3.

Putting Tigh in as commander of the Pegasus would have been a more practical solution than Garner - or maybe it was a political decision to choose someone from within Pegasus to contain dissent despite their ability?

Re: BSG S2: Pegasus

Great review, great comments - kudos to max for an excellent analysis, and great episode. Loving this series.

Re: BSG S2: Flight of the Phoenix

Good points in the review, though this is the best episode of season 2 so far for me (watching it on DVD) minus the firing range scene. Not worried about star trek comparisons or DS9, as this series stands on its own. besides nothing is really truly orginal anymore.

Re: BSG S2: Home, Part 1

The media frenzy scene seems so out of place for a fleet of only 48,000. It's great drama but so misplaced and illogical.

Re: BSG S1: Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2

Boomer's programming was not to kill Adama, or she would have shot him in the head - surely a cylon would execute its programming it that was the intention?

Re: BSG S1: Six Degrees of Separation

Shelly Godfrey = SHE GOD with the first syllables.
Fits nicely into the religious context of this episode.

Re: DS9 S3: The Die Is Cast

Well, Fenne, it looks like you are right on the money. We just finished watching the Season 4 opener, 'The Way of the Warrior': the Cardassian military gov't has been overthrown by a civilian gov't and the Obsidian Order is functionally gone because of the battle in 'The Die is Cast'. It had been so long since I'd watched DS9 that I had forgotten that plot point.

Still, I think it is weird that the entire Order came along on the assault, but I suppose that's the plot. No doubt there was much more going on behind the scenes that wouldn't have been appropriate to show on DS9 proper.

Re: CAP S1: Caprica Canceled

Jammer, I think your analysis of Caprica is more or less spot-on. I felt that the show had potential, but it was slow and spread too thin. There were too many characters eating up screen time without providing enough of a payoff to justify their presence. I am sorry that the show will go off the air - I'd like to see what it would have become - but I'm not surprised or upset.

The prequel announcement doesn't much excite me. The prequel webisodes were interesting, but only from a SFX standpoint - I loved the shots of the Galactica and the Columbia - but I didn't much care about the story or the characters.

Actually, I'd love to see a PC flight sim a la X-Wing or TIE Fighter based on the first war. That would be a project I could get behind!

Re: DS9 S3: The Die Is Cast

I think Lee and EP raise good questions about Sisko, Eddington, and Toddman. Why does Sisko get off with a pat on the back?

Well, Starfleet has a history of allowing its officers to selectively disobey or re-interpret orders. Toddman indicates his sympathy for Sisko; it isn't hard to imagine that the Admiral would have made the same choice. More importantly, Sisko returns with major results: namely, Garak and Odo's reports. Now, Starfleet knows that the Founders infiltrated the Tal Shiar, set up a devastating trap, and see the Federation and the Klingons as the next threat.*

In an odd way, Sisko proves himself more fit for his promotion by illustrating that he has the guts and the backbone to be a ship captain.

*But I have no idea why the Founders think that destroying 20 Cardassian and Romulan ships will knock them out of the fight for the Alpha Quadrant.

Re: MLB: Just add instant replay already

After reading your blog entry, I started looking at CNN/SI for coverage.

I came across this blog, by Joe Posnanski: http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/06/02/the-lesson-of-jim-joyce/#more-3517

Here is sentence or two, where he discusses the effect that a blown call had on another umpire:

"Of course, as a baseball fan, I will never forget Joyce’s blown call — just as baseball fans will never forget Don Denkinger’s missed call during the 1985 World Series. I have spoken at length with Don about that missed call — sat with him at his home in Arizona and listened to him relive the pain of being wrong, the fury of people who called his home and threatened him, the sadness of having a long and successful baseball career defined by one mistake made in the heat of the moment when America was watching. “The call,” he told me, “never quite goes away.” So it goes for Jim Joyce and a safe call that should have been out."

It sounds horrible. Joyce knew he made a mistake. He apologized to Galarraga (which was apparently a scene of the utmost respect and politeness - kudos to them both). But even though everyone knows it was the wrong call, it can't be undone...? There isn't a review process? And now Joyce will undoubtedly get threats and feel terrible for what's happened, all because he made a mistake? I don't watch baseball--or any sports at all, in fact--but I have a hard time wrapping my head around this.