by Jane | Dec 15, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Having finished watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, and totally out of Star Trek to watch, I turned to Enterprise. I remembered not having been too impressed when it came on the air years ago, but I decided to give it another chance. I had heard that the last two seasons were good, and although that made me feel like I was eating my spinach in order to have ice cream later, I started watching.
Here are my impressions at the beginning. Let’s start with the theme. It was nice, but it didn’t really say Star Trek to me. Now, the characters. My favorite at that point was Porthos, Captain Archer’s dog. My second favorite was Trip, the Chief Engineer. I hated the Vulcan Science Officer T’Pol, as I guess we were supposed to, since she was at best, critical of whatever Captain Archer was doing, and at worst, a spy. That part was a little strange. However, during season one, she started to show some reluctant loyalty to Archer. The other characters were fine, though it seemed the actors would have to grow into their parts.
Halfway through the first season, the scripts started to get better. The crew of Enterprise was making its own path. I was concerned that the show seemed to lack Roddenberry’s brilliance and vision, but by the end of the season, the scripts were definitely better and the 2-part season ender/2nd season beginner was excellent. I started to change my mind about the show.
As Enterprise got into season 2, it became quite good. Trip surpassed Porthos as my favorite character and I started to like T’Pol. She became softer and more feminine and by then, was definitely part of Enterprise’s crew, not just a pawn of the Vulcan Council. The second season finale was even better than the first, so I am really looking forward to seasons three and four. I will report my experiences with them later.
For now I’ll just say, don’t write off Enterprise. You might be surprised.
by Jane | Nov 28, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
The Crimson Crown is the fourth and final book in Cinda Williams Chima’s Seven Realms series. If I were to meet her, I’d ask how she manages to maintain interest throughout each book. To say this is a page-turner would be a disservice. I am compelled to keep reading, chapter after chapter.
In The Crimson Crown, Raisa is crowned queen and Han Allister dances the Demon King role at the ceremony, much to everyone’s surprise. Things are, of course, not wine and roses for these two. Han is suspected of a series of wizard killings, Micah Bayar insists on dating Raisa, and the war raging in the south is starting to threaten Raisa’s queendom. Meanwhile, Raisa has named Han to the Wizard Council, which the wizards, currently led by Gavan Bayar, do not like at all.
Both Raisa and Han have big plans. Unfortunately, neither is sure that their plans jibe with the other’s because of talk they are hearing around the castle and village. Who are they to believe? And how can they handle the political situation without getting themselves, and those they love, killed?
Chima does a grand job of keeping us in suspense throughout, but with each revelation comes another surprise. You cannot be disappointed with this book and the culmination of this series. I’m just sad it’s over.
by Jane | Nov 11, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
I reported on the book The Martian some months ago and said how much I liked it, especially for the science parts where astronaut Mark Whatley was describing the thought processes he went through to find a way to live a little longer. This is part of what made the book great. But you can’t do that in a movie.
Had the producers of the movie tried to put in even half of the science behind what Whatley was doing, the movie would have been dull and put everyone to sleep. Even the little bit they did put in could easily make people’s eyes glaze over.
But that’s OK. The movie The Martian didn’t need it to be good. I was curious how a movie based largely on astronaut Whatley’s notes and videos would translate to the big screen. But translate it did. By skipping over the slower, science parts and accentuating the action and dramatic parts, director Ridley Scott made a great film.
Scott also did a great job moving between the action on Mars and the action on Earth, showing the viewers just what they needed to see to keep them interested. Although Mark’s science explanations were limited in the movie, the movie retained his sense of humor (well played by actor Matt Damon), which was also a big part of the book.
The movie was true to the book in most ways. There was only one catastrophe they left out, near the time when the astronaut was approaching the site for his lift-off. I agreed with that decision. Another catastrophe would have been too much and actually slowed down the film. It needed to keep moving along at that point to get to the climax.
The climax was, of course, Whatley’s flight into space to meet with the ship to take him back home. It was, arguably, the best scene in the film. Action that I had a hard time picturing while reading the book came through magnificently on the screen (especially in 3D). Even though I knew how it ended, it was exciting, suspenseful, and ultimately, satisfying. I also applaud the ending of the movie, which made it clear what happened to all the major characters.
I highly recommend the film the way I highly recommended the book. In spite of their differences, science fiction fans will enjoy both.
by Jane | Nov 8, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
On July 25, 2014, I published a post on Captain Janeway’s use of discipline on Voyager. At the time, I said I thought she had dealt out more discipline than any other starship captain. I’ve since had the opportunity to rewatch Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I have more details to add on that topic.
Janeway’s harshest use of discipline was with Tom Paris when he disobeyed orders. She demoted him and sentenced him to a month in the brig. As I rewatched TNG, I wanted to see if any crew member of the Enterprise D had disobeyed orders and Picard’s response. I found several.
Although not actually disobeying a direct order, Worf got a reprimand for a ritual Klingon killing when he killed the man who had killed his mate. I guess Picard was caught between Star Fleet regulations and Klingon law. So, Worf got merely a reprimand. I’m not sure how it was entered into his record. Conduct unbecoming an officer?
But there were several acts of disobedience during the seven-year run of TNG. As a matter of fact, I think the only senior officer who never disobeyed Picard was Riker. So, let’s explore this. Data disobeyed orders twice — once when he was in command of a vessel in a fleet commanded by Picard. Picard ordered him to leave the area, but Data stayed to institute a plan of his. The plan worked, and Star Fleet was saved. So, the ends justifies the means?
The second time Data disobeyed orders was when a newly-discovered life form was causing a danger to the Enterprise. Since he could not prove his belief that they were sentient, Data was ordered to destroy them. He did not. Later, he proved they were sentient and vindicated himself. In neither instance was he punished. Picard might have been facing a difficult dilemma of how to best discipline an android, similar to Janeway not knowing how to discipline Seven of Nine. Still, if an officer twice disobeys his captain, no matter the reason, some action seems appropriate.
Next, we have Beverly Crusher. During an investigation onboard Enterprise, she performed an unauthorized autopsy. Not only had she not received permission, but she was told by Picard expressly not to do it. She did it anyway, and a board of inquiry was formed on the planet of the deceased. Picard, however, did nothing. He supported her. Later, Beverly was vindicated and the inquiry was dropped. Now, we all know that Picard and Crusher are friends, bordering on more than friends, but is that a reason to overlook insubordination?
Finally, Geordie LaForge disobeyed orders to try and rescue his mother, who he believed was being held captive on a nearby planet. No one believed him, and Picard ordered him not to leave the ship. LaForge did it anyway. He rescued his mother and some others, so he was vindicated. Picard wrote him up.
So, let’s summarize. Worf gets a reprimand for killing a man, and LaForge gets written up for disobeying orders for a good cause. In the meantime, Data disobeys orders twice and Crusher once, both for good reasons, and neither of them is disciplined. Favoritism?
For comparison, on Voyager, Chakotay, Paris, Seven of Nine, and Kim all disobeyed orders at one time or another. They were put on report, confined to quarters, received official reprimands, or occasionally, forgiven. Except of course, for Tim Paris. And let’s not forget Neelix. He consorted with criminals and just got a few hours cleaning manifolds.
So, what is this with Paris? Is he just the unluckiest officer to ever serve on a starship, or did Janeway have it in for him? And why was Picard so lenient compared to Janeway? Was it his age and experience? Did he think he had enough respect from his crew that he could overlook major issues of insubordination? Or was Janeway too quick on the trigger?
I’ve never served in the military, but from what I know of it, I doubt commanding officers are so quick to forgive officers who disobey orders. So Janeway may be the better disciplinarian. In most cases, she took action. But I still have to wonder.
What did she have against Tom Paris?
by Jane | Oct 31, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Near the beginning of the summer, I wrote about some “new” shows I was watching and trying to like, and about other shows coming back for their summer runs. (For review, see that blog here.)The shows I was streaming were Sense 8 and Between. I finished watching the available episodes of Between and enjoyed them. It wasn’t a great show, but it was passable. The show has been renewed and Netflix will release new episodes in 2016. In lieu of anything better in the genre, I will watch it.
As to Sense 8, I watched a couple more episodes, but nothing changed for me. I still find it confusing and unsatisfying. I believe that it is not only hard to keep so many different stories straight, it is difficult to develop any one story in the time allotted. It would have been better if they had brought more of the protagonists together earlier, so it doesn’t seem like so many different story lines. The 4400, for example, had a lot of characters, but the producers did a better job of connecting them all.
Now, to the summer shows. The first is Falling Skies. Its last season is progressing well. The 2nd Mass has had its victories and set-backs, but keeps plodding along. Though I’ll miss the show, I’m looking forward to the finale and see how everything is resolved.
But my top pick is The Last Ship. There is action and excitement every episode, so much that you can expect to be exhausted by the time the credits roll. The show is also not stretching my disbelief as they did in last season’s finale. At first, I had a little trouble understanding the primary antagonist, who was actually trying to prevent the distribution of the cure, but that has become clearer as the season progressed. Sometimes the twists and turns have me saying, “What, again?”, but, on the other hand, they make for excellent suspense and tension. I’m also happy that there is some general resolution of plot in each episode before the final cliffhanger. If you haven’t seen The Last Ship, you’re really missing something good. I’ll be sorry when its season finale airs and I have to wait nine months to see new episodes.
Happy watching!
by Jane | Oct 31, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Heroes Reborn is a revamped version of the TV show Heroes which ran from 2006 to 2010. The new series includes Noah Bennett and some old favorites. This revamp takes place several years after the end of the previous series. One year earlier at a summit with ordinary people and Evos (as the special people are now called), there was a bombing which killed many people. Now lines have been drawn. The government is rounding up Evos and vigilantes are systematically killing them, blaming them for the massacre.
Noah is, in this version, remarkably on the side of the Evos. His daughter, who was supposed to be immortal, has died, but Noah has no memory of what happened on that day. The series starts with him trying to find out what happened. There are many new Evos in this version all trying to survive and make their way through this new world.
As in the previous series, Heroes Reborn is very well done, full of suspense and action. So far only thirteen episodes have been produced, but I hope there are more. I, for one, will be front and center.
by Jane | Oct 16, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Although it’s not a genre TV show, since it stars an iconic sci fi actor, I thought I should report on Blunt Talk, starring Patrick Stewart. It is an amazing show, and Stewart is incredibly funny. In the first episode, Walter Blunt, TV commentator, is arrested after being found in a parked car with a prostitute, drunk.
When he gets to the studio the next day, he ingests more alcohol and what he believes to be uppers, but turns out to be downers. And he has to go on the air that way!
What could be the setting for a very tragic situation becomes hysterical in the hands of the producers and writers of Blunt Talk, not to mention Stewart’s performance. Blunt is surrounded by quirky co-workers, as well as his valet Harry, which only adds to the fun.
I haven’t seen many funny shows on TV lately, so I was very surprised that Blunt Talk had me rolling on the floor, especially since I’ve never thought of Patrick Stewart as a comedic actor. If you have Starz, be sure to watch it. If not, subscribe. Blunt Talk is worth it.
by Jane | Oct 5, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
I’ve been to many scifi conventions in my time, but it had been a while when I decided to attend my first Supernatural con, hosted by Creation. I’d been looking for one closer to home than Vancouver and was happy to find one in Secaucus, NJ. The bad news was, I had a string of mishaps. First, although I wanted to attend the whole weekend, I had an obligation on Saturday I couldn’t get out of. Luckily, both Jensen Ackles (Dean) and Jared Padelecki (Sam) would be appearing on Sunday, as well as Mark Sheppard (Crowley).
The next problem was that all photo op tickets and autograph tickets for “the boys” were sold out. However, both were left for Mark Sheppard, one of my favorites, and I decided to go for the photo op. I would have to miss Misha Collins (Castiel), who I also enjoy, was only appearing on Saturday, but according to the web site, there was a possibility he would be around on Sunday for photo ops and autographs and that tickets would be available onsite.
Armed with tickets for the event and photo op with Mark, I headed out Sunday morning around 11:00. The events really didn’t get started until 2:00 and it was only a 45 minute ride, but I had left extra time to get to the Meadowlands Exhibition Hall, park, register, and look around the dealers room. As I left my house, I found my next problem. My car wouldn’t start, so I called for a jump start. The man arrived an hour later and told me I needed a new battery and would not be able to start the car once I started off. So, I drove to Sears, left the car and got a rental to (finally) head off to the convention.
I arrived about 2:00 and knew I was in the right place because I caught sight of Jared, Jenson, and Misha in a photo op. I registered, got an autograph ticket for Misha, and headed into the dealers room. By that time, Erica Carroll, who played angel Hannah, was onstage, but I wanted to take my time before settling into my seat for the rest of the afternoon. As I was picking out some pictures of the cast to purchase, a yell went up from the theater, and I ran, just at the last minute putting down the pictures I had not yet purchased. Misha Collins had come on stage. He bantered a bit with Erica, then left.
After Erica finished up, the band, led by Louden Swain, started to play, and out walked Jensen and Jared, ahead of schedule. Another big scream. They left, came back at their scheduled time, and provided much amusement for the crowd. Their banter with each other (and the fans) was natural and engaging, Jared teasing Jenson about his height, and Jenson teasing Jared about his hair.
The next event was a charity auction, mostly posters from the show with an autograph ticket included. Then came Mark Sheppard. He was very funny, in a slightly caustic manner, and was well-received. Instead of staying on stage like the other guests, he walked through the audience. So even those of us in the cheap seats got to get a good look at him. In addition to fielding questions about the show, he addressed his experience of becoming an American citizen. One thing he was very clear on was that he did not call himself an American citizen. Rather, he said, “I’m an American.” He also talked about the naturalization process and what it meant to be an American.
After Mark, the con was basically over except for the remaining photo ops and autograph sessions. My photo op with Mark was great. All the celebrities were very open to different poses and so forth, and the photographer was great. You can see for yourself below.
Then, finally, I had the autograph session with Misha. If you can manage a gold or silver ticket at Creation conventions, you’re at an advantage because you get called first, in row order. Otherwise, you have to wait until all of them have finished, and you go by ticket order. So, I was one of the last. But the nice thing was, Misha personalized the autograph for me, even though I don’t think he was supposed to. And I got a wink.
Overall, it was a great con. The events were terrific and the concessions were quite good. On the negative side, I was a little disappointed in the dealers room. There were some nice things there, but it wasn’t nearly as big as some of the dealers rooms I’ve seen at other cons. Maybe it’s because it was on Sunday, but I’m not sure. I also miss the old Creation conventions I used to attend, where seats were first come, first served.
But all in all, Creation did a wonderful job. Although many parts of the convention are quite expensive, Creation is very organized in moving people around to places they need to be. I also liked the spontaneity and graciousness of the celebrities and was impressed by the range of ages there, as well as the level of excitement. I would highly recommend this for any Supernatural fan for next year. I hope to attend myself and check out some other of their cons, as well. Star Trek, anyone?
by Jane | Sep 25, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
I first discovered Doctor Who when I moved to NYC in 1986. I had heard of it from friends in college, but had not had a chance to watch it until then. My first Doctor was Peter Davidson, and I really enjoyed the show. Later (although he was earlier in the series), I got to see Tom Baker as the Doctor, with his characteristic floppy hat and long, striped scarf.
More recently, I watched the rebooted series on BBC America, with Doctors 9, 10, and 11, and just saw the premiere of Doctor #12, Peter Capaldi. David Tennant is definitely my favorite of this group so far, although I also like Matt Smith. There were some particularly good episodes during his run, especially “The Doctor’s Wife.”
But as much as I am enjoying the new series, I became curious about the other doctors, the ones I had not seen. So I searched for the series on Netflix and found that they had 175 episodes, only a small subset. But I set out to see what I could see.
For the first two Doctors, they only had one story (consisting of 3 — 4 episodes each). The first I saw was with the first Doctor, William Hartnell, and was entitled “The Aztecs”. As the title suggests, the Doctor and his companions traveled back to the time of the Aztecs and got into a bit of trouble with the locals. I have to say, this episode did not grab me, and I don’t know if I would have continued watching if this was the first one I had seen.
The next story was entitled “The Mind Robber”, with Patrick Troughton, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The TARDIS is swept into a place out of time and space and the time travelers encounter some very weird happenings, reminiscent of Alice on Wonderland. At this point, I would have said that I preferred Troughton to Hartnell.
Next I got to see my first Jon Pertwee episode, “Spearhead from Space.” I liked this one as well. I found it a bit campy, but later episodes with him got better. I’m now into the Tom Baker episodes, which are more the Doctor Who I remember, though they are new episodes for me, which is very exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing Peter Davidson again, as well as Doctors I don’t know, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. Paul McGann and Richard E. Grant will have to wait until new episodes are released.
In the meantime, brand new episodes are now showing on BBC America. I’ll write about the new season later. For now, I’m back to the screen to enjoy two Doctors.
by Jane | Sep 5, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Joe Abercrombie’s Half the World is a sequel to Half a King, the story of Yorvi, a young man thrust into a kingship he didn’t want. However, rather than describing further exploits of Yarvi, this book focusses on two young warriors, Thorn and Brand. During a training exercise, Thorn, the only female trainee, accidentally kills her opponent and Brand stands up for her when she is declared a murderer. Thorn faces death and Brand is stricken from the raid he so much wants to participate in.
Yarvi, a secondary character in this book, is now Minister to King Uthril, and puts Thorn and Brand on his crew for a diplomatic mission to the other side of the world. The two face many trials, both physical and social, on their travels. They learn much about themselves and each other by the time they return home. But what happens then? What will they do with what they have learned? What decisions will they make?
A great addition to the “Half” series, Half the World is a book to be enjoyed by adults and youth alike. Abercrombie’s newest book Half a Crown has recently been released, and I can’t wait to see what he has next in store for the readers.
