Tag Archives: Science Fiction Television

Best Docking Scenes – Article

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TL;DR – We Explore the Best Science Fiction Docking Scenes in Cinema

Best Docking Scenes in Cinema Introduction

I was talking with a friend today about certain building blocks of genres, which segued into Interstellar. Then the conversation naturally turned to the docking sequence, one of its most famous moments. This left me thinking that, unless you are going to do a Star Trek and beam around everywhere, one of the key points of tension that can be created in Science Fiction comes from that docking manoeuvre. It can be full of dread, of wonder, and of calamity. So, today I want to explore some of the best docking sequences in Cinema and Television.

Honourable Mentions:

Alien: Romulus: Docking with a death station.
Farscape: Deploy the Docking Web.
Gravity: Breaking into a Chinese Space Station
The Martian – Capturing a supply pod
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The USS Rio Grande docking on the Habitat Ring.
Star Trek: Nemesis – The USS Enterprise forcefully docking with the Scimitar.
Star Trek: Voyager – The USS Prometheus docks with itself.
Star Wars: A New Hope – That’s no Moon.
Sunshine: Icarus II docks with Icarus I.
Tron: Legacy – Train arrives at a secret ship.

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VisionQuest: Immolation [S1:E7] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This week reconnected me back to the story with some strong themes, which was important after last week’s outing.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

Vision, and the team try to work things out.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

Today we dive into the penultimate episode of VisionQuest, and for the first time, I am a little worried. I came out of last week’s Deadlock, feeling quite concerned with the direction of the show. Some of the reveals left a bad taste in my mouth. However, Terry Matalas has not done me wrong yet, so I am here to see if he can bring it all together.

So, to set the scene, everyone is working through the fallout of Deadlock, with Vision (Paul Bettany) and Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) trying desperately to save Lisa (Lauren Morais) from the nanobot that Jocasta (T’nia Miller) sent into her brain and is slowly rewriting who she is as a person. Meanwhile, Jocasta and Ultron (James Spader) have made their way to her mortal grave and unlocked five of the six locks needed to unleash her plan of world domination, which is when the mysterious benefactor arrives to both parties, offering them hope, or sending them to ruin. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: Deadlock [S1:E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – There are a lot of responses you can have to an episode of television, but one you never want to hear is “oh…..”.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series

A statue of a bird in front of Jocasta's digital house.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

We have reached the end of our penultimate episode drop of VisionQuest as calamities are colliding and the story is heating up. Well, I wish I could say that about this episode; however, one of these did not happen, and I am not quite as hyped as I once was.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Firewall, Vision (Paul Bettany) made a choice that could change everything: he lowered his firewall and let Ultron (James Spader) … and FRIDAY (Orla Brady) … escape into the internet. The last time they pursued the internet they decided to destroy all of humanity [look, fair]. What will happen this time when there is another synth, Jocosta (T’nia Miller), also out there causing trouble? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: Firewall [S1:E5] – TV Review

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TL;DR – How do you visualise robots hunting each other down in cyberspace? Well, with a play, my dear.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

The gang in colour in a black and white room.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

Well, we have entered that back half of this series, and so far with No Strings, Theseus, Reboot, & Malware we have gotten a lot of setup, a lot of sheer glances, and a lot of furtive statements. But we don’t have a lot of solid ground, and we are running out of time to stick that hard landing. Will today’s episode prove to be that foundation?

So, to set the scene, well, this is not good. Vision (Paul Bettany) gave Ultron (James Spader) access to his body to stop Jocasta (T’nia Miller) from killing everyone, including Thomas (Ruaridh Mollica). Still, once you give Ultron a crack, he takes a mile. In this case, by locking Vision, EDITH (Emily Hampshire), FRIDAY (Orla Brady), DUM-E (Henry Lewis), & U (Jonathan Sayer) up in the loft he was once trapped in. But sure, they may be in jail, but four AI programs with moxie can still achieve a lot. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Lanterns: The Jordan Boys’ Legacy [S1E7] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is all preparation for the season finale next week, but still, it engages you at every level.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is a making-of and trailer after the end credits.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

A Navy cap.

Lanterns Review Introduction

Well, we are getting precariously close to the season/series finale next week, and I am surprised at myself that I am not quite ready to let all these characters go. Each week has been almost like a new tapestry being unveiled or a new part of a quilt being added, all building to the final picture. Today we dive deeper while muddling things around the edges in a fascinating way.

So, to set the scene, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) dead, long live Hal Jordan, for John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) remembered a trick Hal showed him one time to etch 5% more power out of a ring. That 5% was just enough to summon the backup of Hal that Hal had stored there. Though it had not been activated in 10 years and his first sight is his dead body lying in a grave. It’s a lot to take in. John needs Hal’s voice to activate the safe he left behind, but Hal will only do it if John takes him to see Sheriff Kane (Kelly Macdonald). Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Tomorrow’s Enterprise [S4E10] & Season 4 – TV Review

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TL;DR – A heartfelt end to a very uneven season.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

The USS Enterprise in front of a white hole.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

Well, we have reached the end of a very odd season of Star Trek. It almost feels like the beginning of the end, while also celebrating the series’ 60th birthday. The vibes are all over the place. Whatever the case, today we are going to take a little time to explore the series finale while also looking at the season as a whole.

So, to set the scene, the USS Enterprise is exploring a very rare phenomenon, a white hole. They are looking to see if white holes are the other end of black holes when a tractor beam strikes the ship after a signal shot out from the hole, impacting Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) the most. It’s odd, almost like she can hear things that have not happened, a temporal paradox just affecting her. She hears Scotty’s (Martin Quinn) demise, but he is still fine, and then maybe she hears a disaster from the near future. Wait, why is that white hole now a black hole? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Orders of Magnitude [S4E8] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This week I feel as if we have seen a touch of the endgame of the season, as we suddenly have what might be the first normal episode of the season.  

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

The USS Enterprise over a planet.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

Today we are looking at a very odd episode, because if we removed it from all the context around it, then we get a solid episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. However, once we bring in all the context available, it starts becoming odder, as it feels almost more like a reaction to an uneven season. If nothing else, it does make an interesting episode to mark Star Trek’s 60th Birthday.

So, to set the scene, the USS Enterprise has been patrolling one of the major trade routes of the Federation when a weak SOS has called Pike (Anson Mount), Una (Rebecca Romijn), Chapel (Jess Bush), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and A’Sha (Bianca Nugara) down to some crystalline caves. This puts them out of communication when Admiral Simon Reeger (Joe Morton) arrives by shuttle. He is a hero of the Federation-Klingon War and is chasing an echo of a ship that committed the Vaardan massacre. There is not enough time to wait for Pike to get back, so Reeger takes command of the Enterprise and makes Kirk (Paul Wesley) his number one. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass [S4E7] – TV Review

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TL;DR – While it didn’t land everything it set out to do, you could not help but get caught up in the drama somewhat.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is an end-credit scene.

An old timey tv production monitors.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

As this season of Strange New Worlds has progressed, I am finding myself agreeing with Seán Ferrick from TrekCulture in wondering what is the vibe for this season? This has been a series that always has had its statement episodes; this season has been nothing but that. It has led to a dramatically inconsistent season, of which we see another example today.

So, to set the scene, Pike (Anson Mount) wakes up in sickbay with a bandage wrapped around his head. He had been in a terrible shuttle accident. Something is very wrong: his memory is fuzzy, M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) keeps talking off into the distance, the lights are too bright, everyone is speaking with dramatic pauses, and was that a musical cue in the background that Pike can hear? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Lanterns: OutKast [S1E3] – TV Review

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TL;DR – We go full-flashback episode this week, but they make it work.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is a making-of and trailer after the end credits.

John falling.

Lanterns Review Introduction

Today, we are looking at a style of episode that can be quite tricky: the flashback. This is when we put the current narrative on hold to jump back in time and give some more context around a character or an event. They can be fraught because putting your narrative on hold can feel indulgent, be a sign that you have not explained things properly, or worse, it can derail your entire story. Thankfully, we miss these potholes today.

So, to set the scene, it is 2016, and we begin with John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) falling through the air and landing on a pile of mattresses. It is a unique entry into what might be the most important interview in his life. Waiting for him is an unassuming lady, friendly but with a stare that pierces through you. Lianna (Laura Linney) has many questions, including, “Do you feel fear?” Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Off-Hour [S4E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – For me, this is an episode that failed most narrative levels.  

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

The USS Enterprise with a countdown chronometer.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

Well, when I sat down to watch last week’s Level-Five Transporter Accident, I didn’t know I was sitting down to watch what was apparently the most divisive episode since Janeway and Paris had salamander kids. This week we shift to a more serious episode as our homage voyage among the stars ends up in 24-Land.  

So, to set the scene, the Alpha shift is looking forward to the end of the week and for Beta shift to take over. Everything is going fine until everyone spots a slight navigation oddity. But before anyone has time to process it, the USS Enterprise is rammed by a slipstream wormhole and yanked into its wake. Ripped from their heading, badly damaged, separated crew, and slowly shutting down. Worse, if they don’t find a way to stop, the ship will be ripped apart at the subatomic level. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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