Tag Archives: Science Fiction Television

Star Trek: Picard: No Win Scenario – TV Review

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TL;DR – ‘To boldly go’ is a good motto as anything else, but it is rare to see it captured in an episode quite like this.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that viewed this episode.

An energy wave hit the USS Titan

Star Trek: Picard Review –

What do you do when your back is against the wall, and there is no easy way out? Star Trek has a term for that, the Kobayashi Maru, a term they may have put on repeat recently. However, only when all the chips are down can you honestly tell the mantle of a crew and their captain.

So to set the scene, the crew is on edge after hours of The Shrike coming from nowhere and attacking the USS Titan-A, which is not helped by the fact that there is a Changeling on board who is sabotaging. A moment of incredible frustration boiled over when Captain Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart) disagreed over the course of action, which is when The Shrike’s new portal weapons were used devastatingly. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead for the show.     

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The Mandalorian: Chapter 18 (The Mines of Mandalore) – TV Review

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TL;DR – We finally make it to Mandalore, and it should be no surprise that it is not as empty as once thought.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this show.

Peli Motto looks at a striped down racer.

The Mandalorian Review –

It has been an interesting transition to shift tonally from Andor, with its much more severe and grounded story, back to the romp of The Mandalorian. It is probably a good showing of the strength of the underlying Star Wars universe that both can work within the same frame. This week we do lean hard into that romp because … is that pod racers I see?

So to set the scene, last week in The Apostate, we were reminded [for those who skipped The Book of Boba Fett] that The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) has been excommunicated from his group. Because he showed his face … willing … the shame. He can only seek forgiveness if he bathes in the sacred waters under the mines of Mandalore. The only problem is that The Empire used fusion bombs to glass the planet’s entire surface. It is poisonous. It is cursed. Or is it? Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole and the rest of the season, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Mandalorian: Chapter 17 (The Apostate) – TV Review

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TL;DR – A bit of a disjointed episode, but still with the flashes of joy that this series has nailed.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this show.

Grogu.

The Mandalorian Review –

Well, when we last left you in Chapter 16 (The Rescue), we were at a high point for the series, where they made a significant creative decision that would have ramifications throughout any future show. Or at least, that is what we thought at the time, and then The Book of Boba Fett sort of became The Mandalorian season 2.5 and then backslid on all that growth. For the first time I can remember, I started this week with more than a bit of trepidation, which was not completely gone when the end credits rolled.

So to set the scene, after The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) found the Jedi and completed his quest of returning Grogu to his people, he found himself at a loss as to what to do. But in The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 5 (Return of The Mandalorian), he found The Armourer (Emily Swallow) and discovered a new calling, one of redemption. Because he once removed his helmet, he is now an exile from his people. The fact that it was for a noble reason was not good enough to break his sacred oath. Now he needs to bathe in the waters under the mines of Mandalore. The only problem is that The Empire glassed the planet altogether, leaving it poisoned … or maybe not. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

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Star Trek: Picard: Disengage – TV Review

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TL;DR – This episode was full of electric moments that I could not look away from.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that viewed this episode.

The Shrike comes out from the nebular.

Star Trek: Picard Review –

There are many things I look for in an episode of Science Fiction. Sometimes I am in the mood for an action scene, sometimes, it is a character marching into an entire soliloquy captivating the screen, and sometimes I just want to be shocked by what just happened. Well, today, we get an episode of Star Trek that does all this and more.   

So to set the scene, in The Next Generation, Picard (Patrick Stewart) is almost on his way off-world to spend some time with his love when he gets a message from Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and old friend, an old flame, and someone who he has not talked to in 20 years. But she was in trouble, and with the help of Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Seven (Jeri Ryan) [and no thanks to Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick)], they went past the edges of Federation space to mount a rescue. But when they got there, they found a couple of surprises, including Beverly’s son Jack (Ed Speleers), but also that they might have led the person hunting Beverly right to her. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead for the show.    

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A Girl and an Astronaut (Dziewczyna i Kosmonauta): Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is a fascinating romantic science fiction romp. I wish had spent a little less time on the love triangle and a bit more on worldbuilding.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

A fighter jet releases flares.

A Girl and an Astronaut Review –

One thing about the Science Fiction genre that I love is just how flexible it can be. It has the facility for anyone to tell a story, which is why I love seeing how different countries and film traditions tackle sci-fi concepts. It can also be a gateway for me to cinematic worlds I have never visited before. With that in mind, today we take our first look into Polish television and a story about a long-lost love.

So to set the scene, in 2052, a space capsule appears in Earth orbit, with the astronaut Captain Nikodem Borowski (Jędrzej Hycnar) waking up from hibernation. What is odd is that the space orbiter Niko-One vanished mysteriously 30 years ago, and the company running it SkyCom, said it was lost. The whole world is waiting to see what comes of the orbiter, now it is reentering the Earth’s atmosphere, but for Marta (Magdalena Cielecka), it is more than that. It is the return of a love lost to time and space. Now we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there may be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Picard – The Next Generation – TV Review

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TL;DR – A beautiful start to the final season.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that viewed this episode.

Commander Seven of Nine

Star Trek: Picard Review –

I have enjoyed the first two seasons of Star Trek Picard, even though they have been very uneven. But I did have some hesitations coming into Season 3 because it felt like the show was dumping most of its supporting cast to give The Next Generation crew one last run. Was this nostalgia going to be a lovely swan song for the final season or an anchor to drag it all down? Well, this first episode makes it feel like it is not the latter.

So to set the scene, we open in the 25th Century as we zoom through a nebula to the SS Eleos XII, where Captain Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) is under attack from unknown assailants. After dispatching them but gravely wounded, Beverly sends an encoded message to Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), a man she has not spoken to in 20 years. Jean-Luc needs to go help his old friend, but how else are you going to do that by bringing in some help from old friends in the form of Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead for the show.

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Andor (Star Wars: Andor): Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – Some of the best Star Wars I have seen since the original trilogy.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a Post-Credit scene at the end of Rix Road.

A star destroyer a[[ears over the skies of Aldhani

Andor Review –

When I heard that they would do a prequel to Rogue One, which was already a prequel to the Original Trilogy, I was concerned. Add to that, it was going to be based on Andor, a character I wouldn’t say I liked all that much in Rogue One, and concern moved to real hesitancy. However, when I sat down to watch the first episode, Kassa, I knew instantly how wrong I was and what a ride it was.  

So to set the scene, on a dark and rainy night, we see Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) make his way across a boardwalk to the glittering city Morlana One, part of the Preox-Morlana Corporate Zone in the Morlani system. He is going to the ‘leisure district’ to find out any information about his missing sister when two local security forces or Corpos accost him. Taking his leave, Andor returns to his ship when the two Corpos accost him again, not willing to leave him alone. But this time, there are lethal consequences. Now from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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1899: Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – A dark and compelling tale full of mystery and ‘wait… what?!?!’ moments.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

The Kerberos

1899 Review –

One of the shows recommended to me is Dark, and I have always meant to give it a look, but finding time to watch three seasons has been elusive. However, when I heard that the creators of Dark had a new series that hit all the same feels, well, it was time to give it a watch. Also, for some reason, Netflix defaults to the English dub of this series. Please, before you watch, make sure you change the language from English – Dubbed to English – Original.

So to set the scene, it is 1899, and in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is the Kerberos, a large steamship taking passengers to New York City. The ship itself is light on with passengers because the Kerberos’ sister ship Prometheus disappeared on the same route a month ago with no trace. One night as all the first class passengers are eating their dinner, a young boy Krester (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen), bursts into the dining hall saying they need help because his pregnant sister Tove (Clara Rosager) is going into shock. No one will help but Maura Franklin (Emily Beecham), who rushes to assist, even though the dreams of her being locked up and tortured in a psychiatric institution bare heavily upon her. Captain Eyk Larsen (Andreas Pietschmann) is annoyed that Maura broke the rules, but that is all put aside when the ship has a sudden communication from the Prometheus, which might not be at the bottom of the ocean as most people thought. Now from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Peripheral: Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – While it expertly builds tension and the world, it ends on a flat note of frustration  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Prime Video service that viewed this show.

End Credit Scene – The final episode, The Creation of a Thousand Forests, has an end credit scene.

Warning – Some scenes may cause distress.

Flynne connects to the VR Set

The Peripheral Review –

It has been a while since I have sat down to a good sci-fi mystery. One that makes you scratch your head and wonder how all the different parts connect. I think the last one that truly captured me like this was Westworld. Which is good timing because you can see those influences in the show we are looking at today.

So to set the scene, we open in London in 2099 as Wolf (Gary Carr) sits on a park bench as holographic galleons recreate a battle on the pond in front of him. As he watches a young girl Aelita (Sophia Ally), approaches the bench without shoes. She wants to save a world, not the one they are in now, that is lost, but another world, one that can still be saved. In the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2032, Flynne Fisher (Chloë Grace Moretz) is helping her sick mother, Ella (Melinda Page Hamilton), when she notices that her medicine is being cut by her no-good brother Burton (Jack Reynor). Confronting him, she instead gets dragged into helping some guys beat a level in a WW2 VR Video Game, something she is very good at. At work, she is given a package for her brother, a new VR machine that she can beta test, and get money for her family. But the immersive VR set in a future London is more real than anyone expected. Now from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

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Doctor Who: The Power of The Doctor – TV Review

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TL;DR – While this episode looks back to the past, I feel it might have the ability to steer the show into the future while also getting to be a romp in its own right.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I watched this on ABC iView.

The TARDIS in Space.

Doctor Who Review –

When it comes to Doctor Who, well, it is a history of highs and lows. Some of those early memories of the show linger in my consciousness. One look at a gas mask and I get ripped back in time, you walk into an extensive library, and suddenly, there is a hint of concern. But no matter how much I tried, I fell off the recent series. Every time I jump back in, like with Revolution Of The Daleks, I bounce back off again. But with Jodie Whittaker’s time coming to an end, I thought I should give it one more time.   

So to set the scene, we open in as emergency transmission from the Torajii Transport Network blares out across all frequencies because they are about to be hijacked by Cybermen. The guards kill the Cybermen, but when things seem safe, the Cybermen start to regenerate. But the ship’s call for help does not go unanswered as The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill), and Dan (John Bishop) jump from the TARDIS to help. But things onboard go from bad to worse as the Cybermen are after ‘The Cargo’, and they are not Cybermen but Cybermasters. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.  

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