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Roswell (3.13) “Panacea” – Review
By: jesuiscanadien
Michael and his co-worker, Monk, are working the graveyard shift at Meta-Chem. Michael had cut his hand over “Maria issues”, and tosses the band-aid away. They leave to go on rounds, and as soon as they leave the security office, a group of men in haz-mat suits come in and take the band-aid and a few other things that belong to Michael.
Liz arrives by bus at her new boarding school, the Winnaman Academy, and she feels relief that she’s far away from her troubles in Roswell. Her new roommate introduces Liz to life at the Academy. In New York, Maria is enjoying the perks that her new record label is giving her, and gets together with her old pal, Billy. She impresses him with her newfound style, and takes him with her to her recording session.
Back in Roswell, Michael is doing his rounds, but behind a locked door an experiment with his blood from his band-aid is going on. Suddenly there is an alarm, indicating a breach in the system. Michael’s co-worker sees someone, and is shot in the process, and Michael is helpless to stop Monk from dying. The woman who was involved in the experiment with Michael’s blood, later questions Michael on the incident. Michael feels something is hinky, and goes to see Valenti about looking into the situation.
Over at the Winnaman Academy, Liz gets a call from Max, who wants to know if she’s okay yet. As the conversation begins to stress Liz out, she accidentally melts the phone and hangs up on Max. In New York, Maria is disagreeing with Dominique over what song to record for the label. Maria ends up agreeing to try out the song that Dominique wants, as Billy tries to stay out of the issue.
Valenti has gotten a job with Meta-Chem to investigate the death of Monk. Valenti uses his pull with the Sheriff’s office to get some evidence of a footprint from the floor near where Monk was shot, and using some luminol to have the footprints show up under black light, he leads Michael to a locked door. Michael opens it for Valenti, and they discover the lab with Michael’s blood sample, among other things. As they are trying to get everything out of the lab, they are interrupted by a couple of the scientists who work in that lab. Michael manages to get out before Mrs. Wheeler, the woman who’s behind everything, walks in and traps Valenti.
Maria’s session is going badly, as she really can’t stand the song she is being asked to sing. Dominique argues with Maria about her issue, and gives Maria an ultimatum, either sing the song or go home. Maria chooses to go home, and she and Billy walk out of the session. Over at Liz’s school, Liz and her roomie, Eileen, sneak out to a place on campus that is a hideout for the girls there. They get out the alcohol and begin to imbibe.
Back in Roswell, Michael is getting panicky that Valenti still hasn’t made it home. Isabel and Max are discussing the situation with Michael, deciding what to do. When Kyle shows up at Michael’s place, and tells him that Valenti never made it home last night, Max tells Michael that they need to go in now. Isabel tells Kyle that they think that Valenti is in trouble.
Back at the school, Liz is talking to Eileen about Max and her situation, without getting into the nitty-gritty. Eileen counsels Liz that Max is a cheater, and she doesn’t need him anymore. They scream their newfound freedom from the open window in an act of solidarity.
Max, Michael, Isabel, and Kyle go over the plan to rescue Valenti, and later that night, Isabel sneaks out to put the plan into action. Unfortunately, Jesse sees Isabel leave and follows her. Max and Isabel split up in Meta-Chem, and Michael acts as their eyes in the control room. Max finds Valenti, but as they escape, Valenti is shot. Max heals him, but they are taken prisoner. Mrs. Wheeler wants Max, as she now knows he’s the healer. Michael and Isabel runs to help Max, as Jesse breaks into Meta-Chem to find out what’s going on.
Maria shows up at the Academy, and she and Liz go off to the hideaway, the “Rat”, to talk about what’s been going on. While they talk, Max is being forced to heal Mr. Wheeler from dying from old age. Max tells Mrs. Wheeler that he can’t heal someone dying from natural causes. She disagrees, and orders him to use his powers on her husband. As Max tries to heal Mr. Wheeler, he turns old and gray. His powers go into overload and it is as though Max switches places with the dying man. Mrs. Wheeler and her newly healed spouse leave, as Valenti calls out to the now-wizened Max. Before Valenti can help Max, he vanishes in a heap of dust. At that moment, Liz feels Max pass on and cries out beside Maria.
Well, we know that Max won’t be dead for long, as he’s a major character, and they didn’t start to kill off regular characters on television then, unless their contract was up. Hopefully this “death” will do something to liven up Max and Liz’s sad lack of chemistry. Liz’s stay at the boarding school will most likely be short-lived, seeing as how the show is called “Roswell” and not “Four Aliens and Their Human Friends”. I have forgotten how Liz ends up going home, but since this episode is a two-parter, I suppose we will find out with the next part. Maybe Max’s death will shock Liz’s mucked up system back into a more normal state, I don’t know.
The whole “Wheeler situation” is a tad contrived. It sure is convenient that they managed to steal Liz’s dress from the day she was shot, without Liz noticing. The “Alien Nation” have been very careful about hiding everything about themselves. So the fact that this outside organization was able to compile dossiers on the aliens, without really knowing who they are, but knowing enough to peg Michael as one of them, is slightly ludicrous. They’ve engaged in illegal activity without garnering the hard gaze of the law, and Mrs. Wheeler seems to not understand the consequences of her actions. Even real criminal elements make mistakes that bring the sharp eye of the law looking their way, so the fact that the Sheriff’s Office hasn’t quite made the connection, bothers me. Where I live, organized crime is very careful about their activities, but the law still observes them meticulously, knowing that sooner or later somebody will slip up and make it easier to press charges.
Maria’s sojourn to New York was a hard reminder that the Music Business is still business and making money is its only priority. This especially resonates today with the profusion of sexy, stupid, young things that were hired because they fill out a mini-skirt nicely, not because they have actual talent. The fact that Maria took the high road was a testament to her dedication to her craft, and her lack of desire to pursue the bottom line of making a fast buck.
I look forward to the conclusion of this story-arc, as it is a bit moronic and is not bringing anything to the table that is actually interesting. I’ve become a wee bit cynical since this originally aired, but them’s the breaks. This episode gets a 7.0 out of 10.0, simply for “killing” Max in an interesting way.
Sci-Fi Brain News - June 8, 2007
Skeet Ulrich Thanks 'Jericho' Fans
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Jericho star Skeet Ulrich has thanked fans whose campaign was credited by CBS with saving the show from the scrap-heap.
Ulrich, who plays Jake Green in the drama, said he was "so thankful to our fans for not only their passionate support but their tireless efforts to revive our show."
He told E!: "The whole cast and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to be together again and I look forward to the chance to give back to the fans with more of the story that brought us here."
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Aw, Hell Naw!! 'I Am Legend' Trailer Appears Online In Glorious Quicktime
aintitcoolnews.com is reporting that a new teaser trailer for the Will Smith movie I Am Legend is now online.
Sci-Fi Brain News - June 7, 2007
CBS Picks Up 7 Episodes Of 'Jericho'
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that CBS has rescued Jericho from the scrap-heap by giving the apocalyptic drama a seven-episode second season order.
The network cancelled the show at the end of its first season due to low ratings - especially after its season was split and it failed to survive in the latter half of the season when pitted against American Idol on Fox. However, a massive online campaign that resulted in fans sending literally tons of peanuts (a reference to a line in the show's series, now season, finale) to CBS executives has prompted a rethink.
Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, told fans: "Wow!
"Over the past few weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented display of passion in support of a prime time television series. You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard.
"As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of Jericho for mid-season next year. In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more Jericho, we will need more viewers.
"A loyal and passionate community has clearly formed around the show. But that community needs to grow. It needs to grow on the CBS Television Network, as well as on the many digital platforms where we make the show available.
"We will count on you to rally around the show, to recruit new viewers with the same grass-roots energy, intensity and volume you have displayed in recent weeks.
"At this time, I cannot tell you the specific date or time period that Jericho will return to our schedule. However, in the interim, we are working on several initiatives to help introduce the show to new audiences. This includes re-broadcasting Jericho on CBS this summer, streaming episodes and clips from these episodes across the CBS Audience Network (online), releasing the first season DVD on September 25 and continuing the story of Jericho in the digital world until the new episodes return. We will let you know specifics when we have them so you can pass them on.
"On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for expressing your support of “Jericho” in such an extraordinary manner. Your protest was creative, sustained and very thoughtful and respectful in tone. You made a difference."
She added: "P.S. Please stop sending us nuts  "
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What Lessons Do We Learn From CBS' 'Jericho' Reprieve
zap2it.com is reporting that let me begin by saying that I'm happy for all of you Jericho fans out there. Just because a fourth of you abandoned the show in the spring doesn't mean that the rest of you shouldn't enjoy it.
But do you know who won't be so happy with CBS' choice to reconsider the drama's previous cancelation? The heads of the other four networks. [Yeah, I'm including The CW, even if it's just CBS' baby sister and they're under the same ownership.] No, none of the bigwigs would say that they're unhappy. They'd talk about how this is a sign that networks listen to their viewers. But at NBC and ABC and FOX and The CW, they know that a somewhat dangerous precedent will be set.
Is this democratization of the medium or tyranny by a loud minority? I guess it depends on how you look at it.
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There's Been A Breach At 'Westworld'
moviehole.net is reporting that it seems the long-gestating remake of the campy western actioner Westworld is still vert much alive (You’ll recall that at one time Warners hoped to unite Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger for it – or so said that deceitful rumour mill) according to Sci Fi Wire.
The original 1973 was set in a futuristic amusement park which becomes a deathtrap when the androids and computer systems used in it begin to murderously run amok. James Brolin and Richard Benjamin played the heroes; Yul Brynner played the killer robot.
“Breach” writer/director Billy Ray tells the site that the brothers W have handed him a token for the Wild West amusement park. Though he’s writing the remake, he’s not necessarily going to direct it.
"I would resist the idea of directing it myself, not that they've offered it to me, because I don't want the pressure of that kind of a budget sitting on my shoulders”, says Ray, who also helmed one of my favourite pics of the last five years, “Shattered Glass”.
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Exclusive: 1-1 With Optimus Prime Himself
latinoreview.com is reporting that Peter Cullen is one of the best voice actors in the business. His list of film and television credits, most of which are of the animated variety, is endless: Voltron, My Little Pony, Duck Tales, Gremlins, Winnie the Pooh (he’s the voice of Eeyore), Chip ‘n Dale Racers, The Smurfs, Rainbow Brite, The Jetsons and, most famously, Transformers, the old 80’s TV cartoon for which he provided the voices of Slugslinger, Ironhide and, of course, Optimus Prime, leader of the good-guy Autobots. In one of Michael Bay’s smartest moves in adapting Transformers as a megamovie, he tapped Cullen to reprise his role as the voice of Optimus Prime. Latino Review exclusively spoke to Cullen, and here’s what he had to say.
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Ron Moore Brings Us 'The Thing', And Tries To Salvage The 'I, Robot' Sequel
aintitcoolnews.com is reporting that in a recent video interview with collider.com, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Executive Producer (all around cool guy) Ronald D. Moore revealed he’s currently “working on THE THING for Universal”.
I’m not sure if this is new news or not; I know a remake of THE THING had been planned, but this is the first I recall hearing of Moore’s involvement. I'm a huge fan of Carpenter's 1982 version...it's difficult for me to imagine improving on it too much (although I felt the pacing went a little soft at the end), so I'm interested in...but a touch apprehensive...about how it'll be approached again.
A television miniseries of THE THING was contemplated for a while…not too long ago, actually. I want to say it was under the auspices of Frank Darabont & being tooled for Sci Fi Channel, although this might be wrong.
Moore also says he just completed a draft of a sequel to I, ROBOT!?!? The notion of an I, ROBOT sequel has been bandied about for quite a while, but this is the first vaguely promising news we’ve heard about it. Guessing it’ll pick up with the Robot society which dropped roots in the beginning of the first film? Maybe we’ll get Robots discord in space…shades of BLADE RUNNER’s "Offworld" backstory.
Sci-Fi Brain News - June 6, 2007
Pasquale Talks 'Alien vs. Predator 2'
superherohype.com is reporting that Alien vs. Predator 2 star Steven Pasquale talked to MTV and said that you can expect a different movie this time around:
"[We're] trying to get back to the basics [with] the suspense and the gore," actor Steven Pasquale told MTV News, revealing that "AVP2" will be considerably scarier than its predecessor. "I think it's going to be really fun. [Directors] Colin and Greg Strause really know what they're doing in terms of a sort of true-blue monster movie."
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Bay Answers 'Transformers' Questions
superherohype.com is reporting that Yahoo! Movies has posted a new video in which Transformers director Michael Bay answers questions from the fans. Transformers hits theaters on July 2nd at 8 p.m.
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A Director for 'Wolverine'?
iesb.net is reporting that Fox is moving on with the production of Wolverine. We're hearing that there are two names on the short list of directors the studio has in mind.
It appears there is action on the Fox lot surrounding the X-Men spin-off movie, Wolverine.
Fox has been working on finding a director to helm the first of two possible franchise spin-offs from the X-Men franchise that Fox apparently put to rest, the other being Magneto.
Stargate Atlantis: “Sunday” Review
By: droopymc
This week marks a controversial episode of Atlantis. If any fans reading this have not seen the episode yet or have not heard what happens, I would suggest seeing the episode first before continuing, as the spoiler in this review is pretty big.
The episode’s plot is fairly simple. It follows the characters on their mandatory rest day, where everyone is ordered to take time off. Weir cancels lunch with Teyla to go on a date with a guy. Teyla cancels a golf session with Sheppard, leaving Sheppard and Ronon to hang out together. Teyla herself does some fight training after Weir cancels their lunch. Rodney, meanwhile, is woken up by two of his workers, Drs. Hewston and Watson, who activated an unknown device while doing routine cataloguing of the city. Rodney sets up a date with Dr. Katie Brown in order to get out of a fishing trip with Beckett. Since Beckett is left alone, he decides to go back to work in the infirmary, which comes into play later in the episode. The story jumps in time showing everyone gearing up for their day off, with all the stories converging on the focal point of a big explosion in the base.
As all the stories lead up to this explosion, we slowly learn more about what happened. It is revealed that it was neither a bombing attack nor a malfunction. Rather, as McKay discovers, it was caused by Hewston and Watson’s fiddling with the device they activated. The device apparently is designed to cause an explosive tumour, causing it to swell until it reaches critical mass, then it explodes, as powerful as a bomb. The explosion in the city was caused by Hewston’s tumour. McKay suggests they find Watson as soon as possible and place him on the other side of the city until he explodes, causing as little damage as possible. When they find that Watson was injured in the blast and that Beckett is operating on him at the moment, Beckett refuses to send the man away until he blows. After a bit of arguing, Beckett decides to remove the tumour before it explodes. It becomes a race against the clock. Some tense moments pass and Beckett removes the tumour. He meets the bomb squad in the hall and hands it over. Just as they are about to place it into their ordnance disposal unit, it explodes, killing the bomb squad...and Beckett.
Killing off a main character is always a dicey proposal, especially when the character to go is as popular as Beckett. His easygoing nature and general kindness make him a personal favourite of mine and it’s sad to see him go. A popular criticism that has been levelled against this death is that they killed him off just to shake things up. At this moment, without having seen subsequent episodes or knowing what effect this will have next season, I am left wondering what kinds of shakeups will occur. I have heard some fans accuse the producers of killing off Beckett to boost ratings but that idea really doesn’t hold, as most shows on Sci Fi don’t get much in the way of ratings and don’t have exposure enough to benefit from a supposed ratings stunt like this. I have no problems with shows killing off characters, as long as it makes dramatic sense (see Lost’s season finale). It’s good, though, to be reminded that Atlantis is a dangerous place where nobody is safe. Anyone can get killed at any time from some freak bit of alien technology. The show has been playing it safe and light-hearted lately and I’m glad to be reminded that danger is ever-present, even if dead characters can come back (if any of you read the behind the scenes on Atlantis, you’ll already know about Beckett’s possible return to the show in the latter part of season 4. I can only wonder what the circumstances of that will be.).
The death did provide us with a nice funeral scene with a touching eulogy from Weir, as well as the scene with McKay following that. McKay seems to blame himself for Beckett’s death, as he cancelled the fishing trip which enabled Beckett to return to infirmary duty. Watching the episode a second time, it was terribly sad to see everybody blow off Beckett’s fishing trip, just to realize how much they miss him in the end, seemingly to say that we never appreciate something until it’s gone. But in that scene where McKay converses with a vision of Beckett, Beckett forgives Rodney and tells him it’s not his fault. It was a moving moment where we see a softer side of McKay that we don’t ordinarily get to witness.
As for the rest of the episode, I thought it was great to see what everyone does on their time off. The character moments seemed true and the dialogue was equally entertaining. During the long stretches between action, I found myself hanging on everyone’s conversations: Teyla and Hewston at the start of the episode, Sheppard and Ronon talking over golf and in Sheppard’s quarters, McKay and Katie’s moments, Weir on her date...everything was just so great at building character. Even Major Lorne has a good scene, where we learn he likes to paint in his time off. For me, little moments like these make a show, allowing it to stand up above lesser genre fare. Realistic characters make us care about a show. And apparently Stargate Atlantis is excelling in that respect judging by the strong feelings out there about Beckett’s death. We’ll miss the good doctor.
One gripe I had, though, was the use of “Three hours earlier”. This is the second episode in a row that gives the audience a clear indication of a jump in time and I think it’s wholly unnecessary. As I mentioned last time, Battlestar Galactica had a long stretch of episodes with on-screen text like this and it just became silly after a while. I think the audience is smart enough to realize the jumps in time without this.
Minor grievances aside, I thought this was a moving episode, rich with character development that reminded me why I like watching this show every week.
Rating: 9 exploding growths on 10
Sci-Fi Brain News - June 5, 2007
No 'Iron Man' Composer Yet
superherohype.com is reporting that although a recent issue of Film Music Weekly said that John Debney would score Iron Man, director Jon Favreau now says that no composer has been hired yet. We'll keep you updated on who will land the job.
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LaBeouf and Bay Guest Judge 'On the Lot'
superherohype.com is reporting that moviemaking competition series "On the Lot" will air its weekly "Film Premiere" episode this Tuesday, June 5 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on Fox, with Transformers star Shia LaBeouf and director Michael Bay serving as guest judges along with regulars Carrie Fisher and Garry Marshall.
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Comic-Con Reveals Preliminary Film & TV List
superherohype.com is reporting that Comic-Con International has announced its preliminary list of films and TV shows that will be present during the 2007 Comic-Con, taking place in San Diego from July 26-29. The list provides a possible new subtitle for Alien vs. Predator 2 and does not include The Dark Knight... yet. Here is the list so far:
Alien vs. Predator 2: No Peace On Earth, American Gangster, Babylon A.D., Balls of Fury, Beowulf, The Bourne Ultimatum, Coraline, Fred Claus, Get Smart, The Golden Compass, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, I Am Legend, The Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones 4, The Invasion, Iron Man, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Resident Evil: Extinction, Speed Racer, The Strangers, Stardust, Star Trek, Sunshine, Sweeney Todd, 30 Days of Night, Trick 'r Treat, Wanted, Where the Wild Things Are, White Out
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Game Geeks #12 Serenity: Role Playing Game
You can see the video review of the Serenity: Role Playing Game over at YouTube
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JediInsider.com Star Wars Celebration IV: Family Guy Preview
Over at YouTube you can view the ten minutes of preview footage of the Family Guy Star Wars episode that premiered at the Star Wars Celebration. It's really funny, so give it a watch.
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Interview: 1-1 With Tim Story On 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer'
latinoreview.com is reporting that the Fantastic Four are back, and so is Tim Story. Tim directed the surprise hit film Fantastic Four and Fox rewarded him with the reins to the upcoming sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. In the second go-round, it’s up to Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Jessica Abla), Ben Grimm/Thing (Michael Chiklis), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Chris Evans) and Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) to save Earth when the indestructible Silver Surfer arrives to bring about the planet’s demise. Rise of the Silver Surfer opens June 15. We caught up with Tim, and here’s what he had to say.
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'Battlestar Galactica's Moore Talks Finale
scifi.com is reporting that Ron Moore, executive producer of SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica, said that he and fellow executive producer David Eick are planning to send the series off on a note of finality at the end of the coming fourth season. "The plan is to end the show," Moore said in a conference call on June 1. "The plan is to bring us to a definitive conclusion. There's no plans or thoughts in our heads, really, of then doing a follow-up feature or any series or anything beyond that."
Stargate SG-1 (10.17) “Talion” – Review
By: jesuiscanadien
The scene opens to a darkened seeming battlefield. The SG-1 team is scanning for survivors and they manage to find Bra’tac badly injured, and Teal’c lying unconscious. The scene changes prior to the killing fields and some Jaffa are holding a meeting to discuss the state of their people. Teal’c is standing by the door of the tent where the meeting is taking place, and notices a strange man walking through the encampment. Just as he steps out to see what is going on, a tent explodes in a ball of fire.
When Teal’c wakes up, he is in the SGC infirmary, and Dr. Lam is attending to him. Dr. Lam tells Teal’c about his injuries, but he falls asleep before she can give him the news about Bra’tac. The team gathers around Teal’c to give him the lowdown on what they found at the site, and Teal’c remembers more from that day. The bombs going off, the people screaming. When Teal’c gets well enough to sit up, he is brought in to see Bra’tac, who is lying intubated and unconscious. Teal’c flashes back to the bombing.
Once Teal’c is up and about, he sees General Landry about who bombed the meeting. Teal’c wants to exact revenge upon a Jaffa called Arkad, but Landry won’t allow it. Teal’c refuses to listen and leaves angry. Mitchell tries talking to Landry about Teal’c, but Landry has to think about what the IOA will say, which would be no way Jose. Teal’c leaves to work on finding Arkad and terminating the threat.
Teal’c has gone back to the site of the bombings and erects markers for the dead. Back at the SGC, Bra’tac wakes up and Dr. Lam extubates his breathing tube. Bra’tac wants to speak, but Lam warns him not to for the moment. Teal’c has meanwhile gone to find info on Arkad and the bombings. He threatens Lizan to get the info he needs. When Bra’tac is able to speak, he tells Daniel about Arkad and how Teal’c thinks Arkad killed Teal’c’s mother. SG-22 gives SG-1 and General Landry about Intel on Arkad. Seems Arkad plans to use some stockpiled naquadah for a co-ordinated attack on Earth.
Teal’c has found the bomber, Ba’kal, and has tied him up in the woods. When Ba’kal refuses to tell Teal’c what he wants to know, Teal’c tells him e few pointed facts including that he will explode in a matter of moments. Teal’c walks off into the woods as Ba’kal blows up. SG-1 is back on base and talking about what to do about Arkad, when the devil himself calls the SGC up and asks for a meeting.
The meeting with Arkad goes the way that SG-1 thinks it will, and Arkad keeps trying to give his case, but it falls on deaf ears. Arkad leaves with a threat of violence hanging in the air, but of course he says it won’t be him that attacks, but others. Even though he claims to have forces that could destroy the entire planet, his admission is not a “threat”.
Teal’c has captured Lizan and is interrogating him about Arkad’s whereabouts. Meanwhile Landry gets word from the IOA to leave Arkad alone, but they are ordered to find Teal’c and stop him instead. They take the Odyssey to Arkad’s base planet to try and find Teal’c. Arkad gave them the address, and they figure that he plans a trap or is hedging his bets that Teal’c will attack and they’ll get blamed for it. They set sensors to try and find Teal’c, but when SG-3 fails to check in, they find them unconscious by the Gate. Teal’c has come and warns the team that if they try to stop him from killing Arkad, they will be injured. Mitchell and Teal’c get into hand-to-hand combat, but Teal’c knocks Mitchell out and goes on with his mission.
Teal’c fights his way into Arkad’s base, and is rendered unconscious by staff weapons. He is brought before Arkad, who gloats over Teal’c’s weakened state. Arkad forces Teal’c to battle him with wooden staffs, and it doesn’t look good for Teal’c. Just as it looks like Teal’c is going to bite the bullet, Teal’c makes a miraculous comeback, kicking Arkad into a wall of weapons and impaling him. Teal’c then pulls out the sword that Arkad shoved into him and uses it to finish the job. SG-1 runs in just as Teal’c takes the final blow.
When Teal’c awakes he is in the SGC infirmary. Mitchell updates Landry on the report of what happened. He states that SG-1 was captured and Teal’c rescued them, and Arkad was killed in the process. Landry isn’t happy about the report as he knows how the IOA will react, but there’s nothing he can do about it. Teal’c and Bra’tac are talking about what happened in the infirmary, and Bra’tac tells him that Teal’c is the son he never had and he’s terribly proud of him.
This Teal’c-centric story struck me in an odd way. While the bad guys bombed innocents, the devastation they left behind struck me as reminiscent of the killing fields of Cambodia in the 1970’s. While the Khmer Rouge were behind those killing fields, trying to eradicate anybody who might pose a threat to the rule of the Angkar, here a Jaffa sees an opportunity to get ahead if he eradicates the Tauri, who oppose the Ori’s quest to take over the galaxy. Arkad doesn’t seem to be the type who is a genuine believer in the Ori “faith”, but seems to see the Ori as a catalyst to increase his own power base. He seems like the type of guy who sees the Ori as needing a leader to keep the flock in line, and he’s just the guy to do it. He’s power hungry, but unwilling to do anything ethical to get it. The Angkar of the Khmer Rouge had a somewhat similar hunger. They wanted to rule Cambodia and lead it into a new age, but they needed to rid the country of anyone who could get foreign governments involved, or could mount an opposition. Mao did a similar thing during the Cultural Revolution during the 1950’s, so he could consolidate and assert his power over the Chinese. Stalin also conducted a reign of terror against those who could or did oppose his autocracy. History shows repeatedly how people try to rule others with this type of tactical position, and Stargate SG-1 has given a twist to this age-old issue.
The callous nature of the violence was slightly nauseating, given what is going on in the world today, but a powerful reminder of what humans can allow to happen if they stand idly by. I am by no means advocating warring with anyone who doesn’t see open democracy as the best way to lead a nation, but I am saying that humans must stand up when they see something that is wrong. Change occurs when people band together and speak up. Teal’c took actions into his own hands, which proved unwise, as he paid for it dearly. Sure, it made for some exciting television, but the moral lesson did not seem to be stringent enough. The moral lesson of revenge is a bad thing wasn’t strong in that Teal’c survived. Teal’c became a vigilante, and that is something that Society cannot allow if it is to survive. Gandhi never advocated violence as an acceptable catalyst for change. He saw mass protest, using truth and non-violence as the best way to realize true change. Sure, the Ori aren’t big on diplomacy, but to prevent mass oppression of an entire galaxy, the methods of the SGC to convince other planets to resist the Ori’s incursion is effective in slowing down the Ori. Arkad knew he wouldn’t gain power unless he teamed up with the Ori, and he planned to undermine the Tauri’s efforts and help the Ori with their mission. He needed to stymie the efforts of the freed Jaffa in order to make inroads with the planets that were resisting Ori rule. Killing those who opposed the Ori was the quickest way to consolidate his power base and give him a good name with the Ori. He reminds me of so many leaders that see opposition as a threat to their power base.
While this episode gave us more insight into who Teal’c is as a person, it also showed that there are leaders who will do the unethical thing to keep or gain power. It is a lesson that we seem to forget throughout history, as these people keep managing to get into power as we abdicate our responsibility for their actions. Stargate SG-1 is simply giving us a calm reminder of what can happen again if we do not stand up.
This episode is worth 7.5 out of 10.0
Sci-Fi Brain News -- June 4, 2007
Favreau and Downey Talk 'Iron Man'
rottentomatoes.com is reporting that there's an amusing little video interview with "Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau over at MTV.com, one that asks pretty much all the same questions we've heard before, with just a tiny bit of behind-the-scenes footage.
But the filmmakers do get on camera with a very nifty movie prop in their possession: The classic Iron Man mask!
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'Stargate' Ratings Staying Even At 1.2
gateworld.net is reporting that the Nielsen ratings for Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis appear to have finally evened out, with both shows earning 1.2 average household ratings for the May 11 and May 18 episodes.
SG-1 stayed even with its May 4 episode ("The Shroud"), with both "Bounty" and "Bad Guys" coming in at a 1.2 rating. This is down from the mid-season premiere, which earned a 1.5 in April.
Atlantis held its lead-in audience and also earned 1.2's for "The Game" and "The Ark." This is a slight bump of one-tenth of a point from the previous episode.
The Traveler – Book Review
By: jesuiscanadien
The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawks was published in 2005 and made its mark almost right away. The author sees this story, not as part of a trilogy, but as a long book published in three parts. In this first part of the story from what the author calls “The Fourth Realm”, the reader is introduced to a world where a secret group of people, called the “Tabula” or “Brethren”, are using technology to control the world. The abilities of people called “Travelers”, who are able to leave their bodies and travel to different realms, have the Tabula in an uproar as they try to destroy these people. Travelers are protected by warriors called Harlequins, and the Tabula are actively trying to stomp them out to achieve their foremost goal, which was to kill all the Travelers, but has since changed to harnessing their power. The Tabula feel that the chaos that Travelers introduce to society is dangerous and subverts the ability to keep the peace and order required for society to work effectively. The Travelers and Harlequins refer to society as the “Vast Machine”, and that regular people are made up of “drones” and “citizens”, who have no idea that they are being manipulated by the Tabula in the Vast Machine.
Maya is a Harlequin that has been charged by her father to protect two potential Travelers located in Los Angeles. Gabriel Corrigan and his brother Michael, the potential Travellers, are a study in opposites. Gabriel lives for the rush of high altitude sky diving, going fast on his motorcycle, and living off the “Grid”, like his parents before him. Michael is driven by the need to succeed, not only financially, but in his mind to put the trauma of his childhood, when the Corrigan family lived off the Grid, behind him. The brothers lost their father in an attack by the Tabula on their farm in South Dakota, and barely escaped with their mother, only to go on the run from the Tabula again. Matthew Corrigan was a Traveler, which is why the family spent most of their lives on the run. His death nearly destroyed his wife, Rachel, but she survived until succumbing to cancer years later. By this time Michael was on the Grid, but Gabriel stayed off heeding his upbringing. After the death of their mother, the Tabula attacked, trying to capture Michael on a freeway.
Maya managed to catch up to Gabriel, after he escaped another Tabula attack, and they made their way to Arizona to meet up with a “Pathfinder”, who would assist Gabriel in his attempt to become a Traveler. While Maya is off trying to divert attention from Gabriel, he is finding out how to harness his ability in an old military silo. Dr. Sophia Briggs is the Pathfinder, and it’s her job, not to show Gabriel how to cross over, but give him methods to use in his attempts to leave his body. His spirit is referred to as the “Light” and every living thing has one. Gabriel works at finding the method to cross, and when he does manage to leave and go to the other realms, his experience is fantastical. He must cross through the barriers of air, fire, earth, and water, in order to get to the five other realms. Earth is the fourth realm, and Gabriel has the ability to travel to five other possible realms. During a sojourn to the realm of the hungry ghosts, Gabriel runs into his brother, who was being used by the Brethren to travel through the realms. Gabriel asks Michael to be with him, but Michael is enjoying the power that the Evergreen Foundation, the conventional name of the Tabula, has given him. Michael betrays his brother not once, but twice, having Gabriel captured and then trying to have Gabriel killed when he realizes that he is not so indispensable from the Evergreen Foundation’s point of view. The first part of this extended story ends with Gabriel, Maya, and two allies, Vicki and Hollis, escaping to Cape Cod to hide out after their attempt to not only rescue Gabriel from the Evergreen Foundation, but his brother too.
I had originally picked up this book, not because I had heard the media buzz about it, but because the storyline seemed interesting. The story utilises not only the concept of the Six Realms of Existence in Buddhism, but quantum mechanics, and the theory that someone is always observing you and privacy is only an illusion.
When I saw the Buddhist concepts successfully being integrated into this modern story, I was personally thrilled. Most people manage to make Buddhist Cosmology dry and uninteresting, but it is a rich and highly defined view of the universe. While Buddhist theologians view the Six Realms as concepts to help guide the practioner in their bid for moksha, release from the karmic cycle; laypeople see the realms to be actual physical worlds, which is how John Twelve Hawks is treating them. I was introduced to the concept of the Six Realms in my concentration of Buddhist studies in College, and seeing John’s perception of the realm of hungry ghosts was an interesting interpretation of the concept. He has a good grasp of the theology, in that he understands that the realm of the hungry ghosts are always grasping for more. Their raison d’etre is greed, and it consumes them completely, therefore rendering them unable to break free of the karmic cycle of dependant origination, and never being able to obtain enlightenment. I love it when other people understand what I have studied, and this was a terrific way of explaining the realm to anyone who was not familiar with it.
The concept of a quantum computer was very sci-fi for me, as I do not believe that we could actually get one working, never mind using it for tracking interdimensional travel. The author conceptualized the computer as a set of electrons in a tank of super-cooled liquid helium, attached to cables, leading to a computer bank. I remember in one of my Philosophy classes, we hypothesized about how one would build a computer that could go beyond its programming. Using sub-atomic particles to run the logical calculations is an interesting theory. How would the programmer control the operation of such a machine? Quantum theory hypothesizes that sub-atomic particles can occupy multiple areas of space at the same time. Hawks hypothesizes that these particles do not necessarily stay within the parameters of our universe, but can and do in fact, travel to other dimensions, or realms. If this is the case, would they necessarily return to point of origin within the confines of the “quantum computer”, or would they continue to pop around, with no particular direction? If they are existing in different places all at once, but are in constant movement, since nothing in the universe is static, is it even possible to have something to “box them in”? I do not know if Hawks will cover this ponderance in the next book, The Dark River, due out July 10, 2007, but it would be interesting to see these issues addressed and see what he comes up with.
The most disturbing idea presented in the book is that of the illusion of privacy. While privacy has been chewed away at in the United States, there are other countries where privacy is stringently protected under legislation. It is hard to accept that there are people who think that we are always being watched, monitored, and guided into behaviours that some unknown group feels is acceptable. People fight for privacy rights and legislation to be protected. Such transgressions against legislation are viewed with hostility, and while some would argue that our security is at risk if we do not circumvent our right to privacy, these people feel that privacy concerns outweigh any perceived threat. I personally would be very upset if someone trampled my right to privacy in the name of security. Terrorists win if you succumb to fear. Abdicating your right to move about freely, watch what you want, say what you wish, and have your privacy protected simply means the bad guys win. No matter where those bad guys are. Hawks paints a very bleak world with his ideas about the Tabula and their ideal world.
I enjoyed this book, and look forward to the next instalment, simply to see where the author leads us. While I have heard that the next book is very dark, I will trudge onwards and see where that path takes me. This book earns an 8.0 out of 10.0.
Sci-Fi Brain News - June 1, 2007
'Transformers' Release Date Moved Up
superherohype.com is reporting that fans will get to see DreamWorks/Paramount's Transformers a day earlier than was originally planned. The studio has moved up director Michael Bay's sci-fi action-adventure a day, from July 4 to July 3.
Just a few days ago, Warner Bros. moved Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix up two days from July 13 to July 11. Now Transformers gets the additional Tuesday to rake in more sales before the popular J.K. Rowling franchise returns to theaters.
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Callisto Joins 'Heroes'
superherohype.com is reporting that Dania Ramirez, who played Callisto in X-Men: The Last Stand and has a recurring role on "The Sopranos," has been added as a regular on the NBC's hit series "Heroes." The show returns for a second season in the fall.
Ramirez will play Maya, a new hero whose powers are being kept under wraps.
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'Battlestar Galactica' to be Docked
moviehole.net is reporting that according to The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming fourth season of Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will be its final one after all.
After months of speculation, the show's producers will make the announcement at a press conference Friday.
Ending "Battlestar" with the upcoming 22-episode fourth season was a creative decision made by the show's executive producers Ronald Moore and David Eick.
"This show was always meant to have a beginning, a middle and finally, an end," Eick and Moore said in a statement Thursday. "Over the course of the last year, the story and the characters have been moving strongly toward that end and we've decided to listen to those internal voices and conclude the show on our own terms. And while we know our fans will be saddened to know the end is coming, they should brace themselves for a wild ride getting there - we're going out with a bang."
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Darren Aronofsky Unhappy About 'Fountain' DVD
rottentomatoes.com is reporting that if you bought the "Fountain" DVD and you were disappointed at the lack of a commentary track, be patient: Darren Aronofsky is cooking something up.
Aronofsky blogs his displeasure with the DVD process on "The Fountain" by saying "Everything at the studio was a struggle. For instance, they didn’t want to do a commentary track cause they felt it wouldn’t help sales. I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore. Whatever."
But he promises to record a downloadable track that you can play as a traditional commentary track. And he also plans to knock on a few doors at Criterion: "I got a lot of extras in my bag so who know maybe if you all write to criterion they’ll get interested (suggest the fountain as a title: mulvaney@criterion.com). They’ve been into pi and requiem but because the first run of dvd’s had so many extras they didn’t know what else they could add. but the fountain…"
So there you go, Fountain fans. A piece of good news and a (polite) email to write.
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Baird Joins 'The 4400'
scifi.com is reporting that Ira Steven Behr, executive producer of USA Network's SF series The 4400, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming fourth season will introduce a new regular character, played by Australian actress Jenni Baird. Baird (Conviction) will play Meghan Doyle, the new head of the National Threat Assessment Command, or NTAC, for which Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch) works.
Baird's Doyle is the third commander of the government agency charged with monitoring the 4,400 people who were abducted, then returned in a ball of light, with new superhuman abilities; the previous directors were Dennis Ryland (Peter Coyote) and Nina Jarvis (Samantha Ferris).
"They liked Peter Coyote quite a bit," Behr said in an interview in Hollywood on May 30. "I thought Peter was kind of phoning it in when he was doing the head-of-NTAC thing. It's only after he left NTAC and became Dennis Ryland, the man who's trying to save the world from the 4400, that the character became interesting. But so they always felt that Nina Jarvis was neither fish nor fowl. And that's kind of our fault, because we kept saying we were going to do all these stories, give her all these interesting character quirks, and she kept being the finger-pointer. We never were able to develop the stories we wanted to. It always was the one-note finger-pointer kind of thing. And then they said, 'You know, we really want someone with some more sizzle.'"
Babylon 5: "Mind War" Review
By: Aelora
‘Mind War’ is one of those episodes that while I have quite a few problems with it (the guest starring actor who speaks far too breathlessly for me to ever take seriously, and some story plot points that are totally unnecessary), overall I really enjoy it as it ties into the Babylon 5 storyline. Also, it introduces the viewer to the very important character of Bester to the series, played by none other than Walter Koenig, who takes the role and totally makes me forget he ever played Chekov. Bester is just that good.
But as I said, it does have it’s problems.
The episode revolves around two plots – Psi Corps trying to track down a rogue telepath named Jason Ironheart, who has come to Babylon 5, and Catherine Sakai going off on a mining survey to Sigma 957 against warnings from Ambassador G’Kar. Both plotlines are fairly integral to the entire storyline of Babylon 5, though for it’s brevity, the Catherine storyline is actually better executed and more interesting than that of Ironheart. The Ironheart story only wins because of Walter Koenig.
Anyway, Jason Ironheart comes to Babylon 5 to seek out their resident telepath, Talia. It turns out that he was her instructor at Psi Corps Academy (they were also lovers, which is a part of the storyline that is completely and totally unnecessary to anything other than to add another ridiculous soap opera plot). He is apparently changing, becoming what he refers to as ‘everything’ due to some military experiments conducted on him a few years before. When he was once rated a P10, as all academy instructors are, his rating is now off the charts. Unfortunately, Psi Corps has tracked him to the station, sending two of their top Psi Cops, Mr. Bester and Miss Kelsey (who positively amuses me to no end because she snarls when she talks, and she’s like the meanest person to ever step foot on the Babylon 5 station, and obviously loves being mean – I love her!).
Meanwhile, Catherine Sakai is in talks with a big corporation to do a mining survey out at a planet known as Sigma 957. Unfortunately, as the planet is in a contested area of space, they need approval from the Narn regime to go there. Ambassador G’Kar is unwilling to give his permission, telling Catherine that it is a dangerous place, and Commander Sinclair would be quite upset if she were to not return. She doesn’t take the warning well and threatens to go above his head to get the permission she needs for the trip, saying he wants it for himself. G’Kar then tells her something that is the theme for the Babylon 5 overall storyline and its characters “No one here is exactly what he appears. Not Mollari, not Delenn, not Sinclair, and not me.” One of the best quotes of the show!
Against his warning, Catherine makes her trip to Sigma 957 anyway. Poor G’Kar. No one ever listens to him. And to this end, he calls his homeworld and arranges for a ship to head to Sigma 957 as well.
The two Psi Cops end up scanning Talia to see if she has heard from Ironheart (where did they come up with that name???) recently, and discover that she hasn’t. This is when Miss Kelsey really snarls, and I laugh every time. If the actress wasn’t so pretty, she’d be really scary.
You know, I have a Psi Corps uniform. Made it myself. Yes, I am geek. Deal.
After the scan, Talia leaves and runs into Ironheart, who has been waiting until after the scan to talk to her. He tells her millions of lives are at stake. Apparently, the military has been experimenting with creating stronger telepaths through genetic manipulation. The ‘Heroes’ fan in me kind of spaces out through most of this, comparing the two shows and their ideas of telepaths and telekinetics. Ironheart says that due to the experiments, he can simply look at someone to see what was inside. Kind of like Sylar, but more powerful! Then he points out that 1 in every 1000 human is a telepath, and only 1 in every 10,000 of those is a telekinetic, and out of those, most are insane. Huh. I’m back to thinking about Sylar again, and totally getting off topic… Anyway, the military wanted to turn telekinetics into assassins, so that they could do things like pinch the corroded artery of someone, letting the target die quietly, murder without a trace. (And ‘Heroes’ totally needs to show Sylar doing stuff like that! Er… sorry!) During his little speech, Ironheart begins to have what Miss Kelsey refers to as a ‘mind quake’. He is in great pain and the entire station around him begins to shake, at least providing security with a better idea of where he is hiding out at.
In another part of space, Catherine shows up at Sigma 957 and begins her survey. She amuses me because she begins mimicking G’Kar’s warning to her and rolls her eyes over it. Not long after her work begins, though, she soon learns he was right because a giant clam-looking ship comes out of nowhere and disables her ship, leaving it there within a deteriorating orbit. (The ship is important because we see it again in season three! Yay for continuity!) Luckily for Catherine, the Narn ship that G’Kar dispatched, shows up just in time to rescue her.
Talia goes to Sinclair and catches him up on what’s happening with Ironheart, explaining that they need to try to get him off the station before whatever transformation is occurring actually takes place. They clear out the central corridor and lead him through. Unfortunately, Bester and Miss Kelsey have learned of their plans and are waiting for them. They attempt to activate a failsafe implanted in his mind but he is too powerful. Sinclair knocks Bester out and then Ironheart ends up disintegrating poor Miss Kelsey, and this makes me sad. She really was a pretty kick ass Psi Cop!
Eventually, they do get Ironheart to his ship, and just as it leaves the station, it blows up, and a glowing form of Ironheart appears in the sky. Before departing, he leaves Talia with a ‘gift’, which turns out to be the power of telekinesis. Sadly, this new ability of hers is never brought up again on the show, and the entire idea of telekinetics goes the way of the dinosaur.
Catherine returns from her expedition, no worse for the wear, though curious as to why G’Kar would help her. His reply – why not? She doesn’t like the answer and he repeats to her that no one on the station is entirely what they appear. She then asks what it was she saw out there, and he refers to an ant crawling on a flower, saying that the ant would have no better chance of communicating with them as they would have with what she saw at Sigma 957. Again, Catherine is not thrilled with his response, but G’Kar says he is both terrified and reassured that there are still wonders in the universe. Yet another great moment for G’Kar, in a line of many.
Notable quotes:
Bester: “Anatomically impossible, Mr Garibaldi, but you are welcome to try anytime, anywhere.”
Ivanova: “What do you do in your spare time, juggle babies over fire pits? Oops there goes another calculated risk!”
Sci-Fi Brain News -- May 31, 2007
'Superman Doomsday' to Premiere at Comic-Con
superherohype.com is reporting that Comic-Con International has announced that the premiere of Superman vs. Doomsday will be Thursday night's big event at Comic-Con on July 26:
It's the main event: Superman vs. Doomsday in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish! And Comic-Con attendees get to see it first, almost two whole months before it debuts on DVD!
Thursday night's big event in Ballroom 20 is the world premiere of the eagerly awaited first-ever DC Universe animated movie from DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. Produced by Bruce Timm (Justice League Unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series) and written by Duane Capizzi (The Batman), Superman Doomsday is inspired by the best-selling graphic novel of all time, DC's The Death of Superman. The complete 70+ minute movie will be shown along with a panel featuring the film's creators. Superman Doomsday features the voices of Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Serenity) as Superman, Anne Heche (Men In Trees) as Lois Lane, and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Lex Luthor, and is rated PG-13.
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Zooey and M. Night Know What's Happening
latinoreview.com is reporting that actress Zooey Deschanel is now attached to M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller ‘The Happening’. The ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ star will be teamed with superstar Mark Wahlberg in a paranoid thriller that has a man taking his family on the run when an natural crisis pops up threatening to end all life on Earth.
M. Night’s seventh film will reteam him with producers Barry Mendel and Sam Mercer, who teamed with Shyamalan on such hits as ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Unbreakable’. The picture will begin filming this August in Philadelphia.
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'4400' Returns With Answers
scifi.com is reporting that Ira Steven Behr, executive producer of USA Network's SF series The 4400, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming fourth season will propel the story to a different level and ultimately answer the big question put forward in the very first episodes: Why exactly were people abducted in a big ball of light, only to be returned with superhuman abilities? "What most excites me about this season [is] that we finally answer—or may answer, depending on your point of view—what it was all about, what ultimately it's all about," Behr said in an interview in Hollywood on May 30. "Most shows won't do that and then still feel they have enough credence to continue on. But, you know, I think it's a pretty cool outgrowth of what the original concept series was. And it always bugged me from the very beginning: ... Why did everyone come back? ... I wanted answers, you know?"
Sci-Fi Brain News -- May 30, 2007
'Lost' Star Discusses Shock Exit
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Lost star Dominic Monaghan has revealed that being written out of the show at the end of the third season could work in his favour.
The British actor, who played drug addict rock star Charlie, told TV Guide: “I've been trying to plan the rest of my career, and there's a whole bunch of opportunities that have been up in the air because I couldn't commit to them because of Lost. It was a little bittersweet to be leaving behind surfing and palm trees and beaches, but I think I probably squeezed the last amount of enjoyment I could've got out of that for a while.”
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'Lost' Producer Justifies Shock Finale
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Lost’s executive producer Carlton Cuse has explained the decision to kill off the popular character of Charlie Pace at the end of the third season.
In an interview with TV Guide Cuse stated that axing Dominic Monaghan from the show was dictated by the narrative: "We felt like we needed to pay off Desmond's prognostications. We thought about various ways in which that could pay off, but, ultimately, we came to the conclusion that the best version of the story was for Charlie to die."
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Schenkenberg In New 'Terminator'?
moviehole.net is reporting that according to Coming Soon, male model Marcus Schenkenberg may have booked a plum role in the forthcoming “Terminator 4”.
The latter appeared on a Dutch TV programme announcing that “T4” is one of four new projects that he has signed up for. Apparently he also mentioned that Arnie has a few seconds in the movie – but that’s it.
Roswell (3.12) “Ch-Ch-Changes” – Review
By: jesuiscanadien
Liz and Kyle are in a bar listening to Maria and the Kit Shickers perform a Meatloaf duet. Kyle has become traumatized seeing his father hanging all over his friend, so he leaves, and Max comes in. Liz is disappointed that the others aren’t coming, as Maria has been practicing all week for this gig. Max wants to cheer her up and dance with her, but Liz doesn’t really want to. Her emotional state heats up her plate, when her hand grazes it while getting up from the table, and the plate melts partially.
After the gig, Maria is hanging out at the Crashdown, and Liz goes up to bed, beat. Jim Valenti comes in, still on a high from the performance, and gives Maria her cut of the gig, asking if she’ll be a more permanent part of the band. Maria’s up for that, when an A & R person, Dominique Lazar, comes up and wants to discuss Maria’s future as a rock star. Meanwhile, Liz is trying to sneak up to bed when her dad confronts her about her lousy grades. She tries to sweep the issue under the rug, but Mr. Parker is having none of it. Maria fortuitously interrupts his lecture by coming into the back and announcing she is going to become a rock star.
At school the next day, Liz is feeling terrible. Max and Liz talk about her upcoming Harvard interview, and as she readies an experiment, she looks in a mirror and watches her face disappear. She goes to the doctor, who thinks she may have a virus, but he also counsels her on STD’s. While the doctor is talking, Liz’s hearing goes wonky, and what she does end up hearing is that she can still catch something from someone she loves. Liz goes to talk to Kyle about her symptoms, as both she and Kyle were brought back from the near-dead. Kyle hasn’t had any weird happenings, but now his worst fears are being realized as Liz describes what is going on with her. Kyle gives her a book on Buddha, and when she tosses it on a radio, it comes alive. Kyle sees what’s going on and he tells her that she needs to talk to Max about this.
Maria has gone over to Michael’s to gloat about her upcoming record deal. Michael is wary, but Maria is so happy about it, she’s oblivious. One thing leads to another, and they end up making out on Michael’s kitchen floor. The next day Maria is recounting her fabulous night to Liz, but Liz is having hearing problems again. Maria steamrolls right over Liz’s attempt to tell her what’s going on with her, so Liz just lets it go and lets Maria have her day in the sun.
Maria goes to her session with Dominique and blows Dominique away. After the session, Ms. Lazar starts asking Maria questions about drinking, drugs and the usual, to make sure she’d be a good role model for the millions of teenage girls with allowances out there. Michael drops by to see how everything is going, and overhears the part about Maria possibly going to New York to record her demo and probably never coming back. That disturbs Michael, but he says nothing about it.
Meanwhile, Liz is sitting on the bleachers in front of the athletic field, when Max comes up with a book to help Liz prep for her Harvard admissions interview. Liz has a sudden need to leave, and as she gets up, she faints and then accidentally lights the book Max gave her on fire. Liz admits that she was the one who lit the fire, and Max is very concerned. He and Michael go out to the desert to get a few things from their alien artefacts. Max is almost panicking about Liz’s condition and Michael agrees to help.
When Liz is in her Harvard interview, things start to go awry again with Liz’s hearing. Liz gets dizzy and apologizing profusely, she leaves the interview. Over at the Crashdown, Maria is apologizing to Valenti about her being noticed by Ms. Lazar. Jim tells her not to worry and go for it. Maria goes into the back to talk to Michael and he tells her about Jesse coming over to look over her contract. Maria tells him that he doesn’t have to look out for her anymore, which upsets Michael, but he says nothing about it. After her interview debacle, Liz and Kyle are talking in her room about what happened. Max comes in and sees that Liz’s hands are shooting electrical current. When Liz asks him if she’s going to die, he has no answer for her.
Maria has gone back to the recording studio to meet with Dominique and some super-producer called Adam Chase. Adam’s reworked the song Maria recorded and turned it into a dance single and displeased Maria in the process. Dominique tries to convince Maria that what they’re doing is the best way. Maria isn’t down with that, but is given the opportunity to think her decision over. Maria goes to talk to Michael about her situation, but Michael doesn’t want to hear it. He bluntly tells her that Liz might be dying, as Maria is all wrapped up in her own issues. That shocks Maria into doing something to help Liz. Max is trying to heal Liz, but it ends up badly and Liz gets hurt in the process. Liz’s hidden hurt comes to the fore and she tells him about how he betrayed her and hurt her deeply and continues to do so every time he mentions his son. Kyle takes Liz home, and Maria comes to her. They talk about what’s been happening and what to do next. Maria tells her that they’re best friends and she won’t abandon her.
When Liz is back in her room, Max comes to speak with her, but Liz isn’t down with that. She tells him to leave and she’ll figure things out on her own. Max leaves, and Liz goes downstairs to tell her dad that she wants to go to the boarding school in Vermont. She packs up and leaves a letter to Max explaining why she felt she needed to go. The episode closes with her on a bus to Vermont.
Well, all I can say is that it’s about darn time that someone had some wacky alien powers showing up. Certainly took long enough for the DNA to corrupt. Of course, Liz overreacted during her Harvard interview, as she could’ve easily explained that she was under the weather and her hearing is all clogged up from the flu. But no, she had to blow the interview and have a stupid dramatic exit. For a smart girl, she’s certainly stupid. That was really annoying for me. Her hearing was going wonky, not her sense of reason. Now I can’t wait until Kyle starts getting all whacked out.
No real action with the Bickersons, but now I’m starting to feel for poor Michael. He’s really smitten and Maria is blowing him off in the most unbecoming way. Sure, she broke up with him, and he knew that, but then she went and gave him mixed signals with the whole sex thing. You don’t do that to a guy. They don’t understand some girl playing them; they only get it when it’s a guy doing that stuff. So, I feel bad for Michael, as he needs someone who won’t play him like that.
Kyle was good in this episode, especially when he wanted to wash his eyes after seeing his dad be all flirty-flirty with Maria onstage. That was quite amusing. Sure, it’s gross when some old guy gets goofy with a young girl, but this was a performance, and I think Kyle has some serious sexual issues, especially concerning his father’s sex life. Remember how Kyle was wigged out when Jim was dating a girl only a couple of years older than him? Kyle clearly wants his dad to not have a sexual bone in his body. Not even that one.
I’m not thrilled about Liz and Max, as they have absolutely no chemistry, so seeing Liz take a hike to Vermont was good. While I know that some drama will take place there, I am prepared for the inevitable reuniting of Max and Liz. They are a terribly unexciting couple, but the writers seem determined to make them the Romeo and Juliet for the new millennium. It is ironic that I couldn’t stand Romeo and Juliet either. Killing yourself over a guy is just idiocy on a whole new level. Max isn’t worth the drama Liz goes through.
Overall, this episode sucked just enough to garner a 5.5 out of 10.0. Even Kyle’s personal hell couldn’t save this bad boy.
Sci-Fi Brain News -- May 29, 2007
Tom Rothman on More 'X-Men' Movies
superherohype.com is reporting that while he doesn't specifically say that there will be an X-Men 4, Fox's Tom Rothman has responded to the many e-mails and letters from fans about further "X-Men" movies. The note at TheXVerse.com reads:
The next film in the X-Men series will be "Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman. You can expect some announcements about this movie in the very near future. And we fully intend to continue to make more "X-Men" films with both old and new muties. So fans can rest assured that they will have many opportunities in the coming years to see their favorite characters on the big screen.
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'The Incredible Hulk' Updates
superherohype.com is reporting that a few interesting bits have turned up about The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth.
In a new interview with director Louis Leterrier, he says The Hulk will be about 9 feet tall and won't grow taller. You can read more of the roughly-translated interview here.
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'Alien vs. Predator 2' Set Talk
superherohype.com is reporting that Alien Experience got a chance to interview Alien vs. Predator 2 assistant art director Andrew Li about the anticipated December 25 release. Here's a clip (Spoilers ahead!):
I worked mainly on the sewer set and the predator spacecraft. Andrew drew from his experience in designing Dawn of the Dead to create the creepiness of the sewer set. We wanted to keep the sewer relatively small so that the aliens and predators would look very menacing and horrifyingly huge in the set. In fact, when the predator is standing in full costume, he is over 8 feet tall!!!
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Agyeman Not Leaving 'Doctor Who'
scifi.com is reporting that the official Web site of Freema Agyeman, who plays Martha Jones on the third season of the BBC's Doctor Who, shot down rumors that the actress would be leaving the series. The site posted a statement from the BBC: "It is absolute rubbish that Freema Agyeman has been axed or sacked from Doctor Who. However we do not comment on future storylines."
The statement came in reaction to a story published in the British tabloid The Sun, which said that Agyeman was being axed because "show chiefs think her performance is not as strong as in her earlier episodes."
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'Fanboys' Delays Explained
scifi.com is reporting that Kyle Newman, director of the upcoming comedy homage Fanboys, told SCI FI Wire that the Star Wars-themed film is being delayed until January so that he can shoot several new scenes. "There's a dream sequence that we're going to put in, which is new," Newman said in an interview at the Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles over the Memorial Day weekend. "And I'm rethinking the first, like, three minutes of the movie ... so it's not all set in the one location. It's kind of, the information we're getting at the outset is spread over a couple of scenes. ... It's a little less exposition, a little more comedic. ... It's the Halloween party that we might be changing some parts of. ... Opening it up just a little more."
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Mykas0
Jun 9 '07 3:35 pm PST
Lots of information in new import titles
As promised, here is some information on yet-to-be-released import titles, the ones that I...
MeRob
Jun 9 '07 3:19 pm PST
It's been a pretty good year for movies, with a lot of good yet to come!
I tried to stick to one movie per month in the theatre. Here is how the year started out for...
lbuchanan
Jun 9 '07 2:14 pm PST
Planet Earth: Essential Viewing
"Planet Earth," the stunning high-def documentary should be shown on every screen...
alexmdy
Jun 9 '07 1:20 pm PST
PS3 Bashing
No this is not a blog bashing PS3, it is a blog asking "Why bash PS3?". So many...
Flash1103
Jun 9 '07 9:11 am PST
So is there anyone out there who hasn't sued Sony yet?
It would seem so. The Church of England is conisdering taking legal action against Sony...
billy-bobMacDaddy
Jun 9 '07 6:05 am PST
My most anticipated games.
Ok I will start off by saying that these are MY most anticipated, not the most anticipated of...
PikaPal13X
Jun 8 '07 9:48 pm PST
Weapon of Choice: Smash Bros. Brawl's Four Control Styles
This one came as a bit of a surprise for me today. For those who haven't heard the news, over...
Erik-IGN
Jun 8 '07 2:59 pm PST
A Much Needed Break
I'm heading off tonight for a little over a week to get some much needed R&R. First...
MassiveGameDude
Jun 8 '07 2:41 pm PST
Your Two Cents: Week # 39
Welcome to Week # 39 of Your Two Cents. As always, feel free to express your opinion on the...
Peer-IGN
Jun 8 '07 10:56 am PST
Sony to Nintendo: "You ate my lunch!" Microsoft: "What lunch?"
What the hell is going on here? I was just browsing through the latest Japanese sales report,...
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