Change Your Image
felicia-57294
Reviews
Defiance: Brothers in Arms (2013)
One of the best episodes
This is one of the best episodes of Defiance. There's a complex dynamic between Nolan and his old war buddy Eddie that evolves throughout the episode, reaching a crescendo at the end. There's also the mysterious character Pol Madis whose role is acted excellently. It's actually a shame that neither of these two dynamic guest characters (Pol Maddis and Eddie Braddock) ever return again in the series. Their characters would have made for some intriguing plots. In this episode friction between the Earth Republic and Defiance continues to develop, but is mediated to some extent by the appearance of a representative from the Republic who happens to be familiar to Amanda. Bits of this will be relevant in later episodes.
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
One of the greatest achievements in motion picture history
Star Trek Picard should have started with season three. Everything in season three is what we fans were waiting for with this renewal of Star Trek.
But Star Trek Picard is not just a renewal. It's an achievement and it will be viewed in the future as one of the greatest achievements in motion picture history.
With season three we have not just the renewal of a television series, it is more like a fundamental spiritual renewal which both the fans and clearly the actors and everyone involved in production experienced.
Without knowing the full history, one senses that this fundamental renewal began with an epiphany that happened with Patrick Stewart. In season three of Picard that epiphany, that vision has come to full fruition.
I give this series the highest rating not only for all this, but because in its own right the level of Picard is excellent as a drama and science fiction series in its own right. Even to someone who might never have faithfully watched every episode of Next Generation, the episodes in Picard enthrall, captivate, and move the viewers. From exaltation to despair and everything in between, Picard will take you on a great ride, a great adventure.
Thank you, Patrick Stewart and all others behind this vision, for carrying forward and giving the world something beautiful!
----------- Below is content of my previous edit ---------------
For anyone who tuned out after season one I recommend to try watching again with season 3.
Yes season one was painful. Picard was so out of character. So many scenes were ponderous and just wasted time. Entire plot lines went nowhere. It felt like the energy of Star Trek was just lost and offtrack and nowhere to be found.
But season three feels different...
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
An Excellent Sequel and an Excellent Movie
In terms of pure filmmanship The Matrix Resurrections is the best Matrix movie yet made. In terms of plot and thrill, perhaps nothing can surpass the original movie. Yet the present movie is overall a "better movie" in terms of all the filmatic elements that go into making a film, and more pleasant to watch from beginning to end.
The Matrix Resurrections gets very high marks for how it handles the predecessor movies and takes everything in an entirely new directions. Extremely creative and thought-provoking which is most certainly part of what the creators intended.
With this movie there is a solid basis for continuing The Matrix series into the future, if the creators so intend.
It's nice to see the creators of a cinematographic enterprise not just hang on over such a period of time, but also to prosper.
Warehouse 13: Where and When (2010)
One of the best sci-fi drama episodes ever made
This is one of the best sci-fi/crime drama episodes ever made. Outstanding script coupled with outstanding production and acting. It will leave you in tears.
The Rockford Files: In Pursuit of Carol Thorne (1974)
One of the top Rockford Files episodes
"In Pursuit of Carol Thorne" is classic Rockford Files material. It features a classic convoluted Rockford Files plot with twisted characters, double-crosses, and a lot of wit. It is lighthearted and not too heavy as some of the later episodes are. Well-written characters and excellent acting. Lynnette Mettey is great in this episode.
Star Trek: Picard: Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 (2020)
Glaring Plot Inconsistencies
Now that we've reached the end, it's clear how many glaring plot inconsistencies there are and also how much time has been wasted in previous episodes on totally irrelevant scenes.
For example, in episode 2 there is the sub-plot that Romulan Zhad Vash operative Narissa is undercover as Lt. Rizzo, working under the mole Commodore Oh who has wormed her way in to Starfleet to the position of head of security.
However there's nothing necessary nor relevant about this sub plot other than the fact that these characters exist. Lt. Rizzo is never used again. Her undercover position in Starfleet is unnecessary except perhaps to justify her placement on Earth in order to have lead the first assassination of Dahj. But basically it could almost have all been left out and would not have affected the series.
On the Artifact we have the whole subplot which drags on for multiple episodes about Romulan Ramdha, one of the disordered former Borg. But did this go anywhere, other than near the end it is revealed that she is Narissa's aunt and was with Narissa at the Admonition ritual?
One would have expected that the whole thing with Ramdha would have had some relevance at the end, that her character would re-enter the plot with some relevance, but basically it was a huge waste of time in previous episodes other than to provide only small hints about the plot.
In this final episode there is the huge - enormous - plot inconsistency that Commodor Oh is now revealed to not only have been a Romulan operative who has wormed her way in to a very high level at Starfleet, she is also responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Starfleet personnel on Mars in the planned sabotage of synths.
But when Riker is facing her, does this come up? Given the enormous atrocity of what Oh did, one would think that Riker would have summarily blasted her to hell immediately. But instead, after the standoff, Oh and her fleet of Romulan warships are allowed to retreat. Ridiculous.
Another huge plot inconsistency is the fact that Soji is supposed to be "The Destroyer". When she encounters Ramdha in episode 3 Ramhda says "I remember you from tomorrow". Seemingly this must have been through Ramdha's experience of the Admonition which imparted knowledge about Soji to her. But the Admonition is supposed to be relaying knowledge of events that occurred hundreds of thousands of years in the past. It supposedly has nothing to do with Dr. Sung, Soji, or any of the other synths in the present age. There is absolutely no connection at all between them and no time-warp or other occurrence which might somehow have linked them.
So how could Ramdha have known Soji "from tomorrow"? And how could Soji have been engrained in the Admonition as "The Destroyer", known to all the Zhad Vash in advance?
In addition to these plot inconsistencies/errors, a lot of the scenes in previous episodes were wastes of time. Most of episode 4 could have been cut. The whole sub-plot line of Raffi meeting her son on Freecloud could (and should) have been cut. A lot of the stuff on Nepenthe could have been cut. Basically this entire series would have made a decent movie or at most a several-episode story arc, but not a whole season.
Star Trek: Picard: Nepenthe (2020)
Some relief from previous episodes
With Nepenthe we finally have some relief from the dragged-out previous episodes of the series. Finally, with this episode, there is more going on and not just a lot of suspended scenes with precious airtime ticking away accompanied by too-loud soundtrack music.
The beginning of the episode is the lamest part. Will and Deanna's daughter Kestra in silhouette standing on a mound with a silly warrior-hat that looks like some ultra-lame anime-type ripoff, pointing an arrow at Picard and Soji.
Then the light reveals her to be a young girl with facial paint that again appears to be a cheap ripoff from anime (a lá Princess Mononoke), continuing to point the arrow at Picard, and Picard and Soji stupidly standing there with their hands up.
Soji was supposed to have just been "activated" at the end of the previous episode - part of the climax of that episode and in fact the previous 6-episode story arc. When her twin sister had been activated she didn't hesitate to go complete ninja and do backflips and throw knives, and disarm disruptor-wielding Romulans with ease, but now with a toy bow-and-arrow pointed at her, and having just been activated, all Soji can do is stand there and ask Picard, with a perplexed look on her face, "I thought we were supposed to be safe?" FFS can't there be more consistency than this, and what is with the lame attempt to insert anime-mimicry? I guess to try to appeal to a wider audience to increase revenue? They've already pulled out all the other multi-culti stops ad nauseaum to apparently pull in a wider, "global" audience already so why not that as well?
Next, at around the seven minute mark, something occurs in this episode that I've noticed a couple times in previous episodes. When Picard and Soji approach Will and Deanna's house, Picard hugs Deannna, and then Deanna turns to Soji and says "Welcome!", it is not present-day Marina Sirtis' voice but rather old audio from her in STNG that is patched over. Ostensibly because her voice is now so hoarse just like Picards.
This occurred with Picard as well a couple times in previous episodes and once you notice these occurrences it really ups the cringe-factor. Honestly, all these actors are so old and beyond the pale that I think it would have been better to simply have replaced them all with fresh ones. That perhaps might have upset some of the more orthodox trekkie faithful but it would have been better for many reasons, not the least of which would be potential for future shows and use of these characters.
Nepenthe gets a higher rating than previous episodes mostly because previous ones were so bad and tended to be ponderous. But there also have been major character inconsistencies and plot issues. This episode avoids all that and, at the same time, a lot of plot particulars that have been tediously developed start coming together so it kind of makes it more bearable and it feels like the faithful viewer who's watched all episodes up to this point is getting some return.
That said, this episode is still ponderous. Scenes are drawn out, too much useless feely-stuff that could have been totally avoided, and we don't know why, having gone through this major rescue attempt, Picard upon escaping with Soji, doesn't immediately contact Starfleet to report things amiss. Next to that, the behavior of Hugh and Lt. Rizzo (or whatever her Romulan name is) on the Borg cube is just as perplexing. Their actions don't fit with the past nor with what one would reasonably expect if something like what just happened with Soji had occurred.
Star Trek: Picard: The Impossible Box (2020)
Continues to Sag and Be Non-Star Trek
Soji would have to be an idiot to continue to have a relationship with someone like Narek and his blatant disrespect and dishonesty. It is simply not believable that any woman would continue to have a relationship with an utter creep like that, much less in a moment of vulnerability turn to him for guidance and go into the Vulkan meditation room.
As at least one other commenter noted, the amount of booze in this series is shocking and completely non-Star Trek. It's also kind of sickening to see booze glamorized on modern television. This is a major departure from the original Star Trek vision - one of many departures including gore and cursing that are unforgivable.
And again the cadence of this series is unbearably slow, another completely non-Star Trek thing. Considering that the actual content of each week's episode is only around 1/2 hour, they manage to really drag things out ad somnium (to the point of sleeping).
The whole thing about Soji's dream of being a child is just ridiculously slow and tedious. The scene in the Romulan meditation room draws the tediousness out and is barely believable - as though there is some mystical power in that particular room to invoke memory of the dream in Soji? I'm sorry, but yes this is supposed to be *science* fiction which is interesting, but not just made-up mystical gobbeldy-gook.
Finally, I found Agnes' come-on to Rios to be somewhat sickening and, in terms of character, once again classically non-Star Trek. She just killed a former lover in cold blood. Apparently she's mourning the act and steeped in guilt, but then she goes to Rios to get it off her mind "for a few hours". Ugh. Just ugh.
Star Trek: Picard: Stardust City Rag (2020)
Diversions from what many expect from Star Trek
The extreme gore at the beginning of the episode is really bad and drastically breaks with tradition for Star Trek. As others have commented, its kind of heartbreaking because it decidedly changes this from a drama that can comfortably be watched by a whole family to one that cannot.
Dr. Bruce Maddox is being held by the evil Bjayzi, an underworld figure who trades in Borg body parts and is a loan shark. It's kind of a stretch to think that someone like Maddox would have had any association with someone like that, but it is what it is. Also, knowing the type of person she is, it's kind of a stretch to think that Maddox would just willingly show up and basically offer himself to her. In his circumstances (defaulting on a loan from Byayzi) one would think Freecloud, where Bjayzi is based, would be the last place in the galaxy he would be found, not showing up at her establishment and accepting gratuitous poisoned cocktails from her.
Seven's meeting with Picard in his holo-study, intended to provide some development for her character, drags on a bit too much, and again we have something that probably makes a lot of Star Trek faithful sick: Seven slamming booze. What's with the glorification of booze (and vaping/drugs) in this series? Also, as others have commented, her being a vigilante is quite a break from her character in Voyager, one more rather extreme departure that is unpleasant. It would have been better to introduce a completely new character than to destroy an old one. This is not the upright Star Trek universe of previous series'. It is a dark one and all the seeming wokeness effused through this new series doesn't make up for it's lack.
As their ship La Serena approaches Freecloud conn is automatically handed over to Freecloud and 3D holo spam characters manifest in front of Picard, Rios, Raffi, and Agnes. I thought this was creative but others have criticized it. Elnor feels left out that he doesn't receive any spam which, considering his impoverished refugee background, is an interesting view. Implied with this holo-spam is that, like the present time, people in the future universe are somehow being tracked and their interests are stored and used for unwanted marketing. Not sure if that really belongs in Star Trek but it is creative.
Seven's role in this episode is to serve as bait for the crew to bargain with Bjayzi for Maddox. This is even worse than chattel slavery and is a really dark road to take for the plot, something to consider overall about the tone of the series. It is not light entertainment, but also heavy or positively-provacative entertainment doesn't necessary have to be dark like this IMHO. (It kind of reminds me of when Picard was extensively tortured by Romulans in NG, not a well-loved episode).
Rios goes down first and negotiates with Vop the scary reptiloid. Scenes cut back-and-forth temporally, something occurring frequently in this serious which can get annoying, and in other scenes we see the crew in preparation for their put-on to present themselves as traders offering Seven in exchange for Maddox. This is where Picard steps completely out of character in a scene which should have been cut, and one wonders why the other actors present at the scene did not immediately stop it and tell him to change it. Another commenter stated that all that is missing for Picard in this scene is a parrot.
When they all get down to Freecloud and are negotiating, it gets tedious. When Seven is finally confronting Bjayzi it gets really tedious as she goes into an in-depth explanation of Bjayzi's treatment of her Borg friend who was saw being tortured as his body parts were being extracted in a flashback at the beginning of the episode. However Rios and Picard's counseling of Seven as she stands with Bjayzi's throat in her grip is good - it just would have been better if they could have arrived at this scene in a different manner.
Back on the ship with Maddox Seven and Picard have another scene where they discuss part of their humanity having been lost which is not that good, before Seven beams back to Freecloud to finally finish off Bjayzi.
Maddox is in the sick bay and we have a major plot revelation as he's laying there telling Picard why he created Dhaj and Soji - to act essentially act as investigators to find out why synths were banned by the Federation. This will come out more in later episodes - but one has to question this idea of the plot that artificial life forms would have been created with their creator deliberately intended to essentially deceive them about their true identities. It's just hard to believe that any creator that intelligent would have done this rather than fully explain to the androids who and what they are. It also creates massive other problems in that these androids are not supposed to know that they are androids yet have never managed to figure it out. In a future world with so much extremely advanced technology this is simply not at all believable. So maybe it was done for purposes of the plot, but it was a bad idea and the plot should have been reworked with the androids being fully aware of who they are yet still concealing it as they live amidst organic beings.
ER: The Gallant Hero & the Tragic Victor (2006)
One of the best ER episodes
There comes a point with new actors in a drama series when they really start to click, when they mature into their roles, an episode when the script has an intensity that locks it all in. This is one of those episodes. This is a new ER series emerged from the old one, with all the new characters in full swing, and a great script. Great social and political commentary at some points, particularly one about the debacle of the Iraq war vs. incarceration in America made by Dr. Pratt.
ER: Time of Death (2004)
This episode is a complete drama in its own right
Just watched it for the first time yesterday. This series episode could be a complete drama in its own right. I thought the script and plot surrounding Dr. Pratt in this episode in particular was excellent. He goes from being cynical at the beginning to in tears at the end, from being the least concerned to the most involved. This drama shows how there's an intensity with every human life - even some bum off the street who's dying from alcoholism. The way Charlie consciously chooses to face his death is heroic and shows that heroism can be found all around us.