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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 |
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The 4400: "Daddy's Little Girl" (4.9) – Review
By: jiggyj
I'm not even going to attempt to spell his name, but thank god Richard came back, because he seemed to bring quality back with him…now let's just hope he stays around and the show keeps it up. After a long absence, Richard is finally seen for the first time since the third season finale, which saw Richard attempting to kill his very own daughter, though of course, all it did was takeaway her powers. Richard ends up at Promise City wanting to reconnect with his daughter, but said reconnecting happens after Richard kidnaps Isabelle.
Back in the day when 4400 abilities were cool, Richard got one of the best with telekinesis, and here he uses to its full effect, levitating tomatoes, holding people against ceilings and walls, throwing people and objects, and of course using his power to stop the blood flow to someone's brain to make them pass out. And to show just how bad and gimmicky the powers have got since then, Richard manages to turn Isabelle back into a young girl by having her drink some water that a friend of his did something to, whose power is to turn people young. Yep, again, a power jumps into play simply to lead to a plot point, and you have to wonder just how exactly her power works, since we never see Richard's friend. Did she bless the water? Did she touch the cup and grant it with her power? Wash her hands with the water first? Personally, since they fail to tell us, I'm just going to say she spit in it…that's what you get writers when you fail to properly explain something.
Overall though, the story involving Richard and Isabelle was nicely done and interesting, though Isabelle said a few things that were a little too on the nose, and became a bit laughable than realistic. Isabelle hasn't really had much to do this season since she lost her powers, so it wouldn't be surprising if they decide to writer her out by making her a child again. However, Isabelle has the potential to be a better part of the show, and besides, why get rid of a beauty like her anyways?
Another story dealt with Tom and his new boss coming together finally and hooking up for a little friends with benefits action. We were pleasantly surprised the two got together, because we didn't see it happening at all. Ok, so that's a complete lie, because this hooking up has been telegraphed since early into this season. Oh well, at least it finally happened, and hopefully something non-telegraphed will come from it.
The most heartwarming and interesting story of the episode involved Tess, played by the lovely and talented Summer Glaus, as we see her schizophrenia taking over, reverting her mind back to think she was reliving when she was sixteen, having a party that she never held. Tess' romance with the doctor is a great, though weird, relationship, thanks in part to the natural fit they seem to be together. The scenes between them also contained the best moment of the episode, where Tess forces him to burn his own hand on a hot stove.
It was finally a great episode of The 4400, considering the fact that we've seen so many poor and both piss poor episodes this season so far. The episode, based on previews, looks to be continuing on all accounts next week too, so hopefully come this time next week we'll be say that there was yet another great episode of the show.
Rating: 8.3
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- August 15, 2007
SCI Channel Cancels 'Painkiller Jane'
superherohype.com is reporting that SCI FI Channel is pulling the plug on "Painkiller Jane," says The Hollywood Reporter.
The action-hero series starring Kristanna Loken is wrapping production on its 22-episode first-season order, which will run as planned. Sixteen episodes have aired so far, with the season/series finale slated for Sept. 21
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Singh To Helm 'Unforgettable'
scifi.com is reporting that Director Tarsem Singh (The Cell) is set to return to the studio world with The Unforgettable, a science fiction thriller from Warner Brothers Pictures, produced by Basil Iwanyk, David Goyer and Jason Hall, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Unforgettable, originally titled Species X, centers on a cop who, in the course of a murder investigation, realizes that he is not human and uncovers a war between good and evil aliens.
The project is based on the Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment video game The Condemned: Criminal Origins, which Hall and Nathan Hendrickson created. Kurt Sutter wrote the screenplay.
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Kidman: 'Invasion' Still Relevant
scifi.com is reporting that Nicole Kidman, the Oscar winner who stars in the upcoming SF thriller film The Invasion, told SCI FI Wire that the movie—the latest remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers—still speaks to audiences as it did in the 1950s, '70s and '90s.
"This story seems to have an eternal resonance with audiences," Kidman said in an e-mail interview from Australia on Aug. 13. "There have been three versions so far! The idea about a government or outside authority wanting to know and control every aspect of your life is constantly relevant, unfortunately. And, given global jet travel, we seem to have to worry about fast-moving germs or pandemics, too!"
Doctor Who (3. 06) “The Lazarus Experiment” – Review
By: jesuiscanadien
Martha and the Doctor appear in Martha’s flat, and Martha gets a message on her answering machine from her mother, telling her to turn on the news. It’s her sister, Tish, who is on the news with her boss, Prof. Lazarus, an elderly man who claims to have intrinsically changed “what it means to be human”. That piques the good Doctor’s curiosity and he tags along with Martha to the party that evening.
At the lab, Dr. Lazarus and his partner, Lady Thaw, discuss the project and the fact that a Mr. Saxon has funded the project. Martha and the Doctor go to the gig, and Martha’s mom is not pleased to see the Doctor hanging out with Martha, thinking he’s bad news. The Doctor snoops around and figures out that there may be an issue with the system Lazarus has invented. Lazarus ignores any tut-tut ting and gets into the machine, while the Doctor works feverishly to stop an overload. Lazarus steps out, decades younger, proclaiming success. The Doctor feels something has gone wrong, and after Lazarus kisses Martha’s hand, she uses the DNA transfer to confirm the Doctor’s suspicions. He was right, Lazarus’ DNA is mutating.
Lazarus argues with Lady Thaw, who wants to be the next one “youthened”, and turns into a scorpion-like creature, sucking Lady Thaw dry and completely dead. Mrs. Jones is expressing her concerns about the Doctor with Tish and her brother, Leo, but is interrupted by Lazarus, who asks to speak with Tish. Meanwhile, Martha and the Doctor find Lady Thaw’s body and realize that Lazarus will kill again.
Martha and the Doctor try to find Lazarus, but he’s taken Tish to the roof. The Doctor confronts Lazarus, as Martha gets Tish away from the man before he turns into the creature again. Their escape trips the alarms and Martha has to use the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver to unlock the doors and get everyone out of the auditorium, but not before Lazarus kills another person. The Doctor and Martha are trapped inside with Lazarus, and they hide inside the machine that changed Lazarus. While Lazarus works to turn the machine on to kill the Doctor and Martha, the Doctor works feverishly to reverse the effects and hopefully kill Lazarus instead.
The Doctor’s plan works just in the nick of time, and they leave the cubicle to find Lazarus dead and reverted to his human form. As the ambulance pulls away, Mrs. Jones gets seriously cheesed with the Doctor, telling him to stay away from Martha. The Doctor hears a crash and runs towards the sound, finding the ambulance open and two more dead from a not-dead Lazarus. The Doctor and Martha, along with Tish, go to a cathedral where Lazarus took shelter during the blitz. The Doctor confronts Lazarus again, and Martha and Tish lure Lazarus to the top of the bell tower.
During a very tense scene where the girls try to avoid Lazarus’ claws, the Doctor runs like mad to the pipe organ, tinkering with it to maximize the volume control. The Doctor manages to strike the right chord with the organ, somehow interfering with Lazarus and causing him to fall to his death. He’s really dead this time, as he is now transformed to his old man’s body. Martha is pulled up by her sister and tells the Doctor he was cutting it rather close.
Back at Martha’s flat, the Doctor invites her on another ride, but Martha refuses. She wants to be more than just a passenger and the Doctor agrees. As the TARDIS leaves Martha’s flat, her mother calls, leaving a message that Mr. Saxon says the Doctor isn’t safe.
Anybody else feel that Martha’s mum has one heckuva terrible sense about people? She is so off, it isn’t even funny. The Doctor is the good guy and Saxon is somebody who is not what he seems. Plus, there’s the whole thing about where Saxon came from, as he seems to have suddenly popped up from out of nowhere. I’d be very suspicious about some guy who is supposedly powerful that has just arrived on the scene. Instant power tends to come from unsavoury sources.
Lazarus sure struck me as majorly creepy as a young guy, or even an old man. Plus, they mentioned his age, which was somewhere in his seventies, and I’ve got to say he really hasn’t aged well. I know people in their seventies and eighties and they look way better than this guy. His youthful appearance was mucho creepy with that severely botoxed face. Did his forehead even crinkle a bit? I didn’t catch that. Where do they cast these people? Do they send out for creepy-actors-r-us or something?
Martha is getting better at dealing with her mom as the show progresses. At the beginning of the season, Martha would just remain silent as her mother bitterly scarred those around her, but now she’s arguing back and giving her mom a piece of her mind. Good for her! I don’t let my parents get away with idiocy either. It ends up being too much work in the end.
I have a bit if trepidation for the outcome of this season, but I’m hoping I’m off-base. I just feel that we’ve only just scraped the surface of what is going on here, and it isn’t going to be good at all. Argh. I really just need some happy people, but I won’t get that here. This episode earns an 8.0 out of 10.0 as it alludes to something yucky in the future. Good heavens, there had better be a happy episode at some point in this season.
Sci-Fi Brain News -- August 14, 2007
Tapping Discusses SG-1 Movies
gateworld.net is reporting that the first two in what the studio hopes to be a series of direct-to-DVD Stargate SG-1 movies represent a big change from the week-to-week television series, actress Amanda Tapping told ComicsOnline.com in a recent interview. Tapping plays Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter in the films.
Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum were filmed in Vancouver this past spring, and will be released in 2008.
Tapping said that the movies -- which carried production budgets of $7 million each -- feel like major motion pictures. "The shooting is completely different," she said. "We are taking a lot longer to get the shots we want. The sets are bigger and the scopes are bigger. When you are sitting in an F-15, waiting to do these flying sequences and you have a whole battalion of Air Force pilots behind you, you realize this is just huge. When a nuclear submarine is coming up through the ice and your camera is on it, you realize 'THIS IS HUGE.'"
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Kidman Talks 'Invasion' Injuries
scifi.com is reporting that Nicole Kidman, who stars in the upcoming SF thriller film The Invasion, told SCI FI Wire that she broke her ribs in a January car accident on the movie's set, which was captured on amateur video and posted on TMZ.com, but that the injury didn't prevent her from completing the movie.
"I broke some ribs, so that was pretty painful (even though I seem to have a high degree of tolerance), and they took a while to heal," Kidman said in an e-mail interview from Australia on Aug. 13.
Kidman was taken to a hospital after the Jaguar she was driving crashed early Jan. 25 during shooting in downtown Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported. The Jaguar was being towed by a camera rig that skidded while taking a corner and caused Kidman's car to hit a pole on West Sixth Street, police said. She returned to work almost immediately.
Eureka (2.05) “Duck, Duck, Goose” – Review
By: jesuiscanadien
It’s Science Fair day in Eureka, and it’s a dog-eat-dog world as the competition proves to be fierce. Zoë is freaked about the whole situation, as her father tries to placate her fears. After Zoë is driven to school by Jo, Jack gets himself into a bit of a situation by claiming he loves to work out, just to impress Allison. While he is at the gym, his jeep is hit by some space debris, going right through the engine block.
Jack uses one of the gym weight bars that work with EMF fields and magnetism, to pick up the debris from the tiny hole it created. It turns out to be a little piece of metal that Henry suggests Jack take to the NEAT lab at Global. NEAT standing for Near Earth Asteroid Tracking. Since Jack’s car is going to the shop, Henry arranged for a vehicle from Global, and Fargo is taking care of it. A little SMART car turns up, and S.A.R.A.H. is downloaded into it’s programming, and advises Jack that she is self-navigating, and wanted to get out of the house for a bit. Jack reluctantly agrees to let S.A.R.A.H. drive, but warns her to stay under the speed limit.
At the high school, Jo is looking into any experiments utilising technology that could affect space debris, which the principal assures her isn’t happening. Jo is suspicious of three girls she calls the “Heathers”, as the previous year they developed a technology that could download music straight into someone’s head. It gave Jo a headache for two weeks. The girls in question rag on Zoë about her experiment, telling her that it is so last century, and they let Zoë know they know about her father’s IQ test score of 111.
As Jack is being driven to Global, he encounters some crazy geese, and their crazy handler, Taggart. Taggart is studying migration patterns, but something is causing the geese to not fly where they are supposed to, and it is upsetting him a great deal. Jack makes it into Global, where he finds out that Allison is the one who sent him the car. As he exits the elevator with Allison, he is struck down by the security system and the scientist in charge of implementing it comes over to stick a clearance badge on him and tell him to get her his DNA by the end of the day.
He speaks to Dr. Finn, the scientist currently in charge of NEAT while his boss is away in Hawaii on a conference. Finn tells him that it is probably from a weather satellite and not to worry about it, until another chunk of debris flies over Eureka and lands in a field nearby. They find out that it is a space toilet that was discontinued years ago, which leads Jack to ask that they find out if more space debris is headed for them.
When Finn does some searching on the NEAT computers, he discovers that a lot of debris that was classified the previous day as safe orbit, is now coalescing and heading for Eureka. Henry and Finn are working on a way to track the descent path of the debris, while Jack works with Allison to find somewhere to put the inhabitants of Eureka for evacuation. Meanwhile, Taggart is mourning his geese, and “kills” one, as Jack finds out they are androids. Taggart tells Jack that he will need to figure out what was causing the birds to not migrate properly.
Jack and Henry talk about what could be causing the space debris to come to Eureka, and Henry shows him some photos of the old Star Wars program under Regan, and the winners of the Science Fair GD sponsored, which included Dr. Finn. Jack goes to speak to him about his possible involvement, and Finn tells him with complete certainty that he could no more be responsible for this issue that he can stop it. He is trying to help Eureka, not harm it. When Taggart runs out to tell Jack that his geese are flying again, they watch as the geese get turned around again, and come right at Jack, Finn, and Taggart. Jack supposes that some giant magnet could cause this type of reaction, as well as cause the space junk to come right at them, and he takes Finn to the Science Fair to investigate.
At the high school, Zoë finds her experiment tampered with by Megan and her buddies, and is told by Jo to act without warning or, don’t get mad, get even. Jack and Finn make it to the school and as they are poking around, they get their clue as Megan’s experiment goes awry and the magnetic field causes small metal objects to fly above it. Zoë cops to sabotaging their experiment, but when Nathan and the principal question Megan about her technology, Jack points out that he’s seen it before on the roof at Global. Megan is upset when she finds out that Jane Harrington is using it to power the new security system at Global because Megan was the one who invented it, and Jane’s her mother.
While everyone in town is being directed to the shelters, Jack and Allison confront Jane about her power source and where it came from. Finn runs in and brings them to his lab where he shows them that debris is entering the atmosphere. Jane tells them that the beam from her power source is off, as it is acting like a magnet with the EM field over Eureka, and now they have to figure a way to change the debris’ trajectory, so it will burn up in the atmosphere.
Everyone ends up at the gym, which uses magnets and the EM field to change weight resistance, and while Zoë remembers what needs to be done to increase power efficiency, Megan is lectured by Finn about their rivalry. Jack brings S.A.R.A.H. into the gym to act as the tracking computer, but Henry tells him that what they are going to do will fry her circuitry. Their gambit works and the debris field’s trajectory is changed 32%, allowing the debris to burn up in the atmosphere.
Back at the science fair, Megan wins first prize, but Zoë comes in second, winning a new car. Henry tells Nathan that he is not at fault concerning Kim’s death. Megan tells Finn that she has chosen to work with him during her internship. Taggart releases his birds again and tells Jack that he had made the compasses inside the birds too sensitive and that is why they didn’t migrate properly. Jack tells Zoë she can keep the car, and gives Zoë the results of her IQ test, which are a genius 157, but she tells her dad that she scored 112. Jack is proud of her.
I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. Jack may not be the brightest star in the sky, but he keeps the genius folk in line with his ability to reason and problem solve. A 111 IQ score, and Jack is so proud of himself, even though he is around people who may’ve scored exponentially much better. That cracked me up. He’s got the confidence level of people who suck at American Idol, but still think they were robbed.
I loved S.A.R.A.H. the car. She was bloody hilarious. She’s so enthusiastic about everything and that makes me love her. She’s not annoying like Mary Hart on Entertainment Tonight, she’s more like a five year old that is experiencing things for the first time and has to announce it to the entire world. I hope Fargo fixes the car and we get to see S.A.R.A.H. on the town, painting it chartreuse.
Nathan is turning into a half-decent guy, which has me quite concerned, as I tend to ship Allison and Jack. While I like who Stark is turning out to be, I don’t want him to screw up the budding relationship between Allison and Jack. They must succeed. Nathan needs to fall in love with someone who is his better and isn’t much interested in him. He needs to feel what rejection feels like, as I am almost positive he’s never been turned down in his life. Some life-lessons are mandatory, if you know what I mean.
Taggart was pretty funny with his whole android geese experiment. He’s got such quirks, it is completely understandable as to why he’s still single. I enjoyed how Jo interacted with Zoë and her dislike of the “Heathers” set. I never saw that movie, but I immediately got the reference and understood what Jo was getting at.
The only thing that I didn’t care for was Jane Harrington’s character. She was high-strung and kind of shrill. I have worked with female scientists in the past, and I must say, they were a pretty mellow lot. Of course, they were out doing field work, which I guess takes a different temperament than a lab researcher, but still. I’d like to think that female scientists are capable of chillaxing and taking things on a what-groovy-may-come basis.
This episode earns 9.0 migrating geese out of 10.0. May they migrate peacefully and not get shot at during their trip. Stanley Park needs them.
Sci-Fi Brain News -- August 13, 2007
Kristen Bell Rules Out 'Lost'
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell has ruled out joining the cast of ABC's Lost.
Responding to reports that Bell's name was under consideration for the role of Charlotte in season four, a spokesperson told TV Guide that she will not be joining the cast.
The magazine reported that Bell was approached by show producers last week but were turned down because the actress does not want to move to Hawaii.
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'Doctor Who' Rome Set Hit By Fire
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that filming for the fourth series of Doctor Who has been disrupted, after a fire spread through a film set that producers had planned to use.
Writers have plotted an Ancient Rome-themed episode for the new series, and the show's team recently flew out to the Cinecitta studios in Italy, which had previously been used to recreate the ancient city for hit BBC Two show Rome.
However, expensive BBC equipment was destroyed when a fire hit the set on Thursday night. Fortunately, most of the crucial parts have been left untouched, and producers are still hoping to go ahead with their plans once the damage has been cleared up.
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Brett Ratner Auctioning Off X-Men Items
superherohype.com is reporting that We received an email today from AuctionCause.com, who have teamed up with X-Men: The Last Stand director Brett Ratner to auction off memorabilia from Rush Hour 3, "The Last Stand," Family Man and Red Dragon for charity:
I work for an company that runs auctions. We are currently working with Brett Ratner on an eBay charity auction and many of the items he has donated are from X3. We have some signed books, hats, a poster signed by the cast, and some one of a kind items Brett had made for the principal actors. We are listing stuff every day, at eBay.com/RushHour3. If you think any fans would be interested, please pass this on! Proceeds from the auction will benefit The Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum of Tolerance here in Los Angeles.
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'Heroes' Cheerleader To Test Self
scifi.com is reporting that Hayden Panettiere, who plays indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC's Heroes, told journalists that the upcoming second season will find her character's pushing the limits of her ability to heal herself.
"I think this season she's really looking to figure out more about her powers, more about what she can do, how far she can push it, what happens when she does it," Panettiere said in a conference call on Aug. 9. "And there's still some unanswered questions for her about her ability, how far her pain tolerance can go or if she can actually die if something happens."
Donnie Darko - Review
By: jiggyj
Cult classic…look it up in the dictionary and you'll find the movie Donnie Darko listed with it. Donnie Darko was one of those movies that came into the theaters, made very little money, and then left without anyone ever thinking about it…except those few who saw it and boy did they talk a bunch. They released the movie on DVD and the next thing you know people are clamoring for the thing and are crazy for the movie. Is Donnie Darko worth that devoted love of cult status? Read on.
The 2001 film Donnie Darko is the story of…well…Donnie Darko. You see Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a mentally troubled boy who is emotionally detached from seemingly everything. He has problems with life and a lot of the time it just seems as if he is going through the motions and simply living out his days without any sort of attachment at all. You could say that Donnie represents many teenagers in that regards and that is what makes the story of Donnie so appealing to watch.
One night Donnie is awoken from sleep with the voice of Frank - a giant, evil looking rabbit - calling out to Donnie to follow him. Donnie sleepwalks his way to Frank who is standing in the middle of a golf course. Frank tells Donnie that the world will be ending soon and gives Donnie the exact time, date, seconds and everything else that he will need to know. Donnie wakes up on the golf course, heads for home, but when he gets there are people swarming around his house and evidence tape is up. Donnie's parents are glad to see him because a plane's engine fell through their house and landed directly in Donnie's room. Donnie would've been killed had he stayed in there.
The rest of the movie follows the events of this incident as Donnie tries to understand what/who Frank is and what he wants with him, why he is doing the things he is doing, learning about time travel and tangent universes, and most importantly…helping all those around him. Donnie might have been emotionally detached in the beginning, but he starts to run across people in his life that he starts to care about and all he wants to do is make them happy…even if that means he suffers internally himself. A few of the people he sets out to help are his family, an English teacher he admires, a girl that he starts to fall for, and an inspirational motivator that bugs the hell out of him.
The cast of Donnie Darko is quite impressive. Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal (his real life sister playing his sister), Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell (now known for her work in Battlestar Galactica as the President), Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, and Jena Malone all play wonderfully done characters that you will find yourself thinking about days after you finish watching the movie. You might hate Patrick Swayze's Jim Cunningham as much as Donnie does in the beginning, but when you see Swayze for the final time of the movie, you start to change your opinion of him ever so slightly and hope that he can be redeemed.
By my description of the movie it wouldn't seem very science fiction, but trust me that it is in there. The science of the movie comes in the form of time travel and tangent universes. After his talks with Frank the bunny, Donnie starts to have questions about this old lady who lives near him (always going from road to mailbox) who wrote a book on time travel. Donnie becomes fascinated by time travel and even brings it up to his science teacher to learn about theoretically if something like that is possible. So the movie has those science fiction elements mingled with the story of a superhero (Richard Kelly - creator - has stated numerous times and on the DVD commentary tracks about how he wanted Donnie to be this superhero), but the movie really shines and is so great because of the emotional resonance of the film.
The film runs the gamut of emotions from the smiles you will get at the sheer absurdity of Donnie's sister's group Sparkle Motion, the laughter at a simple moment of Donnie talking about an animated cartoon, to the hatred of Jim Cunningham being so damn inspirational and upbeat (especially if you find a lot of yourself in Donnie), to the sadness you will feel for people when the movie eventually ends. The science and mystery of the movie is great (though there is a good chance you won't understand everything during one viewing, heck, I still don't understand 'everything' after five or more viewings), but the emotions of the film are what will bring you back time and time again.
Donnie Darko is a film that you should absolutely, no doubt about it, go out and buy right away if you haven't already got this film in your collection. Maybe I'm a little biased since I see a lot of myself in Donnie, but I'm pretty sure the film would be just as great if I didn't already have this bond with Donnie and his life. So go buy Donnie Darko, love it, thank me later, and ask yourself, "Is 'cellar door' the prettiest sounding word I've ever heard."
Sci-Fi Brain News -- August 10, 2007
'Doctor Who' Writer Denies Nesbitt Rumour
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat has denied claims that James Nesbitt is joining the show.
Earlier this month, a newspaper report claimed that the Cold Feet actor would take over as The Doctor when David Tennant decides to quit the role. However, Moffat has insisted that the story was completely untrue.
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Ex-Doctor Baker Returns To Show Set
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that former Doctor Who actor Colin Baker returned to the set of the show 20 years on.
He dropped in on filming for a Christmas special in Cardiff in a break from appearing at a theatre nearby.
Baker said he was impressed by current Doctor David Tennant - and Kylie Minogue who also will appear in the episode.
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Thursday, August 09, 2007 |
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Roswell – “Turnabout” – Book Review
By: jesuiscanadien
The kids are on the run from the Special Unit, and while they drive non-stop away from the enemy so they can regroup, the Parkers and Evanses have been taken hostage by the Unit in order to flush the group out from hiding. Phillip Evans managed to call his friend, Shelby Tremaine, in Massachusetts, and get his plan rolling. Phillip had the vision to arrange a plan to go into effect if something serious should happen to threaten his children’s lives after they went on the run. Shelby puts the plan into action, calling in Jesse Ramirez in Boston, and arranging to meet with him.
In L.A., Ava has been captured by the Special Unit, and Rath and Lonnie set out to save her. The “Alien Our Gang” are taking the fight to L.A., too, but not before Max can get Isabel far, far away from them. Liz has been having visions of Isabel dying under the knife of one of the Special Unit docs and Max is determined not to let that fate befall his sister. While Kyle and Isabel flee east, to Boston, the rest of the gang makes their way to L.A. and seek the help of their reluctant guardian, Langley.
As the kids are making their way to their respective destinations, Jim Valenti gets Amy DeLuca to safety at Laurie Dupree’s spread in Arizona. His old friend, Agent Suzanne Duff, meets up with him, recruiting him to help her get to the bottom of the Special Unit and hopefully help free his friends, the Parkers and the Evanses. They bust the safe house that the Unit was using outside of Roswell, and give Brody Davis all the files and computer data for safekeeping. They then go to L.A. to try and find the Unit’s headquarters.
While in transit to Boston, Kyle figures out his gift of being a booster for telepathic communication. Isabel also witnesses her counterpart’s death in L.A., as it turns out that Lonnie was captured in the rescue attempt for Ava. She was experimented on and killed in the process. Isabel and Kyle decide they must get to L.A. and manage to meet up with Jesse and his cohort Shelby on the way.
Once everyone manages to meet up in L.A., things get interesting. Not to blow the plot for possible readers out there, but remember the movie, “Red Dawn”, with Charlie Sheen, Patrick Swayze, and Lea Thompson? Kids fighting the Commies in 1984 Colorado? This had a similar flavour for me. I don’t mean the plot matches, not by a long shot, but the flavour was very reminiscent of that flick. Needless to say, butt gets kicked, satisfactory results for all and everybody, almost, ends up happy.
I enjoyed the resolution to the “Alien Our Gang” in this book series. The television series didn’t seem to tie up the loose ends that the Special Unit opened up in the last couple of episodes, but the books finish the series in an acceptable manner. Sure, more stories could be told from what was left of the story resolution, but things can also be left as they are. This book brought closure to the gang and their adventures.
There were some important deaths in this book, but they really helped seal up issues for me, as a reader. I didn’t feel that the author treated the deaths in a frivolous manner. Neither did I feel that the deaths were heavy-handed. They were important for the storyline to be tied up properly, and they worked.
On a side note, it looks like Kyle won’t be alone for much longer. He bonds with Ava over her need for help and his need to be needed. I’m glad he is going to be happy, as I was quite fond of the high school football player. Not everyone needs to end up being bald, rotund, and unhappy.
Isabel finally figured out that Jesse was her “One”, which is nice to see. I believe that there can be more than one person for someone in their lifetime. So when Alex Whitman was killed by Tess, even though it ended the blossoming love that Isabel was experiencing for him, I didn’t feel too badly for her. She ended up with a great guy who sacrificed a lot for her and even when things were rocky, never stopped loving her.
Max and Liz, forever. Yay. On a better note, the Bickersons work it out! YAY! Michael did nothing but grow for Maria, and she finally wised up and accepted what Michael was offering. Thank goodness for miracles.
I enjoyed this final book, and I have to give it a solid 8.5 out of 10.0. It’s done! It’s done! The “Alien Our Gang” has left the building.
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Thursday, August 09, 2007 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- August 9, 2007
McGillion Talks 'Atlantis' Return
scifi.com is reporting that Paul McGillion, who will be returning to Stargate Atlantis in the role of Dr. Carson Beckett for a two-episode arc during the upcoming fourth season, told SCI FI Wire that it feels great to be back on the show after nearly a year away.
"Honestly, it feels like coming home," McGillion said in an interview on the phone from the set in Vancouver, Canada. "And everyone's been so terrific to me. The crew gave me a little round of applause when I came back on the set. And that was really sweet. That felt really nice. And everyone's been really gracious towards me and it's just been really nice. I love the character, and the chance to reprise Beckett is my pleasure."
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Wednesday, August 08, 2007 |
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The 4400 (4.8): "No Exit" Review
By: jiggyj
Wait a minute, what's this? Are you telling me The 4400 produced a recent episode that didn't completely suck? Though the show this season is still far away from the heyday of its first two season specifically, at least the show this week delivered a little bit of creativity, and which wasn't as corny and horribly done as past episodes. The biggest gripe of the episode was that the reveal was way too choreographed, as the seemingly unnamed tech guy up until this point, who works with Marco, as he wasn't freaked out by the fact that he was in the office, and maybe it was just us, but why did nobody hear his constants phrases such as, "It wasn't supposed to be this way." Hello, the guy just introduced this season is saying weird things and nobody recognizes it…please.
The gist of the episode is that the bald guy had taken the promicin shot before, because he wanted to make a difference and to be part of a change. Of course, he didn't die, and he developed a power that allowed him to take feuding people into a dream game, where players needed to work together to overcome the problems and their differences, so that they could win the game. Yes, it's another way to deus ex machina ability, but hey, looks like that's how the lazy writers are playing it this year, so whatever. The strange thing is, wouldn't NTAC test their own people to make sure none of them our taking the drug they are fighting to stop? If so, this episode should've never happened.
Anyways, the usual NTAC regulars, Jordan, Kyle, Shawn, Mya, and Isabelle are all trapped, and each group blames the others for being there. It turns out most of them are there for NTAC and Jordan's group to come to terms with each other and not be enemies, but Shawn and Isabelle are there to work on their past relationship problems, and Mya is there to talk with Marco. Okay, we can give you the fact that maybe Marco talked to the bald guy about his disappearing friendship with Diana and Mya, but how did he know about Shawn and Isabelle's history that needed working out? Like we said, kinda sloppy.
Though the episode featured the death of Shawn and the new NTAC boss, we didn't believe for a second they'd die in such a way, so once the game was over, they were revived and not dead at all. It was a good attempt at trying to give the episode some tension and emotion, but yet there was nothing that we felt while watching it.
I know we're still bashing the episode, but there was some good when compared to the last two or three episodes, so perhaps that's why it seems good in comparison…it just wasn't as bad, and therefore comes off as good. Still not great or "must see" television, but if you got the episode this week or a re-run, at least you wouldn't be completely wasting an hour of your life this time.
Rating: 6.0
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Wednesday, August 08, 2007 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- August 8, 2007
'Life On Mars' Actors Say No To US Remake
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Life On Mars actors John Simm and Philip Glenister have turned down offers to star in a US remake of the hit BBC show.
Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley has been planning the remake and wanted the two lead actors to take on the parts but with American accents.
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Has Mars Been 'Lost'?
moviehole.net is reporting that imagine being stuck on a deserted island with Veronica Mars?
Man, I’d be burying the wood required to build a boat… deep.
According to TV Guide, Kristen Bell may be in talks to join the cast of the castaways caper, “Lost”.
She would play a new character called Charlotte – who’ll potentially stay-on full time (so long as she doesn’t get busted for drink driving in Hawaii).
The character breakdown for Charlotte says:
Charlotte: Late 20s. Very attractive in a naturalistic, athletic way, her looks are only one small part of charms. Precocious, loquacious, and funny, Charlotte a very successful academic who also knows how to handle herself in the real world. On a personal level it is hard to crack the hard shell of poise and certainty around her, but when it DOES crack its like an egg; lots of repressed and pent up emotions spill out. (Starts with Episode #402 - August 29, 2007 in Hawaii). RECURRING ARC WITH A POSSIBLE OPTION FOR SERIES REGULAR FOR NEXT SEASON.
Doctor Who (3.05) “Evolution of the Daleks” – Review
By: jesuiscanadien
Sec has now come out of his hybridisation and orders the other humans to undergo the process too. The Doctor manages to distract Sec with some music, and the other Daleks want to exterminate him when they realize who he is. Sec and the Doctor talk about Sec’s recent change. The Doctor uses the radio that was playing the music to cause another distraction and the humans all make a break for it.
As the other Daleks chase the humans and the Doctor, they discuss how they do not trust Sec, but they have been ordered to follow Sec. While the humans make it back to Hooverville, the Daleks and the pig-slaves follow them and try to round up the humans. Dalek Caan kills Solomon after he pleads for mercy. Sec is shocked by this action and stops Caan from killing the Doctor, who steps out enraged by Caan’s actions.
Sec orders Caan and the other Dalek to bring the Doctor to him, as he has another use for him. The Doctor gives Martha his psychic paper, and Martha and Tallulah try to figure out what the Doctor wants her to do. The Doctor finds out that Sec wants him to help make their failed experiments work, by making human shells have human/Dalek DNA from Sec. The other Daleks rebel and sabotage Sec’s plans with the Doctor, by replacing the DNA with sole Dalek DNA and when a solar flare is scheduled to hit the Empire State building, the energy allows that DNA to enter the human shells, and they become humans without any human traits. They are Daleks, essentially.
Martha has meanwhile figured out that the Doctor wanted her to get into the Empire State Building, so she, Tallulah, and Frank go there and make it to the top of the building. She gets a hold of the building plans and manages to figure out that the Daleks ordered the Dalekanium to go on the spire. The Doctor manages to escape with Lazlo and they meet Martha, Frank, and Tallulah on top of the building. The Doctor works to remove the Dalekanium, while Martha and the gang work to fight off the pig-slaves sent to recapture the Doctor. Martha suddenly remembers she can use the power of the lightening to stop the pig-slaves. The Doctor doesn’t manage to remove the Dalekanium, but instead inserts some of his own DNA into the mix during the lightening bolt.
The lightening bolt almost kills the Doctor, but Martha watches as he revives. The Daleks mobilize the new Dalek army, and the Doctor makes a plan to draw the Daleks away from their domination scheme. He and the gang go to the theatre to put his plan into action. It works and the Dalek army and two of the Daleks find the Doctor. Sec pleads for the Doctor, and is accidentally killed in the process. This ignites a rebellion with the Dalek army, and a firefight ensues, killing the two Daleks present. The Dalek army are given the self-destruct, which upsets the Doctor, and he goes to confront the Dalek.
Dalek Caan and the Doctor have “words”, with the Doctor asking Caan to allow the Doctor to help him, but Caan refuses and leaves in an emergency temporal transport. Martha and Tallulah bring a dying Lazlo in, and the Doctor frenetically works to save him. Lazlo ends up being okay, and is given shelter in Hooverville. Martha and the Doctor say goodbye to New York, and Martha wonders of he’ll ever see that Dalek again. The Doctor is sure he will.
That darned Dalek! I swear on all that is holy, they are totally the cockroaches of the Universe. When the Dalek left in the emergency temporal transport, I immediately thought of the ep, “Dalek” (1.6) when the Doctor and Rose find the decrepit Dalek and Rose accidentally revives it with her touch. I hypothesise that the Dalek in that episode was the Dalek who escaped the Doctor in this episode (3.5). I could be wrong, but I think it is a reasonable premise.
Martha just gets gustier and gustier. She really got it together when she figured out that lightening could possibly help her defeat the pig-slaves. Sure, it could work theoretically, but in reality, I’m not sure a bolt could kill so many people. Too many people survive lightening strikes, so the pig-slave deaths seemed to be a wee bit optimistic. I’m not going to bother to do the math to figure out if it’s possible, but maybe someone out there has the time and inclination to see if this is attainable.
I’ve got to say, I was dreading this episode, as I am not fond of Daleks to begin with. They are like a Stephen King novel gone rogue, and I’m just not down with that lack of hope. Even in my darkest moments, I can see hope, and Daleks just remind me of how Stephen King likes to screw his protagonists until they really get peeved and kick some serious butt back. Don’t bother to argue the merits of his work; I’m seriously not down with it, just like I’m not feelin’ the Dalek love.
I would like to see an episode where Martha and the Doctor really come to understand each other as people, but that’s probably too fruity for this kind of audience, so I’m blowing smoke with that desire. This episode stood on my last nerve, mostly because that bloody Dalek survived, but it was well developed and scripted. Plus, the production values didn’t suck, so that’s a bonus. It gets an 8.0 out of 10.0 for all that. But if I see one more Dalek, I swear I’m going to crunch it under my pretty little heel, and enjoy the goo that squishes out.
Sci-Fi Brain News -- August 7, 2007
Kenneth Branagh 'Dying' To Be In 'Doctor Who'
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Kenneth Branagh is "dying" to appear in an episode of Doctor Who, according to reports.
The Sun quotes an insider on the series as stating that the 46-year-old actor and director "is a fan and would love a role" and has revealed his aspirations to friends.
Branagh is best known for his cinematic adaptations of the works of William Shakespeare, but has also toyed with the fantasy genre through appearances in Wild Wild West and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
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'Torchwood' Bought By US HD Channel
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that American broadcaster HDNet has purchased the first two seasons of the BBC science-fiction drama Torchwood.
"We're thrilled to be airing Torchwood in HD," announced Mark Cuban, President and co-founder of the all-high definition channel. "This is certainly a Russell T. Davies signature show. Torchwood explores adult themes and doesn't shy away from anything. Whether it's the diverse storylines or the hero's ambivalence to sexual boundaries, this is not your typical show, and I love it."
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Sir Ben Kingsley To Play Dalek Creator?
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that Sir Ben Kingsley is reportedly close to signing up to playing classic Doctor Who villain Davros - creator of the Daleks - in the next season of the cult show.
An insider told The Sun: "Ben’s agent has been in talks for a while now and he’s very keen to play the part of Davros. A deal will be signed any day now."
Eureka (2.04) “Games People Play” – Review
By: jesuiscanadien
When we last left Sheriff Jack Carter, he was losing his daughter Zoë back to his ex-wife Abby, who was taking her back to Los Angeles at the end of the semester. Zoë was very unhappy with her Dad, but Jack was too hamstrung to do anything about it.
It’s a couple of days later, and Jack is out responding to a noise complaint with Deputy Jo Lupo. Jack gets hit on the head by a rotating thingamajiggy, and tells the scientist that while they look up the required permits, to see if they’ve been properly filed, the scientist still has to keep the noise down.
Over at Global, Dr. Allison Blake is showing Henry Deacon to Kim’s lab, where he’ll take over her work. Allison is concerned that Henry won’t deal well with being there, but Henry is determined to get on with his work, and hoping to find out what Dr. Beverly Barlowe was doing inside Kim’s Level 5 lab.
Abby is getting ready to leave Jack’s house, and S.A.R.A.H. is only too pleased to see Abby go, as S.A.R.A.H. is quite fond of Zoë, and will miss her greatly. Jack comes in and Abby and Jack argue over a long-dead issue, but Jack still can’t stand up and ask for Zoë to stay. Abby leaves, and Jack goes up to Zoë’s room to ask her to clean up her mess downstairs. They get into a tiff, and Jack just can’t win, as Zoë’s still peeved about him not fighting for her.
Jack goes back to the Sheriff’s Office, and talks to Jo about the permits she was supposed to look up, but she has no idea what he’s talking about. As Jack takes a couple of pain killers for his headache, a flash is seen and when he goes back out into the main part of the office, Jo is gone. Jack wanders over to talk to Vincent at Café Diem, but Vincent hasn’t heard of Jo Lupo. In fact, no one has heard of a Deputy Jo Lupo.
Jack goes to see Henry at his garage, and wonders why Henry isn’t at Global. Seems Henry isn’t supposed to be there. Henry asks a few questions, and thinks Jack should get an MRI. Jack then goes to Global and Allison and Nathan are asking questions. When Jack says that Nathan shouldn’t be there, as he was fired a few weeks ago, Nathan blithely orders a brain scan. While Nathan and Allison go to get a couple of things, Jack manages to get Fargo to look into a few level eight projects to see if he’s just suffering from a concussion, or if some weird science is behind the oddness.
Jack goes back to Henry’s and tells him that the scan was clear, but he still wonders if something in a level eight project could be behind this. They talk about the possibility that either Jack or Jo was pulled into a parallel universe, and as Henry goes into another part of the garage, Jack sees a flash of light and finds Henry gone. Not only is Henry gone, but everything in the garage is gone too.
Jack goes back to Global, and talks to Nathan, who tells Carter to go home and get some rest, while he rechecks his MRI. Fargo gives Jack the list of the level eight scientists, and a minute later, Fargo disappears. Jack begs Allison to come with him to talk to the scientist he saw that morning, but while he’s there, he watches as the scientist disappears. The list Fargo gave him is now blank too. This puts Carter into a panic and he tells Allison to get Kevin, while he gets Zoë and they’ll get out of there before it happens to them too. Allison sedates Carter, as he’s throwing stuff into a bag for his flee from the issue.
When Carter comes too, he tries to reason with Allison, but she thinks he’s having a hysterical episode. He begs her to let him get Zoë, and she agrees, but as she is taking the keys to the cell to him, she disappears as well, leaving the keys behind. He runs home and tells Zoë to get her stuff, and then he asks S.A.R.A.H. the number of people living within Eureka. The house tells him according to her calculations, two people live there, Zoë and Jack. Jack runs up to Zoë’s room and he tries to figure out what’s going on. He manages to deduce that he’s stuck in the program from the therapy device that Zoë was using. While he’s standing there, we are taken back into the “outside world” and we see everyone standing around his hospital bed, with him lying there wearing the device, while Zoë begs him to wake up.
While Nathan and Allison try to keep an eye on Jack, Abby runs in to comfort Zoë. Meanwhile, Jack is inside the program and he’s fighting for Zoë, as he confronts his fears about losing her. Henry went to Beverly’s place and finds the device that Beverly took from Kim’s lab, and pockets it, returning to Jack’s bedside. Suddenly, Jack goes into a type of seizure, and Nathan thinks they’re losing him. Jacks BP and heart rate slowly improves and he comes out of it, grabbing Zoë and telling her that he wouldn’t leave her.
Later, Jack goes to talk to Henry, telling him that even though it really wasn’t him in the program, Henry really helped him out and he doesn’t know what he’d do without Henry. He and Abby work things out and Abby allows Zoë to stay in Eureka with Jack. Jack goes home to tell Zoë, and S.A.R.A.H. is so touched by their exchange that she provides musical accompaniment.
This type of episode has been done many times before, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Smallville” comes to mind, but for me, I think this was the best effort using this type of plot device. Even though I kind of knew where this was going, I enjoyed the trip and usually this type of plot device annoys me.
I found it interesting how Jack needed to protect Zoë, Allison and Kevin. He really should use the therapy device to help him get over his reticence about telling Allison how he feels about her. He does care about her quite a bit, working hard to ensure her and Kevin’s safety, even though he couldn’t stop her from disappearing in the end.
I have to say, did they revamp Café Diem? It didn’t look like it used to. Maybe it was the camera angle, but when Carter went in to ask about Jo, I though we were in some divey grease-pit, not Vincent’s pride and joy. The lighting seemed wrong too. I know they changed the entrance, as I remember what it looked like last season, and what it became last episode, but this episode really threw me off, and distracted me.
I could get gripe-y about continuity, but I simply don’t have the energy. One would think that the kids in charge of continuity would’ve picked up on the glaring issues I saw, even though I was working hard not to pay actual attention, but whatever. If I picked up on the errors, you just know they mucked up badly. I almost never notice that stuff.
For a town of three-thousand people, Eureka is big on-camera. They sure cover a lot of land for such a small town. I’m thinking that the people who came up with the population figures, didn’t think through all the areas they’ve shot so far, and all the ground they’ve covered, to reasonably assume a figure of three-thousand. Thank goodness they haven’t shot in any high-density buildings, or they’d really be hooped.
Overall, I enjoyed this episode and have to give it a 9.0 out of 10.0 therapy sessions. I look forward to seeing Beverly get her butt kicked and watching the outcome of Jack’s inability to be honest about his feelings with Allison.
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Snoogans69
Aug 15 '07 10:03 pm PST
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I'm in ur IGN buggin ur Craigs!
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OMG - Bioshock being sold, etc.
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