Scifi Activity, January 2022

Got to watch a bit this month:

Films:

A drama-documentary about Einstein and Eddington – 7/10

A new Netflix original scifi: Don’t Look  Up A political satire  around a comet hitting Earth – 7/10

TV:

Season 4 of the Karate Kid spin-off Cobra Kai. Quite enjoyable – 8/10

The Expanse series finale An excellent series, and an excellent season 6 – 9/10

The Torchwood mini-series in 5 parts: Children of Earth. While I did not find the Torchwood seres in general all too enjoyable, this is an excellent piece of TV – 9/10

Season 1 of Fringe rewatch. Still excellent, the first season is a good introduction to the characters and the universe as such – 8/10

Started a rewatch of Sense8. Just about mid-season 1, and running.

The Fringe watch was a bit too fast, so the next season will probably be a bit less than 1 episode per day. Sense8 will just continue, probably with about one episode per day.

The days are getting longer, and some other activity is needed, indoors and outdoors.

More Rewatch: Sense8 and Fringe.

This month I have started a rewatch of two of my high ranking series:

Sense8:

I am now mid-season 1. The story is as good as I remembered, enjoying it a lot.

The filming/cinematography is excellent, the “visiting” scenes filmed in two or more places is so well done, it feels seamless, and we are now getting to know the characters better.

Fringe: Just watched season 1, episode 7 “In Which We Meet Mr. Jones”.

John Noble is wonderful as Walter Bishop. It does not detract from the other actors, but his performance really shines all from the beginning.

I am taking both series in a moderate tempo, no big binging with many episodes per day. Sense4 has a total of 24 episodes, and I go for one every one or two days, maybe with short breaks. Fringe has 100 episodes, so one or two per day will be the norm, also with possible breaks.

After this I would like to do a Babylon 5 rewatch, but I want to see the remastered version, and it is not yet available on physical media, and I have not yet found it included in the streaming services I have. I may have to wait for a while.

Rewatch: Torchwood: Children of Earth. [Spoilers].

While the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood did not really catch me, there was one season/event that did.

Living in Holland at the time I could watch BBC TV on the cable, and that means that I could catch the 5-day event that was Torchwood: Children of Earth.

5 episodes, each about one hour long, broadcast over 5 days, this strikes me as an excellent science fiction story.

Suddenly children all over the world simply stop for a while, and all saying “We are coming!” An older man also does that. A government official Mr Frobisher is ordered to handle the situation, and it turns out that something strange happened to the older man – he escaped an alien abduction back in 1965, but apparently the connection is still there.

When Torchwood is destroyed by a bomb Jack Harkness is blown to bits and the surviving members escape, but are hunted. The mystery deepens. Of course, Jack is immortal , so he survives anyway.

The children stop once more, saying “We are coming – tomorrow”. Later again: “We are here”

All the while the government builds a glass container for hosting the alien visitors – filled with poisonous gases – for humans, at least … and the hunt for Torchwood (and others) continues. The aliens “beam” down and negotiations begin. The aliens want 10% of the children from all over the Earth. Ouch! The government wants to negotiate, but the aliens refuse and threaten to destroy all human life on Earth..

From the older man we find out that the one bringing the children to the pick up point was none other than – Capt. Jack – at the order of the government agency – no wonder they wanted him (and Torchwood) out of the way.

In the end Capt. Jack resolves the problem with the aliens, but at great (personal) cost.

The children of Earth are saved.

During this rewatch I very much enjoyed the story telling and the acting, and I rate this excellent story 9/10.

The Expanse TV Show Is Over.

Today I watched the series finale of the TV series.

I have not (yet) read the book series by James S.A. Corey, so I cannot compare the two.

I like the series, even if the final (6th) season was too short. Lots of threads were closed, but some are still open, should the series get a continuation at some stage.

I cannot fully recall the first seasons, so at some stage a re-watch of the series is in order I think getting and reading the book series may be a good idea.

Latest on the Babylon 5 Reboot.

J. Michael Straczynski reported that he finished script for the pilot episode of the new Babylon 5, and it has been approved.

The pilot is a go. Now we will have to wait for CW’s reaction to the filmed/finished pilot.

It has been announced that Time/Warner has set up the CW network for sale. JMS has told fans to relax. No one has been reported to be interested yet, and the sale must mass all the administrative bureaucracy, including monopoly checks etc. It should take a year, at the least, enough time to establish the show as being viable. After all those companies want to make money 😉

I am not worried about that aspect. Now we wait for the CW network to give their answer. Patience …

Activity October – December 2021.

For the first time since February 2020 it was possible to go to a convention. The Sense8Con3 is still awaiting information, but Fedcon went ahead in October 2021.

It was very good to meet old friends, even if some could be hard to recognize due to mask wearing when walking around. When sitting in a fixed place that was not mandated. The convention had what in Germany is called a 3G policy. You had to be either 1) vaccinated 2) tested negative or 3) documented recovery within the past 6 months.

This was, of course not ideal, but it beats having no convention at all.

– and now for some media stuff:

October:

I finished the Watchmen TV series (HBO) 7/10

November:

Film:

Dune (part 1) I like what they did, and I am looking forward to seeing part 2 in about two years – 8/10

TV:

Finished season 6 of Supergirl (HBO) 7/10

December:

Film:

Re-watch of the full and extended edition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I love this 10/10

TV:

Finished Wheel of Time, season 1 (Amazon) I like it 7/10

Finished The Witcher (Netflix), season 2. I like it. 8/10

Still not too much, but other activities have taken precedence.