PICARD EPISODE 1 REVIEW - "I HAVEN'T BEEN LIVING. I'VE BEEN WAITING TO DIE." [SPOILERS]

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Star Trek: Picard Episode 1 Review

REMEMBRANCE

Directed by HANELLE M. CULPEPPER

Starring PATRICK STEWART, ISA BRIONES, ORLA BRADY, JAMIE MCSHANE, MERRIN DUNGEY, and BRENT SPINER

'Star Trek: Picard' starts out with the familiar-- Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Jean Luc are playing poker. Data accuses Jean Luc of stalling and he's right. Jean Luc doesn't want the game to end and neither do we. Scenes like this are hard to come by. They're both masterful actors who need no introduction. They step back into their respective roles like one would walk into a room, which is easier said than done. There have been more than a few reboots with rusty actors and questionable writing. Thankfully 'Star Trek: Picard' doesn't have this problem.

"Jean Luc doesn't want the game to end and neither do we."

Sadly we know this scene will end because Data died 18 years ago at the end of  'Star Trek: Nemesis.' That's not the only wrench in this cog. The Star Trek universe as we know it was changed with the reboot of the film franchise in 2009. In this reality, the Romulan sun would go supernova in the late 24th century during 'Star Trek: The Next Generation's' (TNG) timeline.

Brent Spiner in 'Picard' | CBS Corporation | 2020

WHY ARE YOU STALLING CAPTAIN?

Data [to Picard]

I DON'T WANT THE GAME TO END. 

Picard [to Data]

PICARD, OSCARS ALMOST SO WHITE, WB/DC BE HATIN' + LINKS

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It's 2020! I'm so excited to be back talking about all of the things I love! 

I was tempted to do a best/worst 2019 list, but honestly, I didn't see many movies last year. I took a 2-year hiatus in 2017 when my dad had a stroke (and passed away in 2018). My dad and I went to the movies every weekend, so we saw a LOT of movies. We weren't picky so we saw quite a few stinkers. But without my beloved movie partner, I don't go to the movies that much anymore. If I do, it's going to be a film that ranks well on Rotten Tomatoes. I also have a newish baby (he's 20 months)! So with two young children, yeah I don't leave the house much. I don't go to the movies much AT ALL lol. I'm lucky if I get to binge-watch a Netflix show. I still haven't gotten past episode 3 of 'The Witcher.' Yeah, I suck.

THE WITCHER EP. 2 REVIEW: "YOU SMELL OF DEATH AND DESTINY" [SPOILERS]

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Directed by ALIK SAKHAROV

Starring HENRY CAVILL, ANYA CHALOTRA, FREYA ALLAN, MYANNA BURING,

and ROYCE PIERRESON

The second episode 'Four Marks' is immediately more interesting than the first episode. Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) is a deformed bullied servant. She's also the first person of color we see with an extensive speaking role. Chalotra is of Indian descent. 

SOMETIMES THE BEST THING 
A FLOWER CAN DO FOR US IS DIE.

Tessaia [to Yennefer]

'The Witcher' is based on the beloved fantasy series from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, which was turned into a video game. The world created by Sapkowski is based on medieval Eastern European folklore, so it makes sense that the actors are of European descent are cast, but I'm glad the showrunners added people of color to the cast.

15 MORE RIDICULOUS THINGS ON 'THE WALKING DEAD' [SPOILERS]

I like to preface my "most ridiculous list" by emphasizing my love for 'The Walking Dead.' I have been reading the comics for almost a decade and I've watched the show since its debut in 2010. I'm a hardcore fan. Despite occasional problems on the show, I'm on the train until it hits the wall. Meaning, I will be watching until it ends. So in the spirit of fun, here is a continuation of the Most Ridiculous Things on 'The Walking Dead!' with 15 More Ridiculous Things on 'The Walking Dead!' You can see my original 2014 list here. Admittedly, some of the items below may be the writers illustrating that human behavior is often NOT logical.

'FEAR OF THE WALKING DEAD' REVIEW - TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA

Ok, I've been seriously behind on this blog this month. I just started grad classes again. Grad classes means I'm using my writing talents to write papers. *Sigh. I finally was able to watch 'The Walking Dead' spinoff 'Fear the Walking Dead.' Color me not so impressed. The original pilot for TWD was magic--brilliant and terrifying. It's what happens when you get an acclaimed film director like Frank Darabont to direct a television pilot.

DISSECTING THE NEW SUPERGIRL TRAILER

If you've read my blog then you know that I'm the first person to applaud a new superhero television, especially a new superhero film or tv show with a female lead. In fact, now that I think of it, I don't believe we've had a female-led superhero television show since 'Wonder Woman,' which debuted in the 1975. 1975 as in 40 years ago. Forty years. Seriously 40..., not 30, not 20, not 10, but 40. That's like two generations. Admittedly there was the short lived series called 'Birds of Prey' on the WB in 2002, but that lasted for like a nanosecond. And to be fair, shows like 'Buffy,' 'Xena,' 'Alias,' have certainly taken on superhero-like qualities, but 'Wonder Woman' was truly the last female-led superhero television series.

BEST AND WORST TELEVISION SHOWS OF 2014

This post is a continuation of my best and worst of 2014. This month I'm focused on the best and worst of television. I qualify this as a best and worst list of the television shows that I've seen. I've heard really good things about 'True Detective,' 'Manhattan,' 'Silicon Valley,' 'Fargo,' 'Shameless,' and 'The Affair,' but haven't seen them yet. So I can't speak to any of these shows. Noticeably absent from my list is 'Orange is the New Black,' since I have only seen about one half of the first season. You can see my favorite films of 2014 here.

Happy Halloween | American Horror Story Review + Spoilers

The visage is unrelenting. I am its slave. 

Edward Mordrake [to Ethel Darling] in American Horror Story

Happy Halloween scifi fans. 'American Horror Story: Freakshow' just wrapped up Halloween with a funky two-part episode, Edward Mordrake Part 1 and 2. Thankfully 'American Horror Story' always gets talented guest stars. This week's guest star was Wes Bentley ('American Beauty' and 'Interstellar'). And if the original 'Hunger Games' film didn't convince you that Bentley could rock wacky facial hair, then 'American Horror Story' will give you no doubt. Bentley plays a ghoulishly handsome, semi-corporeal ghost, Edward Mordrake, who has been summoned to haunt the 1952 freak show of Jupiter, Florida. But Edward isn't there to just haunt, he also serves as clever segue into character development. Edward compels several of the performers (who haven't received much screen time) to tell their individual tales of woe. It's a convenient plot twist, but it works.

New 'Gotham' Series, 'Godzilla' Growth Chart, + Cool Stuff!

Via Neatorama

See how 'Godzilla' has grown through the years. Yes I'm a little obsessed with 'Godzilla' right now, but I'd rather see a million Godzilla's than the new monstrosity from Bryan Singer, 'X-Men: Days of Future Past.' And no, I'm not referring to Singer's recent legal troubles. I never comment on such things. I have not liked Bryan Singer for years. Singer routinely butchers comics, throws them in the trash, then proceeds to burn them. He also has no brand loyalty. He is open to destroying both Marvel and DC Comics alike. I do like Marvel ok, but I'm a DC fan through and through. If you're a comic book fan, you will eventually develop some sense of brand loyalty or preference. Ergo, Singer is not a comic book fan, and he has said as much. Hugh Jackman said that Singer banned comics on the sets he works on. I don't know. It's kinda important to know the source material in my opinion. It doesn't have to be exact, but it should capture the spirit the comic book. A good balanced example is Joss Whedon's 'Avengers.'

Rabid Fandom, 'GoTs' AutoTune, Reboots, Spoilers, + Trailers

This is my favorite 'Game of Thrones' autotune from @musicalscience, appropriately titled, 'The Dragon's Daughter.' It has all of your favorite characters singing their little hearts out. Yay. It actually has a cool little beat to it.

The 17 Most Ridiculous Things on 'The Walking Dead' + Spoilers

Via Uproxx

I preface this post by saying that I really enjoy this show. In fact I'm a total fan girl. I've read all of the comics, including the most recent ones and I've defended this show to haters many times before. But even I have had to scratch my head and say, "uh, that doesn't make any sense." Most of these scenes are exclusive to the television series and were not in the comics. To be fair, it should come as no surprise that human behavior is complicated and sometimes non-sensical. People do stupid stuff in the real world, so why wouldn't they do stupid stuff in the zombie apocalypse?

INSIDE 'GAME OF THRONES' SEASON 4 + SPOILERS

Production Design Featurette - Season 4

Watch a behind the scenes look at 'Game of Thrones' with Production Designer Deborah Riley. Riley created (COUNT THEM) 104 new sets for 'Game of Thrones' Season 4. This doesn't include all of the old standby sets. The featurette is only about 2-1/2 minutes long, but well worth the watch. The set designs and visual landscapes are unlike anything else on television right now. It should come as no surprise that each episode of 'Game of Thrones' cost somewhere around $6 million to make.

Does Hollywood Hate 'Wonder Woman?'

Alex Ross' 'Wonder Woman'

We finally have a 'Wonder Woman' in the form of Gal Gadot. Gadot will play 'Wonder Woman' in the new 'Batman versus Superman' movie in 2016 (which has already been delayed) and will hopefully get her own feature film in the near future. Yay! Right? Well...the latter part is iffy. The standalone film has not yet been confirmed. So our best hope for seeing 'Wonder Woman' will be as a third wheel in a Zack Synder film. The same Zack Synder who did 'Sucker Punch.' Not so "yay."

Now the CW has recently announced that it is dumping the 'Amazon' television series before it begins. 'Amazon' was supposed to be an origins series for 'Wonder Woman,' similar to 'Smallville.' This is the second 'Wonder Woman' series to fall flat. There was also a NBC 'Wonder Woman' pilot in 2011 that was cancelled before it aired.

'Doctor Who' Goodies

See Website 

This week has been a busy 'Doctor Who' goodie week. I have come across three separate 'Doctor Who'-themed items that I just had to share! I've previously posted about a 'Doctor Who' bookcase, a 'Doctor Who' refrigerator (to keep your fish fingers and custard cold), a collapsible Tardis, and 'Doctor Who' miniatures. Today's 'Doctor Who' goodie is a Tardis Vortex door. I've seen lots of Tardis doors--too many in fact, but what makes this one unique is the painted vortex, which adds that extra flair.

New Series 'Penny Dreadful' + Teaser

I'm sure everyone has heard of the term "Penny Dreadful." I've used it myself on a occasion. In actuality, Penny Dreadful was never a person, but a thing. A Penny Dreadful was a fictional British publication in the 19th century that could be purchased for a penny. Similar to the pulp fiction publications of the 1940s, the Penny Dreadful's were not known for their literary quality, but were more sensational in nature. For example, the fictional character "Sweeney Todd" originated in a Penny Dreadful publication in the mid-1800s.

Gina Carano in 'Almost Human' + Minor Spoilers

Gina Carano on set of 'Almost Human' via Gina Joy Carano

Next week's episode will feature Gina Carano as some form of killer robot. My husband eeked with joy when he saw this week's preview with her in it. In my opinion, Carano would have made one heck of a 'Wonder Woman.' Although she's not that great of an actress, but that can be learned! Carano has the perfect physicality and demeanor of 'Wonder Woman.' Carano's 'Almost Human' episode will air on February 3rd. In the meantime, Carano has several other projects going on, including 'In the Blood,' which has been described as a female-version of the film 'Taken.'

New Series 'Outlander' + Trailer

Caitriona Balfe (as Claire Randall)

The 'Outlander' books are finally coming to the small screen this year and it looks super cheesy. It's being marketed as a SciFi/fantasy, but I smell soap. Author Diana Gabaldon debuted the first novel in 1986 as a romance series for goodness sake. So I'm on the fence about this one, as it's a love story. I don't like love stories, especially a cheesy one. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for 'Pride and Prejudice,' but that's it! I don't go to the movies on Valentine's Day. Yawn. But the timey wimey aspect of 'Outlander' interests me.

'Helix' Review + Spoilers

SyFy's much anticipated new show 'Helix' debuted Friday, January 10th. Like many others, I am very excited to see "SCIENCE FICTION" return to the SyFy Channel. The SyFy Channel has pretty much become a joke with all of its reality programming and wrestling. So 'Helix' is a step in the right direction and a welcomed relief to the winter television hiatus. The SyFy Channel smartly placed the first three episodes of 'Helix' on demand... and so far so good. The show hasn't "wowed" me yet, but it's intriguing and entertaining. I am holding may applause, because 'Helix' hasn't quite found its legs and is still a bit shaky, but we are only three episodes in. So 'Helix' has a couple more episodes to hook me or push me away.

Peter Capaldi's First Day as the Doctor

Season 8 of 'Doctor Who' is coming to us in Autumn 2014. The date is rumored to be sometime in September. Going by past dates, I would guess the first week in September. New doctor Peter Capaldi is quoted as saying that he's a bit nervous. No worries Peter, first day jitters are completely normal. You're only taking over one of the most popular franchises in the world!

"New job, first day, slightly nervous. Just like the Doctor, I'm emerging from the Tardis into a whole other world." --Peter Capaldi

Easter Eggs in Dr. Who 50th Anniversary

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW.

One enterprising 'Doctor Who' fan has compiled a list (from multiple Whovians) of not one, but 35 Easter eggs from 'Doctor Who's' much anticipated 50th anniversary episode. For those folks not up to date with their techie lingo, an "Easter egg" does not mean a hard boiled colored egg left in a garden for little children to find. In this instance an Easter egg is an intentional "inside joke" hidden within a movie, a video game, or in this case a television show.