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Season 2 Witchblade

Hierophant

WitchbladeA high-ranking figure in the Russian mafia turns up dead, and Pezzini suspects that her old adversary, mob boss Gallo, is at work again. Rather than boasting about being untouchable, as he usually does, Gallo catches Pezzini off-guard by claiming the murder is the work of a new crime boss known only as “V” – someone who really is untouchable, even by Gallo’s thugs. It’s not long before Pez, Danny and McCarty get someone else to talk about “V,” but it begins to look as though it’ll be a cold day in hell before they find someone willing to help them go up against him. And that’s appropriate enough, as Pez discovers that they’re up against pure evil, powerful enough to take any form that will stop her in her tracks before she can use the Witchblade to put an end to it.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor
directed by Paul Holahan
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: James Acheson (James Pezzini), Conrad Dunn (Gallo), Kathryn Winslow (Vicki), Roger Daltrey (Madame Sesostris), Arnold Finnear (Boris), Sergei Nirolich (Russian Mafia boss), and Lazar

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 09 SG-1 Stargate

Avalon – Part 2

Stargate SG-1Daniel solves the riddle contained in his chamber, allowing him to escape with Vala and provide Mitchell the hint that lets him solve his own puzzle. Having passed this test, Mitchell removes the sword from the stone – at which point an energy construct of a knight forms and begins dueling the colonel. Teal’c attempts to come to Mitchell’s aid, but the sword passes through his hands – no one else can wield it. The knight gets the best of Mitchell, but when Teal’c attempts to lift him up in order to evacuate him, Mitchell recalls his rehabilitation and refuses to surrender until his enemy is vanquished. The chamber itself then begins to crumble, until Mitchell returns everything to its rightful place and the treasure of Avalon appears.

In addition to the usual gold and buried loot, the vault includes an old text which suggests that the race that evolved into the Ancients was once called the Alterans, and traveled to Earth from a distant world. The team also finds an Ancient device which appears to work with the communication stones such as those that once linked Jack O’Neill’s consciousness with another man. Daniel theorizes that when used with the new device, the stones might allow someone to contact the original home world of the Ancients’ forebearers. He and Vala place the two stones into the device and quickly fall unconscious. Dr. Lam, the SGC’s new chief doctor, reports to General Landry that the two appear to be in something resembling a dream state. When Landry asks the doctor how she’s adjusting to her new position, she admits that it takes some getting used to – even moreso because it involves serving under Landry.

Teal’c returns to Dakara to find that a Jaffa named Gerak is close to cementing his hold on the High Council. Teal’c’s friend Rak’nor wonders why he continues to risk losing his influence by spending so much time with the humans. Teal’c responds that beyond his understanding that the humans played a major role in helping the Jaffa win their freedom, there is the strategic fact that knowledge of the Ancients proved vital in defeating the Goa’uld and the Replicators and will likely continue to be useful going forward. Whatever the merits of the argument might be, they aren’t enough to stop Gerak’s ascension to leadership.

In another galaxy, Daniel and Vala find that their consciousnesses now inhabit the bodies of a married couple, Harrid and Sallis, on a world whose technology and culture resemble medieval Earth – a far cry from their expectations. Their first instinct is to try to fit in to their surroundings, so they join their fellow villagers during a lengthy worship service to the native’s deities, the Ori. A fellow worshipper named Fannis invites them to a secret meeting in hushed tones – their first sign that their “hosts” are not ordinary villagers. Another comes when Vala finds two communications stones hidden in the bedroom. And yet another comes when Fannis shows up at their door, obviously worried about all their safety. Daniel and Vala explain the truth behind their strange behavior, and in turn Fannis explains that all three of them are members of a secret groups of researchers, looking for clues as to their people’s past and evidence that the sacred texts passed down by the Ori are not completely accurate. Daniel and Vala’s odd behavior has already begun to draw suspicion to them – and when Vala fails to observe the proper rituals, the situation quickly spirals out of control. Daniel must watch as Sallis is sentenced to trial by flames; as her body is consumed, the doctors at SGC are unable to save Vala’s physical body or retrieve her consciousness. But more powerful forces may yet intervene.

Order the DVDswritten by Robert C. Cooper
directed by Andy Mikita
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Claudia Black (Vala), Bill Dow (Dr. Lee), Lexa Doig (Dr. Lam), Obi Ndefo (Rak’nor), Stephen Park (Harrid), April Amber Telek (Sallis), Paul Moniz de Sa (Fannis), Greg Anderson (Administrator), Mark Houghton (Prior Or Ori), Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman), Silya Wiggens (Therapist), Brahm Taylor (Villager), Nick Harrison (Knight)

Notes: O’Neill and the SGC discovered the nature of the communications stones in the eighth-season episode Citizen Joe.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Season 2 Stargate Atlantis

The Intruder

Stargate AtlantisAfter ferrying Atlantis’ senior staff to Earth for a briefing, the Daedalus is en route back to Atlantis when a suspicious accident leaves one of the crew dead. Concerned about possible Wraith retaliation, Colonel Caldwell – the Daedalus’ commander, still chafing over being passed over for Atlantis’ military commander position in favor of the newly-promoted Lt. Colonel Sheppard – orders the ship to stay in hyperspace. But other deadly accidents continue to happen, and it seems that even hyperspace isn’t safe for the Daedalus. And in any event, the Wraith don’t need to attack the Daedalus directly – they’ve already managed to infect its vital systems from a distance.

Order the DVDswritten by Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie
directed by Peter DeLuise
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Beau Bridges (General Landry), Garwin Sanford (Simon), Lucia Walters (Lara), David Nykl (Dr. Zelenka), Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Caldwell), Kimani Ray Smith (Dr. Lindstrom), Trevor Devall (voice of Hermiod), Michael Boisvert (Bridge Lieutenant), Heather Doerksen (Bridge Pilot), Gerry Durand (Airman), Umar Gordon (Monroe)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Battlestar Galactica (New Series) Season 2

Valley Of Darkness

Battlestar GalacticaWith the crew still reeling from a firefight – one in which a larger-than-usual Cylon vehicle actually managed to slam into one of Galactica’s flight pods – the Battlestar is ripe for boarding. Cylon Centurions emerge from their crashed vehicle and quickly start to take over strategic parts of the ship, shutting off power and vital systems as they go and killing anyone who gets in the way. Galactica’s Marine contingent fights back, rescuing Apollo and some of his fellow pilots, the still-jailed President Roslin, and several others, but they’re still unable to escape to safer parts of the ship. And if the Cylons manage to reach controls that would allow them to vent Galactica’s entire atmosphere into space, no part of the ship will be safe. On Caprica, with Boomer having fled in her stolen Cylon ship, Starbuck finds her father’s abandoned home and takes time to reflect on what has been lost. And on Kobol, even with mounting casualties, Baltar is more horrified when he experiences a vision of Commander Adama killing the baby that Number Six says is the shape of things to come.

written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
directed by Michael Rymer
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Sam Witwer (Lt. Crashdown), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Alonso Oyarzun (Socinus), Kerry Norton (Paramedic Ibhay), Chris Shields (Cpl. Venner), Luciana Carro (Kat), Bodie Olmos (Hot Dog), Jennifer Halley (Seelix), Ty Olsson (Capt. Kelly), Michael Tayles (Flyboy), Dominic Zamprogna (Jammer), Garvin Cross (Collishaw), Brad Loree (Bonnington), Lori Stewart (Twinam)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Eureka Season 2

Try, Try Again

Eureka The Pentagon decides to coordinate a regularly scheduled shutdown and reboot of Global Dynamics’ computer system with the official handoff of control from Stark to Allison. A GD employee hopes to use the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder by pushing Fargo off, and plants a small device stolen from the storage room in Fargo’s jacket. Unfortunately, a curious Fargo activates the device . . . and extremely unfortunately, it’s an extremely dangerous personal forcefield device. The device can not be deactivated and the field continuously expands. When it was first tried four years ago, the only way to stop it was to place the wearer at the bottom of a very deep bunker – and detonate a nuclear bomb with him. That sent the device’s creator into self-imposed exile in a cabin outside of town. The Pentagon wants to repeat the previous solution before matters get out of hand, but Allison allows Carter to look for an alternate way out. Carter and Jo track down the thieves, but Stark and Henry can’t find a way to shut down the device. In the end, it becomes clear that the only way to stop the device is to kill Fargo. The only question is, how permanently?

Order the DVDswritten by Charlie Craig
directed by Michael Nankin

Guest Cast:

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Season 4: Miracle Day Torchwood

The Dead Of Night

TorchwoodAs the reality of the new condition of humanity sinks in with the public, different people deal with their sudden immortality in different ways. Some indulge in every vice imaginable, safe in the knowledge that it won’t kill them, but Dr. Vera Juarez and others in her field are becoming increasingly aware that while death has been eradicated overnight, disease hasn’t: anyone infected with a disease will simply manifest its symptoms forever. Others form a strange cult, the masked Soulless, whose message seems to be that humanity’s sudden immortality is not a blessing. They get no argument from Jack, who finds new ways to revel in his sudden mortality.

With the bewildered Rex and Esther in tow – now on the run from the CIA themselves thanks to their contact with Torchwood – Jack and Gwen fall into familiar old patterns, investigating how the “miracle” happened and at whose behest. But if they think that the CIA fugitives are Torchwood’s latest recruits, Rex’s lone-wolf behavior and Esther’s nervousness make them uneasy allies at best. And for CIA agents, they seem almost too ready to blow their cover. Gwen strong-arms Dr. Juarez into helping her infiltrate Phi-Corp, an international pharmaceutical company which seems poised to profit from the inevitable spread of disease by seeking Congressional approval for the free and easy distribution of its drugs. What’s more, Phi-Corp is so well-stocked that they likely knew of the “miracle” well in advance.

Phicorp has also picked up an unusual spokesman in convicted killer Oswald Danes. Having survived his own execution and obtained the services of a Phi-Corp public relations agent, Danes is a fast-rising celebrity and the subject of cultish adulation from the Soulless. He’s also the subject of Jack’s intense curiosity, but again, Jack’s every move has been anticipated.

Order the DVDsDownload this episodewritten by Jane Espenson
directed by Billy Gierhart
music by Murray Goldr and Stu Kennedy

Cast: John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), Mekhi Phifer (Rex Matheson), Alexa Havins (Esther Drummond), Kai Owen (Rhys Williams), Bill Pullman (Oswald Danes), Arlene Tur (Dr. Vera Juarez), Wayne Knight (Brian Friedkin), Dillon Casey (Brad), Richard Gilliland (Congressman Morganthall), Tasha Ames (Carla), Thea Andrews (Local Reporter), Richard Augustine (George Sayer), Daryl Crittenden (Young Man), Mitchell Edmonds (Senior TV Anchor), Matt Eyde (Atlanta Cop), Mary Garripoli (Woman Tourist), Ted Mattison (Phi-Corp Rep), Jason Medwin (Sunroof Screamer), George Murdock (Preacher), Brian Treitler (Dr. Murphy), Randa Walker (Candice Perlmutter), Maurice Webster (Cop), Michelle Wong (Nurse), David Youse (Dr. Rosenbloom)

Notes: While its original BBC broadcasts were always intended to be adults-only viewing, Torchwood took a brief detour into material that was too strong for UK viewing standards: the montage of sex scenes (both heterosexual and homosexual) were omitted entirely from the UK broadcast, seen only in America on Starz. As little vital story information is imparted in those scenes, however, it simply means that, while the episode is shorter, the story still tracks. Guest actor George Murdock’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo as a televangelist could be indicative of diminished career expectations, as Murdock played God Himself (or an alien facsimile thereof) in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989); he returned to the Star Trek franchise as Admiral Hansen, giving Captain Picard his fateful marching orders against the Borg in the Next Generation two-parter The Best Of Both Worlds (1990). Writer Jane Espenson – one of the stable of writers who worked with Joss Whedon on Buffy, Angel and Firefly – joined the Torchwood writing staff fresh from a short stint as the showrunner of Battlestar Galactica spinoff Caprica.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Reboot (Abrams) Movies Star Trek

Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek BeyondStardate 2263.2: Three years into the Enterprise‘s five-year mission, and shortly after barely escaping from a diplomatic mission gone terribly wrong, Captain Kirk is experiencing career ennui, to the point that he’s considering seeking a promotion to Vice Admiral, which would take him off the bridge and put him at a desk. Even a visit to the Federation’s most advanced starbase, Yorktown, doesn’t lift Kirk’s spirits, but the Yorktown’s recovery of an alien refugee in a life pod gets his interest. The Enterprise and her crew set off to help find the alien’s crew, stranded on a planet in an inpenetrable nebula, only to fly into a coordinated ambush. The Enterprise is severely damaged and boarded by legions of aliens, led by Krall, who wants an artifact left over from Kirk’s diplomatic mission gone awry. Kirk orders all hands to abandon ship, but Krall’s allies capture the Enterprise life pods and the crew is taken to a planet within the nebula and held hostage; the Enterprise herself is destroyed. Scott meets a woman named Jaylah, who is unafraid of Krall’s followers but has no wish to take him on personally. Jaylah lives in the wreckage of the U.S.S. Franklin, a missing NX-class ship which apparently crashed on this planet, and Scotty begins working to restore the ship to fighting condition. That suits Kirk just fine, as he intends to free his crew and defeat Krall before the alien can use the artifact to power up a devastating weapon. Krall’s first target: Yorktown.

Order DVDscreenplay by Simon Pegg & Doug Jung
directed by Justin Lin
music by Michael Giacchino

Cast: Chris Pine (Captain Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Idris Elba (Krall), Sofia Boutella (Jaylah), Joe Taslim (Manas), Lydia Wilson (Kalara), Deep Roy (Keenser), Melissa Roxburgh (Ensign Syl), Anita Brown (Tyvanna), Doug Jung (Ben), Danny Pudi (Fi’Ja), Kim Kold (Zavanko), Fraser Aitcheson (Hider), Matthew MacCaull (Blue Shirt), Emy Aneke (Blue Shirt), Star Trek BeyondShohreh Aghdashloo (Commodore Paris), Greg Grunberg (Commander Finnegan), Jennifer Cheon (Control Tower Technician), Jarod Joseph (Control Tower Technician), Jeremy Raymond (Control Tower Technician), Harry Han (Kissing Guy), Gina Brinkman (Kissing Girl), Adam DiMarco (Injured Red Shirt), Fiona Vroom (Orion Girl), Richard Laurence (Chancellor Ambassador), Doug Chapman (Sir Olden), Dan Payne (Wadjet), Anthony Shim (Jin), Andrea Yu (Jeanine), Shea Whigham (Teenaxi Leader), Christian Sloan (Jae), Jake Huang (Krall’s Henchman), Priya Rajaratnam (Night Watch Captain), Luka Hays (Enterprise Crew), Thomas Cadrot (Enterprise Crew), Jennifer W. Evans (Enterprise Crew), Roxanne Fernandes (Enterprise Crew), Jake Foy (Enterprise Crew), Jodi Haynes (Enterprise Crew), Nathan Jean (Enterprise Crew), Tarun Keram (Enterprise Crew), J.P. Mulcaster (Enterprise Crew), Edwin Rodriguez (Enterprise Crew), Alex Rose (Enterprise Crew), Polina Nikolai (Enterprise Crew), Lia Lam (Enterprise Crew), Ian Nsenga (Enterprise Crew), Ashley Edner (Natalia), Sara Maria Forsberg (Kalara Alien voice), Jeff Bezos (Starfleet Official)

Notes: As the extensive “in-universe” notes for this movie may constitute major spoilers, they appear below the review.

LogBook entry and review by Earl Green

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Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Those Old Scientists

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStardate 58460.1: The Cerritos visits the planet Krulmuth-B, site of an ancient portal of unknown function. Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford are elated to be assigned to scan the ancient technology; Mariner is less than thrilled with the assignment. After he and Tendi spar over whether the portal was discovered by Captain Pike’s Enterprise crew or an Orion science vessel whose crew included an ancestor of Tendi’s, Boimler poses for a picture in the portal. But Rutherford’s camera seems to activate the device, and Boimler is sucked in.

Stardate 2291.6: The Enterprise visits the planet Krulmuth-B, finding an ancient portal of unknown function. As Number One, Spock, and La’An do routine scans, someone emerges from the portal – one Ensign Brad Boimler, a junior Starfleet officer from 120 years in their future. After Boimler seems to be reflexively startled by Number One, Pike leaves the ensign in the care of La’An, who reviews standard Starfleet time travel protocols, and adds advice of her own from recent experience. An attempt to return Boimler through the portal is thwarted by the appearance of an Orion vessel. Pike and his crew assume they are pirates, but Boimler realizes this could be the ship on which Tendi’s ancestor is serving and speaks up, annoying Pike by potentially altering history. After parlaying with the Orions for access to the portal, Pike and his crew are alarmed when, just as Boimler is about to walk through the portal, one of his crewmates from the future, Ensign Beckett Mariner, jumps through, thinking she’s rescuing her friend. The portal’s energy exhausted, Boimler and Mariner are both stranded in the 23rd century, unless they can find a solution that somehow doesn’t alter history.

Order DVDswritten by Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff
directed by Jonathan Frakes
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Tawny Newsome (Ensign Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Ensign Brad Boimler), Noel Wells (Ensign Tendi), Eugene Cordero (Ensign Rutherford), Jerry O’Connell (Commander Jack Ransom), Greg Bryk (Captain Caras), Carol Kane (Commander Pelia)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: A full-blown crossover with the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, Those Old Scientists emerged from discussions between the showrunners of both shows and featured roles for many of Lower Decks’ regulars, though only Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid got to play their characters in live action. The episode was released almost a full week early, as it was also being shown at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con. The main titles are animated in a style that splits the difference between Lower Decks’ animation style and the usual Strange New Worlds opening titles, and includes such Lower Decks staples as the unidentified creature feeding on one of the Enterprise’s warp engines and a cosmic koala sighting. There are also many references to characters and the ship from Star Trek: Enterprise. Lt. Ortegas has visited Starbase Earhart (and run into dom-jot-obsessed Nausicaans there), the same place where one Ensign Jean-Luc Picard will have a life-altering experience decades from now (TNG: Tapestry, 1993).

LogBook entry by Earl Green