In which we meet the first of a long line of Star Trek aliens with godlike powers--the Thasians.  Unfortunately for the Enterprise, they've gifted some of their powers to an adolescent boy with a short temper, no social skills and a crush on Janice Rand.  (Incidentally, Kirk's advice to Charlie on that subject shows that our womanising captain is ( Read more... )

 As usual in grim times (Covid19, I'm looking at you) I've been retreating into fictional worlds instead.  And since everyone is worrying about a pandemic, I found myself wondering why the Kaylons haven't attempted biological warfare against the organic lifeforms they hate so much.  You'd think it would be the obvious choice: they have no scruples ( Read more... )

 I went to lunch at Questacon today and I noticed they were advertising a new exhibition: Born or Built: Our Robotic Future.

Well I've watched enough science fiction to know exactly what our robotic future holds:


( Read more... )

 More thoughts about The Orville.  Though at one point Bortus says he's glad he's nothing like Isaac, by the end of Season 2 I'm seeing a lot of parallels.  They've both had their horizons expanded by their time on the Orville, to the point where they're both seriously at odds with their home cultures.  They've both actually taken up arms against ( Read more... )

Real life is a bit shit at the moment (mostly work, *sigh*) so naturally I've retreated into an imaginary universe which is much more fun. Which lead me to the random thought: I'd really like to see a "Luke, I am your father!" moment between the Orville's Isaac and Kaylon Primary. Though it would probably go more like this: "Isaac, I am your ( Read more... )

Just a few more thoughts on how things played out in the timeline we saw in "The Road Not Taken".

( Cut for spoilers... )

 Thinking about the planet in "Mad Idolatry" and the cult that grew around Kelly.  Am I the only person who wondered how a major religion grew out of a single "miracle" and a brief encounter of, oh, two minutes tops?  It's not as if Kelly went around preaching a doctrine like the founders of Christianity, Islam or Buddhism!

Then I remembered that ( Read more... )

 ... Well not literally, but there is time travel involved.  In other words, I watched "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" last night.  I can't say it's the best episode, ever, but since it was clearly setting us up for something bigger, I'll give it a pass.

I'll give Adrianne Palicki much more than a pass - a high commendation at least! - for her ( Read more... )

 Random thoughts during my drive home last night.

Back in the dark ages when I was an undergraduate I studied social anthropology for a while.  The way anthropologists go about doing their research is by finding a niche and living in the societies they study, and cultivating a group of informants who can explain things to the anthropologist and ( Read more... )

If I was a 25th century crime lord, I'd start smuggling cigarettes (and simulator porn) to Moclus. Seriously, it seems ridiculously easy to get Moclans addicted to stuff. Who wouldn't love a planet full of captive customers like that?

(If I wanted to go really, really dark, I'd have the Union start feeding the Moclans cigarettes a la Britain, ( Read more... )