The return of Eureka

The SciFi Channel has been advertising for Eureka's second season lately, which kicks off in July, and I'm starting to get excited. It's an enjoyable show, with some interesting characters, pretty good writing and unique stories. It takes place in the unreal town of Eureka, home to a super high-tech defense firm and uniformly brilliant denizens.

One of the guests at last year's DragonCon was the science adviser for the SciFi Channel, working on Eureka and Battlestar Galactica. This guy is living the dream - his day job is a big geek at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory [JPL] working on the Cassini project, and he's got this side gig as science adviser to two excellent shows, one a major hit. Anyway, he was interesting to listen to on panels, and one of the things he said about Eureka is that its first season seems to be a lot of one-off episodes, with just the hint of any real story, but that it laid the foundation for arc development. He compared it to Babylon 5, in the way that that show's first season was full of seemingly innocuous events which were only revealed as significant further into the series. We can expect a similar revelatory experience with future seasons of Eureka. I also have a vague memory of him saying Eureka, like B5, will also be turning a bit darker as the story develops. I don't remember exactly, so maybe that's just wishful thinking. Though I like Eureka, I generally favour shows with a grittier atmosphere.

So, as we rev up to season two, I'm eagerly anticipating refamiliarizing myself with some pretty cool characters, and delving a bit deeper into the workings of this wacky little town.

We're in ur NCC-1701 charmin' your wimmin

Loltrek - it's like lolcat for geeks. "We Has Tribbles and Also Troubles"

Stargate binge

I've been taking a break from posting recently and, lest you think it's because I'm wasting my time getting a life, be assured it's because I've been watching too much tv. For the past couple weeks, I've been indulging an SG-1 craving, and with ten seasons' worth of episodes, that's a lot of tv to watch. At the moment, season three's "Shades of Grey" is playing. It seems my favourites are the eps where one [or all] of the team goes bad, in this case Jack turns criminal.

It's been fun to marathon a little SG-1 and I've enjoyed noticing how the characters have changed in ten seasons. Jack got greyer [not a bad look for him, btw], but retained the best parts of his personality, like his caustic wit, intense loyalty and abrasive charm. But he also mellowed somewhat, probably due in great part to the actor [Richard Dean Anderson] settling into the role. I think that was definitely the case with Daniel [Michael Shanks]. Shanks started out playing Daniel very much like James Spader in the movie, but over the course of the series, he took command of the character and molded it into something still essentially geeky, but far less awkward and "soft." We got to watch Daniel mature into a capable, self-possessed man. Sam didn't change a whole lot over the years, but that's okay. I can't say enough about how awesome she is. Not only is she totally hot, she's also a badass supergenius who could kick your ass. I wouldn't say Teal'c changed a lot either, though season one Teal'c is easy to identify by his nearly ever-present pout.

In a previous post about the 200th episode, I mentioned the highlight of that ep being the way the show so delightfully mocked itself. Though the humour in that ep was on the extreme side, it was not out of character for the show, which is part of what makes me like it so much. Yeah, it can be pretty cheesy, sometimes a little lame or badly written, but the good things about it more than outweigh the negatives. In addition to making me laugh, it has characters that I really like, or enjoy not liking, often interesting & exciting storylines, and some pretty nifty tv-science [questionable by nature, of course].

I finally watched Stargate [the movie], for the first time since its release in 1994. This is, after all, where everything started. Though I didn't remember many specifics, I did recall that I walked out of the theater with a sinking gut, realizing that two hours of my life were irretrievably lost. I thought it was simply an awful movie that not even Kurt Russell & James Spader could salvage. Well, on my re-viewing, I was pleased to find that I enjoyed it. Perhaps my tastes have changed, my standards have lowered, certainly my appreciation for cheese has increased. I still wouldn't say it's a great movie, but it's plenty entertaining and I'm glad it spawned the series.

Will the ass kicking never cease?

Heroes just keeps kicking more and more ass.

What an awesome treat, to see Malcolm McDowell and George Takei again, both of whom brought me great surprises. First Takei's revelation to Hiro and subsequent sparring, then Linderman's gruesome finale. What a nasty way to go, but I loved how it looked.

I loved Niki/Jessica's greeting to Parkman: "Didn't I throw you out a window?" And though my heartstrings were tugged a bit when Niki broke through, I definitely gotta say I like Jessica better and if she's gone, I'm sorry to see the last of her.

Here I was wondering what calculated & complex plot Linderman had in mind for Micah, when if I'd just thought about it for a few minutes it would have been a no-brainer. The election-fixing trick did, however, make me wonder how Nathan would have fared without Micah's help. And now, who is Nathan? His brush-off of Hiro & Ando was troublesome, and how is he going to react to Linderman's death? For that matter, how is Mrs. Petrelli going to react to that one? I'm curious to see what kind of hole Linderman leaves.

I am just loving Sylar. He's so wonderfully creepy and all twisted up inside. I kind of doubt New York is actually going to get blown all to hell, but I rather like the idea that if it is going to happen, perhaps Sylar is the one who's going to do it.

An impressive body count for a single episode: Ted the radioactive guy, Linderman's man [Eric Roberts], DL, and Linderman himself. Unfortunately, I think we're going to see Ando added to the list next week. Hiro's father referred to a sacrifice Hiro will have to make, and I really hope it's not Ando, but I suspect it will be.

I'm at the tail-end of a reread of Watchmen and I'm finding myself intrigued by the themes that resonate through both that and Heroes. I think what I've been most moved by are the parallels between generations. Linderman, Mrs. Petrelli, Nakamura Sr., and who knows how many others, were for awhile superheroes, intent on saving the world. They were the Minutemen for the Heroes universe. Now, their children and their grandchildren have become the next generation of heroes, struggling against the machinations of their elders while they just try to grasp what's happening to them. As in Watchmen, one among their ranks turned to the dark side and is using the others to execute his nafarious scheme. Now all are doing their parts, knowing and unknowing, to help or hinder the coming conflagration.

Holy shit, only one episode left.

A little light SG-1

My usual grump with episodes like this is that they don't serve the running story. However, maybe it was just my mood going into it, but I was entirely content with enjoying this ep for the entertainment of it. I like the way the ep was structured, with the team split up in their various pursuits and alternating scenes of what each was doing as the show progressed, then coming together at the end to [of course] save the day. Daniel's miraculous save via a speeding bus stretched my suspension of disbelief a little thin, but only because it seemed so mundane compared to the usual goings-on. And I was so pleased that the douchebag who'd been running the Lucian Alliance was finally done away with.

I loved that Cameron was from Kansas, the former stomping grounds of Ben Browder's Farscape character, John Crichton. Vala's interactions with Cam's parents & friends made me laugh. Though Vala certainly has it in her to be a really annoying character, she might have won me over early on just because she's played by Claudia Black. And while one of my complaints with Browder's Cameron Mitchell is that he's too much like John Crichton, I definitely can't say Vala is anything like Black's Farscape character, Aeryn Sun.

I clapped several times during this ep, like when Sam blew away her would-be assassin at the conference. She is so awesome. And Sam, Daniel & Teal'c facing off the bounty hunter on his ship; they looked ridiculously cool, all clad in black & stone-faced. Heh, then Daniel's "meddling kids" line only reinforced how totally cool SG-1 is.

So, not a particularly deep or substantial episode, but a fun ride nonetheless, and a good chance to enjoy the characters at their charming best.

A glut of exploding men

This was a dense episode of Heroes. Several excellent exchanges between characters, and some good revelations. The more we learn about Mrs. Petrelli, the more I like her. It's nice to watch the way she handles Nathan; only with her does he seem a little uncertain, not his usual cocky self.

It was such a joy to see Hiro at the beginning of the ep, so excited as he talked about moving on to the next step. But his struggle over whether or not to take advantage of the situation when he & Ando were outside Sylar's mother's apartment, and his subsequent confrontation with Sylar, were heartbreaking. If he is to fulfill what he thinks is his destiny, he must find the strength to kill Sylar.

Sylar is, incidentally, possibly one of the most awesome villains ever. As much as I like watching him be evil, his attempts to revert to a more benign incarnation engrossed me. I think he wanted one last moment of his former life, before succumbing to his destiny. I didn't doubt his sincerity in not wanting to harm innocent people, but that desire was not as strong as the drive towards this enormous, grotesque act. His call to Mohinder, "I need your help," was just perfect. Then his visit to his mother, watching his initially humble demeanor gradually transition to the dark, dangerous character he knows he's become, let us see him one more time as a simple man who repairs watches.

The conversation between Mohinder and Linderman's man [Eric Roberts' character] was kind of surprising and went a long way toward making Mohinder stand out more. Seeing him play a little dirty was nice.

I liked the way Jessica & DL made their discovery, though it seemed a little too convenient. It would surprise me, I think, if we don't find out that Linderman made sure all that information was put there for them to find. And I wonder how many other couples like them exist, and how many more Micahs there are running around.

I felt as though I should have been bothered by Candice threatening Micah, but I actually thought she was pretty cool. Maybe she's growing on me. Micah's showing some mad haxxor skillz and makes me very curious about what Linderman has planned for him. How do Micah's abilities have anything to do with the exploding man, whoever it ends up being?

Which brings me to Sylar, Peter & Ted, any of whom could be the man who goes boom. Peter's acquisition of Ted's powers is seriously disconcerting right there at the end of the episode. I was wishing Claude was there, talking Peter down, reminding him that he can control these abilities. And if the exploding man is Sylar, he's going to have to kill Ted in the next day or so to acquire his ability.

I almost cried when Claire & Bennet found each other. This past weekend I had the opportunity to watch the first few episodes of Heroes with a friend who is just discovering the show, and I really enjoyed being reminded of who Bennet seemed to be early on. I actively disliked him and worried for Claire's safety. As his story unfolded, my perceptions of him completely reversed and now I'm moved by the steps he's taken to protect Claire. Every risk he's taken, with his own life and the lives of his family & so many other people around him, has been to ensure her safety.

On a very different note, I'm a little bummed about one of the other men in Claire's life - it's too bad she & Peter are related, because it seems like they'd be pretty hot together. Ah well, even superheroes might want to think twice about banging their nieces.

Well, two more episodes remaining in this story arc, then the long wait for a new season. Everything about this show keeps getting better, so I expect the last two eps to be pretty impressive. Here's hoping I'm not disappointed!

Bad Daniel! No doughnut!

Well, it wasn't exactly a dramatic rescue, but SG-1's discovery & subsequent snatching of Daniel was pretty cool. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this ep. Though I thought it was pretty good, there was something underwhelming about it.

I gave a little cheer when Richard Dean Anderson's name showed up in the credits. His departure significantly affected my enjoyment of SG-1, so it's especially nice when he comes back for a visit. On the other hand, it would have been better if O'Neill had had a reason for being there. He showed up with no explanation and, while his scenes with Daniel were cute and entertaining, he mostly seemed to be doing Landry's job. His personal interest is easy to understand, but there's no military reason he'd be so closely involved in handling the situation when the commander of the SGC is right there. Nonetheless, I appreciated his presence.

I liked that, throughout the entire episode, we weren't given enough information to know whether or not Daniel was lying. When Woolsey finally came to see him, to tell him he'd be put into stasis until SG-1 reported back on their mission, I didn't know what to think. Daniel as a Prior was fun & creepy and put an interesting positive spin on the Ori. I like that he's so good at being evil; in fact, I have to admit that while I like the character well enough, I only really think he's hot when he's bad.

This episode felt abrupt, like there were too many things packed into 44 minutes. The word is that this storyline was originally intended to span as many as six eps, but was cut down to one, which could explain the feeling of too much happening too quickly.

The cliffhanger we're left with is curious. Did the weapon work? Half a dozen or so Ori ships came through the wormhole after the weapon went through, so it doesn't seem likely, but there are a few possibilities. Perhaps it worked, the Ori are all dead, and the ships that came through are the remaining human forces, led by the Orici, Adria [who, incidentally, SG-1 were fools not to kill when they had the chance]. The Ori might be gone, but there are still many Priors and fanatical followers hanging about. In fact, those very fanatics are the only thing we've seen of the Ori; perhaps destroying the Ori [if it worked] changed very little. "Our" galaxy is still facing extremely powerful beings [Priors] and their drooling armies.

There's also the possibility that the Orici woke up before Merlin's weapon did its thing. She managed to deactivate it before it could destroy the Ori, then brought it back through on one of the several ships that showed up at the end. Now, she's going to go take out the Ancients. Unlikely though it is, that would be an exciting end for the series!

Free stuff!

I'm certainly not of the consumerist ilk, but if you're in New York and you're celebrating Free Comic Book Day tomorrow, I recommend getting your free comics from Forbidden Planet, at 13th & Broadway, and maybe spend some money while you're there. This store is awesome. I, otoh, am going to take this excellent opportunity to check out my friendly neighbourhood comics shop right around the corner. You do the same wherever you are - Get free comics! Support your local comics shop!

Happy Free Comic Book Day!

Heroes of the future

Damn, that was some full-on Heroes. There's always something jarring about being pulled out of time and deposited much further into a story. In this case, the five year jump gives us exciting background for Hiro's upcoming adventure. Finally, after staying true to the path from the beginning, he knows what he needs to do. Hard part, indeed.

What the hell happened to Parkman? His future incarnation is all kinds of dirty. I'm guessing his turn to the dark side had something to do with his son, though given that we know Candice & DL are dead, we have no reason to believe Parkman's son [or anyone Bennet helped hide, for that matter] is any safer than they were.

How'd Peter end up with a big scar on his face? He has Claire's regenerative ability, so there's no reason he should have any scars he didn't have before meeting her. That annoyed me, but maybe it'll get explained sometime.

I wish we'd learned more about Linderman's fate. We heard reference to the Linderman Act [aka Mutant Registration Act], so we know he remained instrumental to a point. He certainly managed to unite people in fear. Does he know Nathan's not Nathan?

Sylar just gets better & better. Heh, there's no question about his painting now. It took a good bit for me to realize "Nathan" wasn't himself, and it hit me like a brick moments before he revealed himself to Claire. Very exciting! I loved Sylar's satisfaction at finally unzipping Claire's head, and the accompanying clock ticking. In a second viewing I realized we got a good hint about Sylar earlier on, when "Nathan" & Mohinder were in Isaac's loft looking at the timeline. "Nathan" said, "I understand how things work," which is a line Sylar has used in the past. I'll also note that Mohinder is a little more interesting as Sylar's toy.

Dead Hero tally [five years out]: Future-Hiro, Claire, the Haitian, Micah, Nathan, Bennet [though he doesn't have a super ability, he's significant enough to include], Candice and DL.

Incidentally, this episode was directed by Paul Edwards, who is a friend of a friend. I make note of that here because I thought this was a particularly good ep; props to the folks who made it!

SG-1 takes a break from the story

Two episodes since we lost Daniel and still no dramatic rescue. Ah well, at least last Friday's SG-1 featured a good bit of Carter's cleavage, so that's some consolation. The episode also sported a message, though I'm not really sure I got what it was - devastation of civil liberties is bad, so appreciate how good you've got it with the loss of only some civil liberties and your active participation in a massive government cover-up?

Putting aside my uncertainty over the intended message, I enjoyed the episode well enough. It was nice to see Gen. Hammond again, true to form no matter the dimension. Conveniently, Carter was able to test Merlin's shield in a real-world situation, so perhaps they'll be able to use it to protect Earth from the Ori.

Oh, that's right - Carter is traipsing off to another dimension, while back at the ranch Earth is facing its most powerful enemy yet.

At this late date, just a handful of eps from the end of the series, these one-off episodes are a little irritating. This week, though, it looks like SG-1 will be back in the fray, and we'll finally get some word on Daniel's situation.