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Keith R.A. DeCandido

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Fiction and Excerpts [4]
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Fiction and Excerpts [4]

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Child’s Play”

Thu Jun 24, 2021 1:00pm 25 comments 3 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Child’s Play”
Written by Paul Brown and Raf Green
Directed by Mike Vejar
Season 6, Episode 19
Production episode 239
Original air date: March 8, 2000
Stardate: unknown

Captain’s log. Since Voyager now has five kids on board, they hold a science fair. Azan and Rebi cloned potatoes (they apparently wanted to clone Naomi, but Seven convinced them to try something simpler first), Mezoti developed a colony of ants that are bioluminescent, Naomi created a detailed scale model of her father’s homeworld of Ktaris, and Icheb created a sensor array designed to seek out wormholes.

[I like bugs…]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Ashes to Ashes”

Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:00pm 45 comments 2 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Ashes to Ashes”
Written by Ronald Wilkerson and Robert Doherty
Directed by Terry Windell
Season 6, Episode 18
Production episode 238
Original air date: March 1, 2000
Stardate: 53679.4

Captain’s log. A Kobali shuttle manages to escape from a larger Kobali ship and then seeks out Voyager. After speaking entirely in the Kobali language, the pilot, Jhet’leya, suddenly speaks English when she contacts Voyager.

[Resume your disorder.]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Spirit Folk”

Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:00am 87 comments 4 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Spirit Folk”
Written by Bryan Fuller
Directed by David Livingston
Season 6, Episode 17
Production episode 237
Original air date: February 23, 2000
Stardate: unknown

Captain’s log. Paris has reconstructed the Fair Haven holodeck program, and is in it driving a version of a 1904 Oldsmobile Runabout with only moderate skill, eventually crashing into a barrel, damaging a tire. Seamus comments on his ability to afford such a vehicle, and Paris says he came into an inheritance. Seamus asks for a tiny percentage of that inheritance to pay for a drink to celebrate Paris’ good fortune.

[When your quaint little seaside town starts to depolarize, don’t come crying to me.]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Slow Music, Slow Motion, Slow Movie—Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:00pm 44 comments 5 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: DC Entertainment

Starting in August 2017, Keith R.A. DeCandido took a weekly look at every live-action movie based on a superhero comic in the weekly “4-Color to 35-Millimeter: The Great Superhero Movie Rewatch.” He caught up to real time, as it were, in January 2020, but is revisiting the feature every six months or so to look back at the new releases in the previous half-year. Last week, we looked at Wonder Woman 1984, and this week is Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

The lengthy and expensive rewrites and reshoots of Justice League done by Joss Whedon after Zack Snyder departed the project following the tragic suicide of his daughter Autumn did not result in a successful film, from an artistic or commercial standpoint. There was a vocal contingent of the fan base who wanted to see Snyder’s original cut of the film. The newly-purchased-by-AT&T Warner Bros. was going to launch a shiny new streaming service, HBO Max, that was going to need content. The ability to provide that content was kneecapped by the spring 2020 pandemic lockdown.

These factors combined to bring Zack Snyder’s Justice League into being.

[I’m real when it’s useful.]

Series: 4-Color to 35-Millimeter: The Great Superhero Movie Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Collective”

Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:00pm 26 comments 3 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Collective”
Written by Andrew Shepherd Price & Mark Gaberman and Michael Taylor
Directed by Allison Liddi
Season 6, Episode 16
Production episode 235
Original air date: February 16, 2000
Stardate: unknown

Captain’s log. For the second time in three episodes, Chakotay, Neelix, Paris, and Kim are on the Delta Flyer. Their poker game is interrupted by a Borg Cube that snuck up on them, er, somehow. Warp drive is knocked offline, and Kim goes down below to fix it. But the cube pulls the Flyer in and knocks the crew out.

[“You will be assimilated.” “Not today, and not by you.”]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Tsunkatse”

Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:00pm 83 comments 4 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Tsunkatse”
Written by Gannon Kenny and Robert J. Doherty
Directed by Mike Vejar
Season 6, Episode 15
Production episode 232
Original air date: February 9, 2000
Stardate: 53447.2

Captain’s log. Voyager is taking shore leave in the Norcadian system. There are many sights and activities and such, but one of the most popular is Tsunkatse, fights in an arena between two aliens. We see Chakotay and Torres in the audience for a fight between a Hirogen and another alien.

[I haven’t overpacked—I simply wish to be prepared for any contingency.]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Is It a Trash Can or Is It Art? — Wonder Woman 1984

Tue Jun 8, 2021 12:00pm 52 comments 6 Favorites [+]
Image: Warner Bros.

Starting in August 2017, Keith R.A. DeCandido took a weekly look at every live-action movie based on a superhero comic in “4-Color to 35-Millimeter: The Great Superhero Movie Rewatch.” He caught up to real time, as it were, in January 2020, but is revisiting the feature every six months or so to look back at the new releases in the previous half-year. This week, we’ll look at Wonder Woman 1984, and next week will be an examination of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Wonder Woman was something of a flashpoint (no pun intended) in 2017. The (idiotic) conventional wisdom was that woman-led superhero movies weren’t popular. This was based on a sample size of two: Elektra and Catwoman. Never mind that plenty of man-led superhero films tanked, too, nor that the problem with those two films were not that they had female leads…

WW was a massive hit, finally muting (if not completely silencing) the sexist naysayers, and the sequel was green-lit instantly.

[I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to everyone else.]

Series: 4-Color to 35-Millimeter: The Great Superhero Movie Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Memorial”

Mon Jun 7, 2021 1:00pm 87 comments 5 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Memorial”
Written by Brannon Braga and Robin Burger
Directed by Allan Kroeker
Season 6, Episode 14
Production episode 236
Original air date: February 2, 2000
Stardate: unknown

Captain’s log. The Delta Flyer returns from a two-week mission of exploration and searching for dilithium ore. Chakotay, Kim, Paris, and Neelix are pretty much sick of the sight of each other, all blowing off their post-long-away-team physicals to relax. (During the two weeks, the sonic shower malfunctioned, so they’re all pretty stinky.)

[The bonding stopped when the sonic shower went offline.]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Virtuoso”

Thu Jun 3, 2021 1:30pm 60 comments 4 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Virtuoso”
Written by Raf Green and Kenneth Biller
Directed by Les Landau
Season 6, Episode 13
Production episode 234
Original air date: January 26, 2000
Stardate: 53556.4

Captain’s log. Voyager has rescued a Qomar ship. The Qomar are technologically more advanced than the Federation, and also spectacularly snotty. They view the EMH as primitive technology and aren’t thrilled with their medical care being entrusted to him.

Then he starts to sing “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad.”

[That old black magic has me in its spell, that old black magic that you weave so well…]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Blink of an Eye”

Thu May 27, 2021 1:00pm 69 comments 5 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Blink of an Eye”
Written by Michael Taylor and Joe Menosky
Directed by Gabrielle Beaumont
Season 6, Episode 12
Production episode 233
Original air date: January 19, 2000
Stardate: unknown

Captain’s log. Voyager finds a planet that is rotating on its axis 58 times per minute. When they investigate, they find themselves trapped in a geosynchronous orbit. Down below on the surface, the aboriginal locals see the new star in the sky and consult the shaman, who announces that it is a new god, and they must now only sacrifice fire fruit to it (when Voyager appeared, a sacrifice was being made to Tahal with fire fruit). Voyager’s presence is also causing earthquakes—the people refer to the new god as the Ground Shaker.

[“What should I say?” “Oh, glad to meet you, where are you from, please stop shaking our planet.”]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Fair Haven”

Mon May 24, 2021 1:00pm 80 comments 3 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Fair Haven”
Written by Robin Burger
Directed by Allan Kroeker
Season 6, Episode 11
Production episode 231
Original air date: January 12, 2000
Stardate: unknown

Captain’s log. We open on Fair Haven, a coastal town in Ireland around the turn of the twentieth century. It’s the latest holodeck program created by Paris, who is enjoying the ambience alongside Kim and the EMH (who is cosplaying as the local priest). This includes being hit up for a shilling by a guy named Seamus whose wife threw him out and flirting with a woman named Maggie, who has a dubious reputation.

[Say ten “Our Fathers,” and call me in the morning.]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Pathfinder”

Thu May 20, 2021 1:00pm 77 comments 4 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Pathfinder”
Written by David Zabel and Kenneth Biller
Directed by Mike Vejar
Season 6, Episode 10
Production episode 230
Original air date: December 1, 1999
Stardate: unknown

Captain’s log. Barclay is unpacking haphazardly in his apartment, working around his cat—named Neelix—when he gets a visitor: Troi. The Enterprise is in orbit of Earth, and Barclay has asked Troi to drop by to talk. He says he’s becoming obsessed with Voyager.

[And to the newest honorary member of Voyager’s crew, Reginald Barclay, whoever you are!]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “The Voyager Conspiracy”

Mon May 17, 2021 1:00pm 28 comments 3 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“The Voyager Conspiracy”
Written by Joe Menosky
Directed by Terry Windell
Season 6, Episode 9
Production episode 229
Original air date: November 24, 1999
Stardate: 53329

Captain’s log. Naomi goes to Cargo Bay 2 to fetch Seven for their weekly kadis-kot game, but Seven is too busy upgrading. She’s putting a cortical processing unit into her alcove, which will enable her to download data from Voyager’s computer directly into her brain meats. Naomi wants to watch, but Seven kicks her out because she’s a big stinky.

[Good morning Kathryn—all systems operational, the crew’s in good health, and by the way, is it true you’ve been lying to us for five years?]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “One Small Step”

Thu May 13, 2021 1:00pm 56 comments 5 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“One Small Step”
Written by Mike Wollaeger & Jessica Scott and Bryan Fuller & Michael Taylor
Directed by Robert Picardo
Season 6, Episode 8
Production episode 228
Original air date: November 17, 1999
Stardate: 53292.7

Captain’s log. We open in October 2032 on Mars. Lieutenant John Kelly is in orbit in Ares IV while communicating with the two astronauts on the surface, Rose Kumagawa and Andrei Novakovich. Something appears in orbit, which winds up consuming Ares IV.

[History is irrelevant.]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch: “Dragon’s Teeth”

Mon May 10, 2021 1:00pm 31 comments 4 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: CBS

“Dragon’s Teeth”
Written by Michael Taylor and Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky
Directed by Winrich Kolbe
Season 6, Episode 7
Production episode 225
Original air date: November 10, 1999
Stardate: 53167.9

Captain’s log. On the Vaadwaur homeworld, orbital bombardment is destroying their capital city. In an underground cavern, Gedrin and his wife Jisa have put hundreds of their fellow Vaadwaur into stasis pods, though some pods have failed. Their plan is to wake up in five years and rebuild their civilization.

[“It’s like a maze.” “Well, be a good rat and find us the cheese.”]

Series: Star Trek: Voyager Rewatch

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