“The Equation” is an episode which has a decent mystery, but is presented by way of a by-the-numbers plot that ultimately saps away much of its suspense.  The episode also makes an attempt to connect its story into the larger “Pattern” arc that is being developed by the series.  And on that front it succeeds fairly well.  But the further attempt at creating some lingering drama over the ultimate fate of Walter pushes things just a bit too much toward the melodramatic.

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Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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Tucked into the abomination that is “Plato’s Stepchildren” are a few worthwhile themes and ideas. But they are presented so embarrassingly that the episode is almost entirely worthless. The reality is that, while there are some worthwhile commentaries being made, the presentation obliterates any sense of respectability. It’s a bit like the President of the United States giving a State of the Union speech in his pajamas and slippers. No matter what the content of the speech may be, there’s no way you could take him (or her) seriously.

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Topics: Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“Isolated and alone, Anna tries to go on as she carries the future of the Sims inside her belly.”

Location: Weddel Sea

“Icebreaker” is the fiftieth episode in the Gemini Division series.  It’s the conclusion to season one.  And it leaves us with one hell of a cliffhanger.

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Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Web Series
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Pixar animation studios has had a tremendous run of movies from Toy Story to Monsters Inc., to Finding Nemo. It’s safe to say that The Incredibles had a big reputation to live up to — and it succeeds masterfully. The Incredibles is an adventure movie in every sense of the word. And while it doesn’t quite match the magic of Finding Nemo, the animation, storyline and particularly the music are all top-notch.

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Topics: Film Review, Sci-Fi
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“It’s Sim vs. Sim as Anna tries to tip the battle in favor of Amasso, but she’ll have to go through the new and improved Cleaner 2.0 first.”

Location: Antarctica

The Gemini Division is keeping things pretty close to the vest with “Kill-Switch” — the series’ penultimate episode to season one.  True, there is an all-out battle between the SIMs and Gemini Division.  But the final revelations of the series remain cloaked in mystery, misdirection and foreshadowing.

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Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Web Reviews
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“The Tholian Web” is an example of classic Trek. Indeed, this is an episode in which Trekkies ought to find many memorable and compelling moments. It certainly is entertaining and briskly paced, with an approach not often seen in the series – namely a distinct lack of focus on Captain Kirk – and a mood, inspired by tales of ghost ships on the high seas, that is thoroughly captivating. But in spite of all its strengths, there just isn’t enough to this episode to elevate it into something truly exceptional.

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“There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3” are absolutely thrilling to watch. That isn’t to say that they’re perfect, or that I don’t have deep reservations about the direction the story (and series) is headed. But there’s no question that the finale to Season Four of Lost is epic, powerful, and shocking. For fans of Lost, there’s quite a bit here to both provide answers and generate new mysteries and questions. The sci-fi angle is, once again, ratcheted up a notch – as is the melodrama. But in an event episode like this one, both elements work quite well.

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Topics: Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“You hold onto friends by keeping your heart a little softer than your head.”

Overview

Brilliant.

“Duel of the Droids” is a rousing, triumphant episode. It’s filled with plenty of action, thrills and character moments to make a worthy installment. But considering that it is the conclusion to the story begun in the previous episode, that it features a compelling theme, and the fact that it contains a wonderfully amusing homage, this episode is simply one of the best of the series thus far. Just about everything in this episode works exceptionally well. Put simply, this is Star Wars the way it was always meant to be: fun, action-packed, with a bit of something deeper and more meaningful.

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Topics: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“It’s the Sims last stand against Gemini Division.”

Location: Antarctica

Simply breathtaking.

Gemini Division is building into a true tour de force of science fiction storytelling.  The payoffs here, not simply in terms of narrative, but in terms of character and theme, are well worth the journey.  The pleasant surprise here is Amasso.  His character has long been peripheral.  But in “Linnea,” Amasso takes center stage with a monologue that speaks far more to the human condition than it does to the plot of the Gemini Division series.  Now, with only two episode remaining in this series, I am very, very grateful for the journey, for the experience.  And for the powerful message contained within this episode.

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Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Web Reviews
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“Anna finds herself increasingly ill with each passing day while hiding out in Antarctica.”

Location: Antarctica

“In The Region Of Ice” doesn’t let up on the rapidly deepening mysteries surrounding the circumstances of the relationship between Nick and Anna.  As the episode unfolds (over a mere five minutes) we get background information on both Nick and Anna — and every bit of it is truly compelling.

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Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Web Reviews
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