Initial thoughts on Star Trek Discovery

I just finished the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.

The short, unspoilery version: I had a lot of doubts after the first episode, because the main character was just super unlikeable, but it picked up a little in the second episode. Not enough for me to actually say I really liked it, but enough for me to want to keep trying it. Of course, the teaser for all the stuff to come did a much, much better job of enticing me. Because mostly? These episodes committed the sin of being deeply boring for at least 75 percent.

Spoilers from here on out.

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Star Trek Enterprise: My new favorite?

I spent the last little while speeding through Star Trek Enterprise at the rate two, three and sometimes five episodes a day, and what I’ve come to realize is that — despite being a show I fell away from after its first season and didn’t pick back up until 16 years later — it just might be my favorite installment of the Trek franchise.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I grew up on The Next Generation in the late 80s to mid 90s. It has characters and episodes that I adore to this day. But it has a bunch of episodes I don’t love. Like, Worf’s cool and all, but Klingon honor gets real tedious, real fast. And please don’t throw me in an oil slick, but I never cared for Tasha Yar. And much as I adore Data, I’ve got to be in just the right mood for “Law & Order: Starfleet (Does Data deserve rights? Y/N)?”

On Enterprise, however, there’s not a single character I don’t like, and only a handful of episodes that risk losing my attention. Plus, I just really like what it brought to the franchise. Well, most of what it brought.

Agents of SHIELD thoughts and predictions (4.19)

I really enjoy Agents of SHIELD.  It’s a show that’s been able to reinvent itself with every season — sometimes every half-season — while still feeling like part of an overall whole.  But I’m really not loving this Framework story line. It definitely has its moments, some of which were on display this week, but in the grand scheme, I just don’t see it working for me.

I guess I’m watching DS9 now

While I wouldn’t quite call it a binge, I’ve certainly been enjoying a steady diet of Star Trek that started last year with The Next Generation and has grown to include Deep Space Nine this year. I’ve got one season left of TNG, and just finished the first of DS9, and that’s the one I want to talk about. Because for a while rhere, I wasn’t at all sure I was going to make it.

2015 Media in Review: ‘We provide…leverage.’

Every now and again, there’s a show that’s so good it just grabs you by the face and says “Love me.” And you do, because how could you not?

Leverage cast from left: Christian Kane, Gina Bellman, Timothy Hutton, Aldis Hodge and Beth Riesgraf