The Binding and Loosing of Mickey Mouse
The Walt Disney Company‘s long road to becoming one of the most powerful, celebrated, and litigious entertainment companies on Earth actually began, not with a mouse, but with a rabbit. Inspired by the personality of silent film luminary Douglas Fairbanks…
The Unavoidable Allure of Alternate Universes: Right Place, Right Time
Alternate universe stories give us a chance to see what the characters in the narratives we love are really made of. Strip away the trappings of their circumstances, put them in different hardships and opportunities, and what do they become?…
The Unavoidable Allure of Alternate Universes: Women in the Room
There’s a real seduction to multiverse stories. Seeing how all the same pieces rearrange themselves into a recognizable but different whole; seeing who these characters really are by removing the trappings; watching how a tiny choice made in a tiny…
"Crisis Point" – Star Trek: Lower Decks S1E09
After episode 8 overdosed on fan nostalgia for The Undiscovered Country, “Crisis Point” makes it clear that there’s a competition for the episode with the most fun fan callbacks; and the prize isn’t even close to being awarded yet. Thankfully,…
"Veritas" – Star Trek: Lower Decks S1E08
“Guys, this is basically a resort compared to what the Klingons do to you.” —Beckett Mariner Ok, but…it’s pretty much exactly what the Klingons do to you. This is the fanservice-iest episode of the season, by far. Mostly for The…
"Much Ado About Boimler" – Star Trek: Lower Decks S1E07
I’ve always loved Star Trek’s penchant for forcing characters together who don’t really interact much in a usual story; you see Sisko & Kira scenes and O’Brien and Bashir scenes all the time, but every once in a while the…
"Terminal Provocations" – Star Trek: Lower Decks S1E06
First of all, I felt personally attacked by this episode’s cold open. Just because I listen to Star Trek warp engine sounds while I work sometimes and can definitely tell the difference between the Enterprise-D’s and Voyager’s ambient warp core…
"Cupid’s Errant Arrow" – Star Trek: Lower Decks S1E05
Find yourself someone who talks about you the way Tendi and Rutherford say “Whoosh.” “Cupid’s Errant Arrow” is the first story I’ve felt fit within the duration of a Lower Decks episode thus far. While the other four entries into…
"Moist Vessel" – Star Trek: Lower Decks S1E04
Navigating interpersonal relationships is no simple task; even if you live on a technological marvel in the distant future, it’s not the stuff in deep space that will really get on your nerves, it’s the people on that technological marvel…
"Temporal Edict" – Star Trek: Lower Decks S1E03
One of the things I love about Lower Decks is how it shows us stuff we always knew had to be happening aboard Starfleet vessels, but had just never been shown on screen before. In episode 1, we saw the…