Posts
Several years ago, I wrote a series of reviews of (often justifiably) forgotten comic series from the 1980s. Looking back now, I sometimes took the comics far more seriously than they deserved. Anyway, below is a list of reviews you'll find at Comics That Time Forgot
The Shroud # 1-4 (Marvel Comics 1994; Limited Series)
Spellbound # 1-6 (Marvel Comics 1986; Limited Series)
The Generic Comic # 1 (Marvel Comics 1984; One-Shot)
The Gargoyle # 1-4 (Marvel Comics 1985; Limited Series)
Francis, Brother of the Universe # 1 (Marvel Comics 1980; One-Shot)
Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja # 1-16 (Marvel Comics 1989-1990)
Jemm, Son of Saturn # 1-12 (DC Comics 1984-1985; Maxi-Series)
Silverblade # 1-12 (DC Comics 1987-1988; Maxi-Series)
Skull & Bones # 1-3 (DC Comics, 1992; Prestige Format Limited Series)
Hero Hotline # 1-6 (DC Comics, 1989; Limited Series)
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane # 1-4 (DC Comics, 1990; Limited Series)
The Comico Christmas Special # 1 (Comico, 1988; One-Shot)
Slash Maraud # 1-6 (DC Comics, 1987-1988; Limited Series)
Dragon Strike # 1 (Marvel, 1994; One-Shot)
Talos of the Wilderness Sea # 1 (DC, 1987, One-Shot)
Mark Hazzard: Merc # 1-12, Annual # 1 (Marvel, 1986-1987)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Clone Wars Campaign: Recap # 14
This session covers the end of the player characters' third story arc and their escape from the anomaly. It was an important story arc as it established several of the major themes of the campaign that persist to this day: the mystery of the anomaly, the existence of nine forgotten Sith Lords trapped within it, the strange link that some of the player characters and Jocasta have to it, and the revelation of prophecies from the Oracle that have structured subsequent important story arcs. For this particular session below, the player running Tarn couldn't make it so I had to come up with the solution of him becoming entranced by the Beguiler.
Now's a good a time as any to explain that I give each player a red poker chip once each year (real-time) that they can use to accomplish or avoid pretty much any thing they can think of. The first character to invoke a red chip was Arresta several sessions earlier to save her father from dying in the elevator shaft (an ironic use, given subsequent events). Last session, 8P-MD-4 used a red chip to survive the plunge from the bridge, which meant it wasn't available to help him escape the anomaly in the session you're about to read.
Recently (in real-time) the group has once again encountered the anomaly and four red chips were used during the trip.
Episode 2.3 "Into the Abyss" Session 3
Exploration of the strange Ansion anomaly continues. The Ninth of the Nine Forgotten Sith has fallen, but not without a price: Princess Arresta of Mongui has fled into the darkness beyond, leaving a trail of blood in her wake, while Marpa Zalon, Duros spacer, has fallen and lies on the edge of death, tended to by a lone medical droid. And the explorers' only devotee of the Force has abandoned them to their fate. But the Oracle awaits, and with it, their only hope of escape . . .
Arresta moves forward to find a strange sight: Tarn is sitting and drinking hot caf with a 60ish woman named Tessa in a makeshift living area, complete with salvaged starship seats, working food heaters, and more. Tessa claims to be a survivor of a crash in the anomaly and has settled here because there is supposedly access to power. Tarn is going on and on about all of his adventures for the Republic, holding nothing back. Before long, Jocasta and her crew, along with a slightly recovered Marpa and 8P-MD-4 arrive. Twitch, Kylo-Vas, and Korkoth also promptly sit and start telling their life stories as best they can. After a period of rest, and unable to rouse the others, Jocasta, Arresta, Marpa, and 8P-MD-4 decide to venture forth.
After a period of walking, they encounter an enormous room filled with hundreds and hundreds of the strange transparent tubes, each filled with a body; whether alive or dead isn't clear. Entrance to the room is blocked, but the body of the Gamorrean Warlug is seen being placed within one of the tubes. The corridor proceeds to split into several branches, most of which lead to various "natural" environments that are obviously artificial and poorly duplicate the real thing. In the "jungle" environment, 8P-MD-4 notices that they are being watched; Arresta strips down to a black stealth suit and scouts ahead to find a trio of large, spear wielding humanoids of some kind. She stealthily makes her way back to the others, but later Jocasta senses the group is being followed. She takes off running with Arresta and Marpa, but 8P-MD-4 isn't fast enough and is attacked. Cleverly playing "dead", 8P-MD-4 lives to heal another day.
As Arresta and Marpa proceed down yet another of the omnipresent bland corridors, images start to flicker on the walls and sounds echo throughout. They see Arresta wearing a black body suit sneaking up behind a man with a razor sharp stiletto in her hand and Marpa wearing the clothing of a Separatist and overseeing the production of B-2 battle droids. Those pictures fade and new images arise: Marpa pushing a deactivated 8P-MD-4 over the bridge, and Arresta hiding a spun durasteel garotte in her belt pouch. The last set of images are indistinct, constantly flickering and with details changing instantly: Arresta seated on the throne of Mongui, commanding her guards to turn over a bound and beaten Tarn Tamarand to a figure in full black armor, his mechanically-assisted breathing echoing throughout the throne room; an image of Marpa piloting the Sun Runner, seated next to Jocasta as they escape the Separatist annihilation of the orbital cities of Duros.
"What was, what is, and what may yet come to pass" says a male voice in the distance. In a small chamber, with the transparent, hologram-like outlines of a magnificent castle around him, a figure sits in a meditative pose with black sword laying across his knees and a gold bracelet around his wrist. His muscular upper body is bare and covered with ornate tattoos. The figure speaks again, about how the Eighth of the Nine said she had halted the newcomers' progress but was obviously lying. He claims to control the Oracle but will allow Arresta and Marpa to speak to her.
Beyond lies a huge, circular shaft filled with the color of light seen upon the initial approach to the anomaly. At the very edge of the shaft a pillar made out of the same material as the bridge stands, and chained to it is an impossibly aged woman, speaking softly to Jocasta. Before long, 8P-MD-4 arrives. The Oracle whispers cryptic words: "The corsair wears a false face" and "Those you trusted to protect you will turn on your true guardians and bring them to the edge of extinction". Marpa tries to shatter the chain binding the Oracle, but is interrupted by the arrival of the Seventh of the Forgotten Sith.
The Seventh's role as the Seducer seems misplaced as his eyes fill with rage as his most prized possession is taken away when Marpa persuades Jocasta to use the obsidian kris to cut the Oracle's bonds. The Seventh rushes forward and impales Jocasta with his sword, forcing her to stumble back to the edge of the shaft. The Oracle uses her last breaths to thank the injured Marpa and tell him both a prophecy ("You and those who follow will return, once in the city under the sands and once at the end of days, when all you hold dear has crumbled into dust.") and a warning ("One of the four prophecied must remain behind; the first three will pass the threshold but the forth will be barred"). Her words, although whispered, carry throughout the chamber. Arresta dashes for the far end of the shaft, while Jocasta clutches her stomach and stumbles back towards the entrance. The Seventh cradles the body of the Oracle and leaps into the shaft, intoning the ominous words: "This is but the beginning . . ."
After reaching the far side of the shaft and realizing there is no exit, Arresta returns and begins to chase after Jocasta as Marpa and 8P-MD-4 follow slowly behind. Arresta reaches the Beguiler's lair and sees a partially-healed Jocasta attempting to rouse her crew by shaking and slapping them vigorously. She succeeds just seconds before Arresta manages to awaken Tarn, and the race is on. But such a small lead is enough for Jocasta, and she leaps through the threshold and into the hanger bay along with her crew. Arresta and a still-dazed Tarn decide to follow, leaving Marpa and 8P-MD-4 with a difficult choice: who should go and who should remain behind? They decide on a desperate gamble--by removing the living parasite from 8P-MD-4's body, perhaps the droid's inanimate and completely non-sentient self will pass through the threshold. But destiny cannot be denied, and 8P-MD-4 is thrown out of Marpa's hands as the Duros passes through, leaving the droid on the far side of the barrier.
Delia's Ultimatum is waiting for Arresta, Marpa, and Tarn; Quaddie reports that hardly any time has passed since they first went inside. As they decide what to do about 8P-MD-4, the crew of the Sun Runner succeeds in a running battle against the giant spider crabs and reaches their ship and safety, also having lost a member in the anomaly. Aboard Delia's, sensors report the anomaly is preparing to jump into hyperspace, and a reluctant decision is made to escape while it's still an option.
As the anomaly disappears behind them, the sublight trip back to Ansion is tense. Suddenly, sensors pick up the Broken Diamond approaching at attack speed, its deflector shields raised and weapon systems on-line. Delia's receives a hail: "Tarn Tamarand and his associates are hereby under arrest pursuant to Order 22 for Crimes Against the Republic; stand down and prepare to be boarded". Marpa stealthily stands up from his co-pilot chair and draws a blaster. He fires a stun bolt at Quaddie, but the Clone Commando ducks by instinct and he draws down on Marpa. Arresta brings an end to the standoff and persuades Marpa to holster his weapon. Having just survived the greatest trial of their time together, Marpa, Arresta, and Tarn now face a trial of a whole different nature.
Return to Clone Wars Campaign Main Page
Now's a good a time as any to explain that I give each player a red poker chip once each year (real-time) that they can use to accomplish or avoid pretty much any thing they can think of. The first character to invoke a red chip was Arresta several sessions earlier to save her father from dying in the elevator shaft (an ironic use, given subsequent events). Last session, 8P-MD-4 used a red chip to survive the plunge from the bridge, which meant it wasn't available to help him escape the anomaly in the session you're about to read.
Recently (in real-time) the group has once again encountered the anomaly and four red chips were used during the trip.
Episode 2.3 "Into the Abyss" Session 3
Exploration of the strange Ansion anomaly continues. The Ninth of the Nine Forgotten Sith has fallen, but not without a price: Princess Arresta of Mongui has fled into the darkness beyond, leaving a trail of blood in her wake, while Marpa Zalon, Duros spacer, has fallen and lies on the edge of death, tended to by a lone medical droid. And the explorers' only devotee of the Force has abandoned them to their fate. But the Oracle awaits, and with it, their only hope of escape . . .
Arresta moves forward to find a strange sight: Tarn is sitting and drinking hot caf with a 60ish woman named Tessa in a makeshift living area, complete with salvaged starship seats, working food heaters, and more. Tessa claims to be a survivor of a crash in the anomaly and has settled here because there is supposedly access to power. Tarn is going on and on about all of his adventures for the Republic, holding nothing back. Before long, Jocasta and her crew, along with a slightly recovered Marpa and 8P-MD-4 arrive. Twitch, Kylo-Vas, and Korkoth also promptly sit and start telling their life stories as best they can. After a period of rest, and unable to rouse the others, Jocasta, Arresta, Marpa, and 8P-MD-4 decide to venture forth.
After a period of walking, they encounter an enormous room filled with hundreds and hundreds of the strange transparent tubes, each filled with a body; whether alive or dead isn't clear. Entrance to the room is blocked, but the body of the Gamorrean Warlug is seen being placed within one of the tubes. The corridor proceeds to split into several branches, most of which lead to various "natural" environments that are obviously artificial and poorly duplicate the real thing. In the "jungle" environment, 8P-MD-4 notices that they are being watched; Arresta strips down to a black stealth suit and scouts ahead to find a trio of large, spear wielding humanoids of some kind. She stealthily makes her way back to the others, but later Jocasta senses the group is being followed. She takes off running with Arresta and Marpa, but 8P-MD-4 isn't fast enough and is attacked. Cleverly playing "dead", 8P-MD-4 lives to heal another day.
As Arresta and Marpa proceed down yet another of the omnipresent bland corridors, images start to flicker on the walls and sounds echo throughout. They see Arresta wearing a black body suit sneaking up behind a man with a razor sharp stiletto in her hand and Marpa wearing the clothing of a Separatist and overseeing the production of B-2 battle droids. Those pictures fade and new images arise: Marpa pushing a deactivated 8P-MD-4 over the bridge, and Arresta hiding a spun durasteel garotte in her belt pouch. The last set of images are indistinct, constantly flickering and with details changing instantly: Arresta seated on the throne of Mongui, commanding her guards to turn over a bound and beaten Tarn Tamarand to a figure in full black armor, his mechanically-assisted breathing echoing throughout the throne room; an image of Marpa piloting the Sun Runner, seated next to Jocasta as they escape the Separatist annihilation of the orbital cities of Duros.
"What was, what is, and what may yet come to pass" says a male voice in the distance. In a small chamber, with the transparent, hologram-like outlines of a magnificent castle around him, a figure sits in a meditative pose with black sword laying across his knees and a gold bracelet around his wrist. His muscular upper body is bare and covered with ornate tattoos. The figure speaks again, about how the Eighth of the Nine said she had halted the newcomers' progress but was obviously lying. He claims to control the Oracle but will allow Arresta and Marpa to speak to her.
Beyond lies a huge, circular shaft filled with the color of light seen upon the initial approach to the anomaly. At the very edge of the shaft a pillar made out of the same material as the bridge stands, and chained to it is an impossibly aged woman, speaking softly to Jocasta. Before long, 8P-MD-4 arrives. The Oracle whispers cryptic words: "The corsair wears a false face" and "Those you trusted to protect you will turn on your true guardians and bring them to the edge of extinction". Marpa tries to shatter the chain binding the Oracle, but is interrupted by the arrival of the Seventh of the Forgotten Sith.
The Seventh's role as the Seducer seems misplaced as his eyes fill with rage as his most prized possession is taken away when Marpa persuades Jocasta to use the obsidian kris to cut the Oracle's bonds. The Seventh rushes forward and impales Jocasta with his sword, forcing her to stumble back to the edge of the shaft. The Oracle uses her last breaths to thank the injured Marpa and tell him both a prophecy ("You and those who follow will return, once in the city under the sands and once at the end of days, when all you hold dear has crumbled into dust.") and a warning ("One of the four prophecied must remain behind; the first three will pass the threshold but the forth will be barred"). Her words, although whispered, carry throughout the chamber. Arresta dashes for the far end of the shaft, while Jocasta clutches her stomach and stumbles back towards the entrance. The Seventh cradles the body of the Oracle and leaps into the shaft, intoning the ominous words: "This is but the beginning . . ."
After reaching the far side of the shaft and realizing there is no exit, Arresta returns and begins to chase after Jocasta as Marpa and 8P-MD-4 follow slowly behind. Arresta reaches the Beguiler's lair and sees a partially-healed Jocasta attempting to rouse her crew by shaking and slapping them vigorously. She succeeds just seconds before Arresta manages to awaken Tarn, and the race is on. But such a small lead is enough for Jocasta, and she leaps through the threshold and into the hanger bay along with her crew. Arresta and a still-dazed Tarn decide to follow, leaving Marpa and 8P-MD-4 with a difficult choice: who should go and who should remain behind? They decide on a desperate gamble--by removing the living parasite from 8P-MD-4's body, perhaps the droid's inanimate and completely non-sentient self will pass through the threshold. But destiny cannot be denied, and 8P-MD-4 is thrown out of Marpa's hands as the Duros passes through, leaving the droid on the far side of the barrier.
Delia's Ultimatum is waiting for Arresta, Marpa, and Tarn; Quaddie reports that hardly any time has passed since they first went inside. As they decide what to do about 8P-MD-4, the crew of the Sun Runner succeeds in a running battle against the giant spider crabs and reaches their ship and safety, also having lost a member in the anomaly. Aboard Delia's, sensors report the anomaly is preparing to jump into hyperspace, and a reluctant decision is made to escape while it's still an option.
As the anomaly disappears behind them, the sublight trip back to Ansion is tense. Suddenly, sensors pick up the Broken Diamond approaching at attack speed, its deflector shields raised and weapon systems on-line. Delia's receives a hail: "Tarn Tamarand and his associates are hereby under arrest pursuant to Order 22 for Crimes Against the Republic; stand down and prepare to be boarded". Marpa stealthily stands up from his co-pilot chair and draws a blaster. He fires a stun bolt at Quaddie, but the Clone Commando ducks by instinct and he draws down on Marpa. Arresta brings an end to the standoff and persuades Marpa to holster his weapon. Having just survived the greatest trial of their time together, Marpa, Arresta, and Tarn now face a trial of a whole different nature.
Return to Clone Wars Campaign Main Page
Monday, March 30, 2009
Bloody Games
Without a conscious intent to do so, me and my sig-other have amassed a growing collection of horror-themed board games (sufficient for a marathon Halloween session).
It started with Arkham Horror. We picked it up because it was the first cooperative board game we came upon, which was a nice change of pace from our previous board games which always left one person a winner and one person (usually me!) a sore loser. In Arkham Horror, the players work together to keep a small city from becoming overrun by demons and other scaly, slimy things right out of H.P. Lovecraft novels. Each player controls a different character (which are well-fleshed out, with different equipment & special abilities), but strategy and planning are a big part of the game. There's basically two ways to win: either close a certain number of demon-spawning portals quickly (which is hard because more constantly appear) or defeat a massive Cthulu-like alien god in a final battle. There's a great mix of different characters, monsters, locations, and encounters so each game is quite different than the last. The designers put a great deal of flavour and atmosphere into every detail, and each session I see a dozen great adventure hooks for a Cthulu role-playing game. The main downside is that it is a quite long and complicated game, and I'm not convinced the fun of playing always makes the length and complexity worthwhile. And surprisingly, it's easier to win than I expected for a product set in the Cthulu mythos.
Several months later, we picked up Last Night on Earth which has Zombie B-Movies as its theme. Each player controls either a Hero character (there are several different options, and like Arkham Horror, they each have different abilities) or the Zombies. Each time you play, you can pick from a bunch of different "scenarios." Each scenario has a different victory condition--there's one in which the heroes win simply by killing a certain number of zombies before time runs out, while in another the heroes have to run through town to find gasoline and then make it to their truck to leave town before the zombies overwhelm them. It really helps to keep the game fresh, and also helps to balance things out between players because some scenarios are easier for Zombies and others are easier for Heroes. Functionally, Last Night on Earth plays out like a role-playing game miniatures battle, as the heroes and each of the many zombies move around on a square-grid map of the small town. The only downside is that in our experience the Zombie player has a big advantage (though others online swear it's the Hero player who always wins).Most recently, we picked up Fury of Dracula. One player controls Drac while the other(s) control a quartet of vampire hunters who are chasing him all over Europe. Like the other games above, the different vampire hunters have different abilities and can get different equipment, but combat is a much smaller part of the game because the Dracula player doesn't need to fight 
in order to win. Instead, he just needs to survive a certain number of nights (though he can win earlier by killing the hunters or creating new vampires). In effect, Fury of Dracula is a big cat-and-mouse game. Dracula moves in secret, and every time he goes to a new city, he lays that location card face down on the table, creating a a trail of cards. If a hunter moves into that location, that card is turned face up--this allows the hunter to see where Dracula has been and how many moves he's made since then (which leads to some fun strategy and detective work, as the hunters try to get a step ahead of Dracula). We've only played it a few times, but I think it's most fun for the Dracula player--it's very exciting when the hunters have caught your trail and are closing in, but then you manage to slip through their grasp with some sneaky moves.
in order to win. Instead, he just needs to survive a certain number of nights (though he can win earlier by killing the hunters or creating new vampires). In effect, Fury of Dracula is a big cat-and-mouse game. Dracula moves in secret, and every time he goes to a new city, he lays that location card face down on the table, creating a a trail of cards. If a hunter moves into that location, that card is turned face up--this allows the hunter to see where Dracula has been and how many moves he's made since then (which leads to some fun strategy and detective work, as the hunters try to get a step ahead of Dracula). We've only played it a few times, but I think it's most fun for the Dracula player--it's very exciting when the hunters have caught your trail and are closing in, but then you manage to slip through their grasp with some sneaky moves.Each of the three games above are full-fledged board games that are high-quality, expensive, and take a few hours to play. Sometimes, however, it's fun to play a simple game that only takes 20 minutes or so and that's where Guillotine comes in. This is an easy-to-learn card game in which the goal is to gather the most valuable collection of decapitated heads during the French Revolution. Some heads are only worth a point or so (such as a peasant), while other heads are worth as many as five points (like Marie Antoinette). Although the heads proceed in a steady order towards the guillotine where they can be collected, the trick is that each player has several cards that can change the order of the line in order to benefit themself or screw over the other players. It's a fun, fast game and a good way to get people to try something different than the usual, more traditional board games they might play.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
What I Watch
Hey, don't worry. I'm here for you. I know what you're thinking. "What shows does Jeremy regularly watch?"
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles This is kind of an odd show. It's surprisingly slow-paced and dark, and willing to take a long time to finish story arcs considering it usually seems to be on the brink of cancellation. It's also oddly one of the most "artistic" shows I watch, as it's willing to tell stories from unusual perspectives, or with intricate layering flashbacks, or with unusually staged and scored scenes. It's an intriguing show, but one I haven't developed a deep affection for. And I'm not an action junkie, but I must admit that a few more massive robot massacres per seasons would help.
The Office I'm not sure if this is as good as it was in the first couple of seasons, but I get enough out of it to stick with it.
Castle Fairly formulaic, but Nathan Fillion as a cocky mystery writer is just too good to pass up.
The Amazing Race My new obsession! (all my sig-other's fault, too) I shun reality shows like the plague, but for some reason seeing these teams go to exotic destinations all over the world to do crazy tasks and try to avoid elimination has got me hooked. Now, if I can scrape up $ 9,900 to go on the Global Scavenger Hunt, I would be all set.
Lost My obsession prior to The Amazing Race. I think at the heart of it, is that I like a really good mystery. Trying to figure out what's up with all those buried stations, the island, the plane crash, etc., is a great way to while away the hours. I especially liked, early in the first season, how simply scary the island was--the black smoke, the appearance of Jack's dead father, the whispering of the Others, the strange brutality of Ethan Rom--all made for a great show. I still really like it, but as I've often said time travel isn't my favorite so Season Five hasn't hooked me as much as previous seasons.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars I really liked the theatrical movie that was released prior to this animated series, so I had high hopes. I've felt pretty disappointed though. I think the main issue has to do with not having characters to care about--we know exactly what happens to Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, R2-D2, C-3P0, and even most of the other Jedi and villains who come on screen. This might have been really interesting if it had come on-screen in-between the release of Episode II and Episode III, but as it is it just falls flat. I'm also annoyed with the continuity conflicts between the novels, the annoying smug voice they gave Obi-Wan, and the largely simplistic nature of the stories (IMHO, Dark Horse's original Clone War comics gave a far better and nuanced view of the conflict).
General Hospital I've blogged about this in a previous post. As I said then, I'm surprised at how not-bad it is for a show that has to come up with a new episode five times a week.
Heroes I really don't like this show. I haven't for a long time. I guess I only watch it out of a desire to see things through to the end. After this season, I'll put future seasons on DVD as # 450 or so on my Rogers Video Direct list.
Reaper An entertaining show, but one that can't quite find the right balance between genre drama and comic fluff.
Dollhouse I really look forward to watching this every week, even though I'm not exactly sure why. It certainly lacks the humor and wit of previous Joss Whedon series, but the plotlines are solid and Eliza Dushku is actually better than I expected. I think, like most people, I'm just waiting to see if it gets cancelled before I get too deeply invested.
How I Met Your Mother This has become very "sit-com-y" of late and a bit gimmicky at times.
But hey, I'm a graduate student and have lots of free time.
Fringe I really like the pseudo-scientific, conspiracy backdrop to this show. I could go for it being a little bit darker and a little bit more biting, but then I say that about most fiction.
You're welcome.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles This is kind of an odd show. It's surprisingly slow-paced and dark, and willing to take a long time to finish story arcs considering it usually seems to be on the brink of cancellation. It's also oddly one of the most "artistic" shows I watch, as it's willing to tell stories from unusual perspectives, or with intricate layering flashbacks, or with unusually staged and scored scenes. It's an intriguing show, but one I haven't developed a deep affection for. And I'm not an action junkie, but I must admit that a few more massive robot massacres per seasons would help.
The Office I'm not sure if this is as good as it was in the first couple of seasons, but I get enough out of it to stick with it.
Castle Fairly formulaic, but Nathan Fillion as a cocky mystery writer is just too good to pass up.
The Amazing Race My new obsession! (all my sig-other's fault, too) I shun reality shows like the plague, but for some reason seeing these teams go to exotic destinations all over the world to do crazy tasks and try to avoid elimination has got me hooked. Now, if I can scrape up $ 9,900 to go on the Global Scavenger Hunt, I would be all set.
Lost My obsession prior to The Amazing Race. I think at the heart of it, is that I like a really good mystery. Trying to figure out what's up with all those buried stations, the island, the plane crash, etc., is a great way to while away the hours. I especially liked, early in the first season, how simply scary the island was--the black smoke, the appearance of Jack's dead father, the whispering of the Others, the strange brutality of Ethan Rom--all made for a great show. I still really like it, but as I've often said time travel isn't my favorite so Season Five hasn't hooked me as much as previous seasons.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars I really liked the theatrical movie that was released prior to this animated series, so I had high hopes. I've felt pretty disappointed though. I think the main issue has to do with not having characters to care about--we know exactly what happens to Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, R2-D2, C-3P0, and even most of the other Jedi and villains who come on screen. This might have been really interesting if it had come on-screen in-between the release of Episode II and Episode III, but as it is it just falls flat. I'm also annoyed with the continuity conflicts between the novels, the annoying smug voice they gave Obi-Wan, and the largely simplistic nature of the stories (IMHO, Dark Horse's original Clone War comics gave a far better and nuanced view of the conflict).
General Hospital I've blogged about this in a previous post. As I said then, I'm surprised at how not-bad it is for a show that has to come up with a new episode five times a week.
Heroes I really don't like this show. I haven't for a long time. I guess I only watch it out of a desire to see things through to the end. After this season, I'll put future seasons on DVD as # 450 or so on my Rogers Video Direct list.
Reaper An entertaining show, but one that can't quite find the right balance between genre drama and comic fluff.
Dollhouse I really look forward to watching this every week, even though I'm not exactly sure why. It certainly lacks the humor and wit of previous Joss Whedon series, but the plotlines are solid and Eliza Dushku is actually better than I expected. I think, like most people, I'm just waiting to see if it gets cancelled before I get too deeply invested.
How I Met Your Mother This has become very "sit-com-y" of late and a bit gimmicky at times.
But hey, I'm a graduate student and have lots of free time.
Fringe I really like the pseudo-scientific, conspiracy backdrop to this show. I could go for it being a little bit darker and a little bit more biting, but then I say that about most fiction.
You're welcome.
Nation
I just finished reading Terry Pratchett's new standalone novel Nation. Although it's not as funny as his Discworld series of books, it was an enjoyable read. What I really like about Pratchett novels is that he has something to say in every book--a view on politics or nationalism or racism or social class or something else that is implied but never spelled out and that makes the books more than just silly adventure stories. The theme in Nation is an old but important one: the difficulty of religious belief in the face of scientific fact. Here's the back of the book description from Amazon. If you haven't read any Terry Pratchett, you really should.
"Alone on a desert island — everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm — Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone — or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire.Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She’s certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, that all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship’s parrot, until other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things (including how to milk a pig, and why spitting in beer is a good thing), and start to forge a new nation.Encompassing themes of death and nationhood, Terry Pratchett’s new novel is, as can be expected, extremely funny, witty and wise. Mau’s ancestors have something to teach us all. Mau just wishes they would shut up about it and let him get on with saving everyone’s lives!"
The Value of Legal Scholarship Debate
An interesting essay by Pierre Schlag on the value of legal scholarship, with response essays by several scholars: http://www.georgetownlawjournal.org/issues/current/
A Real-Life Natural 20
After four years of adventuring together in Toronto (with a brief sojourn to Windsor) and the accumulation of many relationship experience points, I rolled a high Persuasion check last night and a certain lovely sig-other has agreed to become my wife!
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