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selenakI had an extremely busy week, so am very late with my reviewes.
Paradise 1.04: Not cool, show! How dare you kill off Annie after only two episodes and a cameo appearance in between them when you made me fall in love with her from the get go!
I mean, yes, season 1 started with the killing of a main character (Cal), and we got another major death mid season (Billy), but still. This said, what the episode sets out to achieve, it does beautifully. I was completely sold on Annie slowly bonding with Xavier, and as with her introduction episode, I thought the show made a point of twisting something which by now has become a cliché of post apocalyptic tales, i.e. letting a regular or several come across a new group who seem to be nice only to reveal themselves as horrid; instead, here Xavier and Annie again, like Annie in the season opener, come across a bunch of people who might share Annie's initial distrust and caution (understandably so when they find Xavier breaking into their house) but when finding out someone needs help, a woman in labour to boot, are ready and willing to do just that, help. It's as if humanity has decided to verify Cal's final appeal above ground as President, his belief that people even in desperate circumstances can be good.
*channeling Fox Mulder* I want to believe...
Speaking of Cal, evidently Fogenstein & friends really like working with James Marsden and keep using the flashback structure as an excuse to bring him back. I empathize. Mind you, early on I thought the flashback to the first kid born in the bunker was a bit gratitious, then I thought it would be a contrast to Annie and so it was, only in the reverse way I assumed - I thought Luisa Moreno would die and Annie would live, and instead it was the other way around. Which makes much more sense, of course, given Luisa gives birth with medics and tech at hand and Annie gives birth among helpful strangers, but in post apocalyptic conditions. Beyond that, though, there is a thematic relevance to using Cal in the flashback once more as the voice of hope and kindness. Back in my s1 overview, I mentioned I was impressed with how the show introduces us to Cal at his weakest and then only later shows his strengths. One of them being that he may catch self loathing, big time, but he never becomes tunnel visioned into himself and never stops caring about others. Here, at a point when Xavier in the timeline is still extemely angry with him, he can't help but feel impressed by how Cal relates to Luisa Moreno and helps her through the birth experience, and it in turn inspires him to do that for Annie in the present.
Annie as a former medical student being aware of the danger she's in and through the episode coming to terms with her likely death as long as she can ensure her child won't just live but live surrounded by kindness and hope instead of fear again touches on what I think the show is trying to say, that survival by itself isn't enough, no matter whether you do so surrounded by luxury as in the bunker or above ground in harshness, that if humanity survives, it will not be "survival of the fittest" but has to be "survival of the heart and soul" as well. The flashbacks also make a point of showing our complicated antagonist Sam aka Sinatra first trying to avoid the new baby - due to her own tragic backstory of a lost cihld - but then finding hope and inspiration in it. Her whispered promise to the baby which no one else hears - that the baby will live to see the sun again and beathe in natural heir - confirms what was indicated before, that whatever her plan is aims at restoring a liveable environment above ground. Given that the scientist whose lecture kickstared it all insisted to her that the planet is doomed, of course the big question is how she wants to do that, and from what I saw the most popular current guess is that it will have to do with time travel, due to the emphasis on "time" in the dialogue every episode and the weird effect whenever Xavier and Link have their dream/vision featuring each other.
Time travel would be way more sci fi than apocalypse by tsunami and a giant bunker has been, but I don't have a better guess, either. Presumably the nosebleed, too, is an indication that something affecting the timeline is just happening if that theory is correct. And there is precedence in that Lost in its later season included time travel as well at one point. But currently I'm not totally convinced and hold out for something else none of us has ever guessed. If time does get altered, though, I want the new timeline to include a living Annie. Dammit.
ST: Starfleet Academy:
I am impressed that the show with only two more episodes to go and thus only a few scenes to spare did manage to make it clear SAM 2.0, with 17 years of memories to draw on, is somewhat different than her old self, while still maiintaining some core elements that prevent her from being a totally different character. (And the relationship with the Doctor is completely different, of course.) Whereas I am not impressed by the whole "Federation space now trapped in giant bubble" scheme - I'm sorry, but firstly, I just can't believe the size would be doable in all three dimensions, and secondly, Discovery - which was mentioned in dialogue as being around and active several episodes before - has its mushroom drive (which does not need warp) for this kind of situations, and I haven't heard any techno babble explaining why they shouldn't be able to use it. (If we get a Michael Burnham or Saru cameo next week with the ship in tow, all is explained and I shall be content.)
Aaaaaaaanyway. Hello again, Tatiana Maslany? I still suspect Caleb's mother isn't telling him all and will either turn out to be the true boss behind Nus or at the very least involved in the organisation (and maybe take it over after Nus' demise in the finale?). Especially since from the opening scene with Jay-Den doing the Klingon Found Family ritual onwards, it does look more than ever like they're setting up Caleb having to choose between his blood family, i.e. his mother, and the one he's found/made this season, and since his initial choice was his mother and since he's a main character, presumably his eventual choice will be the family he made. The transition of choices would be helped by Ms. Mir revealing herself to be not just the lone survivor and loving mother she appears to be for him but someone willing to kill others (while still loving him). Otoh, that actually makes the decision too easy, so maybe not? I don't know.
Anyway, the episode was mostly set up for the finale, and I do look forward to the Maslany/Hunter clash of terrific female actors next week, plus I will miss the show once the season is over, and will have to hope for good fanfic until we get season 2.
Paradise 1.04: Not cool, show! How dare you kill off Annie after only two episodes and a cameo appearance in between them when you made me fall in love with her from the get go!
I mean, yes, season 1 started with the killing of a main character (Cal), and we got another major death mid season (Billy), but still. This said, what the episode sets out to achieve, it does beautifully. I was completely sold on Annie slowly bonding with Xavier, and as with her introduction episode, I thought the show made a point of twisting something which by now has become a cliché of post apocalyptic tales, i.e. letting a regular or several come across a new group who seem to be nice only to reveal themselves as horrid; instead, here Xavier and Annie again, like Annie in the season opener, come across a bunch of people who might share Annie's initial distrust and caution (understandably so when they find Xavier breaking into their house) but when finding out someone needs help, a woman in labour to boot, are ready and willing to do just that, help. It's as if humanity has decided to verify Cal's final appeal above ground as President, his belief that people even in desperate circumstances can be good.
*channeling Fox Mulder* I want to believe...
Speaking of Cal, evidently Fogenstein & friends really like working with James Marsden and keep using the flashback structure as an excuse to bring him back. I empathize. Mind you, early on I thought the flashback to the first kid born in the bunker was a bit gratitious, then I thought it would be a contrast to Annie and so it was, only in the reverse way I assumed - I thought Luisa Moreno would die and Annie would live, and instead it was the other way around. Which makes much more sense, of course, given Luisa gives birth with medics and tech at hand and Annie gives birth among helpful strangers, but in post apocalyptic conditions. Beyond that, though, there is a thematic relevance to using Cal in the flashback once more as the voice of hope and kindness. Back in my s1 overview, I mentioned I was impressed with how the show introduces us to Cal at his weakest and then only later shows his strengths. One of them being that he may catch self loathing, big time, but he never becomes tunnel visioned into himself and never stops caring about others. Here, at a point when Xavier in the timeline is still extemely angry with him, he can't help but feel impressed by how Cal relates to Luisa Moreno and helps her through the birth experience, and it in turn inspires him to do that for Annie in the present.
Annie as a former medical student being aware of the danger she's in and through the episode coming to terms with her likely death as long as she can ensure her child won't just live but live surrounded by kindness and hope instead of fear again touches on what I think the show is trying to say, that survival by itself isn't enough, no matter whether you do so surrounded by luxury as in the bunker or above ground in harshness, that if humanity survives, it will not be "survival of the fittest" but has to be "survival of the heart and soul" as well. The flashbacks also make a point of showing our complicated antagonist Sam aka Sinatra first trying to avoid the new baby - due to her own tragic backstory of a lost cihld - but then finding hope and inspiration in it. Her whispered promise to the baby which no one else hears - that the baby will live to see the sun again and beathe in natural heir - confirms what was indicated before, that whatever her plan is aims at restoring a liveable environment above ground. Given that the scientist whose lecture kickstared it all insisted to her that the planet is doomed, of course the big question is how she wants to do that, and from what I saw the most popular current guess is that it will have to do with time travel, due to the emphasis on "time" in the dialogue every episode and the weird effect whenever Xavier and Link have their dream/vision featuring each other.
Time travel would be way more sci fi than apocalypse by tsunami and a giant bunker has been, but I don't have a better guess, either. Presumably the nosebleed, too, is an indication that something affecting the timeline is just happening if that theory is correct. And there is precedence in that Lost in its later season included time travel as well at one point. But currently I'm not totally convinced and hold out for something else none of us has ever guessed. If time does get altered, though, I want the new timeline to include a living Annie. Dammit.
ST: Starfleet Academy:
I am impressed that the show with only two more episodes to go and thus only a few scenes to spare did manage to make it clear SAM 2.0, with 17 years of memories to draw on, is somewhat different than her old self, while still maiintaining some core elements that prevent her from being a totally different character. (And the relationship with the Doctor is completely different, of course.) Whereas I am not impressed by the whole "Federation space now trapped in giant bubble" scheme - I'm sorry, but firstly, I just can't believe the size would be doable in all three dimensions, and secondly, Discovery - which was mentioned in dialogue as being around and active several episodes before - has its mushroom drive (which does not need warp) for this kind of situations, and I haven't heard any techno babble explaining why they shouldn't be able to use it. (If we get a Michael Burnham or Saru cameo next week with the ship in tow, all is explained and I shall be content.)
Aaaaaaaanyway. Hello again, Tatiana Maslany? I still suspect Caleb's mother isn't telling him all and will either turn out to be the true boss behind Nus or at the very least involved in the organisation (and maybe take it over after Nus' demise in the finale?). Especially since from the opening scene with Jay-Den doing the Klingon Found Family ritual onwards, it does look more than ever like they're setting up Caleb having to choose between his blood family, i.e. his mother, and the one he's found/made this season, and since his initial choice was his mother and since he's a main character, presumably his eventual choice will be the family he made. The transition of choices would be helped by Ms. Mir revealing herself to be not just the lone survivor and loving mother she appears to be for him but someone willing to kill others (while still loving him). Otoh, that actually makes the decision too easy, so maybe not? I don't know.
Anyway, the episode was mostly set up for the finale, and I do look forward to the Maslany/Hunter clash of terrific female actors next week, plus I will miss the show once the season is over, and will have to hope for good fanfic until we get season 2.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-08 06:39 pm (UTC)I hope there's a third option with his mum but yeah he's going to end up staying at the Academy for some reason or another.
Still banging my 'we need more episodes a season' because it doesn't feel like they've been at school a whole year yet.