Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 1.08.

In which I suspect the writers wanted to do a holodeck episode, but as this is before there are holodecks, had to use another plot device. Also, I think I bough this particular plot device more when Stephen Moffat did it.

( Which isn't to say I disliked the episode... )

Castle Rock

Courtesy of my three months of Starz which brought me Gaslit, I moved on to Castle Rock, which is to Stephen King novels what the tv series Dickensian is to Charles Dickens novels - part multi crossover, part original stories set in the Kingian universe. S1 and S2 have each their own storyline and ensemble, though the advertisement as an anthology series where every season is independent from each other isn't quite true; there are some connections across the two seasons. (Honestly, I think they're the show's weaker points.)

Speaking as someone who likes her share of Stephen King novels - not all, I don't think that's humanly possible? - , I thought it's an overall well done show which did more for me than, say, the IT movies, with some standout performances in both seasons especially by the female characters. It delivered on the tropes I was expecting in a way that for the most part made them the show's own. The horror and gore quota was what you'd expect given the source inspiration; more importantly, so were the characters in their three dimensionality. (There are Stephen King novels where I didn't care for the characters, but these were really very far and few. In both seasons of Castle Rock, I found myself caring as well.) It even achieved that ultimate goal of fanfiction, rewriting the headcanon you have of a character based on the original work to adjust to the new take - I'll never see Annie Wilkes (or hear Carly Simon) in the same way again. (Doesn't mean I was on board with all the storylines or characters, I'll get to the spoilery likes and dislikes in a moment.) Given the lack of positive word of mouth (though I may have missed something) about this show, which was cancelled after said two seasons, this was a very pleasant surprise. (Pleasant in a "those stories are heartbreaking" kind of way.)

( On to spoiler stuff. )

Now, considering shows with horror on the agenda and with a guarantee not all characters you care for will make it out alive, I wouldn't reccommend Castle Rock if you're not willling ot put up with either. But it suited me, and I'm glad to have watched it. Even if it makes me even more amazed that the Aged Parents and myself made it out of Maine alive when we went there over twenty years ago....