Justice League Unlimited: Wrapping Up Season 4 /  by Mark

Events come to a head in the final episodes of the season--

  • There's a "Panic in the Sky" (another reference to a DC storyline). We learn that the Ultimen clones are under Galatea's control (they're basically zombies). Clark calls a meeting of the founding members, then tells the rest of the heroes--as a symbol of cooperation, they are turning themselves into the authorities. Bruce, unsurprisingly, doesn't buy it. Steel (Phil LeMarr) and Kara continue to argue, and then the Cadmus attack begins. Missiles drill into the Watchtower, carrying the Ultimen and Galatea. Meanwhile, Batman has a chat with Waller, warning her about Luthor. A battle royale goes on with the League vs. Ultimen (cameos from Hourman, B'wana Beast, Crimson Fox   S.T.R.I.P.E., Stargirl, Ice, Ray, Atom Smasher, Vigilante, Black Canary, Fire,  Metamorpho, Starman, Commander Steel, Dr. Light, Red Tornado, Wildcat  Hawk, Sand, The Creeper, The Atom--just assume everybody). However, the real battle is between Kara and Galatea (Kara's amped up clone). It doesn't go well. Waller figures out what's going on with Lex, and tries to scrub the mission--Galatea refuses. The Watchtower's reactors comes back online just in time for Kara to fry Galatea. Luthor, however, has had time to complete his big plan--an Amazo clone for his mind to inhabit. Bruce tries to stop him, but remember, Lex is already "super". It takes Waller and the founding League members to take him down and destroy the android. We even get a "Ta Da!" from Flash when they are revealed. Luthor turns out to be inhabited, both mentally, and physically, by Brainiac! Whew! That takes us to...
  • ..."Divided We Fall". Brainiac goes into exposition mode, explaining how he took over Luthor without him even knowing about it. The League and BrainiLex duke it out, and the bad guy takes it out on Metropolis. BrainiLex gets in his ship (which looks like his own head--ego much), and the League attacks again, blowing up the ship. Bruce's prognosis--"that was too easy". BrainiLex is gone. Lex starts scamming Brainiac--being a god is only the beginning. They pick up the Dark Heart tech from Cadmus, turning them into a single entity. The rest of the League is stuck on the Watchtower, so it's just the "magnificent seven". Clark tries to talk to Lex, but it's just "business" to him--even destroying the Earth. He reforms the Justice Lords from the nanotech, and the battle is on. There's taunting a plenty, but the League takes them out. Diana throws a Javelin (the ship, not a weapon) at BrainiLex, but does no good. Flash is under Lex's gun, then runs away!!  Not really, he's just building up speed by running around the Earth. He slams into BrainiLex over and over, faster and faster, destroying the nanotech. Flash then fades into nothingness--he's gone. Clark has Lex's throat, and is about to vaporize him, but thinks better of it. J'onn realizes that Flash is still there--he's in the "speed force" (a concept from the comics). The team pulls him out of a vortex and saves his life. In the end, in front of every character ever seen on the show, Superman announces they are shutting down the Watchtower, and then tries to disbands the League, but GA vetoes him. There's a tender moment between Lois and Clark to carry us out.
  • Clearly the producers thought this was it for the series--the final episode of the season is called "Epilogue". We're going back to the future--an elderly Amanda Waller (with a cane) meets Terry McGuinness (Will Friedle of Batman Beyond). He's broken into Waller's mansion (we get a flashback of Terry confronting a very elderly Bruce, as well as his girlfriend Dana--he's quitting both of them, as well as the JLU). Terry has figured it out--Bruce is his father! Terry has come to Amanda to get the real answers. Yet more flashbacks--a fight with another Royal Flash Gang. Ace (Hynden Walch) can now warp reality, not just create hallucinations. Waller gives Bruce the tech to kill Ace--the only way to stop her. Instead, he stays with her while she dies of an aneurysm. Back to Amanda--she tells him that Bruce is NOT his father--she rewrote his DNA so there would always be a Batman. How did she get Bruce's DNA? He left it all over Gotham (not what she meant--he's injured a lot). She even planned to replicate the "kill the parents in front of the kid" to copy Bruce's childhood trauma, but it didn't work out. She tells him he has free will--he can be whatever he wants to be. Terry and Bruce have a tender moment, then Terry is back on the beat.

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Justice League Unlimited: More of Season 4 /  by Mark

Season Four rolls on...

  • Ooh, it's a creepy "Hunter's Moon"! We get more cameos (Crimson Fox, Blue Devil) and a romantic moment between GL and Vixen (Gina Torres) before she, Shayera, and Vigilante (Nathan Fillian--hey, a Firefly reunion, and they even made Nathan a cowboy) are sent on a space rescue mission. Unfortunately, it's a trap set by Thanagarian baddie Paran Dui (Elizabeth Pena). They're ambushed and the Javelin is destroyed (how much money does Bruce Wayne have, anyway?). The Thanagarian war ended in the other guys favor, and Shayera's a war criminal. Our heroes are on the run, and after a battle, Vixen is captured. She offers up Shayera in exchange (keep in mind she's GL's girlfriend, Shayera is his ex..) It's a scam to get into the villain's ship, but she's found out. Fortunately, Vig is on the case after stealing a scout ship. Bad girl and Vixen fight it out, as do Shayera and mecha-Thanagarian (very anime). It's a rout, and the heroes return. Another slew of cameos (Obsidian, Waverider, Zatanna, Dove, Hourman, Gypsy, Vibe, Rocket Red, Red Tornado), then GL realizes the two girls have bonded--oops.    
  • When a secret could destroy the League, it's time to "Question Authority". We'll get the that in a minute, but first, Clark and Lois have some "quiet time"--a picnic on top of a bridge. She questions him about the power of the League (especially in the last few episodes).  Some knowing looks, and--sorry, kids, onto the other story. The Question and Huntress are hacking records and breaking heads. A shot of the computer screen has several DC references (Multiverse, Flashpoint). The Question realizes what's about to happen (the Justice Lords, etc), and has to stop it. The Question confronts Clark, who tries to convince him it won't happen here, so he decides to take out Luthor himself--but now Lex seems to be "super" as well. The Question is tortured, and a worried Huntress contacts Clark via Jimmy's signal-watch (nice touch). They team up to spring Question from Cadmus, only to find Captain Atom is working for the bad guys(?)....
  • ...which takes us into "Flashpoint". Cap and Clark have it out while Huntress gets Question out of Cadmus. Back at the Watchtower, Clark's ready to take out Cadmus once and for all, but the conscience of the League--GA and Flash--argue the point, along with Kara and J'onn. Lex is ready for the battle--he takes over the Watchtower and fires the megaweapon at Cadmus--taking out his rival and making the League look like warmongers. The President's not happy! Waller managed to move Cadmus before the attack, and advises him to get ready for the next battle. The heroes survey the damage--more and more civilians no longer trust them (although they accept their help). Waller is tired of waiting for the President to strike, so she calls in Galatea (aka Power Girl) and a whole phlanx of Ultimen. This is going to get good...

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Star Trek TNG: In the Homestretch /  by Mark

We’ve got 8 episodes remaining of TNG--

  • The Enterprise crew is going through "Genesis". Data's cat Spot is pregnant (why wouldn't a starship cat be spayed or neutered?), so we begin in Sickbay (apparently Dr. Crusher is a veterinarian too). Worf's doing some weapons testing and manages to lose a photon torpedo--wouldn't they just auto-explode after X minutes?--so Picard and Data go in a shuttle to find it. Troi and Worf, now officially a couple, are bickering about the ship's temperature, to the point that Troi is sitting in a hot bath with her uniform on. Worf suddenly has venom sacs, which he uses to attack Crusher (McFadden directed the episode, so this conveniently takes her out of action). Riker and many other crewman are forgetting things. The only one doing well is Barclay, who got a technobabble injection before this all started. Picard and Data return to find the ship adrift. They go onto the ship (with no protection other than phasers?!?) to find a devolved crew. Troi's a lizard, Worf's a snake, Riker's a Cro-Magnon, Barclay's a spider. The make-up crew had their work cut out for them. After more technobabble, and Picard leading Snake-Worf on a merry chase, Data saves the day.
  • Ugh--Wesley's back in "Journey's End". He's on vacation (on a starship?) from the Academy--a flimsy excuse to get him back one last time. The Federation has worked out official borders between them and the Cardassians, and the Enterprise is assigned to move a colony of American Indians (message coming in, sir). Meanwhile, Wesley has switched from ugly sweaters to ugly jackets, and dismisses Geordi's engineering work. We get a lot of New Age technobabble from the colonists. Turns out that one of therm saw Wesley in a "vision quest", so he goes on one himself. The colonists figure out that Picard's ancestor was involved in an Indian massacre, which leaves him in a quandary--especially when the Cardassians arrive early. Wesley's sees his father (Doug Wert) during his quest, who tells him not to follow his path, and decides to help the colonists vs. the Feds. Picard is furious, and Wesley resigns from the Academy. He has a final touching scene with Dr. Crusher, then goes down to the planet. A fight breaks out, and the colonist reveals himself as "The Traveler" from Season One. Picard convinces the Cardassians to stand down, and the colonists decide to stay in the Cardassian empire. Wesley stays with them to continue his journey.
  • Again with Cousin Oliver/Alexander! In "Firstborn", Worf's prepping him for "Ascension" (more Klingon mumbo-jumbo), and Alexander isn't having it. Picard suggests he get some time with other Klingons, so they use the flagship of the Federation to go to an outpost. The festivities (Klingon opera/fighting) are interrupted by a real attack on Worf, but he's saved by a friend of his family (James Sloyan). It's time for Klingon intrigue! We get a cameo from Quark on DS9, a holodeck fighting simulator, and the wacky Klingon sisters (they're like the Patty and Selma of TNG). Finally, we learn that the "old family friend" is actually Alexander from the future(?!?), there to try to change his life. Of course, his being there changes the future anyway. All in all--meh.
  • It seems like they're using scripts from the slush pile to round out the series--or perhaps they got hold of some soap opera scripts. In "Bloodlines", Picard now has a secret son! He had a liaison with a girl early in his career, and an old Ferengi adversary swears vengeance. They track down 24-year old Jason Vigo (Ken Olandt) and beam him up. A quick genetic test later--yep, he's Picard's son. Picard tries to warm up to Jason, but he's not very open. Turns out he's a minor criminal--nothing serious. The Ferengi taunts Picard, then Jason suddenly has seizures. Some technobabble later, we learn that the Ferengi is using a transporter that can travel over several light years--one of these concepts which is conveniently forgotten later. Picard and Jason bond over a holodeck rock climb, even joking about his future hairline--then Jason is beamed off the ship. Picard uses the same method to follow him--then announces Jason is not his son (Crusher figured it out)--it was a scam by the Ferengi. Picard stops the Ferengis, and drops off Jason.

I'm hoping the final four episodes are better than these.  Star Trek: The Next Generation is available on Netflix. Happy Halloween!

Justice League Unlimited: Season 4 Continues /  by Mark

I made a slight error in the last JL entry--that was the start of Season 4 of JLU.  I've fixed the error.

  • "Task Force X" was the previous name of the Suicide Squad in the comics--incarcerated villains who agree to go on secret missions for the government, in exchange for a reduced sentence. In this case, the team is composed of Deadshot (Michael Rosenbaum), Plastique (Juliet Landau), Captain Boomerang (Donal Gibson), and Clock King (Alan Rachins). As in the comics, Rick Flagg (Adam Baldwin) leads the reluctant team while Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder) pulls the strings. They're kept in check with explosive nanites in their bodies. Their mission- break into the Watchtower and secure a "package" (the Annihilator armor from a previous episode). It's like a Mission: Impossible episode with super-villains. We even get a cameo from the faceless lackeys that work the Watchtower. There's a great moment with GL in an elevator with two of the disguised operatives. After taking out a group of minor heroes, they have to fight J'onn to escape.
  • There's a lack of "Balance" in Tartarus--classic DC sorceror Felix Faust (Robert Englund) escapes the magic mirror where he was imprisoned and takes over the Annihilator armor (ooh, a continuing story), using that to kick Hades out of power. It effects all the magical heroes, turning them insane. Hermes (Jason Bateman) arrives with the bad news, so Diana and Shayera's frosty relationship has to be put aside to set things right. Diana's power gets amped up by Hippolyta (Susan Sullivan) to give her an edge. We get a cameo from Abnegazar (a DC demon, played by Wayne Knight), and Diana uses the Lasso of Truth for the first time. Shayera's mace, along with Diana's power, takes out Faust. Hades tells Diana she is his daughter, but she doesn't believe it. In the end, Hippolyta drops Diana's banishment.
  • Aww, it's a "Double Date" with Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Question (Jeffrey Combs) and Huntress (Amy Acker). Huntress has a problem with rules, especially about killing, so J'onn kicks her out of the League. King Faraday (not a real king, just a gov't agent, played by Scott Patterson) is charged with protecting bad guy Mondragora (Glenn Shadix) who's going to rat out others, and GA & BC are running security. Huntress wants the bad guy dead, so they end up fighting each other--and Mondragora escapes in the confusion. We get Huntress' origin via Question--daughter of a mob boss, whom Mondragora murdered along with her mother. After multiple fights, we learn Modragora's secret--he's trying to save his son. It's a rather dark episode, with GA providing comic relief. Both the heroic couples were items in the comics, with GA/BC eventually marrying after decades of flirtation.
  • Shazam! Captain Marvel, the World's Mightiest Mortal (Jerry O'Connell) joins the League in "Clash". The League is getting it's clock cleaned by Parasite (who can drain other people's abilities). Supes is called to help, but Cap gets there first. We see him back on the Watchtower, awed by Sand, Wildcat, Stargirl, Captain Atom, Shining Knight, and Vigilante--then Supes calls him in to talk. He inadvertently endorsed Luthor for President, and called on the carpet for it. Luthor is trying to fix his image, even building a new city for low income families. Clark and Bruce talk it over during a skirmish with unnamed baddies. Bruce actually likes Cap. Professor Emil Hamilton (Robert Foxworth) warns him they stole some Kryptonite. It's all a scam to make Superman look vindictive against Lex, and it ends up in a fight between the Man of Steel and the Big Red Cheese (yes, that was one of Captain Marvel's nicknames). They manage to wreck Lex's city, which was the point. Cap quits the League, and the League ends up looking like bullies. In the end, we see Luthor and Waller are now allies.     

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Star Trek TNG: Even More of Season 7 /  by Mark

Engage!

  • Junior officers get the spotlight in "Lower Decks". Four crewmen--Bajoran Sito Jaxa (Shannon Fill), Vulcan Taurik (Alexander Enberg), human Lavelle (Dan Gauthier), and existing character Nurse Ogawa (Patti Yasutake) are going through simulations on the ship. Ogawa gets relationship advice from Crusher (possibly the worst choice ever), and Lavelle does a lousy job trying to bond with Riker. There's a mysterious survivor from Cardassian space beamed aboard. Picard dresses down Jaxa--she was in the group that covered up the accident at Starfleet Academy in an earlier episode. Taurik tries to figure out why LaForge is making him shoot as a shuttlecraft, and Ogawa assists Crusher in surgery--with a Cardassian. There's cuts between two poker games with the junior and senior officers, and a sensei/student moment between Jaxa and Worf. She then goes to Picard and tells him off--her reward is a secret mission with a Cardassian spy for the Federation. She acts as his prisoner on a shuttle--and is killed in the attempt. A lot of storyline for a single episode.
  • Oh Data! In "Thine Own Self", he's off picking up a missing probe on a pre-industrial planet. Unfortunately, he's damaged, loses his memory, and runs into prerequisite little girl Gia (Kimberly Cullum). Meanwhile--Crusher's running the ship? She volunteered--she talks to Troi about being a full commander, and how doing jobs like this allows her to stretch. Troi decides to do the same--remember when she had to run the ship during a disaster?--probably a good idea. Back on the planet--Gia's father Garvin (Michael Rothhaar) tries to figure out what Data is, then takes her to the local healer Talur (Ronnie Claire Edwards). She calls him an "ice man" from the arctic wastes. Now called Jaden, Data saves a villager from an anvil, freaking everyone out. Back on the ship, Troi goes through holodeck simulation tests and doesn't do well at emergency engineering. Troi realizes the only way to pass the test is to order LaForge to die in the simulation in order to save the ship, and is made a full Commander. Jaden/Data starts questioning the villages' science. Garvin gets sick--he was inadvertently exposed to radiation from the probe. The villagers turn on Jaden as they get sick as well. Data starts an investigation and figures out that the "radioactive" metal from the probe is to blame. The villagers attack and Data is literally exposed as an android. Just in time, he comes up with a cure, but is "killed" for his efforts. The Enterprise comes in and exhumes him--thank goodness they had time to give Troi those tests. Picard shows up at the end--it seems he's getting little screen time lately...
  • Brent Spiner gets a chance to be an ACTOR in "Masks". There's a rogue comet which deposits statuary in Troi's quarters. Of course, it's not immediately investigated--when will they learn? Data makes a clay mask in pottery class (don't these people have work to do?), and the ship's computer is taken over with unknown symbols. They blast the comet to see what's in the core--it's an ancient spaceship! Statuary starts showing up all over the ship. Data's mind and body is taken over by what sounds like Gollum. He's got an android version of multiple personalities. Picard talks with each of them, finding out that they are in danger. The ship is being transformed into an ancient society with swamps, aqueducts, etc. Picard plays archeologist, reading the symbols. Data puts on his clay mask and goes to the "temple" generated by LaForge. Picard, Troi, and Worf continue to decode the symbols. Picard puts on another mask and plays the role of another alien being to get them to leave. It's truly a silly scene--even the cast said they laughed at each other throughout the production.
  • After the histrionics of the last few episodes, we get a more low-key episode in "Eye of the Beholder". A crewman commits suicide by jumping into a technobabble energy stream. This is a rare event in the 24th century, to the point that Picard has never had to deal with it before. Worf and Troi are assigned to investigate what happened. At the same time, Worf is trying to begin a relationship with Troi, at one point trying to talk to Riker, in order to get his permission. Troi's getting weird visions about Utopia Planitia (where the Enterprise was built)--people laughing at her. Out of nowhere, Worf goes to kiss Troi in her quarters, and for no apparent reason, she's happy to reciprocate. We cut to the next morning, and Worf's making breakfast. They both get called for different duties. A body is found in the bulkhead--it's the woman Troi saw in her visions. A crewman that worked at the shipyards is now suspected. Suddenly, Worf is  making time with another crewman, and Troi shoots him. She goes to kill herself, and Worf stops her--it was all a vision caused by the crewman. A quick technobabble session later, all is resolved--no actual dalliance between our heroes--yet.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available on Netflix--more to come!

Justice League Unlimited: Season 4 Begins /  by Mark

More heroes are introduced as well as a new major storyline...

  • Guess who stars in "The Cat and the Canary"?
    • The former is Wildcat (Dennis Farina), and the latter is Black Canary, who finally gets a voice via Morena Baccarin. He's a classic character from the days of the JSA, and she was trained by him. She also has a "sonic scream" in addition to fighting ability. Of course, Green Arrow (Kin Shriner) is along for the ride.
    • Wildcat's in a jam--he's involved in "meta-brawls"--think illegal MMA with super powers. It's run by Roulette (Virginia Madsen), who's got Wildcat wrapped around her finger. He's also concerned that he's been "put out to pasture" in the League, assigned to training others. Canary asks Arrow to help--without involving the rest of the League.
    • Wildcat fights Atomic Skull (a minor DC villain), but the other two try to shut down the event, along with some other minor league bad guys. Wildcat still won't leave, so Canary agrees to fight him to secure his freedom.
    • Arrow knocks her out with a gas arrow and steps in for her. He doesn't fare so well, but that's his plan. GA is left for dead, and that makes Wildcat reconsider his life. It was all a scam, of course. Canary takes out the arena with her scream, and ends up with Arrow (of course).
  • The series gets involved with the New Gods in "The Ties That Bind"
    • Mister Miracle (Ioan Gruffudd) is "The World's Greatest Escape Artist", trained while escaping from Apokolips. His girl Big Barda (Farrah Forke) was a "Female Fury" working for Darkseid before she left, and Oberon (Dick Miller) is his assistant/agent.
    • Granny Goodness (Edward Asner?) kidnaps Oberon so Miracle will do a job for her. There's a power vacuum since Darkseid disappeared, so she wants him to get Darkseid's son Kalibak (Michael Dorn) for her. Yeah, I know it's complicated--blame Jack Kirby.
    • We get some backstory about Miracle's early life on Apokolips
    • We also meet Virmin Vunderbar (Arte Johnson). The whole New Gods concept can get very silly--he even says "very interesting--but futile".
    • Hey, Flash (Michael Rosenbaum) is back! He's commiserating with Elongated Man (Jeremy Piven) about the League treating them like kids (while they're playing Rock'em Sock'em Robots).
    • The League (aka J'onn) refuses to help, but Flash offers his assistance. We get a lot of Flash mispronouncing names throughout.
    • They go through various deathtraps while Miracle has flashbacks.
    • In the end, J'onn shows up (in guise as Kalibak) and Oberon is saved. He also makes sure the balance of power in Apokolips isn't changed.
  • It's "The Doomsday Sanction" for both Superman and Batman
    • We get "a day in the life" of Amanda Waller (CCC Pounder). Batman interrupts her in the shower (?), saying it's time for a talk.
    • Cadmus has been created to stop the League "just in case". Superman had to tell them about the Justice Lords in order to get Luthor's pardon.
    • They argue about who the "good guys" actually are.
    • We then cut back and forth between JL and Cadmus meetings as they make plans. One of the Cadmus experiments involve Doomsday (Michael Jai White). He's based on Kryptonian DNA and bred with a hatred of Superman. But Waller is the one that caused all his pain. He escapes and ends up near the volcano the League is fighting.
    • This sets up a big fight between Supes and Doomsday inside the volcano.
    • The military activates "Operation Firewall"--a kryptonite-based nuclear missile. Batman is off to stop it, and Waller tells the army to stop it as well, but they can't. Batman stops it at the last minute, taking out another Javelin in the process.
    • Clark throws Doomsday into the volcano to trap him. In the end, he's thrown into the Phantom Zone. Bruce says this is what the Justice Lords would have done--ooh, burn!

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Classic Commercials - Two Relics in One /  by Mark

I've decided to cover more classic commercials. This one includes two relics--Ed Sullivan (for those under 40--ask your grandparents) and Kodak film cameras (same advice).

I bought a low end version of one of those cameras at a garage sale as a kid--probably still have it somewhere around here. It was hard to find film for it 30 years ago. Now that Kodak is getting out of the film business (or the film business is going away), this technology will soon be as current as wax cylinders.

Enjoy!

Star Trek TNG: More of Season 7 /  by Mark

We finally got the chance to watch more TNG:

  • Worf passes through different realities in "Parallels". It all starts with a surprise birthday party for Worf--which he hates, of course. Cousin Oliver/Alexander is conveniently away at the time (thank goodness). Worf decides to "formalize" the relationship with Troi (making her Alexander's godmother). Worf starts to have "episodes", and things start changing around him--Worf and Troi are now man and wife! Their scenes together are rather creepy. Wesley is back as tactical officer! They figure out that technobabble quantum thingies have changed Worf--he's shifting form one reality to another. During a batte, the barriers between the realities change--thousands of alternate Enterprises start popping up. Worf stops it by sealing a quantum fissure, but not before kissing this realities' Troi. We get a quick shot of another Enterprise where the Borg won--Riker with a long beard, screaming that he won't go back. Back in the normal reality, Worf decides to move forward with a relationship with Troi.
  • Riker has to deal with his old captain in "The Pegasus". There's a cute scene at the start--The Enterprise is running "Captain Picard Day" for the kids, and the actual Picard doesn't like it. Meanwhile, Riker's old captain Pressman (now an admiral, played by Lost's Terry O'Quinn) is looking for their old experimental ship Pegasus--the Romulans found it. He and Riker reminisce, then talk about "the experiment". Pressman takes Riker (but not Picard) into his confidence--he plans to perform "the experiment" again. Picard confronts Riker about a possible conspiracy--lots o' drama. Pressman orders Picard into an asteroid to get to the Pegasus--they find it "phased" within the asteroid. Pressman and Riker beam over, then find a hatch--sorry, wrong show. Riker confronts Pressman--the ship has a working cloaking device that can also phase through matter. He realizes he can't allow it to survive, or the Romulan treaty will be broken. Unfortunately, the Enterprise needs it--the Romulans have sealed them in, so they have to phase out. There's a mutiny against Pressman, and they use the cloak to get out. Pressman is court-martialed.
  • Worf's foster brother Nikolai Rozhenko (Paul Sorvino--again with Worf's relatives!) breaks the Prime Directive in "Homeward". He decided to save the inhabitants of a planet, but used Federation tech to do it. Picard, of course, refuses to help him, what with the Prime Directive and all. The planet's atmosphere dissipates naturally, and the crew has to wrestle with the ramifications of the PM decision. However, we learn that Nikolai set up a simulacrum of the planet on a holodeck and beamed up the inhabitants of a village. There's arguments for and against the PM. However, Picard has little choice but to follow Nikolai's plans to move them to another planet.  The holodeck starts breaking down (as it usually does), and one of the villagers discovers the ruse--he sees a holodeck door and walks onto the ship. We also learn that Nikolai is going to have a baby with one of the villagers (how many mistakes did he make, anyway?). The holodeck starts to fall apart, LaForge whips up a storm to force them into their real tents before beaming them to their new planet (these are the most gullible life forms in the galaxy), and Nikolai decides to stay with them. The one villager who got onto the Enterprise kills himself rather than destroy his culture. Throughout most of the episode, we see Michael Dorn without the prosthetics (he had to be altered to "fit in" with the villagers). Hope Crusher got the head bumps right when it was all over...
  • "Unlucky in Love" Crusher strikes again in "Sub Rosa". She's at her grandmother's funeral, and sees the prerequisite "mysterious" man. We get the battle of the hair extensions between Crusher and Troi. Crusher gets a visit from a stereotypical Scotsman (they're on a colony based on the Scottish highlands), who warns her about an heirloom candle. Her "Nana's" journal talk about an affair with a 30 year old guy (she was 100 at the time). There's a "ghost lover" event while she's sleeping in her quarters. The ghost (Duncan Regehr) drops by Crusher again at Nana's home during a storm (the weather grid is broken). We get his exposition--he's been "with" her family for generations. The ships' controls go crazy--there's fog on the Bridge--and the stereotypical Scot is killed. Crusher resigns from the Fleet to be with the ghost. Picard rides in to "save" her, but gets zapped by the ghost. Data and LaForge exhume Nana's body (a lot easier with a transporter), and get zapped as well. Crusher finally gets wise and destroys the candle, then phasers the "ghost" (actually a technobabbly being) from existence. The whole episode is like Harlequin romance/fan fiction.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available on Netflix--more to come!

Justice League Unlimited: Even More Season 3 /  by Mark

It's Undead and the Back to the Future in this JL entry--

  • Solomon Grundy and Hawkgirl return in "Wake the Dead"
    • We start off with nerds playing with the dark arts, accidentally bringing Grundy back to (un)life
    • As we previously saw, Hawkgirl has been hanging out in Fate's tower--we get a great screen with her, Aquaman, and Amazo playing chess
    • Meanwhile, GL is at Vixen's (Gina Torres) fashion show when he gets the call. Vixen can call on the abilities of any animal. Seems like GL moved on quickly...
    • The League has little luck fighting Grundy--even Superman is taken out--but Hawkgirl wants to save him (they became friends in a previous episode)
    • Unfortunately, Grundy is hyper-charged with "chaos magic" and doesn't remember her. Fortunately, her Nth Metal mace does affect him.
    • Reluctantly, she destroys him (off camera, of course)
  • It's more time travel in the two-parter "The Once and Future Thing"
    • In the future, henpecked husband David Clinton (Peter MacNicol) builds a time machine, using it to steal famous objects form the past
    • We cut to another Watchtower cafeteria scene, including a quick shot of Commander Steel. Bruce and GL compare their current romances before there's an alarm--Clinton is trying to steal a utility belt. He escapes back into time, with Bruce, Diana, and GL in tow.
    • They wind up in the Old West, giving the writers the opportunity to feature DC's western characters--Bat Lash (Ben Browder), Jonah Hex (Adam Baldwin), El Diablo (Nestor Carbonell) and Pow-Wow Smith (Jonathan Joss)
    • Classic Diana, while doing the old bullets and bracelets bit: "Those are the biggest, slowest bullets I've ever seen."
    • Our heroes have to go incognito--fortunately, they run into some bushwackers that wear clothes that just happen to fit (except for the shoes, which Diana complains about). No one seems to notice that GL still has glowing green eyes. 
    • They run into futuristic weapons--a local villain stole Clinton's tech and took over the town
    • We get a western version of the JL theme during a montage
    • Robo-dinosaurs, robo-gunmen, and a tank bedevil our heroes
    • Hex mentions more than once that he's acquainted with time travel (the character spent quite a while doing so in the comics)
    • Clinton double-crosses them, and goes "back to the future"--specifically, the Batman Beyond future, taking us to part two...
    • Lots of guest stars here: heroes Batman Terry McGuinness (Will Friedle), War Hawk (Peter Onorati), and Static (Phil LaMarr); villains Ghoul (Michael Rosenbaum), Dee Dee (Melissa Joan Hart), Woof (Dee Bradley Baker), and Chucko (Don Harvey)
    • Bruce meets future Bruce and the remainder of the League. War Hawk is GL and Shayera's son, making things uncomfortable.
    • Clinton's tech supercharging the future villains with more future tech. One of the villains messes up and finds out how the dinosaurs died--in person. 
    • All this time travel is screwing up the space-time continuum--Diana disappears, and John changes into Hal, then back again
    • Classic Bruce(s), when told he doesn't know his way around New Gotham--Young Bruce: "Are villains still superstitious and cowardly?" Old Bruce: "Yup" Young Bruce: "Good enough for me"
    • They find Clinton's wife, who takes them to him--still holed up in the saloon from the Old West
    • Clinton escapes and tries to go to the beginning of time (we even get the "Hand of Creation" shot from the comics) before all is reset--and we're back in the cafeteria (what the hell is Diana eating--jello and milk?). Chronos is stuck in a loop being hen-pecked.

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Justice League Unlimited: More of Season 3 /  by Mark

As Season 3 rolls on, we get Booster, Super-Friends, and creepy robots.

  • Booster Gold (Tom Everett Scott) stars in "The Greatest Story Never Told"
    • Booster is a glory hound from the future with some "borrowed" weaponry. He also has a robotic assistant called Skeets (played by BIlly West). He wants to be a hero, but his reputation precedes him. J'onn won't put him on any major duties.
    • Despite his flaws, I've always enjoyed Booster. When the chips are down, he is a hero.
    • Mordru is attacking Metropolis, so the heroes are called out. J'onn calls for Aztek (had his own title for a short time, was in the JLA comic, then sacrificed himself during a meaningless crossover event) before he reluctantly includes Booster.
    • Booster ends up doing crowd control for the "real" heroes. Elongated Man (Jeremy Piven) gets the same job (Batman says Plastic Man's already on the job, and "they don't need two stretchy guys").
    • Mordru's spells are taking a toll--at one point, we see a half-Superman / half-Batman with Wonder Women's voice (a nod to a wacky 60's villain, the Composite Superman--another one of my favorites).
    • A kid asks Booster for help--unfortunately, he only saves an ant farm from a fire.  The kid's response: "Thanks, Green Lantern!"
    • He runs into a lab and finds an actual crisis--an experiment out of control, creating an artificial black hole inside a scientist.
    • After several fights and events (including a childbirth), Booster manages to stop the black hole and save the lady scientist (Lori Laughlin). The League never learns about what really happened.
  • The League has a rival hero team in "Ultimatum"
    • The Ultimen (Juice, Wind Dragon, Long Shadow, Downpour and Shifter) are pastiches of heroes created for the Super-Friends Saturday morning cartoon (Black Vulcan, Samurai, Apache Chief, and the Wonder Twins).
    • They help out the League against some monsters, then stand for photos and spout platitudes about the environment--even Superman calls them "corny". Their leader/press agent is Maxwell Lord (Tim Matheson). In the comics, he created Justice League International, then became a big time baddie.
    • The Ultimen even have their own action figures, seen in their quasi-Hall of Justice
    • It turns out the Ultimen were created in a lab run by Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder). The team decides to find out what's going on for themselves--and find other versions of themselves in vats. They are only a year old, with fake memories.
    • We get a fleeting shot of a WhirlyBat--a weird solo copter Batman used in the 50's
    • Apparently, Aquaman is in the League now--I thought he hated the idea
    • The Ultimen go nuts (they're dying, and want to be remembered) and attack the League before they finally surrender--to Cadmus. Waller infers she knows Batman's identity!
  • The Atom (John C. McGinley) takes on alien nanotech in "Dark Heart"
    • Finally, an original enemy not directly related to a DC character! It's written by Warren Ellis, a longtime comic book writer with credits such as The Authority, Transmetropolitan, Planetary, and Red. He also did some JL writing.
    • An alien ship lands on Earth and starts eating all matter to make lots of creepy robots
    • The whole team is called out, but has little luck. I'm wondering why non-powered heroes like Huntress are involved--attacking an alien armada with a stick? 
    • Classic Batman, after he drops "thermionic gas" missiles on the ship: Diana: "Why would you have something like that on board?" Bruce: "I needed to freeze the Gotham River once--long story."
    • To slow down the robots, J'onn transforms the Watchtower into "big fusion gun" mode, burning a huge trench around it. But as Daffy Duck once said: "I can only do it once".
    • Classic Batman II, after the Batplane is taken out by robots: "I could use some air support--since I can't fly--at all. Now would be good."
    • Clark brings in The Atom, who's working on his own nanotech. McGinley's Dr. Cox character from Scrubs comes out from time to time. 
    • Diana manages to get him to the alien ship (in her bustier), and he gives the "heart" of the ship a heart attack
    • The army is none too pleased about the JL having a "weapon of mass destruction" orbiting the Earth.
    • While the whole team is there, only a few of them actually speak. I guess they had to save on voice actor costs in order to cover all the CGI in this episode.

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Justice League Unlimited: Season 3 Continues /  by Mark

We get two lighthearted episodes, followed by a big battle and a reveal.

  • Morgan Le Fey and Mordred are back for "Kid Stuff"
    • I love how Mordred's playing a GameBoy before he gets a shinier toy--a magical artifact that he uses to eliminate all adults on Earth
    • We get a cameo from Blockbuster (Dee Bradley Baker) and other villains fighting the heroes before they all disappear
    • The show's opening theme usually includes shots from the episode, but they had to be careful to avoid the big spoiler in this case...
    • The adults find themselves in limbo, and Morgan (who's stuck there as well) proposes a deal--she turns Supes, Bats, WW, and GL into kids (hence the spoiler) so they can return and defeat him
    • There's a convenient set piece - an amusement park with a Sherwood Forest theme which Mordred turns into a creepy hellscape
    • The regular kids seem awfully willing to follow Mordred, at least to start with...
    • Kid Bruce has a hard time being a brooding presence--of course, he didn't have the best childhood
    • Etrigan is also there--as a baby. Kid Diana (played by Dakota Fanning) yells at him and he cries. She's acting as surrogate mom.
    • She's also not so good as a kid hiding her feelings for Kid Bruce (Kyle Alcazar)--this has been a subtext on the show for awhile. When Kid Clark (Shane Haboucha) doesn't understand, Kid GL (Marc John Jeffries) says "Man, for somebody with like 50 kinds of vision, you are so blind!"
    • Kid GL does what any kid would do with a ring that could construct anything--he makes a huge robot with multiple weapons
    • Kid Bruce tricks Mordred into becoming an adult--which sends him to limbo and reverses the original spell. It also shuts down his eternal youth--leaving him an ancient man with Morgan caring for him.
  • Diana feels a bit porcine in "This Little Piggy"
    • Classic lines--Diana: "No, no dating for the Batman. It might cut into your brooding time." Bruce: "You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues".
    • They run into Circe (Rachel York), who, as you might have guessed from the title, turns Diana into a pig
    • He turns to Zatanna (Jennifer Hale) for help. She's a real magician who does showbiz work on the side--her gimmick is speaking her spells backwards. Zatanna, in turn, goes to an old conjurer (Jack Carter) for supplies. It doesn't work, so Bruce calls in Medusa (Laraine Newman), who owes him (?!?) and finds out Circe's whereabouts.
    • We get, of all things, a musical number from Circe! It's there, apparently, to show off the voice actor's singing skills.
    • Wonder Pig escapes her leash, so Bruce calls in a tracker--B'wana Beast (Peter Onorati). Crimson Avenger, Red Tornado, and Elongated Man join the search.
    • Our little piggy ends up at a pork processing plant. Uh, oh, she's gonna end up being Wonder Ham!
    • Just in time, Batman makes a deal with Circe to lift the spell--he sings a ballad!
  • Amazo's (Robert Picardo) back, and he's gunning for Lex Luthor in "The Return"
    • As an appetizer, he takes out the GL Corps and their HQ, the planet OA!
    • The League is put in the uncomfortable position of protecting Lex
    • Supergirl and Steel take him into protective custody. Lex has a better idea--he has a "safe room" far underground. He's been ready for this. He ditches the other heroes, but The Atom (John C. McGinley) hitched a ride on Lex's suit.
    • The space-capable heroes get ready in orbit, along with hundreds of Javelins (who's paying for this? Not even Bruce could cover it). The team (Clark, GL, Orion, Captain Atom, Dr. Light, S.T.R.I.P.E., and Starman) throw everything they have at Amazo, but it barely slows him down. I guess a lot of Javelin teams died that day.
    • Meanwhile, Lex and Atom furiously work on a way to stop him
    • Team 2 (Supergirl, Rocket Red, Red Tornado, Fire) and Team 3 (Flash, WW, Ice, and Steel) do little better. It's interesting that we hear no quips from Flash--Michael Rosenbaum didn't participate most of this season, so Flash is silent.
    • The GL Corps show up to help--they managed to survive the initial attack
    • J'onn and Dr. Fate argue last case scenarios on the Watchtower
    • Amazo finds Lex, and asks his purpose. Lex talks Amazo into experiencing the end of the universe--and letting him go.
    • Amazo brings back OA--he just moved it--and Dr. Fate joins him on his search for knowledge
    • In a final reveal, we learn that Hawkgirl has been hiding in Fate's magical tower since season 2, trying to get her life back together

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Justice League Unlimited: Onto Season 3 /  by Mark

After the events closing out Season 2 of the Justice League animated series (Watchtower destroyed, Hawkgirl quits), the show gets a major reset (note the new name of the show above). DC finally gives WB Animation access to all the crayons in the box--they can essentially use any DCU character. The cast explodes--you see obscure characters like Vibe and Crimson Avenger walking down a hallway of the expanded Watchtower. For a comics fan, this is like crack.

  • Green Arrow (Kin Shriner) stars in "Initiation"
    • Bringing in GA first only makes sense, since he was the first addition to the original JLA team in the comics
    • We get an initial shot of at least some of the team--I had to hit the pause button to get the list: Shining Knight, Dr. Light, Nuklon, Hourman, Red Tornado, Obsidian, Starman, Vigilante, Mister Terrific, Gypsy, Johnny Thunder, Fire, Ice, Hawk, Dove, Elongated Man, Vixen, Huntress, Metamorpho, B'wana Best, Steel, Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Waverider, Booster Gold, Rocket Red, Aztek, The Question--plus a few I don't even recognize. Keep in mind--this is all before the new opening credits (think wailing guitar to the EXTREME!) 
    • Supes gives the initial pep talk (and exposition) to the team. Jonn's going to be the dispatcher, sending teams out as needed.
    • There's a lot more CGI on this series--necessary since the new Watchtower is IMMENSE
    • Captain Atom (George Eads) and Supergirl (Nicholle Tom) join up with GL (with GA tagging along) to check out a radiation problem in China
    • It turns out to be a nuclear-based monster--an experiment that went out of control. Captain Atom tries to drain it, but no dice (he's another experiment--a living nuclear pile held together in a containment suit).
    • None of the big guys have much luck--it takes GA shooting carbon rod arrows into in the monster to shut it down
    • At the end, GA joins the League--once he sees Black Canary for the first time
  • "For the Man Who Has Everything" is a retelling of the most beloved DC stories of the 1980's from Alan Moore.
    • They stay very close to the original story--Batman and WW come to the Fortress of Solitude to give Superman birthday presents, only to find him catatonic with a strange plant connected to him
    • The plant is a "Black Mercy" which puts you in a dream state that you never want to leave. Kal's living his fondest desire--Krypton survived, and he has a normal life and family there. A wife (played by Dana Delany--Lois Lane on his series), a son, even Krypto the dog.
    • The plant is a "gift" from Mongul (Eric Roberts)--a big time baddie. Bats and WW try their best to fight him, but don't do well.
    • Meanwhile, Kal and son goes to see Grandpa Jor-El (Christopher McDonald). He starts to figure out that "it's not right". He remembers an entire history that never happened. Krypton explodes around him, and he's back.
    • However, the plant is now on Bruce--we're in Crime Alley, but Thomas Wayne stops Joe Chill--his parents are never killed
    • Superman takes on Mongul with lethal force while Diana pulls the plant off Bruce and onto Mongul--putting him in his own fantasy of ruling the universe
  • Hawk and Dove, the "war and peace" superhero brothers, star in, well, "Hawk and Dove".
    • Fred Savage plays the warlike Hawk, while Jason Hervey plays the peacenik Dove.  They give Diana a hand fighting the god Ares (Michael York) and an enchanted war suit.
    • Diana's having a bad day--she's become more and more aggressive. Now she has to pick up the boys on the way to Kasnia/Kosovo. This will become a theme on the show--a "core" League member mentoring the younger members.
    • Diana checks in with Hephaestus (Ed Asner) while Dove tries to get the warring parties to talk
    • We get lots of great modern warfare footage
    • We finally learn the war suit is run by rage--so when they drop their weapons, the suit shuts down
  • Supergirl has some bad dreams--or are they?--in "Fearful Symmetry". She asks Green Arrow and The Question (Jeffrey Combs) for help.
    • Kara and GA have a chat in the Watchtower commissary. We get a cameo by Wildcat in the background.
    • The Question, understandably, is a conspiracy nut. When he mentions what Kara had for dinner last night, she asks if he went through her trash. His response: "Please! I go through everyone's trash"
    • Their investigation leads them to Cadmus, a DC "mad scientist" lab, where she was recently patched up. They get attacked by black helicopters (of course), drones, and soldiers.
    • They also find Gen. Hardcastle, a recurring bad guy on the various animated series. He's retired, but knows too much, so another super girl (who looks a lot like Power Girl) takes him out.
    • She's Galatea--Supergirl's older clone. She pulls our heroes into a holographic training program, and the super-battle is on.
    • Fun fact--The Question loves teen pop music
    • There's a psychic link between Kara and Galatea--this is where the "dreams" came from. In the end, the mysterious overlords stop the fight and Galatea disappears.

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Justice League Animated: Rounding Out Season 2 /  by Mark

The season wraps up with:

  • ...another teamup. This time, it's the Superman Revenge Squad in "Hereafter". It's basically "The Death of Superman" storyline.
    • The team is Toyman (Corey Burton), Live Wire, Weather Wizard (Burton again), Kalibak (Michael Dorn), and Metallo (Burton yet again)
    • There's a big fight, and it appears that Superman sacrifices himself to save the rest of the League (Batman doesn't believe it)
    • The funeral is a huge event, of course. We get cameos from Alfred (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and Lois Lane (Dana Delany), as well as Jimmy, Perry, Ma and Pa Kent, Barbara Gordon, every hero we've seen on the series, and Supergirl in disguise. We get the black armbands. Lex says he will miss the big guy. Bruce even says a few words. It's all very well done. 
    • Lobo (Brad Garrett) comes in to join the League, and is refused. Meanwhile, the villains try to take over--many of whom just say "arrgh" so they don't have to bring in the voice actors. Lobo gets to "help out".
    • Of course, Supes isn't dead--just sent to the far future where there's a red sun--so he's powerless. He takes a car (which was also transported), does some driving, and spends a long time there (he now has a beard). Actually, he does quite well.
    • Finally, he finds the crashed Watchtower and runs into Vandal Savage--he lived all this time. He was the one who ended civilization. The two of them finish a  time machine and Supes goes back to stop Savage.
    • There's a reference to "white dwarf matter" and Ray Palmer (The Silver Age Atom), whom Supes has to save.
    • The last shot is a future society fading into view in front of Savage.
  • ...a Christmas break for the team in "Comfort and Joy".
    • It's what you would call a "very special episode"
    •  GL and Hawkgirl have a snowball fight on another world, then visit her favorite alien bar. Of course, she starts a fight there, just for fun.
    • Flash helps out some orphan kids find a special toy. Unfortunately, he runs into Ultra-Humanite (Ian Buchanan). The villain calls a truce for the holiday, and they go back to the orphanage with the toy.
    • Clark and J'onn hang out with the Kents (Mike Farrell and Shelley Fabares), who explain they had to wrap little Clark's presents in lead foil (they still do).
    • J'onn learns the true spirit of Christmas--Oreos! Oh yeah, and good will to men...
  • ...a trip to Vegas in "Wild Cards". Joker's running a reality show with lives literally at stake.
    • Joker is the host of course, and Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin) is the sideline reporter
    • The Royal Flush Gang, a classic DC villain team with a playing card theme, keep the League's hands busy. We even get an "up close and personal" origin story for them.
    • We see a number of "theme" hotels on the Vegas strip, all with bombs in them, which the team has to defuse. One of the hotels is the "Amos Fortune" resort (a reference to yet another JL villain).
    • Joker's has an ace in the hole - "Ace" (Hynden Walch) can broadcast insanity over the airwaves, and the big Vegas fight gave her a huge television audience. Even the League can't resist her. Of course, Joker is immune since he's already insane.
    • Batman saves the day, turning Ace against the villain--he ends up catatonic
    • We FINALLY come to some closure on the GL/Hawkgirl flirtation
  • ...an epic alien battle in "Starcrossed". Thanagarians--Hawkgirl's race--show up to help when other generic aliens attack Earth.
    • The theme of the warlike Thanagarians has shown up in the DCU since the 1980's
    • We learn that Hawkgirl was a spy for them, and that she's betrothed  to their leader (Victor Rivers), who offers Earth their help
    • The other heroes try to help GL through all of this--Batman's not the best at a heart to heart
    • Batman also figures out the aliens who attacked first were actually DOA--it's a double cross! 
    • The Thanagarians quickly take over the planet
    • The League has to go incognito--as their secret identities. Flash argues against this, since they haven't exposed themselves to each other yet. Batman's response: "Wally West, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne".
    • There's a great scene when Bruce and Diana have to kiss in order to blend in. Diana: "Sorry" Bruce: "Don't be"
    • Hawkgirl finally switches sides, giving the team secret plans at the Batcave
    • After battles aplenty, Batman rams the the Watchtower into the bad guy's super-weapon on Earth and blows it up
    • In the end, Hawkgirl quits the League before they vote to kick her out--and leaves GL behind (sniff!)

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Star Trek TNG: Season 7 Continues /  by Mark

The final season rolls on...

  • Ugh--another two-parter. In "Gambit", Picard is kidnapped (the Federation think he's dead), so Riker asks Starfleet to take the ship on a vendetta--and they OK it(?!?) He gets captured too, of course. It turns out that members of an 80's hair band are looking for a Romulan artifact, and Picard has their confidence--Riker plays up a Starfleet guy gone bad. There really isn't enough plot here for two episodes--perhaps they had to amortize the cost of the extra sets and location shoots. Robin Curtis (Saavik in ST III) played a Vulcan separatist, and NBA star James Worthy played a big Klingon.
  • It's more of Data's trippy dreams in "Phantasms". Now he's having android nightmares--Troi as a cake, Crusher sipping out of Riker's head, an old fashioned telephone in his own chest. When he goes to "sleep", he gets under the covers on his bed (approximating human actions), but still wears his uniform--why? Wouldn't he gets his jammies on first? The real problem turns out to be technobabble thingies hooked up to the crew, so they bring up Data's dreams on the holodeck in order to fix things. In the B-stories, LaForge has to deal with a junior officer with a crush, and Picard manages to get out of a boring Admirals' dinner.
  • "Dark Page" brings back Lwaxana Troi, who's become a more dramatic character--in fact, she's in a coma, caused by her interaction with a telepathic race. There's a lot of Betazed mumbo-jumbo about "metaconscience" and telepathic-babble. We end up Lwaxana' s mind which is like a darker version of Data's dream Enterprise--lots of fish eye lenses and a wolf chasing her doc n the hallway, followed by a cameo by Deanna's father (Amick Byram). There's also a small telepathic girl involved, who happens to be Kirsten Dunst in an early role. Finally, we learn that Deanna had a sister Kestra who accidentally died when Deanna was a baby--Lwaxana had tried to block it out.
  • In the next episode, we learn how Picard and Crusher are "Attached". They get transporter-napped (why is Worf running the transporters anyway?), and get chipped by aliens. Speaking of them, the aliens (dressed like Mummenschanz) show up, give some exposition, then leave  for no apperent reason. Our heroes escape, then begin to read each other's thoughts. The aliens set up shop on the ship and apparently ransack a Sharper Image of security gadgetry. Picard and Crusher have some telepathically intimate moments before Riker is able to work out a deal.
  • "Force of Nature" seems like an attempt to reign in the show--literally. It's also a "message" story referencing global warming. The Enterprise has to go through a technobabble corridor--kind of a space Bermuda Triangle--in order to find a missing ship. There's a long sequence about training Data's cat--seems like "episode helper" to me. Alien scientists shut down their ship and come on board--they are there to get the Federation to listen to them: warp drive tech is destroying the fabric of space. They're like Greenpeace--IN SPACE! There's technobabble aplenty throughout the episode. They save the other ship, doing some space "surfing" while doing so. The Federation decides to be better safe than sorry--all ships are now limited to Warp 5 unless there's an emergency.
  • Now Data has a mother? Who's next, his nephew? "Inheritence" brings us Juliana Tainer (Fionnula Flanagan), who says she worked with Dr. Soong--and was his wife. She plays the stereotypical mother--embarrassing him in front of his friends, endless stories about his "childhood"--while Data plays the dutiful son. This is a very talky and schmaltzy episode. We keep seeing the Enterprise crew at concerts on the show--don't they have work to do? Of course, "Mom" turns out to be an android as well--Soong wanted a wife, so he made one. Even she doesn't know she's an android. Soong included a hologram chip in her so we meet him (Brent Spiner, of course) again.       

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available on Netflix--more to come!

Justice League Animated: More of Season 2 /  by Mark

Sorry for the lack of entries lately--life got in the way for awhile, plus the new TV season began, so time has been limited.  We're at the halfway point of the second season...
  • If it's a black diamond, Eclipso can't be far behind. The classic DC villain stars in "Eclipsed". He has the ability to invade minds and take them over.
    • In this case, an army unit finds the diamond, and one of them is quickly taken over. He goes rogue and tries to take over some nukes--then it takes over a general. He's got a lot of power--but the Justice League looks like a better weapon for Eclipso.
    • We get a great Flash Rogue cameo, with Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang, and Heat Wave (yeah, I know the names are goofy--it was the Silver Age). However, it's an ad for "Lightspeed Energy Bar"--Flash is cashing in. Brian Doyle Murray plays his agent. He's even got a van (why does the Fastest Man on Earth need a van?). He also makes a Hard-Traveling Heroes reference (GL and Green Arrow did a "discover America" drive in the 70's).
    • We also see Glorious Godfrey (Enrico Colantoni) as a political commentator a la Fox News. Wally gets sucked in, as you would expect. He also has a special guest--Dr. Frederic, the author of "The Innocent Seduced" (Dr. Frederic Wertham was the instigator of Senate hearing on comics books in the 50's, which just about shut down the industry).
    • Classic line from WW: "What's wrong with the way I dress?"
    • Speaking of Diana--she's the first of the team to be Eclipsed, and soon they don't know whom to trust. Unbelievably, Flash saves the day.
    • There's some lovely animation (CGI?) as they jumpstart the Sun.
  • Aquaman, Grundy, and Dr. Fate(Oded Fehr)? It's "The Terror Beyond".
    • Fate needs Grundy for an incantation to save Atlantis, and Grundy wants his soul back in return 
    • We also meet Inza, Dr. Fate's wife, played by Jennifer Hale.
    • The League wants answers, but it doesn't go well. Fate sends Grundy and Supes to Egypt, while WW and Aquaman end up on Easter Island, while he fights Hawkgirl. Battles ensue, and they all return to see Fate again.
    • Unfortunately, all this delay has stopped Fate from Cthulhu entering their world
    • We get both Atlantean and Thanagarian history, and then a debate on whether Grundy is competent
    • The whole group (minus Aquaman, who goes to fight for his kingdom) go to the the Cthulhu dimension
    • Grundy gets quite the sympathetic role as joins the heroes, then dies fighting for his soul
  • We've got a new "Secret Society" of Super-Villains
    • The new group includes Sinestro (Ted Levine), Giganta (Jennifer Hale), Parasite (Brian George), Shade (Stephen McHattie), Gorilla Grodd (Powers Boothe), Clayface (Ron Perlman), and Killer Frost (Jennifer Hale again)
    • They're training together, as are the League (they both apparently have "Danger Rooms"). Batman balks at training, of course.
    • They end up in a big fight, and the League does a lousy job. The Society is actually quite impressive.
    • The League does a lot of bickering afterwards, and the group disbands! It turns out Grodd's been influencing them.
    • They all end up in another fight in the League's Danger Room, and the Society prevails
    • The Society decides to finish them off at the Super Bowl halftime show, but Martian Manhunter saves the day. We get yet another fight, and apparently the League needed a crowd to win. They all make up and move on.

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Justice League Animated: Season Two Continues /  by Mark

Moving on...

  • Wonder Woman stars in "Maid of Honor" (although Batman lends a hand)
    • The episode begins with WW at a Paris party (she's trying to get out more), and who shows up? Bruce Wayne, in town for some "business".
    • She runs into another princess--Audrey of real-sounding county Kasnia (Dorie Barton). She's a party girl, and shows Diana a few things (think clean thoughts). 
    • Audrey is sowing her last wild oats before she marries--Vandal Savage? In this continuity, the League doesn't know he's immortal, so he passes himself off as the Nazi war criminal's grandson. We do get his origin story, though (it involves a Cro-Magnon and a meteor).
    • There's a whole plotline about stolen weapons and a takeover of the International Space Station (Kasnia is funding part of it)
    • There's also a new villain General Vox (Larry Drake) who can throw out sound wave blasts
    • There's a wonderful scene with Bats and WW breaking through resistance to stop the wedding, while all we hear is the wedding ceremony going on
    • Yet again, we have heroes who can fly unassisted in space (GL, J'onn), and yet attack the space station (now with a rail gun) in the Javelin ship
  • The GL Corps is back in "Hearts and Minds" fighting alien despot Despero (Keith David)--yet another classic JLA villain. He's got a third eye that controls minds.
    • John Stewart goes off to save his old mentor, Katma Tui (Kim Mai Guest). Since he and Hawkgirl are becoming something of an item (even Flash sees it), that's going to be a problem.
    • Huge alien GL Kilowog (Dennis Haysbert) and Flash make quite the comedy team
    • We get a precedent for the "Crayola Lanterns" in the current comic storylines--different colors based on different emotions. Here, a purple light means hate. 
    • GL ends up leading the resistance, with Katma Tui undercover in Despero's harem
    • There's a reference to "that Rayner kid" sent to be trained by Katma Tui. Kyle Rayner is yet another GL.
    • We end the episode with an inexplicable Earth Day message--the planet's life force was being controlled by the bad guy
  • Superman crosses the line in "A Batter World", creating an alternate reality where the League takes over the planet
    • There's a very creepy opening where President Luthor is vaporized by Superman in the Oval Office (Luthor was briefly President in the comics around that time)
    • They become "The Justice Lords" and start wearing dark clothing--it's not clear why the rest of the team just goes along with it
    • Lois and Lord Superman have become a bickering couple
    • Lord Flash was killed in the alternate reality---so their team lost their conscience
    • Lord Batman manages to find the normal dimension, and proposes they go "help" our normal heroes by replacing them
    • We get an alternate version of the Superman/Doomsday battle (you know, where Superman died)--in this case, Kal lobotomizes the monster
    • Our Flash manages to outwit Lord Batman--who would've though it?
    • We see an Arkham with a lobotomized Rogue's Gallery--Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy--and a group of Superman robots that quote the namby-pamby Superman from Season One
    • The two Batmen fight--and Lord Batman seems to convince Batman by saying "no 8 year old should lose their parents", but it's just a ruse
    • We get a great matched hero/Lord battle--and our Flash turns the tide with Kal vs. Kal
    • In the end, our Superman crosses the line--by making a deal with Luthor to help out in exchange for a pardon. Think this will come back to bite him later?
    • Was the whole episode is a commentary on post-9/11 America, with the loss of civil liberties? Well, they were editing this episode just before the US invaded Iraq...
    • The storyline in the alternate reality will be referenced quite a bit over the next several episodes

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.

Justice League Animated: Season Two Begins /  by Mark

Moving onto the second season...

  • "Twilight" brings in the whole New Gods continuity to the series. Brainiac (Corey Burton) attacks Apokopils, and the League is forced to ally themselves with Darkseid (Michael Ironside).
    • I guess the producers decided to toughen up Superman--at first, he wants the League to write off Apokolips
    • Force fields, laser guns, sci-fi battles, a massive head-shaped asteroid--this episode has everything
    • Again--why does Superman need to fly in the Javelin ship?
    • Of course, Darkseid double-crosses the good guys (he allies with Brainiac) and the bad guys (he double-double-crosses Brainiac)
    • Classic line: Batman: "Next time I let Superman take charge, just hit me--real hard!"
    • Classic line 2: Superman: "You know something, Bruce--you're not always right!"
    • We get some cameos from the Forever People and Mister Miracle
  • Luthor (Clancy Brown) brings us the classic JLA villain Amazo (an android with all the powers of the League, played by Robert Ricardo) in "Tabula Rasa"
    • We get a great appearance from Lisa Edelstein as Luthor's chauffeur/assistant Mercy Graves
    • There's a great visual when J'onn does a psychic sweep of the city to find Luthor
    • Another great effect is how Amazo's form changes as he duplicates the League's powers
    • As usual, Batman is the most effective hero--it helps when you carry a piece of kryptonite with you (when Amazo duplicates powers, he also duplicates weaknesses)
    • There's a "very special" B-story with Martian Manhunter, who learns how great humanity is
  • "Only a Dream" brings us yet another classic JLA villain--Doctor Destiny (William Atherton), who can control dreams.
    • BTW - Doctor Destiny predates Nightmare on Elm Street, with his first appearance in 1961
    • A minor convict is used in ESP experiments, and gets the powers during a jailbreak
    • The jailbreak also includes mainstays Solomon Grundy and Coperhead, along with villains Volcana (Peri Gilpin) and Luminus (Nicholas Guest) from the Superman animated series and Firefly (Mark Rolston) from the Batman animated series (he's a classic Batman villain as well)
    • Destiny takes over the League's dreams
      • Flash is stuck in a world where everyone is frozen
      • GL is stuck in a world where no one can understand him--language has become gibberish
      • Superman can't control his powers, torches Lois Lane, and crushes Jimmy Olsen (Dana Delany and David Kaufman, reprising their roles from the Superman animated series)
      • Hawkgirl gets her wings clipped and she falls into a casket (she's claustrophobic, we learn)
    • Martian Manhunter goes into their dreams to save them
    • Batman takes down Destiny by concentrating on a children's song

 JL biography: Flash

  • aka Wally West, the Scarlet Speedster 
  • 1st appearance in the comics: Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (1986
  • Nephew of the Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen)
  • Got his powers from lightning striking a shelf of chemicals in front of him (just as it had his uncle)
  • A later retcon (retoractive continuity) gave him the power from the mystic Speed Force
  • Powers: Near infinite speed, wackiness
  • Voice Actor: Michael Rosenbaum (who also played Luthor on Smallvilla)
  • Main events in the comics while the series was on the air (2001-04)

If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.