What's on the idiot box... Part 2

[LadyCrimson]

Walking Dead - well millions of Daryl fans should be pleased. I did like the episode tho ... and the way the 2nd half of the season is focusing on individual people as they struggle on their own. New story and character dynamics after having the same ones for so long.

 

The show still tends to make me wish I could fast forward to the last episode cliffhanger arc, tho.

[aluminiumtrioxid]

Am I the only one who is severely disappointed in S02E01 of Vikings?

[ManifestedISO]

G.H.? In the tube, what was it? A giant? Some kind of Asgardian? Who is Lauralie? How do you spell her name? Why are SHIELD Agents so terrible at close-quarters urban infiltration combat? I have so many questions. 

[ShadySands]

I've heard some people saying the blue alien was a Kree

 

EDIT: but I can see it being a frost giant maybe

Edited March 5, 2014 by ShadySands

[ManifestedISO]

Oh, holy crap, that means SKYE IS KREE/FROST GIANT, TOO!!! WUT

 

Well whatever, next week we get two goddess-like chicks kicking each other's asses. Win. 

Edited March 5, 2014 by ManifestedISO

[Amentep]

The most prominent blue people are the Kree and the Atlantians; the frost giants, Nebula's people and a few more exist though.  A lesser chance would be a post-Terrigen Mist Inhuman (because they can look like anything).

 

Lorelei is Aurora's - The Enchantress' - sister.  Both are Thor villains (The Enchantress and her partner-in-crime The Executioner being particularly early villains in the Thor series in Journey Into Mystery).

[Oerwinde]

Am I the only one who is severely disappointed in S02E01 of Vikings?

Disappointed in Lagertha leaving, but looking up the historical/mythological figure seems she becomes Queen of Norway and comes to Ragnar's rescue at some point. The guy who plays Rollo is my choice for Hercules if he shows up in the Marvel movies after that battle scene though

Edited March 5, 2014 by Oerwinde

[ManifestedISO]

Ah, okay, good. With the upcoming Thor-themed characters, I'm assuming it wouldn't make sense to introduce an "unknown" race at the same time, with the Kree. I just keep thinking of how Loki was a frost giant in apparently "human" form, and since Skye didn't suffer the same unbearable torment from the injection as Coulsen, she must be partially inhuman. Now watch, the Clairvoyant will be Skye's horrific, mortal mother.  

[Hurlshort]

I'm really confused as to whether you guys are talking about Vikings or SHIELD.

[HoonDing]

Rollo shouldn't be Hercules, but the King of Northumbria would be perfect for that role provided he loses some weight and puts on some muscle.

 

[Blarghagh]

Ah, okay, good. With the upcoming Thor-themed characters, I'm assuming it wouldn't make sense to introduce an "unknown" race at the same time, with the Kree. I just keep thinking of how Loki was a frost giant in apparently "human" form, and since Skye didn't suffer the same unbearable torment from the injection as Coulsen, she must be partially inhuman. Now watch, the Clairvoyant will be Skye's horrific, mortal mother.  

 

Didn't everyone refer to the Clairvoyant as he? I can't recall.

 

Crack theory time - Fitz is the Clairvoyant.

[ManifestedISO]

Right, exactly ... classic gender pronoun misdirection.  

[Amentep]

RE: Agents of SHIELD

 

Well the Atlanteans are iffy since Namor may still be controlled by Universal.  And I imagine they'll save Atlanteans for a Namor project.

 

Kree would tie in to GotG, but Korath the Pursuer in the trailers isn't blue like he is in the comics and he's the only Kree we've seen on screen.  Also GotG will be premiering between the end of this season of AoS and when next season (if picked up) would start so it'd be difficult to do a  direct tie in this season.

 

Frost Giants and Dark elves have both been introduced, but Frost Giants never made it to earth on screen, and Dark elves made it after Coulson's return.  That said we know in AoS continuity that there are some Norse around so why not a FG?

 

Inhumans are a bit of a dark horse, we know that Marvel has indicated in the past that they intended to treat them as the live-action-verse's mutants, but - like Atlanteans - would they introduce the Inhumans in general before the royal family?

 

But my guess is that Skye's origins and the half-a-blue-man-group dude aren't necessarily connected.

[Mor]

[LadyCrimson]

TWD - I much preferred Daryl with shorter hair vs. his current not quite a mullet-look mop top. Also

 

 

I fear for Beth. Not that I love her character, but ... I'm imagining someone from the mysterious town of Terminus being the one who grabbed her. Maybe they need fresh breeding stock so "everyone can survive" there. But maybe it'll be all fine/not threatening. Also ... Daryl was monumentally stupid re: decision to remain in the mysteriously clean/tidy and well-stocked house.

 

Bob/Sasha/Maggie had some nice moments. I loved Bob's "I'm not alone this time" smile. I hope he doesn't die now.

 

I understand Maggie is obsessed with finding her love Glenn but has she even mentioned Beth at all? You know ... her young sister?

 

 

Two more episodes and then hopefully we'll find out what Terminus is about in the last one. I've mostly liked the chr-driven episodes, but needing a more focused storyline soon. I will say it was refreshing to not have any Rick/Carl for 2 episodes. I have yet to seriously warm up to Carl.

[Zoraptor]

I presumed (for about fifteen minutes) that the people who grabbed Beth were the people Rick ran into a couple of episodes previous, they were particularly interested in finding a cleaned woman's shirt when they weren't throttling each other and bouncing tennis balls. On the face of it at least it seems less likely now.

[Raithe]

Hm, for what could be an interesting upcoming thing..

 

 

 

BBC America has just announced the 10 PM April 19th debut of a four-part mini-series titled The Real History of Science Fiction, which will feature...actually, we'll need an entirely separate paragraph for that. It's a lot of our favorite sci-fi/fantasy people.

 

From BBC American's web portal for the documentary:

From

Star Wars

to

2001: A Space Odyssey,

and from

Jurassic Park

to

Doctor Who,

each program is packed with contributors behind these creations and traces the developments of Robots, Space, Invasion, and Time. Narrated by Mark Gatiss,

Doctor Who

writer, actor, and co-creator of the BBC’s

Sherlock,

the series determines why science fiction is not merely a genre… for its audience it’s a portal to a multi-verse – one that is all too easy to get lost in.

Among those taking part are: William Shatner

(Star Trek),

Nathan Fillion

(Firefly),

Zoe Saldana

(Avatar, Star Trek)

, Steven Moffat

(Doctor Who),

Richard Dreyfuss

(Close Encounters of the Third Kind),

Chris Carter

(The X-Files),

Ronald D Moore

(Battlestar Galactica),

John Landis

(An American Werewolf in London, Schlock),

David Tennant

(Doctor Who),

Christopher Lloyd

(Back to the Future),

Rutger Hauer

(Blade Runner),

John Carpenter

(Dark Star, The Thing),

Karen Gillan

(Doctor Who),

Neil Gaiman

(The Sandman, Stardust),

Kim Stanley Robinson

(Mars Trilogy),

Scott Bakula

(Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise),

Ursula K Le Guin

(The Left Hand of Darkness),

Syd Mead

(Blade Runner),

Kenny Baker

(Star Wars),

Anthony Daniels

(Star Wars),

Nichelle Nichols

(Star Trek),

Peter Weller

(Robocop)

, Edward James Olmos

(Blade Runner, Battlestar Galactica),

and many more.

Got that? Rutger Hauer is going to explain science fiction to us and then we'll never sleep again.

Here's some more information on what each of the four episodes will be discussing:

 

 

Episode 1: Robots

What if our creations turn against us?  The idea of creating life has fascinated society since the earliest days of science fiction. The first installment of the four-part series, 

Robots

transports viewers from the first steps of Frankenstein’s monster to the threat provided by the Terminator and the world of Cyberspace. Find out how Rutger Hauer created one of the greatest speeches in all of science fiction for 

Blade Runner

. Discover from Kenny Baker the challenge of acting in 

Star Wars

while inside the body of R2D2, and learn how Anthony Daniels was drawn to the role of C-3PO by concept art modeled closely on the robot from the silent classic 

Metropolis

. Douglas Trumbull (

2001: A Space Odyssey

, 

Blade Runner

) discusses how he managed to create a whole new approach to robot design. The creators of the original

Robocop

describe how its hidden depths have given it enduring appeal and William Gibson reveals the origins of his seminal novel 

Neuromancer

. From HAL in 

2001: A Space Odyssey

to the Cylons of the reimagined 

Battlestar Galactica

and the world of 

The Matrix

, this is a journey that asks – what does it mean to be human?

 

Episode 2: Space

What if we could explore the vastness of Space? Science fiction has always fed upon our need to explore – to wonder what is out there.  

Space

journeys from Jules Verne’s earliest ideas about attempts to leave our planet, to the 

Star Wars

far away galaxy through to Nichelle Nichols revealing how her groundbreaking role as Lt. Uhura in 

Star Trek

led to her participation in the recruitment of NASA’s astronauts. It explores the deep sea inspiration for 

Avatar

, finds out why Ursula K Le Guin wrote 

The Left Hand of Darkness

and discovers how Stanley Kubrick was able to make 

2001: A Space Odyssey

seem so believable. In addition, the program looks at the way 

Dune

and 

The Mars Trilogy

embraced the challenge of world building and discusses the appeal of the beaten up ‘dirty space’ of 

Dark Star

and 

Firefly

. From the horrifying scenes of 

Alien

, to the epic spectacle of 

Star Wars

, this is a journey to the stars and the alien encounters that await us there.

 

Episode 3: Invasion

What if aliens landed on Earth? Much of science fiction explores the moment of first contact – what will people do when the aliens land? From H. G. Wells’ pioneering

The War of the Worlds

to 

Independence Day

, 

Men in Black

and 

District 9

, 

Invasion

deals with our fears of alien invasions of earth. David Tennant explains the appeal of

Doctor Who

’s Daleks and Cybermen while John Carpenter and Chris Carter explore the rich appeal of the paranoia fuelled by hidden aliens with 

The Thing

and 

The X-Files

. It also asks, what if the monsters were our own creation? With the aid of rarely seen animation tests, Phil Tippett takes us behind the scenes in the creation of the dinosaurs of 

Jurassic Park

. But not all invasions are hostile. Peter Coyote and Richard Dreyfuss discuss the creation of Spielberg’s spellbinding classics 

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

and 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

. There is more than one kind of invasion.

 

Episode 4: Time

What if we could travel not just through space, but through time itself? If you could travel through time, would you change the past or the future? What if you found it couldn’t be changed? What price does the time traveller – and the people they are closest to – pay? This is a journey from H. G. Wells 

The Time Machine

through ideas like 

The Grandfather Paradox

and 

The Butterfly Effect

to the professional time traveller that is the ever popular 

Doctor Who

. Steven Moffat, David Tennant, Karen Gillan and Neil Gaiman offer a unique perspective on the Doctor. Edward James Olmos reveals the hidden meaning of the language he created for the vision of the future that is 

Blade Runner

. Bob Gale and Christopher Lloyd take us behind the scenes of 

Back to the Future

, while Ed Solomon describes the joy of solving a time travel conundrum for 

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

. But what would be the physical and emotional cost to the time traveller? Audrey Niffenegger explains what inspired her novel 

The Time Traveller’s Wife

. And what if someone from the future tried to travel back in time to warn us? Would we believe them? From the apocalyptic tones of 

12 Monkeys

to the drama of 

Quantum Leap

and the comedy of 

Groundhog Day

, time travel is a subject that has been irresistible to the creators of every type of science fiction.

 

The Mary Sue notes that the BBCA press release also notes involvement from Charlie Jane Anders, Veronica Cartwright, Gale Anne Hurd, and Janet Peoples.

 

 

 

[ManifestedISO]

Wow, this whole time I completely bought Lady Sif, Jaimie Alexander's, posh Asgardian accent ... but she's an American actress. Impressive. And a pleasant tone, too, she should totally do voice-over work and give Jennifer Hale a run. And her swordplay ... gah

 

Still wondering who Agent Ward is actually in love with ... surely not Skye ... but who else is there. 

[Hiro Protagonist]

True Detective. I watched this over the last two nights and I'm glad I waited for all the episodes. Great series. And some great quotes from Rust with every episode.

[ManifestedISO]

Elementary renewed for next year, season three. It's pretty entertaining for a procedural, a genre I don't usually appreciate. Big Bang will get fully three more seaons ... I still like it.

 

But the best news from today is the June 3 release date of season six, remastered blu-ray ST:TNG, including five new commentaries and even more new interview documentaries. 

[Hiro Protagonist]

Been watching some new TV shows.

 

From Dusk Till Dawn. Not as good as the movie but it's similar. First episode was from the first 10 minutes or so from the movie but just extended as a TV episode. You can see the main actors are trying to mimic George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino. Even the actor who plays the ranger is trying to be the same as Michael Parks' Earl McGraw. They've changed QT's character with having an 'ability' (and not sure for the better) but I won't mention spoilers. Overall, it was ok and I'll stick with it.

 

Believe. Interesting show with a little girl with powers. Too implausible to believe, not because of the powers but the situations that happen. Where are the police when all the things in the show are happening? Crazy woman wielding a gun in a hospital, the car chases, the car going through a door to a building. No police around. Where are the government agents wanting to take this little girl with powers? No where to be found. Will still watch to see where it goes..

 

Resurrection. People come back to life after many years, even decades and wake up in weird places. Sort of has a 4400 feel to it with people coming back. Seems to be the best out of these new series.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Hiro Protagonist

[Labadal]

Black Sails or whatever the name is. Sex and blood describes the first episode quite well. I don't know what the actual name is.

 

Second season of Arrow. I won't say it's taken a nosedive but it's nowhere near as good as the first season.

[Keyrock]

March Madness!

[rjshae]

Saw the first episode of The 100 last night. An interesting premise, and different from what I was expecting. The flavor is a little bit of 'convicts deported to Australia' meets Lord of the Flies. It may be good, or it could be terrible.

Edited March 20, 2014 by rjshae

[Hiro Protagonist]

Resurrection. People come back to life after many years, even decades and wake up in weird places. Sort of has a 4400 feel to it with people coming back. Seems to be the best out of these new series.

 

Noticed on the internet, people have been saying this is just a rip off of the French TV series Les Revenants (The Returned). So I decided to download this series and.. WOW, now I know why people are saying this is a rip off. The French version is a great show btw.