Club Admiralty Blog
A blog about life in general, in as many languages as I can manage. Ενα ιστολόγιο περι ζωής, πολυγλωσσο - σε όσες γλωσσες εχω μεράκι να γράψω.
Review: Star Trek: The Stardate Collection Volume 2 - Under the Command of Christopher Pike
Monday, Feb 22 2021, 07:05 Comic Book, Entertainment, goodreads, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networks, Star Trek Permalink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The adventures of Captain Pike are interesting, even though Marvel canceled the series in mid-story. Some characters are really out-of-character with what we've seen elsewhere in the Trek-universe, but this was still an interesting read :-)
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TV Binging and Series Finales (part II)
Wednesday, Oct 7 2020, 05:00 Action, Comedy, CW, Entertainment, Humor, netflix, Sci-Fi, Television PermalinkThe other post was getting a bit long, so I am continuing it here (who knows, there may even be a part III!)
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
I rather liked this series. It follows a group of SHIELD agents who are protecting the earth from whatever big bad happens to exist. All events take place after the first Avengers movie, so the big bad that kicked it off was HYDRA, and Agent Coulson was brought back from the dead to run SHIELD because Nick Fury has gone AWOL. Throughout the series we get introduced to inhumans (which had a failed spinoff series), we have our agents traveling to parallel dimensions (or was it other planets?), we have a small Ghost-Rider arc (still waiting on that spinoff), we had agents stuck in a simulation and living "Agents of HYDRA" - a soft of mirror universe. And then somewhere around season 5 we get all timey-whimey where the Agents try to save the earth from an apocalyptic future. This gets them to space, and introduces the Chronocoms, and all sorts of things that I really didn't excite me as much. I think the final season really saved it. Yes, it was time-travel-y, but I think it was done well and re-established SHIELD as an agency. Sometime around Season 3 they felt a little less like an agency under the auspices of a government, and more like disconnected dogooders. It's really a pity that the MCU didn't capitalize on this series by creating connections between the movies and the TV show. In the end, I think things were tied up well. Phil Coulson, a guy who's died more times than Daniel Jackson and JL Picard finally retires and can enjoy his time off...until the next adventure I guess. I think the payoff for all main characters was really good. You get a glimpse of their post-SHIELD-team lives, despite the bittersweet nostalgia that remains.
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
I rather liked this series. It follows a group of SHIELD agents who are protecting the earth from whatever big bad happens to exist. All events take place after the first Avengers movie, so the big bad that kicked it off was HYDRA, and Agent Coulson was brought back from the dead to run SHIELD because Nick Fury has gone AWOL. Throughout the series we get introduced to inhumans (which had a failed spinoff series), we have our agents traveling to parallel dimensions (or was it other planets?), we have a small Ghost-Rider arc (still waiting on that spinoff), we had agents stuck in a simulation and living "Agents of HYDRA" - a soft of mirror universe. And then somewhere around season 5 we get all timey-whimey where the Agents try to save the earth from an apocalyptic future. This gets them to space, and introduces the Chronocoms, and all sorts of things that I really didn't excite me as much. I think the final season really saved it. Yes, it was time-travel-y, but I think it was done well and re-established SHIELD as an agency. Sometime around Season 3 they felt a little less like an agency under the auspices of a government, and more like disconnected dogooders. It's really a pity that the MCU didn't capitalize on this series by creating connections between the movies and the TV show. In the end, I think things were tied up well. Phil Coulson, a guy who's died more times than Daniel Jackson and JL Picard finally retires and can enjoy his time off...until the next adventure I guess. I think the payoff for all main characters was really good. You get a glimpse of their post-SHIELD-team lives, despite the bittersweet nostalgia that remains.
Schitt's Creek
The final season of this show was quite a surprise (I did not think they were getting another season). The premise of the show was that a rich family is down on their luck. They had made their millions in VHS rental stores (think Blockbuster), but with the downturn of that industry (and because someone was embezzling money), this family failed to rebound. Lucky for them the dad had jokingly bought a small town for the son (David) as a birthday gift which could not be repossessed. hence, the family moves to the town and they live in two motel rooms free of charge (since they own the town). It was a show about discovering yourself and discovering what really makes you happy. There are quite a few memorable characters in this show, and I think they all get a happy ending (no pun intended...I guess you have to watch). That said, I think that it's left open-ended for potential future series (although I think that's unlikely).
Strike Back
This was another TV show that I was surprised had one more season in them. The last season seemed like it would be it for this show. Well, in this exciting season of Strike Back, Section 20 are given a mission to stop two brothers from unleashing a series of terrorist attacks against the West, but gradually uncover a conspiracy between Western intelligence agencies. While uncovering this, they become a target. At the end (after being chased as rogue operatives), Section 20 is cleared of all wrongdoing and they all go their separate ways...or do they? I think the ambiguous ending leaves it open for another season, but I think this crew definitely needs a break. The biggest part for me this season was the (antepenultimate?) episode of the series where MacAllister dies. From memory, I don't think the series has shot an episode like this in the past, and the darned thing was a tear-jerker when you realized what was happening.
Silicon Valley
This is from a while back (sometime last spring). Silicon Valley was a show about a talented, yet very gauche, developer makes an awesome compression algorithm that could revolutionize the internet. This developer works for Hooli (basically Google), and leaves to pursue their dream of further developing this algorithm, with venture capital funding. The amount of times I cringed throughout the seasons at what has happening on screen is probably uncountable, but it was quite a fun show overall. I think the series as a whole was an introspection at the oddness of the Silicon Valley world, and venture capital in the USA. This show is definitely worth a re-watch.
The 100
I think I may have found a series finale that was worse than the LOST season finale! The 100 had so much potential, but it pulled an Andromeda on us, and every season after the second got wackier and wackier. I think this show jumped the shark at least 10 times for me, but I kept watching to see where it ended. So, we start off with Humanity destroying earth through a nuclear holocaust. There are 12 space stations that serve as an Ark for humanity, but they have population controls until the radiation levels can go down low enough for them to come down to earth. Near that time when it's safer for people to come down, 100 delinquents are sent down to earth as punishment (also over-population) and they survive. Sounds like a good premise. Well, over the 7 seasons we've seen things like AIs going nuts and nuking the planet, 12 tribes ("krus") who are immune to the radiation on earth (with various territorial skirmishes), a long lost expedition to some other planet in the Goldilocks zone coming back to earth, earth getting a second nuclear holocaust, but this time no Arks to save them, except for said ship, stargates (of sorts) that connect people across 7 planets (missed an opportunity there for the number 12), ascended beings, like stargate, ascension - like stargate, unascension - since it's a choice like stargate, and a grand old test to see if you're worthy to ascend (sort of like Q standing in judgment over all of humanity). In the end, the series protagonist, having gone off the rails ALMOST dooms all of humanity, essentially forfeiting her leadership role by killing, but someone else steps in, redeems humanity in the eyes of this ascended judge. Everyone human is lifted into -- wherever -- and humanity is ascended. Except for Clarke (said protagonist). Her sin was too great and in order for humanity to ascend she needs to stay behind. So, Clarke now is going through the 7 planets looking for others. She does not want to be alone. Well, back on earth a handful of her friends unascended to live happily ever after with her, but in doing so they can neither procreate (to continue humanity's corporeal existence) and they can neither ascend once their corporeal lives ends. Nice sentiment, but I think the ending would have been more potent is Clarke were some sort of 100-Jesus-figure, sacrificing herself to save humanity. The ending (and the last season or so) were just really bad. Such lost potential. There is a prequel rumored to be coming around. I want to know what they aim to do with that...

Review: Star Trek: The Stardate Collection Volume 1
Sunday, Sep 6 2020, 11:47 Comic Book, Entertainment, goodreads, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networks, Star Trek, StarTrek Permalink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was fun to read. This collection puts together comics in chronological order, so we get to see the original commissioning of the Enterprise 1701, we are introduced to "Number One" as a cadet, and later on we get to see Captain Pike and some of the "original" crew, pre-Kirk. Some stories are stories we know but narrated from the perspectives of other crew members. I wish more of the older comics (regardless of the original publisher) were collected like this :-)
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Review: The Orville #4: The Word of Avis Part 2 of 2
Friday, Jul 31 2020, 09:16 Comic Book, Entertainment, goodreads, Orville, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networks Permalink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
More of a comment on both parts of this story: Interesting commentary on religion (in a way that only a comedy can do it). I did find the story a bit unbelievable - anthropologists converting from (essentially) atheists to the religion of the Krill just by studying their sacred writing, but it was an interesting Orville tale nevertheless. At the end of the story, it sets up a potential for a continuing series in comic form.
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Review: The Orville #1: New Beginnings Part 1 of 2
Thursday, Jul 30 2020, 09:13 Comic Book, Entertainment, goodreads, Orville, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networking Permalink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
More of a comment on both 1+2 of this series. Interesting story. Gives a bit of background on the "federation" equivalent in the Orville universe. It's interesting that the old-style uniforms had rank insignia like TNG ;-). We also get to see sentient fowl, which was very Mighty Max :-). Some of the Orville crew get stranded on a planet where they discover the remains of a ship that was lost a long time ago. One of the ship's junior officers rigs the replicators to produce food for the locals after the econological disaster (that the ship inadvertently caused) kills most things off and makes life on the planet unsustainable. What will the crew of the Orville do?
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Review: DS9: Hearts And Minds
Saturday, Jul 25 2020, 15:37 Comic Book, DS9, Entertainment, goodreads, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networks, Star Trek, StarTrek Permalink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It's interesting how much play the gamma quadrant gets in the comics, yet in the series I don't recall them ever making such a big deal of it (most issues on DS9 seems alpha and beta quadrant related). This mini-series is all about the Klingons and the Cardassians butting heads because the Romulans make it look like a Klingon ship has been destroyed by a Cardassian ship in the gamma quadrant. Interesting story, with a nice little quark sub-plot.
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Star Trek Lower Decks trailer
Monday, Jul 20 2020, 07:21 Animated, Entertainment, Sci-Fi, Star Trek, StarTrek, trailer PermalinkThe trailer for the new animated star trek series is officially out (with the series premiering in a few short weeks). I wasn't really sure about this series when I first heard about it, mostly because it was associated with Rick and Morty (another animated series which I don't particularly like - the dialog is not for me). After this first official, full length, trailer, I am cautiously optimistic about this series.

Review: Star Trek: Voyager: Mirrors and Smoke
Saturday, Jul 18 2020, 03:30 Comic Book, Entertainment, goodreads, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networks, Star Trek, StarTrek Permalink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I always enjoy a good mirror universe story. Voyager (like TNG) didn't have an on-screen mirror universe, but it's interesting to see that even in the mirror universe Janeway and crew were stranded in the Delta quadrant. Faced with the prospect of returning to the alpha quadrant to fight a losing battle with the KCA, they decided to stay in the delta quadrant and become space pirates.
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Review: Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath
Thursday, Jul 16 2020, 02:30 Comic Book, Entertainment, goodreads, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networks, Star Trek, StarTrek Permalink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It was a rather interesting epilogue to the most recent season of discovery.
Synopsis from Memory Alpha: Many Klingons, including Kor's father, decry L'Rell’s position and actions as chancellor as well as her self-appointed nickname of "Mother." Pike contacts L'Rell in an effort to build a lasting peace atop their temporary alliance. She agrees to preliminary talks on the planet Vaset III and appoints Kor as head of her personal security. Still on leave, Spock copes with Michael's absence and considers his path forward without her. Pike asks for his help with the peace mission, though Spock questions his own presence at such an historic event. L'Rell asks Spock for a private conversation, seeking logical input on dealing with her internal enemies. However, some of those enemies, calling themselves the Shadows of Kahless, strike quickly, seizing control of her flagship and bombing the conference. They intend to return L'Rell to QonoS for a public execution. Spock evades capture long enough to rescue L'Rell, who remotely takes back control of her ship and crashes it into the planet's surface, eliminating at least some of her enemies. She abandons the peace conference, instead returning home to root out the rest of her enemies. Spock realizes that his place is indeed aboard the Enterprise and returns to duty.
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Review: The Maquis
Sunday, Jul 12 2020, 17:05 Comic Book, Entertainment, goodreads, review, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Social Networks, Star Trek, StarTrek Permalink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of those stories that I could see being adapted to a DS9 episode. Bashir takes some well deserved R&R to Risa (the number of days he takes off seems ridiculously low, but whatever), but he gets abducted by the Maquis because they need a doctor. Of course, this isn't the real reason, one Maquis is trying to get her relative back from the Cardassians, and the Cardassian wants "plain simple Garak". Through some hostage arbitrage, via Bashir, this happens. This story takes place just after Voyager disappears into the badlands.
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