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Wherein Andy and Justice court disappointment in their rewatch of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two episode ten, "The Dauphin." This is among the most forgettable episodes of the series. Case in point: we forgot that we recorded this review and moved on to "Contagion." Why do the writers continually pitch Wesley's personal life as something interesting? Why does he seek romantic advice fro...

Wherein Justice and Andy bludgeon their way through the uneven final season of the uneven series run of The Boys . What started off so promising simply took too long to produce and became a pastiche of itself. If the attitude or tone of the show didn't change, why did our reception of it? How did what was once shocking become routine? And even expected and boring? It's so dreadfully disappointing...

Wherein Andy and Justice flunk the class of 3196 and pick through the carcass of an unfinished yet canceled show, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy . This show is terrible all around: plot, check - setting, check - tone, check - theme, check. Why did the studio greenlight a show they had no confidence in? Is this the end of the Kurtzman era Star Trek? Will this finally make them put the franchise on ic...

Wherein Justice and Andy amuse themselves with an investigation into the comedic impulses and necessities of televised or filmed representations of the popular tabletop rpg Dungeons & Dragons. Which mediums demand more humor to be successful and why? How low can humor go before it turns off an adult audience? Why does humor seem to be more important when introducing new audiences to the setting an...

Wherein Andy and Justice debride the eleventh episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two. The initial introduction to the Iconian race, the episode captures some of the same ominous energy of season one's "Conspiracy." This one continues in the tradition of "A Matter of Honor" and "The Child" as episodes where the character development seems out of place. Why does Picard leave the ship i...

Wherein Justice and Andy pass judgement on "The Measure of a Man," the ninth episode of  Star Trek: The Next Generation season two. In this episode, Data is on trial for his rights and existence, with Picard acting as his defense and Riker as (forced) prosecution. This episode is an analog for many of the differnet kinds of rights under threat today, such as civil rights, trans rights, and the rig...

Wherein Andy and Justice exchange ideas about the events of the eighth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two. An exchange program in Starfleet sounds like a positive thing, however, it takes a special kind of confused writing to muddle things up this badly. Why does Riker choose to participate in the program? Why does Worf have so little screen time in a Klingon-centric episode? Who...

Wherein Justice and Andy hunt down the impact of Predator: Badlands , the newest entry in the Predator franchise from Dan Trachtenberg. As the first film in the franchise to feature the Predator as the protagonist, how does it shift the narrative direction for the franchise for the future? And as the first PG-13 film in the franchise, does it imply a softening or Disneyfication for the films foing...

Wherein Andy and Justice innoculate the wider Trek fandom against the notion that the seventh episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation consulted with any medical professional in the screenplay's assessment of how to properly handle an unknown pathogen. Not only do we get more of Pulaski's bigotry in this episode, but we learn that her academic experience as a virologist has z...

Wherein Justice and Andy hijack the discussion of Ira Graves and his violation of Data's body and mind. In this review of Star Trek: The Next Generation' s sixth episode of the second season, we encounter the man described by Dr. Pulaski as "the greatest human mind in the universe." He does not live up to this description. What is the nature of bodily autonomy and does Data have the right to his o...

Wherein Andy and Justice interpret the events of "Loud as a Whisper" in their review of the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season. In an episode produced and aired during the debate around the Americans With Disabilities Act, Star Trek portrayes a protagonist with different abilities. How is the deafness of Riva shown on screen? How does the crew react to his unique form...

Wherein Justice and Andy swoop into the fray of the controversial new Superman film. It's the first of James Gunn's new DCU and takes a very different approach than the MCU's established pattern of success. How believable does a Superman movie have to be? Why is this movie so crowded? Will there ever be standalone origin stories in this new DCU? And will we ever see a mature Lex Luthor again? Leap...

Wherein Andy and Justice rake "The Outrageous Okona" over the coals in their review of this fourth episode of the second season of  Star Trek: The Next Generation. The main issue with this episode is not only that Okona himself is not outrageous, but that the episode does not fit narratively in season two, nor does it contribute to character development and growth as we've come to expect following...

Wherein Justice and Andy investigate the events of the third episode of  Star Trek: The Next Generation 's second season, "Elementary, Dear Data." Who wouldn't love seeing Data as Sherlock Holmes? Well, Katherine Pulaski, for one. This episode continues to explore her technophobic bigotry, while at the same time expanding the character of Data and the wondrous capabilities of the holodeck. We also...

Wherein Andy and Justice intentionally slip into the snare of the second episode of season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation , "Where Silence Has Lease." As season two starts to find its footing, we still face some strange developmental choices for the characters and the space. Having encountered another all-powerful entity, the crew confounds expectations by reacting to all of the events in t...

Wherein Justice and Andy embark on their analysis of the first episode of season two of  Star Trek: The Next Generation , "The Child" as the first entry in their full season two analysis. Season two is critical because it is a pivotal time in the establishment of  Star Trek: The Next Generation  as the preeminent entry in the Second Age of Star Trek. While season one was imporant but clumsy, seaso...

Wherein Andy and Justice ressurect the conversation of immortality by looking at the the 1986 film Highlander and the China Miéville and Keanu Reeves 2024 novel  The Book of Elsewhere. What is the psychological nature of being an immortal? It seems to be something people wish for, and yet it is often depicted as something that inevitably leads to severe depression and a desire for death. We also d...

Wherein Justice and Andy launch themselves into the conversation about the recently released trailer for  The Fantastic Four: First Steps . What does the retro-futuristic setting imply for its space in the MCU? Has anybody ever thought the powers of Marvel's First Family were cool? We sure don't, and we know you don't either. Ultimately, we wonder if this film can redeem the MCU or the failed Fant...

Wherein Andy and Justice bemoan the horrifying experience of subjecting themselves to the new film  Star Trek: Section 31 . This marks the 14th Star Trek film and, given its quality, possibly the last for the foreseeable future. Why does this film exist? How could Michelle Yeoh (an outstanding artist) consent to this film's release? There is no one to blame but Alex Kurtzman.

Wherein Justice and Andy compute the outcome of the first season of Dune: Prophecy on HBO. In these final three episodes, we see even more of a departure from Frank Herbert's Dune lore while at the same time an almost slavish adherence to the original novel. If those things seem in conflict, you're not wrong. And yet, somehow the show remains a compelling experience. More Dune is always good, espe...

Wherein Andy and Justice slither through a reading of  How the Grinch Stole Christmas , a 1957 Dr. Suess classic. Many Marxists see the Grinch as abandoning his Marxist principles, but that is not supported by the text. So what happens instead? What does the Grinch really embrace? Who are the Whos, really? And ultimately, what is the reason the Grinch returns from Mt. Crumpet with myocarditis? Hap...

Wherein Justice and Andy map out the DNA of the new  Dune: Prophecy  series from HBO. At this halfway point of the series' release, we already see a departure from the style of Frank Herbert and notice some inconsistencies in the source material. While this is clearly meant to be tied to the larger franchise of Villeneuve's Dune  parts 1&2 and it matches very well aesthetically, we have some quest...

Wherein Andy and Justice examine the "stakes" of remaking old films and stories. Both  Salem's Lot  and  Roadhouse  have been remade this year and we're curious to know why. Given their relative success, what does this mean for all of the other shitty movies we wish we could forget? We look at the idea of nostalgia and while we understand why these stories were popular (except for Roadhouse ), we...

Wherein Justice and Andy punch their way into the celebration of  Fight Club 's 25th anniversary. Can you believe it's already that old? For us, where Fight Club is part of our history, this anniversary marks a reevaluation of the film and its personal and cultural impacts. What did we use to love about it? Do we still feel the same way? Hint: we do not. It isn't about the message behind it; its a...

Wherein Andy and Justice exhume Captain Kirk because of William Shatner's recently proclaimed dissatisfaction with the legendary figure's death. We revisit that scene in  Star Trek: Generations and discuss whether or not his opinion holds up. Would Kirk have appeared in NuTrek if he had not died? Would we have even wanted that? Was this an apporpriate end for him and a way to effectively pass the...