TV Recap #Binge Edition - #Supernatural, #QueensGambit, #StarTrekDiscovery

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

This year has been so sad and strange. Keeping oneself occupied is very difficult, even with the vasts amount of entertainment at our fingertips. I've watched more stuff on TV this year than the last few years combined, I'm sure!

So, let's get down to business!!

MAJOR SPOILERS

Supernatural - The final episodes.

I didn't binge this one, rather watched the last few ones weekly. I know covid changed the original ending they wanted, but I thought it was very fitting. I told my BFF about the penultimate episode and how they wrapped up the Big Bad storyline. He asked me how I thought it would end, and I pretty much got it right. Dean dead and happy in Heaven, Sam has the life he always wanted. Started and ended with the brothers. That's how I would have done it too, with a few differences. I'm not going to get into any of the controversy surrounding the final few episodes, I respect everyone's feelings on this and my take on it won't change minds anyway. 

Queens Gambit - Netflix

I learned to play chess as a kid, I wasn't very good then or now, but I still like to play on occasion. Funny enough, I started playing online a few months ago, because of covid, and had seen the main actress in Emma, so I figured I'd give the first episode a shot. I didn't move until I was done! The only thing that would have made the show better is if it were a true story. Great cast, great sets, and clothing, spot-on everything!

Star Trek Discover - CBS Access (S1 on reg CBS now)

I watched the pilot when it first aired on CBS a couple years ago. I refuse to pay for Access, but a friend of mine was nice enough to share. I'll admit, the first few episodes didn't feel like Trek to me. Once I got to episode 7 with Harry Mudd, I felt that Trek vibe again and really enjoyed it. Personally, I like it when they do a standalone plot alongside the big season arch. You have to watch them all to get the full story, unlike past Trek shows where they were mostly self-contained. I'm caught up and watching S3. New episode on tonight!

Queen Solo - Netflix

This is an African spy show that I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, there won't be a season two, which is a shame, because there are some unanswered questions from the first. Overall I found the pacing a little weird, but the characters were interesting and the story was pretty good. The fight scenes were pretty good, more believable than most action fight scenes, and it was wonderful seeing a story set in Africa.

The Outpost - CW

I remember watching this pilot when it first came out and didn't really care for it. When I saw it got a second season, I thought about going back and trying again, but I just wasn't in the mood. Then I noticed a friend of mine on Twitter tweeting with the cast. I asked for her opinion and decided to give it another try. This show is along the lines of the old Xena and Hercules shows from the 90s, but not as cheesy, (yes, there is some cheese, and I'm okay with that). The first season was rough, but a few of the side characters were good enough for me to keep going and I'm glad I did. It's an interesting show with a weird premise, but it works. 

Upload - Prime

I like Robbie Amel, he's cute, so I figured why not. I was pleasantly surprised with this show. It has a very Matrix-like story of Heaven being a digital playground. It was funny, emotional, and had a few great characters. Worth checking out!

Utopia - Prime

Weird, trippy, must pay attention to it carefully if you want to watch. Seeing John Cusak in that role was odd, but I thought he pulled it off well. I watched it a while ago, and nothing else really sticks out to me right now.

Lovecraft Country - HBO

Wow. Just Wow. Brilliant cast, fantastic characters, and another trippy story to make your head spin. There was one scene, where Tick and Co. are chased out of town by racists police officers, and it was the most suspenseful scene I've seen in a very long time. It's gross, not for the faint of heart, by any means, but well worth giving a try.

Emily in Paris - Netflix

I was really bored okay? It wasn't great, but I chuckled a bit. I'm not sure if they played into the French stereotype of being mean to non-French people or not. I don't know any people from France personally and have never been there, but they played that pard hard, and it got a little annoying.

My Didn't Finish list:

Next - Fox. Just meh.

Swamp Thing - I have a couple on my DVR, I may go back to it and finish.

Have any suggestions? I'm always looking for something new to watch these days!

My #SciFi Journey from Reading Rainbow to Tiva Boon and Back Again.

Reading Rainbow has undoubtedly turned millions of children into readers. I'm sure they've inspired a few thousand writers, too, because I know I'm one of them.

Way back in the dark, non-tech age of 1983-1984, I was a ten year old tomboy. I didn't read much, until I happened upon Reading Rainbow on PBS. After watching a few episodes, I went to the library and found a series called Encyclopedia Brown. I devoured the books. Eventually graduate to older books, especially Nancy Drew.

Around 1987, my social studies teacher had the class watch Roots. I recognized LeVar Burton instantly and found myself captivated by the series. I was older now, but I was curious to see if Reading Rainbow was still on TV. It was! I watched a few episodes here and there, it was still fun, but most of the books at that time were for younger kids. However, luck would have it that one episode I watch happened to be the behind the scenes episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

I had a healthy knowledge of SciFi for a 14 year old. There were all the superheroes of course, Star Wars, and I knew about the original Star Trek, though never watched regularly. So imagine my shock when Wil Wheaton from Stand By Me (I was a Cory fan, I HAD to see it), showed up on set as Wesley Crusher. Okay, I thought, I'll have to check this out.

I watched every episode I could find on TV. Mostly in reruns, late night in syndication (sitting alone in the basement), after all, there were no DVRs. Recording TV on VHS was SUCH a pain.

Over the next few years during high school and beyond, I read the Star Trek books, eventually watched all the episodes, fell in love with other Science Fiction series' like Quantum Leap, Sliders, X-Files, DS9, then Voyager...you get the idea.

In the late 90's I started dabbling in Fan Fiction, before it was even a thing. I wrote a couple Star Treks, a Star Wars one, but mostly stuck to mystery-crime types as I moved into the 2000s.

Then, one night early August 2001, I found a little chat group called the Exploratory Crews of the Federation on AOL. I already had a Jenn Of N screen name, my homage to Seven of Nine. So, I popped in, learned it was an online Star Trek Role Playing group, and proceeded to act out in character, trying to assimilate the people inside. LOL!

After chatting with one of the group captains, I agreed to come back to watch one of their games, which they called Sims, short for simulations. Basically, each person had a Star Trek type character and post on a starship, and they would act out original "episodes" of Star Trek real time in the chat room.

What fun!

I made a character. Excelled at playing in their style, made so many friends I can't even tell you, and found myself having so much fun I made multiple characters.

One of them was Tiva Boon.

She was my fish out of water, only one of her kind alien, who I made to be a cross between Data from TNG and Seven from Voyager. Well, like most of my characters, she took on a life of her own and over the course of the next year or so, I had this awesome, fleshed out character with a story begging to be told.

Who am I to argue? I started writing. It took me another two years to write the entire story.

After two publisher closings and about 10 years, Tiva Boon: Royal Guardian is seeing the light of day!

This project, on many levels, is a group effort. Without any of these steps, I know for a fact, Tiva would not exist. So when I learned that LeVar Burton was trying to bring back Reading Rainbow for a new generation, I didn't hesitate one moment and backed the Kickstarter project, which I'm happy to say met BOTH it's goals!!

Above and beyond writing Tiva's story or any of my others, I've made friends from all walks of life, just like a Star Trek future I hope the people of Earth get to participate in one day, because after all, it's a very big universe, there may be something out there.

Inspiration comes in many forms, even in the oddest places, let it open your mind and heart, you never know what the result will be!