Television: Singing with Star Trek

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Spock singing in the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. (Paramount+)

If you are following Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, then you may have already encountered episode 9 of the second season, titled “Subspace Rhapsody.” Should you have missed it, then you are in for a treat because this is the first Star Trek musical episode. And it is fun.

For just a taste, check out this clip with an emotional Spock singing his heart out. I do not want to give to much away and spoil the episode if you are not that far along in the series, but let’s just say Spoke is have relationship issues. You must admit that Ethan Peck has a nice voice, as do his crew mates singing other pieces.

The whole thing has the feeling of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer singing episode, which is fine with me given that I believe it was one of the better episodes of that show.

By the way, Spock also had a small singing part in the original series. In that case, he sang a serenade accompanied by a harp. It’s a short piece, yet enough to show that Mr. Peck beats Mr. Nimoy as a singer.

Last season, Strange New Worlds had the cast caught up in a children’s story. I did not find that one to be as enjoyable, but it was another attempt to have some fun with the series. I like the effort to keep it fresh.

Maybe another ballad could be fit into an episode down the road – maybe something similar to what The Orville did in its final two episodes. That too created two of the more memorable episodes of that series.

Television: Season Two of Foundation

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Poster for season two of Foundation. (Apple TV+)

If you are not watching Foundation on Apple TV+, I recommend you give it a try. Season two begins today.

We need it during a summer with very few if any films touching on space fantasies (without Marvel or DC Comics superheros). The season two trailer will show you what is in store this season, but you need to start from the beginning with season one. You do not want to miss a minute of this series.

The Foundation television series is a cross between Dune and Game of Thrones, with plenty of corrupt dynasties, rebel alliances, and moral dilemmas. However, you should not expect it to closely track Issac Asimov’s books. It deviates from and expands on the themes from the books, but this television story is its own creature. You should enjoy the book and television series separately.

Back in 2021, Belen Edwards wrote a good piece for Mashable called “How Apple TV’s ‘Foundation’ is different from the books.” You will not need it if you are new to the overall story or willing to trust Apple TV+ to give you a good show, but if you are curious about the variations on a theme then this will satisfy that itch.

I am just happy that we have a summer space blockbuster to keep us satisfied. And it is a welcome addition to the constant renewal of Star Trek and Star Wars series. Don’t get me wrong. I want all of it. But Asimov’s universe is another great place to travel if only to better understand the world back here.

Television: Black Mirror Has Another Space Episode

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett from Black Mirror. (Netflix)

While I recommend the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to anyone looking for a good program (now that the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard has ended), you can also tune into the new season of Netflix’ Black Mirror for a space episode.

You may remember the “USS Callister” episode from season 4 back in 2017, which played off of the Star Trek series. It was one of the better episodes of the series. Well, in season 6 that just started you get to see another space-related episode called “Beyond the Sea.” It is a strange story about astronauts living on a space station while their replicas live back on Earth. The astronauts can slip into the replicas at any time to be back on Earth with their families.

The story starts out well enough (as does with acting, with Josh Hartnett and Aaron Paul playing the astronauts), but then it gets weird, as one might expect with this series.

I do not want to give too much away, but the time period is very odd as is the ending of the story. It makes little sense to me and does not seem to be a completed thought. One would almost expect a follow-on episode, but it is not clear how that could ever correct what we just witnessed.

Hence, I am not recommending the episode, but instead pointing it out for the curious. Even poorly plotted episodes can have minor merits. You decide.

And then go back and watch the “USS Callister” episode to clear your head. That one I can recommend.

Podcast: A Conversation with William Shatner

Posted on by onespaceman2000

WTF Podcast host Marc Maron interviewed William Shatner recently. Overall, it was a fun conversation with Mr. Shatner discussing his early acting career, his family, his flight into space on Blue Origin, his various ongoing projects, and more.

In terms of projects, Mr. Shatner mentioned a variety of interests, including horse shows, television series, and even designing his own watch (shown below). Yes, the man is still busy in his 90s.

I recommend you check it out (the interview starts at about the 11 minute mark).

Note: One of the television series discussed is Fox’s new series Stars on Mars, which premieres today.

Image (Credit): New watch design created by William Shatner and Ilan Muallem Srulovicz. (Egard Watch Co.)

Podcast/Book Review: Jesuits Find an Exoplanet to Explore

Posted on by onespaceman2000

If you are looking for a new podcast as well as a new book, the two come together via the podcast Alienating the Audience. Comedian Andrew Heaton and his buddies have plenty of fun poking various science fiction topics, including Star Wars and Star Trek.

One of the recent episodes discussed a new book, The Sparrow, by author Mary Doria Russell. The story is about a group of Jesuits exploring a new planet with all of the mayhem that follows.

Here is a quick summary from the book itself:

A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.

You can listen for yourself to this episode here at Jesuits in Space. But be careful, because there are a number of spoilers. You can always start with the book first, which is part of a series.

Credit: Ballantine Books