Television: A Second Season for Murderbot

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Apple TV+.

If you had a chance to watch Murderbot on Apple TV+, then you will not be surprised to learn that it has been green-lighted for a second season. If you missed it, then you should add it to your watch list.

While I was a little nervous about the casting and ability to bring to story to the screen, it all worked out well. It was not because the first season closely followed the book, because it did not, but because it followed the spirit of the book.

The characters were fun and likable, while Alexander Skarsgård was just plain enough to be believable in his role as the robot. I also liked the development relationship between Murderbot and fellow augmented human Gurathin. An additional subplot involving the soap opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon also helped to take the edge off of all the violence.

Overall, it’s a tight-knit crew that you would follow anywhere, no matter what Murderbot has to say about it. I only wish the episodes were longer so that we had more time together. You just get comfortable with the storyline and then the episode is over.

Fortunately, Martha Wells, the author of The Murderbot Diaries, has already written seven books and has an eighth due next year. That should be sufficient to keep the television series going for some time. When that ends, we can always go through the endless episodes of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.

Television: Star Trek’s Strange New Worlds Returns

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Paramount+

Season three of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns on July 17. It is the only remaining Star Trek series on television, so fans will not want to miss it. Fortunately, the series will be around for a little while now that it’s been approved for a total of six seasons, which should give the series plenty of time to wrap up the Captain Pike storyline.

So what is the plot of season three? Here is what Paramount+ is sharing:

In Season 3, when we reconnect with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, still under the command of Captain Pike, they face the conclusion of Season 2’s harrowing encounter with the Gorn. But new life and civilizations await, including a villain that will test our characters’ grit and resolve. An exciting twist on classic Star Trek, Season 3 takes characters both new and beloved to new heights, and dives into thrilling adventures of faith, duty, romance, comedy, and mystery, with varying genres never before seen on any other Star Trek.

You can see the season three trailers here and here. While I did not observe any singing, it still appears that this season will have plenty of fun twists as well.

I am also looking forward to the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy television series starring Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti, among many others. It is expected to premiere next year, thereby keeping the franchise alive and well with a whole new storyline.

So far, I have more faith in Star Trek‘s longevity on television than that of the Star Wars‘ television series. Of course, Star Trek already has a 10 year lead, but it has also been more consistent with the quality of its shows. This may be in part because it started on television, unlike Star Wars, so it did not need to reinvent itself. Whatever its secret, I hope it continues.

Television: What is Next for Star Wars?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Scene from The Mandalorian. (Disney+)

So, the long anticipated Andor is over. It was certainly worth the wait. But what is next?

Last I looked, this was the status of the many Star Wars live-action television series (chronologically):

  • The Mandalorian – three seasons and capped with a movie.
  • The Book of Boba Fett – one season and done.
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi – one season and done.
  • Andor – two seasons and done.
  • Ahsoka – one season and maybe a second season.
  • The Acolyte – one season and done.
  • Skeleton Crew – one season and done.

It seems the live-action television series have hit a wall. Ahsoka is said to be filming now, but you will be waiting until the summer of 2026 to see anything. I would have replaced Ahsoka with Skeleton Crew, which I thought was a better series with more energy that took itself a little less serious, but it appears the cast of Skeleton Crew is moving on to other projects.

So after all of this Disney hype, all we have left is a few crumbs and The Mandalorian and Grogu movie (maybe premiering in May 2026). While there is still some talk about a season four for The Mandaorian, the movie may be the last hurray.

There had also been talk about a Star Wars: Lando television series, but that then turned into a movie idea instead. I don’t have high hopes if it is a weak as the Star Wars: Solo movie.

Television may be dead for a while while a few other Star Wars movies are released, including Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling.

Disney really dropped the ball with Andor by condensing it into only two seasons, and yet the delays between seasons was enough to frustrate fans. Given the current pace at Disney, it would have taken more than 10 years to see all five planned seasons.

We may need to look elsewhere for our inspiration in the future. Star Wars started back in the 1970s, and Star Trek back in the 1960s. I think we have plenty of talented writers and producers who can create that next television series to bring us into the next generation. And it is not Dune, first written in the 1960s, nor Foundation, based on stories starting in the 1940s (though both are terrific revivals and recreations).

Time for a whole new vision.

Pic of the Week: A Fun Evening Steven Colbert’s Guests

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): William Shatner and Neil deGrasse Tyson on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (CBS)

This week’s image comes from an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which aired earlier this week. Mr. Colbert was interviewing William Shatner and Neil deGrasse Tyson about the absurdities on Earth and in the galaxy.

In an odd twist, Dr. Tyson was generally quiet on the sofa while Mr. Shatner carried the show with his antics. The image above shows one of the few times Dr. Tyson had a chance to explain a point. It is worth watching.

Shatner and Tyson will soon be on the road together with their own show. It is a live stage event on Wednesday, June 18, called ROCKING: The Universe is Absurd.

Star Wars: Another Political Take on the Empire

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image(Credit): Senator Amidala from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. (Starwars.com)

While the libertarians at Reason magazine have their view of the imperial story-line in the Star Wars television series Andor, the liberal folks at Mother Jones magazine have a whole different take on the Star Wars universe.

In an article last month titled “How Star Wars Reveals Conservatives’ Authoritarian Fantasies,” we read about how some Republicans are showing support for the brutality of the Dark Side as illustrated in Andor. For instance, it quotes former Mitch McConnell adviser and GOP operative Scott Jennings defending the Empire’s elimination of Alderaan in the original Star Wars movie, stating:

I think some could argue that it was warranted, given their rebellious activities. I mean, he defended the Empire against unelected hippies and violent protesters.

You can see the entire Mother Jone’s YouTube clip here.

This is not an encouraging thought at this point in history. In an interview, George Lucas himself said the rebel alliance came from his reading of history and his understanding of the Viet Cong battle against the American empire. He saw the rebels as anti-authoritarian. He also thought of the American rebels as they fought Great Britain, the largest empire in the world.

Supporting the Evil Empire is more or less the same as voicing support for the wannabee Russian empire as it attacks democratic Ukraine. I think we all can do much better than to stoop that low.

Either that, or soon we will also be quoting the line “So this is how liberty dies.”