tv review
Reviewing insightful and thought provoking science fiction TV and technology.
Review of 'Foundation' 1.10
It's a little after 1am, Friday, 19 November 2021, a few miles north of New York City, as I write this. I just saw the season 1 finale -- episode 1.10 -- of the Foundation series on Apple TV+. It came on the screen at 12 midnight, as the day began. Unlike Paramount Plus, which says a show (such as Star Trek Discovery) begins on a given day, but doesn't make it available on the East Coast until 3 in the morning of the stated day. I just wanted to give a shout-out to Apple TV+ on that account.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Invasion' 1.6
Well, I'm beginning to feel like I'm handing out "best episodes of the season so far" like bouquets at the end of this week, but they're well deserved. I said yesterday that Foundation 1.9 was best of the season so far -- actually, tied with Foundation 1.7 at that spot, in my opinion -- and today I'll say that about Invasion 1.6. In fact, I'd say it easily is the single best episode of the season so far.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Foundation' 1.9
Well, quite a penultimate first season Foundation episode -- 1.9 -- which as I think about what I just finished watching, I'd say is the best episode so far in this series. I said that about episode 1.7, didn't I? Does this mean that I think 1.9 is therefore better than 1.7? No. I think they're equally the best at this point. Is that a problem? Not in a story in which triplicate clones of different ages are as much or even more of the riveting story than is the adaptation of Asimov's original tales. So I'll stick with the equal bests, separately aged, and see if the season finale makes the analogy even better with a triple equal.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'La Brea' 1.7
Well, the most important thing that happened in La Brea 1.7 happened at the very beginning: we heard again that the sinkholes not only exist in different places but different times. There was one back in the Civil War, which lead to the chest of gold going back 12,000 years. We already knew that some people from a few years ago went back to that past. But the Civil War origin shows that these gateways to the past exist throughout history.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Invasion' 1.5
I thought the single most impressive thing in Invasion 1.5, up on Apple TV+ yesterday, was that little creepy crawly thing Aneesha took out of the guy on that operating table. That saved his life, the other doctor told her. And taking it out likely did. But of far greater long-range consequence is that crawly thing is evidence of interstellar life. Whether it's an offspring of the invaders, or some kind of parasite planted in the poor guy on the table ... well, that's very significant indeed, with lots of story to tell there.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Foundation' 1.8
A towering, slowly moving like colossi in motion, powerful episode 1.8 of Foundation just up on Apple TV+, with new significant changes from Isaac Asimov's writing, and also replete with surprises even in the parts of this narration that were not in the original stories that appeared nearly a century ago.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'La Brea' 1.6
One of my favorite parts of La Brea is the cross-temporal communication between the people 12,000 years in the past and in present Los Angeles. Last week, Eve in the past sent a message in a bottle to Gavin in the present. This week, Gavin in the present returns the favor and sends a message in a video back to Eve in the past.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
