tv review

Reviewing insightful and thought provoking science fiction TV and technology.

Review of 'The Orville' 2.10
Well, critics are waking up, after the two-part episode last week and the week before, about how good and important The Orville is. Will Harris of The Verge observed that "With the two-part episode 'Identity,' The Orville has matured into serious science fiction." I actually thought the series was born serious science fiction—that is, in its very first episode—but, hey, welcome to the club.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.9
Well, the shiny round object in Project Blue Book 1.9 wasn't in the sky, or even on the ground. It was in Barney's neck, and was evidence that he had been abducted by extraterrestrials.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Orville' 2.9
An altogether excellent conclusion to The Orville's two-part episode—2.9, entitled "Identity" Part 2 (but I've entitled my reviews "Recalling Čapek)—that touches all the bases, including:
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.8
"They're already here"—that's what the Corporal tells the Generals, who have brought him in to help with another strange situation in Project Blue Book 1.8. The question, as always, is who are "they?"
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Orville' 2.8
The idea of a species of AI—robots (mechanistic), androids (flesh and blood), what have you—rebelling against, overthrowing, massacring their human, or biological creators is at least as old as Karel Čapek's 1922 R.U.R. Against all odds, The Orville picked up that theme with the lovable Isaac and his polished, gleaming "people" on Kaylon in last night's episode 2.8.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
'Russian Doll': Natasha Lyonne's Time-Loop Drama Adds New Twist to 'Groundhog Day'
The premise of Bill Murray's 1993 comedy hit, Groundhog Day, about a weatherman forced to relive the same day over and over, has been adapted many times in movies such as Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and Happy Death Day (2017), as well as TV series including DC's Legends of Tomorrow (S3x11) and Star Trek: Discovery (S1x07).
By Marguerita Tan7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.7
A strange, not really resolved, episode 1.7 of Project Blue Book, which features Native American legends of The Star People maybe come true, and Quinn himself under investigation for a good part of the story.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Counterpart' 2.10
An excellent season two finale of Counterpart last night—which is the series finale as far as Starz is concerned—but I'm expecting it won't be that because Counterpart will show up and continue on another venue, but more of that at the end of this review.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Orville' 2.7
A perfect Orville —2.7—last night for Valentine's Day, which explains why The Orville didn't have a new episode last week. The powers that be wanted to make sure this episode aired on Valentine's Day. And they were right. Love was in the air for Ed and Kelly—or the rekindling of the continuation of their love—and for Talia and a brilliant Moclan engineer, Locar, who comes aboard to refit the ship with a new deflector system. "Deflectors," the title of the episode, works well, since there are all kinds of psychological deflectors, in addition to the physical, at play in this story.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.6
My favorite part of Project Blue Book 1.6 last night—and also likely to have some beneficial consequences for Hynek's investigation—is his decision to bring his wife Mimi into his investigations of extraterrestrial visitations, so the two of them are a "team."
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Counterpart' 2.9
The two—Emily Prime and Mira Prime—really had little to do with each other in Counterpart 2.9. But they symbolize what was best about this outstanding episode.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.5
A taut, tight episode 1.5 of Project Blue Book—may be my favorite so far—in which Hynek and Quinn chase down numbers and radio broadcasts and the mysterious Fuller, who meets his end by self-immolation. Harding—more about the General below—thinks someone set off the kill switch in Fuller's head. We know that Hynek did—unintentionally—by showing Fuller the diagram.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism