tv review
Reviewing insightful and thought provoking science fiction TV and technology.
Review of 'The Crossing' 1.3
With episode 1.3, it's clear that The Crossing not only has some elements of Lost and FlashForward, but also of Stephen King's The Dome — probably why King, on Twitter, said the first five minutes of The Crossing were "jaw-dropping". Which it was.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Timeless' 2.5
Well, I'll just come right out with it and say that Timeless 2.5 was easily the finest episode of the series so far —across one and a half seasons -- and that's because the episode was one of the best JFK and time-travel narratives in any medium, page or screen, of any length that I've seen.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Crossing' 1.2
The Crossing moved into its regular season last night—or maybe it did a week ago, when its first episode was rebroadcast on ABC, having first played earlier on Hulu—but the series is anything but regular, and I mean that in pretty much a good way.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Timeless' 2.4
A very thoughtful, altogether excellent episode 2.4 of Timeless last night, in which: Rufus tells Jiya not to tell him her visions of the future because his knowledge of them, and the impossibility of his then not acting upon them, causes them to come true—even though they're bad, and he's doing everything he can in the past to make sure they don't come true. This provides a nice set piece of a time-travel classic gambit: someone goes back in the past to prevent some tragedy from happening and that very trip to the past is the thing that causes that tragedy. It's a "can't escape fate" kind of time loop, and it's ironic and irresistible and (yeah) I've used it myself in some of my time-travel stories. It's therefore fun to see Rufus try to opt out of it. Just as it will be fun to see, sooner or later, that such opting out or avoidance of the paradox will be impossible, too.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Timeless' 2.3
A thoroughly satisfying Timeless 2.3 last night, which featured, among other good things: Orson Welles (or, at least Citizen Kane), Hedy Lamarr, Lucy singing "You Made Me Love You," Lucy and Wyatt finally together, Flynn out of prison via an inter-temporal gambit, and a surprise ending I won't mention until the end in case you don't like spoilers (which, by the way, were mentioned, literally, in this fine episode - as was, come to think it, Fake News, too).
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Timeless' 2.1
Last night's Timeless roared back from the jaws of oblivion—aka cancellation by the mothership, its network NBC—with a new episode that was far better than anything we saw the first season. And it did most of this in its final few minutes.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Counterpart 1.4'
A really superb episode 1.4 of Counterpart last night—my favorite so far—in which the two Howards switch sides. Again, the acting of J. K. Simmons is Emmy-worthy. Here the kind Howard from our world has to play the tough Howard from the other side, and vice versa, and both do it just right. This series is a pleasure to see just because of Simmons' acting.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in Futurism
