Paul Levinson's Blog: Levinson at Large, page 60

The Man Who Fell to Earth 1.3: ""I've come with a prototype ... "

The Man Who Fell to Earth just keeps getting better and better.  The last few minutes of episode 1.3 were the best so far in this very fine series.  Faraday tells the audience -- assembled in the narrative and whoever's watching the episode on Showtime or Amazon Prime or any way else on Planet Earth -- "I've come with a prototype for a quantum fusion process," and proceeds to make good on his claim by lighting London up in the night.  England swings like a pendulum do.

Faraday is progressing well.  He's a big drinker -- of water, which gets him to expel the poison that he took in last week to cure Josiah.  Before the hour is over, he and Justin are in London, brought there by Hatch Flood, ousted a few years ago by his sister Sonya from a science tech behemoth, and that's how Farraday got that crucial audience.

At this point, the bad guys seem way behind.  Spencer is driven and smart, Lisa seems even smarter, but if this is a battle between the CIA and big tech to get control of the quantum fusion process I don't see how the CIA can overcome the combination of Faraday and Sonya's company unless ... well, I guess unless the CIA got the inscrutable Thomas Newton to work with them, but why would Newton do that?   The last we saw he was being tortured by the CIA all those years ago.  

I'm beginning to think that Newton, the man in The Man Who Fell to Earth in David Bowie's 1976 movie, will be far more than just the foundational character who so far has been hovering around the edges, in effect passing off the narrative to Faraday.  The truth is, I didn't quite buy what he told Faraday in episode 1.2.  And tonight we learned that  his failure to complete his mission was not due to his getting "distracted" here on Earth, although I guess you could consider having your face peeled off an extreme kind of distraction.  (By the way, that black and white film reminded me of The Man in the High Castle, just saying.  They had color in back then, didn't they?)  The gist of all of this is that it's not clear that helping Faraday is now Newton's ultimate goal.

Well, there's nothing like keep watching the series to get answers to these and other open questions, and that's exactly what I intend to keep doing.  See you back here next week.

See also The Man Who Fell to Earth 1.1: Great Provenance and Excellent Start ... 1.2: The Ending We Needed

first spaceship to Alpha Centauri from Mars

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Podcast Review of Outer Range 1.7-8

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 295, in which I review episodes 7 and 8 of Outer Range  on Amazon Prime.

Written blog post review of these episodes of Outer Range.

podcast reviews of Outer Range 1.1-2... 1.3-4... 1.5-6

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Outer Range 1.7-8: Shuffle Off to Buffalo

Well, Outer Range certainly saved the best for last -- the last two episodes (of what I hope will be the first of at least a few seasons) -- waking up like after a fever has broken and everything is clear, or at least, clearer.

Here were my three favorite, clarifying parts:

[Spoilers ahead ... ]

Royal went into the time-portal hole as a boy in 1886, after accidentally shooting his father in a hunting accident, and emerged in 1968.  That's a nice piece of time travel that explains and makes somewhat more clear everything we've seen about Royal before.Autumn is Amy!  Wow!  That explains why Autumn has such a convincing sense of she belongs here -- why she seemed to expect that Royal would know her.  It doesn't quite explain -- or maybe I missed it -- why Autumn didn't tell her grandfather her true identity when they were on good terms, or for that matter, on very bad terms. (Perhaps the time travel or something that came after disrupted part or all of Amy's prior memory.)  But Amy being Autumn is another fine example of what you can do with family narrative when a time portal is available.And that herd of buffalo as one of the most destructive weapons or catastrophes to come down the pike or the plains of a time-travel story, or any story, in a while -- that was brilliant, too.So let's see where we stand now.  Royal hearing those approaching hooves, with the kettle shaking, just as he finished finally telling Cecilia what was going on, was a great way to end the season.  How many people did those bison from the past actually kill in their stampede in our time?  Or, more germaine to the series, how many characters that we've come to know?  It seems that Autumn survived the trampling -- she was moaning when Royal approached her on on the ground -- and he carried her home.  I suppose he could have just been carrying home her body -- but I don't think so, and I certainly hope she's alive.

The series cries out for a second season.  We've learned a lot of things.  The hole in time doesn't bring people back to life -- it shunts them into another time.  Into the future, as well as the past, right? And there's an enormous amount of story yet to be told here.  Where was Rebecca (what time was she in) before she came back to get Amy?  The future -- which would explain why nobody in the present had any idea where/when she was -- or the past?  And about that past, are all moments in the past ports of call in that time portal?  And there's a whole season or more of a story of Amy becoming Autumn to tell.  Where/when did Rebecca take her, and what then happened to them?

Those rampaging bison also have more of a story.  Cecilia killed that bear -- is that why the bison were coming for her home, an expression of animal unity?  Royal took the arrow out of the one we've been seeing most of the season.  Will that result in the herd swerving away from Royal and Cecilia at the last minute, expressing their gratitude?

Put me on the list admiring fans, eager to see much more of this time travel western, now that we've learned at least a little about what's really going on.

See also Outer Range 1.1-2: Elusive Hybrid ... Outer Range 1.3-4: Twin Peaks Out West ... Outer Range 1.5-6: Time and the Bison

 

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Podcast Review of Star Trek: Picard 2.10

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 294, in which I review Star Trek: Picard 2.10 on Paramount+

written blog post review of Star Trek: Picard 2.10

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.9

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.8

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.7

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.6

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.5

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.4

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.3

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.2

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard 2.1

podcast review of Star Trek: Picard season 1

a little time travel story -- free

 

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Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Finale: Resolves and New Vistas

A strong season two finale of Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+, with at least a handful of scenes that were memorable, brought tears to the eyes, and were otherwise very good to see.  Let's divide them between resolved and opening up a new vista:

[Spoilers ahead ...]

Resolved:

Well, Q taking his leave from Picard was the piece de la resistance of this season finale.  Beautifully staged and acted.I was glad to see Rios and Teresa together at the end.  But, although I knew that neither could live forever, I would've preferred not hearing how they died.Tallinn's sacrifice was worthy and well played.Agnes becoming the new, good Borg queen was already clear last week.  But it was good to see.Picard and older Guinan -- well, they could see each other again, but that scene in the bar had a finality to it -- and was also good to seeNew Vistas:

Wesley back -- as a "Traveler," i.e., part of a timeline correction service.  I can go for that.  Will be fun next season (I hope) to see where he goes with Soong's surviving daughter.Speaking of which -- Dr. Soong is still alive at the end.  Not quite a new vista, but certainly not resolved.Seven kissing Raffi -- that could and should definitely go somewhere in the next season.  On the other hand, Q bringing Elnor back to life could say otherwise for Raffi.  So, maybe a new vista, maybe not, definitely unresolved.Happy scene with Picard and Laris at the end -- hope to see more of them next season, too.So ... I'll see you back next year or sooner, whenever the third and final season of Picard is up.  And much much sooner with review of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds which is now streaming.

See also Picard 2.9: Cooperation!  ... Picard 2.8: Borg, Q, Soong, FBI ... Picard 2.7: The Bread Was Tastier than the Meat ...  Picard 2.6: Borg and Soong .. Picard 2.5: Don't Walk Away Renee ... Picard 2.4: 2024 LA ... Picard 2.3: Agnes, Borg, Badge ... Picard 2.2: Q and Borg ...  Star Trek: Picard 2.1: Cameos and Time Travel ...  Star Trek: Picard (Season One): Non-Pareil 

                                                        a little time travel story -- free

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Podcast Review of The Man Who Fell to Earth 1.2

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 293, in which I review the second episode of The Man Who Fell to Earth  on Showtime.

Written blog post review of this episode of The Man Who Fell to Earth.

podcast review of The Man Who Fell to Earth 1.1

Paul Levinson interviewed on WNBC-TV about David Bowie in 2016 -- video

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The Man Who Fell to Earth 1.2: The Ending We Needed

Well, I just loved the second episode of The Man Who Fell to Earth, especially the ending.

[Spoilers ahead ... ]

I mean, with the world and this country in the states that we're in, it was especially good to see this happy ending on the science fiction screen.  And it was set up perfectly.  Faraday aka The Man Who Fell to Earth had said earlier that it was time for Justin's father Josiah (always great to see Clarke Peters) to die.  He had lived his purpose.  And we'd previously seen that guy up in Alaska take his life, after almost killing Spencer.  So ...when Faraday walked into Josiah's room, and put his hands on Josiah, asleep ... well, I thought the worst.  And instead: Faraday cured him, draining out and taking in what had wrecked Josiah's body.  And he was whole and healthy again.   Good to see on this day.

And though Faraday was on the floor and his hands were curled, we know he's going to get better because we saw him in the first episode making that speech in the future.  And though I was annoyed with that kind of start when I first saw it last week, and said so in my review, now I'm glad I saw it.

It also was good to meet Thomas Newton at the beginning of this episode (always great to see Bill Nighy, too).  He came from Faraday's planet and has been on Earth 40+ years and got too distracted to carry out his mission.  That's totally understandable, and that's why Faraday so urgently needed to come here.  Newton's character in this new series makes it a sequel to David Bowie's 1976 The Man Who Fell To Earth movie, in which Newton was The Man Who Fell.  My only regret, of course, is, as good as Nighy is, it would have been great to see Bowie reprise his role.

Back to Spencer for a moment: I'm not sure, at this point, whether he's a good guy or a bad guy.  His conversation with Drew in the diner was unsettling (good to see Kate Mulgrew, too -- for some reason, women tend to have names that men usually have in this story).  At this point, it looks like those two could be bad news.

Last, for now: wasn't that scene with "Poppa Was a Rolling Stone" in the car and everyone singing great to see (and hear)?  Yeah, it was.  And I gotta say, those voices in the car worked really well with the Temptations.

See you back here with my review of the next episode next week.

See also The Man Who Fell to Earth 1.1: Great Provenance and Excellent Start

first spaceship to Alpha Centauri from Mars

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Review of Slow Horses 1.6

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 292, in which I review episode  1.6 of Slow Horses  on Apple TV+

written blog post review of this episode of Slow Horses

Podcast reviews: 1.1-2... 1.3 ... 1.4... 1.5

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Slow Horses 1.6: The Scorecard

An excellent season one finale to Slow Horses -- firing on all kinds of cylinders.  (It's the end of the first season, not the end of the first half of the first season -- the coming attractions say "Second Season").

[Spoilers ahead ... ]

Here's some of what I especially liked about this episode:

1. The discussion early on about Assam and Builders tea.  I love Assam (I mix two parts Assam and one part Keeman for my perfect cup of tea).  But Builders is good, too -- better than anything you can get in a bag in America, that's for sure.

2. The action with the kidnappers and Hassan and the dogs in the sky (were those guys dogs?) was top-notch.  I'm glad he survived, and I liked the ways he survived, and the way Cartwright did all the right things and was the hero.

3. I'm glad Min and Louisa will be getting together that evening.  They're good people.  They're entitled to at least a little more happiness.

4. The revelations at the end pushed everything up a notch -- Lamb killing Catherine's man, on orders from Cartwright's father David -- whew, that's strong stuff, and could be the basis of all sorts of future possibilities.  If Catherine finds out, would she kill Lamb, in revenge? And if she found out about David's role, what would that do to her relationship with River (though, actually, they at present don't have much of one).

5. Sid: no big revelations here, after all.  She's probably alive.  Was that her, in the coming attractions?  Not sure, it's been too long since we've seen her on the screen.

6. And on the flatulence scorecard: not sure, Lamb may have let one go as he walked slightly ahead of Louisa to the car.  But it could have been a creaky car door, and Louise didn't seem to have much of a reaction.  If I had to be on this, I'd say, yes, it was.  Which gives Lamb a perfect, six per six record.

Anyway, I'm down -- or up -- for the next season, and I hope to see you back here with my continuing reviews.

PS -- Great song by Mick Jagger.  Just wanted to say that again.

See also Slow Horses 1.1-2: Fast-Moving Spy Thriller ... Slow Horses 1.3: The Fine Art of Bumbling ... Slow Horses 1.4: Fine New Song by Mick Jagger ... Slow Horses 1.5: Did You Hear the One About the ...

  

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Podcast Review of Outer Range 1.5-6

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 291, in which I review episodes 5 and 6 of Outer Range  on Amazon Prime.

Written blog post review of these episodes of Outer Range.

podcast reviews of Outer Range 1.1-2... 1.3-4

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