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Suicide Squad – Retrospective Review

Suicide Squad is the next movie in our journey through the DCEU. This movie added some memorable characters to the DC Extended Universe, such as Will Smith’s Deadshot and Robbie Margot’s Harley Quinn, not to mention introducing us to this universe’s version of the joke played by Jared Leto. So let’s look back at this movie and see what we can dig out of it.

Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven.

I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of The Stars, and I am a nerd.

This is episode 30 of the podcast. Today we continue our look at the DC extended Universe with Suicide Squad.

The description on IMDB reads

A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.

This movie was written and directed by David Ayer.

It first released on the 3rd of August 2016

I kinda like the aesthetic of bright neon colours over the titles and the studio logos

Will Smith is great as deadshot. He gives a more serious dramatic performance than I think I’ve seen from him in anything else. And yet he still blends his signature humour into his character. It’s a balance that I really like.

Harley Quinn is terrifying. I love the scene that introduces her. She’s hanging from a ribbon like a gymnast. The fact that these big grown men are so terrified of this young girl that they have to keep her in a cage and shock her before they’ll go inside speaks volumes.

And then we meet Amanda Waller. In her voiceover, she explains that the world changed when Superman appeared. And then it changed again when he didn’t. We get more footage of Superman’s funeral.

That’s why I’m here, she says.

The death of Superman has left a big void. Earth has been attacked twice by alien beings. First Zod and his crew, and then Doomsday. Now, with Superman dead, who’s going to protect Earth next time it happens?

Waller thinks she has the answer.

The problem with a metahuman is the human part. We got lucky with Superman. He shared our values. The next might not.

The film now has to introduce a bunch of characters and explain their origins. It’s a lot to ask in such a short space of time, but I think it does a great job.

Deadshot’s daughter really humanises him. The fascinating thing is, this girl’s dad is an assassin for hire, and he’s the good parent! The mother is a real deadbeat.

And you can tell straight away that he really loves his daughter.

And then we get our first Batman cameo. I love it! So good to get more Batfleck, especially given that this would end up being his second last appearance.

In the end, it’s deadshot’s humanity, for the sake of his daughter, that leads to his capture. IF she wasn’t there, Deadshot would be free and Batman would be dead.

The story of the transformation of Dr Quinzel into Harley Quinn is terrifying. And we meet Jared Leto’s Joker for the first time.

This is a controversial opinion, but I like Leto’s Joker.

The thing these early DC movies did really well was take classic characters, who had been portrayed very very successfully in previous movies, and presented them in a very different way.

Heath Ledger’s Joker was amazing. The man won a posthumous oscar for that performance. There was no topping that. So instead, they created a version of the Joker that looks very different, and acts different. The tattoos were unconventional but they made sense. Some felt the word “damaged” tattooed on the joker’s forehead was overkill, but David Ayer had some cool backstory behind that. The teeth too. It’s a pity none of that stuff made it into the movie.

Then we get our second Batman appearance.

He’s chasing the Joker and Harley through the streets of Gotham.

It’s nice to see the Batmobile from Batman V Superman again. Ilove it when Harley says “Stupid Bats, you’re ruining date night.

Sorry, I’m gushing over the Joker when I should be talking about Harley.

Waller says that Harley is even crazier than the Joker, and I think she might be right.

The joker re-made her in his own image.

Batman got Harley but the Joker got away, just like the song says. He kinda left her to drown.

Next, Waller introduces Captain Boomerang Digger Harkness.

First of all, Amanda, it’s Aussie not aussie. Hard S sound. Gotta get it right.

Digger is an interesting name for this character. Digger is a slang term used for an Australian soldier. Especially a veteran of world war 1, but really any member of the Australian armed forces. It’s a title that carries a lot of affection but also a great deal of respect.

Anyway, we get our final cameo from a Justice League member as we see Ezra Miller as The Flash captures him.

This was nice. We got to see a long-haired Barry Allen in a shop surveillance video, and a weird bearded Flash from the future, in the last movie, but we never really saw The Flash in his true form. This time we see him in his costume for the first time. It was only a few seconds, but it was very welcome.

El Diablo is a fascinating character. Next to deadshot, he’s one of my favourites. His story is truly tragic, but all we get in this little introduction is that he has the ability to create first, and he surrendered to the police.

Next is Killer Croc. I Wasn’t happy with his portrayal in this movie at all.

Have you ever played Batman Arkham Asylum? I have. Killer Croc, in that game, is freaking terrifying. One of the few times I’ve been truly afraid playing a game is when I Was sneaking through Killer Croc’s lair. That’s the type of Killer Croc I wanted.

Instead, this movie made him the comic relief. I wasn’t happy with that at all.

Now I’ll admit, I’m not super familiar with the character. In fact, that video game is really my only previous exposure to the character, so what do I know? All I know is this wasn’t the version I wanted to see.

The movie doesn’t spend any time trying to explain how this reptilian-looking man came to be. It only says that evolution took a backward step with him.

But then Waller says He looked like a monster, so they treated him like a monster, and he became a monster. I like that line. That’s a line we should all ruminate on for a bit, and think about how we treat people.

Finally we get an introduction to Enchantress. What I like is that she starts off as just another of the gang, but is later revealed to be the villain of the movie.

Of course, the interesting thing about her character is that she is two people. Kind of a jekyll and hyde character. The ancient witch inhabits Dr. June Moone.

Enchantress is fascinating. An extra-dimensional entity. She shares Moone’s body and can be summoned when necessary. I want to know more about her, a lot more, but this movie doesn’t take the time to explore this character in any depth, and that’s a shame.

Yes, it’s really hard to give sufficient time to any one character when you have such a large cast, but this is the villain of the movie. The little bit of set-up they give us for her is compelling, but it’s not enough.

So this is Waller’s plan. We’re fresh out of heroes, so we’re gonna use these villains. “But they’re bad guys,” the man she’s talking to says.

“Exactly. They’re expendable.” Who better to send in as canon fodder when the monsters attack?”

And that’s what makes the suice squad, as a concept, really work for me.

At this point, it’s clear that DC are doing something quite different than Marvel with their cinematic universe. Marvel movies tell individual stories with characters, and then have them come together once in a while. Very slowly, over time, a long-term narrative began to unfold, but there were a lot of individual stories going on as well.

DC’s approach was different. They’re just trying to tell one long story. Each movie is just another chapter in that story. They’re not trying to set up multiple parallel franchises, like Marvel. They’re just telling a story.

First, we introduced the world to Superman, and aliens.

Then We saw Superman die, thanks to Lex Luther’s manipulations.

This movie examines the idea of a world without Superman.

Just as we realised how much we needed him, he’s gone. This movie explores what people do to try to fill that void.

It’s almost a pause. We’re gonna slow down the story for a bit and take this little detour, to let you sit with the fact that Superman is dead for a while.

And that’s important. I’m so glad they didn’t resurrect Superman immediately at the end of Batman V Superman. We needed to sit here and really appreciate the hole he’s left behind. To that end, this movie is very important.

The men are not convinced that Waller can control these freaks, but she says “convincing people to act against their own self interests for the national security of the united state of America is what I do for a living.”

And let’s face it, she’s good at her job.

Viola Davis does a wonderful job of portraying Waller in this movie. I really like her performance. Best version of the character I’ve seen on screen.

We round out the team with Col Rick Flag, the good guy soldier who is supposed to keep the others all in line.

The twist is, he’s in love with Dr. Moone.

Waller set him up to fall in love with her.

Waller controls Moone with the heart, and Moone controls Flag.

We begin to see here how Waller is a manipulator who uses people and cares little for them as people. All humans are just tools.

She’s not so different than Lex Luthor, although she may be even better at it than him.

Waller makes the point that the Americans are not the only ones kicking up rocks looking for metahumans. The next war will be fought with them.

The way Enchantress’s fingers appear and curl around Moon’s hand is super creepy.

But it’s clear that becoming Enchantress takes a huge toll on Moone. She’s not sure she can keep doing it.

When Waller comes to see her new team, Harle asks her, “are you the Devil?” That’s a very interesting question.

We get a little more understanding of El Diablo. He’s not willing to use his powers. He says “I’m a man, not a weapon. I want to die in peace before I ever raise my fists again.”

He’s a reluctant meta-human. Refuses to use his abilities. But he wasn’t always that way. Something happened in his past.

So they bring deadshot out to show what he can do with a gun. So he points it at the abusive guard, who is afraid for a moment, but then suddenly gets this cocky smile and says to his men, “If this man shoots me, I want you to kill him and then go clear my browser history.”

Now, this got a momentary chuckle out of me, in the cinema, but then I realised, this is completely unbelievable. A man who is in feat for his life is not going to care about what’s in his browser history. That moment killed the scene for me.

This was the first movie to really suffer from interference from Warner Bros. Batman V Superman got cut short in the theatrical cut, but here, they made significant creative changes. In fact, I hear they took the final cut out of the director’s hands and gave it to a trailer company. In David Ayer’s words, they took his soulful drama and turned it into a comedy. And I think that’s a terrible shame.

Moments like this silly browser history joke are symptomatic of the problem.

The exchange where Deadshot explains his price is cool. It’s mostly about his daughter. He wants out of jail, but he also wants full custody, and he wants her education paid for.

I like the moment when Flag says “you’re in no position to make demands”, and deadshot say “Oh, you thought I was talking to you, no, I was talking to your boss.” and points to waller, while all the while making eye contact with flag.

See, this is the kind of humour that works better for me. Character based humour that feels natural in the situation.

Now I can’t possibly say what jokes came from which film-maker. All I can say is what I like and what I don’t like.

The Joker is still keeping tabs on Harley. He’s aware that she’s been taken from her prison to be a part of this special operation, and he’s not happy about it.

He still cares about her, in his own disturbing twisted evil way. I mean, she’s more of a possession to him than a person, but he cares.

So Enchantress escapes. It’s not completely clear how it happens. Moone whichers “Enchantress” in her sleep. Is that just because she’s dreaming and talking in her sleep? A freak occurrence that the witch takes advantage of? Or is it something more? I’m not sure.

But she threatens to kill Moone if Flag calls Waller, so now he’s being manipulated by her as well. She takes a statue containing her brother and flees, taking an unsuspecting man as a host for her brother.

Apparently these two were worshipped as gods by ancient humans, but no more. Now she is going to take her revenge by building a machine to take over the world.

Moone asks Flag to stop Enchantress, if it ever comes down to a decision, always stop enchantress, even if it kills Moone.

That’s a hard thing to ask of someone who loves you.

Meanwhile, her brother starts taking humans and turning them into foot soldiers.

It’s time to activate Task Force X.

The brother is nasty. All those tentacles.

Enchantress can use his power to protect herself from damage to her heart. Waller has officially lost control of the witch.

So her new taskforce are gonna be called in to deal with one of their own.

Again, we get some humour from Harley. And it’s true to her character.

We meet another member of the squad. Slipknot, who can climb anything. We didn’t get a proper introduction to him. That makes him a redshirt, as we’ll see shortly.

The squad members have all been injected with nano explosives. Just another control to keep them in check.

One final character is introduced. Katana, who wields a sentient sword containing the soul of her late husband. It’s said her sword traps the souls of its victims. That kinda feels like many a step too far for me. No explanation is given for such an incredible claim.

As they take off, Harley gets a message from the Joker. He’s coming for her.

The suicide squad haven’t been told the truth about what they’re facing. Rick says it’s terrorists with a dirty bomb. But these guy’s aren’t stupid. They can see the magic energy hovering over the city, or as Harley calls it, pretty lights.

So the chopper is shot down and they’re now on Digger is convinced the nano bombs in the neck are just a ruse, and he’s planning to leave. He convinces slipknot.

Then of course, Rick sets off Slipknot’s explosive and he dies.

Question. Was Digger serious about this, or was he just trying to talk someone else into cutting and running first, so he could find out if the bombs were real? I suspect the latter. It shows that Digger is smart, but also, really cold.

This scene was needed to show the squad that the bombs were real. Somebody had the push the boundaries and die. Otherwise these characters would never have followed orders.

The character to die, of course, was the one we knew the least about. He didn’t even get a proper introduction like the rest of the squad. In fact, the first couple of times I Watched this movie, I had no idea who just died. Who WAS that? They introduced this character at the last second so they’d have a redshirt to kill. Personally, I think this moment would have been a lot more meaningful if they’d killed a character who’d been introduced at the beginning with the rest of them.

Deadshot is still planning a revolt, but he’s hoping The Joker can disable the neck bombs. Nothing can happen until then.

The converted foot soldiers look pretty cool. Their pulsating heads are pretty creepy.

When Deadshot realises there’s something supernatural going on here, his thoughts begin to turn away from escape. He’s the voice of reason in the group. Harley is happy to let Rick die, but Deadshot points out, if he dies, we die.

Digger is a really stereotypical Australian. I mean, drinking a beer in the middle of the battle? Come on.

That said, I kinda like him. His Aussie mannerisms, while sometimes over the top feel comfortably familiar in this landscape of freakish villains and even freakier monsters.

But…..I just don’t get the pink unicorn fettish. I have no idea what that’s about.

El Diablo is still refusing to use his powers.

We get a cheap joke about Harley stealing a handbag, but an emotional moment as Deadshot sees a display mannequin for a child’s jacket. And thinks of his daughter.

Now we get a flashback scene that wasn’t in the theatrical cut. It’s one of the only additions in the so-called extended cut. However, this scene makes a huge difference. It gives so much more context to the relationship between the Joker and Harley.

We see Dr. Quinzel chasing the Joker on a motorbike. She forces him to stop his car and screams, “You’re not leaving me.”

The Joker used her to escape from Arkham. He manipulated her into a severe case of Stockholm syndrome, messed up her head really badly, and then left her. He didn’t need her anymore.

But she was still in love with him. Well, love isn’t the right word. She was obsessed with him.

The Joker treats her like an unwanted pet who won’t get the hint.

You see, the Joker doesn’t love. He isn’t loved. I don’t think The Joker is capable of love. Not real love.

So it would make no sense for him to continue this relationship. Harley was a tool. Nothing more.

This scene explains that. But it also shows how relentless Harley is. How she’s starting to wear him down.

It adds to the believability of their story. It’s a fantastic scene.

Back in the present, I like how Harley’s past as a psychologist is still with her, but in her crazed state, she uses it to mess with people’s minds for no other reason that she’s bored.

Margot Robbie’s portrayal of lovable crazy is a big part of why this character stole the movie for so many people.

As they are ambushed in the building by more monsters, Deadshot is sick of El Diablo not doing his bit. He pushes him and pushes him until finally he uses his powers. He shoots fire at the monsters burning them all.

Then we flashback to the fulfillment of Harley’s origin. She and The Joker are at the chemical factory. This scene is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of that previous scene with the motorbike. That scene set this one up. This is the payoff. It’s a real shame the previous scene was cut from the theatrical version.

The Joker asks Harley if she’ll die for him. Yes. That’s too easy. Will you live for me?

She has to think about this one a moment longer. But she says yes. Living for the Joker is a commitment. A commitment to a truly crazy man.

And so, faced with her unwavering devotion, the Joker accepts Harley into his life. He sees her fall into the chemical vat, and for a moment, I think he’s gonna let her drown, but then he dives in and saves her. Now she’s like him.

Like I said earlier, I don’t think the Joker is capable of true love, but I think he has come to feel some genuine affection for Harley. Sure, it’s more about possession. She’s an object that he owns, but he cares something for her and is willing to risk himself to rescue her.

And then we get the big reveal of the truth. The true objective here was to rescue Amanda Waller was was trapped in a building in this city.

Deadshot is not impressed about this.

So then, Waller guns down her own people. Not the Suicide Squad, the administravie people. Those running the office, monitoring the situation on the computers. She puts bullets in each of their heads. Killing them in cold blood because they weren’t cleared for any of this.

I submit that Amanda Waller is the single most evil character in the whole DC universe.

Even Deadshot, a serial killer who takes credit card, has more of a soul than this woman.

She is cold to the depth of her heart. A pure pragmatist, devoice of any conscience.

Anyway, the actress playing her does a fantastic job, to make me hate her so much.

Of course, their rescue chopper has been hijacked by The Joker.

Harley runs off with him.

Apparently, her nano bomb has been disabled. This isn’t explained. It’s actually quite an unsatisfying plot hole. I imagine the explanation is on the cutting room floor.

I think Deadshot is genuinely tempted when Waller offers him his freedom and his daughter if he kills Harley, but is he really going to trust Waller? After what she’s just done? I don’t think so.

The Joker and Harley appear to have died in a crash.

Enchantress now has her heart back, which makes her even more powerful.

And Waller gets what’s coming to her at Enchantress’s hands, well tentacles.

So the Suicide Squad learn the truth that all of this is Waller’s fault. She’s the one who unleashed Enchantress and her brother on the world.

With this knowledge, they decide to go have a drink.

Which allows us to have a quiet moment for some character reflection. Which is quite nice.

Deadshot has a code. He doesn’t kill women or children. I’m not saying that makes him a good person, but it makes him a step above Waller.

But El Diablo, he’s something else again. He finally tells his story.

He was born with this fire ability. The older he got, the stronger it was. This made him powerful on the streets.

He had a wife and two kids. She didn’t approve of his life of crime. She’d pray for him, but one day she’d had enough.She threatened to take the kids away.

And in an uncontrollable fit of rage, he burned them all. He killed his wife and kids.

And he’s been living with that ever since. That’s why he doesn’t use his powers.

It’s a heart-breaking story. There really are no words for it.

Flag joins them to confess his own sins. He played a part in all of this, because of his feelings for Moone. Turns out, he may be not much better than the rest of them. So he smashes the controller for the nano bombs. They’re free.

But then he shows Deadshot that his daughter writes letters to him every day. Letters he’s never seen.

And that’s what motivates him to finish this. He has to save the world for her sake, to show his daughter that her father’s not a piece of …. Well….you get the idea.

Harley’s in for a party.

So they all come along.

Now they’re a team. Now they’re committed to this mission.

Killer Croc is, of course, the obvious choice for the underwater mission. I love how he says I live underground. the rest of you are just tourists.

I love how Flag and Deadshot are on even terms now. Deadshot even says I got your back.

Enchantress gives them a vision of what they want most out of life.

Deadshot wants to kill Batman. Harley dreams of a proper happy life with The joker. He get to see Jared Leeto out of makeup. They even have a child. This, of course, is an impossible dream.

El Diablo wants his family back.

But he knows this can’t be. His pain helps him see through the trick. He can’t undo what he did. That’s the source of his pain.

Now matter how much he wants to, he can’t change what he did that night.

So he goes out there, fire blazing, to take on Enchantress’s brother.

He becomes the fire.

He distracts the brother long enough to get him in position to be taken out by the bomb.

In the end, El Diablo sacrifices his life to take down the monster.

David Ayer described this movie as a redemption story, and that’s one of the things I really like about it. But a friend of mine pointed out once that it’s not strictly a redemption story. It’s actually a repentance story.

Most philosophies teach that redemption for past crimes can be earned through good acts. The turning away from the old life and making a conscious decision to be good instead. That’s basically the definition of repentance.

Interestingly, Christianity teaches that redemption can’t be earned. It’s a gift that is given freely to the undeserving. I think that’s an interesting distinction.

I haven’t talked much about the music in this movie. It’s not on the same level as Zimmer and JunkieXL’s work in the last 2 movies, but I do really like the Task Force X theme in this film.

But after all this, Enchantress is still here, but they’re all kinda powerless against her.

Harley poses the question. What’s this world ever done for us? Why should we save it?

But in the end, what motivates her is friendship. Enchantress messed with her new friends.

Enchantress promises many things. Bow to me and I’ll give you all you desire.

But as we all know, evil makes many promises, but you can’t trust them.

But Harley plays along just long enough to get close so she can remove the heart.

Previously, she was only able to operate without the heart because she fed off her brother’s power. But her brother is dead now.

Without her heart, she’s vulnerable. They can defeat her.

The final solution makes good use of the skills of multiple characters, as it should be for an ensemble movie like this.

But Flag has to face the heart-breaking reality that June isn’t coming back. So he crushes the heart. Only to find that was another of Enchantress’s lies. June is alive in the rubble. And Enchantress is gone. Really gone forever.

But sadly, it turns out Waller is still alive. What a shame.

They get 10 years off their sentences. Plus a few favours. Harley and Croc’s requests are kind of absurd. But Deadshot gets to have a visit with his daughter, which is a touching if uncomfortable moment, when they start using assasination as a metaphor for geometry.

If he ever gets out of prison, I think he really might put his life of crime behind him, for her sake.

And then, the movie ends with the reveal that The

Joker is still alive, and he’s here to break Harley out.

This was the first of the DCEU films to have an after-credit sequence.

It ties it into the larger narrative.

Bruce Wayne is making a deal with Waller. He offers her protection from those who want her head for her mistakes.

In return, she gives him the info she has on the known metahumans, such as The Flash and Aqua man.

As he leaves, he tells her to shut down Task Force X. The world doesn’t need a suicide Squad of villains to fill the whole left behind by Superman. The Justice League are gonna protect this world.

I like this movie. I have no doubt that David Ayer’s original vision of a soulful drama would have been a better movie, but in its current state, it’s by no means a bad film. The forced comedic elements didn’t bother me as much this viewing. It was a bit of a side-story, but a worthwhile addition to the ongoing saga.

So Star Trek Lower Decks is coming out in a couple of weeks, and we’ve got a trailer, which looks interesting. The show is clearly made out of a deep knowledge of, and love for, Star Trek.

Unfortunately, I probably won’t be covering the show when it comes out, because at this stage, we still haven’t had any announcement about where people can watch the show outside of USA and Canada. So I’m not really expecting it to be available at this point. I think it’s pretty sad that only two countries in the whole world will get to see this latest Trek show. It feels like the 90s again. It will likely appear on a streaming service some day, but I won’t be able to be a part of the conversation while it’s fresh and relevant.

Still, talking nostalgically about things of the past is a big part of what I do here on Nerd Heaven, so who knows.

Speaking of which, the next DC movie I’ll be covering will be, of course, Wonder Woman. But I might sneak in a little Star Trek episode before that, talking about news, and the lower decks trailer. It depends what happens in the Trek-sphere over the next week or so.

So I’ll just leave that as a bit of a mystery for you.

In any case, I’ll see you next time on Nerd heaven.

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The Lord of The Rings – Read, Walk & Watch – Part 2

As I re-trace Frodo and Sam’s journey from the Shire to Mordor, I’m revisiting the book and the movie. Join me as I discuss the story in detail. In this instalment, we travel from Buckleberry Ferry to Rivendell. We’ll meet Tom Bombadil, Strider, and either Glorfindel or Arwen, depending on what medium you’re enjoying the story through.

Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven.

I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of The Stars

And I am a nerd.

 

This is episode 27 of the podcast.

Today, I’m doing part 2 of my Lord of The Rings Read, Walk, and Watch Series.

 

I’ve been using the Walk To Mordor App, and a fitbit, to retrace the steps of Frodo and Sam on their epic journey from Hobbiton to Mordor.

As I walk the story, I’m also revisiting both the book and the movie and discussing the story.

 

We pick up this second installment at Buckleberry Ferry.

So let’s talk about Lord of The Rings.

So Frodo and his companions cross on the Buckleberry Ferry and make their way to Frodo’s new home at Crickhollow – the next milestone on my walk.

 

Its strikes me that Hobbits take such joy in simple pleasures. Frodo sings his favourite bath song. Favourite, implying there is more than one song 1 specifically dedicated to baths.

 

Frodo learns that Merry and Pippin know a good deal more about his current situation than they’re supposed to. It seems Sam has been feeding them information. Frodo is conflicted about this. He’s a little hurt and almost feels betrayed, but he’s also amused.

Sam reminds him that Gandalf told him to take a companion he could trust with him on his adventure.

“But it does not seem that I can trust anyone,” Frodo says.

 

And Merry says

“It all depends on what you want. You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin  – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends , Frodo. Anyway, there it is. We know most of what Gandalf has told you. We know a good deal about the ring. We are horribly afraid – but we are coming with you; or following you like hounds.”

 

One of the strongest themes that comes through this story, to me, is that of friendship.

If there’s one thing that Hobbits are good at, it’s friendship. Sam, Merry and Pippin demonstrate true dedication to their friend.  Sam especially. I think that’s one of the things we all love so much about this story. Because we all want a friend as true as Sam. and perhaps we all aspire to be a friend like Sam.

 

In any case, it gives Frodo great joy to know his friends will not let him embark on this journey alone. And it gives me great joy to read about it.

 

So they finally leave the borders of shire. They’re really out of their element now.

The hobbits have a real fear of the forest.

I may not fully appreciate this fear of the woods. European woods are very different to the Australian bush. As I understand it, they’re more closed in, dark, and claustrophobic. A far cry from the wide open spaces Australia is known for.

And this is where we get our first hint at the idea of sentient trees. These plants are not mindless. They have thoughts. Wills.

 

And this brings me to my next milestone. Old Man Willow.

Old Man Willow is pretty darn creepy. This ancient tree with a mind of its own, and seemingly malicious intent entices them to sleep, and then traps Merry and Pippin, and tries to drown Frodo.

 

Enter Tom Bombadil.

Now, Tom Bombadil has always come off as a little bit silly to me.

The hobbit’s propensity to sing doesn’t bother me in the same way as Tom’s.

Why is that? Is it the nonsense words? Or does it just seem out of place?

 

When they ask Tom who he is, his first reply is “I am.” I can’t help but see this as a biblical allusion. In the bible, when asked the same question by Moses, God identifies himself as “I am” In English, we translate this as yahweh.

Is Tom claiming to be God here?

Tom says he is the master of wood, water and hill.

And now I can’t help but liken him to Adam. Not me, Adam & Eve. Adam was tasked with tending the garden. Caring for the earth.

I’m not saying there’s any direct allegory here. Tolkien has been quoted saying he didn’t like direct allegory. But there’s got to be some of his Christian influence coming out in Tom Bombadil.

 

The more I read of this, the more convinced I become that, yes, the nonsense words really do annoy me. All this “Derry Dol Dillo.” It bugs the snot out of me.

 

The next day, in Tom’s house which is my next walking milestone, he tells the hobbits stories of wonder. But we don’t hear those stories. So we’re kind of left in the dark about what’s so great about this odd fellow.

We learn the trees, like Old Man Willow, have grown old and hateful because of the destruction wreaked by people. (and by people I suppose I mean all humanoid sentient beings, such as humans, elves, dwarfs, hobbits.)

 

Tom indicates that he was first. Older than everything. This seems to confirm that he is this world’s Adam.

It actually reminds me of Lorien in Babylon 5 – the first sentient being to arise in the universe.

(and of course, the name Lorien is likely a Lord of The Rings reference)

Lorien was a fascinating wondrous character. I was entranced by him.

Tom Bombadil could have evoked similar wondrous feelings in me, but he just ruins it with his silly name and all the rhymes and prancing about. That kills the wonder, in my opinion.

 

But one of the most fascinating things about him is that he seems to be immune to the ring’s powers. Which raises the question, why doesn’t HE take it to mount doom? 

We’ll address this question a little later.

 

So, they leave Tom’s house and get caught in a fog.

Again, fog and mist are much more intimidating in the UK than here. We get a little bit of fog, and it means you have to turn your headlights on. Big deal.

And my hometown sits in a valley, so we can get some decent fog sometimes. But it has very rarely been bad enough to cause me any anxiety. To make it impossible to see where you’re driving, or even walking.

I’ve heard that in Wales, fog can be terrifying and quite dangerous, because you really can get lost and not be able to see your hand in front of your face.

So I have to read this passage with that knowledge in mind.

 

At my next walking milestone, the hobbits are captured by Baron Wright. This whole passage feels pretty weak. We don’t even really see the character. It’s just. Oh, Frodo bumps into someone. Now he’s in a cell.

And then they’re immediately rescued by Tom, who they summon with a song. He appears instantly. It seems old Tom can teleport.

Tom sings, and the door opens. And just one more biblical reference for you, this reminds me of Peter’s escape from jail in the books of Acts.

 

This whole sequence feels completely pointless to me. Just Filler.

 

But we learn that Tom’s powers are limited to the region where he lives, where he is master. So that explains why he can’t take the ring to Mount Doom.

 

I remember reading all of this for the first time, after I had already seem the movie. And thinking to myself, I can see why they left all this out. It really doesn’t add anything to the story.

 

And then, they arrive in Bree, my next milestone. It’s dark, cold, and wet. The comfort of the inn seems very inviting.

 

They use some great camera tricks in the movie here to make the hobbits look smaller. It’s very basic stuff, using odd angles to shoot, but it’s surprisingly effective.

 

Their joy at arriving at the inn is tempered by the fact that Gandalf isn’t here.

 

Pippin’s reaction when he learns that beer comes in pints is priceless. A nice example of character-based humour. But Pippin still doesn’t understand the gravity of their situation. He forgets to keep the name baggins secret.

 

We get our first mention of Rangers, as they are so called by the people of Bree. they are thought to have strange powers of sight and hearing. It’s said they can understand animals. They wander about and are rarely seem.

 

One thing I love in the book is the mystery about what happened to Gandlaf. He was supposed to meet them in Hobbiton but he never showed. And all this time, they’ve still had no word from him. As Frodo’s anxiety buits, we can’t help but wonder, what has become of him? Will we ever see him again? If we don’t, what is Frodo to do?

 

And again, Tokien has this ability to make a hot meal and a comfortable bed feel like the most desirable things in the world. Things we take for granted in the modern world, but in a world like middle earth, and indeed in most of human history, these things were treasured, dreamed of by those who suffered the hardships of travel. We just don’t appreciate that in today’s world.

 

Once, they’ve been shown their room, and given a meal, the hobbits are invited to join ‘the company’. The movie presents a pub setting that’s quite familiar to us. Individual tables. People sitting in their own groups, talking with those they know. Maybe a few sitting at the bar getting to know each other. But that’s not what Tolkien describes in the book. All those who are staying at the inn that night are gathered together in a room, all talking and getting to know each other. It’s quite an alien concept to me. But it makes sense. There’s no TV. No phones to look at. What did people do of an evening? They met other people and talked with them.

 

I like the tension of trying whether or not to trust Strider. They don’t know if he secretly means them harm. He claims to know Gandalf, but ultimately, he’s a stranger. 

 

But they get a letter from Gandalf. They at least know he was here. This letter, plus the revelation of Strider’s true name, Aragon, seems to put to rest any distrust of Strider. And, they’re pretty much at a loss by themselves right now, without Gandalf to lead them. So it seems like Strider or no one.

 

But they still don’t know where Gandalf is, or what he’s up to.

 

The way they shot the sleeping scene is clever. We get shots of Frodo and Sam sleeping, cut with the Riders in the room the hobbits were supposed to occupy. And then we see the pillows.

 

So they set off toward Rivendell.

And we learn that the ring wraiths were once the kings of men, who were given the 9 rings. But those rings are ruled by the one ring, so they were corrupted by it.

 

And that’s when we get the famous second breakfast scene, which is just delightful. It’s funny, but also revealing of character. I know this scene has spawned a billion memes on the internet, but let’s just appreciate  the scene in it’s original form.  It’s great.

 

We pass through my next two walking milestones, midgewater marshes west, and midgewater marshes east. There’s not a lot to talk about here. Plenty of complaining about bugs. I don’t blame them. I’d probably be complaining about the bugs as well.

 

Souron orders Saruman to build him an army. This is where we see them clearing the forest and constructing a factory deep in the earth, while Gandalf is trapped on top of the tower.

 

The factory senes are great. We get to appreciate the visuals as the camera swooops around, being the eyes of the butterfly. They’re making weapons, but they’re also making soldiers. The scene where the Uruk Hai is born out of the mud looks amazing. Very creepy, and very alien.

 

As they walk toward weathertop, Frodo tightens his belt. He notes there is less of him.

Welll, it’s working for Frodo. Will it work for me?

It hasn’t yet. But we’re not at Weathertop. This milestone represents 386.23 Kilometres. That’s a lot of walking. The difference is, Frodo has done it over the course of a couple of days I’ve been doing this for months. I’ve definitely been going out to walk a lot less during the COVID-19 lockdown. We ARE allowed to leave the house to exercise, but honestly, I’ve just been really busy. I need to step this up a bit and try to get in more steps per day.

 

Strider tells them the story of Beren and Lúthien. And it’s very briefly mentioned in the movie. They were, of course, a human and an elf that fell in love. It’s quite fitting that Strider tells this story, given his relationship with Arwen, as we’ll see later. As I understand it, the story of Beren and Luthien is told in more detail in The Silmarillion, which I should read some time. But there’s some cool tidbits I hadn’t noticed before, here. Strider talks of The Great Enemy, of whom Souron was but a servant. Now That’s interesting. And we learn they stole a jewel from the the enemy’s crown – a silmaril. So that’s where the Silmarillion gets its name. A Silmaril is a type of jewel. All very interesting, the stuff Tolkien just drops in here casually.

 

The same carelessness from Pippin and the others, that we saw in the pub , also leads the nazgul to the fortress where they sleep. Their fry-up does sound good, but they’re trying to go under the radar.

 

So Frodo gets stabbed.

 

The flight to Rivendell after the stabbing is much more dramatic in the movie. It heightens the severity of Frodo’s condition. In the book, he’s awake and chatting with the others. I just don’t get the same sense of how much danger he really is in.

 

So we pass through the Trollshaws and encounter Mr. Bilbo’s Trolls. These are my next two milestones. Finding the stone remains of Bilbo’s trolls is a nice little nod to the previous book.  It does make sense they’d stumble upon them, because they’re following the same path to Rivendell that the party did back in The Hobbit. And this scene briefly appears in the extended cut of the movie.

 

Then they meet Glorfindel at 632 km. And he helps them get Frodo to Rivendell quicker, so he can receive medical attention from the elves.

Of course, in the movie, it’s Arwen.

I can see why they did that. First of all, it saved them casting another character for a relatively minor role, but it also allowed them to introduce Arwen’s character a little earlier and establish her relationship with Aragorn.

 

They reach the Ford of Bruinen, my next milestone, with the ring wraiths hot on their tail.

Glorfindel / Arwen uses magic to call the rushing water to sweep the wraiths away.

I love how this is visualised in the movie, galloping horses makde out of water. It looks great, and adds to the magical aspect of it.

 

And so that brings us to Rivendell. 737 km into my walk. That’s quite a distance.

This is also the end of book 1. No, not the physical book, Fellow of The Ring. This is Tolkien’s original division of the story into six books. The publisher, of course, chose to publish the story in three volumns, each containing two books.

 

So next time, we’ll see the formation of the fellowship, and we’ll truly set out, on our journey to Mordor.

I’d better get out there and do some more walking.

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Why I Love Man of Steel – Detail Analysis & Review (Nerd Heaven)

I begin my look at the movies of the DCEU with Man of Steel from 2013. Written by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan and directed by Zack Snyder. I’m a life-long fan of Superman. I was obsessed with the character as a child. Christopher Reeve was my childhood Superman, but I was ready for my adult Superman. Enter Man of Steel. I loved this movie because it took Superman seriously as a first-contact science fiction film. This is exactly what I was wanting and Man of Steel delivered.

So join me as I review and analyse this story in detail, and geek out over why I love Man of Steel.

Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven

I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of The Stars

And I am a nerd

 

This is episode 26 of the podcast.

Today, we’re beginning a look at the movies of the DC Extended Universe, with Man of Steel.

 

The description on IMDB reads

An alien child is evacuated from his dying world and sent to Earth to live among humans. His peace is threatened, when survivors of his home planet invade Earth.

 

The screenplay was written by David S. Goyer

Based on a story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan.

It was directed by Zack Snyder

And the movie first released on the 12th of June 2013.

 

And this podcast will contain full spoilers for the movie.

 

I should start with a quick overview of my history with Superman.

I’ve been a lifeline fan of Superman. Seriously, I can’t remember a time in my life before I was a fan. My earliest memories are of begging my parents to let me watch Superman The Movie on TV.

 

I had all the colouring books, a cape that I got on a holiday in Queensland. I consumed everything Superman that I could get my hands on. I’m sure that included a couple of comics, but from memory, they were mostly the kind of comic you were meant to colour in. Comic books just weren’t a huge thing around here when I was growing up, so it wasn’t until much later that I could catch up on some of the proper comics, thanks to archives on the internet, and later, comixology.

 

I caught the occasional animated show when I managed to find one, I watched Lois and Clark in the 90s, but for me, Christopher Reeve always epitomised the character.

 

In my late teens I “grew out” of superman, as teens often do. Only to rediscover the character as an adult in my mid-20s.

Coming to Superman as an adult, I saw different things in him. It wasn’t just about the colourful costume, and the fact he could fly. I saw a science fiction story about an alien trying to fit in on earth, and use what gifts he’d been given for the benefit of others.

 

Superman returns came along and I enjoyed it. My wife and I laughed at all the in-jokes calling back to the Reeve movies, while the rest of the theatre was silent. I appreciated the way this movie tied into the old Christopher Reeve stuff, but I was disappointed that it also continued some of the cheesier elements as well.

 

Ultimately, I felt Superman Returns was a fitting end to the Superman movie saga I’d enjoyed all my life.

 

I was ready for something different.

Christopher Reeve would forever be the Superman of my childhood, but I was ready for my adult Superman.

 

Enter Man of Steel.

 

Now I’d loved the movie Batman Begins. I heard somewhere that while working on his trilogy, Christopher Nolan and one of his creative partners (presumably, David S Goyer) started to brainstorm an idea they’d had about how they could approach Superman in the modern age.

When I heard this I was excited.

Yes. I’d loved Nolan’s new take on Batman and couldn’t wait to see what he’d do with Superman – my favourite superhero.

 

I’ll drop a spoiler on you and just say it now. I wasn’t disappointed.

This movie presented a brand new interpretation of the classic character. It was everything I was looking for in a superman movie for grown-ups. It was the right movie for the right time.

 

So let’s talk about.

 

—

 

The movie starts with the deep resonating tones of Hans Zimmer’s iconic score. So let’s talk about the music right off the bat.

I love the music in this movie. In the lead up to seeing it, I was wondering how they could possibly create something as memorable and iconic as John William’s Superman theme.

Hans Zimmer delivered something very very different, but just as awesome.

It’s not the kind of music you can hum. It’s a modern theme for a modern movie.

It fits in so well and I love it.

 

So Krypton is incredible!

I get a sci-fi Lord of The Rings vibe from it. It’s a vibe I can’t get enough of. The alien animals, the unique technology with tactile displays like those pin pictures that you push your hands into.

The city-scape.

The costumes of the council remind me of the Time Lords on Doctor Who. They should look silly, but they work. It fits the ostentatiousness of the council who have lost touch with the common people of Krypton.

 

The world-building of Krypton in this movie is absolutely top-notch. I could watch a whole movie set on this planet. Again, very different take from the 1978 movie, but very good.

I also like the armour worn by Zod and Jor-el. I like how they kept the idea from Donner’s film, that each Kryptonian family have a crest. Superman’s S symbol is his family’s crest. I remember when they were marketing this movie, there was a website you could go to and it would generate a personalised family crest for you.

 

Russel Crow is great as Jor-el. I like how, in some ways, he and Zod are on the same side. They both have similar goals, and under different circumstances could have been like brothers.

Jor-el’s aim is to reason with the council. Zod’s approach is to eliminate them and take over.

Already, we’re seeing a lot more nuance and depth. In the Christopher Reeve movies, Zod tried to take over Krypton because he was an evil bad guy. Here, Zod takes over because he believes it is the best way to save his people. But I’ll talk more about my love for this interpretation of Zod later on.

 

I love Jor-el’s line. “I will honour the man you once were, Zod, but not the monster you have become.”

 

At first, we’re not sure what all of this is about. What’s this codex? How can Jor-el use it to save their race?

 

I love that the Kryptonians are an interstellar race. They once explored the galaxy. But like the first ones of Babylon 5, they have retreated to their homeworld. There, they have become old, and as Zod says, degenerate.

 

Krypton feels like a fully-realised lived-in world.

Jor-el’s flying dragon thing is really cool.

Another thing this chapter explores is the way laws and rules no longer seem to matter when you genuinely believe the world is about to end.

Zod takes this to extreme, but even Jor-el is willing to break a few rules by entering the codex chamber.

We see that the codex is an ancient portion of a skull with glowing yellow symbols. This evokes so much mystery. I wonder who this skull belonged to. No doubt somebody very important in Kryptonian history. I’d love to know more.

Jor-el’s escape is so cool as he flies on that dragon while spaceships fire lasers at each other around him.

I like how earth is just one of the planets in their database. Probably catalogued centuries ago by their ancestors during their explorations.

Lara knows she needs to let her son go. She knows she needs to send him to the planet she’s found. But it’s hard. As a parent, I get that. You can know intellectually what must be done, but to say goodbye to your son, to send him away knowing you’ll never see him again.

How do you do that?

You do it with the knowledge that if you don’t, he’ll surely die.

Did I mention I love the 3d display technology they have? Not only can it display, but it can create objects. Kind of like a replicator using nanites or something.

And we get our first glimpse of the key.

So Kryptonian faster-than-light technology is called a phantom drive. We’re not given details of how it works, but there’s a clear link between their ship’s FTL capabilities and the phantom zone.

Kryptonian society is all about controlling bloodlines. Zod doesn’t want to change that. He just wants to be the one to choose which bloodlines thrive and rule.

Jor-el wants freedom for all Kryptonian bloodlines.

 

And this is where we get more interesting worldbuilding. Natural childbirth hasn’t been a thing on Krypton for centuries. Kal-el is the first natural-born child in a long time. To Zod, this is heresy.

They breed their people through careful genetic engineering. Again, we’ll learn more about this later.

But I’m impressed how much world-building and culture this movie crammed into just half an hour.

You really get a sense of both sides in this fight between Jor-el and Zod.

The codex is so precious. It’s the key to saving Krypton, something both men want to do. The problem is, only one of them can have it.

Zod is so distraught when he realises it’s out of his reach. He can no longer save his people.

In a rage, he kills Jor-el.

In the end, Zal-el’s ship is saved from Zod’s fighters when the council’s forces get the upper hand.

Zod refers to his prison as a black hole.

It seems the same technology that allows their ships to jump to other star systems can also be used to send the prisoners into that black hole, perhaps an artificial one? The phantom zone.

But it’s all too late. Realising there is nowhere to run. Lara just stands there and watches the world explode around her.

Her final words – “Make a better world than ours, Kal-el.”

 

After an indeterminate period of time, we see Kal-el’s ship jump into earth’s solar system and descend toward Earth.

 

End of Act 1.

 

I remember when I first heard they were making a TV show called Krypton, written by David S Goyer, and serving as a prequel to Man of Steel. I was so excited. I was gonna get to see more of this world.

When the show was finally ready to premiere, I was disappointed to learn that I would have no way of watching it. It wouldn’t be airing in Australia at the same time as it was in American.

But, that disappointed as overshadowed by the sad realisation that Goyer was no longer involved in the project and it was no longer part of the DCEU.

At that point, I just kinda lost interest. Pretty sad.

 

The next section of this movie employs a lot of flashbacks. Y’know I’ve even heard people criticising this. Non-chronological storytelling is a commonly-used technique. Especially at the time, this movie was made. It’s an efficient way to get the necessary information to us without becoming bogged down.

They could have gone the route the Donner film did, show us Clark growing up in Smallville, and then move to Metropolis, and that’s a valid way to do it, but we wouldn’t even see an adult Superman, nor the character playing him until around halfway through the movie.

This is a modern movie, made with modern sensibilities.

It works.

I like how we actually get to see some pre-superman adult Clark. In many tellings of the Superman story, Clark spent his early adult years travelling the world, learning all he could about Earth and it’s various cultures, before finally putting on the suit.

We’ve never really seen this part of the character’s life on screen before, although Lois and Clark in the 90s regularly referred to it as backstory during the first season or two.

 

I like that we meet Clark here as we’ve never seen him before. A bearded man, unsure of himself, working on a fishing boat.

It could be argued that Superman shouldn’t be able to grow facial hair, but hey, this is a particular interpretation of the character. And I like it. It’s just a step toward him become the character we know. I like it.

In the oil rig rescue scene, we see Clark has superpowers, but not infinite power. I liked how we saw him struggling and straining to hold the weight of that massive structure.

Clark doesn’t yet know his limits. So his actions here are brave and selfless. Traits he learned from his adopted father.

 

Our first flashback takes us to Clark’s early school days. We see him struggling with his senses, his x-ray vision. His super hearing. It must be terrifying for the poor kid. He doesn’t understand why he’s like this. He doesn’t know how to control these powers. It’s a fantastic scene.

“The world’s too big Mum.” “Then make it smaller. Focus on my voice. Pretend it’s an island on the ocean.”

Not only is this a beautiful character scene, that shows how his mother helps shape who he would become, it also nicely foreshadows some cool stuff that will happen later.

Little scenes like when Clark has to steal the clothes from the car after his were burned up in the fire add some nice believability to his world. These are the practical things he has to deal with.

When he sees a school bus, it triggers another memory.

 

The bus crash scene gives Clark his first chance to use his powers to help others. Maybe for the first time in his life, they’re not a burden or a curse. They’re a gift. A gift he can give to others.

And hear Zimmer’s man of steel theme play again as Clark pulls the bus from the water.

This movie allows Lana to see him do what he did. But who will believe him?

 

People are starting to notice Clark, and that REALLY worries Jonathan.

He loves his son and he’ll do anything to protect him.

Now, this is a somewhat controversial part of the film.

An important part of the Superman mythos has always been the way the Kents raised him. They instilled into him the values that defined what it meant to be Superman.

Some people felt this movie betrayed that though Jonathan’s words here.

I believe, the instilling of values from the Kents is still in this movie, but, because this is a slightly darker, slightly more emotionally realistic take on the character, it’s all a bit more nuanced and ambiguous.

The truth is, Jonathan doesn’t know how to raise a superhuman. There’s no manual. He’s got nobody else’s example to follow.

Clark asks “Was I supposed to let them die?”

Jonathan hesitates and says “maybe.”

Note, he doesn’t say yes. He’s not promoting cold hard pragmatism.

He’s giving a raw honest answer.

“I don’t know.”

He does want Clark to fulfil his potential, to be a good man. To use what he has for good.

But he also wants his son to be safe. And he’s not convinced that the world is ready for him.

 

See, that’s one of the big themes of this movie. What if Superman was real? What if he appeared today, in our world, the real world. How would people REALLY react to seeing a being of that kind of power? That’s a question I really enjoyed seeing explored. It’s a psychological realism we hadn’t seen much in superhero stories before. There was such an unreality to the way people reacted to Superman and characters like him.

This is the type of exploration I really wanted to see.

And the movie allows the Kents to be good people. But flawed people. People who are doing their best at an incredibly difficult job. It allows them to be uncertain, and even wrong sometimes.

I applaud that.

I mean, heck, as a parent, I’ve been wrong before.

Ultimately, Jonathan doesn’t want Clark to end up being directed in a lab. He’s overprotective because he doesn’t comprehend how powerful Clark will become, but mostly because Clark is his son. And he loves him. As a parent, I get that.

 

This is the moment Clark is told the truth about who he is. He sees the spaceship that brought him to Earth.

What would it feel like to learn that you’re an alien?

 

And then there’s a beautiful moment that always chokes me up.

Clark says “Can’t I just keep on pretending that I’m your son?”

And Jonathan says “You are my son.”

I love that.

 

Clark stands up to a bully who is treating a woman very inappropriately.

But when the bully tries to pick a fight by humiliating him, Clark has to make himself walk away.

You can see the conflict in his eyes. He could flatten this bloke. But he can’t do that. He has to be in control. All the time. Because if he lets himself go, somebody could get hurt. Clark can’t let that happen.

He must want to hit the guy so bad. But he doesn’t.

This is the first time I really see Superman in Henry Cavil’s performance. It’s great.

Of course, the movie does allow us the satisfaction of justice, as the bully see his truck mangled.

 

At this point, it’s clear Clark is in Canada. He overhears some military types talking about something of interest.

 

And he’s not the only one here. We get our first glimpse of Lois Lane.

Amy Adams seemed like an unconventional choice when she was announced, but I was open to it. And I really like her portrayal of the character. I’d previously seen her in the movie enchanted, a very different kind of role. It was great to see what she could do in a serious dramatic role like this.

The mystery of the 20,000-year-old object in the ice captured my imagination straight away. It gives a very logical reason for Lois and Clark to meet and become part of each other’s stories.

 

And we learn it’s an ancient Kryptonian space ship. Been here since the days of exploration. Clark knows he’s found potential answers when he sees a slot that would fit his key. The key Jor-el; left for him.

The security robot stops attacking him as soon as he inserts it. Jor-el’s software has now been downloaded into the ship’s computer and has taken over.

I imagine Jor-el suspected there was a crashed ship on Earth, and that Clark would eventually find it.

Maybe it wasn’t crashed. Maybe these people were hibernating waiting for colonists to come join them. Colonists that never arrived because Krypton changed their policy of expansion through the galaxy.

 

The security program doesn’t recognise Lois so she is still attacked by the robot. Clark has to reveal his abilities to her in order to save her life.

And then, he flies the spaceship off to the north pole.

And here we come to understand that this movies version of the fortress of solitude is that Kryptonian spaceship.

Again, unconventional, but I love it. Everything in this movie has a real sci-fi flavour to it.

Exactly the flavour I was craving.

 

We now meet Perry White. Laurence Fishbourne isn’t an actor I would have thought of casting for this role, but it turns out, he’s perfect for it. Christopher Nolan has a certain way of casting superhero movies. He always gets an unknown for the lead, as is right, but he then surrounds that lead with top-end Hollywood stars. I mean, how great was it to see Michael Cain as Alfred, and then Morgan Freeman in Batman Begins.

Man of Steel was cast in a similar way.

I think some small part of Perry does believe Lois, but aliens? It’s a tough one to sell.

And Lois isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. She’s not scared of looking silly, because she’s Lois Lane.

Perry says he’s not going to publish a story about aliens walking among us. Never going to happen.

And yet, we know what’s coming…

So Lois gives the story to a tabloid website. She wants Clark to know she knows the truth about him.

 

Jor-el uploaded a holographic copy of his consciousness into the key. That program is now running on the ship’s computer. So we get the classic superman scene where Jor-el explains to Clark who he really is.

This is very nicely done with the graphics as Jor-el plays.

We learn more about the history of Krypton’s space program. IT lasted for 100 thousand years.

They terraformed alien worlds.

Every child is designed to fill a pre-determined role. This is how Kryptonian society works.

Jor-el and Lara thought something had been lost. The element of choice.

Jor-el’s speech is nice. He hopes that his son will embody the best of both planets. His human upbringing will help him grow beyond the weaknesses and failures of Krypton.

I love that the symbol for the house of el, the superman symbol, means hope. That’s beautiful.

And so, he gets the suit and he puts it on.

He walks out into the snow.

Now he’s Superman.

And at his father’s recommendation, he begins to test his limits.

This sequence, where he learns to fly is brilliant.

The visuals are awesome and Zimmer’s music is incredibly powerful.

I love that he fails a couple of times before he succeeds. It’s like a toddler learning to walk. They have that ability, but they have to learn how to form the right neural connections They have to strengthen the right muscles.

When he finally succeeds, it’s such a triumphant moment. We see him soar into the sky over grassy plains and oceans. Through mountain cliffs and then into space.

And we see that classic superman shot of him orbiting the earth.

YES! This is Superman.

What a moment!

The character in this movie IS superman. In every way that counts.

 

Then we have a nice little bit where Lois is tracking Clark through the urban legends he’s left behind, the lives he has touched. She’s a great reporter. Of course, she’s going to track him down. IT would be insulting to her character if she didn’t.

This is a big departure for Lois in a Superman Story.

We’re not gonna drag it out, having Clark have to pretend around her for years. No, she knows he is Superman from the very beginning. And I think the story is better for it.

It gets rid of all the angst. We had more than enough of that in Smallville. For all the things I loved about that show, man, it sure had a lot of angst.

People love to make fun of the whole, wearing glasses thing, and nobody recognising Clark.

But in this version, anyone who really knows him would not be fooled. Anyone who knows Clark and has had a meaningful encounter with Superman is gonna know who he is.

This movie makes it work.

 

Not that Christopher Reeve also made it work, but in a different way. The way he changed his performance between Clark and Superman was incredible. Two different approaches. Both good.

 

I gotta say, they cast the adult and child versions of Pete Ross very well. I totally believe they’re the same person.

When we see Lois approach the Kent farm, we know she’s reached the truth. It’s very satisfying.

 

Clark doesn’t want his story told. Lois rightly points out that someone else will figure it out.

Then he’ll just run away again.

She also rightly points out that the only way he can truly disappear is to stop helping people, and that’s not an option for him.

 

I think this is our final flashback. Clark is a young man, perhaps in his late teens. He and Jonathan are arguing about what he’s going to do with his life. I don’t think Jonathan really wants him to stay in Smallville and be a farmer. But there’s that fear again, holding him back.

In the heat of the moment, Clark says you’re not my father. You’re just some guy who found me in a field.

They never really get to resolve their conversion, but the last thing Clark says before they see the tornado is “Look….Dad….”

I love that he calls him Dad because he’s showing he didn’t mean what he said earlier.

Clark takes his mother to safety, while Jonathan tries to help others.

See, again, he’s modelling the Superman values to his son.

Jonathan doesn’t want Clark to reveal himself. He still doesn’t think the world is ready for him.

And being a good son, Clark trusts his father’s judgement.

It’s not like he delivery left his dad to die, he didn’t know what was going to happen.

But there’s this one very brief moment when it looks like it’s over for Jonathan. Clark is going save him, but Jonathan signals No.

And he obeys.

Could he have saved him? Maybe.

Should he have? I guess we all have to make up our own minds on that.

Poor Clark will be asking himself that question for the rest of his life.

 

When Lois makes the decision, to drop the story, for Clark’s sake, Perry is pretty much convinced that she’s telling the truth.

And then he asks the question that sums up the whole movie.

“Can you imagine how people would react if they knew there was someone out there like that?”

Martha has very mixed feelings when she hears that Clark has found where he came from, his true parents.

She’s happy for him, but at the same time, she’s worried she’ll lose him to them.

OF course, that will never happen.

Martha talks about how, as a baby, Clark struggled to breathe Earth’s atmosphere.

I love that. Just a nice little sci-fi touch to make Clark a more believable alien. I think that’s important, since Krpytonians look human on the outside.

And of course, it will become important later on.

 

We meet General Swanwick. For the first time. He’s a cool recurring character. I like him. And, of course, Zach Snyder has revealed there’s much more to this character than meets the eye. I guess we’ll see how that pans out in the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

And horror horrors, something is approaching Earth. And it looks Kryptonian.

The little gag with the alert on a computer screen that turns out to be low toner in Lois’s photocopier is pretty funny. See, these movies do have some humour in them!

And this is the big moment.

The aliens arrive.

 

A UFO is spotted in the sky. Martha sees something up there. Clark recognises it.

And then the lights go out.

There’s silence

And then the tv starts making that spooky sound.

And the voice says “You are not alone.”

Oooh, that gets me every time.

So many goosebumps.

At this moment, I think we begin to understand what that plan was that Christopher Nolan and his mate had while they were writing the dark knight trilogy.

Their plan for a modern Superman was to treat it as a serious science fiction story.

They realised that the minute Superman is revealed to the world, it’s a first contact story.

As soon as Zod appears, it’s an alien invasion movie.

Man of Steel embraces its role as both of those.

No wonder I love it so much.

Most other interpretations of Superman on screen never really accepted what a world-changing thing it is to have an alien walking among us. I remember an old episode of Lois and Clark where people were being abducted by aliens and nobody believed it. But ….. There was an alien flying above Metropolis every week. The episode tried to handwave that away but it didn’t work for me.

So Zod has come to earth and he wants Kal-el. If he doesn’t turn himself in, earth will suffer the consequences.

I love the moment when the power comes back on, the globe explodes, and Martha jumps. Such an honest moment. We’re all feeling the same way.

The tabloid rats Lois out. “Lois Lane knows who this guy is.”

The FBI are after her. The government want to find this alien. Because the survival of the human race is at stake.

Then there’s a nice little scene where Clark goes to a church to consider his options.

The moment is subtle about it, but there is a clear indication that Christian faith was some part of Clark’s upbringing.

 

I was wrong. There’s another great flashback. Clark is being bullied. Forcing himself not to fight back, and Pete Ross, who had previously bullied him too, gives him a hand up. I guess they became friends after Clark saved his life.

Jonathan asks if they hurt Clark. “You know they can’t.” That’s not what Jonathan meant. He’s referring to emotional hurt.

Clark’s self-control, his deliberate choice not to use violence against others is an important part of his arc in this movie. Good man or bad, he will change the world.

Clark confesses to the pastor that he is the alien Zod is looking for.

The pastor’s not sure how to respond to that.

And there’s a symbolic picture of Jesus behind his head as Clark talks.

It’s obvious Zod is a bad guy, but can Clark trust the people of earth?

Some times you have to take a leap of faith first. The trust part comes later.

Clark makes the decision to surrender himself to the US military, but he wants them to release Lois.

He submits to the handcuffs because it makes the soldiers feel more comfortable.

You don’t control me and you never will, Clark says, but that doesn’t mean I’m your enemy.

Clark lets them turn him over to Zod. That’s why he’s here. He’s sacrificing himself for the sake of Earth.

The Kryptonian shuttle is cool, as is the breathing mask.

Fiaora says Zod wants Lois as well. She agrees to go.

I’m not sure why they want Lois. The movie doesn’t really explain it. This is perhaps the biggest plot weakness of the movie for me. 

Clark has an escape plan for her. He gives her the key. Installing the Jor-El program should give her a way off.

I love that the Kryptonian ship has an atmosphere not breathable to humans.

Clark is reflecting their atmosphere because he’s spent a lifetime adapting to Earth.

He has to let this run its course.

While he’s out, he has a vision of Zod.

I guess this is a type of telepathic communication? Perhaps using technology? Again, it’s not really explained.

Zod recounts some information we already know, but gives further details as well.

Turns out the destruction of Krypton freed their prison ship from the phantom zone.

They retrofitted the phantom projector into a hyperdrive. Remember, the two technologies are very simple.

They were to the old colony worlds, but without support from Krypton, these colony worlds withered and died.

But Zod did find a world engine for terraforming.

Clark triggered a distress beacon when he boarded the ancient scout ship. He brought Zod here.

And we finally learn about the codex. The genetic code for every Kryptonian yet to be born is stored in it. The purpose of sending the codex was so that Krypton could live again on another planet. Maybe on earth?

But Jor-el never planned for it to happen Zod’s way. Zod wants to terraform Earth into a new Krypton. The people of earth will die.

The scene where Clark is drawing in skulls is very symbolic and creepy. But kinda cool.

Zod admits he killed Jor-el. There isn’t a day it doesn’t haunt me, but if I had to, I’d do it again.

Remember those words. They’ll be important.

 

This version of Zod is a fantastic villain. Possibly my favourite villain from any superhero movie.

You see, he is truly the hero of his own story. He passionately believes he is doing the right thing. He’s fighting for his people.

As planned, the Jor-el AI helps Lois escape back to Earth.

So why was she here to begin with? As I said, we never learn the answer to that.

 

I like the black versions of the Superman suit we see both Jor-el and Zod in.

With the ship’s environment changing to human norm, Clark has his powers back. Technically, the other Kryptonians have powers now too, but they’re not adapted to this atmosphere.

Now that Clark knows Zod’s plan, he can’t just surrender to them. He won’t save earth that way. He has to escape and oppose Zod’s forces.

Jor-el wanted Clark to learn what it meant to be human so he could be a bridge between two people’s. Jor-El’s plan for the codex was for the two species to live oin peace.

 

When they land back on Earth, I think Lois actually explains why they wanted her. They probed her mind. They wanted to know about Kal-el from the perspective of a human who knew him

There we go. Mystery solved.

 

I love it when Martha tells Zod and the others Kryptonian thugs to go to hell.

They find Clark’s spaceship, but the codex is not there.

 

When Clark learns that Zod threatened his mother, he doesn’t hold back. For the first time, here is a foe he can let loose on. He doesn’t have to stop himself.

HE really pounds into him with his fists. Man, it must have felt so good!

And now we pay off that flashback scene in the school. With his mask damaged, Zod is not only struggling with earth’s atmosphere, he’s getting all the visual and auditory information.

He hasn’t spent a lifetime learning to control his senses. And so he retreats. Wonderful moment.

The big shootout in Smallville is cool.

This is the most visually impressive Superman film we’ve ever seen.

I mean, the donner film was just as impressive for its time in 1978, but this is a modern film exploiting all the advantages of over 30 years of technical advancement.

Incredible effects and stunt work

 

Superman has one big weakness.

No, it’s not kryptonite, it’s his morals.

He cares about the innocent. Fiora claims this gives her an evolutionary advantage over him. In one sense it kinda makes sense. They can fight harder, to hell with the consequences, because they don’t care who gets hurt.

He can’t.

But is she right? Or can compassion be an unexpected source of strength?

 

The soldiers are told to engage all targets.

“What about the guy in blue?”

“I said all targets.”

But by the end of the fight, Clark has proven himself, using that compassion we talked about.

In the end, the soldier says “this man is not our enemy.”

They regarded Superman as an enemy at first, as they should.

But he’s proven himself. And now they know he is an ally.

 

Fiora says “You will not win. For every one you save, we will kill a million more.”

This is also a very important line to understanding the end of the movie.

The battle has been won, but it’s not over.

Fioras words are no doubt haunting Clark.

I love it when Martha says “It’s just stuff. It can be replaced.”

 

We learn what happened to the codex. Jorel stored the information in the genes of Kal-el’s body.

They can extract it from his cells. He doesn’t need to be alive.

And so they release the world engine.

They’re going to terraform Earth, making it uninhabitable to humans.

The world engine is in the south Indian ocean.

The main ship hovers over Metropolis. Two parts to accomplish the terraforming.

I love how the water droplets go upward when the process starts.

 

The noise the world engine makes is creepy as hell. The stuff nightmares are made out of.

It’s wreaking havoc across the ship.

Clark is finally given the name Superman. That’s what they’re calling him.

 

Lois knows how to stop Zod. I think Jor-el told her.

They use Clark’s ship like a bomb to trigger the phantom drive and open a singularity, sending the Kryptonians back into the phantom zone.

I love how everything in tihs movie has a slightly more scientific spin. Even if it’s just fictional science.

 

One of the things I love about this movie is that it allows Lois and the US military blokes to play equal parts in the salvation of Earth with Superman.

They’re gonna execute the plan to open the singularity but Clark has to stop the world engine.

The scout ship has a genesis chamber on board, which means, once Zod has the codex from Clark’s dead body, he can breed a new race of his people.

The defensive systems on the world engine are cool, another application of Krypton’s nano display replication technology.

 

It’s chilling seeing the skyscrapers dissolve. BRings back memories of September 11.

We’ll see the horrors of this moment from Bruce Wayne’s point of view in the next movie.

Jor-el is actually in a lot of this movie, and it’s fitting because the whole narrative has been about the conflict between him and Zod.

 

Even Perry has his moment to be a hero in this third act.

 

Superman is weakened by his battle with the world engine, but the first rays of sunlight rejuvenate him.

 

The climactic scene as they battle to open the singularity is filled with tension and thrills.

Clark chooses to destroy the scout ship to stop Zod. By doing so, he destroys Krypton. His people can never be reborn now.

He is unable to fulfil his father’s plan. Zod has ruined that.

Ultimately, his loyalty is to earth. Krypton had their chance.

 

The plan works. The singularity is created, and the Kryptonians are all sucked into the phantom zone.

All except Zod, who was in the crashed scout ship.

Lois and Clark have a quick moment together. It’s the first time they really express anything romantic between them.

This movie doesn’t really give much time for their relationship to develop, but it does make sense Lois is the one Clark would fall in love with. She’s the first one he was able to open up to. The first one he was able to trust with his secret.

 

The next moment between Superman and Zod is fantastic.

Zod exists only to protect Krypton. That is the sole purpose for which he was born.

And every action he takes no matter how violent or cruel was for the greater good of his people.

That’s why he sees himself as the hero, and Clark as the villain.

But now he has no people.

That is what Clark has taken from him.

So now it’s personal. Now it’s revenge.

Zod vows to take the humans from him. One by one.

He’ll make them all pay.

That’s how you hurt Superman.

It’s fitting that after the rest of the Kryptonians are gone, the final showdown is just Clark and Zod. The two of them, one on one.

It’s a thrilling fight, but it takes a huge toll on Metropolis.

We’ve never seen a Superman fight like this on-screen before.

 

There’s only one way this ends, Kal. Either you die or I do, Zod vows. That’s important.

Zod has spent his life training as a warrior to master his senses. Clark may have the same powers, but he doesn’t have the military training.

The music in this scene is phenomenal once again.

And then the moment that caused the most controversy in this movie.

And I’ll admit, it took me a while to sort out how I felt about it.

Superman kills Zod by breaking his neck.

Zod is using his heat vision to try to kill some civilians.

Clark stops him.

So many people felt this was a betrayal of Superman’s character. Superman should never kill.

I respect that opinion, but ultimately I found I disagreed with it.

Some have said Superman should have just flown upward to save those people.

And that might have worked temporarily, but it wasn’t just about those people.

Zod had made it abundantly clear that he would never stop killing humans. He would keep going until the end of his days.

Clarks pleads with him to stop. He says never.

The Kryptonian ships are gone. The phantom zone can’t be re-opened.

No prison on earth can hold him.

“This only ends when you die or I do.”

And so Clark takes the only option he can see available to him.

And it absolutely guts him.

You know, having pondered it for quite some time, I’m okay with Superman killing Zod?

It’s because of that gut-wrenching scream he gives afterwards. The hurt, he feels at having to do something he swore he would never do.

Zod says there isn’t a day he isn’t haunted by the fact he had to kill Jor-el.

Clark will also be haunted by his killing Zod for the rest of his life.

But both men did what they felt was necessary, to save their people.

It’s powerful symmetry.

This is what I love about the emotional honesty of this movie.

In Superman 2, he pushes Zod off a cliff with a smile on his face.

In the 1989 Batman film, Batman kills a minor goon while cracking a joke.

Not in my superhero movie. No. This movie takes death seriously. Death has consequences. Killing takes a toll. This movie acknowledges that. And I love that.

And I think ultimately, the pain of this moment, the guilt he’s feeling will only help to further cement his desire to never kill again.

 

The US military are trying to find where Superman hangs his cape. But he’s not going to let them. He destroys their tracking satellite. “How do we know you won’t one day act against America’s interests?” the general asks.

I grew up in Kansas, he says. I’m about as American as they come. Clark is interesting in that he’s not human, and yet he was raised human. He was proven his loyalty to Earth. And yes, he will feel an affinity for the nation he grew up in.

I’m here to help, but I have to do it on my terms, he says.

In the end, the US government are just gonna have to trust him. It won’t be easy, but superman HAS proven himself.

There’s a nice conversation at the end. Martha says Jonathan always believed in Clark.

Clark is sorry his dad never lived to see it, but Martha says he saw it. He saw it in the boy that Clark was.

And I think that’s beautiful, and ultimately it redeems Jonathan’s weakness earlier in the film when he said “maybe”

Clark has given thought to what he’ll do while he’s not saving the world. A job where he can keep his head to the ground, where people won’t think twice if he goes into danger and asks questions.

So finally, after the whole movie, we see journalist Clark kent, with the glasses.

I don’t mind that it took all movie to get there. It was a very satisfying moment. It made sense for the origin of the character through the plot.

And I love the double meaning when Lois says “welcome to the planet.”

And I love the goofy grin they give each other. She knows it’s him. Those glasses ain’t gonna fool anyone who knows you buster.

It’s a nice little humorous moment to end the film on.

 

I love this movie. It’s my favourite superhero movie of all time. Probably my favourite movie full stop.

Not only is it a fantastic superhero movie, but it’s also a fantastic science fiction movie. It blends the trappings of superman, the red and blue suit, the S, the flying, and it mixes it with a brilliant first contact alien invasion film.

And ultimately, that’s why I love it.

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Star Trek Insurrection (Nerd Heaven Podcast #025)

Star Trek Insurrection was released in 1998 and pitted Captain Jean-Luc Picard against his Federation superiors. The movie explored the classic ‘fountain of youth’ concept, and asked questions around hard far people are willing to go to help a large group, at the expense of a smaller one, and the theme of displaced people. In this episode, I look back on this film and discuss what worked for me, and what didn’t. I find I enjoy watching this movie more now than I did the first time. It missed the mark for me when I saw it at the cinema, but nowadays I can just watch it for what it is and enjoy it as a part of Star Trek history.

Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven

I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of The Stars

And I am a nerd

This is episode 25 of the podcast.

Today, we’re talking about Star Trek Insurrection. I’ve already covered the other 3 TNG movies on the podcast.

The description on Memory Alpha reads

“The Battle For Paradise Has Begun”

As the Dominion War ravages the Alpha Quadrant, an idyllic planet in the middle of an unstable region within Federation space serves as home to the peaceful Ba’ku – and a veritable fountain of youth. When the Son’a and the war-torn Federation plan to exploit the planet in order to rejuvenate themselves, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise-E must rebel against the Federation in order to save the Ba’ku and expose the atrocities that are about to take place.

The screenplay was written by Michael Piller based on a story by Michael Piller and Rick Berman.

It was directed by Jonathan Frakes

And first released in cinemas on the 11th of December 1998

Make it so

This movie shows the title card and then jumps straight to footage, showing credits over the action.

It’s great music. First contact stil has my favourite music but still really enjoy the theme of this movie, and it fits the film quite well.

Also let’s appreciate the set design of this village.

We get an Idyllic view of primitive living. Looks lovely, and yet, constant manual labour is hard work.

There’s a reason people invented machines to do the mindless work so we can pursue more interesting things, which I appreciate.

This sequence definitely portrays thee people as happy

There’s a sudden Contrast in the music as the camera pans up to eveal the village is being watched. And then shock of all shocks, it’s startfleet who are watching them.

We’ve seen this before in TNG season 3 who watches the watchers. That’s the first big plot idea stolen by this movie. But it works. Makes sense this is something starfleet would do multiple times.

When we realise it’s Data attacking the village, we can only assume there is something wrong with the starfleet people. I mean, they were shot creepily.

The holographic suit is kinda cool. I like it.

And while Brent spiner’s green suit is a very simple visual effect, it works for me.

Michael Piller actually wrote a book about his experience writing this movie. It’s an interesting read. I still haven’t gone over the whole thing in detail, but what I’ve read has been enlightening. It’s called Fade In, From Idea to Draft The Writing of Star Trek Insurrection.

It really highlights the struggles of being a writer in Hollywood.

As an indie author, I only have to answer to myself. Sure, I need to listen to beta reads and my editor, but ultimately, nobody but me chooses where the story goes. It’s my baby.

But when writing a movie, there are so many different voices that get to have an opinion. It’s a wonder any script ever gets completed.

So, while I may speak critically about some things in the writing of this movie, I don’t want to sound like I’m coming off too hard on Pillar. First of all, he’s a much more experienced writer than I am. Second of all, Star Trek owes a lot to this man. He came in and revolutionised the show in season 3. He made it good. And I think a lot of the credit does belong to him. He made TNG a much more character-driven show. He shaped what Star Trek would be from here on, though DS9, Voyager and even Enterprise (which he wasn’t involved in). Our most beloved Star Trek shows wouldn’t be what they are without his input.

This is the first time we’ve seen new dress uniforms to match the standard uniforms introduced last movie. I like them. I like them a lot.

Picard and crew are involved in a diplomatic mission, entertaining alien representatives. And it’s nice to see them engaging in this kind of thing. We haven’t seen them doing diplomacy in a movie before.

But are we forgetting that we’re currently in the middle of the most brutal war the federation has ever faced?

They try to hand wave this away by saying the federation needs all the new allies it can get right now, which does make sense. But why would they send their flagship, a Sovereign class vessel, to entertain these people.

The federation diplomatic core is tied up with dominion negotiations. Ok.

But this isn’t the hard negotiating. That appears to have already been done. This is a party. Any minor ship and crew could have done this.

The enterprise should be out there fighting for the survival of the federation.

Michael Piller and Rick Berman both wanted to do a light-hearted movie.

And while I don’t have a specific objection to that, this hardly seemed like the time.

I can understand why they felt this way. First Contact was a much darker Star Trek movie. And both DS9 and Voyager were in pretty dark times at this moment. DS9 was in the midst of the Dominion War, and Voyager had recently been through a frightening encounter with the Borg and Species 8472.

Frankly, I was loving it. This was one of my favourite periods in Star Trek history. But I like the dark stuff. And it wasn’t so dark that I felt the need for relief. I mean, this was hardly Battlestar Galactica.

Some might have wanted some relief from that the darkness in Trek, but not me.

This movie felt very out of place. ….. Very out of time……to me.

I do like the conversation in the turbo lift, that hints at these being difficult times for the federation. Including picard’s line. “Anyone remember when we used to be explorers?”

And then we meet Worf.

Picard asks him what the hell he’s doing here.

And his voice fades out as he gives his explanation.

I hate this. I really really hate this.

What a bloody cop-out!

First contact had a very good valid reason for Worf to be on the Enterprise.

Theoretically, so did Nemesis, although they mishandled that as well.

The aliens that Picard is welcoming as a Federation protectorate look awesome. Very nice makeup design by Michael Westmore.The thing the alien puts on Picard’s head is silly.

I think perhaps it was supposed to be amusing. I dunno.

In a lot of ways, this movie feels like an extended TV episode. I think from the moment Rick Berman told Michael Piller he wanted the next movie to be more light-hearted and comedic, it was never going to have the epic feeling that the last two movies had.

Star Trek IV was practically a comedy. And it worked. It’s a favourite movie of most Star Trek fans, including me. But I think that’s an outlier. It shouldn’t have worked as well as it did, but somehow, it did.

They were deliberately trying to model this movie on Star Trek 4.

See here’s the problem.

Comedy in Star Trek can work. DS9 did some hilarious episodes. (They also did some real stinkers in the name of comedy). But we were getting 24 episodes a year at the time.

We were getting a movie every couple of years. To dedicate an entire movie to comedy. Well, it feels like a bit of a waste to me.

Anyway, let’s see how this plays out.

So data was scheduled to observe the baku village for one week. He should be back on the enterprise by now. And admiral dougherty is calling, asking for Data’s schematics.

Data has taken the other starfleet observers hostage and is refusing to respond to orders or anser hails.

Dougherty very much views this as a malfunctioning piece of technology. Which, of course, it could be, but that probably shouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind when dealing with a sentient android like Data.

Doughtery keeps trying to discourage Picard from approaching the planet. And Picard keeps ignoring him.

And this is where we get the one and only reference to Data’s emotion chip.

Apparently, he didn’t take it with him.

What?

In generations, it was fused into his neural net, and couldn’t be removed.

In First contact, he could de-activate it.

And now, he has apparently removed it and left it on the enterprise.

This was so badly handled, in my opinion.

You see, Michael Piller wasn’t a fan of the emotion chip idea. He felt that since Data had finally gained the thing he’d wanted all of his life, that he’d lost of the most interesting part of his character.

I disagree.

And I would say that first Contact proves my point. They did some interesting stuff in that movie with Data’s emotions. They introduced new vulnerabilities to him that he’d never had to deal with before.

But the interesting thing is, in an early draft of this script, Piller actually did some interesting stuff with Data. He had him dealing with some new realities. He’d gotten what he’d always wanted, but it had brought some unexpected disadvantages. For instance, he longer enjoyed playing poker. This was interesting. He could have done a lot with this.

But instead of moving forward, he went backwards, and he essentially erased all of Data’s character development since Generations.

I was really unhappy about this.

This was a mistake.

Data’s arc in this movie was about him learning what it’s like to be a child. It’s something we might have seen as a subplot in a TNG episode. And I found it very unsatisfying.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

Anyway, given this strange turn of events with Data, Picard decides to delay Worf’s return to Deep Space Nine, and ask him to join them. I’m not sure that’s especially warranted, story-wise, but it keeps Worf in the movie.

Picard all but disobeys the Admiral here, by setting a course for the briar patch.

I guess Dougherty didn’t explicitly forbid him from coming, he just discouraged it. He said “It’s not a good idea. Just get me Data’s schematics.”

Picard thinks something is off about this whole affair.

This is also the first appearance of the new Admiral uniform. In DS9, while most characters wore the new grey movie uniforms, admirals continued to wear the bright red admiral uniform. It was a bit glaring. We actually see Admiral Ross transition to the new uniform during the early part of season 6, after this movie had shown.

And this is our introduction to Ruafo, the movie’s alien villain, played by legendary actor F Murray Abraham.

Although he’s hardly recognisable under the alien prosthetics. And frankly I’m not sure this movie gives him a chance to really show why he’s such a legendary actor.

I like the dinosaur-esque aliens that work for the Sona.

The Sona ship is also pretty cool. A bit of a unique design for Star Trek.

I also like the ship that data is flying. Very federation, but quite unique. Bigger than a shuttle but smaller than a starship. And quite different to a runabout.

The visual effects for the briar patch are nothing out of the ordinary by today’s standards, but at the time they looked amazing, and they still look great today. There’s some clear inspiration from real hubble telescope images.

Riker and Troi are investigating the sona, to see what they’re all about.

Not only have they enslaved two primitive races, but they are known to have produced mass quantities of ketracel white.

Every Star Trek fan at the time knew what this was. It’s the drug used by the founders to control the Jem Hadar soldiers.

Sisko and his crew risked everything to destroy a ketrecel white facility in Cardassian space. Very recently.

We are at war with the dominion, and the Sona are helping them create the very weapons that are killing our people.

The sona are the enemy.

Troi’s question “why would we be involved with these people” is the understatement of the millennium.

It makes absolutely no sense.

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the DS9 reference. I appreciate that they are again, at least acknowledging the war, but it just doesn’t work.

Riker and Troi are acting like “Oh, so they’re drug dealers. That’s not nice.” But it’s so much more than that. The sona are enemy agents. They’re working for the dominion. In season 7 of DS9, we even hear Damar and Wyoun talking about how the sona are requesting dominion assistance to protect one of their ketrecel white factories.

In this scene, we also get our first hints of something rekindling between Troi and Riker

For some reason, they changed the hologram-esque viewscreen sound from First contact with the standard cut and beep in this movie. Not sure why. It’s just another thing that gives this movie a more TV feel.

Picard and Worf go out in a shuttle to capture and deactivate Data.

So Picard tries to distract data by singing a gilbert and sulivan song that he’d recently been rehearsing.

I think this was supposed to be funny. It just makes me cringe.

Picard asks Worf if he knows Gilbert and Sulivan, and he says he hasn’t had time to meet all the new crewmembers. Why would Picard expect Worf to know 19th century earth composers? Sure he spent much of his childhood on earth, but still.

I think this was supposed to be funny as well.

The bit where the two ships are connected together is pretty suspenseful.

So they’ve captured data and they beam down to the baku village.

This movie has one big strength over most of the other TNG movies. They get out of the soundstage and do a lot of location shooting. Generations had those beautiful vistas on Veridian III but nothing in First contact or nemesis can compare to the beautiful exterior shots we see in this movie.

And as I think I’ve already said, I really like the outside sets for the baku village.

The baku, while aliens, look completely human. This is a general weakness of Star trek, dating back to the 60s. Back then, it was often a budgetary issue, and I guess that could still be the case even here. I read that at one point they had considered doing something to the baku, some dots on their faces somewhere, to make them look at least a little alien.

It does seem a shame that in a big screen movie, that had supposed aliens that just looked human.

Anyway

The initial conflict wraps up pretty quick. The starfleet crew are not hostages of the backu. It was data who wouldn’t let them leave. But there’s still the mystery of what data was up to.

And then we learn that the baku are technologically advanced. They understand positronics. They once explored the galaxy with warp drive. But they have chosen not to employ their technological knowledge in their daily life. It does seem, however, that they do not wish to lose that knowledge all together.

Their leader says they believe that “when you create a machine to do the work of a man, you take something away from the man.”

I don’t agree with that statement.

Dougherty now orders Picard to leave the briar patch, but apparently, he’s not finished here. He says he has a few loose ends to tie up, which sounds suscisious.

Now Riker comes into Troi’s office to flirt.

It’s clear that something strange is happening with these two. And yet it’s welcome to see them finally sorting themselves out. I think every TNG fan is now saying “it’s about time.”

Troi’s reaction to kissing Riker with a beard for the first time was amusing. I did actually find that funny.

Anyway, something about the way these two actors work together, I really feel the emotions between them.

It turns out, the sona, and doughtery were lying. They shot data first, before he malfunctioned.

Why would they do that? Then his ethical and moral subroutines took over.

Data’s last memory of the mission is following some children in the hills in his isolation suit.

So, we beam down to the planet to try to retrace his steps.

The kids have a little alien animal as a pet. By today’s standard’s it’s not great CGI, but at the time it was pretty significant and impresive.

This is the beginning of Data’s relationship with the baku boy. The boy is uncomfortable around data, even afraid, because these people have rejected technology. As data says, I am the embodiment of all they have rejected.

Cut back to riker and troi, who are sharing a bath together. Troi is shaving riker.

Apparently, they had to very carefully place the soap bubbles around Troi’s chest so as to maintain their intended PG rating.

Data finds the lake. And it looks incredible. They found a beautiful place to film the scene, and the water with the snow-capped mountains stand in wonderfully for a paradise planet.

I love it.

Picard tells the boy that Data doesn’t breath.

Which is wrong, because it was established in Birthright part 1, in a conversation between data and Bashir, that he does breath.to maintain thermal control of his internal systems.

Anyway, data uncovers a cloaked ship under the lake. A federation ship.

The effects for the cloacked doors opening looked pretty cool. And this is the second major plot point stolen from a TNG episode.

The ship is a giant holodeck containing a duplicate of the baku village.

It seems they plan to beam them on board during the night, they wake up in a holodeck, not knowing they aren’t on their planet any longer.

And so this is Worf’s arc in the movie. He gets pimples. Great.

We get two important pieces of information from Crusher. The sona refuse to be examined, and the federation crew from the planet are in suprisingly good health. Better than they should be.

Picard puts it together and beams down to the planet.

The Baku came from a solar system where terrible wars with technology weapons threatened all life. They came here to escape it. They haven’t aged in 300 years. There’s a metaphasic radiation in the planet’s rings that keeps them from aging.

Aging vs growing up

Admiral dougharty and the Sona planned to discreetly move the baku from this planet so they can harvest the radiation for themselves.

Anij explains that some young baku are attracted to a faster pace of life.

Picard points out that those in the federation would sell their souls to slow it down.

Picard is temped by perpetual youth, but darkest chapters in earth’s history are the forced removal of a small group of people to satisfy the demands of a large one.

This ties in the with classic Star Trek theme of the needs of many vs needs of few.

There’s a nice character scene between Picard and Anij. Almost romantic.

I don’t mind the relationship between them, but ultimately, it’s just a romance of the week and will never be addressed again. I hate romances of the week. I find them a ridiculous artefact of 20th century TV. But ultimately, I, like I think a lot of others, felt this was just a distraction from the real relationship between Picard and Crusher, which still, to this day, really hadn’t been explored.

They wanted to give Picard some romance. Fine, so use the character he already has such a connection to.

Also, nice moment with geordi, where he gets to see a sunrise for the first time.

Picard gives one of his famous speeches. It’s a reasonably good one.

This planet is in federation space. The sona have the technology to harvest the particles. That means Starfleet and the Sona are partners in this. They need each other.

There is some nuance here, though. The sona are dying. That’s why they’re constantly going through horrific surgical procedures to replenish their bodies. The particles in this planet’s rings could save their lives. Many of them are so far gone that the slow exposure just from living on the planet won’t be enough. They’ll die before it has a chance to improve their condition.

These particles could also save the lives of the sick throughout the Federation.

So by refusing to vacate the planet, in a sense, the Baku are condemning these Sona to death. But can you force a group of people out of their home to help the sick? And don’t forget, these sick are enemies of the Federation, working with the Dominion.

And is the Sona’s current state natural? We’ll talk a bit more about this a little later, after we learn more about their nature.

Dougherty says we’re only talking about 600 people.

Ad Picard asks an important question. “How many people does it take, Admiral? Before it becomes wrong?”

Again, needs of the many vs needs of the few.

So Picard is ordered to release the Sona and leave the system.

There’s nothing more he can do, short of outright disobeying.

And so, he goes to his quarters, and removes his rank pips.

Now that the big secret has been uncovered, the Sona see no need to bother with the holo ship anymore. They’re just going to move the Baku by force.

Picard’s senior crew find him getting ready to sneak off the ship. Of course, they’re with him. I like the moment where Data points out that the effects of the radiation could be stimulating feelings of rebelliousness common to youth in all of them, except him.

To be honest, this is probably true.

But that does change the fact that they believe this is the right thing to do. And so does Data. But I like how they ask him for an objective opinion.

Picard’s hope is that they won’t begin the procedure while the planet is inhabited. This is likely true of Dougharty, but what of the Sona? Will they really hold back from killing the Baku if necessary?

Picard says “It’s too easy to turn a blind eye to the suffering of a people you don’t know.” so Riker is to take the Enterprise out of the brier patch to blow the lid on this whole conspiracy.

The goal is to get the baku to some caves where natural minerals will prevent them from being beamed away.

Then we get a nice action scene as fighters fly down and shoot up the village. I felt the tension.

Also, the Sona transporter effect is pretty cool.

There’s some tension between Dougharty and the Sona. They’re willing to go a lot further than he is. He still wants to keep his support in the Federation council. But Ruaffu talks him around to taking that next step over the line. He agrees to let the Sona ships go an dintercept the Enterprise. To fire on a Starfleet Ship. At a Starfleet admiral’s orders.

I like the scene as the Baku trek through the countryside. This gave me Lord of theRings vibes.

So the little boy is finally starting to talk to Data.

And we get the next stage of Data’s arc in this movie. We’ve long explored his desire to be more human, but in this story, he wants to know what it’s like to be a child. There’s a nice little conversation between him and the kid, as they discuss the constant change experienced by a child. It’s a nice enough scene, but it feels like it belongs in a season 3 episode, not a movie, and not at this point in Data’s development. He is so far past all this.

So the Baku have super powers. They can slow down time. That’s an astonishing thing. Or is it just the perception of time they can manipulate. But time slows down for Picard as well. So, what? She’s causing his brain to process information at an accelerated rate, so that time appears to have slowed?

Either way, that’s pretty incredible, and the movie does virtually nothing with it.

But I must say, the visual effects here are pretty cool, especially for the time it was made.

And then we get the weird boob scene. Data overhears Crusher and Troi talking about their boobs. And then he goes and repeats their words to Worf. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Data doesn’t have boobs. Worf doesn’t have boobs. Data knows that neither Worf or himself have boobs. And this has got to be the record for the number of times I’ve ever said boobs in a podcast. Sorry about that.

I’ve got no idea what I’m supposed to take away from this scene. Probably another of those things that are meant to be funny.

The drones that tag people for transport are kinda cool. Another nice little action scene.

So Geordi is sitting at the helm, instead of in engineering, just so he can be in the scene. I guess he’s acting first officer, so makes sense for him to be on the bridge, to exchange opinions with Riker. When things get dicey, he does go straight down to engineering.

So the Sona use an illegal subspace weapon against the Enterprise. If they have this technolgoy I can’t help but wonder why the Jem’ Hadar aren’t using it against the Federation and their allies, but anyway.

It doesn’t bother me that Riker is now sitting at the helm. They’re doing a complex menouvre and it’s been well established in TNG that Riker is the best pilot on the ship.

So they eject the warp core and detonate it to stop the weapon.

Ok.

So now they’re stranded. It’ll probably take them decades to get to the nearest starbase now, unless they’re towed by another ship, but at least they’re in one piece.

And then we get our obligatory minor swear word that seems to have become a part of Star Trek movies since Star Trek 5. Just one per movie to keep it edgy.

And then Riker activates the manual steering column. Which is a joystick.

Ok.

I don’t really have an opinion on this. It seemed unnecessary and felt a little out of place, but whatever.

All in all, the space battle was pretty weak, but the visuals of the gas were nice for their time.

There’s a wounded or dead Sona soldier on the ground. Not sure where it came from, since the Sona are using automated drones to tag the Backu, but Crusher learns something important by scanning his body. So I guess it’s just a plot convenience.

So what happens in every movie that stars a kid? They lose something, a pet, or a teddy bear, and they run back to get it, which means our heroes have to go after them.

Yep, that happens here too.

So Picard an Anij are trapped by a cave-in.

Anij is injured. They need to get through the rocks quickly so he can get medical attention.

And so now, Picard also has the Baku super magic powers.

The movie makes it pretty clear it’s picard who does this, not Anij,

So…ok. Picard is a human. And he “learned” how to stop time.

The only explanation I can come up with is it’s something to do with the radiation on this planet.

So we now have super radiation that can not only regenerate human cells to prevent aging, but also grants people magic abilities to manipulate time.

That’s a lot to ask of radion. And is a number of steps too far for me.

This is the one time they actually do something meaningful to the plot with this magic power. It’s never used to solve their primary story problem. It all falls a bit flat for me.

Those beautiful vistas in this movie continue to impress me. It’s the main thing that keeps this movie feeling cinematic.

Of course there’s no reason for the drones to hover menacingly before attacking.

So Picard and Anij get tagged and are beamed up to the Sona ship.

Ruaffu has had enough of this. If the baku want to stay on the planet, let them. He’s going to launch the injector, which will kill everyone down there.

This is one line that Doughtery doesn’t feel he can cross, so we’ll see where that takes us in a minute.

But first, Picard reveals what Crusher learned from her scan.

The Sona and the Baku are the same race.

Ok. So years ago a group of young baku wanted to live the ways of the offworlders. They wanted technology. So instead of going off on their own, they tried to take over the colony. When they failed, they were exiled to die slowly.

What this means exactly, we’re not sure. We know they were young when they left the planet, so their lives haven’t been extended unnaturally at this point. It seems more than just the fact that away from the planet they became mortal like the rest of us. No, I’d say their bodies became dependant on the radiation which means that away from it, their bodies deteriorate more quickly than they should.

This opens up all kinds of cans of works.

First of all, it means that by removing the baku from their planet, we’d be killing them too.

It also means that the Baku condemned their rebellious children to death.

This movie tries to play itself very black and white, and I do agree, obviously, that what Doughtery and Ruaffu have been trying to do all this time is wrong. I believe some things in life ARE black and white. But sometimes, these issues are difficult. There is more subtlety and complexity to this whole thing than I think the movie fully allows itself to explore.

Dougherty now realises he’s been wrong all along. This was an important moment in the movie. Gene Roddenberry always hated the idea of the Federation being the bad guys, and Rick Berman very much carried Roddenberry’s flame. It woldn’t suprise me if a last minute redemption of dougherty was madated by Berman.

The tragedy of it all is Doughterty says “It was for the Federation. It was all for the Federation.”

But, you can’t bring good out of evil, can you?

So doughtery tries to stop Ruaffu and fails. Ruaffu kils him in a somwhat gruesome scene.

The camera zooms out before it gets too bad.

There’s a nice little moment when we see Picard tampering with a control panel. He didn’t succeed, but it shows that he wasn’t just sitting on his hands in that cell. Of course he’d be actively trying to escape.

So Picard tries to talk Gulnar out of it all. To make him feel guilty so he’ll change his mind.

It’s the same thing he tried with Soran back in Generations.

Trying to sway the bad guy with his words.

The twist is that this time, it works.

This was a cool moment and I wasn’t really expecting it, although Gulnar’s discomfort with the latest development was foreshadowed.

Picard has a clever plan. As long as ruaffu doesn’t know anything is wrong, he won’t override Gulnar’s authorisation.

Data weakens their shield and then beams the bridge crew into the holoship. Into a simulation of their bridge. The same trick they planned to use against the Baku. Nice one.

But i’m very suprused none of the bridge crew know what it feels like to be transported with their own technology. That’s a hard one for me to swallow.

We see the moment it happens. There’s a glow and Ruaffu says “What was that.” As an audience we don’t yet understand what just happened.

So ruafuu deploys the collect and we get to see it in all its horror, but it’s fake. Ruaffo notices a glitch in the holodeck, but it’s too late.

And we get that terrible scream. Was that meant to be reminiscent of Kirk’s Khaaaan in Star Trek 2?

Now ruaffo has to go directly to the collector to re-activate it. So Picard has to go on board and stop him.

They technobabble a way to beam Picard through the shields.

And this movie continues the trent from First contact, making Picard an action hero.

This time he gets to have a shooting fight with ruaffo.

So this planet has helped Riker and Troi remember how they feel about each other, and that will continue on in the next film, which is great.

Picard arranges a reunion between baku mother and sona son. To start the healing process.

He hopes the two groups can over come their differences.

Except those sona who are too far gona and will shortly die from their condition, of course. But we won’t talk about that, because this movie is light-hearted and “Fun”

Picard intends to continue pursuing a relationship with Anij. He says he’ll use his shore leave to come back to her when he can.

Of course, we’ll never hear of her again. In the end, it’s just another stupid romance of the week.

The movie closes out with Data playing the hay with the kid. “It’s time to go home now.”

This is the culmination of Data’s arc, learning about what it is to be a child. And it falls really really flat for me.

So then the crew beam back up to the ship as the TNG theme plays and the enterprise warps off to it’s next adventure.

It feels so much like a stock weekly TV ending. Nothing has changed in the universe. And apart from Riker and Troi, nothing has changed in our characters.

I came out of the cinema, having seen this for the first time, feeling a little empty.

Is that it?

There was a lot of elements in this movie that I liked, and I can enjoy this film on re-watches, but it kinda missed the mark for me.

But it’s still lightyears better than what would follow it in the form of Star Trek Nemesis.

So by now, I’m sure you’ve heard the news. The Snyder Cut is coming. That’s right. The much hoped-for Zack Snyder cut of the Justice League movie is going to be a reality. It’s expected to go live on HBO Max some time next year.

I’m very excited to see how Zach’s original vision plays out for this movie and perhaps bring about a better conclusion to the story arc that began with Man of Steel.

But my first thought, when I heard the news was “that’s nice, but will I get to see it?” HBO Max is an American streaming service that’s about to go online. However, there’s a lot of talk that they plan to go international with the service and it’s hoped that it will be available in many countries once the Snyder Cut releases. I’m holding my breath, hoping that Australia will be one of those. So it seems a perfect time to be delving into the DC Extended Universe movies. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Next episode, in two weeks time, I’ll be talking about Man of Steel. I can’t wait to geek out over this movie with you.

Catch ya then.

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Amish Werewolves of Space by Kerry Nietz – Book Review

Amish Werewolves of Space by Kerry Nietz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amish Werewolves of Space is an epic and very satisfying conclusion to the Peril in Plain Space series, which started with Amish Vampires in Space, and was followed by Amish Zombies from Space. This book picks up threads from the previous two books, culminating them in an exciting showdown filled with brave heroes, wild science, and epic monsters.
The story blends science fiction adventure with mystery and Amish drama in a way that shouldn’t work, but somehow does under the expert pen of Kerry Nietz. This series truly is the king of genre mashups.

The story takes an honest look at both Amisher and Englisher cultures, showing that neither is perfect. Each is flawed and can be twisted into evil, and yet each can also produce heroes out of the unlikeliest places.

If you enjoy science fiction that examines the clash of different cultures and adds monsters into the mix for fun then you simply must read this trilogy.

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Star Trek Generations – Detailed Analysis and Retro Review (Nerd Heaven #23)

Star Trek Generations had a lot of hype to live up to. Not only was it the first time we would see the next generation cast on the big screen, but it would also have the long-anticipated meeting of Captain Kirk and Captain Picard. But, it was also going to be one of those infamous odd-numbered Star Trek movies. So, could it hold up to the hype?

Let’s dig back into this movie and see how it holds up.

Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven

I’m Adam David Collings

The author of Jewel of the Stars

And I am a nerd.

This is episode 23 of the podcast.

Today we’re talking about Star Trek Generations.

Generations had a lot of hype to live up to. Not only was it the first appearance of the next generation crew on the big screen, it features the long-anticipated meeting between captains Picard and Kirk. But, it was going to be one of the infamous odd numbered Star Trek movies.

So could it live up to the hype?

What did you think of this movie when it first came out?

My overall experience with it was a positive one, and yet, I found myself re-writing it in my head, coming up with alternative stories.

Let’s see how it stands up.

The description on Memory Alpha reads

“Two captains. One destiny.”

In the late 23rd century, the USS Enterprise-B is on her maiden voyage, and Kirk is no longer in the captain’s chair. The ship must rescue El-Aurian refugees from a mysterious energy ribbon, but the rescue seemingly costs Kirk his life. Seventy-eight years later, one of the El-Aurian survivors leads the crew of the Enterprise-D into a deadly confrontation with the Duras sisters as he plots to re-enter the paradise of the ribbon that nearly destroyed him years prior.

The Screenplay was written by

Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga

The Story was by

Rick Berman & Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga

It was Directed by

David Carson

And it first appeared in cinemas on the 18th of November 1994.

Make it so.

The opening credits were reasonably effective for this movie.

I quite like the musical score that Dennis McCarthy created for Generations. Not as memorable as Goldsmith’s score for First Contact, but better than what he did on the TV show.

I remember watching the names go by. I knew Kirk was going to be in this movie, but I didn’t know if anyone else from TOS would appear, so I was very excited when James Doohan and Walter Keonig’s names appeared.

The bottle of champagne floating through space makes you think of the chateau Picard wine, suggesting that we’re starting in the 24th century. So the reveal of the Enterprise 1701-B was a shock. I nearly wet myself when I saw those original series Wrath of Khan uniforms.

I love how this movie starts in the 24rd century. It feels like it picks up straight after Star Trek 6. And that’s what I really wanted. To start in familiar TOS movie era and then transition to The Next Generation.

It’s not surprising that they got the TOS movie aesthetic spot on, because a lot of the same people who worked on TNG worked on the later TOS movies.

The presence of the news reporters was kinda cool. We’d never seen anything like that in the star trek universe, but it made sense to me that by this point in time, the name Enterprise was famous enough that the media would be present at the launch of a new ship with the name. And the TV style reporters felt like that fit in better in the 23rd century than they did in the 24th.

Still, I cheered when Kirk told the reporter to “turn that damn thing off”

John Harriman gets a lot of flack for being a pathetic captain, but I’ve always maintained that most of the problems were because he was completely un-equipped. Starfleet sent him out without half his crew, and half his equipment non-functional.

I don’t blame Harriman for that. The ship was doing a publicity flight. They weren’t even supposed to leave the solar system.

And yes, he’s a little green, and sometimes hesitates, but he doesn’t have the decades of experience that Kirk has.

And what I really like about him, when the moment comes, he swallows his pride and asks for Kirk’s assistance. He doesn’t have many resources, so of course he should use the one resource he does have. Kirk’s experience.

In my head canon, I’d like to think that Harriman went on to be a great captain, worthy of the legacy of Kirk and Pike.

And I LOVE that they use the TOS movie warp effect and viewscreen sound. Those are the little details that a non fan wouldn’t even notice, but they mean so much to me.

It’s noticeable that these scenes are being written by TNG writers. The dialog is particularly TNG sounding, specifically in relation to the use of technobabble.

The CGI effects for the nexus ribbon look awesome. Even today it stands up as a really cool looking effect.

The use of el aurian refugees fleeing the borg was a pretty cool idea. And the brief appearance of both Soran and Guinan on screen during this part of the movie is important, because it ties it in to the main 24th century section.

I assume that most people listening would be aware that the script was originally written for Spock and McCoy, not Scotty and Checkov, which is why Checkov is suddenly running sickbay. This kinda works for me because I can believe that as a former security chief and first officer, he’d have had some medical training.

But his line “You and you, you just became nurses,” sounds very much like a McCoy line.

When Harriman gives Kirk the bridge, I like how he hesitates just for a minute, savouring the chance to sit in the captain’s chair, before realising that’s not his place.

It also makes sense that Harriman was going to go. He feels pretty useless on the bridge of his ship right now, especially with Kirk there. But Kirk sees potential, maybe even some familiarity in the young man, telling him that his place is on the bridge of HIS ship.

And then the ribbon hits, blowing kirk out into space. And just like prophesied in Star Trek 5, he died alone. Ok, maybe prophesied is too strong a word.

I knew this couldn’t be the last we’d see of Kirk. I knew he shared screen time with Picard in the trailer. Still, as Scotty and Checkov race to deck fifteen, I held my breath. No. It couldn’t be.

They couldn’t let Kirk die!

I still felt that loss.

OF course, we have a continuity problem here, because when Scotty beamed aboard the Enterprise D in the episode relics, he said “I bet Captain Kirk has come out of retirement.”

It’s hard to know how to fix that.

And then we jump forward 78 years into the future. And this is a little jarring because it starts off on a sailing ship on the holodeck. If you weren’t familiar with the Next Generation you’d be really confused by this.

Worf is definitely due toe promotion having served on the Enterprise D for 7 years, over 6 as security chief.

And I like that they would celebrate an event like this on the holodeck.

This is the kind of sequence we’d never have had on the TV show. And it looks great in it’s widescreen high definition glory.

I found the attitudes of the crew quite hypocritical in this scene. When Riker removes the plank, plunging Work into the cold water, everyone laughs. Crusher says it’s all in good fun. But when Data pushes Crusher in, everyone is horrified. And Crusher, who advised him to live in the moment and have some fun is angry at him.

WHAT?

Maybe I’m too much an android myself, but I don’t see the difference.

We don’t know what’s in the message Picard gets, but Patrick Stewart sells it very well with his acting. We know something terrible has happened.

This movie has a very different visual look to it than the TV show. They’re very close to a star, so there’s an orange tint to everything, including the exterior shots of the enterprise, and the inside of the ship, that orange light coming through the windows.

And I REALLY like this. IT looks fantastic, and reminds us that this isn’t a TV show anymore. It gave the whole thing a more cinematic look that I really appreciated.

Also, I love the new com badges. Keeping the old uniforms helped give us something familiar to hold onto, but changing the com badges showed that we have moved into a new era.

Picard is already showing clear signs of some kind of emotional trauma. Troi is sending it, not that she really needs empathic abilities for that! But I love the look on her face. Nice non-verbal acting from Marina Sirtis.

The transporter beam has been changed for the movie. Similar enough that it’s not too jarring, but different enough that it feels more ….. movie-ish.

And as we see Soran’s face peeking through the rubble, we see our first connection between these otherwise very disparate stories.

They do a great job with the dead romulan, of making it realistically gory but with green blood instead of red. Green blood is something that could easily come across as cheesy. But it doesn’t.

So given his failure to understand humour, and Crusher’s reaction to his attempt (Which I don’t blame him for, because I don’t understand it either), Data has decided to install the emotion chip that Doctor Soong created for him, which he got from Lore at the end of Descent.

The chip suddenly looks a lot bigger than last we saw it.

In Descent, Data didn’t install the chip because he was worried that emotion might lead him to harm others. His friendship with Geordi was too important to him.

In this movie, his reason for not having used it until now is a fear that it might overload his neural net.

I understand the need to not ask too much of the audience in a movie. They want to sell as many tickets as possible. They don’t want to rely on people having seen every episode of the TV show. I make this work in my head by saying that there were two reasons Data didn’t use the chip. Geordi mentions the technological one because he is an engineer, responsible for Data’s maintenance, and because honestly, he had more faith in Data’s humanity than even Data does.

So this is one of the controversial elements of the movie. Some people didn’t like the addition of emotions to Data. Some just found his behaviour after installation to be extremely annoying. Michael Piller lamented the chip when he came to write Insurrection. He liked the pinocchio aspect of Data’s character and thought it a shame that movie audiences never got to see that side of Data.

To me, personally, I’m a fan of character development. I hate it when writers chain themselves to the status quo. I like the worlds in my stories to change, and the people that inhabit those worlds to change even moreso.

So, in my opinion, this was a good time for Data to install the chip, to take his character to the next level.

Picard’s ready room and ten forward both look awesome with the new lighting. I love it!

So Data tries a drink offered to him by Guinan. This is the first example of his odd behaviour with the chip. I will admit that Data does get a little annoying in this movie, especially when he’s cracking jokes and laughing maniacally on the station, but this works for me. Data is new to emotions. He has no idea how to deal with them. Can you imagine suddenly, a lifetime of emotions, related to all of your memories, suddenly flooding into your system. I don’t think I’d handle them any better than Data does. Imagine experiencing fear for the very first time. It would be crippling. Yeah, in my opinion, this stuff is all very nicely done.

Data’s jokes here are not supposed to amuse us. They certainly don’t amuse Geordi. We’re seeing the whole thing through Geordi’s eyes.

So we apparently El Aurians have some mild telepathic abilities. Soran is able to see Picard’s pain. He senses it is related to fire and burning. He understands that Picard is struggling with issues of regret and things not done.

This makes it very easy for him to manipulate Picard into allowing him onto the station.

I can buy that El Aurians have these kinds of senses. It’s probably what gives them the reputation for being such good listeners.

You’ll notice that over the course of this movie, the crew slowly transitions from the traditional TNG uniforms to the newer DS9/Voyager uniforms. This makes sense to me because this IS a time of uniform transition.I wonder if there are any rules or guidelines regarding when they should wear particular uniforms.

Now we come to one of the most powerful scenes in the movie.

Picard is looking through his family photo albums and Troi comes to see him. This is a wonderful character scene for both of them. I love this scene because it gives Troi the chance to actually matter. Something that didn’t really happen in any of the other TNG movies. Troi actually gets to be a counsellor.

We learn that Picard’s brother Robert and his nephew Rene have tragically burned to death in a fire.

This is heart-breaking to hear. Doubly so because we met these characters back in the fourth season episode family.

Patrick Stewart’s acting in this scene is absolutely phenomenal.

This scene is the thematic and emotional heart of the movie.

I’ve heard it said that the theme this movie is trying to explain is essentially a copy of the aging theme in Star Trek II. But I see a lot of difference between the two.

In Star Trek II, Kirk was basically having a mid-life crisis. Filled with the regret of the loss of the glory days. Feeling like he could never get those days back again.

Picard’s experience is very different. Picard never lost his glory days. He’s living the dream right now. He’s captain of the Enterprise. Picard’s issue is all about legacy. Yes, Picard is aware that he is aging, that there are “fewer days ahead than there are behind,” as he puts it.

But that doesn’t bother him so much. He takes comfort in his family legacy. The family will go on. And Rene is very much like Jean-Luc. He is the closest thing he has to a child of his own, and to Jean-Luc, that is quite enough. He’s content with that.

But now that legacy has been stolen from him. I’m sure there are other members of the Picard family alive. Cousins, second cousins. Extended family. But the line of Maurice Picard, of Robert and Jean-Luc, that is gone. And there is no longer any hope that this can be changed.

Time has been cruel to Picard. It has taken away his hopes for the future.

I love that this film, with everything else that’s packed into it, still takes the time to explore some weighty emotional issues with it’s characters. Well done, I say. Well done.

And I love the transition from Picard talking, to the sudden implosion seen through the window.

Having spoken with Troi, Picard is able to switch his professionalism back on.

So, a nice touch, Soran is working with the Duras Sisters, rogue Klingons. This is cool because it allows the movie to have a familiar traditional bad guy, the klingons, that fans of the original series and movies would be familiar with, even though in this time, the klingons are our allies.

To fans of TNG, these are familiar popular characters. To other viewers, they’re just Klingons who are clearly meant to be villains. It works on both levels.

The actors that portray Lursa and B’etor do a great job of portraying their characters.

I like the little moment when Soran waves his hand in front of his face, suggesting the Klingons don’t smell so good. Just a little bit of visual story-telling.

Crusher identifies Soran’s past and figures out Guinan likely knows him, since she was on the lakul with him back when Kirk rescued them.

Why is crusher doing biographical research on him?

Anyway, this is handy because Guinan is able to give Picard more information on his enemy.

I like Guinan’s quarters. They look kind of exotic. Lots of candles.

I’ve always liked the character of Guinanan, and in this movie, Whoopi Goldburg shows us a rarely seen vulnerable side of the character.

Strangely, Goldbuerg is not credited in this movie. I wonder why.

The Enterprise D model that flies by is, I believe, the same model used for the TV show. And yet, in this shot, it seems weightier. It feels like a big heavy ship. Is it the camera used to shoot it? The widescreen aspect ratio? I’m not sure.

The new stellar cartography set is really cool, with those massive screens that encircle them. I remember feeling quite impressed by it when I first saw this movie.

This scene pulls double duty. It is an exposition scene where they find out what Soran’s plan is. But at the same time, it does some really nice character stuff with Data and Picard.

Both of them are struggling with their emotions. Picard just has a little more experience to draw on than data does. It’s good stuff.

Speaking of Soran’s plan, it’s a bit dumb. But we’ll come to that a bit later.

I understand why the Duras sisters are willing to exchange Geordi for Picard, even if Picard is beamed down to Soran’s location. They want to use his visor to spy on the ship so they can destroy it. But why doesn’t Picard suspect their surprising agreement?

Veridian III looks amazing. This was all shot at the Valley of Fire State Park, and man it looks awesome. Especially shot with the cinema cameras and rendered in high def on blu-ray.

Such rugged beauty, so exotic and alien-looking. I can’t say enough good about this location. It’s fantastic.

So Soran is willing to destroy two stars, and at least one entire planet populated by people. Just to divert the nexus ribbon to a place he can enter it. When Picard asks why he doesn’t just fly into it with a ship, Data’s excuse is that any ship that has approached the ribbon has been destroyed or damaged. Soran says his plan is the only way.

But we know this isn’t true. Yes, Soran’s ship might be destroyed, but….he’ll still end up in the Nexus. We’ll shortly have proof of that when we see Kirk in the Nexus. He was blown out into space and sucked into the nexus by the ribbon. Pleasantly, that means all those lakul survivors that Scotty couldn’t save also ended up in the nexus. That’s nice.

The whole thing comes across as a bit convoluted. I understand the writers of this movie were under extreme time pressure, so I can understand why this is what they came up with, but I do acknowledge that it doesn’t really work for me.

But what does work is the character stuff between Picard and Soran. I like how Picard calls back to the borg. Soran’s perspective is almost convincing. We’re all going to die sometime anyway, so is it really so bad that I make it happen a little earlier for a few people so I can experience an eternity of joy?

The Duras sister’s plan is kind of clever and works for me. They’ve modified Geordi’s visor to transmit what he sees, and they see the shield nutation frequency on a panel. That allows them to get through the enterprise shields and actually inflict damage.

But this leads into what I consider to be the first really big negative in this movie.

This battle between the Enterprise and the bird of prey is pretty weak, and honestly, not a great way for our beloved ship to go down.

It always struck me as silly that the Enterprise takes shot after shot, through its shields, yet they get one single torpedo hit on their ship and the whole thing blows up.

The whole sequence feels very weak and pathetic.

The biggest issue, as others have pointed out before me, is that it’s all solved with technobabble. If you want to go into more detail on this, just listen to the youTube Lorerunner rant about this scene.

And do you notice that the shot of the bird of prey exploding is a recycled shot from Star Trek VI? I did, even back in the day. The budget must have been really tight for them to have done that.

Although, in the director’s commentary, David Carson talks about watching them shoot the destruction of the Klingon Ship, so….I’m not sure what to make of that.

And so, the writers decide to do what had only been done once before, They’re going to destroy a much-loved Starship Enterprise. It made sense to do this.

Firstly, it added bigger, more intense stakes to the movie. They’d never have done this in the show.

But more importantly, it allowed them to make a new Enterprise for subsequent movies. Remember, these sets were created back in the 80s for a standard definition TV show. They did some good stuff in this movie to make the Enterprise D look good on the big screen, but the Enterprise E was made for the big screen, and as I said in my First Contact video, it looked fantastic.

Sadly, the destruction of the Enterprise D was done very badly. It lacks the thematic and emotional resonance that the destruction of the original Enterprise had in Star Trek III. It is lost because of a battle they should have won with a silly little old bird of prey.

However, after the loss of the stardrive section, the whole battle thing is redeemed, in my opinion by a truly amazing sequence as the saucer section crashes onto Veridian III.

First off, let me say that Data’s swear word got a lot of audible laughter from the theatre when I first watched it, and yes, I laughed too.

The crash landing looks amazing. Seriously, I could just watch this sequence all day long. IT’s spectacular. The Enterprise has never felt so big. So weighty. The way it cuts through the trees and scoops up dirt from the surface of the planet.

Man, I can’t say enough good things about it. I Love it.

It blew me away in the cinema, and it still blows me away now. This may just be the best visual sequence out of any Star Trek movie.

And then, after all the fireworks, we have that silent moment as Troi tells Data he’s ok. And the sad music starts to swell, as we come to fully realise that the Enterprise, our Enterprise, is gone.

So Picard tries to stop Soran, but he fails. The probe is launched. The star is destroyed. While it doesn’t make sense for the sky to dim so immediately, it IS a beautiful visual image of the ribbon travelling through a near sun-set sky.

And then when the shockwave hits Veridian III, we get another cool visual – the destruction of Veridian III, which honestly, rivals the destruction of Vulcan in Star Trek 2009.

This next bit is a little disorienting, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Picard is in the Nexus, and he is living out his greatest fantasy.

Picard is married and surrounded by a big bunch of kids.

It’s a shame his wife is a random nobody, rather than Crusher. But I do note that Picard’s wife looks somewhat similar to crusher.

This all ties in thematically with Picard’s terrible loss, and the stuff he talked about with Troi.

As Picard looks at the Christmas tree, he sees what appears to be an exploding star on one of the Christmas baubles. I always assumed that this was an image of Veridian III exploding, that it was the Nexus’s way of reminding Picard of what it had cost for him to be here in this paradise. Kind of a nasty passive aggressive jab to prick his conscience. This would also imply some intelligence behind the nexus.

While this all seemed super obvious to me, apparently not everybody thought so, as there have been discussions online about what it’s all about.

What do you think?

The sudden appearance of Guinan doesn’t entirely make sense. The whole concept of an echo, a part of herself she left behind isn’t well developed and not that well explained.

But it serves as a mechanism for some exposition and introduces us to the fact that Kirk is alive and well, after all this time, in the Nexus himself.

Picard is apparently able to travel from his own fantasy into Kirk’s.

Finally, after all these years, we get to see Kirk and Picard share the screen together.

It’s not exactly in the setting we might have hoped it would be, but it was still exciting to see them together.

It’s a shame they invented the woman Antonia, instead of using Carol Marcus, who it should have been.

We can speculate that this moment in Kirk’s life takes place some time between The Motion Picture and Star Trek II. There’s quite a period of time there where Kirk wasn’t happy with his career. I can imagine he left Starfleet for a time and then decided to return, even if it meant resuming his former position as admiral.

Unlike Picard, Kirk is fully embracing this fantasy. I don’t think the movie has really given us enough background to what he’s dealing with. Picard’s character arc in this movie works. Kirk’s not so much.

At this point in the movie, my feelings are that I liked what we got, but I would have loved something different. Kirk never gets to see the Enterprise D. He never gets to meet any of the rest of the crew. I would have liked to see Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise A come face to face with the crew of the Enterprise D. I would have liked to see those two crews work together. Of course, bringing together that many characters would have been a challenge, and would have given few of them a satisfying role.

Generations was put together quickly, and I believe the writers, Ronald D moore and Branon Brage weren’t entirely happy with it themselves. There’s no doubt that with more time for writing, this movie could have been something much greater, but there’s still a lot to like in what we actually got.

So Kirk quickly realises that nothing in the nexus matters. He gives Picard a speech about never leaving the bridge of his ship and they return to Veridian III just before Soran destroys the star.

IT seems silly that they didn’t give themselves more time. That could have chosen anywhere anytime.

Now that the writers had brought Kirk into the 24th century, they have to decide what to do with him. IT wouldn’t have made sense to send him back and rewrite all that established history. They could have left him alive in this new time period, and at the time, I was in favour of that, but over time I’ve come to agree that it made good sense to kill Kirk in the climax of this film.

But is Kirk’s death fitting?

Hmm. Not entirely, but I don’t think it’s as bad as some people make out.

First, let’s acknowledge that it was originally much worse. Before they showed this to test audiences, they had Kirk shot in the back by a dying Soran after remarking that the 24th century isn’t so tough. Obviously, that was not just a terrible idea, but an insulting one.

They wisely went back and re-shot this sequence with a new death, in which Kirk has to risk his life to get the control pad.

I’ve heard some say they think Kirk should have died aboard the Enterprise. In space.

But I don’t know. This seems a very Kirk way to die.

Kirk was always beaming down to rocky planets like this and getting into fistfights. It seems fitting that this would be the way he would die.

So I’m with it.,

It was still sad to see Picard bury his predecessor, realising that we’d never again see Kirk.

Kirk’s moment of death is extremely well acted by William Shatner. Possibly his best acting moment.

And the music does its job well here too.

So having experienced 261 distinct emotional states Data is beginning to learn how to control his emotions, rather than allow them to control him.

Which of course makes perfect sense.

The data we’ll see in the next movie will be less annoying and more human.

Good character development, until Insurrection and Nemesis mess it all up.

But those tears, ugh. That was silly and didn’t work for me.

As Picard rummages through the ruins of his office, looking for his photo album, he tosses something over his shoulder, showing complete disregard for it. This was terrible. This object had tremendous scientific and archeological significance, not to mention huge emotional significance as it was given to him by his old mentor, professor Galen. That really annoys me.

So, that was Star Trek Generations. Despite its flaws, I really like this movie.

And I hope you have enjoyed revisiting it with me.

So, that was Star Trek Generations. You know, there’s actually only one Next Generation movie that we haven’t talked about on the podcast yet. And that, of course, is Insurrection. So I will be doing an episode about that at some point in the reasonably near future.

Now, if you like Star Trek, then don’t forget that my series of books, Jewel of The Stars, is very Star Treky in nature, it’s actually about a cruise ship in space on the run from an alien armada after Earth has fallen to an invasion. You can actually read the entire first episode, completely for free now, going to wattpad and searching for Jewel of The Stars by Adam David Collings, or you can pick it up in any ebook format from the major retailers for 99 cents. And it is also available in paperback.

Well, next episode we’re gonna be doing something a little different. I’ll be talking about the movie Stargate Origins: Catherine, so I’ll see you for that in two weeks time

Live long and prosper

Make it so.

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Lord of The Rings Read, Walk & Watch (Nerd Heaven)

Who doesn’t love Lord of The Rings? It was that epic story that birthed a genre. I’ve been using the Walk To Mordor app and a pedometer to re-tract Frodo and Sam’s legendary journey from Hobbiton to Mordor. As I go, I’m also revisiting the movies and the books. In today’s podcast, we talk about the beginning of the story, up until Buckleberry Ferry. So grab some lembas bread and let’s go on an adventure!

Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven.

I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of the Stars.

And I am a nerd

This is episode 22 of the podcast.

Today is the first installment of my Lord of The Rings, Read, Walk and Watch series.

If you’ve been following my content anywhere, you’re most likely aware that I’ve been doing a walk to mordor challenge.

Using a pedometer, and an app on my phone called Walk to Mordor, I enter the distance I’ve walked at the end of each day, and the app tells me how far along the legendary journey from the Shire to Mordor I have travelled. There are lots of milestones along the way.

From time to time, I’ll be doing one of these episodes where I dig into the story of Lord of The Rings, discussing it as far where I’ve walked, drawing from both the books and the movies.

I’m not really going to be comparing the book and movie, I’m just going to be drawing from both.

In this installment, I’ll be talking about the beginning of the story, up and until Buckleberry Ferry

Lord of the Rings Part 1 The Fellowship Of The Ring was written by J.R.R Tokkien.

It was first published in 1954.

The movie was written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson.

It was directed by Peter Jackson

And first released in cinemas on the 19th of December 2001.

The description on IMDB reads

A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

So. Let’s go on an adventure.

My first experience with Lord of The Rings was seeing Fellowship of the Ring at the cinema. I hadn’t read the book prior to this, and was blown away by the epic scope of the story.

So I’m not a hard-core lifelong Tolkien fan. There are many people who cold run rings around me in terms of their knowledge of the lore of Lore of The Rings.

So I’m not doing this as an expert, just a nerd geeking out of a story that I think we can all agree is pretty darn awesome.

Both the book and the movie start off giving us backstory and setup, but they do it in very different ways. The prologue to the novel reads somewhat like a non-fiction book written in universe. No book would ever be published today if it began this way, but there is a certain old-fashion charm to this prologue.

While the book focuses on the smaller details, the history of hobbits, and how Bilbo came to have the ring, the movie delves right back to the creation of the ring and the first battle with Sauron. Important aspects of the world that the books keep a mystery for now.

I think both were the correct choices for the given medium.

See, I said the point of this wasn’t to compare the two, but given the different ways they start, it’s kind of hard not to.

This opening sequence for the movie sets up the stakes from the beginning. We know how powerful, and how dangerous this ring is. So when it comes into Frodo’s possession, we already fear for him. These sequences were great to watch. This movie was pretty revolutionary in it’s use of CGI to create huge armies.

It was the feat for the eyes when it first came out, and is still impressive today, although no longer unique.

I like the sense of wonder you get as history become legend and legend became myth over 2 and a half thousand years.

The extended version of the movie actually follows the prologue of the book more closely. Narrated by Bilbo.

I only saw the extended version about a year ago, so it’s still pretty new and exciting to me.

The set for Hobbiton is awesome. I’ve always loved it. You can’t watch this and not just want to be transported there.

And of course the music! It fits the visuals so well and has got to be one of the most memorable pieces of movie music ever. I love it.

The new scene where Bilbo has a panic attack because he can’t find the ring is a nice touch. IT shows the addictive powers that it has over those it owns.

Bilbo and Frodo kind of represent two different responses to the amazing World Tolkien created. Bilbo is tired of living in the idyylic shire. He wants to go and travel, to experience advanture again.

Frodo also has some interest in adventure, but he is still in love with the shire. And who wouldn’t be? I can identify with both of them. I’d want to go and see the whole of Middle Earth. But I’d want to know the Shire is still there to return to. If there’s one thing the story shows us at the beginning, it’s that life in the shire is very very good.

One of the best things about being a hobbit would be how much they love food.

They also like drinking beer and smoking pipe weed, neither of which interest me, but I loooove food.

Bilbo has some genuine regret about leaving Frodo behind. He’s the only family that Bilbo actually likes.

Biblo’s behaviour regarding the ring stimulates Gandalf’s suspicions straight away.

He doesn’t know the full story, but there’s definitely something off about it.

The ring hadn’t been used in decades. When Bilbo uses it to escape, he doesn’t seem to suffer any effects. No scary flaming eye staring at him. But that moment of usage is probably what first gets Sauron’s attention. The ring calls out to him after all these years. Now he must retrieve it.

And so, Golumn is captured and tortured.

I like the scene in the movie where Gandalf is researching the ring. I know it’s just him reading to himself, but it adds a real sense of history.

Life continues as it always has back in the shire. They eat, they dance, they sing. It’s a truly joyful moment when we see them in the pub.

And then Gandalf shows up to share what he has learned with Frodo.

For that one moment, when Frodo says there is no text, I think Gandalf thinks maybe, just maybe he was wrong. But when Frodo says the Elvish writing has appeared, his face just dropped.

So this trinket that Bilbo passed on to Frodo is the one ring. Such a significant and ancient thing. While both Frodo and Ganldalf must be feeling a lot of fear and dread in this moment, there’s got to also be a profound sense of wonder that they’d be feeling as well. I know I would. Which, I suppose, is a problem, because it’s just another thing that makes the ring more enticing.

This discovery about the ring comes in parallel with Gandalf learning of the return of Sauron and the regathering of forces at Mordor. Even the hobbits are talking. They know something is brewing in the wider world.

We learn here that the ring is basically sentient. It has a consciousness. It thinks. It has desires. This is because Sauron poured part of himself into the ring. It’s like a piece of his consciousness possessing the inanimate object. Without that, this is just a piece of gold like any other.

When Frodo learns the truth about the ring, his first impulse is to hide it. It’s actually impressive how quickly he formulates a good plan. “Nobody knows it’s here. We just bury it and never speak of it again.” That’s a good plan, and it could have worked, maybe for thousands more years. Except that it’s too late. Because of Golum. Sauron got to Gollum first and has told him exactly where to find the ring. Shire. Baggins. That will take the enemy literally to Frodo’s front door.

This is the point in the book where we get an interesting discussion about mercy, a discussion that happens much later in the movie.

Frodo wishes that Bilbo had just killed Gollum back when he found the ring. If he had, their problems would be over. They could hide the ring and Sauron would probably never find it.

It actually comes across a little callous, just how quick Frodo is to wish death upon another, even a creature as wretched as Gollum.

Specifically, Frodo says “It’s a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature, when he had the chance.”

And Gandalf replies “Pity? It was pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure, that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the ring with pity.”

Frodo admits he has no pity for Gollum, and that it is because of his fear. And isn’t that so true of fear, and the things attitudes it leads to. He says Gollum deserves death.

“Deserves it,” Gandalf says. “I dare say he does. Many that live deserve death . And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.”

I really like this conversation. As for myself, I value things like mercy and compassion, so I love what Gandalf says.

At this point, Frodo just wants to give the ring to Gandalf. He doesn’t want any part in it.

And Gandalf immediately refuses.

It is far too great a temptation for him.

The ring has great power, and if he possessed it, he would want to use that power for good. But the ring would work great evil through him.

This isn’t just a question of power corrupting, something I don’t take as a given.

The ring itself is evil. It has its own will. So the ring doesn’t just represent neutral power.

To me, the ring has always been a pretty strong representation of temptation and sin.

This is seen thematically through the whole story.

Gandalf doesn’t believe he has the necessary willpower to resist that temptation when it comes, and he is very wise to recognise that, so he chooses to excercise that willpower now, and refuse the ring. Better never to possess it.

But what does that say about Frodo? He wants Frodo to keep it. He worries that it will be a great burden to Frodo, of course, but I think he recognises a moral strength in Frodo that most lack, including himself.

And then they realise that Sam was outside the window, and we get that awesome amusing line “I ‘aint been dropping no eaves.” I love that line. It’s not some witty one-liner, it’s just a statement that comes out of a genuine simple misunderstanding.

Gandalf warns Frodo to never put the ring on. It’s use will draw the attention of Sauron’s servents. It wants to be found. And that’s chilling. Anyway, we’ll see how that goes in the future.

And so, here is where my walk actually begins.

Frodo and Sam leave Bag End. That’s the starting point on my walk to Mordor app.

It’s taken this long just to get to the starting point.

But it’s been well worth it.

So within less than a page, we hit my very first milestone. Tookland. It’s just a sentance they says they passed through tookland. This is where Pippin’s family are from.

From here on, the order of events is a little different between the movie and the book, but they both follow the same points. My Walk to Mordor app obviously follows the book.

As they’re walking through a paddock, Sam stops. And he says “This is it. If I take one more step, it’ll be the furthest from home I’ve ever been.”

I like this recognition of the significance of this moment. It’s not an expression of fear, or anxiety, about being so far from home. It’s simply an acknowledgement of something that feels significant to Sam.

I understand this.

I went on my first cruise a few years ago. I was 39 at the time, and I’d never been outside of Australia. This would be my very first time setting foot in another country. I felt like Neil Armstrong.

I remember that morning at our first port, Noumea, the capital city of New Caledonia. I stepped slowly down the gangway toward the soil of another nation.

I say soil, but it was actually concrete. It was a dreary industrial port, but that wasn’t the point.

This was a significant moment for me. Unfortunately, the staff were hurrying us on to get a photo, so I didn’t really get to stop and really take in that moment, savour it, like Sam is doing here.

Even before Saruman is revealed to be evil, there are hints. Isenguard looks very dark and creepy. Sauramon looks at Sauron, and his armies, and he can find no logical way to defeat him. Faced with what he believes is inevitable defeat, he believes the only option left is to join Sauron, because it is impossible to oppose him.

Gandalf accuses Saruman of abandoning reason for madness. But it could be argued that Sauramon’s choice here is governed by pure reason. Cold unfeeling logic. Absolute pragmatism.

Gandalf has one thing that Saruman lacks. Faith. That there are forces in this world other than the forces of evil, that even in the face of seemingly impossible odds, there is still reason to hope. That even a hobbit, could, in fact, oppose the will of Sauron.

It’s illogical. It doesn’t add up mathematically. But choosing faith is a preferable option to him than giving in to the evil.

And I really love that about Gandalf.

Also, I gotta say, what was Tolkien thinking, naming Sauron and Saruman such similar names. And given that Saruman ends up working for Sauron. That’s really on the nose. One of the first things a modern author is taught is not to give characters names that will get confused with one another. Try not to even have two main characters whose name starts with the same letter.

Then we reach my second milestone, the encounter with the black rider.

The movie does an especially good job of this. It’s so creepy. Frodo senses something off about the black rider before he even appears. He is, of course, a ring wraith. It’s such a tense moment as it stops near the tree they’re hiding under and sniffs.

Frodo is really tempted to use the ring to hide. Even though Gandalf warned him not to. It takes Sam to keep him from doing it.

If he’d put it on, it would have all been over. The rider would have sensed the ring more strongly and kill them then and there.

My next walking milestone is a meeting with the elves at the 65 km mark. That’s a fair chunk of walking. And Frodo still hasn’t even left the borders of the shire.

At this point in the book, Frodo is getting worried about Gandalf, who was supposed to show up for his farewell party, but hasn’t been heard from.

In the movie, the encounter with the elves is brief, Frodo and Sam spy them in the distance but don’t actually make contact. They are already aware that the elves are heading to the harbour, leaving middle earth forever. This makes me think of, and is very likely the inspiration for, the first ones from Babylon 5, going beyond the rim and leaving our galaxy. It’s a powerful trope. It’s like all the magic is leaving the world.

Sam says it makes him feel sad. I get that. Sheridan expressed a similar feeling in Babylon 5. Delenn’s response was “now we make our own magic.”

The last milestone I’ll talk about in this episode is Farmer Maggot’s field.

In the movie, Farmer Maggot’s field is where they finally meet up with Merry and Pippin. Keep in mind that this is further than Sam has ever been from home. Keep in mind, they’ve travelled two nights and at least one and a half days. My Walk to Mordor app says it’s 98 km from Bag End. But they find Merry and Pippin casually here stealing crops. It doesn’t quite add up. Have those two travelled two days and slept under the stars two nights just to come here and steal some carrots? It sounds like they do this almost every week.

By the way, it says a lot about hobbits that they so love raw vegetables they rebellious young hobbits would steal vegetables with such glee. It’s not just junk food that they take delight in. They love their vegies too.

Of course, in the book, they go and have a drink with farmer maggot. The stealing of crops is just part of Frodo’s childhood backstory.

The main point of all of these encounters seems to be to remind us that the black riders are dangerous and to re-emphasise that they are actively searching for Frodo.

But there’s a little moment I like when Frodo says “I’ve been afraid of you and your dogs for over 30 years. It’s a pity as I have missed out on a good friend.”

And that’s so true, isn’t it. Fear can make us miss out on all sorts of things, including friendships with people who may not be at all as we feared them to be.

Also, I’d like to point out that while Frodo, Sam, and Pippin got to ride all the way to the ferry in Maggot’s wagon, I had to walk all that way!

Anyway, that brings us to the fifth milestone on my journey. Buckleberry Ferry.

So I’m going to leave it here for this time. It’s been a fun journey so far and there is plenty more to come.

Next time I do a Lord of the Rings Read, Walk and Watch, we’ll meet Tom Bombadil.

Until then, happy walking.

Feel free to add me as a friend on the Walk To Mordor app, if you’re using it.

And I’ll see you somewhere in Middle Earth.

Or elsewhere in Nerd Heaven.

Next time I do a Lord of the Rings Read, Walk and Watch, we’ll meet Tom Bombadil.

Feel free to add me as a friend on the Walk To Mordor app, if you’re using it.

Next time on Nerd Heaven, in two weeks time, I’ll be talking about Star Trek Generations, that epic meeting between captains Jean-Luc Picard and James T. Kirk. I’ve got plenty to say about the movie, so I hope you’ll join me.

Until then,

Live Long and Prosper.

Make it so.

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My History With Star Trek (Nerd Heaven)

My history with Star Trek began in the year 1986 when I received a “Star Trek Annual” as a Christmas present. That launched me into a lifelong love of the franchise. In today’s podcast, I tell the story of my history with Star Trek.

I’d love to hear your Star Trek history stories as well. Drop me a comment wherever you listen to this podcast.

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Star Trek Picard “Et In Arcadia Ego Part 2”

Star Trek Picard’s season finale “Et in Arcadia Ego Part 2” has arrived. We finally get to see some turn of the century Starfleet ships, plus a welcome familiar face. So what did I think of the climax? I talk about what worked for me, and what didn’t. It’s been a wild ride over the last ten weeks. I’ve enjoyed the journey, and I hope you’ll continue to join me on Nerd Heaven now that Star Trek Picard is finished. There’s plenty more to come!

Transcript

Welcome to Nerd Heaven

I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of The Stars

And I am a nerd.

This is episode 20 of the podcast. Today, we’re talking the 10th episode and season finale of Star Trek Picard Et in Arcadia ego Part 2.

And yes, apparently, it’s et, not et. It’s apparently latin. Last week I interpreted it as a mixture of french and english. Which should probably be a little embarrassing.

So we’ve made it all the way through season 1. Be sure to stick around to the end of this podcast, because I’ll be talking about what the future holds for Nerd Heaven now that Picard season 1 is finished.

I’m recording this episode on the 28th of March 2020. And right now, basically the entire world are being told to stay in their homes unless absolutely necessary, due to the spread of covid 19. It’s a crazy time. But at least we have new Star Trek to talk about.

The description for this episode on memory alpha reads

Picard and his team are pitted against the Romulans and the synthetics of Coppelius in a final confrontation.

The teleplay was by Michael Chabon.

The story was by Michael Chabon and Akiva Goldsman

It was directed by Akiva Goldsman

And it first aired on the 26th of March 2020.

Make it so.

I love that opening shot of the Borg cube crashed on the shore of the ocean.

And we see that Narak has arrived. Makes sense this would be the place he’d go.

Elnor and Seven are just sitting around in the dark talking about xbs. Why did they stay behind again? One of the downsides of this show seems to be under-utilising certain characters, such as these two. I think this scene epitomises that problem.

However, it’s a great scene.

Elnor posits that because the xbs have no home, and are hated by everyone, that they might be better off dead.

Seven reminds him that she’s also an xb. Does that mean she should just kill herself?

The reason he gives that she should not, is that he would miss her. Nice little friendship growing between these two.

So in Elnor’s philosophy, being loved by another is a reason to live. And it is. It’s one of the strongest driving forces that keeps us going through hard times. It’s also one of the most soul-destroying things that rob people of their hope, when they feel that nobody loves them.

And then surprise surprise. Rizzo is on the cube. This has me really confused. We saw her being attacked by xbs. At the last second she beamed aboard one of the Romulan ships and left the cube, heading for Coppelius. And then last week, we saw her commanding one of the warbirds, a day away from the planet. Unless that was Oh. We know she’s commanding the fleet now. But it seemed very clear to me, back in Broken Pieces, that she had beamed off the cube. So if we’re supposed to accept that she’s been hiding on the cube all this time, they’ve not done a good job of explaining it.

Now she’s on the cube, but the fleet hasn’t arrived yet. I was waiting for her to fade out, as a hologram. Very strange.

We’ll see the robot butterfly flapping about a lot in this episode. It could be symbolic. I’ll talk more about it later.

For now, Picard is envious of the freedom the butterfly has, since he is currently imprisoned.

Soji comes in to see him.

It seems she wasn’t being a double agent last week, when she agreed with her evil twin Sutra.

And she has the nerve to say to Picard “Try to see this from our point of view.”

We’re going to kill you, everyone you ever loved, and literally all organic life in the galaxy. But try to see it from our point of view.”

She says of his plan to rescue them in his ship, “You choose if we live. You choose if we die. You choose. We have no choice.”

But that’s exactly what she’s doing right now. She’s choosing whether people live or die, and she’s chosen for them to die.

The synths have legitimate grievances again organics, but she has become just like her enemy.

But she has become worse.

Worse than the Federation.

Not worse than the Zhat Vash, who want to exterminate all synthetic life. The synths and the Zhat Vash have become mirrors of each other. And both because of the same motivation. Fear. Again, we’ll come back to this.

Picard says “To say you have no choice is a failure of imagination.” Which I think is a great line. And one that we can all apply to our own lives.

And as he points out, not only have the synths become the Zhat Vash, they have become the very monsters the Zhat Vash fear.

And so another party separates, leaving one of their number behind on the Borg cube. This time, Rizo remains to bring the weapons online. Not sure what she hopes to accomplish with the weapons of a grounded borg cube, but anyway.

And Elnor notices Narak and follows him.

Rios and Raffi are fixing the ship using the magic repair device. It feels like a technology that would be more at home in Doctor Who than Star Trek, but it’s interesting. I do like the friendship these two have.

Altan Soong is an interesting one. He really is okay with all organic life being annihilated for the sake of his synths. As long as he gets to transfer into a synth body, of course.

He really believes Agnus is willing to help him do that, and then die herself. And he’s okay with that as well.

The guy is a bit unhinged.

Of course, Agnus has no intention of helping him, or of dying.

Narak makes a good point to Rios. He’s trying to save the universe. And he is. While Narak and his sister are really not fantastic villains, this is one aspect of them that I like. They believe they’re the good guys. They’re not just evil for evil’s sake. I do like a villain who is the hero of their own story.

Right now, Narak and Rios have a common enemy, and a partially common goal. They need to stop the synths from calling in the supersynths. Of course, Narak wants to do that by eliminating all the synths. So working with him is very risky.

But maybe, just maybe, the partially genuine feelings he developed for Soji have softened him just a bit. Maybe he’s hoping to find a way to save the universe without slaughtering the synths. Maybe that’s why he insisted that Rizo stay behind at the cube, because she’s more trigger-happy than he is.

I really like Elnor’s innocence. He just says what’s on his mind like a kid. He looks across the campfire at Narak and says “I don’t like you.” And yet, somehow, Evan Evagora sells it without it sounding silly or on the nose.

So Narak tells the story of ganmadan. It’s like the Romulan end times. What’s interesting is that he says “some say it dates back from long before our ancestors first arrived on vulcan.”

Now, either this is a mistake in dialog, meant to say “before our ancestors arrived on Romulus from Vulcan”, or they are implying that Vulcans are not native to their homeworld, that they travelled their from somewhere else.

Which is a major game-changing idea to casually just drop into conversation like this. What are we supposed to make of this?

Anyway, Ganmadan is a story that is eerily reminiscent of what is going on, even more eerily reminiscent of what will soon happen later in the episode. Narak doesn’t believe it’s a prophecy, he believes it’s history. A history that will repeat itself.

Okay. So we know the super-nasty-synths from a higher plan have come and annihilated organic life before. But they were called by two sisters? It seems strangely coincidental that all those eons ago, it was synths made in sibling pairs, just like Maddox’s synths, that called the big bads.

So I’m left wondering. Is there more to it? There’s no time-travel involved in this show. Will there be there in the future? Or is it supposed to truly be a real prophecy? Something none of the characters around this fireplace actually believe in?

I know it would probably be easier to pull off their plan in daylight, and the campfire scene allows the episode to give us some exposition in a dramatic way, but given the stakes, they seem to have very little sense of urgency. If I were them, I’d be trying to destroy that beacon as soon as possible.

They do that cutting back and force thing again here, and it works well for me here, because it’s kinda reminiscent of a heist movie.

They hide the detonator in a soccer ball, which the synths let him carry into the village. Odd that he’d happen to bring a soccer ball, but whatever. I’ll give them that one.

So agnus breaks Picard out of jail. I love Agnus’s face when she says she thought she’d be a terrible secret agent, but she’s starting to think she may have a gift.

Picard and Agnus are talking about how to stop the synths. Technologically, they’re more advanced, but they’re also like children. Their only teachers have been a couple of hermits. And we already know that one of them, Soong, is a pretty unstable guy. They’ve lived their lives under the threat of extermination.

Picard can’t single handedly take down the Romulan Fleet, or destroy the beacon, but he can teach the synths some better lessons. This is what he’s good at. This is the speech-making Picard we’ve known all these years. Who debated passionately with Q. Who pleaded with Soran to call of his genocide of the people in the Viridian system.

Picard is a man who influences and convinces. That’s how he’s going to save the day.

“Yes, they have life, but nobody is teaching them what life is for. To be alive is a responsibility as well as a right.” He’s going to teach them this lesson by example.

This is a pretty decent Picard speech, and will likely be remembered alongside many from TNG.

“Fear is an incompetent teacher,” he says. Feat has been an important theme throughout this show. Probably the most important. Everybody in this show is allowing their actions to be dictated by fear. The Zhat Vash, Starfleet, the synths. They’ve all succumbed to it. That’s the other thing about fear. None of us are immune to it. You know what would have made this theme even more powerful, is that if Picard himself had struggled with fear a little through this season, but overcame it in time to teach the galaxy this lesson.

Picard has had an arc, and he has struggled with things, but fear hasn’t been one of them. Which makes him come off, just a little pompous. But then, I guess that’s also been a bit of an aspect of Picard’s character all these years. He’s the high idea, the one who teaches us all the error of our ways. This show has probably given us the most flawed Picard we’ve ever had. So, I’ll not be too harsh here.

Actually, I’ve gotta say on second viewing, I’m really connecting with this more than the first time.

The thing is, at 94 years of age, Picard is no longer an action hero. He’s using what he’s got. His mind. His mind, and his conscience are as keen as the day we first met him coming down the lift in the engine room of the newly commissioned Enterprise D.

And then we finally get our one and only “Make it so” in the season. And it’s spoken, not by Picard, but by Agnes.

In a way that feels very much fan-service easter-egg.

I talked about this last week. “Make it so” is not something that should be fan service. Make it so is not an easter egg. Make it so is a very natural and regular part of Picard’s vocabulary. I don’t think the writers of this show understand that.

It makes little sense for Agnus to say it. First of all, how does she even know it’s a phrase of his. He’s never said it in front of her, at least not on screen.

It’s like they’re thinking, “we can’t put in too many easter eggs, and we’ve got to mix them up, so we’ll have Agnus say it.” Totally missing the point there. As I said last week, there have been plenty of opportunities for Picard to say it very naturally. But instead, they give us this.

I know it’s a small thing, but we Star Trek fans like to nitpick the small things. And this was a bit frustrating to me.

Anyway, moving on.

So Soong learns the truth. Saga was killed not by Narak, but by Sutra, who let Narak go.

So he decides to become one of the good guys. He confronts Sutra and de-activates her.

But remember, minutes ago, this was the man who was quite okay with all organic life being obliterated. This is a little too much for me. It’s not that the realisation that he’s been played makes him join the good guys, it’s the fact that he went so far the other way first. I’m afraid it’s not quite working for me.

Soong realises at this moment that he’s been a bad teacher. His line as she falls is kinda telling, though. “Turns out, you’re no better than we are.” It seems that Soong believed the synths were better than humanity. Superior, not just physically, but morally. Perhaps that’s why he was willing to let all organic life die. This line helps, but his turn is still too jarring, from super-super-evil-moustache-twirler to reasonable man.

And I’m afraid I have to point out that Elnor and Narak punching and kicking synths is ridiculous. All they’d get for their trouble would be broken fingers and ankles. These are androids. Metal and plastic. Super strong. And super fast. Honestly, there’s no way our heroes should succeed here. But of course, they don’t.

For a second there, I thought Soji was going to turn good and help them. But no, she throws the detonator into the sky.

She’s really still okay with comitting genocide.

I’m ok with the other synths being committed to this plan. As picard says they’re children who’ve not been taught well. But until recently, Soji thought she was human. And she’s begun to develop relationships with humans.

Anyway

Rizo is trying to use the Borg weapons to destroy La Sierena. But Seven shows up to stop her.

I always thought Elnor would be the one to kill Rizo, but I’m okay with Seven doing it. In fact, that may be even more satisfying. Especially when she says “this is for hugh.”

Rizo’s prejudice against rescued former borg is inconsistent. She doesn’t treat her aunt Ramdha with hate, or call her a half-meat. But it’s probably a mistake to look for logic or consistency in hate.

Have I mentioned before that I quite like the designs of the new Romulan warbirds?

Oh orders her people to sterilise the entire planet.

I feel like the episode should be over at this point. They should have been able to destroy the settlement before the orchids even made it into orbit.

Anyway, those orchids buy us a little time.

I have quite mixed feelings about this next part of the episode.

So Agnus and Picard come up with a plan, inspired by the old Picard Maneuver he used on the Stargazer against a Ferengi vessel all those decades ago.

Picard’s plan here is to show Soji a better way. Her specifically. She’s the one he can reach. She’s the one he’s been building a relationship with all this time.

He’s not just trying to stop the synths from unleashing hell. He’s also trying to stop the Romulans from killing the synths. In effect, he’s on both sides of the conflict, or on neither.

He wants Soji to know that despite what she’s doing, he still wants to save her people, to find an option that works for all.

Again, Oh orders all ships to target the nest. Then a good 30 seconds before Picard’s fake ships even appear. The nest should now be destroyed. But no, the Romulan ships are just sitting there, their guns glowing. Doing nothing.

And Oh is so distracted by the site of La Sirenna. One ship. “What is that?” she asks, like she’s seen something amazing.

This is not a new problem. TNG often had the crew of the Enterprise sitting around like stunned mullets when they should have been acting. This time around, it’s the villains.

Then Agnus pulls off the trick. Lots of fake La Sierannas. It distracts the Romulans for a moment or two, but it doesn’t actually achieve anything.

Except, I guess, it buys them a little more time for Starfleet to get there.

But before that can happen, the brecon activates. It opens a whole in space. A portal.

Again Oh, is so slow. Does it really take that long to re-target their distruports? “On my command. Now I’ll start into space dramatically for a few seconds beforeI give the command. Oh. too late. Starfleet are here now.”

However, the arrival of Starfleet was a great moment.

We’ve been wanting to see some turn-of-the-century Starfleet ships, and finally we get some.

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.

We spot some modern upgrades to the nebula class, an excitingly, a couple of sovereign classes! Could one of these be the Enterprise? Has the Enterprise E been retired or destroyed at this point? We don’t actually know. But either way, it’s wonderful to see the sovereign class. I love that ship. And you know, this is the first time we’ve actually seen the sovereign class in a TV show. Back when they were doing the TNG movies, we never saw a sovereign on screen in either DS9 or Voyager. I thought that was a shame, personally.

At a closer look, those other ships are not so reminiscent of the nebula class. They’re kind of a squishy hybrid between the intrepid class and the galaxy class, but skinned with the aesthetic of the sovereign class.

Most of the fleet seems to be made up of this new ship class, and sovereigns, although I think I might have spotted something slightly deficient-esque. But maybe not.

Anyway, then, a not-so-big-but-still-welcome-suprise.

This is acting Captain Will Riker in command of the USS Zheng He.

I was hoping Riker would put the uniform back on to lead the fleet coming to Picard’s aide. He’s not on board his old ship, the Titan. This, apparently, is Starfleet’s most powerful ship.

The ship is named after chinese explorer Zheng He. Apparently, he was also a mariner, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch! That’s quite a diverse career.

He lived from 1371 to 1433.

We don’t know much about this ship. We don’t even really see the exterior. Memory alpha describes it as a Zheng-he type starship. So it’s a new class, a prototype. We have no registry number.

We do see the interior of the bridge, and I quite like what little we see of it. Loving that super wide viewscreen.

Apparently, the bridge is a redress of the USS Discovery bridge. All I recognised was the chair, so it must be a pretty significant redress. Anyway, that aesthetic looks a lot more appropriate here at the turn of the 25th century than it ever did in the twenty third.

As much as I love this moment, I’m kinda annoyed that they don’t even show us the exterior of this ship. We Star Trek nerds live for this kind of thing.

And all the while everyone is talking, that beacon is still working, and the portal is open. There’s a real timing problem with this confrontation.

While all of this is happening, Picard is having some kind of stroke or something. Obviously related to his brain defect. It seems his syndrome, irumodic or otherwise, is taking his life a heck of a lot quicker than we were expecting.

But Picard still has to convince Soji.

He begs Soji to prove to the Romulans that she’s not the destroyer, that they don’t need to fear her.

And while all of this is going on, those fleets are still just sitting there. No shot has been fired yet. Even though Oh ordered her ships to target the Federation fleet and attack. For some reason, these romulan weapons take an absolute eternity to re-target, which is preposterous to me.

Picard makes a good point. We’re not trying to destroy you. We’re not joining the Romulans, targeting you. We’re defending you. Because we believe in you.

Then we get a cool but brief look at the super-synths. They’re really creepy. The stuff of nightmares. Crawley tentacled things squirming in red-tinged space.

Soji finally listens to Picard’s words and turns off the beacon. As well she should. Picard, I believe, has successfully made his point.

But it’s at this moment when everybody seems to give up too easily.

The super-synths are just gone. Now we have to speculate at this point, that the beacon is more than just a message, saying come help us. It literally opens a portal into our universe. A portal that can’t be opened from the other side? It would seem to me that these super-synths wouldn’t just give up and go home just because the beacon stopped transmitting. I mean, the beacon could have been destroyed by the organics.

The romulans give up too easily. These extremist Zhat Vash who have devoted their lives to wiping out synths leave the scene immediately. And then the entire Federation fleet leaves the system. Escorting the Romulans out of Federation space, apparently, but not one ship remains behind to guard the planet, or to make sure no super-synths return with a portal of their own.

I love that we got to see the Federation fleet, and I love that we got to see Riker in uniform again, the new uniform. Looks good on him. But I wanted more. Starfleet didn’t even fire a shot.

I get that this show is more sci-fi drama than sci-fi action. But this felt quite anti-climactic to me. I was expecting an epic space battle here. It could have been one to rival the battle in Deep Space Nine’s Sacrifice of Angels. The two fleets should have battled while Picard was convincing Soji.

Anyway. That was the plot climax for the series. But not the character climax. That’s about to come now.

The little exchange between Picard and Riker actually felt reminiscent of the scene between Kirk and Sulu at the end of Star Trek 6. They may not be stationed on the same ship together, but these characters will always have each other’s backs.

And now that it’s all over, Picard’s brain tears itself apart.

Hastened by the dru Agnus administered.

I’ll admit, this surprised me.

I thought Picard’s slow descent into dementia and eventual death would be an arc that would take us through all seasons of this show.

It’s an emotional moment, but at the same time, it’s kind of hollow. We know this is not the end.

We know they’re already working on season 2. The show is called Star Trek Picard. They’re not gonna do it without him. So we know they’re gonna pull some kind of magic reset button like they did back in the days of TNG.

As Picard dies, he tells Rafi she was right. She asks what about, but he never gets any more words out.

What do you think he was talking about?

I’m guessing he means when she got angry at him for giving up after Starfleet refused to help the Romulans.

It’s the one big disagreement they had.

So now we get a couple of character scenes between different people.

When Rios says “You heard?” they make it clear that Picard has died. But there’s more they don’t tell you yet.

Seven is angry at herself for killing somebody just because it’s what they deserve. Just because it feels wrong for them to still be alive.

I love this moment.

I agree with Seven. It felt wrong for Rizo to still be alive, given how evil she was. If we were talking about a real person, I’d feel differently, but because she was fictional, I really really wanted her to die.

But I love that the show addresses the harsh reality of this. Seven took a life. That’s not a good thing. It’s not something to be celebrated. In so many shows, the good guy kills the bad guy, and feels nothing. This show is acknowledging that Seven did what had to be done, but that doesn’t means she should be okay with it. Taking a life exerts a toll on the killer. I assure you I don’t say that from experience. I’ve never killed anyone, and I desperately hope I never have to.

As for Rios, he’s angry for once again letting a great captain, another father figure, into his heart, only to lose them again.

These are the moments that Star Trek Picard excels at. The quiet character moments.

And then the butterfly swoops past the camera again.

At this moment, my wife said “That butterfly has to be symbolic of something.”

Poor Elnor. The way he puts his fists up to his eyes didn’t feel like a good acting choice. Looked more like a little kid crying of a broken toy, than a young man crying over the death of the only father he ever knew. But apart from the tiny moment, this scene still made me hurt inside. As Elnor sobs and Raffi holds him. Yeah, that got to me, so well done to both actors.

And then we cut to Picard.

I think that maybe, the butterfly was symbolic of Data. Although the butterfly has what Data lacks. Freedome. But i’m getting ahead of myself.

Picard wakes up in a room with Data. Data calls it a massively complex quantum simulation.

Turns out, Picard’s consciousness has been uploaded into a computer. That computer also contains the consciousness of Data, originally backed-up to B4, and used to clone all the other synths. So..this is efficevely, the real data. Not a dream.

This is wonderful because it gives Picard the chance to actually have a real talk with the real data.

Also, I love that Data shows up in my favourite uniform – the TNG movie uniform he last wore before he died.

Makes sense. That’s what he was wearing when he backed up his engrams into B4.

I love how Picard says “I was furious” because Data sacrificed himself to save Picard. And Data says to straight “I apologise, Captain. But I am not certain I could have done otherwise.”

Data doesn’t quite look right in this scene, but honestly, that doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Brent Spiner is 71 years old. He was 38 when he first played Data. He’s allowed to look different, even under all that makeup. And this is a beautiful scene.

This really is a great conversation. They talk about their lack of regret for the sacrifices they made for others. This all helps Picard finally come to terms with Data’s death.

It’s beautiful.

Which makes it all the more heartbreaking when Data makes a request of Picard.

Data asks Picard to terminate his consciousness.

What did I say about this show being full of suicide? Here’s another example.

I struggled with this. Data says he doesn’t want to die, he wants to live, however briefly, knowing his life is finite. Mortality gives meaning to human life, captain.

Data says peace, love and friendship are precious, because we know they cannot endure.

I agree with Data that these things are precious, although I’m not sure I agree with his reason. They are precious, but not necessarily because they cannot endure. I’m not even sure I fully agree that they cannot endure.

Anyway, Data has always wanted to be more human, and there is nothing more human than mortality. As Picard said to Soran in generations. It’s our mortality that defines us. It’s part of the truth of our existence.

Picard agrees.

And so, heart-breakingly, we have to watch Data die a second time.

And it’s worse than the first time.

But I’ll get to that.

The thing I like about this show is that, in some way, it redeemed Star Trek Nemesis. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that’s a bad movie, but this gives much greater meaning and depth to it, in much the same way that Avengers Endgame gave more depth to Thor Ragnarok and Guardians of The Galaxy.

So they downloaded Picard’s consciousness into the golem. It looks exactly like Picard’s real body.

We still don’t understand if this golem is made of metal or flesh. But given he has normal skin tone, not yellow skin and eyes, I’d suggest it’s probably a flesh body like what Soji has.

Picard seems remarkably okay with this. Personally, I’d find the realisation that I’d died and was now in an artificial body a difficult transition to get used to. I’d be feeling a whole host of emotions.

But this body is not augmented. No super strength or speed.

The brain abnormality is gone.

I love when he says, almost panicked, “you haven’t made me immortal.”

“No, we were paying attention. You’ll die roughly around the time you would have died otherwise.”

And then Picard says “I wouldn’t have minded an extra 10 years. Maybe 20.”

We still don’t know what the average lifespan of a human in the 24th century is, but it’s clearly longer than current day.

So picard de-activates data. As he listens to Blue Skies he sips a drink and closes his eyes with satisfaction. He lies down, like he’s going to have a nice nap.

This is a hard scene for me to watch.

Last time, we just saw the ship blow up. This time, we have to watch data’s face rapidly age, into a ray dried husk. And then he whisps away like he’s been Thanossed out of existence.

That’s hard.

It hurts that they brought him back like this, just to have him die again.

So now that we’ve all crying, let’s take a look at thematically what this is saying.

Data’s desire to end here, seems to connect with the common quesion that people often ask, “would eternal life became a form of torture? Would living forever eventually become so painful that you would want to end?”

This is a thematic question that Star Trek Voyager once addressed, in the episode Death Wish. The best Q episode they ever did on Voyager, and some would argue, the only good one.

This is an interesting philosophical question.

And I understand where people are coming from, when they ask it. And to be honest, I have contemplated the question myself, certainly since I first watched this scene last night.

I personally do believe in an afterlife.

But I don’t believe it will end up becoming torturous. I believe it will be a fulfilling existence, and that it will be eternally fulfilling. That’s the biblical perspective.

But Data is not living in the version of eternity that I believe in.

Data’s situation is not entirely unpleasant. We metaphorically see it as a room he is in. A comfortable room. In reality, he’s an isolated personality inside a computer simulation. He probably has plenty of literature to access, and we know Data was creative, so he can probably create his own entertainment. But he is alone. Nobody to interact with. And as much as someone like me might jokingly say “that sounds like introvert heaven” to really truly be alone, with nobody else, for the rest of eternity. That would be hard. That would be painful. Even for an extreme introvert like me. So I can see how he wouldn’t want to remain like that forever.

It’s all very thought-provoking.

So I get why they did this Data. It’s sad that Data, the one who should have endured long after all his shipmates is truly gone. But it’s good to know a part of him will live on in the children Maddix and Soong have created from him. Data will not be the last soong-type android. He is the father of a new race.

But what about Picard?

As I said, I thought the arc of his brain abnormality would continue through the rest of the show. The writers said they planned to make this a 3-season show.

I feel they jumped the gun a bit here.

Picard’s illness played out too quickly. They killed him, only to put him in a synth body, the problem all solved now.

Why did they kill him off only to bring him back like that? It all feels kinda pointless to me.

It’s like, they’ve just eliminated the most interesting part of his character, for no real reason at all.

That reset-button mentality was, in my opinion, one of the weaker aspects of TNG and Voyager. And not something that I am thrilled about them reviving.

And then we get that final scene on the La Sirena.

The ban on synths has been lifted. In one sense, this again feels a little too easy. But I can accept that once Starfleet understood that it had all been a conspiracy, that Oh had infiltrated Starfleet and set the whole thing up, to make the synths look bad, they would see their mistake and undo it.

The whole problem is fixed. It seems Elnor and Seven and Soji will all remain on board, as part of Picard’s new crew.

Picard now plans to wander the universe, Doctor Who style. Looking for whatever adventure may find him.

It feels like everything has wrapped up a bit too nearly.

I thought this was gonna be a 3 season story, but it seems this story is completed, and season two will be a completely new standalone story. That’s not different to Discovery, really, but, I dunno, this ending just felt a bit too much like a TNG ending.

There’s a lot of great nostalgic stuff from TNG I’ve wanted to revisit, but TNG also had a lot of weaknesses, and this feels like they’re reviving the weaknesses along with the strengths.

I hope I haven’t come across too critical this time around. When I first watched it last night, this finale fell a little flat for me. Upon second viewing, I’ve appreciated the thematic and character stuff a lot more, but the climax still felt a little … well …. Anticlimactic.

Star Trek Picard hasn’t been a perfect show, but I would say on balance it has been a good show. I’ve enjoyed it, and I’m sure I’ll get it on Bluray when the time comes. Certainly this show has been better than both seasons of Discovery so far. So yes, my opinion is overall positive.

I really liked how all the story elements came together, and how the mysteries were paid off.

This has been the first STar Trek show ever, to not focus on Starfleet. I feel that at the end, Picard has a rag-tag group of friends, not a crew as such. It’s almost taken us to a bit of a Farscape-eqsue kinda place. Which is interesting.

A part of me wants more Starfleet, though. I want to see what will become of Starfleet as we move into the 25th century. I wanna know what their new ships can do. I want to see more people in that new uniform.

I think ultimately, I am hoping that this won’t be the only show set in this time. We’ve opened up a whole new era of the Star Trek universe. And I want to keep exploring it. I’d actually love something that connects a bit more with Deep Space Nine.

Anyway, I think I’ll leave any further overall thoughts on the series as a whole for another time, after I’ve let it marinate a bit.

But I’m very glad that CBS have given us this show. I’ve had a fantastic time on the ups and downs of this journey.

So now that Picard is done and dusted. What am I doing with the Nerd Heaven Podcast.

Well, it certainly isn’t over. I feel we’re just beginning.

I’ll keep talking about sci-fi and fantasy. And Star Trek will always be a big part of that. I’m going to move from a weekly schedule to a fortnightly schedule, now that I’m not talking in real time about a current show on the air.

I’ll be back next week, where I’m gonna talk about my own history with the Star Trek franchise.

But there’ll be no podcast the week after. And then back the week after that.

I’ve got plenty planned for the future.

I plan to talk about the two remaining TNG movies, Generations and Insurrection. In fact, I’ve already recorded my thoughts on Generations. I have some Stargate content I want to do, and a Lord of the Rings, Read, Watch and Walk series. And I want to work my way through the DC movies. I’ll probably tackle the Marvel movies at some point as well.

Will I return to the weekly format? Maybe. Perhaps when Discovery season 3 comes out. We’ll see.

But going fortnightly now will give me a bit of a breather, and let me get a small backlog built up, so I don’t feel I have to spend all of my Saturday every week putting this show together as quick as I can.

Plus, I’ll have time to give some attention to some of my other creative endeavours.

Anyway, be assured. The party is just getting started.

I’ll see you next on Nerd heaven.

Live Long and Prosper.

Make it so.

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Easter Book Tag!

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