Haven: The Tides that Bind

Nathan: “Let’s do this the smart way.”

What do you make of a group of creepy little boys drowning one of their friends? I was horrified. Then add an adult who nonchalantly walks over to see the boy drown as he calls the others for supper and you have real horror. Are they creating a ghost? Is the poor kid a sacrifice for some monster? And all this is happening in the cultish compound of

Eureka: This One Time at Space Camp ...

… in which the Astraeus candidates have their final interviews, and Allison and Carter appeal the DoD’s ruling regarding their relationship.

This one surprised me. When they introduced the bio-cortex recorder at the top of the episode, I thought for sure we were about to be subjected to another clip show. Really? Again? Erg. Of course, my exasperation quickly turned to dread as I realized

NewsFlash: Logan Echolls and Buffy Summers

Great casting spoiler from TVLine: Jason Dohring of Veronica Mars and Moonlight fame will be a recurring character on Sarah Michelle Gellar's new TV show, Ringer. (SMG, as you may have heard, used to be on a show called Buffy. It had something to do with vampires.) Click for more details, but only if you're not afraid of the tiniest bit of information.Dohring will play a teacher at SMG's

True Blood: Burning Down the House

Tommy: "There ain't no heaven, and hell's a dog fight. I'm gonna disappear like I never was. That's what I want."

Yet another terrific episode that just flew by. It was jam-packed with all the right stuff, too, with many scenes of personal connection between two characters.

Sam and Tommy

Tommy's exit was surprisingly moving. How incredibly sad that Tommy thought of Merlotte's as his only

Doctor Who: The Dӕmons

“Azal! Azal! Azzzaaalll!”

For a long time ‘The Dӕmons’ was considered to be an all-time classic. Fans only used to talk about it in reverence. Jon Pertwee even stated that it was his favourite story. But that was then and this is now and ‘The Dӕmons’ isn't a story that stands up well to critical reappraisal.

Everything starts out well. The first episode is actually quite creepy with an

Doctor Who: Let's Kill Hitler (2)

Mels: “You've got a time machine. I've got a gun. What the hell. Let's kill Hitler.”

Bonkers! Absolutely bonkers. I don't think I've ever seen anything so mad. "Let's Kill Hitler" had just about everything. They gave us answers, puzzles galore, humour, cleavage, conflict... Rory punching Hitler and then locking him in a cupboard. What more could anyone ask for? (Bearing in mind this is a

Torchwood Miracle Day: End of the Road

Gwen: "Start again. Any chance of a drink?"

I'm a bit of a Pollyanna when it comes to shows that I love. But this episode was like someone just tossed a bunch of plot elements in a bowl and stirred, and some of them slopped out of the sides.

Life and Death and Jack and Angelo

Did Jack literally give Angelo the kiss of death? Did Jack's DNA do something to the alien null field under Angelo's

Haven: Audrey Parker's Day Off

Nathan: “You’re stuck in my second favourite Bill Murray movie.”

Haven is back. This was a much better episode. Although we still didn’t get much about the overarching mystery, this week’s weirdness was very interesting.

Weekly Weirdness

As Anson Shumway says, if you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder you feel responsible for everything that goes wrong--and if you are from Haven, the

Star Trek: Assignment: Earth

Roberta: "Very groovy."

This was actually a pretty decent try at a spinoff. It had something of a Quantum Leap feel, except they'd be fixing things *before* they went wrong. Preventing World War III was a good start.

Gary Seven had a bunch of cool science fiction doo-dads. He had a super transporter, a snobbish talking computer, a magic typewriter that took dictation, a Doctor Who-like

Warehouse 13: Past Imperfect

… in which Myka gets another chance to catch the man that killed her former partner.

An episode that revisits past baggage is usually going to be a winner for me, and ‘Past Imperfect’ was a reasonably engaging outing that compared favorably with the last two episodes. My primary complaints immediately after watching were that (1) the events in Denver felt too rushed, (2) it was far too easy to

Eureka: Clash of the Titans

… in which TINY returns from Titan, Henry and Grace make wedding preparations, and Allison and Carter are subjected to a relationship auditor.

Okay, this is going to sound a little crazy coming from me, but this episode was almost too relationship-focused. Romantic relationships are often an important part of character-based storytelling, but ‘Clash of the Titans’ had way too much emphasis on

The Golden Globe

[This is not a rundown of the Golden Globes. :) It's a book review of The Golden Globe by John Varley, first published in 1998.]

The Golden Globe is John Varley's third "Eight Worlds" novel and something of a companion volume to Steel Beach. It takes place in the same general time period -- 200 years after the Invaders have exiled the human race from Earth -- and it is also a first person

True Blood: Let's Get Out of Here

Sookie: "I'm proposing that the two of you be mine."

There wasn't much in the way of a beginning, middle and end, and not a lot was resolved. But this episode was damned entertaining.

The Festival of Tolerance

My favorite part (you had to ask?) was Sookie's long fantasy dream. It was funny, sexy, silly and beautifully done, with some lovely feminist overtones. That incredible red thing

Twin Peaks: Laura’s Secret Diary

“There are no solutions here.”

Ah, defamiliarization. Such a familiar technique. The opening scene of “Laura’s Secret Diary” shows us a microscopic view of the inside of an acoustical tile as Leland Palmer stares at it, accompanied by what sounds like the myna-bird saying “Daddy? Leland? Daddy?” Lynch likes the uncanny-magnification technique: like the hidden spaces that shouldn’t exist, a

Week 1: Naturalist Quotes

Hey Scholars,

For this first weeks post we will start off with something easy. Find and post a quote about nature, then comment on someone else's post from class.

Cheers,

Mr. D

Welcome Scholars!!!

Scholars,



Welcome to AP Environmental Science. Yes, the "AP" stands for Advanced Placement. This means you are the best of the best of the best in the field of Science. I look forward to furthering your greatness in the field of science this semester. This course will challenge you and will give you the opportunity to explore the fields of Ecology, Biology, Chemistry as well as many other disciplines that make up Environmental Science. APES will allow you to see first hand through labs and projects how real scientists research and make huge positive impacts on local and global environments. This class will also give you a glimpse at different careers in the field of Environmental Science and perhaps the opportunity to pursue one. It will also directly prepare you to take the AP Exam given by the AP College Board.



Sincerely,



Mr. Dillman

NewsFlash: Hugo Awards 2011

The 2011 Hugo Awards took place yesterday at the 69th World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, Nevada. And if you write television shows about mad men with blue boxes, or books about television shows about mad men with blue boxes, then it was a good night for you.

Steven Moffat picked up his gazillionth award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) this time for 'The Pandorica Opens/The

Torchwood Miracle Day: Immortal Sins

Jack: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. So many times, and that's just today."

I had a mixed reaction to this one. Glad that we finally got an episode about our immortal Jack, and what happened in his past that related to Miracle Day. Impatient because I had absolutely no interest whatever in Angelo. Miserable because it felt that even though Jack fully understood why Gwen was giving him

Eureka: Shower the People

… in which a new neural networking specialist arrives to help download the data from Kim, just as guests from Allison’s baby shower begin drowning under perplexing circumstances.

The second half of Season 3 started off a little rough for me, with a string of fairly disposable episodes that while entertaining, didn’t really warrant the deeper analysis that past offerings did. I was starting to

Twin Peaks: The Man Behind the Glass

“It’s like I fell into a dream.”

While this episode’s title implies that the focus is one of the many “mysterious” men in and around Twin Peaks, it’s really about the way we attempt to understand one another, the harm we do to one another, and how women and men see each other and then see themselves reflected back in one another’s gaze.


Bob somehow visited Ronette in the hospital, despite a

Eureka: Of Mites and Men

… in which several Astraeus candidates undergo psychological stress testing, while Allison tries to prove to everyone that she’s ready to be reinstated as Acting Director of GD.

Very enjoyable outing this week. Trapping characters with conflicts in a small space under less than ideal conditions usually leads to great fun and solid character development on Eureka, and this episode proved no

Warehouse 13: Don't Hate the Player

… in which Claudia, Pete, and Myka attempt to save a friend from an artifact-induced gaming disaster, while Artie and Jinks assist Agent Sally on a “weird” case.

Oy. I actually sat in stunned silence for awhile after this one ended. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. Was it better than last week’s episode, worse, or about the same? I’m leaning towards “about the same,” with the

Haven: Roots

Chris: “Worst date ever.”

I’m not sure what to make of this episode. Last week was a let down after a terrific two-Audrey fest, and this week was even worse. The weekly weirdness was a bit off and we didn’t get much of the overarching mystery. I guess what we mostly learned about was the various relationships of our Scooby gang.


Weekly Weirdness

Who doesn’t like an evil sentient wood?

Warehouse 13: 3... 2... 1

… in which some familiar faces return to help solve a mystery spanning a century.

Oh boy. I was pretty excited when I saw that H.G. Wells would be back this week, but ‘3… 2… 1’ in no way lived up to my expectations. Actually, aside from a few select moments that built off past history and relationships, I found this episode bloody awful. Not even the absolutely hilarious moment in which Pete

Eureka: Omega Girls

… in which Allison takes over as temporary head of GD and Beverly puts her nefarious plans into action.

As of this writing, I’ve restarted this review two or three times. I’m struggling a bit with how to approach it. I enjoyed the episode. It was tremendous fun to watch everyone ferreting out Beverly’s deception, and to see Jo and Zoe take her and her henchmen down (mostly). I was glad to

True Blood: Spellbound

Eric: "We will be one."

Fabulous episode. Well, okay, the end threw me off a bit. Probably because it didn't end. Rather than cliffhanging, it left us in midstream, with every major character stuck in serious mist-filled crap. Did Bill intend to double-cross Antonia and take her out? If he did, it backfired. Sookie got shot. Bill got silvered. Eric got spelled for a second time. (Damn.)

Doctor Who: Colony In Space

"It's always innocent bystanders who suffer."

Quarries. Where would Doctor Who be without quarries?

For their latest adventure the Doctor and Jo find themselves whisked away by the Time Lords to an alien planet that looks suspiciously like an English quarry. The planet might be a little on the drab side but the Doctor doesn't seem to care. For the first time since he was exiled he gets to

Twin Peaks: Coma

“Deliver the message.”

Creamed corn. It's never a delightful dish, but Twin Peaks makes it eerie, creepy—you pick a synonym for disturbing, and it’ll be accurate. Donna’s first Meals on Wheels visitation is a strange bed-sitting room inhabited by a desiccated old woman and her magical grandson, capable of teleporting creamed corn from one location to another as quick as you can snap your

Torchwood Miracle Day: The Middle Men

Owens: "You think I'm the epitome of evil. The devil in a three piece suit."
Jack: "In my experience, that's how it works."

Some fans have been saying that ten episodes may be too long for a story like this. But if Miracle Day were shorter, we might not have gotten this one. And I liked what they were saying here about the complexity of life and death issues, and the mediocrity of evil.

It's

Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy Novels

A highly scientific study of the Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels was released earlier this week from National Public Radio. While we have no way of knowing if all 60,000 votes were some guy in his basement or actually a bunch of different people, the results are interesting.

I was surprised to see that I'm fairly well read in the SF and Fantasy categories, considering I just had a

Renewal/Cancellation Newsflash

What a week, eh?

Seems like not a day has gone by this week without one show or another getting cancelled, renewed or both. That's probably because not a single day has gone by this week without one show or another getting cancelled, renewed or both.

We'll kick off with the good news before we get to the "Death to SyFy Network Executives" news. 

Renewed
True Blood

Renewed for a 5th

Star Trek: Bread and Circuses

"You bring this network's ratings down, Flavius, and we'll do a special on you."

I had a great opening ready to go for this review, with a pun about bread and the ultimate in cheese. But I'd forgotten how good this episode is. It's like a cross between "Patterns of Force" and "Gamesters of Triskelion", but much better than either.

They've done parallels to Earth before and it's been awkward.

Steel Beach

[This is a book review of Steel Beach by John Varley, first published in 1992.]

"In five years, the penis will be obsolete," said the salesman.

This is the opening line of Steel Beach, the second of John Varley's "Eight Worlds" novels, and set earlier than The Ophiuchi Hotline: 200 years after the Invaders have exiled the remnants of the human race from planet Earth. Humans have adapted to

Haven: Sparks and Recreation

“I’m Dwight. I clean things up.”

Another good episode this week. Although I am really missing Audrey II, we got two new characters: Dwight the clean-up man and Chris Brody the cranky Mr. Popularity.

Weekly Weirdness

We got double trouble again with Lori Fletcher channeling electricity and Mayor Brody channeling popularity. The mayor’s trouble was a little bit scary. Would it only work in

True Blood: The Cold Grey Light of Dawn

Bill: "Killing is what led us to this."

This was another strong episode that just flew by. Maybe it was all the sex. There were people who actually complained last week that we didn't get enough Sookie and Eric. I don't think they can say that now. The porch, the floor, the bed...

The vampires

Are we seeing Eric's true personality as it would have been without his privileged Viking

Torchwood Miracle Day: The Categories of Life

Vera: "So am I Torchwood now?"Jack: "Welcome aboard."It took four episodes of set up, but we finally got the payoff. Jeez Louise. The overflow camps were obviously concentration camps, so the ovens shouldn't have surprised me. But they did.Category OneRex going undercover as a dead man took guts, pun intended. I kept expecting something horrible to happen to him (I think I started caring

Haven: Love Machine

Audrey “So we have no motive and our suspect is a boat.”I really enjoyed this week’s episode. Maybe it was because they beefed up the weekly weirdness or maybe it was because the weirdness was very familiar if you have read Stephen King.Weekly WeirdnessThis time in Haven, the machines have come to life and they are not happy (are they ever?). Their favourite fix-it man is thinking about leaving

Star Trek: The Ultimate Computer

McCoy: "Fantastic machine, the M-5. No off switch."The all powerful evil computer has certainly been done on Star Trek before, but "The Ultimate Computer" took a different approach by making it personal. How would a starship captain feel if he were replaced by a computer? I thought Shatner turned in a good performance; Kirk's discomfort and feelings of inadequacy and displacement were well done

Millennium

[This is a book review of Millennium by John Varley, first published in 1983.]"All time travelers are pessimists."When I was a kid and on a plane for the first time (that I recall), I was thinking about plane crashes, and a science fiction plot popped into my head. It was about people from the future stealing people from planes that were about to crash, and replacing them with dead bodies. I

Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos

"Overweight, underpowered museum piece"

Bob Baker and Dave Martin have arrived, people. Prepare yourselves to be underwhelmed.

Okay, I know, that might be a little harsh but I've always found Baker and Martin to be the most consistently average writers working on Doctor Who. None of their stories are ever unforgivably bad, nor are they resoundingly great, either. They all fit unwaveringly in

Warehouse 13: Queen for a Day

… in which Pete and Myka try to prevent a wayward Warehouse 2 artifact from destroying the wedding of Pete’s ex-wife. Meanwhile, Claudia and Jinks attempt to recover Ulysses S. Grant’s flask at a Civil War re-enactment.I really enjoyed this episode. The artifact mayhem in both stories was largely played for laughs, but the character stuff surrounding all the hijinks was incredibly resonant and

Eureka: Up in the Air

… in which Carter investigates an unconventional bank robbery, and Allison begins to experience blackouts. Meanwhile, the reduced field of Astraeus mission candidates begins physical conditioning.Well, the main disaster plot this week was a relatively inconsequential romp, but the side plots continued to progress the new arcs and character dynamics. The floating town disaster didn’t do a whole

True Blood: I Wish I Was the Moon

Sookie: "But if you turn into a panther, won't the handcuffs just fall off?"It's the full moon, and we got another cohesive and fun episode about transformation. And Sookie and Eric made love in the moonlight. About time. Did we really have to wait three and a half seasons for this? Where was I? Oh, yes. Sookie had a point about everyone in Bon Temps changing into something else.Eric into