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Sci-Fi Brain News -- January 5, 2007
NBC To Offer 'Heroes' Catch-up On DVD
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that NBC has joined with DVD rental firm Netflix to offer subscribers a Heroes catch-up DVD ahead of the show's return on January 22.
The NBC DVD will become available to customers of Netflix's online movie rental service today. It will contain a specially produced recap of Heroes' highly-rated and critically acclaimed first 11 episodes.
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'Alien vs. Predator 2' Behind-the-Scenes
superherohype.com is reporting that the ReelzChannel has aired a new behind-the-scenes look at 20th Century Fox's Alien vs. Predator 2, in theaters on December 21. The show "Dailies" talked to directors Greg and Colin Strause about the action-adventure which they say will be rated R, compared to the first installment which carried the PG-13 rating.
You can view the vid at the link provided.
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Alfonso Cuaron (CHILDREN OF MEN) Interview
chud.com now has up an interview with the sci-fi Children of Men director Alfonso Cuaron.
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'Heroes' Oka Talks Takei
scifi.com is reporting that Masi Oka, who was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Hiro Nakamura on NBC's Heroes, told SCI FI Wire that his character's relationship with his father, played by Star Trek veteran George Takei, will be a rocky one. "You'll find that his father, he has a lot of expectations of his son," Oka said in a conference call with journalists on Jan. 3. "And Hiro is his only male son, who he expected to kind of be his heir to his company. So because of that, there's some expectations, and he kind of views Hiro's journey to be very childish and foolish, and he wants him to grow up. And Hiro's always kind of seen his father as an intimidating figure, and someone who he always has to live up to, and possibly sometimes limits who Hiro is as a person because of the expectations that his father has always had on him. So Hiro's always had to feel like he had to live up to certain expectations. And we'll see a little bit of that conflict, and the reason why his dad came to find Hiro in America."
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
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Thursday, January 04, 2007 |
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Roswell (2.13) “Disturbing Behaviour†– Review
By: jesuiscanadien
We now join Michael and Maria covertly watching the Sheriff’s Office from a nearby rooftop. God only knows what day it is, or how long since Laurie Dupree was rescued from the makeshift gravesite. But then I’ve got to learn to live with that, now don’t I? Anyways, back to Michael and Maria. They’re chatting away about Michael’s uncanny resemblance to “Grandpa, 1935â€; when we see Agent Duff gently interrogating Laurie. Laurie tells Duff that she thinks the aliens are near and she freaks out. She is then transferred to a waiting ambulance, and Michael and Maria follow the ambulance in the Jetta.
While they are following the ambulance, Laurie manages to get free and she knocks out the paramedic riding with her, and tries to take control of the driver. The ambulance loses control and rolls over an embankment off the road. Michael stops the car, and both he and Maria run to the ambulance. When Laurie sees Michael, she freaks and runs off; pushing down Maria, and then the shooting begins. A car has been following the ambulance as well, and the driver is now shooting at Laurie. Michael grabs Laurie and tells her that if she wants to live, come with them, and if she wants to die, she can stay behind. She goes with them, as they drive off under fire from the shooter.
The incident is on TV the next morning, and Michael is on the phone with Isabel and Max. Isabel tells Michael that the whole state is out looking for her, and they can’t come back to Roswell. Meanwhile, Laurie is locked inside the car, and she is slowly destroying it.
Over at the Valenti Estate, Kyle and Tess walk in on Valenti having a minor breakdown with large equipment. Seems Valenti is trying some therapeutic handiwork to keep from going off the deep end. Kyle and Tess see that there is a new addition to the household, namely a 15million dollar lawsuit by Grant Sorenson against Valenti.
Back at the UFO Centre, Max is looking at the alien crystals underneath a microscope, and he can’t make heads or tails of them. Isabel suggests he involve Liz, and he tells her that he wants to keep Liz out of this for the moment. Isabel heads over to the Crashdown to let Alex and Liz know what’s going on, and Sean walks up in the middle of the conversation. He informs Liz that Aunt Amy, Maria’s Mom, wants to speak to Liz. So Liz and Sean head over to the DeLuca residence, while Isabel gets stopped by Agent Duff and taken in for questioning.
While Duff is questioning Isabel, Grant comes in with a gun that he found a mile from the crime scene, and it’s the gun that was used to fire on Laurie both times. Over at the DeLuca residence, Amy is grilling Liz about her daughter, so Liz coughs up that Maria is with Michael. That upsets Amy to no end, and Liz tries to placate her. Amy ends up taking Liz’s cell phone and tells Liz to stick around for Maria to call.
Back on the road that Laurie is using to try and escape, Michael and Maria catch up to her and Maria convinces Michael to try and connect with Laurie so they can get to the bottom of things. Over at the Valenti residence, Kyle and Valenti talk about Valenti’s current situation. While that is going on, Max is sleeping at home when the crystals liquefy and move over to cover his hand. They decide he doesn’t taste good, and when they move off his hand and recrystalize, Max covers them with a glass bowl.
Maria finally calls Liz, and has to talk to her Mom about where they are and what they’re doing. Amy demands to talk to Michael, and she lectures him about not having sex and to call if they need bail money. After the call is terminated, Amy decides she needs a drink, while Sean and Liz are having a pillow fight in the living room. Max comes in during this and asks Liz for help. Liz leaves with Max under awkward circumstances.
Meanwhile, Valenti goes over to talk to Grant about the lawsuit and is attacked by Grant under the influence of aliens. Grant comes back to reality once Valenti hits him and Valenti realizes what’s going on. He goes to see Agent Duff to tell her, but Duff tells him about the gun and who found it. Valenti says he thinks that Grant may be mentally ill, and Duff tells him that she thinks he might be the one with the problem.
Over at the UFO Centre, Liz is looking at the crystal and she comes to some conclusions, but she needs Isabel to talk to Grant to get the skinny. Isabel meets back up with Grant and they start over. She flirts with him to get the info.
In Tucson, Maria and Michael bring Laurie to her grandfather’s house, only to find out that he’d been dead for seven years. Michael and Maria explain what has happened to Laurie and the Aunt and Uncle just blow it off. Back at the UFO Centre, Isabel has given all the info she gleaned from Grant to Liz and together they find out that the parasitic crystals have made their way into the water table from the crash site on Pohlman Ranch into Frazier Woods and the stream with the parasites ran right under Laurie’s gravesite.
Over at Valenti’s place, Duff comes in with news that all the goods used to make up Laurie’s grave were stolen, as was the rifle, and they all were stolen at the same time that Grant Sorenson was there. She asks for Valenti’s help and promises to get him his job back if they can close this case.
Back in Tucson, Michael is given $50grand and then Maria and Michael are escorted off the property. It seems the family has closed ranks against them, thinking Michael has come to make a claim on the Estate.
Back at the UFO Centre, Brody is undergoing hypnotherapy in a way with Isabel, as they try to get a hold of Larek through Brody’s body. Brody tells them that it never works and he is proven to be a bad patient, but Isabel tells him that she’s a little psychic, which he ironically has a hard time believing. When Isabel puts both her hands on his hand, there is a huge electric volt flings both of them backwards. Larek makes an appearance after that, and Max explains the situation. Larek tells Max that the planet is infected and they must vacate right away. At this point we are left with the “To Be Continued…†as the episode ends.
Now we are getting to the interesting stuff. Michael’s got 50G’s in hush money, the planet is in trouble from an alien parasite, and Grant Sorenson could be under the alien influence! Talk about lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!
Will Michael be able to help Laurie, or will he be denied? Will Max, Isabel, Alex, Kyle, and Liz be able to save the planet, whether or not Michael and Maria don’t come home? Will Grant be caught, or will something more heinous happen to him? Will he drop the lawsuit against Valenti? These questions and more will not be answered here. But it will sure be interesting to see how this stuff pans out, eh?
I enjoyed the small sojourn into the Bickersons’ universe again. They’re such a fun couple. Plus, it was funny to see how freaked out Amy DeLuca got about the Maria situation. Does she think that Maria is dumb enough to repeat her history? I think that Maria would avoid that sorry tale like the bubonic plague.
The whole “Brody as Larek†scenario was interesting too. It raises scientific questions that geeks love, but I can’t be bothered to get into them. Okay, maybe one. If Brody’s heart stopped when Larek entered, why the hell was he so damned okay after Max performs CPR on him afterwards? CPR hurts like hell; it’s not something you jump up from afterwards. Makes you go hmmm.
Now I’m anxious to see how the next episode turns out. Will we see a satisfactory conclusion to the crystals question, and will the alien inside Grant get his or her comeuppance? Will this end up like a long distance commercial, or will we be frustrated in our denial like any episode of “Lostâ€? Just kidding about “Lostâ€. Maybe. I’d wait with baited breath, but then I’d just turn blue, and who wants that? Don’t answer.
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Thursday, January 04, 2007 |
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Anime Review: RahXephon Ep.17
By: samwiseb
Last week: Ayato Kamina borrowed the RahXephon without permission, to return to Tokyo with Quon Kisaragi. What answers await him in the place that used to be home?
Seventeenth Movement: “Return to the Labyrinthâ€
At TERRA HQ, Inspector Isshiki gloats with opportunism as he has Kunugi relieved of command, and declares that Ayato will be tried for first-degree treason. Vermillion is launched to intercept and retrieve RX; Elvy reluctantly agrees to let Haruka stow away in the cargo hold.
Inside RX, Quon senses Ayato’s doubts and reassures him that he is still human. They are both human. Ayato asks Quon if RahXephon isn’t actually hers; she replies that no, hers is different. As Vermillion catches up, she refers to it as a “warped instrumentâ€. Dolem Allegretto appears to “welcome†RX with its familiar song from episodes 1-3.
Elvy issues Ayato an ultimatum to return to base. For her part she seems to have gotten over the shock of his identity, though this does not lessen her resolve. Haruka interrupts, warning Ayato that it’s no longer safe for him to return at this time. Allegretto attacks Vermillion, keeping it busy while a quantum corridor opens inside Tokyo Jupiter’s wall to allow RX through. Allegretto follows.
Elvy clears permission from TERRA HQ to use Vermillion’s Trans-Dimensional Drive for a jump through the absolute barrier, and she and Haruka soon find themselves floating above Tokyo with no trace of RX. They hide Vermillion at a forest reserve and make their way into the city on foot, but discover that Tokyo has changed considerably since their last visit: Dolem “Metronomes†now hover over the city streets, yet people pass by without seeming to notice these things. The Mu have strengthened their psychological control over Tokyo.
Ayato awakens in a hospital and is taken to see Quon, who has fallen ill due to not having packed her life support vest along (oops!). He has a Reika Mishima-induced vision of Maya (his mom), dressed in “Mulian†robes and makeup, talking with her Mu henchmen. She later visits him in her more familiar appearance, and exchanges a couple words with Quon in Mulianese.
Driving home, they pass Ayato’s friends Mamoru and Asahina. He stops to visit with them, but theirs is not a happy reunion. He has only been gone a month from their perspective. Asahina lets on that she’s been worried during his absence, and has a brief meltdown as she feels something is terribly wrong, yet cannot seem to verbalize what. But Mamoru dismisses that Ayato’s just been away visiting relatives, in a tone that leaves no room for discussion.
Back at the house, Ayato finds his first painting of Mishima still on his canvas, and gazes at it for a while. Maya catches him in the mirror biting his lip to check if his blood’s still red; she cuts her finger and smears her blue blood across his chin. Ayato freaks out at his mother’s spooky behavior. To Be Continued.
This is a depressing arc, and all the more powerful because of it. Particularly disturbing is Ayato’s run-in with his schoolmates. As we never really understand the nature of the Mulian mind control, it’s impossible to know what is happening with them or the Tokyo citizens in general. Even re-watching these episodes, one can’t help being pulled along by false hope.
The ambiguity surrounding Ayato/Mishima continues this week (no surprise there, right?). When he asks his friends if anyone ever talks about her “disappearanceâ€, it’s left open to interpretation whether he even remembers having just seen her in the hospital. Ayato pretty much acts like he’s in a dream throughout the “Tokyo†half in this episode.
So Quon is destined to pilot a D-5 unit as well, though not the RX which Ayato inherited. Not altogether surprising, since it's established she too is an instrumentalist.
That’s about all there is to comment on this week. Except that “McBonaruds†has to be the worst case of Engrish I’ve ever seen.
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Thursday, January 04, 2007 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- January 4, 2007
'Lost' Actress Splits With Husband
zap2it.com is reporting that Emilie de Ravin, who plays single other Claire on "Lost," will once again be single in real life.
The Australian actress and her husband, actor Josh Janowicz, have split after six months of marriage, report news sources.
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Wanna ask Darren Aronofsky a Question?
moviehole.net is reporting that do you got something to say to director Darren Aronofsky?
Moviehole is letting YOU ask a question to one of the best filmmakers in the Wood they call Holly.
Whether it is about his classic “Requiem for a Dreamâ€, his one-time plans to bring “Batman†to the multiplex, or his latest film, “The Fountainâ€, Moviehole is letting you play interviewee.
Go to the link to find how to send your questions in.
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Hallstrom's 'New Amsterdam' At Fox
scifi.com is reporting that Lasse Halstrom is set to direct and executive-produce the SF pilot New Amsterdam for Fox, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project is the first foray into American television for the Oscar-nominated director.
The series, written by Allan Loeb and Christian Taylor, centers on a man cursed with immortality who works as a homicide detective in New York. "I was really intrigued by the writing," Hallstrom told the trade paper. "I find it emotionally very strong, with a very interesting lead character and a recognizable observation of human behavior."
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
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Wednesday, January 03, 2007 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- January 2, 2007
NBC Greenlights 'The Bionic Woman'
superherohype.com is reporting that The Hollywood Reporter reports that NBC has given the green lights to a new take on "The Bionic Woman."
The show, which has received a cast-contingent order, is a reconceptualization of the 1970s series about a woman whose body is mechanically enhanced to save her life.
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'BSG' MMO Coming To 360?
scifi.com is reporting that gaming Web site 1up.com reported a rumor that a massively multiplayer online game based on the SCI FI Channel original series Battlestar Galactica is in the works. According to the site, a listing recently appeared on the EB Games Web site for an Xbox 360 MMO game published by Vivendi, which owns 20 percent of NBC Universal, the parent company of SCI FI Channel (and SCIFI.com).
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'Smallville' Fan Films Wanted
scifi.com is reporting that Warner Brothers and the creators of Smallville are inviting fans to submit 15-minute videos of themselves demonstrating why they are the ultimate fans of the CW series. The winner will be featured on the upcoming DVD release of the show's sixth season.
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'The Time Traveler's Wife' Gets A Rewrite
scifi.com is reporting that Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost) has been hired to rewrite the script for the SF romance The Time Traveler's Wife, based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, Variety reported. Robert Schwentke is still on board to direct the film, which is being produced by Brad Pitt and Nick Wechsler.
The story centers on the relationship between a Chicago librarian who suffers from a condition which causes him to travel in time involuntarily. His episodes often take him to random moments in the life of a girl who grows up to be his wife. The Time Traveler's Wife has been in development since 2003, when New Line acquired the feature rights to the unfinished novel. It went on to become a bestseller.
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
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Tuesday, January 02, 2007 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- January 2, 2007
The first new day of Sci-Fi Brain in the new year. Woot! I hope you all had some nice holidays. Now for the news.
BBC Denies Tennant Quitting Rumours
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that David Tennant is set to continue in his role as Dr. Who, according to the BBC.
The corporation has denied reports that the star is looking to quit the show, insisting that Tennant is "committed" to the show, and will stay until at least the end of the fourth series.
A BBC spokesman added: "When a further series is commissioned, we will be able to confirm his involvement."
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' Battlestar Galactica' Gets A DTV Movie
darkhorizons.com is reporting that despite declining ratings over on The SciFi Channel, universal critical acclaim and robust DVD sales have led Universal Home Video to apparently consider greenlighting a Battlestar Galactica direct-to-video telefilm.
According to a report at Geek Monthly, if it goes forward the two hour telefilm will shoot in March during the series hiatus and prior to the commencement of production on the series fourth season in June.
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
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Friday, December 22, 2006 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- December 22, 2006
The Silver Surfer Revealed
superherohype.com is reporting that USA Today has debuted the first photo of The Silver Surfer from Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer, opening in theaters on June 15.
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'Grindhouse' Trailer Hits
moviehole.net now has up the trailer for the upcoming Grindhouse film. Planet Terror is the most sci-fi of the entries and looks awesome.
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
Happy holidays from the Sci-Fi Brain staff to all of you out there in reader land!
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Thursday, December 21, 2006 |
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Heroes 109: Homecoming - Review
By: ZotQuix
After a brief absence, things seem to be back in place on the fabulous Sci-Fi brain blog. Unfortunately, we're a bit behind on the recap and review side of things. Heroes has gone on Sabbatical until January 22. Until then we will have to make due with getting caught up on those reviews missed over the last few weeks due to our brain seizure.
Everyone loves a good uprising. And we should always remember the outcasts outnumber the, uh, castes. The way Claire wins the homecoming crown is one of the things that makes 'Homecoming' good. The other is action. Things happen in this episode. I'm not just talking about fight scenes, but also the forward progress of the story. Its not everything we've been waiting for, but it does make the wait more endurable.
It may have been awhile since the episode aired, but Peter's advice to Claire, that "things get better after high school" still stands out in my mind. Perhaps its because, its good and true advice, *but* she's a cheerleader. Even if she's an outcast cheerleader now, I'm not convinced that things were really that terrible for her to begin with. I suppose this comes back to the question of why she was discontent with her life to begin with. Why was she making videos of her many suicide attempts?
It seems the answer is, she didn't like all the cookie cutter conformist crap that she was being subjected to at school. Popular kids have a soul too. All very 'Heathers', but I guess that works. And if this is how she feels, then Peter may in fact be right, things will be better for her after high school. Or at least they would, if she were anyone else. Its not merely the fact that she has special powers that would lead her to an unconventional life, but the fact that even if everything is going swimmingly, she will not be content. Perhaps that is what is attempted to be conveyed, the essence of Claire as someone extraordinary because they aren't merely content with life as it is.
The narration at the opening of 'Homecoming' suggests that we are naturally creatures of habit and that variation only occurs because we are endangered. We could come up with creative non-explicitly stated idea that would suggest that Claire finds habit itself threatening (the fear that she will become like Jackie). But I'm going to far afield, let's look at some other aspects of 'Homecoming'.
"Silar wants to do that to my Claire," Mr. Bennet tells Eden, trying to persuade her that there is a good reason for the things he does. It was a little too pat of an explanation. Sadly, if its true, Mr. Bennet's character is not very interesting at all. Even if he was lying to Eden, the scene seems faulty. The words are just too weak to be coming out of the mouth of the HRG. On the other hand, his interaction with his wife when he found out that she let Claire 'escape' was perfectly ambiguous. He grabs her magazine like he's about to go all evil, then just utters "You don't know what you've done."
There were other good things about 'Homecoming'. I like how they are trying to flesh out Micah as a character when he tries to convince DL that they need to go back to Niki, even if the child actor isn't quite able to pull it off. Still, the idea that he is tuned into the fact that Jessica exists shows a depth of character. And the performance is helped by some timely cutting away from Micah's face and probably redubbing the scene.
On the other hand, the police in 'Heroes' are in fact the most bumbling, incompetent people in the universe and they feel like 2 dimensional characters all the time. They habitually arrest the wrong people without cause. One could make a killing in this world as an attorney. And thing about it is, the police don't have to go down that path. They can take someone in for questioning without arresting them. Instead of deft, well thought out writing, it feels like things happen to take the story to a predestined locale. Following this same theme, I can see it as nothing but contrivance that Mr. Bennet left Claire alone on the night of her Homecoming. Any sane person wouldn't just ground her, they would keep her in the room. But then she wouldn't have been able to escape.
Mohinder's story was at least tolerable this week. It was still exceedingly boring in places and mostly I find myself just not caring, but it does seem to be going somewhere, and that somewhere is a little more unified with the various other threads. The dream sequences even are getting better. His mother has more of a character than he does. Part of the reason he feels so vanilla to me is that he does the overly trite narration, giving 'Heroes' a, its already over and we're just getting a recounting with morals that could have come from a fortune cookie.
All this is OK though, because this week, things happened. I cared more about Peter Petrelli than I ever had before. Was that little bit of romantic heat between Claire and him? Even if its more platonic, and turns out to be a reaction that gives him some direction and backbone, it works for me. The way events played out at homecoming was perfect. Everything felt natural. Plus, Jackie's death was just as fulfilling to all us unpopular kids as it should've been. And Silar? We soon find out he fixes what is broken. So maybe he didn't get the wrong cheerleader after all.
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Thursday, December 21, 2006 |
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Roswell (2.12) “We Are Family†– Review
By: jesuiscanadien
When we last left the “Alien Our Gangâ€, Max, Isabel, and Valenti were rescuing a trapped girl who had been kidnapped by a mysterious person. When we rejoin the gang, Max and Isabel are being questioned by a deputy, while Valenti is being grilled by Dan and a judge. Valenti loses his badge and gun as he is suspended until the city council can convene to decide what to do with him. Max and Isabel are told after their questioning that they cannot see Valenti and are driven home by another deputy.
Meanwhile, Michael and Tess are in the hospital to find out the skinny on the kidnapped girl, named Laurie Dupree. Turns out she’s human, and neither Michael nor Tess can figure out why Isabel had a vision when she touched her.
The next day at Valenti’s house, he gets a visit from an ambitious FBI agent, Suzanne Duff. She enlists his aid in helping find Laurie Duff, who went AWOL from the hospital. There are conditions however, and Valenti will not get his gun back, he’ll just be helping Agent Duff find her girl.
At school, Alex is back from a month-long sojourn to the wintry-wonderland of Sweden. Both Maria and Liz are ecstatic to see him and greet him with enthusiasm. Liz and Maria fill Alex in on what has happened, and then Maria spots Max and tells Liz to go to him.
Meanwhile, Valenti is back in his office when Kyle brings him his lunch. Kyle is introduced to Agent Duff, after he and Valenti exchange words about Valenti’s suspension. After they both leave Valenti’s office, he gets a page to meet in Frasier Woods. Michael is there and shows Valenti a blue crystal that he found in the burial site. Valenti warns Michael to be careful, as the FBI are involved, and it’s risky for the “Alien Nationâ€.
That evening at the Crashdown, Max and Liz are talking about school, when the topic turns to Max’s fears for Liz. While they talk, Sean De Luca knocks on the door of the Crashdown, looking for food. Liz turns him away, and goes back to Max to talk and tells Max to stay as long as he likes.
As Valenti comes home, he finds the missing Laurie Dupree in his closet and she tells him to stop looking for her. Valenti tries to get Laurie help, but she won’t let him. She tells Valenti that it wasn’t a person that took her; it was a “themâ€. Valenti gets called back to the office, so he asks Laurie to trust him and he calls Isabel away from her slide-viewing with Alex, Maria, and Liz to come over and sit with Laurie.
Liz is looking for an extension cord for the slide projector, when Sean shows up in the area outside the kitchen, eating their food. He tells her that he was hungry and goes on to ask her if Liz would like to go to the auto show on the weekend with him. Liz blows him off and goes back to watching the slide show with Alex.
Over at Valenti’s house, Isabel is gleaning info from a frightened Laurie, when a knock at the door sounds. She ushers Laurie into the bedroom and lets Max and Michael in. When Laurie gets a load of Michael, she freaks and scrambles out a window, while the boys give chase. Laurie is caught by Michael, but she knees him in the groin and runs into oncoming traffic, getting hit by a car.
Meanwhile, Isabel has phoned Valenti to let him know what’s going on, but Agent Duff also gets a call. They show up at the scene together and Laurie pins Valenti with her whereabouts. Valenti catches hell for this, and Duff takes him off the case.
Valenti gets grilled by Duff about his actions. He explains that Laurie came to him and that he may not look like it, but he is one of the good guys. Duff does not look convinced.
Back at Liz’s place, Alex is showing more of the slides and he talks about how wonderful it was to travel. He tells Liz that she should travel too, as she’d love it. Liz gets misty, thinking about Max and her ability to travel, and Alex notices. He tells her that she could travel once things cool down around there.
The next day at school, Max talks to Kyle, and tells him that there is a key piece of evidence in his desk that Kyle needs to bring back to Max. He tells Kyle that even though Valenti is in trouble, he’ll be in more if it comes out that he has been keeping evidence from the FBI.
Later, Max meets Liz in the eraser room and they talk. Liz tells him that they need the opportunity to travel and see the world. She tells him that they’ve been cheated out of so many things. Max tells her that she should travel, as he’ll be there when she gets back. He tells her that she needs to be able to “growâ€.
Kyle goes into his father’s office to look for the evidence, and he is caught by Agent Duff. He makes a lame excuse about looking for his report card and she buys it. He finds out later that the piece of paper he handed her was changed by Tess, doing her psychic mojo, into looking like a real report card. He gets peeved at her for the aid and she sarcastically tells him that a simple “thank you†would be sufficient.
Meanwhile, Valenti loses his job, as the council decides unanimously to fire him. Kyle is at the Crashdown, when Max and Isabel walk in. They are told about Valenti’s sacking, and Kyle wants Max to promise that the “Alien Nation†will never get the Valenti’s involved in their hi-jinks again. Max can’t do that, so Kyle drops the evidence on the floor and leaves.
Valenti gets a visit from Amy De Luca the next day. She is trying to lift his spirits, and she tells him to let her be his friend. Over at the Crashdown, Sean talks to Liz about what is bothering her, and he gets her to use his “mustard method†to let go of the issue. Later that day, Amy and Valenti are talking in her car and she tells him that he’s a good man and they end up kissing. Back in the Valenti house, Tess tells Kyle that she’s all packed and will be gone after school. He tells her that he wasn’t just defending his Dad; he was defending her too, as he considers her the best thing to happen to his family in a while.
Meanwhile, Michael and Isabel are over at Pinecrest Psychiatric Hospital and they break in to see Laurie’s files. They find her personal belongings, which they dig through, finding old photos. One of the photos turns out to be an image of Michael from 1935. And so the episode ends on that mysterious note.
This was mostly a kind of ‘set-up’ episode, where we see that Valenti gets sacked, Kyle has redefined his notion of family, and we see the mysterious blue crystals that will obviously play a bigger part in future episodes. Laurie Dupree will obviously play a bigger part with the clues that Michael and Isabel find in her stuff. While it was not a terribly enlightening episode as far as character development goes, as long as you remember to keep in mind what has happened and what was found in this episode, you’ll see more in the episodes to come.
Alas, there were no Bickersons sightings in this episode, which was to the detriment of how much I enjoyed it. I saw vestiges of them in the exchanges between Liz and Sean, but it was not enough to slake my thirst.
In terms of emotional value for the episode, it was good in that we saw how Kyle has integrated Tess into his version of who his family is. I liked how he had changed his mind from Tess being ‘one of them’ to being one of the family. I also liked Alex’s growth as a person after his trip to Sweden. It was interesting to see how he really wasn’t smitten with Isabel, once he had the taste of love with Leanna, his foreign hot date. It was about time he took back his personal power.
I will wait with baited breath for the next episode, as I am sure we will see why the blue crystals are there and why Laurie has a photo of Michael from 1935. I hope the Bickersons will be back in fine form, but I won’t pass out for it. It’ll be a wait and see kind of thing.
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Thursday, December 21, 2006 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- December 21, 2006
'Sarah Jane Smith' Star On Hoodie Worship
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that former Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen has spoken about how her return to the hit show this year has given her added street cred.
In an interview with Digital Spy, the actress, who stars in upcoming spin-off The Sarah Jane Smith Adventures, revealed: "Occasionally hoodies will come up and I think 'Oh God, I'm going to be mugged... [but] they're so nice to me! 'Hello Sarah!' [they'll say!"
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'Transformers' Trailer
Not really a huge Transformers fan, but I have to admit the new trailer for the movie looks amazing.
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'Lost' Star's Hawaiian Home Destroyed in Fire
zap2it.com is reporting that after surviving a plane crash on "Lost," Evangeline Lilly has avoided tragedy in real life when her house burned down.
The actress' Kailua, Hawaii home that she rents with two crew members was completely lost in a fire, reports People.
"Yes, it is unfortunately true that her home in Hawaii burned down this morning," says publicist the Cara Tripicchio. "Thankfully, Evangeline is safe as she was on set already when it occurred."
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- December 19, 2006
Trailer Bulletin: 'Transformers' Finally
rottentomatoes.com is reporting that Wednesday, December 20th is when you can check out the "Transformers" teaser clip. Make sure you schedule your entire day around it.
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Rumblings On A 'Fantastic Four 2' Teaser ... and Another Sequel?
rottentomatoes.com is reporting that well, we all knew there'd probably be a "Fantastic Four 3" eventually, but I was expecting the second one to hit the screens (and not stink like the first one did) before all the Part 3 buzz got rolling. But nope, it seems that Kerry Washington might know a little something...
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Exclusive Video Interview: Doug Jones on Pan, Abe Sapien and The Silver Surfer!
iesb.net is reporting that Doug Jones, who must be one of the nicest actors that I have ever met, sat down with the IESB for an exclusive video interview in which he discusses all of his upcoming projects including Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy: The Golden Army and Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer.
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AMC Locks Up 'The Prisoner'
scifi.com is reporting that AMC will air a remake of the trippy 1968 TV series The Prisoner, with a storyline similar to that of the original series, which starred Patrick McGoohan, who also was creator, producer, writer and director, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The original series aired on CBS 1967-'68.
The new series will follow a man who finds himself inexplicably trapped in "the Village," with no memory of how he arrived. All of the inhabitants are identified by number instead of name, have no memory of a previous existence or outside civilization and are under constant surveillance. The man, Number Six, sets out to discover the truth behind the Village, why he's there and how he can escape.
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
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Monday, December 18, 2006 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- December 18, 2006
Fincham: 'Doctor Who' Has "Long" Future
digitalspy.co.uk is reporting that BBC One controller Peter Fincham has quashed speculation over the future of Doctor Who beyond its upcoming third series.
Speaking at a press screening of Christmas special The Runaway Bride this morning, Fincham said that there was "a long way to go yet with Doctor Who in its modern incarnation". The BBC has yet to officially commission a fourth series of Doctor Who for 2008 but David Tennant is thought to have already signed up for a fourth.
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The Browncoat Backup Bash - The Documentary
Browncoats, fans of Joss Whedon’s prematurely-canceled Firefly TV series and movie Serenity, got a taste of deja vu when on December 8 several hundred showed up in Burbank, Calif., only to find the Flanvention conference they were there for was canceled.
In typical Browncoat fashion, the fans took control of the situation and set-up their own shindig. What followed was three days of celebrities, songs, and gorram fun. QMx TV was there, capturing the spirit of the Browncoat community in action.
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SCI-FI BRAIN NEWS
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Friday, December 15, 2006 |
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Sci-Fi Brain News -- December 15, 2006
'Heroes' Gets Two Golden Globe Nominations
superherohype.com is reporting that NBC's "Heroes" received two nominations at the Golden Globe - one for Best Television Series and another for Masi Oka for his role as Hiro in the Best Supporting Actor category.
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Third 'Stargate' Series In Development
gateworld.net is reporting that be prepared to step through the gate all over again! A third television series in the hit Stargate franchise is now in development, GateWorld has learned.
A production source informs GateWorld that the new series is in the concept phase, and is being actively worked on by the Vancouver creatives behind Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. No concept for the show has yet been revealed.
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SCI-FI BRAIN INDEX
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Thursday, December 14, 2006 |
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Roswell (2.11) “To Serve and Protect†– Review
By: jesuiscanadien
Isabel is bored, and decides to dreamwalk through a few people’s dreams for fun. She walks into Liz’s dream, and is bored by the hokey romance that is going on. She walks into Kyle’s dream, and he’s dreaming about a sci-fi Buddha. The dream suddenly turns and she sees a girl being dragged off in a black bag, still alive and screaming.
The next day, over at the Sheriff’s Office, Valenti meets an old friend from the State Police Board, Dan, and they jaw over the Hubble case.
At the Crashdown, Kyle and Tess are talking about alien things and Kyle admits his fear that Max changed him when he saved Kyle. Kyle tells Tess that he almost would’ve rather died. Tess tells him that she doesn’t know what will happen to Kyle, and he shouldn’t get freaked about it.
Isabel and Max go to Valenti to report what she saw. They find out that Valenti is being investigated by the State Police Board. Valenti tells the kids not to worry and he will look into what Isabel saw in the dreamwalk. Valenti is then at Senor Chow’s eating lunch with the rep from the police board and he’s getting grilled about the incident. He tells Dan that Max Evans wasn’t there and Dan drops the issue as they eat.
Over at the Crashdown, Liz is having Freudian slips about Max with clients and Maria grills her. Liz explains her current case of Max-on-the-brain, and Maria tells Liz to chill out as it’s just a case of the love jones. Maria’s edgy cousin comes into the Crashdown, which annoys Maria to no end. Shawn looks at Liz like a hungry man and leaves.
Later that night, Isabel is having a meltdown, trying to get ready for her date with Grant Sorenson. All she wants is a normal night, on a normal date, with a normal guy. Over at the Valenti household, Tess is playing a trick on Kyle, who thinks he’s suddenly gained alien powers. When he realizes his error, Tess laughs and tells him that he’s a cute idiot.
During Isabel’s date, she falls asleep and sees more information on the girl who was kidnapped. She goes to Valenti and impresses on him how worried she is about the situation. Max and Valenti talk about the situation and Valenti tells Max that he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to find her.
Valenti gets word that a Melissa Foster may be missing, as she never checked in when she was supposed to arrive at Santa Fe to visit friends. Isabel is consulted and she thinks the girl may be the one she saw. Isabel tells Valenti again how worried she is for this girl’s safety.
Maria is working at the Crashdown, and she warns her cousin Shawn off Liz and tells him some of the rules of the house. Shawn finds this amusing and flirts with Liz all the same.
Isabel is trying to get some rest, as she’s been so worried about the missing girl, and she gets another flash of info when she closes her eyes. She sees Grant pulling the bag and wakes up with Max at her side. She tells Max what she saw and they tell Valenti. He tells them that he’ll look into it.
Valenti goes to the judge to get a warrant, and the judge is hard to persuade. He ends up going to Sorenson’s campsite and finds equipment, but cannot prove anything. He gets into hot water with Dan and they fight about Valenti’s penchant for UFO hunting. Melissa Foster walks in and asks why they were looking for her. Valenti then comes under fire for the whole investigation and he tries to cool things down.
Meanwhile, Max and Isabel are talking about the risks they’ve been putting Valenti through, and Isabel is upset about not being right about the girl.
Over at the Crashdown, Liz, Maria and Michael are closing up, with Kyle hanging out, and Kyle’s telling them about what Tess is doing to torture him about his fears about being alien. Kyle is in the middle of comforting Liz about the Max situation, when Shawn walks in. Maria is rude to him and Liz tries to help out, but is shot down for her efforts. Maria is disgusted for Liz’s efforts and Liz tries to tell Maria that she isn’t into Shawn. Kyle is left talking to himself, as he readily admits.
When Isabel is asleep, she sees more about the kidnapping. Max calls Valenti, who is under more fire about his dealings with Max and Isabel. They meet in Fraser Woods and Valenti sees a really straight molehill and they follow a cord to some air tanks. He follows the cord back to a spot in the ground, which they all dig up and find the missing girl underneath, hooked up to the air flow. The kidnapper lies in wait in the bushes and takes a shot at Isabel as she tries to life the plastic box off of the girl’s head. Max puts up his shield to protect them, as Isabel works to get the box off the girl’s head and Valenti searches for the shooter. Just as Valenti sees the shooter, Isabel manages to get the box off the girl’s head and Max drops the shield, so he can get Valenti to shoot at the shooter. Valenti hits the shooter, but he flees into the woods, and Dan from the police board shows up and they have to explain themselves.
Dan is none too happy about the situation, but the victim is real, as was the kidnapping. Dan informs Valenti that he’s in for a suspension over having the kids on a ride-along, but Valenti takes the punishment to keep the kids out of the spotlight.
Isabel is talking to the victim and Laurie tells Isabel thanks for rescuing her. Isabel holds her hand and sees inside of Laurie, and sees something alien, recognizing it. As the ambulance pulls away, she tells Max that she felt like she knows Laurie.
This episode was interesting to watch as Isabel found new facets to her abilities. I personally would’ve told Valenti that he should tell Dan that he had a tip from a reliable psychic, as police around the country use them to find the missing and the dead. I found Isabel’s terror, as she tapped into the empathic abilities she has, riveting. I am sure having strong emotions, like terror, rip through you like tissue paper tearing under the weight of water, would be truly overwhelming.
I liked Valenti’s efforts to keep Max and Isabel out of the state investigation. He was valiant and discreet as Dan tried to plow through any confidentiality that should be present in an investigation.
Having experience in conducting an investigation, I must say, Dan’s predilection for conducting his investigation with a complete lack of professionalism was totally annoying. You never tell the person you are investigating, that they are under investigation. It corrupts the evidence. Dan is an idiot in my opinion.
I felt Kyle’s frustration and fear about what was changing inside him after Max saved him to be realistic. Poor Kyle. He needs the ‘Alien Nation’ to lay off and assuage his fears. For someone who’s human, to realize that their universe may have been irrevocably changed could be disheartening and strike fear into their hearts.
Other than idiot Dan, this was a good episode, and I look forward, as always, to the next one.
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