Reaper is a different kind of freak-of-the-week episode. Written by Cameron Litvack, it was first broadcast on 23 April, 2002. Tyler Randall (Reynaldo Rosales) is at the local hospital, trying to see his ailing mother’s request for euthanasia to be fullfilled. Something he attempts to do himself. When he falls from the sixth floor and…
Tag: dying
Farscape (2001) – Self Inflicted Wounds: Part 1 (Could’a, Would’a, Should’a), and Part 2 (Wait for the Wheel)
Zhaan (Virgina Hey) is dying, she needs to get to a planet that has an environment she can survive in. But on the way, Moya detects a wormhole but before Crichton (Ben Browder) takes off to investigate, a cluster of ships emerge, and one of them joins with Moya mid-starburst. Self Inflicted Wounds is a…
Stargate SG-1 (2003) – Fragile Balance, and Orpheus
When Carter (Amanda Tapping) arrives at Stargate Command, she is shocked to discover a young man (Micheal Welch) in holding claiming to be Colonel O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson). Fragile Balance was written by Damian Kindler from a story by Peter DeLuise and Micheal Greenburg. DeLuise also directed the episode, which first aired on 20 June,…
Stargate SG-1 (1999) – Holiday, and Serpent’s Song
While on a mission, Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) gets body-swapped with an ancient inventor Ma’chello (also Shanks), but that’s just the beginning of the problems . Ma’chello takes over Daniel’s body, and just uses it as an opportunity to take a reprieve from life, and travel around the city. But when Teal’c (Christopher Judge) and…
Starman (1986/1987) – The Gift, and The System
Jane Wyatt, who played Spock’s mother in Star Trek, The Original Series and The Voyage Home, plays Paul Forrester’s (Robert Hays) mother in The Gift. Written by Peggy Goldman, this is the series holiday episode and was first broadcast on 12 December, 1986. Paul and Scott (Christopher Danie Barnes) receive a letter from Stella, Paul’s…
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Strike Zone (1989) – Peter David
Peter David delivered his first Star Trek novel with Stroke Zone. Originally planned to be a novel in The Original Series catalogue, it was changed and updated to take place near the beginning of season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Beverly Crusher is at Starfleet Medical, Dr. Pulaski has taken over as the…
Family Ties (1982) – Summer of ’82, I Never Killed for My Father, and Give Your Uncle Arthur a Kiss
Michael J. Weithorn wrote Summer of ’82 which first debuted on 27 October, 1982. Alex (Micheal J. Fox) is working his job at the local grocery store, Adler’s Grocery, and doing deliveries with Jennifer (Tina Yothers) when he meets Stephanie (Amy Steel) and loses his heart. But it’s not only his heart he loses when…
Hill Street Blues (1982) – Personal Foul, and The Shooter
The Hill Street Precinct deals with a lot of personal things this week in Personal Foul. First airing on 25 March, 1982, Personal Foul was written by Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Jeffrey Lewis and Michael Wagner. With a basketball game with the local community (and its gangs) waiting in the wings, Renko (Charles Haid) deals…
Brainstorm (1983) – Douglas Trumbull
Special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull delivered his last Hollywood movie in 1983. Problems with the production company, and the untimely death of one of the film’s leads, Natalie Wood, impacted his opinion of the Hollywood machine, and he left them behind. The film features a solid cast, Christopher Walken, Louise Fletcher and Cliff Robertson join…
M*A*S*H (1980/1981) – Death Takes a Holiday, A War for All Seasons, and Your Retention Please
Mike Farrell directs this episode that he wrote alongside John Rappaport, and Dennis Koenig from a story by Thad Mumford, Dan Wilcox, and Burt Metcalfe. It aired on 15 December 1980 and was used as that year’s Christmas episode. Farrell knows how to pack his story with emotional impact without being super sappy about it….
