The Expanse (2018) – It Reaches Out, and Intransigence

The mystery of the protomolecule and the Ring is augmented with the introduction of the Investigator (Thomas Jane) who only Holden (Steven Strait) can see, and who is trying to impart important information to him in the only way he knows how, but will Holden realize what he’s being told before things escalate to greater…

Mission: Impossible (1971) – The Catafalque, and Kitara

Paul Playdon wrote Catafalque, which first aired on 6 February, 1971, and features John Vernon as Ramone Fuego, who gets manipulated by the IMF in an attempt to get sensitive information into the hands of the American government. And while most of the story is really engaging, as Phelps (Peter Graves) and his team set…

Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Rebel, and Squeeze Play

Mark Lenard guest stars in The Rebel, that sees the IMF team in a south of the border country, attempting to contact some rebels and recover information from them, when things go sideways, and Dana (Lesley Ann Warren) and a couple of the revels are captured (one of whom has the information they need). The…

The Prisoner (1967) – Arrival, and The Chimes of Big Ben

The Prisoner is a series I had long heard about, but, for some reason known only to some deep, dark corner of my psyche, I had never watched. Everything I heard about it suggested I would enjoy it, that it would be right up my alley. But I never dug in and screened it… ……

Mission: Impossible (1970) – Lover’s Knot, and Orpheus

Paris (Leonard Nimoy) finds that more than his life is in jeopardy this week, but also his heart, in Lover’s Knot. Written by Laurence Heath, this story first debuted on 22 February, 1970. The story finds Paris, Phelps (Peter Graves) and Barney (Greg Morris) on assignment in London (which looks a lot like Southern California),…

The X-Files (2000) – En Ami, and Chimera

William B. Davis, the Cigarette Smoking Man himself, pens En Ami, which pairs CSM with Scully (Gillian Anderson) in this episode that first debuted on 19 March, 2000. CSM approaches Scully after she and Mulder (David Duchovny) both recieve information about a supposed miraculous healing of a young boy who was suffering from cancer, but…

The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) – Agatha Christie

Before Hercule Poirot took the Orient Express, he found himself on the Blue Train, sans Hastings, in a mystery that has a murder, missing jewels, stagecraft, thieves, divorces, a love story, rich Americans, and devious criminals. While not quite the romp of Poirot’s previous tales, this story was fun, and while most of the clues…

The X-Files (1995) – Paper Clip, and D.P.O.

The third episode in the season finale/opener that began with Anasazi plunges Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) further into the still developing mythology arc of the series with this episode, Paper Clip, written by series creator, Chris Carter. First airing on 29 September, 1995 the episode sees the agents on the run, investigating…

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963) – Ian Fleming

The eleventh 007 book, and tenth novel, by Ian Fleming is this week’s entry on the Book Shelf, and you could see how the film series would begin to influence the continuing novels as we get a mention of Bond’s parentage, with his father being a Scot, and there is an increasing sense of Connery…

Star Trek: Enterprise (2003) – Extinction, and Rajiin

Captain’s log: date unknown LeVar Burton directs this episode that was written by Andre Bormanis. And despite Bormanis’ previous efforts, this one isn’t his strongest. First airing on 24 September, 2003, the story sees Archer (Scott Bakula) Reed (Dominic Keating) and Sato (Linda Park) slowly transforming into alien creatures after arriving on a planet. The…