Stargate: Atlantis (2006) – Progeny, and The Real World

Progeny debuted on 11 August, 2006. It was written by Carl Binder from a story by Binder and Robert C. Cooper. We are introduced to the Asurans, a highly advanced race. In fact that may be Ancients. But things never go that easily in this series, and it is soon revealed that we know exactly…

The Package (1989) – Andrew Davis

Gene Hackman, Joanna Cassidy and Tommy Lee Jones headline another Andrew Davis chase movie that counts among its cast, Pam Grier, Kevin Heard, and Dennis Franz. It’s a fairly well-crafted military thriller that seems to have the recurring themes of chases, Chicago and conspiracies running through it. This time out, Gene Hackman plays Master Sergeant…

Stargate SG-1 (2002) – Fail Safe, and The Warrior

SG-1 take on Deep Impact and Armageddon in Fail Safe. Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, this episode was first broadcast on 5 April, 2002. A large asteroid is discovered in the solar system, it’s path is determined to be on a direct line for Earth which may cause an extinction level event. O’Neill…

Stargate SG-1 (2001) – Red Sky, and Rite of Passage

Ronald Wilkerson delivers a tale that sees SG-1 traveling to a world where Norse religion has progressed and created a devout group of faithful to the Asgardians. That’s all well and good, but by activating the gate, they triggered something that has caused a red shift in the local sun by introducing a foreign element,…

Stargate SG-1 (2000) – A Hundred Days, and Shades of Grey

O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and SG-1 are working to negotiate a treaty with a naquadah rich world on a developing planet. But things are about to go disastrously wrong in A Hundred Days. Written by one of the showrunners, Brad Wright from a story by Victoria James, this episode was first broadcast on 4 February,…

Stargate SG-1 (1999) – Fair Game, and Legacy

Carter (Amanda Tapping) gets promoted to Major in this episode, a wonderfully nice moment for the character, but things get interrupted when O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) gets beamed aboard an Asgard ship, which leads to the story for the episode when he has a conversation with Thor (voiced by Michael Shanks). Written by Robert C….

Amistad (1997) – Steven Spielberg

Spielberg returns to another examination of humanity and history with his 1997 film Amistad. Based on an actual event in 1839, the film explores a revolt of Mende captives aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad. When the captives take over the ship they demand that the surviving crew take them back to Africa, but instead,…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1994) – Genesis, and Journey’s End

Captain’s log: stardate 47653.2 Brannon Braga pens this episode that was directed by Gates McFadden. It first aired on 21 March, 1994. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Data (Brent Spiner) take a shuttle into an asteroid field to retrieve a torpedo that uses a new (malfunctioning) guidance system. Back on the Enterprise, a medical treatment…

Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – The Woman Who Lived, and The Zygon Invasion

The story that centred on Ashildr (Maisie Williams) last week continues this week with The Woman Who Lived. Written by Catherine Tregenna this episode debuted on 24 October, 2015. Travelling on his own for a while The Doctor (Capaldi) arrives in 17th century London when he encounters the repercussions of his compassionate actions in the…