Man Battlestations Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: MadDrB on March 16, 2013, 12:28:58 am
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All right, so all of us have seen the the recent films like Master & Commander along with some classic documentaries like War at Sea. But I have been watching some documentaries beyond the popular television series "Deadliest Catch" and I just came across this particular one on Netflix tonight and want to share:
DEEP WATER (2006): (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460766/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460766/)) this documentary covers the first round-the-world solo sailing yacht race of 1968, and when I started watching I explained to my wife that during one of these races a participant just sort of drifted around the Atlantic while claiming to circumnavigate the world. She almost immediately lost interest and went to bed, but I was very pleased to realize, upon continued viewing, that this was effectively a documentary about Donald Crowhurst, the sailor who indeed drifted around the Atlantic for months on end while attempting to fake a circumnavigation. Of course, I learned so much more of the story. And, although there is limited footage of the race (most of the footage involves interviews with friends and family), it's a moving account of a grueling endeavor and, in particular, one man's grave decision between turning back from a voyage he's not prepared to endure or risk a lonely death in the open sea.
Of course, I developed a renewed interest in around-the-world sailing when all the news about teenage girls attempting circumnavigation hit the headlines last year. Sure, it might not sound so difficult if teenage girls are doing it these days, some might think, but even with the advanced technology of GPS and composite boat hulls, sailing around the world still requires the better part of a year, and anyone attempting that solo deserves a great deal of credit, even in the 21st century. This film captured a bit of the endeavor for all the participants, especially considering that only ONE of the original NINE entrants actually completed the race.
In my younger days (early twenties), I attempted to spend a long weekend locked in my bathroom with a pound of beef jerky, some homemade "ship's biscuit" and three gallons of water to see if I could endure a full 72 hours of solitary confinement--it was intended as a crude experiment to discover if I had the fortitude to be a single-handed sailor on any sort of long sea voyage. Unfortunately, I didn't last more than 17 hours before letting myself out to get at the decent food I had in the kitchen proper, frying myself an egg and drinking an ice cold beer before walking around the city block (after my visit to the living history museum at Jamestown, I still can't wrap my head around how the crew of those 17th century ships managed to maintain their sanity while crossing the Atlantic for months and drinking only WARM beer). I can't even begin to imagine spending something like SEVEN months at sea, alone--and there is no way a 90-minute film can begin to capture any of that experience, but I still recommend DEEP WATER to anyone with an interest in sailing and the limits of human endurance.
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... (after my visit to the living history museum at Jamestown, I still can't wrap my head around how the crew of those 17th century ships managed to maintain their sanity while crossing the Atlantic for months and drinking only WARM beer) ...
Hypothesis 1: People who live in a hot climate want a Cold Beer. People living in a cold climate like warm beverages---even Beer.
Hypothesis 2: Crossing the Atlantic in an unheated wooden ship is a shiveringly cold experience; those 17th century sailors may have wished their Beer was warm, but it was probably below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fun Fact: Norfolk, Virginia is only 5 minutes of Latitude further North than Algiers. Both cities are between the 36th and 37th parallels.
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Well, having gone to work on the Norfolk waterfront, I can tell you it gets quite chilly! Sounds like a cool documentary MadDrB. I can't say I would fancy sailing for that long by myself either.
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Hypothesis 1: People who live in a hot climate want a Cold Beer. People living in a cold climate like warm beverages---even Beer.
Hypothesis 2: Crossing the Atlantic in an unheated wooden ship is a shiveringly cold experience; those 17th century sailors may have wished their Beer was warm, but it was probably below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
You're probably right on both points. I remember a story by James Joyce about some Irish gentlemen placing their bottles of Guinness on the fireplace mantle to warm up enough for the cork to pop--that certainly is warm beer. But, still, when I think of drinking something warm in cold weather I prefer a hot mug of coffee--although in a round-the-world sailing voyage I suppose hot coffee would prove as impractical as cold beer.
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You're probably right on both points. I remember a story by James Joyce about some Irish gentlemen placing their bottles of Guinness on the fireplace mantle to warm up enough for the cork to pop--that certainly is warm beer. But, still, when I think of drinking something warm in cold weather I prefer a hot mug of coffee--although in a round-the-world sailing voyage I suppose hot coffee would prove as impractical as cold beer.
I'd have to say that Guinness is probably the only beer I'd want hot. I'd take the coffee...unless it's a bit of ol'hot Sake. ;)
Stitch
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I'd have to say that Guinness is probably the only beer I'd want hot. I'd take the coffee...unless it's a bit of ol'hot Sake. ;)
Stitch
Whenever I flub my long range rocket attack rolls for my Empire of the Blazing Sun DW force, I chalk it up to the rocket officers imbibing too much hot Sake before the commencement of hostilities. Something equivalent to that good old Dutch Courage, but it throws off one's aim.
In other viewing news, I found and started watching SeaQuest on Netflix streaming--the TV series aired 20 years ago, but I still remember a guest appearance by Mark Hamill in at least one episode. And I think trained dolphin scouts were involved.
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I remember that old show! I never really got into it at the time. How has it stood up over time? As for me, I've been watching Star Trek TNG on Blu-ray. Easily my favorite series from when I grew up, even if the first couple of seasons were a little...rough ;).
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Did anyone watch that submarine drama show in the Fall, Last Resort? Not everyday you get naval action during primetime.
Also, the new Star Trek movie is out now. I thought it was awesome. :)
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I found Last Resort to be quite boring. They really dragged the beginning out too long. Still it had potential but they axed it last I heard.
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Yeah - the decided not to renew it midseason. So the beginning was slow....and the end was fast haha
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I think The Last Resort was one of the most unintentionally hilarious things I've seen in a while...as an actual submariner, the whole thing came off as a farce to me.
Can't wait to see the new Star Trek movie, though!
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I didn't see Last Resort, Ruckdog, but I feel your pain. As a former soldier, I usually have to just grin and shake my head when Hollywood does anything Army-related, especially if it's set in current times.
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I saw the new Star Trek movie. It is definitely an action movie first, a Sci-Fi film second. And somebody needs to coin a new term to replace "Sci-Fi" for films like this. The Science part needs to go away. Far/Future/Techno/Fiction??
No edition of Trek has ever withstood the scrutiny of real physics (but the older material made an attempt to maintain a veneer, albeit a thin veneer, of science and super-physics). This new movie, well it went a parsec or two out of its way to rub your face in the fact that they not only chucked physics out an airlock, they blasted it with phasers and 5 or 6 dozen photon torpedoes after they did so.
So anyone about to view this movie should lock down all analytical sub-routines, quarantine all physics knowledge in their databanks, and run suspended-disbelief shielding at 110% before entering theatre orbit.
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I haven't seen the new Star Trek yet, but I hope to soon! Thanks for the heads-up Pendrake; that is pretty much what I was expecting based on the previews.
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I've not seen it yet either, but given how the first one was and the previews for this one, it doesn't sound surprising.
For my part, my measuring stick is "Was I entertained?". If I can say "yes", then I'm usually satisfied.
A tactic I've been trying here recently is to only watch one preview for any movie I want to see. I feel like they're giving away WAY too much in the previews. This bit me in the butt when I saw "Prometheus" last summer--I watched every single trailer that I could find, and when I saw the movie, there really weren't any surprises left!
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Ya they really know how to ruin a movie with previews :/. My wife really liked the last Star Trek movie which was a surprise because she never really cared much for it before. Hopefully this one will be about the same. What Im really looking forward to tho is Ender's Game! Ive loved the books since I was a kid.
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Ya they really know how to ruin a movie with previews :/. My wife really liked the last Star Trek movie which was a surprise because she never really cared much for it before. Hopefully this one will be about the same. What Im really looking forward to tho is Ender's Game! Ive loved the books since I was a kid.
The one or two Star Trek trailers I saw actually did a bit of misdirecting and served to create (some) surprise(s).
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So, I finally saw Into Darkness last night. Not bad at all! I really liked all the Star Trek II references and the way they reversed the roles of Kirk and Spock. Overall, I thought it was technically well done and well acted, a worthy successor to the 2009 Star Trek movie. That being said, it still doesn't quite feel like Star Trek to me; the strength of Star Trek has always been in its characterization, but it feels like the Abrams vision is to focus more on the action and less on the drama. The emotional impact of this movie felt much less than it did in TWOK.
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Cool. But I'm holding my breath to see the sequel to MASTER & COMMANDER play in the theater.
In small screen news, I've been watching GAME OF THRONES and for the past season it seems there is at least one scene in each episode which features a sailing ship. They are very much along the look of a xebec rather than a European galleon or square-rigged ship, and that makes me happy.... Now, if only there was more screen time featuring the Greyjoys in their longboats raiding coastal villages!
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Going to dust the cobwebs off this old thread...
So I'm currently watching Babylon 5 for the first time (as mentioned in a previous thread, I'm tired of having my nerd cred called into question). Only a few episodes into the first season--I'm told that the first few episodes are a little rough, and they were. But I'm also told it gets better, so I'm going to stick it out.
Also just watched the pilot episode for "TURN", on AMC, about the Culper spy ring during the American Revolutionary War. The first episode was pretty good; I know next to nothing about the Culper spy ring, so I keep the iPad close at hand so I can pause the show and look things up. AMC has a pretty good track record with quality shows, so I expect this will do well.
Just watched the season 2 premier of Orphan Black (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphan_Black). Great little show, if you like your sci-fi in the form of genetic experiments. I highly recommend it.
And finally, I'm about to start the third season of Smallville. Been wanting to try this show for quite some time, so I finally started watching it over Xbox Live. After watching the first two seasons, I'm definitely hooked, so I'm going to start buying the DVDs for the rest of the seasons. It's cheesy, and the acting and special effects aren't the best, but it's become my guilty pleasure. I've always been a Superman fan anyway.
What are you all watching?
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The whole first season of B5 was questionable, it gets better much much better. Some of the best scifi storytelling is still ahead of you ;D.
As for what I'm watching? Everything. ::) I do actually watch a ridiculous amount of tv though, comes with the job (I work for Dish). Right now I've got the last four episodes of this seasons Lost Girl, a couple Grimms, and the Orphan Blacks premiere on the dvr. We're also following Drop Dead Diva, Resurrection, Once Upon a Time, The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy, Bones, The Blacklist, Castle, Melissa and Joey, Agents of Shield, Glee, New Girl, Trophy Wife, Revolution, The Middle, Suburgatory, Whose Line is it Anyway?, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Bad Teacher (maybe, new show). Eagerly awaiting the return of some summer favorites like Defiance and Falling Skies too and there are a couple new summer shows that look promising. My wife has a few I don't watch too but this is everything I follow.
Props on the Orphan Black btw, we were really surprised by that little gem, amazing acting there with all the different personas. Great show wither you're into scifi or not (so far its been pretty light on the scifi and is very much about the characters.
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Agreed on Orphan Black. I always have to remind myself that it's the same actress playing all those parts--she really nails it.
Man, that's a LOT of TV. We're Big Bang Theory fans, and have been watching Castle from the start. Cop shows aren't our thing, but we watched because of Nathan Fillion, then really got into the show. Watched the first season of Once Upon a Time, really enjoyed it, but never started season 2. Maybe we'll get caught up this summer.
I know, I know, everyone says that about B5. I'm fairly patient, so I'm willing to give it several episodes to draw me in. Typically, in my opinion, very few shows can hook you in the first episode or two. Lost and the new BSG are two notable exceptions to that rule!
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So I'm currently watching Babylon 5 for the first time (as mentioned in a previous thread, I'm tired of having my nerd cred called into question). Only a few episodes into the first season--I'm told that the first few episodes are a little rough, and they were. But I'm also told it gets better, so I'm going to stick it out.
I tried the first episode at one point, for similar reasons you cite, but didn't bother with more than that.
Also just watched the pilot episode for "TURN", on AMC, about the Culper spy ring during the American Revolutionary War. The first episode was pretty good; I know next to nothing about the Culper spy ring, so I keep the iPad close at hand so I can pause the show and look things up. AMC has a pretty good track record with quality shows, so I expect this will do well.
My new historical nerd passion is for everything related to the French & Indian War or the Revolutionary War, and the only "historical" miniature painting I'm doing these days is related to that period. I loved this show just for the costumes alone!
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Watched the next couple episodes of TURN... Pretty good! Got the wife into watching it as well, and she's liking it too.
In other news, I finished season three of Smallville this afternoon, and immediately ordered season four from Amazon. What is the definition of addiction???
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Hee hee, hard to say! I've seen a little Smallville; a lot of my Academy classmates were big into that show when it was still on the air.
My wife and I have been re-watching Star Trek: TNG on blu-ray. It is amazing how good the show looks after having been re-mastered for that format. Easily stands up to anything being made today (although the 4:3 aspect ratio still dates it a bit).
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The terrible costumes dont help with the first few seasons of tng but I grew up on that so I love it. My wife never got into that one but she fell in love with ds9 and we've done some voyager. Lately we binged on the Librarian movies in preperation for the new series coming out on TNT. We've got some American Horrorstory on Netflix and our summer shows coming up so lots of tv in the future. We're planning on hitting up the drive-in this weekend for a double feature of Maleficent and X-Men too! Im stoked, Maleficent is my favorite Disney character so :D.
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Hee hee, hard to say! I've seen a little Smallville; a lot of my Academy classmates were big into that show when it was still on the air.
You had time to watch TV at the academy?! :D As I write this, I have only about 8 episodes left in season 4. If I spent as much time painting as I did watching that show, all my ships would be done. I don't know what it is--I just like it!
I have a goal to someday watch TNG cover-to-cover. I've seen at least half of all the episodes, along with the beginning and end, but I know I've missed quite a few. Do you have a favorite episode(s)? I have two that I can think of: "Darmok", and "The Wounded". Can't remember what seasons they were in, but I know they weren't in the first two.
Andrew--a lot of people have told me that the DS9 storyline is outstanding, far better than TNG. I never got thru the first season. Thoughts? And what TNT show is based on the Librarian movies?
Also, if you've not seen this trailer, this show looks like it has potential:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0d1zpt6k5OI (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0d1zpt6k5OI)
That is, if FOX doesn't cancel it! (Like they did with Almost Human, those bastards.)
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With DS9, it's really the Dominion War arcs that people are referring to when they talk about the superiority of the show's storytelling over TNG. The Dominion War is unique in all of Trekdom. First of all, it is a multi-episode story arc. Maybe not as tightly written as Babylon 5 (the entire arc for B5's entire run was essentially planned out in some detail before the pilot aired), but certainly much more so than the few flimsy continuity nods that were seen from time to time in TNG and Voyager. Second of all, it has a strong militaristic tone, very different from the "We're Explorers!" wonder of TNG. We're talking total war on an interplanetary scale, featuring huge set-piece battles with huge fleets of star ships battling it out to the finish. That kind of setting and action tends to appeal to a slightly different group than the hopeful tones of TNG, and I think that (combined with the admittedly stronger continuity and storytelling) are what drives some fans to say that DS9 is "better." YMMV, though; I still prefer TNG ;).
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I actually like all the tng, ds9, and voy series but tng is still my favorite by a hair. That aside ds9 had a great cast of actors (probably the best of any modern trek) and the cgi was just starting to become feasible for the small screen so there were a lot of fun action sequences. The characters were what sold it for my wife, except Kira, she hates Kira but then thats a pretty good character to drive an emotional response. I liked it once they got the whitestar... I mean Defiant (come on, there had to be a rip off dig in there somewhere!) but prior to that they just felt too tethered compared to tng and voy.
Now ds9 or babylon 5? Sadly its no contest, B5 trumps every trek show Ive seen so far. (There are a handful of voy and ent Ive missed over the years).
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt3663490/
We were big leverage fans so when we heard about this we figured it might be worth checking out. I like Noah Wile in Falling Skies too, but it looks like he is just going to have bit parts in this since FS is still in production.
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Watched the pilot episode of the new series on TNT called The Lost Ship. It's available to watch online with commercials:
http://www.tntdrama.com/videos/the-last-ship/season-1/episode-1/phase-six.html?SR=The_Last_Ship (http://www.tntdrama.com/videos/the-last-ship/season-1/episode-1/phase-six.html?SR=The_Last_Ship)
Save for a couple of scenes on land to establish the premise of the story, the episode revolved around a US naval destroyer at sea, and with lots of great footage more like that seen in the film Captain Phillips as opposed to the CGI weirdness in the Battleship movie (yes, I saw at least the first half of that--it was too tempting to resist completely).
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So how was it? The previews looked interesting, but the fact that Michael "Blow'em Up" Bay is part of the production team makes me wary (and weary, come to think of it).
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Its langushing on the Dvr at the moment but work has conspired against me for the moment so I doubt Ill get the chance to see it anytime soon.
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I kind of want to check this show out as well. Saw a billboard for it few weeks back in NYC. Gave it a look online, just to get and idea to what it was about. They based the show on a book, which sounded pretty interesting in its own right. I don't have cable, so will have to find some other way to check it out.
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I've seen some previews for The Last Ship...it looks intruiging enough Ill probably catch at least the first episode. I'm a bit worried, though, as it looks sort of like the Surface Navy's answer to that terrible submarine show, the Last Resort. Oh well, Micheal Bay is involved, so at least it should have some decent explosions in it ;)
http://youtu.be/v7ssUivM-eM
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I don't have cable, so will have to find some other way to check it out.
I watched it streaming on the TNT website:
http://www.tntdrama.com/videos/the-last-ship/season-1/episode-1/phase-six.html?SR=The_Last_Ship (http://www.tntdrama.com/videos/the-last-ship/season-1/episode-1/phase-six.html?SR=The_Last_Ship)
There was a good dose of exploding helicopters, and I don't know how long they can stretch out the plot beyond a single season. I've been reading THE MASSIVE comic these past few months about a ship's crew at sea in a post-apocalyptic modern world and have particularly enjoyed that series so far, but it's definitely a different creature altogether from this TV show.
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Is the show based on a comic? I guess I didn't know that.
MadDrB, for some reason your post reminded me of the book "On the Beach" by Neville Shute. Post-apocalyptic submarine story written in the '50s. I read it in high school, need to read it again.
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Is the show based on a comic?
The Last Ship is based on a novel. But I have been reading THE MASSIVE which is a comic in a similar setting, but more interesting, which is why I made the comparison.
(http://comicbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/12/massivepromo7.jpg)
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Ah, I misread your last post. I thought you were referring to the comic book itself being "massive"; didn't realize that was the title! ;D
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Watched the series premiere of "Star Wars: Rebels" this past weekend. Pretty entertaining, definitely aimed at a younger audience but there's still quit a bit for us older guys who grew up with the original trilogy films. They use a lot of the sound effects from the original trilogy, and the voice acting is good.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xg5YN3LAGw4
The series premiere was a one-hour TV movie called "Spark of Rebellion", and I think the show starts its normal run on the 13th of this month. Not stellar, but not too bad either, and there is some potential.
And for anyone keeping track, I'm now halfway thru season 8 of Smallville. Still enjoying it!
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I've got that and Flash ready to go on the DVR. Hope there's room!
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Just thought I'd share this little gem I found today.
http://vimeo.com/67768281 (http://vimeo.com/67768281)
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Dang, that is super cool. I am in the wrong line of work.
Thanks for sharing Stephan.
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Way cool, thanks for sharing. Really liked the design of both aircraft. Wish I was crafty enough to scratch build models of these. How did you find this video?
Reminds me somewhat of this:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T0GI2GHgwBI
If you don't get goosebumps seeing all those Battlestars flying in formation, well, then there isn't much hope for you.
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Gawd, I just love stuff like this. Babylon 5 had some GREAT battle sequences as well, particularly:
Corriana VI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIpg-N_Pp-g
Gorash VII (love me some Narn G'quan class cruisers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-uhi_qIgSU
Severed Dreams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYoCvgAAiQ8
And a great battle montage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSa6Zl8fcyo
A lot of others just as good too. I can watch these over and over, never getting bored.
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All classics. See what you're missing Greg! You need to just knuckle down and get through season 1 so you can enjoy the rest of the series.
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All classics. See what you're missing Greg! You need to just knuckle down and get through season 1 so you can enjoy the rest of the series.
I tried Babylon 5 but didn't get beyond the first episode, even though I heard about the same thing about getting to season 2 and beyond to really enjoy the series. At this point, I'm just going to find an episode guide to read so I can skip watching season 1 and jump directly into season 2.
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You wont miss anything really if you just jump into season 2, Sinclair was a bore anyway and the show really opens up once Sheridan comes into it.
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Aw the first season is kind of rough but charming in its own way. But I'm an every-episode-of-B5 kind of guy ;)
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Aw the first season is kind of rough but charming in its own way. But I'm an every-episode-of-B5 kind of guy ;)
Ditto here
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Ok, this is totally not gaming or naval or sci-fi related, but...if you haven't tried Gotham on Fox, I recommend it. Even with what little I know about the story of Batman, it is a very good show. The plot centers around Detective Jim Gordon--years before he becomes the commissioner of Gotham PD. The storylines are good, the acting is great (the actor who plays Oswald Cobblepot hits a home run in just about every episode), but to me the real star is the city itself. The production team has done a fantastic job of capturing the look and feel of Gotham City. Everything looks old and run down, or old and elegant. But old. They have technology--cellphones, computers, etc--but these items are played down and are often barely noticeable. (It is refreshing to see one of the main characters pull out a cellphone and put it up to his ear without the camera zooming in on the NOKIA or SAMSUNG logo).
Tonight was the show's mid-season finale; not sure when it picks up again. Wikipedia says Fox initially ordered 16 episodes, but then expanded that order to 22, which I take as a good sign.
If you give it a try, let me know what you think!
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I've been intriqued by the concept of this show...I'm going to have to get my DVR on it. I'm way behind on my TV! I've been hearing good things about this show, Sleepy Hollow, and Agents of SHIELD, but I haven't seen any of it yet ???.
In all honesty, Gotham is probably the one I will start in on first. Batman is by far my favorite superhero franchise.
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GOTHAM finally got good about Ep 4 - love that Victor Zsasz!
SHIELD has been steadily improving, esp. with the intro of Agent Morse.
Best hero shows are still ARROW and THE FLASH though!
And CONSTANTINE is quite excellent - support it before it gets truly cancelled!
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Sleepy Hollow was a no go for my wife and me, I don't care for... pretty much everything about it. I like Constintine but my wife hated it and word is it's already dead anyway (obvious from the first episode really, the show is pretty out there for the typical viewer). Gotham and Shield have been instant hits with the whole family though so that's good. I try to avoid CW shows... my wife has a vampire fetish and I'm pretty burnt out on their stuff. I used to watch Supernatural a lot, but I've gotten away from that too.
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I remember seeing Iron Sky mentioned somewhere... I just came across this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2utrMwTyY
Lots of lovers and haters in the comments, but I just like to be entertained.
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My wife and I have been re-watching Star Trek: TNG on blu-ray. It is amazing how good the show looks after having been re-mastered for that format. Easily stands up to anything being made today (although the 4:3 aspect ratio still dates it a bit).
BBC America is running what appears to be a weekend-long ST: TNG marathon this weekend. I think they must be showing the re-mastered shows--I remember at least seasons 1 & 2 having some bad sound quality, and looking pretty bad on my HDTV. Am watching episodes from the middle of season 2 on BBC right now, and the sound is much better...but the picture quality! Wow! Definitely agree, Ruckdog, it looks as good as almost anything else I've seen on TV recently.
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Been completely addicted to LIVE DIE REPEAT: Edge of Tomorrow (Currently on my 8th viewing). Aliens, exo-suits, time travel = Rad in my book. Fun flick! May not relate much to naval wargaming, but there is a pretty epic beach assault.
Following this thinking of popping in FURY. Can't pass up an opportunity to watch a solid tank flick. Hopefully it holds up, as The Beast of War is a longstanding favorite of mine.
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Edge of Tomorrow and Beast of War are two great movies. If I'm thinking of the same movie you are...you are referring to the movie about the Soviet tank crew in Afghanistan, right?
Edge of Tomorrow has the added bonus of watching Tom Cruise die about 300 times...
I'm hoping some modeling company does a kit for the drop ships used in that movie.
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Yep that's the flick! The Beast was/is a great one. Haven't seen it in a bit, but may have to dust off the DVD to re-up on it.
Agreed on Edge of Tomorrow, though i have a weakness for these kinds of action films *coughs* Battleship...
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Eh, Battleship wasn't that bad. I've certainly seen worse movies. Outlandish, yes, but it's always cool to see a ship of that size with guns that big absolutely unload on a target.
He isn't my favorite actor, but Cruise has had a few decent sci-fi movies over the years. I really enjoyed Oblivion, and I thought he did a good job in Minority Report as well.
Beast of War (I usually hear it referred to just as "The Beast") is much more of a psychological movie though. I used to teach a block of instruction on the history of Afghanistan--being a big fan of the Cold War in general, that time period in that part of the world is very interesting to me.
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Been completely addicted to LIVE DIE REPEAT: Edge of Tomorrow (Currently on my 8th viewing). Aliens, exo-suits, time travel = Rad in my book. Fun flick! May not relate much to naval wargaming, but there is a pretty epic beach assault.
Following this thinking of popping in FURY. Can't pass up an opportunity to watch a solid tank flick. Hopefully it holds up, as The Beast of War is a longstanding favorite of mine.
Oblivion was great! The fact that they made so many practical props for that movie gave it a very "solid" feel. Cruise might be a big goof ball, but he does action pretty well. I haven't seen FURY yet, but it is on my short list of stuff to see as soon as possible!
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Lots of odd scenes in FURY, but wasn't to bad. Epic Sherman tank v. Tiger action that was actually kind of accurate.
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I thought Fury was the best war movie since Saving Private Ryan. I saw it three times in theaters ;). Ruck, you can borrow my blu-ray if you want!
I thought its depictions of tank combat were pretty accurate, and I also think it struck a really good balance between "Man, War is horrible" and "man, that was pretty badass."
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Just finished season 1 of Babylon 5. The season finale was not as gripping (for me) as the end of season 1 of Battlestar Galactica, but I am intrigued.
I don't have much choice in the matter, however...the Denver/Colorado Springs gaming group is steeped in the lore of both B5 and Honor Harrington, so if I don't watch the rest of the series and read the HH books, they'll never fully accept me. :( Stephan says I get partial credit for having watched Space: Above and Beyond and having read Dune and Starship Troopers, but those alone will not suffice.
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Ha ha well Season 1 of B5 is a little different than the rest of the show... Seasons 2-4 are the main "arc." Enjoy! ;)
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Well, I finally did it: finished the last season of Smallville.
Overall, in my opinion, it was a good show. It had high moments, and low moments, but every show does, especially one that goes that long. But I liked the ultimate message, which I believe the show runners eventually figured out: the Superman story, if you strip away all the trappings, is a story of hope.
I wasn't a huge fan of "Man of Steel", but Jor-El had a line in that movie that I thought was on the money:
"You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."
(It also helped that I watched the show on disc, after it was off TV, so I didn't spend 10 years watching it. ;))
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Just finished season 1 of Babylon 5. The season finale was not as gripping (for me) as the end of season 1 of Battlestar Galactica, but I am intrigued.
I don't have much choice in the matter, however...the Denver/Colorado Springs gaming group is steeped in the lore of both B5 and Honor Harrington, so if I don't watch the rest of the series and read the HH books, they'll never fully accept me. :( Stephan says I get partial credit for having watched Space: Above and Beyond and having read Dune and Starship Troopers, but those alone will not suffice.
As the Major mentioned, you're in for something quite different and WAYYYYY better in Seasons 2-4 :-)
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Did anyone else just kinda wince and cry on the inside the first time you saw the B5 battle of Gorash VII? Or was it just me? If you reply, don't give any spoilers till Lubber catches up.
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Did anyone else just kinda wince and cry on the inside the first time you saw the B5 battle of Gorash VII? Or was it just me? If you reply, don't give any spoilers till Lubber catches up.
Yeah, that was a pretty tough scene...along with the events that happened immediately after, you really start to see the weight of things bear down on Lando.
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Did anyone else just kinda wince and cry on the inside the first time you saw the B5 battle of Gorash VII? Or was it just me? If you reply, don't give any spoilers till Lubber catches up.
Yeah, that was a pretty tough scene...along with the events that happened immediately after, you really start to see the weight of things bear down on Lando.
LALALALALALALALALALALALA (fingers stuck in ears)
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Totally not related to naval wargaming, but...
I just finished the latest episode of "The Shannara Chronicles" on MTV.
I've not read the books, but the TV series is decent so far. It's MTV, so pretty much the whole cast is young and good-looking, except for John Rhys-Davies and Manu Bennet. The sets look great, as do the costumes, and it's filmed in New Zealand apparently. Not quite as visually stunning as the Lord of the Rings movies, but better-looking than most shows I've seen recently. Acting is mostly good, and there have been a few poke-at-the-genre moments that I can appreciate. Special effects, when you do see them, are halfway decent.
I wasn't aware that the Shannara story is set far in the future; I always thought they were just a poor Lord of the Rings knockoff (I know, I know, don't judge a book by it's cover). In the show, this means that you have elves on horseback riding across beautiful green plains, with the remains of a massive oil tanker in the background. Interesting background, and I think I might try the books at some point.
Kinda strange to me that this show is on MTV, but MTV also has Teen Wolf, so I can only assume they are making a run at the CW for the supernatural/fantasy audience. Executive producers and writers are Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the duo behind Smallville (I'm sure they've done other stuff as well, that's just where I know them from).
Anyway. Not a bad show, I just finished the fourth (and latest) episode, it definitely has some potential.
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I've been watching The Expanse on SyFy, myself. I'm a few episodes behind, but I'm loving the effects and production values so far!
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I've been watching The Expanse on SyFy, myself. I'm a few episodes behind, but I'm loving the effects and production values so far!
The Expanse is awesome, very good take on the books so far. My fav new show!
I keep forgetting MTV exists, so I haven't watched Shannara yet. Might give it a whirl.
Don't forget, LEGENDS OF TOMORROW starts Thursday!
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Pulling this thread up out of the dust...
So, my typical Saturday Night Hobby Ritual involves moving my painting supplies and a couple projects downstairs to the living room and spending a few hours watching MeTV's Super Scif-Fi Saturday Night. I usually start with Svengoolie (who is currently on a Godzilla kick) at 9, followed up by Lost in Space and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. All very cheesy, I know, but it's good fun and great stuff to "watch" while painting.
But what I can't figure out is this: how come John Robinson or Major West didn't toss Dr. Smith out the airlock by the third episode of the first season?????
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It's not really naval related, yet, but I've been watching taboo, off the BBC. Good fluff for age of sail games, as it's set in regency London, and deals with the American revolution and the EIC.
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It's not really naval related, yet, but I've been watching taboo, off the BBC. Good fluff for age of sail games, as it's set in regency London, and deals with the American revolution and the EIC.
Just starting a new D&D campaign with a new group, and the GM has us set up as "troubleshooters" for the CEO of a fantasy version of the EIC, the Gnomerian Consortium. With an airship economy. Opposing the machinations of the Board of Directors. So I'm totally basing my Gnome boss character on Delaney.
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But what I can't figure out is this: how come John Robinson or Major West didn't toss Dr. Smith out the airlock by the third episode of the first season?????
But that would be murder! And every mistake he's made, well, nothing's been outright malicious!
Plus, you know, the cut scene where Dr. Smith informs them that the Robot is irrevocably programmed with a failsafe - if Dr. Smith dies, the Robot detonates the reactor of the Jupiter 2. ;-)
Oh the pain... the pain...
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"Spare me your insolent chitter-chatter, you blithering baboon "--or something like that. I haven't seen that cutscene.
The last episode I watched, Smith kept reprogramming the "astrogator" to point the Jupiter 2 towards Earth instead of Alpha Centaur (he even duped one of the kids into doing it after Robinson and West banned him from the control room)...I thought West was going to kill him.
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I haven't seen that cutscene.
I made it up, but I'm also certain it exists ;-)
The last episode I watched, Smith kept reprogramming the "astrogator" to point the Jupiter 2 towards Earth instead of Alpha Centaur (he even duped one of the kids into doing it after Robinson and West banned him from the control room)...I thought West was going to kill him.
I recall one episode where they find a portal back to Earth in the back room of the Intergalactic Department Store or something; but of course Dr. Smith screws it up.
What's odd is, the longer the show goes on, the more Dr. Smith seems the only one who *actually* wants to go home. And the others get way too laid back about it. Maybe they get focused more on the colonizing Alpha Centauri aspect. Except that West and Smith are always going at each other. Being the only two non-family males in the colony with three breeding age women, they shouldn't have anything to be jealous or angry at each other about. Except Dr. Smith never seems interested in the women.... hmmm, I wonder why that is? ::)
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I can totally hear Dr. Smith saying something like that.
It makes sense to me that Dr. Smith was the only one who wanted to go back to Earth...he wasn't supposed to be on the ship in the first place.
The series is easy fodder for jokes now, obviously, but with a little more seriousness it could have had a bigger impact, I think. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was running around the same time, and it had a much more serious tone.
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with a little more seriousness it could have had a bigger impact, I think.
We get to find out what that's like next year:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5232792/
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was running around the same time, and it had a much more serious tone.
Best submarine show EVAH!
Sadly, nobody reruns my favorite Irwin Allen show, THE TIME TUNNEL.
(An excellent show with good ratings, cancelled after one season because of network politics...)
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So I'm totally basing my Gnome boss character on Delaney.
That is so awesome, what class is he?
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Best submarine show EVAH!
Sadly, nobody reruns my favorite Irwin Allen show, THE TIME TUNNEL.
(An excellent show with good ratings, cancelled after one season because of network politics...)
I dunno...did you ever see the Operation: Petticoat series (yes, they made a TV series about the movie about a pink submarine)? They had John Austin, the original Gomez from The Addams Family, as the CO, and one of the nurses was played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
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Oh cool, I had no idea they were remaking Lost in Space. Looks like it's going to be a Netflix show...could be a good thing. I guess if you wait around long enough, they'll reboot every show.
The Time Tunnel actually airs on MeTV on Saturday night at midnight (or I guess that's Sunday morning) as part of their Super Sci-Fi Saturday Night/Redeye Sci Fi programming.
Best submarine show ever? What about SeaQuest???
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So I'm totally basing my Gnome boss character on Delaney.
That is so awesome, what class is he?
Wizard (Theurgist)/ Warlock who's made a deal with a being he thinks is the Goddess Brigit. His mother was a Svirfneblin, and left him some ill-advised Summoning Books. He's returned to avenge his father against the Gnomerium Consortium by teaming with the "figurehead" CEO (think CinderSpires) against the Board of Directors.
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I dunno...did you ever see the Operation: Petticoat series
Its been way too long, but yes, a comedy classic
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The Time Tunnel actually airs on MeTV on Saturday night at midnight
Must get antenna working!
Best submarine show ever? What about SeaQuest???
Many things are better in nostalgia than actuality. Seaquest was probably a decade earlier than it should have been.
BTW, since we're getting obscure - best Airship show is SECRET ADVENTURES OF JULES VERNE -something *still* not on DVD dammit!
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Many things are better in nostalgia than actuality. Seaquest was probably a decade earlier than it should have been.
I think I a similar argument can be made for B5 as well...I really hope we get a re-boot or sequel to that show someday.
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I think I a similar argument can be made for B5 as well...I really hope we get a re-boot or sequel to that show someday.
JMS still talks about it, but his reboot's been in turn-around since 2014. No surprise since WB can't find its butt with both hands. Perceived success of THE EXPANSE or the new TREK might jump start things however.
On the writing side though, JMS has been hit and miss lately, especially in his comics work. But no shortage of good writers he knows.
For cast, we've lost way too many. But Mira Furlan looks almost the same as decades ago, Bill Mumy's around, and Bruce B is always game.
I demand any reboot (if not redoing the whole thing) start during the reign of [spoiler]Emperor Vir[/spoiler].
And that no one mention [spoiler]The Drakh[/spoiler] ever, except as a bad joke.
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I think I a similar argument can be made for B5 as well...I really hope we get a re-boot or sequel to that show someday.
JMS still talks about it, but his reboot's been in turn-around since 2014. No surprise since WB can't find its butt with both hands. Perceived success of THE EXPANSE or the new TREK might jump start things however.
On the writing side though, JMS has been hit and miss lately, especially in his comics work. But no shortage of good writers he knows.
For cast, we've lost way too many. But Mira Furlan looks almost the same as decades ago, Bill Mumy's around, and Bruce B is always game.
I demand any reboot (if not redoing the whole thing) start during the reign of [spoiler]Emperor Vir[/spoiler].
And that no one mention [spoiler]The Drakh[/spoiler] ever, except as a bad joke.
Yeah, I think that if they do a new series, it will have to be an all-new cast, like Star Trek TNG and the Original Series. I think there is still plenty of story-telling potential in the current B5 universe for another series, but I'm not sure that Hollywood can muster enough creativity to actually do it right, making a reboot more likely, I bet.
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I'm not sure that Hollywood can muster enough creativity to actually do it right, making a reboot more likely, I bet.
Given the (somewhat loveable) flaws of the original series, and how much the [spoiler]Vorlon Shadow War[/spoiler] is embedded in the story themes, I wouldn't mind a reimagning/straight reboot. But with a Ronald D. Moore BSG style. Keep JJ Abrams the HELL away from it!
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I've heard the same argument about Firefly--it was on TV too early. The show aired in 2002, and there was nothing like it on the major networks or even the major cable networks at the time, except possibly Enterprise--but even that was on UPN, not a "major" cable network like USA, TNT, etc. But look at the TV landscape today, and over the past several years: Lost, Smallville, Colony, The Walking Dead, Fringe, not to mention the BSG reboot...and many others. The quality of all these shows is debatable, but that's not my point--my point is that they were all on TV, and all (rightly or wrongly) for better or worse. And that's not even counting all the sci-fi and comic book awesomeness we've had in the theaters over the past 3-4 years. I've heard it argued before that if Firefly had premiered in today's TV landscape, it probably would have survived.
I would watch a reboot of B5. My issue with the show was never the story and plot (although some of the non-story arc episodes were a little silly). I just couldn't see past the poorly-made sets, bad special effects (I know it was the dawn of CGI, but still), and the poor acting on the part of some of the cast members.
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I just couldn't see past the poorly-made sets, bad special effects (I know it was the dawn of CGI, but still), and the poor acting on the part of some of the cast members.
"Your loss, Sheldon ... " ;D ;)
I still say the production values, acting, etc were no worse than time-comparable Trek. And even with the CGI being done on basically Amiga Video Toaster, they managed some great stuff. Season 3 and 4 battle scenes left DS9 scrambling to keep up!
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Sheldon said that B5 was derivative. I don't think that...I just had the other issues with the show that I already mentioned.
I dunno. ST: TNG looked better to me than B5. Might be because I still look at TNG through nostalgia-tinted goggles, whereas B5 is relatively "new" to me. I'm about the only person I know who doesn't like B5, so maybe it is just me.
However, I REALLY like the Starfury starfighter. Makes we wish I'd purchased about 10 of the models back when they were probably $15-$20 at Wal-Mart...now they go for sometimes over a hundred bucks on Ebay.
Speaking of which...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Babylon-5-Gaming-set-2-StarFury-1-Nial-Scale-1-270-Unpainted-Assembled-/282249711514?hash=item41b764cf9a:g:8igAAOSwQaJXRvak
How cool are those????
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Thoughts on the latest episode of The Expanse...
[spoiler]
I'm really enjoying the show, however...some of the events in the most recent episode weren't explained very well. Like, the fact that both Earth and Mars had a crap-ton of ships in orbit over Ganymede. Luckily I've read the first two books, so I'm familiar with what was going on, but I had to explain that scene to my wife, since they didn't really explain that about the ships. There have been one or two other small things like that so far, but nothing too difficult. But those are small quibbles...otherwise, I'm really enjoying it.
[/spoiler]
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Llbr,
Well explain it to me...please.
I was also confused. :(
Thanks.
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OK, here's how I understand it, based on the books (Dale, feel free to jump in and correct me here):
[spoiler]
Ganymede is a huge source of food production in the solar system. As tensions in the system have escalated, Earth and Mars have both positioned large fleets in orbit around Ganymede, and have put troops on the surface (that's why Draper and her squad were there). There are zones of control on the surface, hence the Martian lieutenant warning Draper not to get too close to the UN line. Something happens to jam communications (I think that will be explained in the next episode), and both the Earth and Mars forces assume the jamming is a prelude to the other side striking first, so the shooting starts--both in space above Ganymede, and on the surface. The large structures in orbit around Ganymede are orbital mirrors that focus and amplify sunlight to help the crops grow in the bio-domes on the surface; at the end of the episode, you see at least one of them get destroyed, and the pieces starting hitting Ganymede's surface.
They didn't really explain why the fleets were in orbit around Ganymede, but it's basically a flashpoint--maybe kind of like East and West Germany in the Cold War. Lots of forces staring each other down, and it just takes one spark to cause a major fire.
[/spoiler]
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Llbr,
Right. That part I got. I couldn't figure out why the two fleets started shooting. Where they shooting at each other or the stealth ships, or both. Earth forces on the surface seem to have been engaged early on..kind of confusing.
Dale? ;)
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As far as I know...
[spoiler]
There were no stealth ships involved...it was just standard Earth and Mars ships firing on each other.
The Earth forces on the surface were indeed engaged early on...but not by the Martians. Remember that thing that was staring into Draper's helmet right at the end of the show?
And remember that the Earth troopers were shooting at something behind them before Draper's squad got knocked out??
[/spoiler]
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I think Greg's onto it, though ...
[spoiler]It's likely that Stealth Mao-K ships were involved in precipitating the shooting. That would explain why the Martians got punked. And why they were specifically targeting the mirrors - neither side would do that to rain debris down on their own colonies.
The Earth Marines weren't charging the Martians, they were running FROM something, though yeah, that could've been explained by a single line or something.
Bobbie's dead squad all had claw marks on them. Claws.
I'm guessing next week will explain a lot of what happens. [/spoiler]
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Thanks Dale.
I read a review of this episode a couple days ago where the reviewer opined that this was a good episode, but it had WAY too much stuffed into it. They were trying to give air time to a bunch of different things, and that caused some of the confusion that we're discussing here. For example, while that whole bit about the Epstein Drive was interesting, it wasn't really necessary, and that was time they could have used to better explain what was going on at Ganymede (after all, in a one-hour show, you really only get about 41 minutes of non-commercial material).
Indeed, I wouldn't have understood this episode nearly as well if I hadn't read the book. The events of this episode occur at the beginning of the second book of the series--all of season one, and the first five episodes of season two, pretty much only cover the events of the first book.
On a separate topic...is anyone else here following the show "Colony" on USA? Really good stuff, alien occupation of Earth, main character is the actor who played Sawyer on Lost. It's about halfway through its second season now (short seasons like The Expanse).
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DUnz. Llbr,
Yes, I was leaning toward some type of stealth ship sneak attack. They would have it easy, just start shooting. Earth & Mars ships would be at a disadvantage not wanting to hit the solar arrays or each other.
I agree, that only the stealth ships would be firing on the solar arrays. I might have to pick up the books.
@Llbr
Watched season one of Colony, liked it. Season two is pegged on the DVR.
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In regards to the Expanse, I felt like last week's episode was a bit of a return to the earlier part of the first season. If you recall, the show wasn't afraid to throw a bunch of stuff at the audience without much explanation then, either. That's one of the things I like about what the show runners are doing with this series; they don't do much hand-holding, challenging the audience to pay close attention!
In other news, Star Wars Rebels has been getting really, really good as of late!
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If you recall, the show wasn't afraid to throw a bunch of stuff at the audience without much explanation then, either. That's one of the things I like about what the show runners are doing with this series; they don't do much hand-holding, challenging the audience to pay close attention!
Having the actual authors on the writing staff probably influences that.
If you paid close attention in the Marine scene, you saw that the UN Marines in the distance were being chased, not charging.
As long as they explain a little more in the follow-up, with flashbacks, they'll keep viewers on board.
They also didn't explain or handhold why[spoiler] Eros changing course and moving without inertia[/spoiler] was a crazy jaw-dropping thing. Even Machelle "got it" though, because of the way they emphasize the physics elsewhere.
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Yeah, you really do have to pay attention or you'll miss something. That seems to be a trend with these short-season shows--there usually aren't "filler" episodes. Orphan Black, Downton Abbey, and Colony are all like that as well.
Speaking of Colony, BrdingPrty, glad to know at least one other person is watching it. If you haven't started season two yet, well, buckle up--it gets REAL.
Rewatched the latest episode of The Expanse tonight, and I noticed...
[spoiler]
Right at the end of the episode, as Draper is looking up at the creature/monster and the drone is hovering overhead, a red light appears on the drone and you see a bluish-white light in the monster's chest, and then everything turns white and you hear a muffled explosion. I forgot about that in the books.
[/spoiler]
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I also like that pretty much all the ships in The Expanse are controlled by tablets. No huge interface, no control yoke, just a little tablet computer.
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Resurrecting this thread because there's some good sci-fi tv on the near horizon--not the least of which is the reboot of Lost in Space on Netflix, which I just watched the full trailer for today. Looks like it might be pretty good! I confess I've known about Lost in Space for probably most of my life but only saw the show over the last few years on Super Sci-Fi Saturday Night on MeTV.
Here's hoping they do a remake of the "Great Vegetable Rebellion" episode in the new series...
http://lostinspace.wikia.com/wiki/The_Great_Vegetable_Rebellion
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Here's hoping they do a remake of the "Great Vegetable Rebellion" episode in the new series...
My vote is for anything like:
-- The ep where Dr. Smith meets The Devil
-- Or where Dr. Smith meets Thor
-- Anything with the Intergalactic Department Store, and Mr. Thumdish <pop>
New series looks mostly serious though, but still lots of good possibility.
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Slowly working my way through Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix. I saw probably half the episodes when it was on originally (including the pilot and the EXCELLENT series finale). Just watched "Samaritan Snare" last night--the episode with the Pakleds. Probably been 25 years since I last saw that episode and it still makes me laugh. We definitely need a Pakled expansion for Star Trek Ascendancy.
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We definitely need a Pakled expansion for Star Trek Ascendancy.
"We find things … things to make us go"
I think Stephan and I had a discussion once on how they'd work for Ascendancy. I don't remember much but here's some ideas:
-- All their Science Cards just say "Copy another race's advancement card effects" at Cost 3.
-- Like the Ferengi don't get Culture, they don't build Science Nodes beyond their first (and they can always build Prod instead of Science). They may buy Science at a cost of 3 Production to 1 Science. (Or is that too harsh? 2-1? 1-1?)
-- They cannot Hegemonize normally
-- They count any Trade Agreement as providing one more resource than what is shown
-- They cannot build Starbases, but can manufacture and form fleets on any of their colonies
-- One of their Fleet cards allows a 1-command Hegemonic takeover of Warp capable independent systems, costing a ship instead of a Culture (they give them an offer they can't refuse)
-- Another Battle Fleet card counts as matching either Shields or Phasers stat of the enemy
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https://io9.gizmodo.com/deep-space-nines-new-documentary-is-an-earnest-love-let-1834614447
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Good news for fans of the Expanse!!
https://www.space.com/the-expanse-season-4-and-5-on-amazon.html (https://www.space.com/the-expanse-season-4-and-5-on-amazon.html)
Preview looks great. Looks like Amazon is keeping up the production values from the first three seasons. And we’re already guaranteed a season 5!
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I went on YouTube and was watching a bunch of random stuff from Japan, and ran across Gundam Origins: Rise of the Red Comet.
That one has some great space Naval action in it. I recommend it.
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Will have to check it out, thanks.