Star Trek’s Top 15 New Characters (2009-Present)

So, despite what some clickbait grifter on YouTube will have you believe, Star Trek is alive and well. This past decade has given us three feature-length movies, two full seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, and of course, the debut season of Star Trek: Picard just closed out, and that was just as enjoyable. And that’s not to mention that Discovery’s third season is coming our way later this year, alongside the debut of Star Trek: Lower Decks. And even still, that’s not factoring in the growing rumors of a Pike series, the eventual start of the Section 31 series, a couple animated shows, and other live-action shows that are all getting talked about and are hopefully still on the table, despite the current global situation. Everything I’ve seen so far has not only given us a lot of fun stories and concepts, but I’ve been focused a lot on the characters of these shows, their stories, and what they would contribute to each show.

I have been anything but disappointed.

There’s a reason I said that Star Trek: Discovery had given us some of the best character development and overall characters since DS9 in the 90’s, and honestly, Star Trek: Picard may be following suite. With so many new characters to follow and get invested in, it’s time to talk about them. So I’m going to rank what I believe are the best new characters of these shows and films. Now it needs to be said that aside form one notable exception (who I will talk about why I include when I get there), I will not be talking about characters who were established prior to 2009. As much as I love Ethan Peck’s Spock in Discovery’s second season, as much as I love seeing Picard and Seven return to the small screen, as much as I love Kirk and his crew in the films, I won’t be talking about them really since they’re already known and beloved. I’m here to talk about why the new characters are awesome. Let’s get started.

(Be warned of potential spoilers here!)

15. Narek (Star Trek: Picard)

“The key to opening the tan zhekran is taking the time to understand what’s keeping it closed.”

Admittedly, the young mysterious Romulan Tal Shiar agent took a bit longer for me to warm up to. It wasn’t until a bit after the debut season’s halfway point that I started to warm up to him, and admittedly, he still has some work to do in development, but I am very eager to see if that development will improve in the eventual Season 2. Narek shows a lot of promise as the next memorable Star Trek villain, maybe in some ways similar to Dukat in DS9. He’s shown to be manipulative, careful in approach, and very devious. That’s not to say he’ll be the same caliber of villain as Dukat, but I mean, he’s here, isn’t he?

Outside that, I actually found myself very drawn to a few small traits that I actually related to about the character. His meditative fidgeting for one thing is something I actually quickly grew a soft spot for. I loved his toys. I want a tan zhekran. Thanks to him, I bought an infinity cube, and still use it. It can help me focus, and can help calm me down when I need a little calm in my life. It definitely soothes my ADD mindset. It’s nice to see a character like this in Star Trek. It humanizes them and makes them feel more relatable. I mean sure, Narek right now is still kinda an antagonist, and I do believe they need to seriously flesh out his relationship with Soji more than they did for me to buy it, but for now, it’s a good start to the character.

14. Nero (Star Trek)

“Kill him? I’m not gonna kill him. I’m gonna make him watch.”

This choice might arguably make a few eyebrows raise since many consider Nero not particularly strong as a character, and admittedly, he mainly makes the list here because I absolutely love how external material fleshes out his backstory into just how this man thinks, and what life threw his way. I find his character fascinating in how he goes from an honest miner of the Romulan Empire, to a broken man hellbent on destroying the Federation because the pain he feels in the loss of Romulus is that great. And while his motivations may seem very shallow, I do believe that Eric Bana did a fantastic job in bringing him to life. One of the best scenes of the movie is when he interrogates Captain Pike on his ship, and his emotions boiling over when Pike tells him that Romulus wasn’t destroyed is borderline perfect.

And look, even if you throw out the external material, I think he’s a great villain (I still highly recommend reading Star Trek: Countdown, and Star Trek: Nero to get a better picture of this man). Sure, some may see him as this guy who just yells “FIRE EVERYTHING” a lot, or whatnot, but I see a truly grief-stricken man who has nothing left to live for, and nothing left to lose. How he spares Ambassador Spock’s life just to make him watch the destruction of Vulcan is a level of deviousness I’ve never seen in Star Trek before, and I do find it truly tragic that he is so broken, that when offered assistance in his final moments, he outright denies it. I certainly understand if he’s not everybody’s cup of tea, and certainly understand that a few scenes that were cut from the film really should have been left in the film, but regardless, I believe Nero deserves a mention here, and I will always find him a truly fascinating character.

13. Michael Burnham (Star Trek: DIscovery)

“Before I was a mutineer, I was a first officer in Starfleet. I’ll never bear that rank, or any other, again. But it is who I am, and who I always will be. It is by the principles of the United Federation of Planets that I live, and by them I will most certainly die.”

Okay, so I might not be completely out of the woods yet as far as controversial characters are concerned. Of all Star Trek’s lead characters, I can’t think of one that has generated more controversy than Michael Burnham. Whether people whine about her being a Mary Sue, or whatnot, I really could care less. While admittedly, she didn’t exactly shine in my eyes, over the last two seasons, she has very much grown on me in all the right ways. Not only did I enjoy her redemption arc in the debut season for her actions in instigating a deadly war between the Federation and Klingon Empire, but seeing her relationships and friendships with other crew members, the nature of her relationship with her foster brother, Spock, it’s all really well done, and I find myself invested each time.

There’s also something very awesome about the fact that despite being responsible for some atrocities in the Federation at the start of the series, Despite nearly everyone in Starfleet being distrustful of her, despite many having a reason to hate her, she never loses faith in Federation principle. She never tries to excuse herself, she never tells anyone that they’re wrong. She willfully accepts what’s to happen to her, and it makes her redemption and development through this show all the much better. And it makes it that much more satisfying when her friends and crew finally start to forgive her for past transgressions. Is she a perfect lead? No, and there are still a few characteristics about Burnham that I don’t exactly care for, but I am very excited to see where this third season goes, and I cannot wait to see what she brings to the table in that season.

12. Gabriel Lorca (Star Trek: Discovery)

“Universal law is for lackeys. Context is for kings.”

Gabriel Lorca is a character I hope we see more of very soon. Maybe not in the same iteration as we saw in Season One, but he’s definitely a character I hope to see brought back in another iteration. I mean come on, I’m hardly the only one saying “Find Prime Lorca.” And of course that pretty much gives away that the Gabriel Lorca we know is a bit of a baddie. And it was a twist that admittedly… I never saw coming, despite many people theorizing it beforehand. But before the big twist reveal, I absolutely loved the stern short temper of Gabriel Lorca. Granted, before everything, we got a picture that revealed that Lorca wasn’t exactly the best person. He was a broken man, battle-scarred, reckless, defiant, and it was what made him so fascinating. There is something undeniably charming when his officers ask to do a task, cite their specialization, only for him to say “I don’t give a damn. I just want it done.” And that’s not to mention the intimidating presence he gives with his fascination of weapons of war, and his mindset which feels like an antithesis of everything the Federation stands for. But the reason this works is because he’s serving on a ship in a bloody war, and one can understand how that might change a man’s outlook to life.

And this is precisely why I didn’t see the Mirror Universe twist happening when it did. And arguably, after this twist, Lorca does kinda get weaker as a character in an obvious parallel to Trump, going as far as saying that he will make the Terran Empire glorious again. It definitely doesn’t exactly hit all the right marks it should have. But regardless of how it played out, the buildup to this twist is something I will never forget, and I do stilll believe that despite the weak twist, Lorca was a great character. And I am right there with the many who are curious as to whether or not we’ll eventually see Prime Lorca. Time will tell.

11. Laris & Zhaban (Star Trek: Picard)

“After so long, I worry sometimes you’ve forgotten what you did, who you are. We have not.”

I don’t care if this is technically two characters, you just cannot separate these two. The two Romulan housekeepers for Picard demonstrated that they were instantly likable from the time you first see them. Not only does it show you just how much Picard touched some Romulan lives during the events leading up to the tragic destruction of Romulus, but it shows that despite Picard having lost himself in this time, that many Romulans hold no ill feelings towards Picard in his failure. Laris and Zhaban, two former Tal Shiar agents, show just this as they help Picard in his day to day routines, and their heartwarming approach to their new life won me over instantaneously.

And though they live a quiet life now, they show that they can still kick serious ass and take names, like a Tal Shiar agent likely should. And despite kicking ass and taking names, I love that they make an attempt not to resort to their old Tal Shiar methods. They feel like a small antithesis for what a Tal Shiar agent should be, even if we’ll get to the true antithesis of the Tal Shiar later. The dialogue they share with Picard in each scene hits the spot each time and you truly feel like the three are family. The only negative thing I can say is that it’s a damn shame these two characters weren’t seen again after the third episode. I have hopes we will see them again soon.

10. Sylvia Tilly (Star Trek: Discovery)

“I told you I would try to help you. Where I come from, we try to keep our promises.”

Sylvia Tilly is quite possibly the most adorable character on Discovery right now. I hear a lot of people saying that they find her quite annoying, but to me, that just says that they really don’t identify with the very real struggle that many people have when handling a social life, or being socially interactive with other people. Sure, Tilly’s ramblings and stutters may sound annoying to the average human, but I’d argue that you really don’t understand just how much some people like that try to fit in, or try to work on their social skills. I see a lot of TNG character, Reginald Barclay in Tilly, and for the longest time, he was one of the few people I could truly relate to in this franchise.

I also feel that people who write Tilly off as annoying fail to see the bigger picture when it comes to her character. She’s one of the most optimistic characters on the show, and she’s rather humble when it comes to mistakes she makes, and the people she calls friends. How she’s at first very cautious and wary around Burnham, before becoming likely her best friend really goes to show this humble spirit in her. How she’s the first to forgive Ash Tyler after the things that happen in the last half of the first season, how open she is with Paul Stamets in his struggles, how upset she is when she learns that Burnham is willing to sacrifice her place in time if it means stopping Control, you can tell that Tilly has a very big heart, and it goes beyond her friends, as we see with her experience in the mycelial network. Her young eager persona won me over instantly, and I really do hope that she will eventually make big bounds towards a position of command. And that’s not to mention the light-hearted comedy relief that can come alongside her ramblings. It’s good for a chuckle almost every time. And hey, as the character to be the first speaker of an English F-bomb, why wouldn’t I include her here?

9. Raffi Musiker (Star Trek: Picard)

“Nice work, honey. You got us here really damn fast, and I am never going to do that ever again.”

A lot of people really don’t like Raffi for reasons I just kind of laugh at. “Why does she call Picard ‘JL’?! It’s so annoying!” “She’s a pothead! What the hell?!” “She’s so abusive with alcohol!” Honestly, Raffi’s flaws are really what make her such a standout character. I find it truly fascinating that on Earth, she lives not so much in poverty, but definitely in a state that likely isn’t as desired by most people, and I’ve seen a lot of people say that this breaks continuity, as Earth has eradicated poverty, but the thing with Raffi is that she very much brought a lot of this on herself. The way I see it, Picard has said that humans work to better themselves and the rest of humanity, rather than focus on material gain. Raffi is the first character we’ve seen that shows us that people can fail in this aspect. It’s not unreasonable to assume that her addictions and thought patterns did not exactly do much to help her situation, and it’s obvious that no one took her seriously after the events that led to this life played out. So why wouldn’t Raffi be in such a state?

That and, her conspiracy jargon really hits home with this to the point where her own family wants nothing to do with her. How heartbreaking is that? But ironically enough, it’s this bizarre mindset that she has, leading her to come up with ideas and theories that no one else can see which also makes her a standout character in my eyes. And I feel this side of her isn’t explored nearly enough. We see way too many people complaining about nicknames, and who she’s holding hands with than we do the true essence of her character. I feel like that would be the equivalent of me saying I think Picard is a terrible character because he drinks Earl Grey, and doesn’t like children. It misses the true essence of the character. That and relationships can be platonic. Just because she tells Picard “I love you”, does not mean she’s looking to pursue a romantic interest. Just because she’s holding hands with Seven of Nine, does not mean there’s a serious love interest. I feel way too many people are jumping to conclusions and getting worked up about it when the full story hasn’t been told. And bite me. I think her calling Picard JL is adorable.

8. Paul Stamets (Star Trek: Discovery)

“Never hide who you are. That’s the only way relationships work.”

Star Trek’s first openly gay character (if you’re not counting Sulu in Star Trek Beyond) is one of the most interesting characters of Discovery right now in so many ways. Not only is it wicked awesome that his specialty, and work directly mirrors that of the real life scientist of the same name (just a little salt for those who think Discovery’s science is more fantasy), but his arc that he goes through in both seasons of Discovery can be absolutely gut wrenching. A lot of people have come forward of being critical of Discovery for its decision to kill off Paul’s romantic partner in Hugh Culber, saying that it fell under the Bury Your Gays trope, but not only do I disagree with this claim, I believe the show handled it in such a delicate and respectable way that only strengthened Paul as a character, which stands in defiance for everything the Bury Your Gays trope stands for. Hugh’s death does a tremendous amount of development to Paul as he goes through the various stages of grief for a very long time, and what his character goes through when Hugh is brought back from death, and how their relationship isn’t exactly what it once was really goes to show what his mental state must be like when it comes to how they are both handling it.

But even outside this arc of development that both he and Hugh go through, Paul Stamets is just a gem of a character. He easily has some of the best techno jargon of the show, and his explosive banter between any character will almost always be entertaining. Like other characters, how he develops a friendship with Michael Burnham is really kinda heartwarming, and I absolutely adore his love-hate relationship with the next character we’re going to be talking about. His spontaneous decision-making, his immersive knowledge of the mycelial network and the space-time continuum, and the love of his work all add up for one hell of a character that is far more memorable than him simply being the gay character of the show. Paul Stamets thankfully has so much more going on for him, and I can only imagine what is in store for his character in this upcoming season.

7. Jett Reno (Star Trek: Discovery)

“You don’t know me, doc. I’m un-insultable, especially by a guy who thinks he can run a ship on mushrooms that I pick off my pizza.“

Jett Reno is easily one of the best characters of the whole damn show. And I am begging this show to showcase her more in Season 3. I’m begging to simply SEE her in Season 3. Beforehand, I had no idea who Tig Notaro was, and it’s thanks to Discovery, that I am quite a big fan of Tig’s stand-up material. Looking into the background of getting Tig onto the show is delightfully charming, but her character is just fantastic. The same dry delivery that Tig is pretty known for by now is present, and it results in such a fun character. The first time we see her, arms deep in alien blood, and being this dry smart ass immediately made me realize we were in for one very fun character.

Her “give no shits” attitude to almost every character in the show, and her delivery to some of the technobabble that happens with her from time to time makes for some memorable moments in and of themselves, but she’s shown that she can have the heart of gold as well, particularly when she confronts Hugh Culber about his troubled relationship with Paul Stamets. Not only do I find it awesome that she’s another example of representation for the LGBTQ Community in Star Trek, but I feel shows that despite losing so much already, she still has a lot to fight for, and is willing to help those in need, much like Hugh and Paul, despite having a rocky relationship with the latter. But whether it’s her dry humor one liners, or anything else, Jett Reno is truly one of the better recurring characters of Discovery, and I cannot wait to see her brought back. I mean she went with them to the future… she was on the ship. We gotta see her! Don’t let me down!

6. Jaylah (Star Trek Beyond)

“I like the beats and the shouting!”

Before 2016, it felt like a very long time since we’d had a character as charming as Jaylah. As much as I hate crediting this guy, Cinemasins was right that Jaylah presented a much needed breath of fresh air for the Star Trek franchise. There is so much potential for this character to just soar with these other character that I am practically begging for one more Kelvin Timeline movie, simply because I want to see Jaylah brought back. I want to see this character become so much more. Arguably, while Star Trek Beyond doesn’t exactly handle her backstory the best, they handle pretty much everything else absolutely wonderfully, from her badass survivor persona, to her willingness to help those who are in need.

Even the small things about this character, such as the way she speaks is absolutely fantastic. How she knows English, but doesn’t quite have a full grasp of it, leading her to call people names like “Montgomery Scotty” or “James T. Also if there was ever a character in Star Trek that could help me get into rap or hip hop, I’m sure Jaylah would be that person. I absolutely love how she finds the music of an old Earth starship and learns English and discovers music from it. Hell, I just love her survivalist personality. So many of her traps and fighting techniques are so awesome and underrated. I don’t care what it takes, PLEASE bring Jaylah back! I don’t care if you find a way to include her in Discovery, or if she appears in some other show or film, but I am begging for her return.

5. Cristóbal Rios (Star Trek: Picard)

“I said I would never do it again, and then I fucking did it again.”

If there was one actor I had to choose that really demonstrated his acting chops in Star Trek: Picard, it would easily be Santiago Cabrera. He not only does such a wonderful job portraying the brooding ex-Starfleet Officer in Cristóbal Rios, but a fantastic job portraying the various holographic projections of him, each with their own distinct persona and whatnot. I have no idea what Santiago had to do to prepare himself for this role, but he absolutely succeeded with flying colors.

When I first saw him, I had a lot of comparisons to Han Solo of Star Wars, and that can be understood, but I’m thankful that it doesn’t really feel like a ripoff. By the time Rios’ story is revealed to us, it’s actually kinda shocking, and it makes his exchanges with Picard in the later half of the series that much more impactful. Rios feels like he has a lot to learn from Picard, and sure enough, it feels like most of Picard’s big speeches tend to be with Rios. Seeing this broken Starfleet Officer getting consoled and healed by Picard makes for a fantastic story in and of itself, but seeing Rios rise up at the end makes me only more excited for what’s to come for his character. I have a feeling it won’t disappoint.

4. Philippa Georgiou (Star Trek: Discovery)

“It’s my experience, it’s often our best intentions that cause us to do the most harm, especially to those we care for.”

Philippa Georgiou has the potential to be the next character of Star Trek similar to that of Elim Garak. Someone who doesn’t exactly favor the ideals of Starfleet, but admires them enough in the way they can accomplish things. I hear a lot of people express an interest to see the prime counterpart of Georgiou’s explored, and I’m sitting here, absolutely giddy for what her upcoming Section 31 show might give us. Georgiou is more than a fantastic, and charming character. She represents a vessel to really give us an ideal look into the mindset of a Terran in the mirror universe. She is what Worf was for the Klingons, or Kira was for Bajorans, or Quark was for the Ferengi. Hearing some of the things she can say to other people can be downright disturbing at times, and I absolutely love it. I love seeing her use Terran thought to win the day, or come up with a solution. Even if most of the time it tends to get shot down.

But even outside of this, I love her very shaky relationship with Michael Burnham. I cannot think of a better relationship in Star Trek in this area where there is obvious distrust between them, yet at the same time, they have little choice but to trust one another. And I absolutely love that despite everything, Georgiou still very much cares for Burnham as if she were her own daughter. Not only does it result in some awesome development for the two of them, but some awesome chemistry between her and Sarek of all people. Of all the recurring characters of Discovery, Georgiou also has developed the most, showing noticeable change in her tone and mindset from her debut season as she seemingly starts to embrace Federation ideals… though not enough to warrant abandoning her Terran side. And that’s not to mention some of her absolutely delightful dialogue which not only is lovably devious a lot of the time, but can be quick to give an awkward atmosphere in the room she’s standing in. I could honestly go on about Georgiou for all the right reasons, but without a doubt, I am absolutely excited for what she will bring to the third season.

3. Christopher Pike (Star Trek: Discovery)

“Be bold. Be brave. Be courageous. Black alert.”

And here’s that borderline call I was talking about before. Before I get a bunch of angry comments about how Pike is a pre-established character, and shouldn’t qualify here, here’s my reasoning for including him. Before 2009, what exactly was memorable about Pike as a character, aside from the fact that he was at one point, captain of the Enterprise? Honestly, there was nothing really going for him. He was in a failed pilot, and a two-parter of TOS that I don’t really care about. Pike wouldn’t really get on my radar until the 2009 film, and even then, I had no idea just what Discovery would end up doing with this character a decade later. In short, Discovery has turned Captain Pike into a captain that rivals that of Jean-Luc Picard, and you can quote me on that.

Not only do I feel that Pike presents a much needed breath of fresh air for Discovery after the fiasco with Lorca, but I mean you can tell that Pike, despite not spending a lot of time on the Discovery, cares deeply about his crew and will do anything he can to show them that. His love and respect for other cultures screams Starfleet, and his presence as a Captain is everything I would expect to see for the guy commanding the flagship of Starfleet. His actions especially towards the end of Season 2 of Discovery really hammer his place here. I mean there was a reason a particular moment stands out as the best moment of Discovery so far. There’s a reason so many people right now are begging for a Pike show. Why wouldn’t they? Discovery knew what to do with Pike, and even if they didn’t come up with his character they finally made his character stand out, and feel alive. And if that doesn’t qualify him for this list here, then I don’t know what else to tell you.

2. Elnor (Star Trek: Picard)

“Please, friend. Choose to live.”

You really don’t know just how excited I was for this character when Picard was still just getting teased at us. When I heard that we were finally going to get a Romulan protagonist in with the crew, I was bouncing off the walls. Truthfully, I don’t know what I was expecting, but with Elnor, all I can say is that none of my expectations were met, and yet all of my expectations were exceeded. How is that even possible? I still can’t figure it out, but good God is this character awesome! Every time he was onscreen, I was absolutely captivated. And you can throw around your space elf memes and conveniently ignore that space elves have been in Star Trek since 1966. Elnor is still a fantastic character.

Whether it’s his awesome lifestyle of unfiltered emotions, literally saying anything on his mind without hiding anything which can land him in some absolutely adorable social awkwardness, or his badass fighting abilities, Elnor won my heart over immediately in Picard. But it was far more than this. I saw in Elnor ironically enough, everything Starfleet stands for. He binds himself to people who have lost hope, he fights to protect them, he fights so that they can have even a scrap of hope, and if that doesn’t SCREAM Starfleet, I don’t know what does. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from his character in Season 2, but I am absolutely GIDDY with excitement in what his character will go through in the future. I cannot wait. I just have one request… please… please please please please PLEASE show him a damn cat! It’s the one thing I want for this character! Let him see a cat!

1. Saru (Star Trek: Discovery)

“I saw hope, in the stars. It was stronger than fear. And I went towards it.”

Saru quite simply is the best character I’ve seen in Star Trek since… well… anyone on DS9. I’m not at all saying that there have been no good characters since DS9, but Saru seems to outshine a vast majority of them in just two seasons. There is no character I am more invested in, there is no character I am pulling for, no, not even Elnor quite reaches the excellence that Saru has brought to Star Trek (yet… I doubt Evan Evagora will ever really read this, but I still love Elnor, I promise!). Saru has come such a long way in these two seasons of Discovery that I’m at a point where I am practically demanding the show to give him the Captain’s Chair in this upcoming season of Discovery. I will be pretty disappointed if he doesn’t get it, because he has more than earned it.

Much like other alien characters of this franchise, Saru has brought forth a distinct lifestyle of the Kelpiens, and he’s done it in a way that not even Spock could do with the Vulcans in the same amount of time. That to me is incredibly impressive. And it goes beyond that, every time we get a development arc for the character, or a look into his mindset, I cannot help but be endlessly fascinated by what I see. His journey from being this fearful second officer on the Shenzou to an intimidating powerhouse for Discovery has been more than fulfilling. It’s been an experience. His stories are always so damn interesting, and that’s not to mention simple things like his demeanor and behavior. Quite simply, without writing an essay, Saru has embodied everything I love about Star Trek characters in less than 30 episodes. And I don’t think any other character has accomplished such a feat.

And here’s a few honorable mentions…

• Krall/Balthazar Edison

There’s something tragic about The antagonist of Star Trek Beyond. I actually kinda feel for the guy who feels like he is just a guy who never could adapt to the times. It is a shame that a veteran of Earth’s Xindi and Romulan Wars would feel betrayed when Starfleet would eventually make peace with them, and while it’s a shame he wasn’t properly fleshed out, I do believe he made for a good antagonist for the film.

• Katrina Cornwell

Katrina Cornwell’s time was short lived on Discovery, but I loved how despite being taken to the brink of doing some arguably questionable acts, you can tell that she still very much holds the ideals of the Federation close. This shows when she’s willing to listen to the crew of the Discovery and when she interacts with Pike. It is a shame she was killed off, but you know what? I believe she went out on the best note possible.

• Kirsten Clancy

Okay, I admit it. The main reason Clancy is getting the mention is her tendency to swear at Picard. There’s a reason both of her F-bombs are so damn memorable.

• L’Rell

L’Rell I feel is the middle finger to the Klingon TNG ideal that women may not serve on the Klingon Council. Enter L’Rell, who not only helps unite the Klingon Empire, but becomes just a badass character. I mean it, she’s an absolute badass in the season two finale.

• Ash Tyler

Just barely missing the cut is Ash Tyler. A very complex character, and wonderful love interest for Michael Burnham, and an equal badass. It’s a shame that it’s not known as to whether or not we will see him in the coming seasons of Discovery since He does not leave with the ship, but with a Section 31 spinoff coming, I wouldn’t be surprised if we haven’t seen the last of him.

And there you have it. The best characters of new Star Trek so far. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to voice your thoughts, and as always, thanks for reading.

REVIEW: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Unfinished Business)

Why couldn’t the rest of the prequels be this damn good?

The Clone Wars has just finished its first major arc of the show so far with “Unfinished Business”, and I absolutely loved it. This is the strength of this show right here. It might not have the most jaw-dropping start, but by the time it wraps up, a good chunk of the time you will be beyond satisfied. That’s exactly what this arc has done. Provided a solid beginning, middle, and end to a story I wasn’t sure I’d like all that much, and yet here we are.

So fair warning, I’ll be hitting major spoiler territory here, so if you haven’t seen the episode, then go watch the episode! It’s really good, why are you still here, just go watch the-

Anyway, so we pick up pretty much immediately where we left off. Last week, with Echo now back behind Republic lines, and eager to help the Republic take Anaxes. But with his recent experience with the Confederacy, and the fact that he still has confederate technology in him… there are questions on where his true loyalties lie. Echo however persists that he can assist them, and can turn the algorithms that he used with the Confederacy against the Droid Army and give Anaxes to the Republic. So it’s pretty obvious that we’re going to be formally smacking down a few of my theories, particularly theories regarding that Echo might be a sleeper agent for the Confederacy, or that he’d betray them. None of those things happen. But I concede that I was never good at predicting what would happen in any show most of the time.

Give me the smackdown, Ross!

It’s not the Smackdown Hammer, but close enough.

We do however get some more conflict between Echo and the Clones, which can play into the first episode of this little Story Arc, when we were first introduced to the Bad Batch, and saw the issues of trust being tested between everyone. In some ways, this can be pretty decent in execution, but in other ways, it really kinda feels forced. It’s like the episode is trying to spell it out that the clones don’t all trust Echo, because he’s a Confederate Cyborg now. I guess I should just be thankful that none of the conflict feels pointless. And thankfully, for as center an issue as this is in the episode, it doesn’t take up a whole lot of screen time.

What does take up a whole lot of screen time is well worth watching!

Mace Windu kicks ass.

This feels like the first action-oriented episode of this final season of The Clone Wars, and it absolutely positively delivers in every meaning of the word. Not only is the action in this episode 100% fun, it feels like everything that happens here matters, and it feels like an amazing send off to a group of characters I personally have grown to really like. I’m actually kinda sad to see the Bad Batch leave. Not only do they kick ass and take names in this episode, not only do they make me laugh, not only do they even get genuinely heartwarming towards the end, I almost feel like I know them as well as I know clones like Rex or Fives. This episode is a well deserved last big hurrah to the Bad Batch.

Echo’s arc even left me guessing. As I said, not only was I wrong on my predictions regarding him, but I’m actually surprised that bringing him back actually felt impactful. I’m usually a guy who tends to criticize a show that kills off a character, only to bring them back. It makes death lose impact. It’s one of the big reasons I really appreciate Star Trek: Picard right now. Echo had a really good send-off in Season 3, and had I seen the unfinished Rees dealing with Echo here before watching these episodes… I likely would have rolled my eyes and said to myself, “Maybe it’s best this show got cancelled when it did.” But not only did they make me care about Echo again here, they really brought the character to life in a new manner. The conflicts that were introduced felt real, his struggles felt good, and by the time the episode ends, I was left pleasantly surprised in my expectations. I 100% expected Echo to die in this episode, and he didn’t. Him getting an invite to join the Bad Batch might be a borderline happy-sad moment of the series. I really applaud them for making this arc matter in its handling of Echo.

Get writing, shippers!

But…. let’s talk about what everyone wants to talk about. It was only a matter of time before we saw it, and this episode finally delivers on some fucking awesome, intimidating, badass Anakin Dark Side Slippery Slope material once again.

You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.

Anakin’s role in this episode is absolutely jaw-dropping. When he confronts Admiral Trench in this episode, I could immediately see where this was going. And holy shit is it ever so satisfying. It’s this kind of thing that makes me say that I’m very happy this show doesn’t go the Prequel route of just having lightsabers dismember every single limb out there. It feels dumb after a while. So when we see Anakin confront Trench in this episode, with a mindset of “I’m a Jedi, but I’m still gonna intimidate the shit out of you”, him severing those IMC’s (even if they are mechanical) feels impactful. This show doesn’t do this very often, but each and every time it has done it, it feels impactful. Tell me Obi-wan cutting off the arm of Savage Opress in Season 5 is not as impactful as Dooku getting his hands cut off by Anakin in Episode 3. Is it perfectly executed here? No, but it still feels impactful.

Anakin absolutely steals the damn show in this scene, and as predictable as it might be (I mean… you don’t see Admiral Trench, as awesome as he is in episode three, so…), seeing Anakin’s interrogation of him, before eventually straight up killing him? And giving zero fucks while doing it? You can tell that Anakin just took a giant leap towards his eventual fall to the Dark Side of the Force. Dammit, why is this show so damn good at showing this???

Anakin lets Wrecker send the episode off with a literal bang.

There’s honestly very little this episode does wrong in terms of wrapping everything up. Not only am I very excited now for what’s to come in the rest of this series, but if there was ever any doubt in any viewer that this show wouldn’t have that same magic it once did back in the day, that doubt should be as dead as Admiral Trench. This Arc feels like it’s just an amazing taste of things to come, especially since we know that some very heavy material is coming involving Darth Maul and Ahsoka Tano. I’m about as excited to see where this series goes as I am to see this debut season of Picard wrap up. The sky is the limit for this show’s final season.

If you want a score for this first arc of the show, I’ll go ahead and give it a nice solid eight out of ten score, but will reserve official verdicts until this show ends. But I really don’t want it to end.

I’m gonna miss you glorious bastards…

Top Ten Best Moments of Star Trek: Discovery (So Far)

Black alert!

So if you haven’t gotten the general hint yet, I do love me some Star Trek. It doesn’t matter what era, what producer, what visual aesthetic, I don’t think I’ve analyzed any other franchise quite as closely, or as frequently as Star Trek. My father raised me on episodes from the Original Series, to Deep Space Nine, and I am a proud owner of all 13 films, and own the complete series of each show, except the Animated Series. And yes, this includes both seasons of the new Star Trek: Discovery.

While I will admit that Discovery has work to do in its series, I am very much enjoying it, and am eagerly awaiting its third season. I tend to roll my eyes at the appropriately named fandom menace in its views of the show, and find myself disagreeing with a lot of other fans when they complain about certain… well, rather trivial things. I understand that Discovery or even Picard isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea, and is likely challenging a to of viewers of Star Trek, but I very much applaud them for challenging the average Trek viewer in their shows, and I find it absolutely dumbfounding that so many say that this show doesn’t feel like Star Trek when it is absolutely full of moments that scream elements of this universe.

Well, I’m highlighting the best moments of the show so far. Yeah we’re still enjoying Picard for a few more weeks, but we have a lot to look forward to in Season 3 of Discovery if you ask me, and to help build a little anticipation for it, here’s what I believe are the ten absolute best moments of the show so far.

A quick note, I won’t be including moments from the Short Treks series in this list, and it’s fairly safe to say that I will be talking spoilers here, so if you haven’t seen this show yet, you might wanna look away.

10. Burnham and Spock Play Chess (Project Daedalus)

“All right, Michael. Let’s play chess.”

One of the more gutsy moves of the show’s second season was bringing in Spock, and showcasing the strained relationship that both he and Michael share with one another as estranged foster siblings. This is a move that could have backfired so easily, and yet, I cannot help but feel like they executed it with precision and care that really makes both of these characters stand out in so many ways. I’m not saying their relationship was absolutely flawless (there were a few moments, I thought were not properly earned), but I saw these two, and I saw a very believable relationship between the two, and I think it really came to life in this scene here.

The chess match between the two is a true highlight of character tension and drama between these two, and not only does it perfectly highlight the years of frustration and bitterness the two have held to one another all this time, but it really showcases the acting chops of Ethan Peck, who absolutely owns the role in this show. It is true that no one will ever truly replace Nimoy, but to say that Peck did a disservice to the role is absolute bonkers. Not only does he pull off the emotionless stoic persona of the character remarkably well, be he also brings to life a new side of the character that I can totally see in a younger side of Spock, and he works so well with the role. Their entire game, and exchange of dialogue leave me on the edge of my seat every time from start to finish.

9. Lorca Reveals the Spore Drive (Context Is for Kings)

“We are creating a new way to fly.”

One of the biggest areas of controversy when it comes to Discovery is its use of the ship’s spore drive, with many saying it feels too advanced for the time period, unscientific, or even straight up ripping off some concept from an unfinished video game (a lawsuit that is full of nonsense I might add). I have yet to hear a single complaint about the spore drive that I sympathize with, and the way that Gabriel Lorca shows it to us is actually really intriguing. When we first see Lorca, we are introduced to a battle-scarred war torn man who many thought he was hiding something. And granted he was, but if you ask me, he played his part really well, especially since this scene is as good as it is. This is a scene in which Michael Burnham is still a convict, and doubting not only herself, but Lorca’s intentions. And the way he wins her over to show her just what the Discovery is doing is just… really good.

Not only is it visually appealing in how he demonstrates the idea and concept of the Spore Drive, but how he tells her that they aren’t creating a weapon, but a new propulsion system just feels very Starfleet. Now granted, it can be said that he does end up weaponizing the spore drive, and again, that big secret of him not exactly being who he says he is factors heavily into how he behaves and how he acts, but still, you take away everything that is happening in that moment, stick this in a typical episode of TNG or TOS even, and this would fit right in. And his assurance of Michael Burnham also feels right at home in more ways than one, but if I go too far here, I’ll be digging into major spoilers. All that needs to be said is that our first glimpse into just what the spore drive is meant to be? It’s all Star Trek.

8. The Klingons and Kelpiens Join the Fight Against Control (Such Sweet Sorrow Pt. II)

“Sorry it took us a while to get here, Captain.”

The season two finale of Discovery is full of awesome moments, but I don’t think there’s one moment that sends chills down my neck quite as much in this episode as the moment when the Kelpiens and Klingons join in the fight against Control, joining the battle alongside the Discovery and the Enterprise. While it is heartwarming to see Saru’s sister, Siranna, and the rest of the Kelpiens fly into this battle, especially since they’re flying Ba’ul fighters; ships belonging to a race that persecuted them for hundreds of years, as it shows that the two races have likely reached a truce or understanding of one another, it’s really the Klingons who steal the show here.

When the Klingon cleave ship decloaks and just rams into two of Control’s ships, I tend to lose it. Seriously, I really hope we haven’t seen the last of the cleave ships. Those things are awesome. Why wouldn’t the Klingons fly what are essentially giant bat’leths in space? And it’s just awesome to see how the Klingon Empire, despite remaining on hostile terms with the Federation, will recognize that cooperation in light of a bigger threat is what matters. There’s not much more to say here. It’s just a really badass moment of the finale of season two. Nothing more, nothing less.

7. The Universal Translator Malfunctions (An Obol for Charon)

“Am I the only one who bothered to learn a foreign language?”

It’s moments like this that baffle me when I hear people say that this show feels creatively bland or unoriginal. “An Obol for Charon” was already one of my personal favorite episodes of Discovery so far (if not my all-time favorite so far), but moments like this feel so unappreciated. Star Trek has always danced around the language barrier by using the universal translator. And while we’ve had episodes that wonderfully dissect how understanding communication is important (such as TNG’s “Darmok”), we’d never seen the Universal Translator go haywire, until now.

After a mysterious sphere sends a mysterious transmission to the Discovery, we get one of the funniest, and one of the most clever malfunctions I’ve ever seen in all Star Trek, as people begin speaking different languages all over the ship. It’s a near perfect representation of how I feel this kind of thing would play out, making Pike straight up compare it to the Tower of Babel, fantastic wordplay. And it’s just a fantastic concept put in motion.

6. Ensign Tilly Becomes Captain Killy (Despite Yourself)

“Their strength is painted rust. It’s a facade. But you have the strength of an entire crew that believes in you. Fortify yourself with our faith in you. That’s what a real captain does.“

The Mirror Universe Arc of the debut season was another point on controversy for some, but was another thing I absolutely loved about the debut season. I can’t say that any other mirror universe episode of Star Trek really intrigues me as much as “Despite Yourself” did. And it is absolutely full of awesome moments, particularly when Ensign Tilly is forced out of her comfort bubble to impersonate her mirror counterpart as Captain of the ISS Discovery. The pep talk that Michael Burnham gives her in how she doesn’t have to be afraid of her role is really kinda heartwarming, especially considering the fact that Michael Burnham has been helping her train for command this season.

And when she’s actually in the command chair? She demands respect as any mirror universe captain would. Some of her lines Are disturbingly fantastic as I would expect them to be. She plays the part remarkably well, and it makes me think that one day, she’ll be just as good a captain… just not nearly as evil. For her first time in a backwards universe? She really pulls it off.

5. Saru Reunites with Siranna (The Sound of Thunder)

“So different, and yet…”

Saru has a pretty major development arc in the second season of the show, and it’s arguably one of the best arcs of the season. We’ll talk a bit about how it starts later on, but it results in a conclusion that is absolutely jaw-dropping, as we see him wrestle with a newfound truth about his people, and his oath to uphold Starfleet principles, including the Prime Directive. The reason this is such a big deal is because his people, the Kelpiens fall under the Prime Directive, and Saru’s status with Starfleet is little more than a special exception.

But when the circumstances come into play where he is once more put back in touch with his people, the scene in which he is reunited with his sister Siranna is exceptionally well done. Siranna’s reaction not only to seeing him again, but meeting Michael Burnham is absolutely fantastic. Her reactions to everything she is hearing, such as the principles of the universal translator, to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of life forms in the galaxy is absolutely fantastic. Even the moment she compares her own hand to that of Burnham to see the similarities and differences. And the way she simply asks at the end of this scene if humans drink tea? It’s the perfect bit of Star Trek in an exceptional scene.

4. Reno’s Advice to Dr. Culber (Through the Valley of the Shadows)

“Yeah, it’s funny. People like us always find people like them. And thank God.“

One of the absolute best additions of the second season was the character Jett Reno, portrayed magnificently by stand-up comedian, Tig Notaro. Whenever this character was onscreen, you knew there was some comedy coming your way, but while Tig’s dry delivery and snark attitude was good for a well-earned laugh most of the time, she proved that she was just as capable of giving us a very heartfelt scene, like this one here, in which she confronts Dr. Hugh Culber, who if you follow the series, likely know that he was killed, and brought back to life, and found himself in a bit of an identity crisis this season, which led to him separating himself from his partner in Paul Stamets.

The talk that both she and Culber have is impossible not to smile at as she brings a bit of that snark dry delivery to the table (she even references some of her own stand-up material in this conversation!), before recollecting on her own previous message. Not only do I greatly applaud this scene for fleshing out the personal lives of two characters who are a member of the LGBTQ community, but I can’t help but feel like wanting to get a little emotional when Reno describes her deceased partner, and just how much she obviously meant to her. You can tell that her experiences greatly impact Dr. Culber. Her parting words to him are as blunt and to the point as you can imagine, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a scene that can make you laugh, make you cry, and for all the right reasons.

3. Burnham Gives Georgiou’s Telescope to Saru (Choose Your Pain)

“You should have the privilege to see the universe The way she did.”

Season one’s best moment undoubtedly comes in the form of some absolutely phenomenal character development between both Michael Burnham, and Commander Saru, who for a good chunk of the season are at odds with each other over the events of the pilot episodes. As Michael Burnham is responsible for the death of their former captain, Philippa Georgiou, Saru sees her as a threat to the crew of Discovery, and resents her for a lot of very valid reasons. When he’s forced to take command of Discovery during this episode when Captain Lorca goes missing, he finds himself doubting himself since he never got the chance to learn how to take such a role, and had hoped to learn from Georgiou as Burnham did. This conflict results in some absolutely stellar conflicts between the two in this episode (Doug Jones is quickly becoming one of the best actors of the franchise if we’re being honest with each other), but it also results in the moment that shows that the two are ready to move forward together, and rekindle their friendship.

When the two have a heart-to-heart in the last act, and Saru finallly admits how he holds Burnham in envy over the fact that he never got the chance to serve as First Officer to Georgiou, Burnham really steps up as his friend, and assures him that everything he did in his time as acting Captain would have made Georgious proud. The discussion they have is enough to get me smiling, but it’s the very end of this scene that gets to me, in which Burnham gives Saru the telescope that Georgiou had left to Burnham in her last will and testament. This little gesture I believe is what truly puts them both on the road to healing in their relationship as fellow Starfleet Officers, and friends. And Saru’s last order as acting Captain, for her to go and save the Tardigrade (long story)? Just as heartwarming.

2. Saru’s Vahar’ai (An Obol for Charon)

“I am sorry. I know how hard this is for you. How many people you’ve already lost…”

There’s a reason I said “Obol for Charon” was among my favorite episodes of the show, and this moment is one of the big reasons why. This moment was so powerful that I actually ranked this episode number four in a list concerning Star Trek’s saddest episodes out there. And yeah, when it was happening, I was fighting tears, because I straight up though we were going to lose Saru, who is arguably one of the best, if not the best character in Discovery right now. Throughout the episode, Saru is fighting a terminal illness, unique to Kelpiens , called Vahar’ai; a disease which lets a Kelpien know that they are ready to die. And towards the end of the episode, when Saru’s weakened body is on the verge of shutdown, he asks Burnham to kill him.

Now I said in the last entry here that both he and Burnham have some incredible development together throughout the run of these two seasons, and it’s this moment where that development shines in full glory when they truly realize just how much the two mean to each other. Seeing Burnham struggle to find the strength to do what Saru asks, really feels real and is an emotional curveball that I tear up at every single time. But thank God she hesitates because it’s this hesitation that gives Saru a major revelation about the true nature of Vahar’ai. And it’s this moment that sets in motion his inner struggle with the knowledge of this truth of Vahar’ai, and his dedication to the Prime Directive in the episodes ahead. Seeing his disturbing realization that everything he thought about life was nothing more than a lie is something straight out of Plato’s Cave allegory, and sets in motion some fantastic developments down the road ahead. But regardless, it’s this moment that really stands out in it all.

1. Captain Pike Seals His Fate (Through the Valley of the Shadows)

“A warning, Captain. The present is a veil between anticipation, and horror. Lift the veil, and madness may follow.”

I could probably fill this list with moments in how awesome Captain Pike is in the second season of Discovery, but if I had to choose one moment, it would easily be this one, and I don’t think there’s much room for argument in it. So long story short, the Discovery is in need of a time crystal to power a specific suit that can travel through time and space, and Pike visits some Klingon Monks in isolation who guard these crystals. Not only does this set in motion some really fun time concepts for this scene alone, but it of course reveals the eventual fate that Captain Pike will face in life. If you’ve seen the TOS episode, “The Menagerie”, you’d know that eventually, Pike will end up in an accident that will forever change his life, and cripple him. Before this episode, it always felt like such a poor send off to a character who was originally meant to be what Captain Kirk was of TOS. Here? Pike finally gets some well needed and well deserved vindication for the events to come.

Upon touching the crystal, he is of course taken to the moment in his life where he will be forever crippled and changed. He comes face to face with his forever crippled form, housed in a wheelchair, unable to even speak, and Pike’s reaction to it all is powerful in and of itself, but it’s the moments that follow that really cement this moment at the number one spot. The monk who guides him informs him that it is very much possible for him to walk away from this fate, but that if he takes the crystal, it will eventually happen. Pike has a choice here to save himself, and you can tell that for a moment, he contemplates it. The thing is, he knows that if he walks away, he will likely doom everything around him to extinction, and it’s this self-sacrifice that he willingly makes as he takes the crystal that makes me shout at CBS to give him a damn show already. And how he carries this bit of information throughout the rest of the show is just as impactful. This willful notion of him accepting what will eventually happen to him I truly believe puts him along the same level of Picard as a Starfleet Captain, and I will defend that claim to the grave. It turns what originally was a senseless tragedy into a very meaningful triumph, and it will likely be very tough to top in my eyes as far as Discovery’s best moments in the show are concerned.

We’ll just have to wait until Season 3.

And there you have it. The ten moments I feel are the best of Star Trek: Discovery so far. There were a lot I really wish I could have talked about, but these are well earned if you ask me. You’re free to let me know about moments I maybe missed that you yourself enjoyed down below, and as always, thanks for reading.

Live Long, and Prosper.

REVIEW: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (On the Wings of Keeradaks)

I’m so happy my optimism in this series is paying off.

Three episodes in, and the future is looking bright in this final season of The Clone Wars. In a nutshell, I’m beginning to care about each character more and more, and the stories being told are getting better, or at least this one is. I’m still unsure if this final season will be the usual mini-arcs that the show is known for, or if it will be one big long arc. We shall see in the coming weeks. Regardless, everything going on right now? Thumbs up.

When last we left our heroes…

This episode picks up pretty much immediately where the previous episode left off, where we see Tech of the Bad Batch working fast in order to properly disconnect Echo from the Techno Union machine he’s hooked into. If you remember, Echo has been cybernetically changed, and it made me make a lot of dumb Star Trek jokes in the previous review. I’ll try to lay off those here. We pick up immediately right after this happens, we’re in some fun Clone War action and the “Advanced” Battle Droids of the Techno Union are making Imperial Stormtroopers look like crack shots (I always have to chuckle when the battle droids are standing like ten feet away from our heroes, guns blazing, and STILL missing.

When they are successful in disconnecting Echo, Echo gives the absolute best line of the entire episode. “Rex… I got a big headache.” Dammit, this line should give me tears, because despite not having seen this character since Season 3, it very much brings back the old jabber the clones would often give through the entire show, and it fits so damn well here. 10/10 on that line.

What also gets a 10/10 is that watching this, I began to realize just how much I was starting to like all these characters, particularly the Bad Batch. Admittedly when they first came onscreen, I wasn’t entirely sure I would care that much for them, but they are genuinely becoming pretty god characters, and I do hope they aren’t just dropped after this arc. There was actually a moment here in the episode where I had to ask myself if Wrecker was about to die, and I was actually hoping he wouldn’t die. That only tells me that I am really starting to like these characters.

Wrecker die? I’m Anakin Skywalker, and I won’t let Wrecker die!

Our heroes escape the Techno Union, and Wat Tambor survives an explosion that likely should have killed him (but he can’t die until Episode III so count your blessings I guess), and we get a sequence that genuinely made me uncomfortable to watch. There’s just something about a sequence in which our heroes balance on a pipe, miles in the sky, that makes me shiver. Maybe I have a slight fear of heights when watching these. I don’t know what it is, but I was once again convinced someone was going to die.

All I want is a railing!

This might ironically lead me to one of my bigger criticisms of the episode… they probably should have had someone die. I don’t know, this might feel pretty trivial in the long run, but I mean, it really feels like this sequence was needlessly tense. I feel that the scene would have been far stronger if they showed us a little mortality here. Show us that the Bad Batch aren’t exactly immortal. The fact that everyone gets out of this jam just kinda took me out of it. Just barely. I don’t know if we will see the Bad Batch killed off in this final season or if they’re just a one and done team, but I feel that if maybe Wrecker, or Crosshair was lost here, it would have made me care even more for the surviving members of the Bad Batch.

Admittedly though, their leap of faith in their escape is pretty cool.

Dun dundun dun dun, dun dundun dun dun…

The heroes go to the village of the Natives who appeared in the last episode, and they get angry that Anakin and the clones have broken their word and that the war is coming to their village, and this is where my only other major criticism comes into play. Rex makes a bit of a speech about how yes, they unfortunately did bring the war to their village, but makes the excuse of what they did to Echo as a reason they had to? I don’t know, the speech he gives just doesn’t really fit the situation if you ask me. But I admit I do have to hold off on more Borg jokes with this speech with all the “turning him into a machine” and “robbed him of humanity” statements he makes.

Rex successfully convinces the natives to join them in their fight against the Separatists, and admittedly, this battle is pretty cool. It’s very much a well executed David and Goliath battle as we see the natives and this group of clones fight of this droid attack force, complete with two big walkers, some badassery from the Bad Batch, and some absolutely charming banter from Echo to Anakin which very much brings me back to the good old days of the show.

Chakotay, pew pew… (Hooray for in-jokes)

The way the episode ends isn’t anything special, after the awesome battle, the natives thank the Jedi, and say the Jedi will always be welcome, and then we get some more dialogue from Rex and Echo, and how Echo tells him that it’ll be just like old times. And Echo seems skeptical as he repeats the phrase in a very unsure manner.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!!!!!!

Time for some Clone Wars Prediction Smackdown!

Is Echo the equivalent of a sleeper agent? Is he perhaps still connected to the Techno Union in some way? Tambor said that the clones ruined years of research when they abducted him and destroyed his work, yes, but it’s not unlike this show to pull a potential fast one on us. I can’t help but feel that Echo might know more than we’re being led to believe here. That or he’s going to go through a whole lot of PTSD here, and won’t exactly get the happy ending we hope he gets.

Well I mean, we definitely don’t see him in Star Wars: Rebels, so yeah, I’m not expecting good old Echo to last much longer, sadly. Here’s hoping his final story arc here really delivers. I have no doubts it will.

Three episodes in, and this show is flying high in my eyes! Again, I’m not sure if this ends this particular arc, or if there’s more to come, or if the entire season will be one long arc, but regardless of what happens here, I absolutely have no doubt that this will be well worth the journey. While this episode isn’t perfect, it’s definitely the strongest of the three out right now, and I wanna see more of it right the fuck now. It hasn’t blown me away yet, but I have no doubts it will. Keep it coming, Clone Wars!

Looking forward to next episode!

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ – Do Star Trek Fans Want Star Trek To Be Unsuccessful and Unpopular?

In the wake of my review recently, I had a lot of great responses both here and on Facebook from fans and non-fans alike.  It appears that the piece opened up a good dialogue about the subject of Trek-fandom and their disdain for the Abramsverse.  What I found out, and I really kind of knew this, is that there is a segment of the fandom that really didn’t like the first film for all of the goofiness and, well, f*cking with the established history of the franchise, but don’t necessarily hate the film or the Abramsverse.  They’re skeptical of the new film, but they aren’t the butt-hurt, hater crowd. I just want to make clear that my criticism of the negative attitude by a certain segment of the fanbase is by no means a criticism overall of fans who are skeptical and have issues with a lot of the goofy shit present in both of the Abrams films. After all, there’s seriously a lot of goofy shit in both of these films (more blatantly in the first) and I wouldn’t expect fans to not take issue with them or to dismiss them out-of-hand.

This… is a BIG “no-no”

I recently noted that that it had just dawned on me that the aft-end of the nacelles (engines) on the Enterprise in Star Trek (2009) glowed (and glowed brighter when the engines were “revving up”) and how as a Trek fan that annoyed the piss out of me because Roddenberry was insistent on the fact that the propulsion methods should not bare any resemblance to contemporary methods of propulsion, i.e., nothing coming out of the tailpipe. This is why the end-caps went from having all of those little round vents on them in the first pilot to just being those round globes during production.

That’s an important detail that the producers just ignored. To make matters worse, what did they do with the engines this time? F*cking CONTRAILS. 

Then something very unexpected occurred: I realized those contrails looked bad-ass. Yes, they are in complete contradiction with everything I know about the franchise, but eff me if they don’t look wicked awesome and if I think that (considering I hate the concept in general) you damned-well know that the non-Trek fan in the audience thinks so, too. And that’s kind of where I think a lot of us fans stand. There’s a bit of self-loathing going on and guilt, here. “I shouldn’t like this but I do,” and that’s what kind of made me realize that you have to take these films in from the objective perspective of someone who’s just being introduced to the franchise… or just likes kickass action films. The foundation for the principles of the franchise are certainly there even of they eff up some of (or a lot of) the details of the minutiae but, on that note, Ron D. Moore does make a very good point that it is that minutiae that has contributed to making the franchise inaccessible to new audiences.

What I think has made it difficult for the fanbase in general to not be skeptical was the shock over the destruction of Vulcan in the first film. That hit me like a ton of bricks because of how integral Vulcan is to the mythology and because there wasn’t even any setup to get us prepared for it. It was like, “Pew, pew, pew… BOOM… Vulcan’s gone.”

“And of course, our intention is to completely ass-rape the entire franchise…”

That being said, having issues with the goofy shit is normal. Being cautious is normal, but I have to tell you that there really is a certain segment of the fandom that has hated this new vision of Trek since the Vegas Trek Convention of 2008 when Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy were on stage on the last day discussing it and warning the fans that it’s going to be different but they’re going to like it.  This carried on through December of 2008 when more and more details were starting to come out and the chorus of hate was reaching a fever-pitch… even though they had not seen a single frame of the film. That just seemed absurd to me and it especially seems absurd when I see the irrational hate spewed at this new film by the fans who hate it for the sake of hating it at this point. I get skepticism as a reaction to the first film, but the “haters” have the exact same complaints about this film that they did the first one (or they’re just contriving false criticism about the plot) and I don’t even know how one could rationally come to that considering how much better EVERYTHING is about the new film and how it actually felt like Star Trek.

Lens flares… seriously? Spock and Uhura having a relationship? It’s not Star Trek, it’s Star Wars? C’mon… seriously?

They have spoken… and they do not approve.

I’ve come to a conclusion about this irrational hatred toward the Abramsverse and I’m not saying that my conclusion is right or wrong, but it is something to consider. I have a feeling that this segment of the fanbase doesn’t want Star Trek to be popular. Whether they realize it or not, their issues have nothing to do with the quantifiable changes to the franchise, just the idea of change itself.  Allow me to explain.

Star Trek, for better or worse, has a justly earned reputation for having a strong appeal for kids who were, shall we say, less than popular. A lot of these kids felt excluded by the more popular and athletic kids because they were different. These “nerdy kids” were smarter, they were more intuitive, they were more curious, they were more creative and they were also socially awkward and they were non-conformists. There’s nothing worse than being a non-conformist during elementary and high school.

Future Scientists? Perhaps. Future All-American Athletes and Prom Kings? Not so much…

Then they found Star Trek which provided an outlet for their personalities and interests as well as an escape but more importantly they found a community of other like-minded folks to belong to, and that’s very important for all human beings. Star Trek is theirs and theirs alone and I can tell you from my own personal experience, the Trek fandom that was excluded socially easily transitioned to becoming the excluders when they found their niche.

I wasn’t always a Star Trek fan, I became one in 1997 because of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. When I was growing up, I was a casual viewer. I would watch Star Trek and then Star Trek: The Next Generation when it happened to be on but I wasn’t ever scheduling time to watch the franchise. I enjoyed it but my life certainly didn’t revolve around it. I was 18 when Star Trek: Generations came out and I was at a friend’s house on opening night and some of his friends had come over who had just seen the new film. Even if you weren’t a Trek fan, you knew that the big deal in that film was the “rumor” of the death of Kirk. When I casually asked one of these guys whether or not Kirk was killed, I was given a response something along the lines of, “Yeah, but it’s complicated… the Nexus, blah, blah, blah…” with eye-rolling and dismissive short responses pretty much implying, “You’re not a Trek fan, you wouldn’t understand and I’m not explaining it you.” To sum it up, instead of embracing my interest in Trek, they basically rejected me from their clique the same way they had been rejected socially… which was a mistake because I was good at getting girls and booze… which they weren’t good at.

“That bastard Abrams even brought his f*cking Stormtroopers with him to MY Convention! Where is he?!”

And this is kind of the attitude that I’m reminded of and I’m seeing, now. These same people who bitched (and still do) relentlessly about what producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga did to the franchise in the mid-to-late 90’s and into the 00’s want to see Trek in 2013 go back to those days. Not because it was better, but because it was their exclusive domain. They may hate Rick Berman (which is something that Berman alludes to on the Star Trek: Enterprise Season One Blu-ray Special Features and seems very taken back and upset by even to this day about)  for being “the sonofabitch who ruined the franchise” (a sentiment that I believe is unfair, in general… there were many factors involved) but he’s their sonofabitch.

Oh, that’s EASY! What’s wrong with the picture is that a pretty girl who’s not a castmember is wearing a Starfleet uniform.

Trek is their club and it shall not be interfered with by that Star Wars lover and non-fan J.J. Abrams and the legions of other non-fans that now like it.  As I noted, my wife liked the first film and her interest in Star Trek is so beyond limited that when it’s on, she stares at the screen like one of those magic eye pictures waiting for the sailboat to appear and the last thing a Trek fan wants is for pretty women to like it (despite the fact that if they cleaned off the coke-bottle glasses off and opened their flippin’ eyes they’d notice that there are plenty of hot Star Trek fans right at their damned conventions).  They want Trek to be just popular enough that it only gets other Star Trek fans involved.

Well, unfortunately for them, this is an absurd goal because as I pointed out in the review, there simply aren’t anywhere close to being enough of us to support the franchise and keep it successful. Trek has to make its tent bigger in order to survive and if that means tearing down a lot of the established aspects of the franchise and introducing more ‘splosions and action, well that’s just a reality that has to be accepted or we’ll lose Trek forever.  Sorry, but the best thing for Trek to be successful is that it has to get fans of Star Wars (which is pretty much everyone) to watch it.  Historically, it has been rare to find Star Trek fans that weren’t also fans of Star Wars.  On the other hand, however, it was rarer yet to find Star Wars fans who were also fans of Star Trek.  There’s a reason why that has held true until recently and it comes down to accessibility.

At its core, the principles and concepts of Trek have been able to find mass-appeal for more than 46 years regardless of race, creed, age, income level, educational level, sexual orientation… whatever. The issues the franchise has had to overcome have been in regards to execution in production, not theory or principles.  And that’s really, at this point, what the major changes have been about; how Trek goes about telling its stories and from my perspective, if telling Trek’s stories in a manner that appeals to all audiences requires an execution more like that of Star Wars and less like that of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, that’s what needs to be done and it should be embraced by all of us… provided that the finished product isn’t total shit.

GEEK ALERT! BBC: Matt Smith Leaving ‘Doctor Who,’ The Search For Number Twelve Begins…

Via The Official Blog:

The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show. Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas special. During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.

Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012.

Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone!

Matt Smith says: “Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I’m incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.

Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It’s been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he’s a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I’ve never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I’m back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!

It’s been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with ‘the ginger, the nose and the impossible one’. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt.”

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says : “Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him – sometimes literally – his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.

But great actors always know when it’s time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt – bow ties were never cooler.

Of course, this isn’t the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now – all unknowing, just going about their business – is someone who’s about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that’s still so exciting!”

Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matt’s Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting ‘run’ and ‘Geronimo’, through Matt’s Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination – fish fingers and custard!

Matt’s spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23rd November 2013 – TUNE IN!

We’ll have exclusive quotes from Jenna on this site tomorrow and a special video from Matt – coming soon!

SyFy: ‘Continuum’ Season Two Premiere Date Announced (TRAILER!)

Via Press Release:

SYFY’S POPULAR SERIES CONTINUUM WILL RETURN FOR SECOND SEASON

THIRTEEN ALL-NEW EPISODES BEGIN AIRING FRIDAY, JUNE 7

NEW YORK – March 26, 2013 – Syfy has announced its popular time traveling police drama Continuum will return for a second season. The 13 all-new episode season will premiere in its new time period beginning Friday, June 7 at 10PM (ET/PT).

During its first season, Continuum delivered 1.35 million total viewers, 644K Adults 25-54 and 537K Adults 18-49. In its time period, the series ranked #6 in Adults 25-54 and #10 in Adults 18-49 among all cable entertainment programs with at least three telecasts (based on most current data).

New episodes of Continuum pick up after the gripping Season 1 finale when Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols/Criminal Minds, Alias) fought a ticking clock to prevent a cataclysmic act of terrorism.

Cameron is a cop from the future who finds herself trapped in the present day, swept along when a group of fanatical terrorists escaped their planned execution in 2077 by vaulting back in time.

Continuum co-stars Victor Webster (Castle, Melrose Place) as detective Carlos Fonnegra and Erik Knudsen (Jericho, Scream 4), who plays teen tech genius Alec Sadler.

Executive producers of Continuum are series creator Simon Barry (The Art of War), Pat Williams (Smallville), and Tom Rowe (Tin Man). Continuum is a Showcase original series and is produced by Reunion Pictures in association with Shaw Media.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

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GEEK ALERT! UPFRONTS 2013: SyFy Announces Fall 2013 Programming Slate, 14 Scripted Series In Development

Quick and dirty, here, folks. Just got this press release and we wanted to get it up as quickly as possible.

What should be noted is that there are only two new scripted series coming this fall, however, this is not particularly surprising.  SyFy tends to premiere new shows all throughout the calendar year as opposed to the major networks.

Also of note, if you’ll recall, we posted a piece from last year regarding the dozen or so scripted series that SyFy was developing.  As you read further, you’ll notice that eight of them are not mentioned in SyFy’s press release.  Here is the list of shows that were in development last year at SyFy that we have no word on as of yet, but appear to have been shelved.  We’ll keep you posted:

UPFRONTS 2012: SyFy Announces 2012 – 2013 Schedule, 12 New Scripted Series In Development

• Rewind  Rewind revolves around a team of military field operatives and civilian scientists who must use untested technology to travel back in time to alter events and change the future — and avoid a devastating terrorist attack. Shane McRae stars as Sean Knox, ex-Special Forces who ranks as a field operative in a special division of the Department of Homeland Security.
• The Adjustment Bureau  In this drama, based on the hit movie starring Matt Damon, guardian angel-type agents work to keep the world according to The Plan. They create everything from plane crashes to coffee spills in order to steer people to realize their true destiny. But there is one thing the operatives and their Chairman can’t control — free will.
• Grave Sight   From the best-selling author of True Blood, this Charlaine Harris book series follows Harper Connelly – a young woman with a unique gift. After being struck by lightning as a teenager, Harper can sense the location and last memories of dead people. She teams up with her protective stepbrother, Tolliver Lang, to help find a missing teenage girl — only to uncover a network of lies and murders throughout a small town in the Ozarks.
• Untitled Booster Gold Project  Based on the best-selling DC Entertainment Comic, this is the story of a washed-up athlete from the future who travels back to the present in hopes of becoming the greatest superhero of all time. But instead of chasing criminals, his main priority is chasing fame and money. Booster Gold discovers that being a hero takes more than just a megawatt smile.
• Seeing Things  Based on the comic Grey Legion from Platinum Studios, after a cop meets his violent demise, he returns as a ghost to close his last case. But the only person who can help him is a socially awkward man who is realizing for the first time that his hallucinations may not be all in his head.
• Defender  In the aftermath of an intergalactic war between humans and transhumans, the starship Defender, populated by a combustible mix of former enemies, is sent on a seemingly simple goodwill mission, which turns into a fight for their lives and for the safety of the Universe at large.
• The Family  For generations, an alien family has hid amongst humans in plain sight using their advanced intellect to carve out a life for themselves as their family grew. But when the family patriarch that kept peace amongst the factions dies, a war begins to brew with some members believing the time has come to reveal themselves, and their superior power, to the inferior human race.
• One Mile Straight Down  When a powerful earthquake hits California and opens up a chasm bigger than the Grand Canyon, it reveals an enormous hidden ocean lying deep beneath the earth’s crust. Billionaire adventurer James Exeter works with the government to take an advanced nuclear submarine down to explore it and discovers more than he ever could have imagined.

Via Press Release:

SYFY UNVEILS NEW QUARTERLY MULTIMEDIA EVENTS “RINGWORLD,” “HELIX,” “DOMINION,” “UNBREAKABLE” AND “OPPOSITE WORLDS”

OSCAR-WINNER JAMIE FOXX TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE, WRITE AND DIRECT HORROR ANTHOLOGY SERIES

UPCOMING REALITY SERIES JOE ROGAN QUESTIONS EVERYTHING, COSWORLD AND FANDEMONIUM

NEW YORK – April 10, 2013 – Syfy and Chiller President Dave Howe today unleashed the imagination of the advertising community by announcing an original programming slate featuring Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx (Ray, Django Unchained) executive producing, writing and directing a horror anthology series, a trio of new reality series – Joe Rogan Questions Everything, Cosworld and Fandemonium – and 19 scripted and reality development projects, including The Jim Henson Creature Shop, a creature competition program.

Howe further announced a groundbreaking strategy of major quarterly multiscreen events showcasing new high concept programs, including Ringworld, a miniseries based on Larry Niven’s classic novel; Helix, an epic thriller from Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore; the scripted series Dominion (working title) from Sons of Anarchy writer Vaun Wilmott; Opposite Worlds, a real life Hunger Games-type competition, and Unbreakable, an unscripted program testing contestants through mental and physical extremes.

In making the announcement, Howe said: “This upfront season, we’re embarking on a bold and ambitious new programming strategy that further reinforces Syfy as the premier destination for high-concept, boundary pushing entertainment experiences. Building on the transmedia sensation Defiance, Syfy will create and deliver buzzy and highly social event programming every quarter that will stand out in the marketplace. These interactive tent-poles embrace the second screen experience our unique and valuable Igniter viewers now expect, and deliver greater and deeper partnership opportunities for our advertisers’ brands. Going forward Syfy is committed to delivering innovation through smart, upscale, aspirational original content, backed up by the scale and gender balance of a top 10 network.”

Bolstering its powerhouse scripted programming lineup, Syfy announced that the five-episode series from Jamie Foxx will join Defiance, Warehouse 13, Being Human, Haven and the upcoming Helix from Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica). Syfy will also begin production on the pilot of High Moon, from Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), based on John Christopher’s best-selling novel The Lotus Cave.

Said Mark Stern, President, President, Original Content, Syfy, and Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions: “By shattering the boundaries of conventional storytelling, Syfy has become synonymous with provocative, quality television. Each year, the bar for success is raised by the expectations of our audience – and ourselves. We’re always reaching for greater imaginative heights. These new creative alliances, with this illustrious roster of award-winning talent, underscores Syfy’s commitment to bringing our viewers the very finest programming.”

New original scripted development projects – including 8 from Universal Cable Productions — will include No Place from Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future), Clandestine from Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead) and Sojourn from Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity). These will expand the existing development slate highlighted by Proof, produced by M. Night Shyamalan (After Earth), the British cult favorite Blake’s 7, directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), and Dominion from Defiance director Scott Stewart and writer Vaun Wilmott (Sons of Anarchy).

From MGM Television and Universal Cable Productions (UCP), Syfy announced that it is developing miniseries based on Larry Niven’s award-winning novel Ringworld, as well as Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End, from executive producer Michael DeLuca (The Social Network) and UCP.

Previously, Syfy announced it is developing Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle from Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, writer/executive producer Frank Spotnitz, Headline Pictures and FremantleMedia International; Stephen King’s Eyes of the Dragon, from UCP and Ostar Productions, and Darkfall, from UCP and Jim Henson Productions, as long form productions.

Building on Syfy’s hit reality programming like Face Off and Ghost Hunters, new unscripted series will range from Fandemonium, a dizzying ride into the fan girl and fan boy cultures, Cosworld, which follows the country’s hottest cosworld players, and Joe Rogan Questions Everything, an investigative series hosted by Joe Rogan (Fear Factor).

Among the unscripted shows in development is a paranormal project with Meat Loaf; The Jim Henson Creature Shop, a creature competition program from Jim Henson Studios; Unbreakable, based on The Death Race, an extreme endurance race held annually in Vermont, along with current reality pilots such as Opposite Worlds, in which twenty people live in two distinctly different worlds – the Past and the Future.

Syfy further announced that upcoming second screen initiatives will be included in Helix, where viewers can use Syfy Sync to gain real-time access to the research lab depicted in the series through a two screen experience called “Access Granted”; for Unbreakable, viewers will be able to Skype with contestants via a Facebook App to predict who’ll win each week’s challenges; Google Plus Hangout Chats with the cast of Fandemonium; the Cosworld cast vlogging to share fantasy secrets with fans, and viewers will have the ability to select alternate endings for Jamie Foxx’s horror anthology series.

In delivering valuable viewers to its programming, Syfy’s Igniters drive consumer behavior and new products through social media. Compared to viewers of the top 10 cable networks*, Igniters are:

· 62% more likely to be “Super Influential” video game consumers

· 40% more likely to have friends ask their advice before buying electronics

· 32% more likely to keep up with the latest advances in auto technology

· 32% more likely to have people copy what they do/wear

· 24% more likely to have family/friends ask for and trust their advice on soft drinks

· 16% more likely to recommend vacation travel to people

· 14% more likely to see movies opening weekend

*based on Simmons/MRI data

A global brand, Syfy is currently available in 60 countries, reaching nearly 145 million households.

NEW REALITY SERIES

Joe Rogan Questions Everything (working title) – Premieres Tuesday, July 16 at 9PM — Life-long unexplained paranormal mystery-addict Joe Rogan ventures into unknown worlds and untapped territories to search for answers to life’s most startling theories. Having explored these questions for years on his podcast, Joe now takes his journey to the next level, traveling the country and knocking on any door necessary to find the truth. In his own unique and inquisitive style, Joe will stop at nothing to quench his curiosity for the unknown. Production company: A. Smith & Co. Executive producers: Arthur Smith, Joe Rogan, Kent Weed, Frank Sinton, Michael Braverman, Tod Mesirow, Barry Bloom, Jeff Sussman and Chandra Keyes.

Cosworld (working title) – Premieres Tuesday, August 27 at 10PM– Cosworld is a tantalizing six-episode docuseries that lifts the veil on the imaginative world of cosplay competition. The series follows some of the hottest cosplay stars as they make a splash at comic book conventions around the country. The show dives deep into their lives, following their process as they create extravagant and visually arresting costumes each week. These individuals will constantly defy odds and race against the clock to transform themselves into amazing fictional characters that push the boundaries between fantasy and reality, all in hopes of impressing the convention judges to win a cash prize and the chance to become a cosplay legend. Production company: 51 Minds, an Endemol Company. Executive producers: Mark Cronin, Courtland Cox and Dave Caplan.

Fandemonium (working title) – Premieres Fall 2013 — From the producer of Jersey Shore comes Fandemonium – a six-part docuseries that celebrates the incredibly unique, often misunderstood, and infinitely fascinating fan girl and fan boy culture. Living together in an LA apartment complex, a tight-knit group of pop culture-obsessed fans continue to find their place in the world and flourish, thanks to their passions and personalities. Whether it’s being first in line for the latest blockbuster, making a lasting impression upon getting the chance to meet their heroes, or just figuring out how to balance their passions with making a living – when these friends get together, it’s flat out Fandemonium. Production company: 495 Productions. Executive producer: SallyAnn Salsano.

NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Untitled Jamie Foxx Project (five episodes) – Premieres October — Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx will executive produce, write and direct this half-hour, horror anthology — in the vein of Tales from the Crypt/The Twilight Zone – which tells creepy morality tales addressing themes such as envy, jealousy and superficiality. Troy Miller (Flight of the Conchords, Brand X) will serve as executive producer through his production company Dakota Pictures. Writers on the project include Foxx, Mike Ferris (Terminator: Salvation) and John Pogue (Army Wives, Everwood). Writer Jeff Stilson, Jaime King and Julie Yorn will also serve as executive producers. Studio: Universal Cable Productions.

Helix — A team of scientists investigate a possible disease outbreak in an Arctic research facility and find themselves trying to protect the world from annihilation. Co-executive producer & writer: Cameron Porsandeh. Executive producers: Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), Steven Maeda (Lost, CSI: Miami), Lynda Obst (Contact). Production company: Lynda Obst Pictures & Tall Ship Productions. Studio: Sony Pictures Television.

NEW SCRIPTED PILOTS

High Moon — High Moon is an imaginative, out-of-this-world series exploring what happens when the countries of Earth establish colonies to mine the Moon’s resources and discover a new form of life. Chaos erupts in a genuinely emotional, humorously thrilling and always unexpected fashion as the people of the Moon race to uncover this life form’s powerful secrets. Co-executive producer/writer: Jim Danger Gray (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal). Executive producer/writer: Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies). The pilot is written by Gray from a story by Fuller and Gray. Executive producers: Cary Granat & Steve Granat of Reel FX and Don Murphy & Susan Montford of Angry Films (Real Steel, Transformers). Studio: UCP.

NEW LONG FORM DEVELOPMENT

Ringworld — In Ringworld, based on the Hugo Award-winning novel by Larry Niven, a hastily-assembled team of explorers travels to the farthest reaches of space to investigate a mind-blowing alien artifact called Ringworld – an artificial habitat the size of one million Earths. As they crash land on this enormous structure, they discover the remnants of ancient civilizations, technology beyond their wildest dreams, mysteries that shed light on the very origins of man and, most importantly, a possible salvation for a doomed Earth. Adapted by writer Michael Perry (The River, Paranormal Activity 2), Ringworld is being developed as a four-hour mini-series Syfy event. The project is a co-production of MGM Television and Universal Cable Productions (UCP), with MGM as the lead studio. Executive producers are William S. Todman and Edward Milstein.

Childhood’s End — Based on the Arthur C. Clarke novel, the story follows a peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival ends all war and turns the planet into a near-utopia. Childhood’s End will be executive produced by Michael DeLuca (The Social Network) with Universal Cable Productions serving as the studio.

NEW SCRIPTED SERIES DEVELOPMENT

No Place — The residents of a high-tech gated community arise one day to find themselves cut off from the rest of reality. Outside the walls of Paradise Hill is…nothing. Now the neighborhood must figure out how to survive as resources dwindle and tensions rise. Writers: John Brancato & Mike Ferris (Terminator Salvation, The Game). Executive producers: Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Brancato and Ferris. Circle of Confusion will also produce the project with David Alpert (The Walking Dead) and Rick Jacobs as executive producers. Matt Hawkins and Marc Silvestri serve as executive producers for Top Cow. Studio: Fox Television Studios.

Dominion (working title) – In this series (formerly called Legion), 20 years after evil angels descended from heaven to lay waste to the human souls they felt God had favored over them, a reluctant “savior” must arise to protect Vega, the last remaining stronghold of humanity. The savior has more to fear than just angels, as the elites of this new society conspire to gain power for themselves. Writer/CO-EP: Vaun Wilmott (Sons of Anarchy). Director/EP: Scott Stewart (Defiance). EP: David Lancaster. Studio: Sony Pictures Television. Based on the feature film “Legion'” produced by Bold Films.

Orion –In this space opera Orion, an adventurous female relic hunter, tracks down valuable artifacts while trying to piece together her past. Set amidst an intergalactic war pitting humans against a terrifying alien race, Orion must decide whether to use her abilities to save herself or commit to the cause and unearth long hidden artifacts that could free all of humanity from a horrible fate. Executive producers/writers: Ron Milbauer & Terri Hughes Burton (Alphas). Co-executive producers: George Krstic & Ryuhei Kitamura. Supervising producer: F.J. Desanto. Studio: UCP.

Sojourn — The first detective ever in space is tasked with investigating a murder on a starship — headed to colonize another planet – and instead becomes embroiled in a vast conspiracy involving a mysterious terrible crime dating back to the original launch of the ship 50 years ago. Writer: Phil Levens (Smallville). Producer: Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity). Studio: Lionsgate.

Clandestine – After a clan of bandits are nearly destroyed and left for dead by Coalition forces, they take refuge in the nearest safe haven, a derelict Coalition starship floating in space. Once onboard, they masquerade as Coalition officers while continuing their criminal ways – until they stumble upon a shocking realization about the true nature of the Coalition. Writers: Todd Stashwick & Dennis Calero. Executive producers: Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead) and John Shiban (Hell on Wheels). Studio: UCP.

Infinity — When an alien armada is sighted in the region of Pluto, the Earth government turns to a young billionaire industrialist — who has the only ship ready for interstellar travel — to greet the aliens and avoid a catastrophe. Powered by secret alien technology discovered on Earth in the 1960’s, the ship engages in a firefight that sends them spinning through a wormhole into an uncharted region of space. Lost in the universe, the team struggles to survive as they encounter new planets and alien species, searching for a way back home. Writer: Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost). Producer: Berman/Braun Television. Studio: Universal Television.

Silver Shields — When his father is slain by assassins connected to the government of the large nearby city of Pont Royal, farm boy Caymer journeys there to continue his father’s legacy as a member of the local police force — and to solve the mystery of his father’s death. He discovers that his simple country view on life is at odds with the big city, filled with orcs and other magical creatures. Executive producer/writer: Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Alphas). Producer: Aaron Kaplan. Studio: UCP.

Shelter – A massive meteorite is headed toward Earth, forcing 30,000 hand-picked humans to live underground in a government funded shelter in order to start a new society. What begins as a Utopia quickly succumbs to the old human faults and jealousies as certain members of society create alliances to gain favor and power. Meanwhile things on the surface are not what they seem. Humans slowly realize that this event may have been fated and the survivors meant for a greater purpose in rebooting life on Earth. Executive producer/writer: Bruce Joel Rubin (Deep Impact) and co-executive producer/writer Ari Rubin. Studio: UCP.

Untitled Alfonso Moreno Project — After a meteorite strikes a plane, the only two survivors find themselves sleepwalking and waking up with no memory of their actions. On the run from the government, they must figure out what happened to them and prove their innocence. Executive producers: Alfonso Moreno (NCIS) & Ross Fineman (Lights Out). Studio: Fox Television Studios.

LONG FORM SCRIPTED DEVELOPMENT

Eyes Of The Dragon – Based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel. A kingdom is in turmoil as the old king dies and his successor must battle for the throne. Pitted against an evil wizard and a would-be rival, Prince Peter makes a daring escape and rallies the forces of good to fight for what is rightfully his. Writers: Michael Taylor (Defiance, Battlestar Galactica) and Jeff Vintar (I, Robot). Executive producers: Michael Taylor and Bill Haber. A production of Universal Cable Productions and Ostar Productions.

Darkfall – When, without warning, modern forms of power and technology become a thing of the past, Los Angeles, and the world at large, becomes a place where magic rules and life as we know it is turned upside down. Writers: Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (Kung Fu Panda, Sleeper Cell). A production of The Jim Henson Company and Universal Cable Productions.

NEW REALITY SERIES DEVELOPMENT

Opposite Worlds — Opposite Worlds is based on the mega-sensation Latin American reality series, Mundos Opuestos, in which twenty people from all walks of life are mixed together in two opposing teams that live in two distinctly different worlds – the Past and the Future. The Future is a Utopia where every wish can be granted with a push of a button; the Past is a constant struggle for survival. Each week, players compete in a series of challenges to determine who lives in the Past and who lives in the Future, and fight to be the last man standing. Production company: Smart Dog Media. Executive producer: Craig Plestis. Format devised by Canal 13, Sergio Nakasone, Juan Pablo Planas and Veronica Ruaro.

Unbreakable — Based on The Death Race, an extreme endurance race held annually in Vermont, Unbreakable sets to test competitors’ inner resolve to persevere through mental and physical extremes. Nothing is as it seems in this competition, where contestants must navigate through a seemingly natural but altered environment full of obstacles and challenges. Testing each individual’s spirit to its limit, the contestants will either self-eliminate or fall by the wayside, until only one will remain to conquer all. Production company: Pilgrim Studios. Executive producers: Craig Piligian and Joe Desena

The Jim Henson Creature Shop – For generations the craftsmen at The Jim Henson Creature Shop have brought to life imaginative, lovable and memorable characters that have enthralled audiences around the world. Now, aspiring creature makers will have an opportunity to win the job of a lifetime – an apprenticeship with the Creature Shop. Teams of amateur creators will face off to build elaborate and awe-inspiring creatures, ranging from animatronic monsters and fantastical puppets, to life-like beasts and beyond! Creations are judged by Brian Henson – son of Jim Henson and Chairman to the Henson empire – along with top industry experts. Executive producers: Brian Henson (The Jim Henson Company) and Joseph Freed.

Meat Loaf Rocks the Paranormal (working title) — Meat Loaf Rocks the Paranormal features rock legend Meat Loaf and his colorful but divided family of skeptics and believers. Unlike the typical family vacation, Meat Loaf, his two daughters and rock star son-in-law Scott Ian of Anthrax travel to America’s most haunted and famous locations to settle the family’s paranormal debate. Production company: Thinkfactory Media. Executive producers: Adam Reed, Adam Freeman and Leslie Greif.

The Gadget Show – Based on the popular UK series, The Gadget Show previews and reviews the latest technological gadgets fit for mass consumers. Traveling around the globe, the show’s gadget-obsessed hosts highlight the coolest tech trends, world premiere inventions and engineers of the future. Mixing in-studio segments with out-in-the-world product testing, the hosts perform adrenaline-fueled stunts to determine the quality of the hottest new devices about to be put on the market. Production company: All3Media America/North One Television. Executive producers: Stephen Lambert, Eli Holzman and Ewan Keil.

Dead Famous (working title) — When celebrities pass before their time, questions are often left unanswered with their loved ones and fans. Dead Famous sets out to find answers to those questions and to provide closure via a LIVE séance, led by a medium and with friends, family and paranormal investigators in attendance. Leading up to the séance, the Dead Famous host will visit the celebrity’s private locations and collect personal items which will then be used to help make contact. Production company: Smart Dog Media. Executive producers: Craig Plestis, Guiliana Rancic and Colet Abedi.

Graveyard Shift — Graveyard Shift follows Josh Gates as he journeys alongside people whose extreme jobs and bizarre lives start after the sun goes down. Whether holding the night guard position at a notoriously haunted graveyard in Baltimore, installing neon lights in the most extreme skyscraper in the Chicago skyline, or journeying through mysterious underground tunnels with a city’s public works department, Gates will battle his fears and imagination while venturing to places where few dare to go. Production company: Discovery Studios. Executive producers: Josh Gates, Eddie Barbini, and Gary Shapiro.

Make Me a Millionaire Inventor — Based on the British series, Make Me Millionaire Inventor follows a team of engineers and scientists as they hunt through the U.S. Patent Office for the best inventions — never made — to make inventors’ dreams come true. The show will pick different patents each week and track down the original inventors to surprise them with the offer of a lifetime: a chance to finally bring their idea to fruition. The team will then coach the inventors as they prepare to pitch a working prototype to industry pioneers – in hopes of making the most important sale of their lives. Production company: Objective Productions/Kalel Productions/All3Media America. Executive producers: Nick Parnes, Andrew O’Connor and Eli Holzman.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

TNT: ‘Falling Skies’ Extended Third Season Trailer (VIDEO)

Season three of Falling Skies returns on June 9th at 9:00 p.m. with a two-hour premiere.

SHOCKER! HBO Renews ‘Game Of Thrones’ For Season Four Within 48 Hours Of Season Three Premiere

Considering that HBO renewed Game of Thrones for seasons two and three within 48 hours of the premieres of seasons one and two, respectively, this really should come as a surprise to no one.  I’m just going to copy and paste this piece and save it in my “Drafts” folder for next year.

Via Press Release:

HBO RENEWS GAME OF THRONES FOR FOURTH SEASON

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Season Three Soars To Highest Viewership Yet

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LOS ANGELES, April 2, 2013 – HBO has renewed GAME OF THRONES for a fourth season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.

Based on the bestselling fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, GAME OF THRONES is an epic story of treachery and nobility set on the continent of Westeros, where summers and winters can last years, and only the lust for power is eternal. The Emmy^®– and Golden Globe-winning series launched its ten-episode third season Sunday, March 31 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, with other episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time.

Among the early critical praise for the third season, the Hollywood Reporter called GAME OF THRONES “addictive and outstanding,” while Newsday termed the series “superb,” awarding the show an A+. The Chicago Tribunehailed the show as “spellbinding” and the Washington Post described it as “masterful.”

According to early data, GAME OF THRONES’ season three premiere March 31 on HBO topped the series’ highs, with record viewership for both the 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) airing and gross audience across the three plays. At 9:00 p.m., it averaged 4.4 million viewers, outperforming (+4%) the previous high of 4.2 million viewers from last season’s finale. GAMES OF THRONES improved 13% in comparison to last season’s premiere of 3.9 million viewers. Across the three plays for the night, 6.7 million viewers tuned in, surpassing last season’s debut night of 6.3 million viewers by 7%. Last season, GAME OF THRONES had an average gross audience (HBO linear plays + HBO On Demand/HBO GO + DVR) of 11.6 million viewers.

For more on the series, visit facebook.com/GameOfThrones and twitter.com @GameOfThrones #GameOfThrones.

Season three credits: The executive producers of GAME OF THRONES are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R.R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor; produced by Chris Newman, Greg Spence.