The sci-fi TV thread

Finally got on Apple TV+ and caught up with For All Mankind. So far it’s a typical Ron Moore show: generally good writing, complex characters played by good actors, and great visuals. I enjoyed the BSG reference they slipped in (“sometimes you have to roll the hard six” “what does that mean?”), and I keep waiting for one of The Greek’s goons to show up and whack Deke Slayton. I think it has enough promise for a second season, so here’s hoping Apple ponies up.

Also, season 4 of The Expanse drops next Friday, beratnas.

FAM is starting to drag for me, but a mid-season slow down is not unusual for a TV show. It’s only a 10-episode run, so I’m going to stick with it.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Now that they have Baldwin isolated / stranded at Jamestown base, and the Russians up to something, I think it’s going to ramp up for a big ending.

BTW, with the new post editor, you can click the little gear and choose “Hide Details”. That works for hiding spoilers. Example:

SPOILER

With Baldwin’s son likely dead, I suspect he’s planning on not coming back and fucking up some Russian shit.

1 Like

Thanks for the tip!

Spoiler

I was presuming that he is badly hurt, ramping up the drama of Baldwin being stranded. I hadn’t thought that his death might send Dad on a suicide mission. Interesting…

I’m all into The Mandolorian but have to go back to Ep 1 because the eldest child guilt tripped me for starting without her.

I’m finding it hard to wait for the whole season to complete so I can binge watch during the free one week trial.

The fam and I are enjoying the Mandalorian as well. For a series and not a movie the special effects are excellent.

Now, after I tell the kids to do a chore or such I get to say, “I have spoken”.

I am too burned by Disney’s mauling of the franchise to be moved enough to invest in their channel. Of their offerings, only Rogue One comes close to rising above the level of the prequels and, even then, it’s only really the last hour that is worth repeat viewings (I skip forward to the Yavin control room scene and watch from there).

I am slowly building a library of the MCU movies - buying the Blu Rays when they’re on sale - that will render moot the need to subscribe to Disney+, barring some amazing new thing that isn’t available elsewhere.

Just watched Ep 8 of FAM. That was intense!

Spoiler

Looks like you got it spot on, Waldo. Except that he fucked up some Russian shit before finding out about the death of his son.

Stakes raised for the last two episodes.

I’m avoiding the Mandalorian until it’s all out and I can binge, but in the meantime Watchmen has been a pretty damn good show. Great atmosphere and world-building, and we’ll see where it goes.

Not sure how someone who had no knowledge of the comic backstory would like it though.

I started reading The Expanse books a couple weeks ago based on recommendations here and at work and an Amazon Deal of the Day. I finished the first book in record time and was about 1/3 of the way through the second book when I came down with the flu last week. I kept having frightening thoughts about the protomolecule during my several barely-lucid days.

FAM is panning out about like I thought it might.

You can safely begin watching the show. The first season only covers the first 1/2-2/3 of the first book.

Ep 9 of FAM. Did not see that coming!

Spoiler

The crew of Apollo 24 are whizzing off into the black and the still-stranded Baldwin just killed/murdered one of the Russians on the moon.

I m not sure if the Russians are truly up to no good. They sent the message about Baldwin’s son and the show is called “For ALL Mankind”.
Hence my thought that it was possibly an unjustified killing.

This show has been full of surprises at the back end of the season. I’m looking forward to the finale, but not to the mind-fuck cliffhanger it’ll leave us with.

Which astronaut was the one that

Spoiler

bought it in the Saturn’s drive plume? Was it Deke or the other guy? I didn’t go back and rewatch to see which of the 24 crew performed the EVA.

I love the way the show uses music. Baldwin killing the Rooskie set to Sinatra’s “My Way” as the episode fades to black was fantastic.

Spoiler

No, it was Harrison who got killed in the plume.

I think I’m the only one here watching The Expanse, but I just finished season 4 and it is fucking outstanding.

I just finished the second book (had to take a timeout for the fucking flu) and started the third.

I watched S01 E01 of The Expanse, and it was good. Will continue and report progress.

I hadn’t seen it before, so I think I was confusing it with another show.

Also, from now on, anyone living outside the Loop will be referred to by me as “Belters”.

Season finale of For All Mankind…

Spoiler

In TV/movies that try to be somewhat realistic representations of science fiction (i.e. not Star Trek, Star Wars, BSG, etc.), I’ve never really been a fan of the “hit the bullseye from really far away in space just by eyeballing it” trope. Hated it in Gravity, didn’t love it in The Martian. At least the ships were flying in relatively close formation in this episode, but still… “I’m going to shove this fuel tank a few hundred feet to the other ship while in orbit and it’s definitely not going to miss by an insurmountable distance.” Even though Ed couldn’t dock with them, he could’ve reduced the margin of error quite a bit just by getting closer. But, drama!

That said, I thought it was a good finale. With the reflection of Jamestown in the cosmonaut’s visor, they sure did a head-fake to him sabotaging the base after Ed took off. I kept waiting for something to happen to Ellen during her interview.

AND, stay tuned through the end credits because…

Another spoiler

the blastoff of the new booster from the ocean was fucking badass.

Series looks like it’s jumping forward to at least the early/mid-80s and they’re launching nuclear fuel into space now, so things figure to look less and less like our own history in season 2. Found an interview with Ron Moore where he said that all of the core characters will be back and that the US/Soviet conflict in space is going to be cranked up quite a bit.

Was a very solid season ending.

Spoiler

I suspect the Rooskie put some kind of listening and/or sabotage device in the Jamestown base. That was definitely a mind-fuck for us to noodle on until the next series.

I don’t get Baldwin not warning Ellen about the Russian activity, though. Even if he doesn’t get into details of his personal interaction.

Throwing the fuel pod was a bit of nonsense, but no worse than finding Cobb in the vastness of 3D space. At least it was a strike, so they made it more dramatic.

I didn’t watch through the credits. I’ll have to go back and do that.