A Second Chance For Heroes: Thor and Cap 2

Date: July 24, 2021

Music Video of the Day:

In honor of second solo movies…

Interstellar News: This weekend is going to be jam packed, and I’m super stoked. Picking up a dear friend from the airport, going on a Twilight tour of the Carolina Tiger Rescue, and then hoping to make it to a friend’s birthday. Sunday is morning movie, brunch at my favorite place, and a Durham Bulls game!

In news related to this blog, I have officially finished Voyager and promise I’ll be writing up all my thoughts on the remaining Season 7 episodes. In this Marvel rewatch, we’ve gotten through Guardians, volume 2. So my next entry will be a double entry on those two movies.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World movie poster
“There’s nothing more reassuring than realizing that the world is crazier than you are.”

“Well done. You just decapitated your grandfather.”: I’m not sure why everyone hates on this movie so much. It’s sad and fun and a little wonky, but it’s not Episode II bad. We get a brief view of what all of the main players have been up to and we see who the big bad is going to be. Jane Foster gets to visit Asgard, we find another Infinity Stone (or well, it finds her), and Frigga dies a noble and gut-wrenching death. Loki “sacrifices” himself, Thor learns what it means to be more like a King, and we get creepy dark elves who are trying to bring about eternal night. I love everyone telling Loki they’re going to kill him, Selvig being inappropriate at times because his mind has been addled, and Darcy because she’s a treasure. Some of the deleted scenes from this movie and Thor are compelling and should absolutely be watched. I also loved how not American-central this movie was, because Earth is a big place and not everything needs to happen in New York.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

CA: The Winter Solider movie poster
“On your left.”

“I’m with you until the end of the line, pal.”: Another heartbreak here with Cap trying to figure out how to fit back in, finding out what happened to Bucky (a bit), and bits of comedy with Natasha constantly trying to set up Steve with women who work at S.H.I.E.L.D. A brief glimpse of Agent 13, the shock of HYDRA having infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D so long ago, and a dig about going to New Jersey on a fake honeymoon round out the ups and down of this movie. We’re introduced to Sam Wilson here and I love that he counsels other vets and is so damn down to earth. Seeing him here and having just watched The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, you really get the full picture and see the threads that were laid down in this movie. There’s a lot here with Fury keeping all of his secrets, the plethora of battle scenes, and the lines between “good and bad” being a lot more grey than they were when Cap first became a super soldier. There are so many great scenes and great lines, and it along with Dark World really are a big set up for the next two Avengers movies… Age of Ultron and Civil War.

TA Out!

VOY: “The Void”

Date: July 22, 2021

Season 7, Episode 14

Music Video of the Day:

Interstellar News: In one week, I’ll be attending Galaxy Con in Raleigh, NC… and I’m SUPER STOKED. I’ll likely be cosplaying Lady Riddler, Season 1 Klaus from The Umbrella Academy, Wednesday Addams, and Marty McFly.

TL;DR: Seven prepares dinner for some of the senior staff when a gravitron surge pulls them into an area devoid of stars and full of enemies, some who steal vital supplies. A General Valen welcomes them and explains where they are while Seven finds a stowaway whom the EMH names Fantome after he learns how to communicate with them. Janeway begins an alliance, like the Federation, that survives on cooperation not intimidation. She has to kick out one member, but her and a few other ships make it out of the void… along with help from Fantome and his friends.

Favorite Quote:

Neelix: Pinot noir, Commander?

Chakotay: I’ll have another glass of the Chardonnay.

Seven of Nine: Each course has been paired with a specific wine. Substitutions are not recommended.

Chakotay: The Pinot noir sounds perfect.

I will admit, I’m very much like Seven when I prepare a meal… I put a lot of thought into it and want folks to try it as prepared before adding ingredients or making alterations.
Fantome
Seven of Nine: “In six years you haven’t chosen a name for yourself, but you’ve given Fantome one in a few days.”
EMH: “Choosing the right name for myself is extremely difficult. I’m a complex individual.”

“The Charter’s a statement of principles, not a practical document. There’s no section on how to exist in a Void.”: The Void is very similar to the area of space that was covered in “Night” as are the aliens that are native to the area. We also see a reappearance of the aliens from “Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy“. This is another episode, much like “Caretaker” and so many others, where Janeway is all about her principles first. Cooperation and tolerance do go a long way, and in the end she’s victorious, but I wonder how well that holds up in real life. I understand this is a fictional show but I’m also wondering if always choosing the high road really does pay off in the end or do nice people really finish last? I’d like to think I would have made the same decision in her shoes, but it’s also hard to say because I’ve never been to space and never have had to survive in an area with no resources. I don’t hate this episode. I love Fantome and his friends, especially since the EMH was able to communicate through music and figure out their language and it was the crew’s kindness to the aliens that allowed them all to escape. I think this earns itself 6 minutes of “All About Soul” by my main man, Billy Joel.

TA Out!

VOY: “Prophecy”

Date: July 21, 2021

Season 7, Episode 13

Music Video of the Day:

“But there was never any place / For someone like me to be totally happy.”

Interstellar News: Today was laundry day, four loads, and an incredibly busy day at work. I chatted with a good friend on the phone, saw a dear friend for a drink after dinner, and helped the husband person make a dent in cleaning out his home office.

TL;DR: Klingons that have been traveling four generations in the DQ believe Torres and Paris’s baby is their savior. Some of the Klingons don’t believe this baby is the right one due to it’s “impurities”, but it turns out that her stem cells helps cure them all of an incurable Klingon disease. The Klingons are moved to the nearest M-class planet to start a new life, Neelix gets his groove on, and Torres is given a bat’leth for her daughter to use later.

Neelix and Ch'Rega
“Oh! You’re a lucky man. She’s a fine specimen of Klingon womanhood.”

Favorite Quote:

EMH: As I understand it, you have two options. Kill her, or mate with her. Since the first option is clearly unacceptable… hands Kim a padd.

KIM: What’s this?

EMH: Authorization for you to engage in intimate relations with a member of an alien species. Be sure to get the Captain’s approval as well.

The EMH is not helpful, but it’s a wonderful exchange and you can totally see Kim go a little green.

“Today would be a very bad day to die.”: I actually really love this episode because it’s ridiculous and adorable at the same time. Neelix getting everyone to bunk together for a bit, staying with Tuvok, and then essentially putting a “sock” on the door so he could have sex with a Klingon was absolutely amazing and Tuvok’s face said more than any words could ever.

Paris and T'Greth battle over Torres
“The only Klingon I’m afraid of is my wife after she’s worked a double shift.”

Torres has the typical journey of not wanting to be the savior (cough Sisko cough), doing her best to play along for the sake of those who believe, and then getting all warm and fuzzy at the end. Paris, in the same vein, does his best to support Torres. I am glad we were spared a training montage when he was learning how to fight with a bat’leth. There’s, of course, a Klingon who tries to take over the ship… but I love how he’s completely in awe of Torres and the baby once the EMH figures out how to cure their disease. It may be cheesy, but it just worked for me. 7 chili cheese dogs for this one!

TA Out!

VOY: “Repentance”

Date: July 20, 2021

Season 7, Episode 12

Music Video of the Day:

“The way I think that I should get away sometimes / the way I wish that you would try and compromise…“

Interstellar News: Today was a busy day at work, and it’s only going to get more hectic from here. Sigh.

TL;DR: Voyager responds to a distress call and it’s a group of prisoners, scheduled to be executed, and their wardens. Tuvok sets up a mock prison, Neelix brings them food, and most of the crew are uneasy about capital punishment as it’s not a thing in the Federation. Iko, one of the prisoners, is a total asshat, gets beat up, and then Seven’s nanoprobes fix something that was wrong with his brain. Suddenly Iko feels remorse and the crew argues for an appeal now that he’s not a threat. Another prisoner, Joleg, says that his race are incarcerated at a higher rate… and the data supports him. The prisoners get a chance to escape, Joleg tries to run while Iko stays behind to face the family of the person he killed. Seven also feels remorse and feels she hasn’t been punished for her crimes while she was a Borg.

Iko holding a knife to a bemused EMH
“I’m a hologram. I can’t be harmed.”

Favorite Quote:

EMH: What about rehabilitation? Given the chance, some of these men might become productive members of society one day.

Seven of Nine: Their victims won’t have the same opportunity.

EMH: And that justifies taking their lives? An eye for an eye? It’s not justice, it’s revenge. Quite frankly, I’m surprised you’re not troubled by such a barbaric system.

Seven of Nine: I’m simply being objective. You often encourage me to see both sides of an argument.

EMH: Well, this is one occasion when my programming won’t allow me to be objective. Killing is wrong, no matter who’s doing it.

The EMH and Seven debating the pros and cons of capital punishment.
Joleg the Benkaran
Neelix: “The note we sent your brother. He traced the transmission to Voyager. He’s the one who attacked us.”

“This is a Federation Starship, not the Barge of the Dead.”: This is the “capital punishment” episode, and it’s pretty standard. There’s a jerk who gets a redemption arc, there’s a discussion about the pros and cons of removing a danger from society versus trying rehabilitation, and there’s a criminal who swears they are innocent but might not be. The interesting bit here is having the family of the victims sentence the criminals, because an outsider isn’t going to measure the worth of a person’s life in the same way. Also, using biology to explain that Iko couldn’t control his actions and if it had been fixed he would have never committed the crime is a good way to get the audience to feel for this man who just a few minutes ago they hated, but that still doesn’t bring back the life he took. I’m shocked that Neelix gets conned by Joleg, apparently he didn’t learn from “Live Fast and Prosper“. This episode didn’t wow me, but I didn’t hate it either so it earns 6 lemon pies.

TA Out!

VOY: “Lineage”

Date: July 19, 2021

Season 7, Episode 11

Music Video of the Day:

“Some days I don’t know if I am wrong or right…”

Interstellar News: This weekend was a lot of fun. My sorority spouse came to visit and we had a great weekend. Then a good friend and her husband came over for dinner and game night and we played a few fun games.

TL;DR: Torres and Paris find out they’re expecting a tiny human-Klingon. Paris goes to Tuvok for fatherly advice while Torres has flashbacks to her tortured childhood. Torres wants to alter their daughter’s genes to make her more human and less Klingon, but the EMH, Janeway, and Paris are all against it if it’s not medically needed. Torres goes bonkers and reprograms the EMH so she can have the procedure anyway, but Paris stops it. Torres and Paris talk, decide they’ll make it work, and then apologize to the EMH and ask him to be the godfather.

Favorite Quote:

Paris: Is it a girl or a boy?

Torres: No. Don’t tell. I want to be surprised.

Paris: We’ve already been surprised.

Torres: I just don’t see any reason to have to label the baby. I don’t want to know the gender. I don’t want to have to pick a name yet.

Paris: Okay, okay, Mommy knows best.

Torres: Mommy?

Paris and Torres being adorable. I agree with her not wanting to label the baby. A person’s a person, no matter how small.
Paris and Torres consoling each other
“It’s fatherhood, not exile.”

“Offspring can be disturbingly illogical, yet profoundly fulfilling. You should anticipate paradox.”: This was an incredibly difficult episode to watch. It had the worst bits of being an outsider and having other people make a decision about a woman’s body. Torres says “When the people around you are all one way and you’re not, you can’t help feeling like there’s something wrong with you.” Though Paris says there are other non-humans on board, the majority of the crew is human and that has got to be hard for the others on board. While there may not be racism by way of color of skin, there’s still racism in subtle ways against those who are non-human.

Now for the hard part. Torres wants to alter the genes of her child to make her less Klingon, but in the end it’s two men and an authority figure telling her she can’t do something with her body and it rubs me completely the wrong way. Paris is wonderful here, he only ever tries to help, but he’s in over his head. Also, blaming this on her hormones was just seven kinds of ick and I just felt uncomfortable watching the episode most of the time.

I did like how Icheb thought the baby was a parasite (I mean, he’s not entirely wrong), how news traveled so fast on the small ship, and getting those flashbacks into Torres’s childhood to understand how she was feeling a bit better. I also liked the end where Torres and Paris have their heart-to-heart and how Torres owns up to her mistakes. However, I just can’t bring myself to rate this episode.

TA Out!