VOY: “Memorial”

Date: February 15, 2021

Season 6, Episode 14

Music Video of the Day: Happy 15th Day of Black History Month!

“Maybe together we can get somewhere / Any place is better…”

Interstellar News: Today I found out a dear friend and his wife are both getting their first vaccine shot on Friday, and I am overjoyed for them.

TL;DR: Kim, Chakotay, Paris, and Neelix return from a two week away mission and begin to experience these intense memories about being in a battle. They believe they were part of an extermination of 82 civilians, but then Janeway and others on the crew start to experience the same thoughts. They head to the planet in question and realize there’s a memorial set up to transmit an atrocity that happened over 300 years ago. Janeway and crew repair the transmitter and set up a warning beacon so folks have informed consent before entering the area.

Favorite Quote:

Seven of Nine: Your favorites. Talaxian stew and terra nut soufflé. The soufflé has collapsed slightly, but its nutritional content is intact.

Neelix: Thank you. It looks delicious.

Seven of Nine: When Naomi Wildman is sad, she consumes desserts. She claims it improves her emotional state. Perhaps you should try it.

Seven had me in stitches about the dessert.

“Guilt can be a difficult, but useful, emotion.”: This is a very powerful episode, but there are some flaws I’m not sure I can overlook. Torres and Paris haven’t seen each other in two weeks and he zonks out at the CRT TV she made him, but then TORRES FALLS ASLEEP. No way she doesn’t blow up at Paris or storm out, I mean… have you even watched “Alice“? The obelisk memorial, which reminds me of the object in “The Paradise Syndrome“, was a wonderful tribute to those who were lost on the planet. I totally understand why Neelix argued to preserve it, given what happened to his family, but I don’t understand why Chakotay was so against it – both as a pacifist and an anthropologist. One could make the argument that Chakotay is still not over what happened in “Nemesis” and this experience was similar enough that he was just adamant about not having anyone else have to go through what he did. I also don’t buy how Janeway acted toward the boys when they were piecing together what happened, because there were so many pieces that just didn’t make sense.

dino telling a mammal to "save yourself, we'll fend off the asteroids" and NEVER FORGET
Never surrender, and never forget.

What is good about this episode, however, is so wonderfully good. The Nakan suffered a terrible tragedy at the hands of the military and at least one person spoke up so that their memory could not be forgotten, so that future generations would learn from this mistake, and so that 82 civilians could be a lesson to us all and never forgotten for the sacrifice they never intended to make. Janeway also ends the episode with the best solution possible, because there really needs to be a warning where that memorial is concerned. I’ll give this episode 6 gummy bears, maybe 7.

TA Out!

Valentine’s Day 2021

Date: February 14, 2021

Music Videos of the Day: Today there are two…

“This world’s an ugly place, but you’re so beautiful to me.”
I mean, look at the name of the song. “My Bloody Valentine” by Good Charlotte.

Interstellar News: This morning was my usual Sunday morning movie viewing with a dear friend, and we watched The Proposal. It was silly, and terrible, and amazing, and Betty White stole every scene she was in. Then I ate lunch with the husband person and we finished putting together the storage bookshelf he’s been working on for a month or two. It’s wonderful and I love it so. We also made a great dinner and dessert and did grocery shopping in a virtually empty store. I was also gifted a life-size cardboard cutout of the hourglass that’s used in The Wizard of Oz… and there’s a hysterical story that goes along with it.

The moral of today, though, is I know I am loved and it doesn’t matter how much or even what the gift was… it’s who showed up and who was here for me that matters most. So wash your hands, wear your mask, tell those you love how you feel, be excellent to each other, live long and prosper, party on dudes, and may the Force be with us all.

TA Out!

Sports Night: “Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee Tech”

Date: February 13, 2021

Season 1, Episode 11

Music Video of the Day: Happy 13th Day of Black History Month!

You may know Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish, which he was also amazing in.

Interstellar News: Today would have been my Grandpa Freddie’s 97th birthday. Two days ago would have been Grandma Gloria’s 90th. I miss them both so much. It has also been cold and rainy all damn day, sigh.

Favorite Quote:

Isaac: Thank you, Casey. Exaudio, Comperio, Conloquor. That’s a Latin phrase that translates: To Listen, To Learn, To Speak. Those words are carved into the stone arches that form the entrance to the undergraduate library at Tennessee Western University. This afternoon, an extraordinary young man named Roland Shepard made what had to have been an excruciating decision. He said he wasn’t playing football under a Confederate flag. Six of his teammates then chose not to let Shepard stand alone. And I choose to join them at this moment. In the history of the South, there’s much to celebrate. And that flag is a desecration of all of it. It’s a banner of hatred and separation. It’s a banner of ignorance and violence and a war that pitted brother against brother, and to ask young black men and women, young Jewish men and women, Asians, Native Americans, to ask Americans to walk beneath its shadow is a humiliation of irreducable proportions. And we all know it. Tennessee Western has produced some outstanding alumni in the last hundred years. People of wisdom and vision. Strength and compassion. One of them is Luther Sachs. Luther Sachs owns Continental Corp, which owns the Continental Sports Channel, which you’re watching right now. Luther Sachs is a generous alumni contributor to Tennessee Western with a considerable influence over its Chancellor, Davis Blake, and its Board of Trustees. Luther, you’ve got a phone call to make. You’ve got to call Chancellor Blake and tell him to take down that flag or he can stop looking for your checks in the mail. You’ve got to put these young men back in a classroom, and I mean pronto. These boys are gonna make you proud one day, Luther. I challenge you to do the right thing. Not an unreasonable request to make of a man whose alma mater declares Exaudio, Comperio, Conloquor: To Listen, To Learn, To Speak. In the meantime, God go with you, Roland Shepard and you six Southern gentlemen of Tennessee. God’s not done with any of you yet.

Isaac speaks the good words.
Isaac Jaffey on the ait
Isaac is the best.

“Without Maureen, I wouldn’t know gunmetal from a hole in the ground.”: I love this episode for two wonderful reasons. One is the way Isaac and the team handle the situation at the fictional school of Tennessee Western, and the other is how Dan and Casey give thanks to the staff by naming them on air.

As a northerner who moved to the South, I never understood the Confederate Flag. To me it’s the flag of a group who lost a war, and that war symbolized hatred. Why anyone would want a daily reminder of that is beyond me. I also, however, understand that I am not from this culture. I loved that the main player was not only Black, but that he was majoring in chemical engineering. As someone who teaches future engineers, we don’t get a lot of student athletes and we certainly don’t get them from the football team. It was a nice bit of writing that was subtle but awesome, as engineering needs points of view from all walks of life to be effective and efficient.

Dan and Casey taking time, on the air, to give special thanks to everyone who works on the show was just so heartwarming. It shows how much the Sports Night team is a family, but still a young one. Casey’s head has been so up his ass that the dressing down he gets from Monica is fantastic and also earned. It doesn’t hurt that the woman who plays Monica also plays a wonderful character on The West Wing. Gosh, I really do love this episode.

TA Out!

VOY: “Virtuoso”

Date: February 12, 2021

Season 6, Episode 13

Music Video of the Day:

“02/12/99 at the stroke of midnight / Holding you tight, your body and mine, in February / Few scenes from my life where moments mean more to me / Than our fine nights, / I remember like yesterday, the time of my life.”

Interstellar News: Happy 12th Day of Black History Month. As today’s music video dealt with a date-specific song… I’ll leave you with this BHM fact. Bessie Coleman was the first licensed African-America pilot in the world. Also, I did 6 loads of laundry today and finished a bunch of stuff in the fridge… it was as good of a day as it could be.

TL;DR: Voyager encounters the Qomar, who have never heard of music. The EMH becomes very famous and resigns his commission, wanting to stay with the Qomar. He eventually realizes they didn’t want him, just his music, and he rejoins the crew… to the delight of Janeway and Seven of Nine.

Favorite Quotes:

Janeway’s Jam: “Tuvok, when have functions aboard this ship ever been normal?”

Seven of Nine: Why would the Doctor inspire fanaticism among the Qomar?

Janeway: Music is new to them. Clearly, they’re very excited about it.

Seven of Nine: This glorification of the individual is irrational. The Doctor is merely reproducing the work of others. Why do his fans fixate solely on him?

Janeway: I suppose he’s the embodiment of what they admire. He can do something they can’t. That makes him special.

Seven of Nine: Perhaps, but that doesn’t explain their interest in the minutiae of the Doctor’s life. What does he do in his spare time? To how many decimal places can he calculate pi? This one wants to know his favorite quadratic equation.

I mean, I would also like to know his favorite equation…
Drew Carey "15 min of fame, where the points are made up and the talent doesn't matter"
The EMH learned his lesson the hard way, just like any flesh-and-blood crew member.

“I can even reprogram you to be a whistling teapot. But, if I do that, it won’t be you anymore.”: I am torn about this episode. It’s frustrating that they aren’t consistent about the doctor. The first few seasons they explained he was integrated into the ship, but then in “Year of Hell” when Janeway was going to go down with the ship, it was fine for the EMH to bugger off with his mobile emitter to another ship? How is that even possible? The best parts of this, though, are similar questions that are posed during Data’s trial in “The Measure of a Man“. The EMH brings up a great point about Kim finding the love of his life and wanting to stay, well why can’t the EMH do that himself? I was so crushed for him when Tincoo built her perfect hologram and left the EMH to sing a sad song. Seven’s bit at the end was also wonderful and I think everyone on board learned a valuable lesson about appreciating every crew member. 5 slices of cornbread covered in chili for this episode.

TA Out!

VOY: “Blink of an Eye”

Date: February 10, 2021

Season 6, Episode 12

Music Video of the Day: Happy 10th Day of Black History Month!

“Wine and dine, I don’t need that as long as long as you wit me…”

Interstellar News: Today was filled with a win streak in online poker, as I was in “the zone”. SHOE MONEY TONIGHT!

TL;DR: Voyager encounters a planet like no one has seen, but then get stuck in orbit and cause a time differential. On the planet, the natives believe it’s a new god as Voyager appears as a star. Years pass on the planet where we see the culture becoming more advanced and the different ways they try to contact the “sky ship”. The EMH goes down to investigate but gets stuck for three years, even though it’s only minutes on the ship. Eventually two astronauts make contact, one dies and the other decides to help them out. Those on the surface are able to break Voyager free, they fix the warp drive, and the astronaut (now an old man) watches as the “star ship” disappears.

Favorite Quote:

Chakotay: How’s our warp core?

Torres: The matter-antimatter reaction is still active, but this field we’re stuck in is raising hell with the nacelles. Until we break orbit, warp drive is offline.

Chakotay: Without warp drive, we’ll never leave orbit.

Torres: It does pose a bit of a problem, doesn’t it?

Chakotay and Torres looking at their Catch 22.
"She added me on linked in, so I guess you can say things are getting pretty serious"
Moving too fast? Or is it too slow?

“I doubt everything, remember? Even my own doubts.”: I really enjoyed this episode. It was wonderful to see how the culture developed on the planet below as not much time passed for Voyager above. Yes, they royally fucked up the Prime Directive because they completely changed the trajectory of the folks below them, but it also encouraged them to explore when they may not have. Also the pilot, Gotana-Retz, was on Crusade and I totally enjoyed seeing him take it all in (much like in “Wink of an Eye“) and be willing to do whatever it took. I love how the EMH had a family, Naomi writes a report on the “weird planet”, and Paris clearly hasn’t learned shit from “Thirty Days” because he’s still so vocal against the Prime Directive. I don’t have a lot to say about this episode, but I really liked it and it gets 8 minutes to midnight.

TA Out!