Walter Koenig: 1936-2026

Walter Koenig, best known for his long-running role as Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek, has passed away at age 90.

Sense8: I Can’t Leave Her

Jonas: "Do you have a plan for getting in?"
Will: "I'm going with a nine-millimeter tucked under my arm."

With a title holding double meaning within the episode this finale was far more about emotion than spectacle, although there was quite a bit of spectacle.

VisionQuest: Malware

"We are so screwed."

This episode gives us the dueling themes of what makes a family, and is a creator responsible for their creations? Or are they just different sides of the same coin?

Unabomber: In His Own Words

"I didn't like the guy. But Dave loved his brother all the way through, I think. And his mother, of course, loved Ted as well. But I didn't. He may have been a nice person at some point in his life, but something happened and he became a – a killer."

After watching Netflix's film, Unabomber, I decided to watch this documentary because I had so many questions. I should have skipped the film and just watched this.

VisionQuest: Reboot

"Everything that is, once wasn't, and soon enough won't be. No, what I fear is that... while I'm alive, I'll never understand my purpose."

A solidly packed episode brings Vision closer to Tommy, helps us understand the different parts of Vision and gives more insight into Paladin and the Butcherbird. Join me in unpacking this complicated episode below the fold....

The Invisible Woman (1940)

“Invisible women! These days you can't believe your own eyes, even if you don't see anything.”

Evil: Room 320

"How do you know if you’re being killed or not?"

Evil embraces the 'Spooky Hospital' trope but manages to come up with its own interesting spin on the situation.

Before we begin, to be absolutely clear – do not, under any circumstance, pull out your own IV.

VisionQuest: Theseus

"Hello. My name's Vision and I'm here for the trap."

While the first episode was all about introductions, this one focused on the actual purpose of the show: finding family.

VisionQuest: No Strings

"There are no strings on me."

VisionQuest is a lot of things at once. It is a conclusion of the trilogy started with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along. It is an exploration of character for the titular Vision who has been through a lot. It is a chance to revisit Tony Stark's legacy as practically every character in this series was created by him. Finally it is an excuse to throw together some very talented actors in a high profile project with excellent writing, visual style and creativity.

So let's begin with actually talking about all that.

This review includes spoilers for WandaVision, Agatha All Along and the MCU in general.

What makes a truly great episode of Star Trek?

My personal list of the ten best ever episodes of Star Trek – not just one individual show, but the whole 60-year franchise – just gained a new addition courtesy of Strange New Worlds this summer. But I can't help noticing that my list has a certain theme to it – it's full of extremely dramatic, often out-of-the-ordinary stories. Are these really the best episodes of the franchise overall, or do I just have a penchant for the epic?

Spoiler warning! There will be spoilers for the episodes I talk about here, including an episode from Strange New Worlds season four.

Sense8: Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes

"Van Damme always comes back."

For a show as complicated and experimental as Sense8 I expected nothing less than the banger of a penultimate episode. This one was not a disappointment.

Unabomber

Mr. C: I mean, seriously, where do you get these ideas?
Ted Kaczynski: They fall from the sky.

Alas, this Netflix offering, which is supposed to give us some insight into the Unabomber, also feels as if it fell from the sky – and without a parachute, crashing to the ground and disintegrating into pieces instead of making a coherent story.