The Murderbot Diaries is one of those series that is super popular and well-regarded, but it was not really on my radar until I went into this review for its first book, All Systems Red.
“Pet Project” is so short. I’m convinced that it exists to introduce one piece of lore and that’s about it. Time will tell, but this is likely the most succinct review of an episode I’ll maybe do for the whole series. What is there to say about this little vignette besides that it was, indeed, a horror story?
“How Things Unfold” is beautiful, devastating, heartbreaking, hopeful, fascinating, imaginative, and yet so much more. It’s a short story that captures a human message while delivering a sci-fi concept that feels original. And all of that in such a short page count.
“Futures” is not only one of the most unique horror stories I’ve experienced, but it’s also a great one. From concept to execution, there are only a few hiccups along the way, and none of them glaring enough to even be considered a distraction.
I’m late to the Marvel’s What If…? party. But now that I’m here, it turns out I’ve been missing out. I love anthologies and especially considering some of the lackluster Marvel entries in the main canon lately, it’s a ton of fun to see the cast play out these alternative stories.
“Getting Off” is an episode with a totally different vibe. Between this and “Saturday Night,” we have the same villain, Mr. Bonzo, but he’s handled totally differently.
Much has been said, no doubt, about the social satire inherent to Severance. It’s the most immediate aspect of the show—and only continues to become more aggressive as the series continues. But I am not the reviewer to talk about its accuracy to either the feelings inherent to such a type of work or the setting’s accuracy.
I couldn’t help but be disappointed in “Marked.” The hiatus after “Saturday Night” made me assume we were getting a big, important episode next. But this one just feels like a bridge to other plot points. I’d almost call it filler.
The fact this is being made into a movie doesn’t bode super well for things. Remakes are a contentious topic under normal circumstances. This doesn’t seem like normal circumstances.
Playing with Fire marks the last Marvel Rising entry. As far as I can tell, the series died with this one. It’s been years since the last one. But, against all odds, they managed to end with the best episode.
This review of X-Men ’97 has a caveat to it. This review is not intended for fans of the original series. I haven’t seen much of the original series, and it’s been a very long time since then. No, this review is for the people who are aware of the hype and want to watch X-Men ’97—but don’t know if they need the background context.
Operation Shuri is a fun idea for an episode, let down by the last few minutes. Up until a single baffling conversation, I was on board with the storyline. Wakanda being so far ahead of most places with their technology, culture, education, etc. is one of the reasons the Black Panther movies are so interesting.
