The start of an epic, multi-part series like Dalek Universe from Big Finish is always exciting. The scale and ambition of sagas such as Doom Coalition or The Syndicate Master Plan takes storytelling possibilities to another level, and seeing the...
In 2018, we began a deep-dive TV review series looking at J.J. Abrams’ Alias, which ran from 2001-2006. Over the next year, we’ll be looking at Season Three’s 22-episode run in detail… How do you follow an episode like Full...
Star Trek: Discovery’s third season is both a step forward and, in many ways, a step back for the new era of the Star Trek franchise. Buoyed by the ending of a second season that sent the crew of the Discovery far past the point of any canonical...
A. J. Black lends his thoughts on the second season of Disney’s The Mandalorian… In so many ways, two seasons in, The Mandalorian is such a contradiction. On the one hand, it represents precisely the kind of fan service that I have...
As Star Wars and Marvel announce their future plans, A. J. Black discusses the phenomenon of milking the biggest franchises in the world for all they’re worth… Franchise cinema, let’s be honest, can be thrilling. It can transform movie...
Amongst the many trends available in television and cinema these days, the self-destructive family dynamic remains among the most potent and popular, except the targets are successively growing bigger in stature. I have recently caught up on HBO’s...
In 2018, I began my first deep-dive TV review series looking at JJ Abrams’ Alias, which ran from 2001-2006. This year, I’ll be looking at Season Two’s 22-episode run in detail… The title of the Season Two finale of Alias is...
The funny thing is that this all happened because of a joke. As Mark Gatiss recalls, at a Sherlock premiere, he commented to the commissioner of BBC drama that Benedict Cumberbatch’s attire made him look a little like Dracula and was asked if it was...
Until the BBC, in league with HBO, decided to tackle Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, it remained one of the greatest, unfilmed epic adventure stories in modern literature. There was, granted, an attempt in 2007 with The Golden Compass...
CAUTION: contains some major spoilers so only read on if you’ve seen the film. If you were looking for the perfect film to put a capstone on the 2010’s, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker arguably would be it. Even with the...