Redstick SF

The fall television season has returned with some new (and some not-so-new) tasty SF offerings. Here’s how they rate.

Quantum Leap, Part 2.

Journeyman’s pilot episode is middling enjoyable as long as you’re comfortable with the fact that it’s really Quantum Leap without Al.

“This shirt is so fresh!”

The episode cashes in on the assumption that time travel is awesome when we can go back to the 80s and make fun of the clothes we wore and the music we listened to. At one point, you almost expect to see someone listening to Flock of Seagulls, driving a De Lorean…all whilst avoiding the Noid.

Yes, stainless steel and sports car, together at last!

It turns out new-Sam (I’m sorry but I’m just too lazy to look up the character’s real name) lost a fiancee to a plane crash some 8 years before. Although he’s married and has a son, we’re led to believe that new-Sam hasn’t moved on. Mix in a vaguely referenced history of gambling and philandering, and we’ve got a significantly less likeable Sam.

Eventually it’s suggested that the old flame, played by an actress named…I swear to God…Moon Bloodgood, may not have died in that plane crash. Instead, it appears she may be another leaper…putting right what once went wrong.

Moon aka Livia.

In all fairness, the last quarter of the episode does improve significantly, primarily because the show stops trying to wow you with its time traveling (which is actually quite boring), and gets back to the relationship between Dan (ok, I looked it up) and his wife (who, it turns out, had been his brother’s girlfriend before Livia’s/Moon’s death by planecrash), Katie. Time traveling is tough on a marriage, it seems, and Katie’s tired of playing 2nd fiddle to a dead girl (and to tell the truth, Gretchen Egolf (Katie) is more attractive than Moonbeam in a girl-next-door/a girl-you’re-more-likely-to-marry kind of way).

Gretchen Egolf aka Katie

Verdict? Ziggy says there’s a 32.5 percent chance this one gets any better than this.

Heroes (Season 2)

This episode was about what we’ve come to expect from the show.
1. There’s still too much going on in every episode.
2. There’s still that annoying voice-over that explains everything to you like your superpower is extreme stupidity.
3. A new season, a new Nissan to sell. It’s so obvious. What did we do to deserve this disrespect Nissan? Try harder.
4. Overall, pretty predictable dialogue and the plot still rambles along quasi-coherently. But hey, they’re all a bunch of beautiful, multicultural people. I’m starting to think that’s the only reason to watch.

Flash

I know this isn’t a new show. And I know that I got the new Ming all wrong in the post below. But does anyone really care? This show is so dead. If you’re still watching it, shame on you. It’s a shame, too, because with some decent writing, it could have been pretty good.

Tomorrow: Bionic Woman!