Otherworldly Odyssey: Week of 3/26/2019

There was a lot going on this week. Netflix’s anthology series Love, Death, and Robots was a refreshing taste of sci fi to get us through the end of winter. And, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been binge-watching classic Twilight Zone episodes on CBS All Access to prepare for the reboot which arrives next week. Star Trek Discovery is getting close to revealing all there is to know about the Red Angel as well. Let’s talk about what was on this week.

Love, Death, + Robots (Netflix)

Love, Death, + Robots arrived on Netflix last week. Filled with bite-size tidbits of apocalyptic futures, living creatures from cyborg to ghoul, and all manner of robotics, Love, Death, and Robots was a nice collection of interesting takes on classic themes. I appreciated the variety of animation styles and of tone. My favorites are the lighter, more humorous tales, but it was an overall solid anthology. Below I’ve given some of my thoughts on the individual episodes.

“Sonnie’s Edge” starts us out with what initially seems to be pretty standard fair, but a surprise ending adds depth and sets us up to expect the unexpected. That said, when I watched the series a second time, I skipped this first episode.

Next was my favorite, “Three Robots” based on the story by John Scalzi, who I stan for. Three robots humorously explore Earth long after humans have died out, and their take on humanity is hilariously inaccurate, but very apt. Of all the characters in the entire series, these robots might be the most human. And, we do learn one thing, cats remain. If you watch no other episode, make it this one.

I could have lived without the obligatory sci fi trope of the waif who also works in gratuitously sexualized employment in “The Witness,” but it was an interesting play on causality. It was another one that I didn’t watch twice though, though I did really enjoy the more abstract animation style.

“Suits” was a nice combination of humorous space cowboys and Alien, mech suits and all. It felt a little like Saturday morning cartoons, but was a whole lot more emotionally engaging.

Cats return for “Sucker of Souls,” a fairly straightforward tomb raider tale that subs a vampire in for a mummy. The classic animation was good, and the witty banter makes this one charming. Plus, cats. They probably should have held on to that C-4 though.

Another episode based on a story by John Scalzi, “When Yogurt Took Over” imagines a world of sentient dairy products. As an Ohioan, I appreciate the Ohio connection, especially the iconic blue archway as you enter the state. The not-quite-sinister takeover by something as benign as yogurt was pretty entertaining. Another good example of why John Scalzi is amazing.

I somehow completely tuned out “Beyond the Aquila Rift” my first time through Love, Death, and Robots. In this hyper-realistic animation, a crew wakes to find themselves far from where they intended to go, in a place that isn’t as it seems. It doesn’t do anything ground-breaking, but it’s a very solid tale of a ship lost at sea.

“Good Hunting” brings the myth of huli jing into a modern steam-punk (clock-punk?) setting that is served well by its anime style. The story is a good analogy of how the modern world has killed magic, but then given it back to us in through technology. I also enjoyed the anti-colonialist slant to the story, which tied in nicely to the era of Chinese history that it is set in. The story was written by Ken Liu, who I had only known from his translation of Liu Cixin’s Three Body Problem. I’ll definitely have to check out his writing.

“The Dump” was a cute story of an old geezer and his unlikely pet living in a dump. “Shape-Shifters” was a fairly generic tale of werewolves as soldiers but was overall good.

I really enjoyed “Helping Hand.” Its tale of endurance and survival may have been the most classic “sci fi” of all the tales. It reminded me a lot of something that could have been written by Heinlein. The hyper-realistic animation definitely makes it more riveting. It’s really an excellent short.

“Fish Night” was a trippy fantasy about the dream world that two men come upon when they find themselves stranded in the desert. The ghosts of the desert come calling, and their call is hard to resist.

“Lucky 13” is my favorite of the more serious shorts. It’s a very classic war story tale of a soldier’s lucky ship. The story certainly feels uncanny as it manages to feel fantastic and unreal without ever actually venturing into the realm of fantasy or science fiction. One of the best in the series.

I could give or take “Zima Blue,” even though that’s a pretty unfair assessment of what really is a well-made tale. I should probably watch it again on its own because I think being wedged in the middle of a serious binge did it a disservice. Maybe it was just a little too cerebral for me in among so many moments of light fun and gratuitous violence. “Blind Spot” was a pretty good take on cyborgs but was definitely saved from being mundane by its ending.

As a fan of magical realism (and the locker scene from Men In Black) I enjoyed “Ice Age.” The blending of animation and reality was nice too, without trying to hard to pretend the animation was real. I’m a fan of Topher Grace, and he did a good job of showing the disbelief and wonder that is appropriate for this scene.

I loved the third installation of a John Scalzi work, “Alternate Histories”. The increasingly surreal alternate timelines for Hitler were very entertaining. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy watching Hitler get killed over and over in humorous ways?

Finally we have “The Secret War.” Another war story set in the past, this one was much darker than “Lucky 13”. It felt a lot like a compilation of cut scenes from video games, which I suspect was intentional. I imagine that we would be playing as the young soldier who runs with a message at the end. It was a good story, and the animation was realistic enough to make it feel perilous, but I think it was story that would have benefitted from a little more development.

Love, Death, + Robots is streaming on Netflix now.

The Orville: 2.11 Lasting Impressions (Fox)

Bortus and Klyden’s smoking problem and failing attempts to quit may have done more to humanize the two than anything else that’s happened on The Orville this season. It was the most relatable that I’ve seen them be so far, and I loved it. Bring us more everyday Moclan shenanigans.

Photo by Kevin Estrada/FOX

A time capsule from 2015 holds the cell phone of a long dead woman. After studying the evidence of her life left on the phone, Gordon becomes infatuated with this woman who lived long before him. She seems perfect, but unfortunately isn’t real. When his simulated relationship doesn’t go the way he wants, he tries to adjust it to make it fit his wants. But, changing her world changed who she was, and that wasn’t what Gordon wanted.

As a former English major, the idea of someone’s words reaching across expanses of time and making us feel very real emotions about someone who lived long ago is very familiar. The Orville did a great job of showing us the difference between living in a dream or reality. I have to admit, I got a little emotional at the end of this episode, which is something I never thought The Orville could do.

The Orville will return April 11 with Sanctuary

Star Trek Discovery: 2.10 The Red Angel (CBS All Access)

Star Trek Discovery has been renewed for a third season, with Michelle Paradise as showrunner, and I am happy to hear it. I love this show, and I like the direction it’s gone this season. The characters seem to have settled in to themselves comfortably as well. We know who they are now, so their actions are all the more meaningful.

Still grieving the loss of Airiam, the crew reflects on what she meant to them. Death typically makes us reach for those we love, and it seems to have the crew considering the relationships in their own lives.

The trip to control led to the discovery that the Red Angel is an AI from the future and was behind the events that caused Airiam’s death. But, soon Tilly reveals an even bigger secret about the Red Angel. Section 31 shows up with more revelations, and now they’re working with the Discovery to set a trap for the Red Angel.

Leland reveals that her parents worked for Section 31, and that the story she knows about their death may not be entirely true. He also tells her that her parents were integral to building the Red Angel’s suit. Leland was responsible for her parents’ death, and Michael is going to make him pay for his mistake. Her anger at learning the truth about her parents’ death has one good result, it seems to have kindled the start of a reconciliation between Michael and Spock.

Hugh is still struggling to adjust to his return, and he’s troubled by the situation with Stamets. I, for one, hope he takes the Admiral’s advice to heart and finds a way to love Stamets again.

Spock tells the crew that the only way to provoke a visit from the Red Angel is to put Michael’s life at risk. It was hard on the crew, and it seems to have worked, but what they’ve got isn’t what they expected.

The show seems determined to redeem Phillippa, and I don’t know how I feel about that. And now that it Michael’s real mother has returned, there’s likely to be some conflict between the two mother-figures. But, it’s unlikely Michael’s reunion with her mother is going to be a smooth as she’d hope.

Star Trek Discovery airs Thursdays on CBS All Access

Coming This Week

Monday

Series Premiere – The Twilight Zone: Rewind (CBS All Access) –I’M SO EXCITED!!!

Tuesday

Roswell, New Mexico: I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (CW)

Thursday

Star Trek Discovery: Perpetual Infinity (CBS All Access)

The Orville: Sanctuary (Fox)

Read past installments of Otherworldly Odyssey here.