tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.comments2024-03-18T04:36:26.547-04:00Paul Levinson's Infinite RegressPaul Levinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comBlogger6035125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-51821996471191692872024-03-10T20:13:18.707-04:002024-03-10T20:13:18.707-04:00Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Your point abo...Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Your point about I, Claudius is very well taken (and is a prime example of how the TV series differs from the novels).Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-3361697299489030662024-02-07T22:29:21.037-05:002024-02-07T22:29:21.037-05:00I'm enjoying this space opera, & all of th...I'm enjoying this space opera, & all of the sub plots & surprises.<br />I don't care all that much about deviation from details of the book, even the name recycling. I hope it carries on for a decade!<br /><br />But is that empire really "falling"? It's nothing like any empire fall we've seen in human history. It seems tougher and meaner than ever, maybe a little rough at the edges. By Bel Riose's time it was a shrunken state in the book. I don't know where we are in the Decline and Fall - it's more like I, Claudius. This is where Goyer has lost the plot.Michael Helmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08051855643893130670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-82445755208887620722023-12-10T18:50:02.219-05:002023-12-10T18:50:02.219-05:00You are SO wrong! No just kidding, I agree with yo...You are SO wrong! No just kidding, I agree with you..the 2 women are symbols, good catch. CinemaFreakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10275298472276047259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-1444418534411912962023-12-10T18:37:14.266-05:002023-12-10T18:37:14.266-05:00I believe some are overcomplicating it. Obviously ...I believe some are overcomplicating it. Obviously Jack is being stalked by the Swedes over a past job. After Jack kills the "friend", the woman he was at the cabin with in the beginning, who was just a civilian, Pavel then realized that Jack was becoming a risky asset. 2 things Pavel said makes this clear..."do not make anymore 'friends' and "youre losing your edge". The final problem is that Jack, because of his actions with the woman at the cabin, and his new love, is really proving to Pavel that he really is having thoughts about his future, about getting out, about retiring and moving on with his life. Nobody leaves "the life" they say, except in a pine box. So when Jack says he will deliver the weapon and then he is "out", that is the nail in the coffin. Pavel has no chance but to take him out, and as soon as he hangs up with Jack, he calls the assassin Mathilde, "Listen to me..", we hear him say. Because Jack is a smart man with goof instincts, he knows that he is not going to be just allowed to retire in peace, and so he then modifies/sabotaged the rifle that he is to deliver to Mathilde. He also is nervous during the exchange, carefully watching the 2 men sitting in the Cafe, who aren't really a part of anything. And meeting Mathilde outside the shop instead of staying in, and the lucky fact that a bus load of people pulls up, negates any chance of confrontation between him and Mathilde at that time, because it is obvious by then that she has been charged to kill him. Some people on here have commented that this was her original order, to kill Jack. But I don't believe this, and I believe that Pavel simply added an additional job for Mathilde after Jack says he's quitting. "OH, by the way, kill Jack before you go to do your original assignment" that sort of thing. We see Mathilde aiming her rifle with Jack in her sights from up on a hill, and I must admit that I thought Pavel shot her (perhaps because she was hesitating). I thought at first that she saw Jack was obviously in love and in my mind I thought Mathilde was thinking about not killing him because she had a soft side as well...and I actually thought she was shot by Pavel..which doesn't make sense, until I realized that the gun has backfired, and the assumption is that Jack rigged it to do this. So Jack goes to find Pavel, who gets the advantage on Jack and ends up behind him..Jack spins and they both shoot..Pavel goes down. We don't see until Jack is driving away that he has been shot. When he arrives, just barely, at the picnic spot I thought he was hallucinating about Clara being there..I thought it was just a dying memory of when they were there days before on their picnic. Because I was confused about how she got there before Jack since he was driving, and she would have had to leave directly after the exploding gun scene, and that still doesn't make sense to me that she made it there before him. Someone's comment said they saw a bike leaning against a tree, but I am still skeptical that she could have made it there before him. Maybe this really is a dying dream hallucination at the very end of the film?? Who knows? I also saw another comment or said, "why let your boss know that you want out of the assassin lufe?" In does indeed seem unwise to voice this desire, especially sense the common knowledge, in movies at least, is that you can never just walk away from that life, it's never that easy. I've heard sone say it was a good movie but that it took 2 hours and was slower paced, but this is one of the things I like about this movie, and it's European-made style to it. You can have a great movie with all the Hollywood reliance on all the action-packed shootouts and car chases. I like a film that is a bit slower and more subtle, like this one. Kudos!CinemaFreakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10275298472276047259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-21399387899819590402023-11-11T22:01:34.926-05:002023-11-11T22:01:34.926-05:00Thanks, a good review!
A minor point... I don...Thanks, a good review! <br /><br />A minor point... I don't think the indigenous characters are Cree, I believe they are Haudenosaunee or a related people.Norman Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01973397086097773363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-56393797189248751972023-11-11T19:38:46.925-05:002023-11-11T19:38:46.925-05:00Just saw this comment (even though it was posted i...Just saw this comment (even though it was posted in 2008!). Glad you enjoyed.<br />Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-27451608404646434802023-11-10T17:58:23.346-05:002023-11-10T17:58:23.346-05:00Thanks Dave -- great to see your comment! I agree ...Thanks Dave -- great to see your comment! I agree with what you say, 100%!Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-18393014941871664802023-11-03T12:29:11.400-04:002023-11-03T12:29:11.400-04:00Great write-up, Paul, and I agree with you wholehe...Great write-up, Paul, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I’ve been a Beatles fan since the beginning, and this song says good bye in so many ways. I think it’s a lovely song. It’s also a testament to The Beatles longevity, being that “Now And Then” was written in the 1970s and published in 2023. It’s still relevant! Age did not hurt it. I wouldn’t have expected it to, given that it came from the minds of Lennon/McCartney.Dave Knechelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00996600595198399793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-66457273653362858602023-10-28T09:45:29.269-04:002023-10-28T09:45:29.269-04:00Well said and agreed! Thanks for the comment.Well said and agreed! Thanks for the comment.Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-68307911942685969382023-10-24T16:55:12.494-04:002023-10-24T16:55:12.494-04:00Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" continues to h...Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" continues to honor the legacy of Pike, exploring uncharted frontiers with captivating storytelling and vibrant characters.Snuggle hunny kidshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16403500413749189123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-42578028431314085692023-10-19T18:12:18.995-04:002023-10-19T18:12:18.995-04:00Absolutely! Thanks so much for your comment. You...Absolutely! Thanks so much for your comment. You and I are on the same wavelength, as we've been for at least 15 years now.Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-35227862594926293542023-10-19T01:05:47.346-04:002023-10-19T01:05:47.346-04:00Oh Prof. My heart is hurting from this. Like you, ...Oh Prof. My heart is hurting from this. Like you, I too hope (and feel certain) that Israel will do everything they can to minimize the destruction of innocent life. They must eradicate those soulless monsters. Hamas. badthing1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09985465976840168636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-15916421583430542532023-09-04T01:53:43.400-04:002023-09-04T01:53:43.400-04:00Thanks for the comment, Steven. I don't disag...Thanks for the comment, Steven. I don't disagree that the ethical quandary might have been more clearly drawn, but the episode still brought that home to me the way it was. As always, different strokes for different folks.<br />Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-13797595440779506822023-09-04T01:48:17.915-04:002023-09-04T01:48:17.915-04:00Good thinking -- and that's exactly what happe...Good thinking -- and that's exactly what happened in the latest episode (2.8)!Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-88779184963715731582023-09-04T01:43:37.837-04:002023-09-04T01:43:37.837-04:00Thanks so much, Cora!
Thanks so much, Cora!<br />Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-29996457350131447082023-08-30T16:14:51.869-04:002023-08-30T16:14:51.869-04:00Congratulations.Congratulations.Cora Buhlerthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03868233120931184399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-59582280604040819502023-08-24T01:18:21.003-04:002023-08-24T01:18:21.003-04:00With all due respect, this episode was a mess. In ...With all due respect, this episode was a mess. In choosing not to show exactly what happened in the fatal fight, the show left the issue of who was ultimately to blame for the killing completely in shadow, which means that any moral/ethical point they were trying to make was equally obscured. Making M’benga the real “butcher” was a nice twist, but it left the question of his desire for “justice” hopelessly muddled with the question of his own shame for having been revealed to be as bloodthirsty a killer as the Klingon. Nor did it truly make any sense that the Klingon had to concoct the lie that he was the “butcher” — he would have been an equally sympathetic “reformed war criminal” for simply having abandoned the battle field without this convoluted plot twist about M’benga being the real killer. It takes real writing chops and clarity of moral vision to pull off a nuanced ethical dilemma in this kind of drama. Just concocting a horrific war backstory and flipping expectations of who did what to whom does not a compelling morality play make. Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07580207076213490066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-26880251588532710702023-08-18T19:05:53.333-04:002023-08-18T19:05:53.333-04:00I hope we do get more of the Spacers back story. W...I hope we do get more of the Spacers back story. We only know that they were enslaved by Empire 600yrs previously and that they depend on opalesk which the Empire controls. Interesting that the Foundation whisper ships don't need spacers or opalesk, so maybe the Spacers will somehow ally with Foundation through Mallow to throw off their servitude to Empire?Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12665317084560201712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-12807013752753211982023-08-18T18:43:17.220-04:002023-08-18T18:43:17.220-04:00And I agree with most of your excellent comment --...And I agree with most of your excellent comment -- especially that Gaal would make a great premier First Speaker. I liked Hober and the Spacers, but I think the Spacers could use a lot more history and development than they've been receiving in the series.<br />Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-65496825693641260902023-08-18T16:39:23.067-04:002023-08-18T16:39:23.067-04:00Excellent review. I agree with most of it, but I&#...Excellent review. I agree with most of it, but I'd add a couple of things. The scene with Hari and Salvor fishing was delightful, in that we learned more about both of their characters and felt them bonding like they hadn't to that point. I also kind of hope physical Hari survives somehow if only to enjoy the fruits of that bond, but I suspect we're down to one Hari again.<br /><br />I also loved Gaal's birthday surprise for Salvor and the hug. These two really need to have a deep connection and the stage is set for something really special here. I'm finding myself more interested in the non-Empire side of things the more I come to know these characters and their relationships. Those who continue to insist that the only things interesting are on Trantor are likely to miss out on the growing soul of the show in my opinion.<br /><br />I don't think Tellem Bond is going to be forming the Second Foundation. She hinted that she has a terminal illness, and probably just wants to be left alone in her little fiefdom on Ignis in the time remaining. Gaal may form the Second Foundation from some portion or all of her followers. I see Gaal as the first true First Speaker.<br /><br />The other great piece of this was Hober's encounter with the spacers which I thought was just mindblowingly cool sci fi. I can't wait to see where this subplot is going.<br /><br />Lastly, as absurdly impossible as Helicon, its moon, and the moonshrikes all are, I thought it was beautifully imaginative, and agree that the whole flashback sequence was pure gold.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12665317084560201712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-17052428583726576982023-08-05T19:35:56.206-04:002023-08-05T19:35:56.206-04:00Thanks -- glad you enjoyed (the show and my review...Thanks -- glad you enjoyed (the show and my reviews)!Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-10527961753245184582023-07-23T15:40:28.110-04:002023-07-23T15:40:28.110-04:00I've never binged a show so fast. It's bee...I've never binged a show so fast. It's been a pleasure to enjoy this journey with your commentary after each episode. Thanks so much for writing these posts. What a show!Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12665317084560201712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-59544693152228648302023-07-23T11:43:56.656-04:002023-07-23T11:43:56.656-04:00This show has me gripped by the you know what and ...This show has me gripped by the you know what and will not let go.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12665317084560201712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-33359474867702277652023-07-20T21:51:42.079-04:002023-07-20T21:51:42.079-04:00Five episodes in and at least four of the most int...Five episodes in and at least four of the most interesting characters introduced have bought it, although that's counting those who only died on a video screen to our knowledge. Such a great mood to this show. Stays steady throughout. Lots of slow burn with some true heart pounders now and then. Loving it.<br /><br />The cafe astronomer seemed a little odd. 200 some years and nobody's gotten bored enough to notice the stars move in a pattern? At this rate it will take a millennia to discover planets.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12665317084560201712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-76978218821272769252023-07-20T12:10:37.133-04:002023-07-20T12:10:37.133-04:00This got me thinking a lot more and I knew I had f...This got me thinking a lot more and I knew I had far too much for a single comment, so I wrote it up on my Patreon and posted it publicly. Thanks for giving me some grist to mill.<br /><br />https://www.patreon.com/posts/who-is-hari-86393659Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12665317084560201712noreply@blogger.com