Amy C. Shaw

My Top 5 Episodes of Voyager Season Five

August 7, 2017 • 2 Comments

As my husband and I are going through our second full watch of Star Trek as a couple, I thought it would be fun to report on the highlights along the way. So I decided to copy the same format as Charlene. See her favorite episodes of Voyager season five.

In my mind this season of Voyager was very okay. There were some I wasn’t crazy about, one standout, and the rest were good or fine. However, I do have two honorable mentions I considered for this list that I wanted to mention: Relativity and Nothing Human.

5. In The Flesh

In this episode, the Voyager crew finds a recreation of Starfleet Academy on a planet and learn that an alien species they have encountered are using it to learn how to infiltrate the human race.

4. Equinox Parts 1 & 2

Part Two is technically in season 6, but I still decided include them both on my list for season five. It’s comforting to the Voyager crew when they run into another Star Fleet ship, the Equinox, but their crew is hiding a dark secret that makes it clear they have abandoned Star Fleet protocols. Between Janeway and Ransom these episodes made me uncomfortable at times, but that is the point. What are you willing to do in order to survive?

3. Someone to Watch Over Me

This is a fun episode where the Doctor (of all people) tries to teach Seven about social interactions and dating, and then ends up falling for her (which I can live without, but whateves). There’s also a secondary plot where Neelix is hosting an alien ambassador who gets a little too caught up in the pleasures Voyager has to offer.

2. Counterpoint

Even though this episode features the most awkward kiss ever, I love all the trickery and deception in this one.

1. Bride of Chaotica

This episode is pure fun and a great homage to classic sci-fi. When an alien species mistakes the characters from Tom’s Chaotic holodeck program for the real crew, they have to be creative in defeating the enemy in the program, as well as effectively communicating who they really are with the aliens. You can tell Kate Mulgrew had a blast putting on the persona of Queen Arachnia.

What are your favorite episodes of Voyager season five?

Monthly Recap: July

August 4, 2017 • 0 Comments

Books I Read

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (reread)

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick (finished July 1)

So I read A Wrinkle In Time for the first time. And I can see why it’s so beloved and classic. However, some of it was too on-the-nose for me and some of it was a hair too out-there. It’s like when I watched Interstellar for the first time, and I was pretty sure where it was going and I watched as this movie teeter-tottered on the fine line between interesting sci-fi and going off the deep end. I wanted to feel just a little more invested in the characters and could have done with less unnecessary riddles. I also watched the trailer of the new movie coming out the same day I finished and felt a little disappointed. I guess I wanted the movie to feel more classic, but to me it already screams: THIS WAS MADE IN 2017, so I don’t see it enduring as a movie. But that’s based off a two-minute trailer, so what do I know? Maybe it will be amazing.

A New Favorite…

Baking mix! Though don’t let the fact that it comes in a box fool you, this is almost as involved as made-from-scratch, but just as delicious and so worth it!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

For some reason, it feels really momentous to have finished Deep Space Nine again. Probably because I love the show so much and the end is just so satisfying for me. As is reflected by my top episode of the season, the Nog arc really did it for me. But of course there are also the great arcs we see for Kira, Bashir, Damar, Sisko… It could be talked about forever, which is why there are podcasts dedicated to such. (If you’re a fan of DS9, be sure to give The Orb podcast a listen.)

#bookstagram Images of the Month

I think that both Caraval and Wall-E have made it onto my #bookstagram images of the month before, but they’re just so photogenic!

Movies I Watched

My husband and I saw Spider-man: Homecoming and Dunkirk. I reviewed Spider-man here, and I’m still sorting out my feelings for Dunkirk. It’s incredibly raw and intense, but without much of a narrative it was hard for me to appreciate it as a story. It’s a beautiful film, that’s for sure, but I would have loved to have gotten to know the characters onscreen better. I mean, in a way we know them because we see them when they’re afraid, but… I just wish I could adequately describe how I respect what Nolan was doing but just don’t really love it but I desperately want to. I actually want to try to see it again, preferably in film, now that I better understand what happened, thanks to the movie’s Wikipedia page that spelled it out.

In Case You Missed It…

I was featured on Andi’s ABCs talking about what decision I wish technology would make for me!

Plans for August

Switchfoot concert! I’m so excited. I lost count on how many times I’ve seen them long ago. It’s got to be around the dozen mark at this point. It’s also my husband’s birthday month! Which means CAKE! Oh, and celebrating my wonderful husband. 🙂 ~~It also means my birthday is around the corner SOS I don’t want to get older.~~

Potential July TBR

It Started With Goodbye by Christina June (already started)

These Vicious Masks by Kelly Zekas and Tarun Shanker

Without a Summer (Glamourist Histories #3) by Mary Robinette Kowal

(yes I know those last two were on last month’s list… shhh…)

How was your July? What are you looking forward to in August?

My Top 5 Episodes of DS9 Season Seven

July 29, 2017 • 0 Comments

I can’t believe I have finished DS9 for the second time! Ack! It was so good. I just love the last several episodes of the show and the finale. But despite my love for the last several episodes, my five favorite episodes are actually scattered throughout the season.

5. Take Me Out to the Holosuite

This one was even sillier than I remembered, and probably not quite as strong as some of the season’s later episodes, but still… “Death to the opposition!”

4. Extreme Measures

One of the last episodes of the show, in which Bashir is able to bait Sloan from Section 31 to the station. When he demands the cure to Odo’s disease from Sloan, it won’t come easily. It seriously feels like Christopher Nolan watched this and drew inspiration from it for Inception.

3. Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

Thanks to a programmed “jack-in-the-box,” a mobster comes after Vic Fontaine, and the DS9 crew plan a heist to get Vic back into business. This one is just so much fun.

2. What You Leave Behind

A finale where everything right happens, even when there is sad in it too, and everything just feels complete.

1. It’s Only a Paper Moon

I loved this episode the first time, but it for sure made me teary-eyed this time around. After Nog loses his leg, he immerses himself in Vic’s world to forget his real-world troubles. Nog and Vic’s conversation in the end is pitch perfect. And Nog’s character arc… just wow. I love it all.

I’m sad to leave behind the world of Deep Space Nine once again! But I’ll be back one day. 🙂

What are your favorite episodes of Deep Space Nine, season seven?

(Coming soon… my top 10 episodes of all Deep Space Nine!)

Fave 5: Sherlock Episodes

July 14, 2017 • 4 Comments

My husband and I have spent the past couple of months watching every episode of Sherlock for the first time ever and we greatly enjoyed it! Now we’re hoping for and waiting for Series 5 just like every Sherlockian out there!

And even though I didn’t include an episode from season 1, I really did enjoy it too. Episode 3, The Great Game, would be my number six pick. In order of airing…

(Mild spoilers below)

1. The Reichenbach Fall (Season (Season 2, Episode 3)

The standoff between Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty comes to a head, and Sherlock is faced with a choice to let Moriarty go or to save those he loves. Or is there a third option? Aside from it just being a great episode, it’s also nice to see Sherlock’s more caring side.

2. The Empty Hearse (Season 3, Episode 1)

Two years after his supposed death, Sherlock returns for a new investigation, and Watson is less than pleased for being kept in the dark. I enjoyed Watson’s reaction to Sherlock in this one, as well as their moment in the train at the end. It was also fun to see a variety of theories as to how Sherlock may have faked his death scattered through the episode (I have to imagine some of these came from fans).

3. The Sign of Three (Season 3, Episode 2)

John and Mary are getting married, and as best man, Sherlock takes his duty to give a speech very seriously. In possibly the worst and most long-winded best man speech in the history of weddings, however, Sherlock, of course, manages to solve another mystery. This was another one where I really enjoyed seeing Sherlock outside of his usual element.

4. The Abominable Bride (Season 4, Episode 0)

Most of this episode takes place in the past, as Sherlock imagines himself solving a case in the vein of the original Sherlock Holmes we know. Such a fun tribute, while still managing to move the present-day story forward.

5. The Lying Detective (Season 4, Episode 2)

Season 4 overall is both really good and really messed-up. In this particular episode, Sherlock is determined to uncover the truth of business mogul Culverton Smith. The case in itself is really interesting, but then at the end of the episode a total bombshell is dropped that changes what Sherlock thought he knew about his family.

Overall, I loved so much about this show, particularly the intricate plots filled with surprising twists that left me aching for more episode after episode. And it’s really hard to go wrong with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman side by side. They truly nail the characters. If you haven’t seen Sherlock yet and have any interest in the original Sherlock Holmes, or just love great storytelling, I’d highly recommend it!

Have you been Sherlocked? Which episodes are your favorite?

Movie Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming

July 11, 2017 • 6 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve really posted a review, especially a movie review, and I felt like sharing my thoughts on the MCU’s latest offering: Spider-man: Homecoming.

Spider-man: Homecoming is probably not going to be lauded by most as the best Marvel has to offer, but I think it’s safe to say most will consider it the best of Spider-man. Tom Holland nails his role as a nerdy and quirky Peter Parker, who is a total Hufflepuff by day, and Spider-man-with-training-wheels-but-doesn’t-know-it by night. Even if you feel burned-out on Spider-man after so many reboots, if you had any love for the character in Civil War I’d definitely recommend checking out Homecoming.

A few of my favorite things about the movie:

Peter’s such a good guy. He hasn’t been jaded and I love his pure enthusiasm. His main desire seems to be to do the right thing.
Peter’s not a perfect Spider-man. He really has to work to develop his abilities.
High school awkwardness. So much on-point high school awkwardness and I loved it.
Captain America PSAs. Enough said. 🙂
Peter’s friend Ned. Ned feels like such a real high school student, rather than a glamorized version of one, and I really appreciated that. Plus he is a good friend to Peter.
Peter makes a choice that gives him a nice little arc. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Peter shows some maturity towards the end of the movie that I thought was a nice touch.

Also, not necessarily a favorite thing about the movie, but something I did appreciate, is that there isn’t really a romance. Peter does pine after a girl, but they never kiss or go on a real date, and at the end he doesn’t “get” her. It was refreshing and felt more realistic!

But it wasn’t perfect…

The villain. I appreciated a certain aspect that I won’t spoil, but overall he was really pretty boring. Villains that aren’t named Loki really are Marvel’s Achilles heel.
Really… that’s the main thing.

Right now I feel Marvel is trying to walk the tightrope between taking itself too seriously and being too light with their movies since Civil War. While I really liked the turn of Winter Soldier, Age of Ultron fell a little flat, and Civil War never completely worked for me, so I’m enjoying the levity. Right now, I’m enjoying the high-quality popcorn entertainment Marvel provides, but I am curious to see how this might ultimately tie together for a deeper storyline.

Have you seen the latest Spider-Man? What are your thoughts?

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