The fundamental philosophical differences between the Director and the Faction become clearer as MacLaren's team scrambles to foil Forbes and find a cure for the rapidly spreading virus. The Director comes through with a cure, but now it seems just a matter of time before the Faction acts again. Dave recommends Marvel's Runaways on Hulu, and Wayne's choice is Marvel's The Punisher on Netflix. Episode Grade: A-
Mac's travelers' team has to stop a deadly virus before it kills 30% of the world's population. Turns out that Jenny has not been totally honest about her feelings for Philip. Episode Grade: A
The travelers' team must coordinating two simultaneous missions in an attempt to prevent a big-agro corporation from going down a path from which there may be no return. Personal connections also continue to play a role as the team from the future must cope with whether or not they still have faith in the Grand Plan. Episode Grade: A
Having been sent by the Director to find out who has been abducting and killing traveler teams, Jacob finds himself on the run after his four team members turn up dead. Mac interviews Vincent and upon learning of his involvement with the abductions, issues a kill order that ends up getting interrupted. Vincent goes on the run, but will the team follow? Episode Grade: A
The team members return to a level of normalcy now that they are no longer in FBI custody. Personal relationships figure prominently in the episode as each has some soul searching to do as they move forward. Perhaps the biggest question revolves around Jenny's motives as she enters Philip's life at the behest, according to her, of the Director. Episode Grade: Dave A Wayne A-
Showcase's time travel adventure continues as Grant MacLaren's team finds itself in FBI custody after they're apprehended with the Quantum Frame. Trevor and Grace recover from their wounds while David tries to piece together what just happened in his apartment. But the big reveal is the introduction of Vincent, Traveler 001 through his therapy sessions which are used to explain many of the season one events. Has the timeline changed? Is the Director still calling the shots? Is 001 merely trying ...
Echo's engagement entails becoming the mother to the infant whose mother died in childbirth leaving the father distraught and unable to bond with the child. Madeline returns to provide another side to the complex morality the show explores, and Topher's experiments continue unchecked. Episode Grade: B
With a senate investigation looming in the background, the Dollhouse brings Paul Ballard on board, first as a client and then as Echo's handler. The strained relationship between Dr. Saunders and Topher underscores the complex moral issues explored by the show. Episode Grade: Dave A Wayne B
Black Bolt and Medusa rule over a secret Inhuman city on the Moon, but a NASA scientist's curiousity puts the group in jeopardy. After a military coup at the behest of Black Bolt's brother Maximus, most of the royal family escape to Earth. Episode Grade: C
The Starfleet cruiser USS Shenzhou encounters a seemingly dormant Klingon ship, and one simple act opens the door for a potential interstellar war. For the first time since 2005, the Star Trek universe returns to the small screen as CBS hopes the iconic show will take its streaming service to the next level. Will Burnham's mutinous act come back to haunt her? Episode Grade: Dave B Wayne A-
After disappearing for seven years, Prairie Johnson returns home with a troubling story and a desire to return to the man she loves. The eight episode Netflix original series follows Prairie, who now asks people to call her The OA, as the young woman assembles a group of five disperate individuals and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. In addition to explaining to her parents and those around her where she's been, the fact that the once blind girl now can see only adds to the enigma surroun...
Cancelled after two seasons and 23 episodes, this Netflix series benefitted from fan outcry over social media and was awarded a two hour movie to enable the show's creators to tie up loose ends and provide suitable resolution. Created by the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, Sense8 tells the tale of eight individuals scattered across the globe as they discover they possess a psychic connection to each other even though they've never met. Genre television fans will certainly recognize Brian ...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer marks the beginning of Joss Whedon's storied career as one of television's most iconic characters embarks on the classic hero's journey. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) teams up with two friends and the school's librarian to prevent The Master from escaping his bonds and wreaking havoc on Earth, and the quest to rid Sunnydale of all manner of demonic individuals begins. Episode Grade: A
When the Fox executives found Joss Whedon's original pilot lacking, it was back to the drawing board. And while it's not difficult to understand in retrospect why they didn't approve, there are some redeeming qualities and interesting scenes. Of course, some of the footage found its way into "Epitaph One." We also discuss the season finales of Game of Thrones and The Defenders . Episode Grade: Dave C Wayne C-
"Kids playing with matches, and they burned down the house." In an abrupt paradigm shift, the story of the Dollhouse moves to 2019 after its technology has shattered society's fabric and brought on an apocalypse of biblical proportions. As a small band of survivors navigates the dystopic future landscape, they stumble upon the Dollhouse as they search for Safe Haven, which to them may simply be an urban myth. Juxtaposed against this story, we see, through a series of flashbacks, how the Dollhous...
Even though a thirteenth episode appears on the DVD set, "Omega" was the final season one episode to air on Fox. Ballard unwittingly brings Alpha back into the Dollhouse giving the renegade active exactly what he wanted: Echo. A number of truths are revealed including Dr. Saunders' back story and the fact that the Dollhouse enlisted convicted criminals to be part of their early trials. Regardless, while Echo returns safely, Alpha remains at large waiting to wreak havoc once again. Episode Grade:...
The tale of Sleeping Beauty provides the basis for the season one penultimate episode as heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Echo's engagement centers on her attempt to help a young girl overcome emotional trauma, and Paul Ballard finally finds his holy grail. Alan Tudyk's Alpha immediately sends the narrative in a frightening direction. Episode Grade: A
In order to solve a close friend's murder, Adele DeWitt has Topher bring the woman back from the dead and place her consciousness in Echo's body. Boyd is bothered by the moral and ethical ramifications of providing life after death and sees this as "the beginning of the end." The physical and emotional toll that working at the Dollhouse takes on the staff are explored through Topher's "diagnostic" with Sierra. Episode Grade: A
Topher discovers that someone has been tampering with his imprints, and Mellie delivers Paul Ballard news that he's longed to hear. A while there is a spy within the Dollhouse's walls, it's the reveal of Laurence Dominic's true purpose that stands as a real game changer. How will Boyd handle his new responsibilities, and is Adele DeWitt really finished with her secret lover? Episode Grade: A-
Adele DeWitt takes a risk running an experiment to see what Echo and her followers might be capable of doing with a bit more awareness. Is she afraid Echo might turn out to be another Alpha, or does she suspect something even more insidious? We learn some key details of Mellie/November's life before the Dollhouse and begin to understand what life events led some of the actives to sign over five years of their lives. Episode Grade: A
Caroline Farrell's backstory and the events that led her to the Dollhouse comprise the bulk of this episode. This week's engagement provides a bit of a twist as the actives take control which even includes Mr. Dominic who experiences a brief lapse of judgement as the result of the experimental drug at the heart of the story. Will the Rossum Corporation continue to play a role as season one progresses? Episode Grade: Dave A+ Wayne A
In this episode penned by Joss Whedon, we move away from the standard engagement-of-the-week approach and examine some of the moral and ethical issues related to the Dollhouse. While it's been common knowledge that the dolls are routinely sent out on sexually explicit engagements, the physical and emotional abuse taking place within its own walls becomes painfully clear. Agent Ballard takes his relationship with Mellie to the next level, but we also learn a startling fact about his lasagna makin...
The season's fifth episode brings to light the far reaching impact the Dollhouse wields as a United States senator and the ATF enlist Adele DeWitt's help in bringing to justice the head of a religious cult. Sending in Echo as a blind woman drawn to the cult's leader, she provides the government eyes inside the compound and information that leads to a search warrant. Of course, things don't go smoothly, and we see that Topher's mind wipes may not be as complete as he contends. Episode Grade: Dave...
Echo, aka Taffy, leads her crew on an Ocean's 11 style caper to steal a piece of the Parthenon for a wealthy collector (Tony Amendola), but as usual, the op goes sideways. Though Boyd successfully comes to the rescue, it's the speculation that Alpha is somehow involved and Adele DeWitt's (Olivia Williams) bosses are displeased that really drive this episode. Agent Ballard's dogged pursuit continues, but he's ramped up the pressure on Lubov (Victor). Episode Grade: A...
Echo signs on as a backup singer on the Rayna Russell (Jaime Lee Kirchner) tour after a series of near fatal accidents occur during shows and rehearsal. As it turns out, the singer is working hand in hand with an obsessed fan bent on giving the star what she wants, freedom from the emotional pain that appears to be at the heart of her anguish. However, the increasing conflict between DeWitt and Dominic regarding Echo's value to the Dollhouse continues leaving little doubt that a showdown can't b...
SyFy presents its newest genre fare, and it is most certainly not for the faint of heart. Grace D'Argento (Christina Ochoa) and policeman Arthur Bailey (Alan Ritchson) team up in the Blood Drive, a cross country automobile race in cars fueled by human blood. Set in a near term dystopian future, viewers are treated to evil androids, sexual situations, a blood spattered femme fatale, and awesomely cool cars. Grindhouse television has arrived. Are audiences ready for it?
Joss Whedon follows the same formula that appeared in the pilot as we follow Echo on a wilderness engagement that turns out to mirror the Richard Connell short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Meanwhile, through a series of flashbacks ,we learn that while Echo's visual glitches may not be as serious as Alpha's murder spree, they exist nonetheless. And Agent Paul Ballard continues to doggedly pursue the Dollhouse despite law enforcement opposition. Episode Grade: A-
Joss Whedon's cautionary tale Dollhouse takes off with "Ghost" which introduces us to the secret high-end establishment that caters to the ultra wealthy whenever they can't find what it is they want or often need. We follow Caroline Farrell, now known as Echo, as she moves from good time party girl to an extremely competent negotiator tasked with recovering the young daughter of a wealthy businessman. Episode Grade: Dave A Wayne A-
In between shows, Dave and Wayne talk about podcasts they listen to, non-genre shows on their viewing schedules, and their favorite current shows. Should the next Doctor be a woman? What does it take for you to quit a show? Are you a binger or do you like to savor each episode? Anomaly Podcast Radio Free Skaro The History of Rome Podcast The Leftovers Post Show Recaps...
The Travelers' season finale sets in motion future and present events that threaten to radically alter how we approach the series. While Grace and Ellis argue about how things should be handled in the 21st, it becomes painfully clear that the Helios mission did not achieve the expected and desired results. Now what? With MacLaren's team now in FBI custody, perhaps the most intriguing question revolves around how the team will explain the Quantum Frame and what role the Director will play moving ...
