#andor only made it this far because it was a limited series

[staranon95]

getting really pissy at all the Star Wars cancellations lately

at least we'll have Andor season 2 and i'll watch that Mandalorian movie in some way or another but i'm honestly so tired of all the execs at Disney basically abandoning all their Star Wars shows lately

it's like after the first ep of every new show they release, they immediately give up on it due to right wing bigots on twitter. the worst crowd ever

Book of Boba Fett had so much going for it and there was potential there to make it a well rounded show with teasing out parts of Boba's past while also giving him a future

the Kenobi series was a good interlude and i loved that they brought Ewan and Hayden back to continue their characters. i liked that the focus was on Leia and her relationship with Obi-Wan. sucks that they cut Cody out of it though. we deserved old bickering husbands in the desert

while i didn't watch Ashoka, i know so many people had fun with it who had watched the original Rebels series and enjoyed it as the continuation and adaptation of their series. they should have been given a chance to continue them

Acolyte was a breath of fresh air because it was actually the writers trying something new beyond characters we're already well familiar with

even Mandalorian season 3 had some good moments but you can feel the meddling of execs all over these properties

from bringing Grogu back too soon because they need their cash cow back front and centre and taking time away from Boba's story shows how little faith the Star Wars team has in their own ability to tell fulfilling stories

that and they abandon the people of colour, women, and children in their casts when they're being attacked by trolls online

this is an inherently unsustainable way to manage this franchise and they desperately need to figure their shit out if they want to survive

[ravelights]

How I feel about star wars show that I've watched so far (not counting movies).

Ahsoka: Absolutely loved it, had some flaws that held it back a bit, but was overall a great story. Was worried on what they were doing with Sabines character but by the end I was rooting for her, and squealed when she used the force. Feels like it's the first time in star wars that I've seen someone tackle the idea of "the force is in all living" things since rogue one. I wasn't expecting the finally to end on a bitter sweet note, since I thought it was a limited series I was quite confused by it, but knowing that it going to be more then one season I think it's fitting. 7-8/10 just because I think it could do with some improvements in the pacing and some of the dialogue/ needed to be a bit more punched up all around. looking forward to the next season.

Kenobi: The story was great but it clearly was meant to be a movie and the camera work/set up was really bad some times. I loved we got more on the hidden path. Little Leia was great, and the fight with Vader and Obi-wan was heart wrenching. I loved Reva character and her story but I do think it belonged in another show, which is a shame since her story would have been great anywhere else. Sort of hoping it get's another season since I think it would pay off to having another one. 6-7/10

Book of Boba Fett: Mixed feelings about this one, loved the story with the tusken raider and Boba sort of redemption, fennc was amazing I loved there characters. That being said The story felt quite bloated overall and there were some parts that I felt where completely unessary. Biggest hate about this was the fact they shoved the Mandalorian in to it, they had no reason to do that especially with Grogu coming back in that story rather then the Mandalorian. I think it should have been it's own thing and instead have told the story of how Boba got his armour/ flash back to when he was a bounty hunter cause that would have been cool. 4/10

The Mandalorian: Season 1&2 where good, it's fun seeing someone who doesn't have the force have the spotlight for once, and Grogu is a great character love to see more of Yoda species. Din's a fun character I like that he's a bit awkward and just wants to stay out of everything but keeps getting dragged into it anyway. My only gripe with season 3 is what they did with the BOBF cause that caused everything to go out of whack and effect their storylines. That being said everything else was top notch, a bit controversial but the whole bit with the darksaber made sense. Din didn't want the responsibility but was going to honour it and Bo-katan didn't want to fight Din since it goes against everything she's standing (Mandalorian fighting other Mandalorian) and Din's openly her ally and has tried to give the darksaber to her freely without the fight, even if they did end up fighting for it, the fight would have been hollow, for show rather then a real fight in combat to earn the title. So the way they when about doing it fit's both there character, Din's Know Bo-katan is more worthy of the darksaber since he saw her use it in action, so when he saw the chance to give it to her in a way the somewhat satisfied the condition he jumped at the chance. (It's just my little rant but it made complete sense to me on my first watch and I'm a little salty people dunk on that) but yeah, overall season three get's more hate then it deserves. 7/10

Andor: Amazing show, can see why it's so popular. Only problem I find with it is just how...Un-star wars it is. It feels more like a show inspired by star wars then a show set in star wars if you get what I mean. it's probably the first show that is really for an adult audience, well everything else if for a more general audience. Amazing show with some real jaw dropping moments though can't wait for the next season. 9/10

The bad batch: Love it, super cool to see the world building of the first year of the empire and how they took over I feel we don't get enough of the early rise of the empire so this has been a nice take. All the character are great, I do find Omega a little annoying sometimes in the first season, but she mellowed out in the second season. 9/10

Tales of the Jedi: Loved every second of this honestly can't find anything to complain about it Dooku fall and early Ahsoka life was really good and I loved how they told these stories. Probably my only 10/10 from start to finish.

The clone wars: Really depends on the season, I find the earlier season to be a bit on the nose with somethings, and a little silly, but it's still enjoyable. Season four onwards though is a masterpiece and is a solid 10/10 but overall I give it a 8-9/10 just because of the earlier season.

Star wars Rebels: I watched this when it was first coming out I watched the first two season and then a bit of season three before dropping it. Season three wasn't really holding my attention at the time as the story had a very big tonal shift that I wasn't the biggest fan of at the time (also I lowkey hated Ezra new look). However I've re-watched rebels again with my mum and I grew to have a greater appreciation for it and I fell in love with the story and the characters it was great. Yeah it can be a bit goofy at times and some characters arc where a bit rushed/pushed to the side, but it's one of the best animated series of star wars solid 9/10.

[callunavulgari]

YEAR-IN-BOOKS | 2020

So. Last year I read 112 books. The year before that I read 89. The year before that I read 39. This year I have (thus far) read 87 books out of my goal of 75 and will likely at least one or two more before the end of the year. So, click below if you want rambly book recs!

1. a book you loved?

This year has been rough. Like, I’m looking back at the books I read in January and am genuinely horrified to realize that I read them a scant twelve months ago when it feels like I read them at least three years ago. I’m glad I kept my limit lower this year, because enjoying anything this year has been harder than usual. I did read some decent books though, and I think the one I loved the most was Gideon the Ninth (and it’s sequel, Harrow the Ninth). They’re both fantastic books, and so deeply unexpected. Reading the first chapter or so of Gideon’s book is like getting whiplash. You go into it expecting angsty lady necromancers and get a crossdressing bee that secretes hallucinogenic substances and pulsates in time to the music in your head. Literally, Gideon’s dialogue is so out of left field that I spent half the book delightedly confused. But it is genuinely funny? And lesbian necromancers in space is just.. such an underutilized concept. Harrow’s book was a little harder - her head space is weird and everything is intentionally fucking with you so you really are confused for 90% of it, but I think the pay off was more than worth it.

2. a book you hated?

I was deeply, DEEPLY disappointed by The Secret Commonwealth. I finished it near the end of January and was just so fucking mad for days. Because the thing is, my expectations were not super high. I was excited for it, mostly because a grown up version of Lyra is something that I thought I would only ever experience in fanfiction. Now, I wish I’d only experienced her in fanfiction. Graphic attempted rape, retroactively confirming a rape happened in a previous book (one where it was implied that the victim got away in time), retroactively raping a character from the previous trilogy... like. I’m sorry. But fuck that noise. Fuck Philip Pullman. Fuck any douchebag asshole who thinks a woman has to be raped in order to write compelling fiction. I was riding the high of the new HBO series (which was good) and I guess I just... thought the author would have some goddamn integrity.

3. a book that made you cry?

We Are Okay was a really gorgeous, tender little book about grief that I read in one sitting in my bed when I really should have been sleeping. I read this book in March, when things only kind of hurt for me. When things were still largely okay. Before the bulk of covid hit my side of the world. Before self-isolation was an every day thing, not just something in books. Before Mal. Before getting covid. But ultimately, this was a book about healing. It aches, yes, but it also soothes.

4. a book that made you happy?

Both Beach Read and Written in the Stars made me pretty happy. Both romcoms done right, the first is a book about a romance writer falling in love with a thriller/mystery writer. They’re staying at neighboring beach houses and spend a summer getting themselves out of their comfort zones by challenging the other to write in the other person’s chosen genre. It’s sweet. It’s sexy. Over all, a really fun read, with enough depths to keep me engaged.

The second book is a meet-cute that involves astrology, fake dating, and lesbians. It’s written phenomenally well, and gave me a brief surge of happiness when I needed it most.

5. the best sequel?

Probably Harrow. The Dragon Republic is a great second choice though. Again, it’s a hard book, and I wouldn’t have been able to read it any later in the year than I did, because it is... not a happy book. But it is, in my opinion, a good one. And I am still excited about the third.

6. most anticipated release for the new year?

I am hoping to get the as of yet Untitled sequel to Ninth House in 2021. I am also hoping to actually be able to read The Rhythms of War in the new year, since I doubt I’ll get a chance in 2020. I’m looking forward to Mister Impossible, the second book in the Ronan trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater. I’m looking forward to the Hourglass Throne, which I think is coming in 2021? A Desolation Called Peace in March. The Thorn of Emberlain might actually be out in October, which will be wonderful it doesn’t get pushed back again. Rule of Wolves, the King of Scars Duology in the Grishaverse will also be March. One Last Stop by Casey McQuistion in May!!!!

7. favorite new author?

Defintely Tamsyn Muir. I will also be keeping an eye out for Alexandriua Bellefleur’s stuff...

8. favorite book to film adaptation?

Uh, can I say MDSZ/The Untamed without actually having read the original text? Well, I’ve read a few chapters, but damn.

9. the most surprising book?

Taproot. It’s this little graphic novel about a gardener who can see ghosts. And like. It still makes me warm to think about how tender it is.

10. the most interesting villain?

Does Loki: Where Mischief Lies count? Since Loki is technically a villain, even if he’s only villain adjacent in this book.

11. the best makeouts?

I... don’t know? I didn’t real read any of these books for makeouts. Not this year. 

12. a book that was super frustrating?

Boyfriend Material. It has great ratings! It has fake dating! But the story was very so-so for me. 

13. a book you texted about, and the text was IN CAPSLOCK?

I think I yelled at Nick a few times about how pissed I was at the Secret Commonwealth.

14. a book for the small children in your life?

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a book about a case worker at the department in charge of magical youth and he is charged with traveling to an island and making a very important decision about the children living there. It was adorable and I wish I’d had a book like it when I was young.

15. a book you learned from?

That is not the sort of book that I was reading in 2020.

16. a book you wouldn’t normally try?

I read a couple mysteries. Some were good. Most made me remember why I don’t read mysteries.

17. a book with something magical in it?

Call Down the Hawk, because all of Maggie’s books are at least a little bit magical. And while this definitely didn’t hit quite the same vibes that the Raven Cycle did, it was still very, very good.

18. the best clothes?

Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth have the best goth aesthetic I have ever seen in a book. Also, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, because Addie’s clothes always sounded cute and comfortable.

19. the most well-rounded characters?

The City We Became had some fantastic characters. It was really interesting to see Jemisin get out of her typical fantasy setting and this novel was so out of this world. 

20. the best world-building?

Deeplight! It’s described as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea meets Frankenstein and that is pretty accurate. Old gods that traversed the sea tore each other apart and now the world tries to get a hold of their corpses for amazing powers. It was really, really cool and probably the best book I could have chosen to read at the beach.

21. the worst world-building?

Eh. Most of the books I hated I didn’t keep reading this year.

22. a book with a good sidekick?

I really like all of the characters in the Tarot Sequence. There are some solid characters, even if there’s basically no women. Also Graceling.

23. the most insufferable narrator?

I was not a fan of The Mysterious Benedict Society, mostly because of the narrator. It was so boring and I quit halfway through.

24. a book you were excited to read for months beforehand?

Return of the Thief. Which... was still mostly good. But the ending felt lackluster for me. I may go back and reread the series and see if it feels more genuine after I’ve read them all together.

25. a book you picked up on a whim?

I literally picked up Written in the Stars because the cover was pretty and it looked like the romance was between two girls. And it did nooooot fail me.

26. a book that should be read in a foreign country?

Shrug emoji.

27. a book cassian andor would like?

I still don’t know what to make of this question.

28. a book gina linetti would like?

Shrug emoji.

29. your favorite cover art?

Gideon and Harrow, honestly. I also really liked Under the Udala Trees.

30. a book you read in translation?

I genuinely don’t know.

31. a book from another century?

Teeeeechnically The Great Hunt?

32. a book you reread?

I reread the Diviners and the Captive Prince series near the beginning of the year. They were still delightful.

33. a book you’re dying to talk about, and why?

Into the Drowning Deep was fucking amazing. I love Mira Grant’s work anyway and there’s this scene where a character pilots a submersible into the Marianas Trench and experiences your first face-to-face encounters with the sirens and like. AHHHHHHHHHH. It was so spooky and beautiful and just genuinely amazing.

TLDR; 2020 sucked, most books still couldn’t pierce through the depression, but there were a few bangers.

[vanimeldes]

what annoys me ab GRRM is that he’s a good (enough) writer who understands moral complexity and is (relatively) good at world building. he’s created some amazing iconic characters that stick w ppl for a reason (Jon, Dany, Cersei, Arya etc). and when he does critique misogyny (Cersei’s walk of shame) he does it right. it’s just a shame that his books are marred by authorial gratuitous sexism and racism, it feels like such a waste if you know what I mean ...

Totally. I would lie if I said that he isn’t a good writer, because he is. He tried a different approach to the fantasy genre and his concept — namely the moral complexity and the questioning of heroism and honor — was innovative. And rest is below cut because you made me ramble, anon… 

The world-building is excellent, IMO, he does know how to write well-rounded characters, he knows how to twist certain tropes (although admittedly, this specific technique borders on annoying at one point, rendering some arcs as wholly useless, see Quentyn. Like, I know guy was meant to represent the failed trope of young hero who goes after the beautiful queen, I know the reason of his existence, but in the same time, I can’t help but think of those 200 pages dedicated to his chapters that were utterly pointless). Other tropes, on the other hand, aren’t subverted that much, especially that tropes that I usually don’t like.

Look…I’ll probably get some hate because of this statememt, but I never felt like Jon was particularily interesting, simply because so far, I didn’t feel like he is that much of a subversion of a trope that…it’s so generic for me. Like, he is a good boy and such, but for me — I insist on this — he is still the secret bastard son of the former heir to the throne, sad and broody, but so good and smart and idk why I never felt connected to or intrigued by him. He feels like the same generic fantasy tale that I read when I was young. Same with Sam, whom I really don’t like simply because he represents the nerdy self-insert of the author. This is a tired trope IMO. I appreciate that GRRM gave him an arc and allowed him to shine and find his strength beyond what the society demanded from him, but for me, he is still way too tropey to hold my interest. But again, this is my own personal opinion, I’m not saying that Jon and Sam are not really good boys and that they deserve a happy ending, but they are not a type of characters that appeals to me. Furthermore, if the books’ ending will be like the show’s, with the woman Dany ending up like the hysterical crazed Queen, while Jon will be the reluctant tragic hero who must end her life to save the world….sorry, but I won’t be able to like him, you know?

Dany, Arya, Tyrion, Jaime and Cersei, to name a few, are characters and arcs that really highlight GRRM’s talent in crafting characters. You can tell that they have their own voice and I can’t not help admiring GRRM for ending a different voice and mindset for each of these characters. The way he writes the children’s POV vs. The way he writes the adults’ is just great.

But.

But.

He seems to think that gritty realism means a very unrealistically stark patriarchy, gratuitous violence against women and rape cultures, which he depicts in a very gross manner and he seems to enjoy depicting these very gross aspects. Furthermore many apparently realistic aspects of the Westerosi society are not realistic at all. An adulterous woman was never paraded naked on streets, she only had her head shaved and walked barefoot. Noble girls were engaged and/or married at young ages, but in most cases, the spouses waited for a time until the girl reached a decent age to consummate the mariage. Daenerys was a victime of statutory rape, since, even though her first night with Drogo was consensual, she was well under the age of consent — and this is something GRRM had never adressed. On a similar note, he seems to romanticise S/andor Cl/egane’s creepy obsession towards Sansa, apparently unaware of the fact that he wrote a 20 yr old something man pining for a 12 yr old girl. Dany’s sex life can be very uncomfortable and there was no reason for him not to make her at least 16-17 at the start of the series. He never bothered to explore the many dead women he killed off merely for plot convenience and manpain™️ and are mostly tired tropes (Lyanna - “the object of desire between two men who fought a war for her; Joanna - "desired by two men whose friendship would later develop into bitter rivalry and the only one who brought a bit of humanity in Tywin; Rhaella - exists soley to be raped and give birth to the Targ siblings; Unnamed Princess of Dorne - the only female ruler during the pre-Rebellion era, but she is unnamed; Ashara - the beautiful suicidal maiden, herself most likely and object of desire for at least two men; Elia - don’t get me started). Third — and the worst, IMO — he seems to favour the redemption of the male characters over the female characters. For example, I am supposed to accept the redemption of a disgusting rapist such as Theon, whereas Cersei will most likely end up strangled to death by her lover/brother. Fourth, reading lines such as "Ladies die in childbirth. No one sings songs about them” and “Is there any creature as unfortunate as an ugly woman?” and reading about Catelyn examining her future daughter-in-law’s breasts and hips to figure out if she is able to have children, as in to read about Catelyn thinking about women just in relation to how they can be of use to a man, is sometimes depressing. This is why I can’t like Catelyn and Sansa. Whereas other women defy, willingly or unwillingly (Arya, Brienne) or fight against the restrictions imposed on them by the society (Cersei, Arianne) or to gain and stay power in their society (Daenerys, Margaery), they just sit and accept things as they are and are stucked in their limited classist mindset because they were born in privilege.

So, in conclusion, do I think GRRM is a bad writer or that AS0IAF are bad books? No way. Do I think his treatment to certain aspects is bad? Yes.

[gffa]

So, I read Wendig’s proposal about separating out the movies from the comics/novels/etc. and I get where he’s coming from and why he feels that way, especially as a creator!, but what is this blue hellsite for if not to dump my feelings about why new canon is working really well for me and why I personally disagree with that idea, even when I see where it’s coming from. For starters, while I agree that the books and comics and games are tied to the films/are trailing after the films, that they’re not allowed to explore certain areas before those films are made, I think it’s too soon to judge how this will work because IX isn’t finished yet, we don’t know how things will move on once the Skywalker Saga is finished. While the Skywalker Saga is ongoing, we’re sort of limited in what we can do with books and comics and such, because the films have to come first.  But films beyond this point?  Yes, Rogue One and Solo both stayed in that same time frame, but we have no idea what Johnson’s films or D&D’s films are going to be about or when they’re going to be set.  We don’t yet know if books and comics can be more than gap-fillers, because we’re not at that point yet.  I think this is a conversation for a couple of years after IX ends and we see the state of things at that point, imo. But second I think this is a lot of personal preference, one person is going to lean that way on this idea and another is going to lean this way on this proposal.  I have no problem with the idea of future Legends stories still being told, picking up from one of those continuities and writing in that world with new material.  I think that sounds like a potentially really cool idea!  But, as someone who cut their teeth on comics for a lot of years, who has lived in the pick-and-choose-your-canon world for a long time, I actually vastly prefer a far more coherent canon timeline.  I love Star Wars canon being all part of one bigger storyline!  I love that I don’t actually expect it to conform to 100% accuracy (seriously, guys, it’s okay if some smaller details get messed up, we can unclench about that! also, a LOT of this can fall under unreliable narrators and I LOVE THAT SO MUCH, too!) but that this is a story where all these things happened in this galaxy. And I disagree that it’s limiting at this point, because it’s not all about the same small handful of characters.  One of the examples used showed me that I don’t see this as that limited a space for storytelling--because Cassian Andor didn’t exist before Star Wars Canon came onto the scene and now we’re getting a TV series about him and maybe you can’t change the bigger galaxy’s storyline, but you can absolutely drop massive bombs and plot twists for Cassian Andor the character.  Rebels also came along and they were able to tell massively personal world-changing stories there, connecting it to the bigger galaxy, but getting it to line up with the films.  There is a ton of room for more Ghost Crews and more Cassian Andors and more Jyn Ersos and more Doctor Aphras and so on, characters whose personal stories can have world-shattering events for them personally. This isn’t even touching on how we’ll have the post-IX landscape to explore, this isn’t touching on how, once the films are done, they’ll be able to explore more, how we’re only just now starting to get pre-films exploration stuff.  And it’s not even touching on how, as much as a lot of people loved the Legends books storyline, a lot of people were not exactly pleased with the Yuuzhan Vong, and, honestly, I’ll take the way the First Order has been fleshed out through books and comics and games, the feeling of everyone adding in gap-filler details to make this one story really good for me, than the Wild West feeling of Legends.  Again, personal preference, totally understandable if someone else feels differently! For me, though, the ST films would have had nowhere NEAR the joy and interest I get out of them without the books and comics and games serving to help fill in the gaps.  I enjoy the movies very much, but they are pretty thin in and of themselves, if you separated out the Cinematic Universe from the books/games/comics/etc., I think they would be so much duller as a giant whole. Which is coming from me as a consumer of this canon, rather than someone who would like to create things for this world.  I get that the gap-filler nature of a lot of the stories probably feels lackluster to a lot of SW authors who want to take bigger risks and want to be able to change things in a lasting way, but as a reader, I’m not looking at just one standalone book or comic needing to fill that urge for me.  I’m here for that bigger picture, that’s what’s so intensely satisfying for me.  I’m here for those connections that mean something when a character appears in someone else’s series, I’m here for feeling like this is actually a living, breathing galaxy, rather than a splintered dozen different continuities because they can’t mesh together.  (But, also, frankly, a lot of the chances and changes that a lot of authors want to take are, well, not very good or in line with the themes of Star Wars, I’ve found that the restrictions on what they can do makes things a lot more coherent for me.) This is just how I feel and why I think current Canon works really, really well and why I don’t feel it lacks for satisfying stories.

[aion-rsa]

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 Easter Eggs & References

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 9.

Although a casual fan doesn’t need to know the ins-and-outs of Star Trek canon to get into Star Trek: Discovery, it certainly helps! Although all of Discovery Season 3 has been set in a “new” part of the Trek timeline, the 32nd Century to be exact, the series hasn’t entirely been freed of canon restraints. From Trill, to Starfleet history, and beyond, Discovery Season 3 has been a rollercoaster of connections to the entire sprawling canon of Trek. And, as “Terra Firma Part 1” proves, that canon isn’t just limited to one universe. Here are all the Easter eggs and references we caught in Discovery Season 3, Episode 9, “Terra Firma, Part 1.”

The Kelvin Universe 

Right at the top of the episode, the mysterious Kovich (David Cronenberg) explains to Culber that traveling both across time and jumping from different universes can “make you pretty sick,” and in the case of a “time soldier” named Yor, can be fatal. This 2379 Starfleet officer is a Betelgeusian, but also “from a parallel universe caused by the temporal incursion of a Romulan mining ship.” This is the first time in “Prime” Trek canon that we’ve been told outright that they’re even aware of the Kelvin Universe. Further, Yor is the first glimpse of the future of what Starfleet looks after the reboot films in that timeline. Basically, Yor’s uniform might look like an early TNG-era jumpsuit, but because he’s got a 2370s combadge, it’s a bit of a mishmash. 

TLDR: In the future of the Kelvin Universe, they dress like it’s the beginning of TNG. But, who knows? Maybe in Yor’s universe, gold in 2379 still means “command.” 

Oh! And Yor’s death also neatly explains why Old Spock died off screen in Star Trek Beyond. Kovich says: “Before Georgiou, Yor was the only individual known to have traveled across time and dimensions.” This implies his files don’t know about Old Spock, who did the same. The question is: How does Starfleet in the Prime Universe know about the Kelvin Universe (and how it was created) and not know about Old Spock going there? Hmmm?

The Temporal Wars and the Temporal Accords 

Kovich mentions both the Temporal Wars and the Temporal Accords, and mentions that the “Interdimensional displacement restriction” prevents people from going to other parallel universes on purpose. According to Daniels in Star Trek: Enterprise, the Temporal Accords existed sometime in the 31st century, roughly a hundred years before the events of Discovery Season 3, and likely before the burn. Although Discovery has mentioned “the Temporal Wars” before, it stands to reason that one aspect of these wars was the “Temporal Cold War” seen throughout all four seasons of Enterprise. 

“Maybe they’ll call you Killy after all”

Georgiou jokes that if Tilly manages to kill the crew by accident that “maybe they’ll call you Killy after all.” This references Season 1 of Discovery in which we learned that Mirror Tilly’s nickname was “Captain Killy.” Notably, we never saw Captain Killy in “Despite Yourself,” or any of the other Season 1 episodes in which she was referenced. Obviously, that changes in this episode. 

The Gamma Quadrant 

The Discovery’s computer suggests taking Georgiou to the planet Dannus V, which Michael Burnham says is “just shy of the Gamma Quadrant near the galactic rim.” So, to put this in perspective, the Gamma Quadrant is the area of space that the Bajoran Wormhole led to in Deep Space Nine. Saying this planet is just shy of the Gamma Quadrant, could indicate it’s right on the border between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants, which would be “north” of Federation space, roughly. The galactic rim might refer to the barrier at the edge of the galaxy. This barrier was breached by the USS Enterprise in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and again in “By Any Other Name.” Relevantly, passing through that barrier caused Gary Mitchell and Dr. Dehner to acquire PSI powers and slowly go nuts. 

Speaking of Gary Mitchell…

Admiral Vance suggests that leaving Georgiou on an “Uninhabited planet is better than a brig in the starship.” This kind of references the idea that Kirk was going to maroon Gary Mitchell on Delta Vega, rather than just kill him outright. Meanwhile, while the name of the planet here — Dannus V — is new to Trek canon, the word could reference writer Richard Danus, who wrote for both TNG and DS9.

The needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the one

Saru quotes Spock from The Wrath of Khan in his decision not to help Georgiou with her condition. He’s overruled eventually, which kind of echoes Saru’s conversation with the Vulcan president T’Rina in “Unification III,” in which she told him that maxim’s like that one were part of some bagge the Vulcans were trying to get over.

“You hesitated last time”

Vance tells Burnham that he needs to know she won’t hesitate if Georgiou gets dangerous. Burnham says, “you’re referring to Commander Airiam.” This references the events of “Project Daedalus,” in which Airiam nearly killed everyone after getting possessed by the AI called Control.

New phasers 

We’ve been seeing “new” Starfleet phasers in the opening credits for a while, but this looks like the first time someone picks one up. It also appears that the phaser morphs into something on Georgiou’s wrist. So, maybe these phasers are made of programmable matter? 

“Where I’m from we were Prime and you were the Mirror”

The idea that there is an “objective” Prime Universe, is of course fanspeak that has bled into the actual canon of Star Trek. Nobody in the Mirror Universe considers themselves to be from an alternate dimension, and ditto with the Kelvin Universe. This is the first time this kind of thing has been openly addressed on-screen in Trek canon.

“Door Doesn’t Register at All”

Burnham says that the mysterious door doesn’t “register” on her Tricorder. This is a little like the Guardian of Forever in the TOS episode “City on the Edge of Forever.” In that episode, Spock says, “For this to do what it does it does is impossible by any science I understand.”

Prefix code

When Adira and Stamets locate the Kelpien ship that is still sending a signal in the Verubin Nebula, they mention that they have the prefix code, which should be able to open up a backdoor to the systems. This references The Wrath of Khan when Kirk uses the prefix code of the Reliant to order the ship to lower its shields. 

“Die standing”

Before Georgiou walks through the magic door, she says she’d rather “die standing.” This might reference a recent tie-in novel Discovery novel called Die Standing by John Jackson Miller. In that book, there’s a character from Georgiou’s past named San, and it seems like this is the person she’s mourning in the Mirror Universe flashbacks from this season.

Lorca’s Coup

Georgiou has seemingly traveled into the Mirror Universe, and back into the year 2255. All of these events served as the backstory for Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, and effectively happened “before” the show began. For a full breakdown of all the ways Georgiou’s new trip to the Mirror Universe changes what we know of this timeline, check out this handy article. 

Epsilon Indi IV 

“Killy” references the Imperial shipyards on Epsilon Indi IV. This star system first appeared in the TOS episode “And the Children Shall Lead.”

Mirror Landry returns 

Ellen Landry, played by Battlestar Galactica veteran Rekha Sharma, returns in this episode. We haven’t seen Landry since season 1 of Discovery in which she seemingly died twice, once as Prime Landry, and again, when DISCO blew-up the Charon. Notably, Landry was part of Lorca’s coup, but it looks like nobody knows that right now.

Georgiou’s fancy title

We hear Emperor Georgiou’s fancy title twice in this episode: Her Most Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of Qo’noS, Regina Andor, Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius. We first heard this title in the Discovery episode “Vaulting Ambition.”

Evil DOT bots

The last time we visited the Mirror Universe, we hadn’t been introduced to the DOT bots from Season 2 of Discovery, yet. Here, it appears that the Terran Starfleet has red-eyed versions of these cute little things, because, of course they do.

Vahar’ai retcon

In Season 1 of Discovery, we didn’t know about the process of Vahar’ai, in which Kelpiens are supposed to turn into baddasses. In the Mirror Universe, it seems that the Terrans have taken the place of the Ba’ul, introduced in the episode, “A Sound of Thunder.” Did Georgiou know about Vahar’ai only because of her trip to the Prime Universe? Or do high-level Terrans know about it?

Owo, the security chief of the Charon

We see Owo battling to keep her job as the security chief of the Charon. In the first Mirror Timeline, she had this job. 

Georgiou’s backstory seems to foreshadow Deep Space Nine’s Mirror Universe

During the christening ceremony, we see a dramatic recreation of Georgiou’s ascension to become Emperor of the Terran Empire. One aspect of this has to do with her totally dominating the Klingons. In the future of the Mirror Universe, we learn that the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance eventually destroyed the Terran Empire. Clearly, the Klingons were harboring a hundred-year-long grudge.

Daughter of Rome

Did the Roman Empire just not fall in the Mirror Universe? When Stamets calls Georgiou a “daughter of Rome” it really makes you think that’s the case. But, if we’re meant to think that the Roman Empire didn’t fall in the ancient history of the Terran Universe, then it feels super-unlikely that all the same people would have even been born, in order to like, establish duplicates of Tilly, Stamets, Kirk, Spock, etc. I mean, I guess it’s possible, but wow, the divergence goes back that far?

Georgiou is kinda like Kirk in “Mirror, Mirror”

In terms of story beats, Georgiou is in a similar place Kirk was in “Mirror, Mirror.” Kirk spared Mirror Chekov’s life, Georgiou spares Mirror Burnham’s life. Kirk started being nice to his concubine, Georgiou is being nice to her slave, the Mirror Saru. In both cases, the characters know that everyone will freak out if they keep acting nice and forgiving to people around them, so an air of arrogance and bluster is required. The difference is Kirk only had to fake it until he made it out of the Mirror Universe. What’s Georgiou gonna do? Fake it until she reforms the Terran Empire? 

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 has four new episodes left this season. Those all stream on Thursdays on CBS All Access.

The post Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 Easter Eggs & References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[junker-town]

We drafted basketball teams made up of ‘Star Wars’ characters. Which is best?

Was the Force with any of us as we made our picks?

A short time ago in a galaxy very close to here, the Skywalker saga reached its conclusion with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Episode IX maybe the finale of the series’ third movie trilogy, but it’s far from the end of Star Wars as we know it, thanks to the limitless runway Disney+ offers and the overwhelming desire for nostalgia that is Hollywood today. (Give it a decade before we get the beginning of another movie trilogy). But it still marks a pivotal turning point for those of us invested in the saga.

So to celebrate, five diehard sports and Star Wars fans came together to do something (long pause) truly special: draft a five-man basketball team to take down a crew of alien ballers hiding out in the Unknown Regions.

There will be a substantial reward for the team who defeats these invaders. Managers were free to use any draft methods necessary, but we want this to be a fair fight. No superteams.

So, we laid out some important ground rules:

Only one Force-wielder — i.e. Jedi, Sith, etc — per team.

Only one droid per team. (Though one of the teams doesn’t have a droid).

Each team must possess at least one sentient alien. Unlike the Empire, who looked down on non-humans, we don’t discriminate.

All Star Wars canon can be considered, and by all, we mean all. (No Legends canon, though). Because of that, we made use of lots of characters from the many animated shows, The Mandalorian, and other side projects. We took this very seriously.

We’re building an actual basketball team, so chemistry matters. As the old basketball saying goes, there’s only one thermal detonator.

Those guidelines — particularly the one limiting everyone to just one force user— made for a fascinating draft. Here’s how it played out.

Allow everyone to explain themselves.

The Slamdoshans (Tyson Whiting)

PG: Ahsoka Tano (Force user) SG: L3-37 (droid) SF: General Grievous PF: Bossk (alien) C: Sarlacc COACH: General Armitage Hux

With the guidelines in place for the draft, I wanted to make sure I picked a team with players who would bend the rules as much as possible.

Some might find it “unfair” that I have two lightsaber-wielding players on my team. To be clear, Grievous may have lightsabers, but he is not a Force user. Plus, though he is mostly machine, he is technically of the Kaleesh race, therefore making him an alien pick. (My masters degree in Star Wars is already paying off). His four arms and ability to turn into a weird spider thing has the potential to surprise opposing players.

I was criticized at the time for choosing Ahsoka Tano over a Skywalker as my Force user, but she was trained by Anakin Skywalker, so she knows all his moves. She’s a great leader and showed her craftiness in tight situations during the Clone Wars.

L3-37 and Bossk are my sleeper picks of chaos. L3 will-trash talk you into submission, though I might have a problem with her on Twitter. I picked up Bossk’s nasty 7-foot-tall ass because he will walk through you, hissing and spitting while he does. I also assume he has incredible ball control with those three-finger hands.

So the Sarlacc. I know what you’re thinking: yes, I AM a genius. Sure, he (it?) can’t move, set a pick, or really leave the ground in any way. But stick this bad boy under the net and you’ll never surrender a layup or rebound EVER AGAIN.

Also Coach Hux will hit you so hard with those pregame speeches that you’ll have no choice but to win.

Tosche Station Power Converters (Caroline Darney)

PG: Cassian Andor SG: Lando Calrissian SF: The Mandalorian PF: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Force user) C: Chewbacca (alien) COACH: Orson Krennic

Look at this perfect squad. Getting Chewbacca with my first-round pick (No. 2 overall) was clutch, and his big frame will dominate in this league. Anakin/Vader was a steal in the fourth round, and this is Rogue One peak-condition Darth Vader. His rage may lead to some bad fouls, but he’s been instructed not to force choke the refs.

I decided to lock down a pair of sharpshooters on the wings in the form of Lando Calrissian (Solo’s Donald Glover version) and the Mandalorian (affectionately known as Mando). They can run off of screens set by either big man (seriously, the screens are going to be so beautiful), and are both catch-and-shoot players. Mando’s inability to take his helmet off could get in the way at times, but his support of Baby Yoda makes it all worth it. Also, imagine the fits Lando will wear walking into the arena before the game. The capes! So many capes and furs!

To bring it all together, I needed the ultimate team player running the point. Enter Rogue One’s Cassian Andor. Quick, resourceful, and full of the intangibles coaches love, Andor is the perfect distributor for this squad. He doesn’t care about personal stats, but he will come through in the clutch if he has to get a last-minute bucket.

I know there may be questions about Director Krennic running the squad, but he’s here solely for the perfect quotes. Just imagine: when the defense is lacking, Krennic can hit them with “Are we blind? Deploy the garrison!” When my team wins the title, you can already hear him saying, “As we stand here amidst MY achievements.” Or, if his job is in question, hitting ownership with “your concerns are hardly warranted.”

But let’s be real. Vader is the player-coach of this team.

Dooku Blue Devils (James Dator)

PG: Yoda (Force user) SG: Greedo (alien) SF: Boba Fett PF: K2-SO (droid) C: Rathtar COACH: Watto

How did they sleep on this roster? The fools. The intergalactic fools. I’ve got Yoda running the point as my Muggsy Bogues-esque hero and distributor. I wanted my Force user touching the ball every single possession, and this was the best way to do it.

From there, I wanted to lock down the paint. I have some big basketball beasts as my enforcers. K2-SO is 7’1, and Rathtar has as astonishing 20-foot wingspan thanks to its tentacles, which will be too much for most teams to overcome.

The secret to my team is Greedo. I needed offense, and everyone knows his love of shooting first. (Editor’s Note: Please strike the end of that sentence from the record). If he needs to be kept in line, I have complete faith in Boba Fett’s “game respect game” bounty hunter familiarity.

Finally, I picked Watto to be my coach because I want a merciless cheater.

Project Harvester (Mike Prada)

PG: Bo-Katan Kryze SG: Sheev Palpatine (Force user) SF: IG-88 (droid) PF: Captain Phasma C: Jabba The Hutt (alien) COACH: Grand Admiral Thrawn

My toughest decision came in the first round. Do I wait on picking my Force user and build up the rest of the team, or do I just bite the bullet and take the most powerful being in the galaxy, personality issues and all? In the end, I gave in to my hate. Talent trumps character.

After that, I couldn’t take any good guys because there’d be obvious philosophical clashes. Jabba’s ego makes him a risky pick, but I’m gambling that he’ll be fine protecting the paint if Palpatine gives him a few post touches. IG-88 and Phasma are quality 3-and-D wings that’ll take on the tough assignments, and Thrawn is a master tactician who has the star’s trust. Point guard was tricky, but Bo-Katan has the versatility to play a secondary role while not being afraid to challenge the star if he steps slightly too far out of line. (I hope she has more respect for Palpatine than she did for Maul in Clone Wars).

Palpatine will take all the shots, which isn’t ideal. But hey, it works for the Rockets.

The Bombads (Russ Oates)

PG: R2-D2 (droid) SG: Rey (Force user) SF: Jar Jar Binks (alien) PF: Cara Dune C: Wampa COACH: Admiral Ackbar R2-D2 is the true hero of the Star Wars saga and always knows what to do in a tight spot. He’d be an excellent floor general on the court. While she is new to the Force, Rey keeps picking up points and has been able to disrupt the First Order’s offense. Cara Dune is a former New Republic shock trooper, so yeah, she’s going to grab all the rebounds. Better watch out for the claws on the Wampa, or you’ll be sorry. Admiral Ackbar can spot a trap by the opposing team.

Y’all can hate on the Jar Jar Binks pick if you want. I’ll accept the creative destruction he will cause on the court.

Which team are you taking to address this looming threat in the Unknown Regions? Vote in the poll below. The winner gets the full bounty. The loser is stuck with a bunch of useless tracking fabs. (Click here if you can’t see the poll).