Welcome to the latest instalment of Buffy the Miserable Slayer, although this week it’s somebody else’s turn to be really miserable, with the collapse of Xander and Anya’s relationship, in the most spectacular way. There aren’t many more dramatic ways to end a relationship than the groom leaving the bride on the wedding day.
It’s hard not to hate Xander by the end of this episode, because he destroys Anya, emotionally. She comes across so much as an innocent, with almost childlike bewilderment at what’s happening to her, and her motives for getting married do seem to be sound: Continue reading
I used to love The Twilight Zone. In fact, it’s one of the very few series my mom and I ever shared because she had watched this series in her younger years. I also shared it with my cousin, often staying up late over our summer holidays to watch it together. I have fond memories of this show, and remember liking most of the episodes. This one was no exception in my memory, but I do think watching something with your mind in an idle state is a lot different than analyzing a show. The concept of A Kind of Stopwatch stuck with me all my life. There’s a hint of Time Enough at Last in that we have a protagonist who is struck down by his own folly and left in a world devoid of life. But as I watched this episode, it took precisely 6 minutes for me to check how much time was left. 6 minutes for McNulty to make me want to turn off the television. That’s got to be a new record! 
You have to give credit to these guys on almost every conceivable level. There’s definitely something to the idea of the fans making the series. It’s the same thing that happened when Doctor Who came back in 2005 – the fans that loved the show growing up, were the ones who were making it. The two SF giants have both benefited from this sort of craft. To Boldly Go is the final chapter in the story of James T. Kirk and the 5 year mission. It brings us right up to the start of the movie franchise and closes out the 5 year mission admirably. It does it with an action packed adventure too.
If it weren’t bad enough having to watch an episode written by Terry Nation last week, Noon Doomsday is another Nation episode, but it’s also trying to be a Western, the genre of television I will cross the road to avoid, and then switch off all the neighbours’ television sets on that side of the road too. Luckily the Western influence doesn’t extend far beyond some annoying incidental music, a couple of villains arriving on horseback for some inexplicable reason, and some stylistic choices for the fight scenes. Oh, and it’s also a parody of a film which I’ve never seen and almost certainly never will, because it hails from the genre that glorifies machismo, guns and whiny music. 
Well damn it all. I was really hoping that the last episode was a fluke and season 3 would surprise me, but we’re tackling another senseless episode that doesn’t fit with established ideas thus making season 3 feel more like a drudgery than I thought. And to think, the first episode actually had me excited.
Couplet starts right where Waiting in the Wings left off. Cordy is enjoying her time with Groo, and Angel is being all self-conscious about it. It’s a shame he didn’t listen to Lorne, when he was told, “You don’t want to miss that shot.” Cordy is with Groo now; Angel missed his shot. Similarly, Wes has to come to terms with not making his shot with Fred, who thinks they are “just friends.”
Welcome to Season 2!
Star Trek tends to be remembered as the work of visionaries. It was years ahead of its time in terms of social impact, gaining support by people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and inspiring people to fields of engineering, space science, physics, and so much more. Our technology advanced lightyears with the eventual creation of FaceTime and Zoom meetings, the design of the flip phone as well as the interface for the iPhone, and that barely scratches the surface. So it’s no surprise that the fans of the show decided to create a series that could tell stories that needed to be told using the very technology at their fingertips to enhance the story exponentially. 
Note: all links are external.
This episode will require a bit of backstory and that can be found by simply rewatching 
I welcome suggestions and feedback and will consider interesting guest posts. If you would like to email please click on the picture to view contact details.
The View from the Junkyard 