Peep Show Laugh Track

 

If you ever wanted to know what Peep Show with a laugh track would be like, this Channel 4 Charity Comedy Gala clip is a good example. While it is always fun to see Jeremy and Mark doing mundane things together (which they do in the show, sometimes eating at restaurants like the Indian one where Jeremy requested 4 naan) or going to a pub, this clip captures our duo at their best. The clip here is quintessentially Peep Show but I think we're all glad that the show did not  use a laugh track...

Revisiting Peep Show

 

We found this recent 20th anniversary special on Peep Show quite hilarious and interesting. They even brought into the actresses who played Dobby and Nancy! It was fascinating to hear about the writing process and how the writers and central cast perceived the show, its development over time, and what worked well about the show. Like they admit, the show had to end because Jez and Mark were no longer young men. It probably also helped that each season only consisted of 6 episodes. That meant that by the end of the 9th season, one could not get tired of the show. Alas, any American adaptation of Peep Show would probably ruin everything that worked so well...

Poker Face

Another show we have been surprised to enjoy is Poker Face. Created by Rian Johnson, whose first Knives Out film we thoroughly enjoyed, Poker Face is based on Columbo. Thus, the viewer knows who the killer is so the fun of the case is watching Charlie Cale uncover the truth and prove the killer did the crime. As one can likely guess, this formula gets repetitive quite quickly. There is an overarching story for the first season, which features some brilliant guest stars and interesting mysteries. The cases involve a mix of well-executed and planned murders with the spontaneous or accidental. Nonetheless, the culprits usually try to get away with their crimes until Charlie, who is on the move either to escape her pursuers or searching for the "answers" (even a bunch of 8 year olds didn't have those!), uses her ability to detect when someone is lying. With said ability, Charlie begins to investigate cases in a variety of different locales, sometimes using access to the scene or area of a murder through a job or gig that puts her in proximity to the murder. Like Ran, Shinichi/Conan, and Kogoro of Detective Conan, murder happens everywhere Charlie goes. The only part of the show that began to drag was in the second season, when the writers quickly dropped Rhea Perlman's character pursuing Charlie. That sparked Charlie's philosophical search for the meaning of it all while engaging in conversation with a character voiced by Steve Buscemi. With these two, and even before Buscemi's character appeared, Charlie has a number of hilarious one-liners, quips, observations, and commentaries on life. 

The show even did well to avoid most of the obnoxious, boring liberal satire of Rian Johnson's whodunit films, although season 2 veered too close to that quagmire. That said, the MAGA dog in season 1 was a hoot and a holler. With season 3 likely returning at least somewhat to the format of the first season, we can only hope that the writers continue to play with the forumal and bring in more great actors to guest star. Giancarlo Esposito, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cynthia Erivo, Alia Shawkat, and a plethora of other great actors made Poker Face more exhilarating than many Columbo episodes ever were. Even Simon Helberg, an actor from Big Bang Theory we never liked, was amazing as a bumbling FBI agent. It's only a shame that Rhea Perlman was not used more. Anyway, the third season is set up for some great episodes featuring the return of recurring characters like the FBI agent, an acquantance of Charlie's from her days in New York City and Good Buddy...

The Marlow Murder Club

The Marlow Murder Club has become one of our favorite mystery shows of recent memory. Who would've thought a show featuring a retired archaeologist, a dogwalker, and a vicar's wife solving murder mysteries in the small town or Marlow could be so addictive? The show's mysteries are usually not the most elaborate or shocking, but the show (and presumably the books?) do an excellent job of making Marlow a character itself. Judith Potts brings her backbround in archaeology to deductive skills and observation, by far the most able and competent slueth of the trio. The vicar's wife knows many people through her church community and the dogwalker, a single mother of a teenage daughter off to uni, both know people in Marlow that contribute to the solving of crimes. DCI Malik, who usually follows along with the trio of sleuths despite her initial hesitation, becomes a partner of the group. There are laughs, drama, and peculiarities unveiled as more about Judith, the others characters, and the town of Marlow appear throughout the series. While we still prefer Ludwig for the incomparable David Mitchell, Cara Horgan's presence brings back fond memories of Peep Show...

Ludwig

Although not the most brilliant mystery series, Ludwig features the incomparable David Mitchell as the sleuth. As one might expect, Mitchell's character, a puzzle setter masquerading as his detective twin brother to uncover the reasons for his disappearance, is rather hilarious and very Mark-like. Indeed, fans of Peep Show will appreciate some of Mitchell's characters lines, such as his critique of metaphors or the quirky awkwardness of his relationship with his brother's wife or others. Our biggest issue with this otherwise entertaining murder mystery show (with one overarching mystery that will continue in the next series) is that most of the detectives at the Cambridge police department seem rather useless. It will be interesting to see how the show develops in its next season and if the other members of the police department who work with Mitchell will become more compelling characters. Perhaps Robert Webb and other alumni of Peep Show can guest star as murder suspects in the subsequent season's cases.

Don't Eat the Clues

After finally watching the third season of Twin Peaks (as well as rewatching the original run), we cannot help but feel somewhat disappointed. After so much time and the loss of some of the cast from the first and second seasons, Lynch and Frost had to make the final season something quite different. And while there are many great elements and a plethora of surreal scenes (and even some of the same quirky jokes and behavior), the third season is by necessity a different show. It is a true pity that we were deprived of a Twin Peaks conclusion right after the second season, when the character of Twin Peaks itself could have maintained more of the narrative focus. We found ourselves missing Catherine and Ben Horne's intrigues, we did not see nearly enough of Audrey or James, and while there may finally be a happy ending for Norma and Ed, so much of the magic and charm of the original run is diluted or absent. Perhaps that is also significant for symbolizing the darker world of season 3, but we nonetheless very much missed those early seasons.

First Wave...

First Wave was a little disappointing. We missed the show the first time it aired but read and heard positive reviews. And at first, the show was promising. While admittedly somewhat silly since it attempted to pair prophecies of Nostradamus and an alien invasion with "cases of the week" modeled on that of The X-Files, Chris Brancato at least was capable of writing a decent episode of that latter show. Indeed, "Eve" in the first season of The X-Files does a decent job subverting audience expectations and creating a compelling narrative. To its credit, First Wave usually succeeded or at least "worked" in terms of its usual formula. The main problem with the first two seasons is that, unlike The X-Files, the show often relied on heavily on Eddie and Cade (with occasional appearances from Joshua, the Gua ally) to carry the show. 

Unlike Scully and Mulder, whose differing perspectives on the paranormal and the addition of romantic tension could make its formulaic approach to storytelling work, sometimes First Wave became a chore to sit through. Sure, Cade often meets attractive women in various episodes and the show probably relied more heavily on that than X-Files, but it was difficult to stay as invested in the "experiment of the week" formula of this program. Sometimes the show's writers also crafted episodes that lacked clear or logical resolution. This becomes a bigger problem in the show's final season, with Jordan joining the main characters...

Finally, the show tries to expand its main characters beyond Cade and Eddie (and sometimes Joshua), but the actress playing Jordan is not the best performer. Then, inexplicably, the show's final season has Joshua, who had already risked his life multiple times to assist Cade, part ways with our heroes about the best way to halt the Gua invasion (the Second Wave). So, now that the third season has established a main Big Bad leader of the Gua, one who threatens Gua and humankind, Joshua becomes a questionable ally. The writers did not know quite what to do with him and the Raven Nation of Jordan are rather foolishly removed from the equation through a series of narrative moves by the writers to hasten the final confrontation. Mabus as the Big Bad never made much sense and the climax and resolution of the third season is, to put it frankly, a mess. It's quite a shame, since it would have been nice to see First Wave build upon some of the plot developments in the first and second season. For instance, Joshua's ally among the Gua who occupied a position of leadership is never brought back. A lot of loose ends are never addressed and questionable or unexplained things happen in the final half of the third season. So, alas, yet another okay science fiction show was canceled before its time.  

Infinite Ryvius

In our quest to watch all of the classic and overall decent science fiction anime of the 1990s and early 2000s (except mecha anime, which we still largely skip), we finally gave Infinite Ryvius a second chance. As a Lord of the Flies in space story with several dark, intense moments for the young, beleaguered crew, it was occasionally painful to watch. Some of the sub-standard animation and the lack of explanation for a lot of the technobabble and science fiction mumbo jumbo also made the story a little hard to follow. In other words, the show could have been so much better. Indeed, in some ways its young crew reminds one of Martian Successor Nadesico while Aiba Kouji is somewhat similar to the famous Shinji of Evangelion. The young crew, left to its own devices without adult authority or supervision, descends into chaos, violence, and by the end, fascism. The adult authority, represented by corrupt factions on Earth, however, are revealed to be no better given the extent to which they will go retrieve the ship and put the adolescents at risk. 

Still, seeing the extreme depths to which the teenagers descend will shock and disturb any viewer. One sees this in their highly unequal ranking system for the crew, the abuse of authority, and the problematic ethical systems used by the different groups which successively rule the ship. Blue, representing sheer power and fear, seizes power in a coup. A Spock-type character and the Zwei students retake the ship and use one character as a "puppet" captain while Heigar controls from behind the scenes. When that does not work, Aiba Kouji's friend, Ikumi, later seizes power and, despite having the noblest intentions of them all, establishes the most despotic, authoritarian regime that nearly destroys the ship. And while all this is going on, the Ryvius is attacked by other Vaia ships and Fiona is establishing a cult based on her religion from Uranus. The show does not take it in this direction, but she appears to be the force behind a theocratic type of authoritarianism while Ikumi, Stein, and Blue represent different types of authoritarianism, fascism, and police states. Oh, and the ship, like Moya in Farscape, is alive or rather is powered by a living organism that assumes a human form. 

The main protagonist, Kouji, wants to please everyone, is anxious, unsure of himself and lacks the skills of his younger brother or the willfulness of the other leaders. Yet Kouji, who seems occasionally pathetic, useless and perhaps even naive, never loses his sense of basic decency. By the end of the series, Kouji is more determined and willing to shape things instead of going with the flow, although events beyond the control of the students ultimately resolve the situation. Ultimately, what could have made this show great rather than "good" would have been a little more fleshing out of the post-disaster solar system and a little more background to some of the characters. For example, what was happening on Earth with the 2 groups involved in the conspiracy was not as clear as it could have been. I also would have liked learning a little more about the science of ship navigation and the origins of the alien lifeforms in the Geduld and part of the 6 advanced ships. It also would not have hurt to see what conditions were like in the other parts of the solar system, why were some groups independent of the Solar System Alliance government, and how class and religion operated in the 23rd century. 

Millennium

Although our initial foray into Chris Carter's Millennium began in 2017, we skipped several episodes in the first season and all of season 3. The uneven show reinvented itself for each of its three seasons, and we were mainly interested in the second one for its Christian eschatology. Season 1 had its occasionally great "serial killer of the week" episodes but the repetitive nature of it became difficult to watch. Undoubtedly, season 3 is by far the worst. The Millennium organization lost nearly all of its meaning in the final season for the show. It became an incoherent rambling mix of conspiracy theories closer to the more nonsensical arcs of the larger X-Files mythology. We wanted to like Emma Hollis but couldn't get past the weak building of her character or the loss of Catherine. Furthermore, Frank Black living back on the East Coast instead of gloomy Seattle just didn't seem right considering the dark themes of the show. To be fair, season 2 had its clunkers and some inconsistencies regarding Millennium's origins and the rather silly episode involving Nazis in South America. 

Despite these problems, Millennium was overall a successful show demonstrating what Chris Carter and 1013 were capable of outside of X-Files. Both shows dealt with faith in an age of secular post-modern affluence but Millennium, due to its brevity and ultimate focus on the choices made by humans as the final factor in our future, seems the more meaningful (and relevant) show to those of us living in the 21st century. It certainly does appear that we are headed toward an apocalypse of our own making. And one must definitely be wary of those who seek to control the process and direct it for their own nefarious purposes. We just wish the show had ended with the season 2 finale or had received, perhaps, a final season that attempted to wrap up the plot for the second season. In spite of these shortcomings, at least Millennium ended at a "good" place compared to its sister show which ran for far too long. Both went out with a whimper, yet the whimper for Millennium was understandable due to problems behind the scenes and pressure from the network.

Maison Ikkoku

 

While we usually do not consume romantic comedies, a rekindled interest in anime and manga drew us back to Maison Ikkoku. We adored the soundtrack, slice of life aspects and slow pace of this 1980s show, but it was excessively long. There was no reason to extend it to 96 episodes. Nor did we need that pointless film with the different character designs (although we liked the Michael Jackson poster). As the series began to run too long and certain characters disappear for long stretches, it seemed like the story was just grasping for any plot device to prevent Godai and Kyoko from confessing their feelings. To their credit, the animation improved and some of the antics of the Maison Ikkoku tenants continued to entertain. Nonetheless, this is a very endearing tale of widow and her tenant falling in love with a colorful ensemble of characters (who can forget Mitaka or Yotsuya?). If only it could have been condensed into 52 episodes or perhaps even fewer so I would have watched it 2 or 3 years ago...

Missing Babylon 5

 

I finally finished the incomplete and flawed Crusade, and am overwhelmed by the sad conclusion of great science fiction television set in the Babylon 5 universe. While the fifth season of Babylon 5 and Crusade were far from great, the first four seasons are masterpieces in science fiction story arcs dealing with diplomacy, war, conflict, authoritarianism, and character development. I did not think I would fall in love with the kooky alien characters and their human counterparts on Babylon 5, but it has quickly become one of my favorite shows. Unfortunately, it continued for a rather disjointed and meandering fifth season which was completely unnecessary because of season 4's finale. Crusade, another disappointment, was wrecked by its network and never given a proper chance to develop into a good or even great program. Gideon and crew on the Excalibur were beginning to grow on me, and I was looking forward for adventures on a spaceship set in the same universe as Babylon 5. Perhaps someone should reboot Crusade. Done properly with better music and without the constant interference of a network, we could experience another great science fiction show that explores the impact of Shadow technology in a post-First Ones world and new conspiracies. What science fiction show shall I pursue next to escape these harrowing times?

Martian Successor Nadesico

Although mecha anime are usually not my cup of tea (after childhood, I think Gundam ruined the genre for me), Martian Successor Nadesico became one of my favorites of 2020. It has the great 1990s anime aesthetic (despite the overly large eyes of some of its characters, even by anime standards) with all of the quirks of a show intended as parody and homage to the genre. Inspired by and poking fun at mecha genre, Nadesico's entertaining tale of Earth at war with the alien Jovians (are they really aliens?) pits a young crew in command of a warship in a struggle for humanity's survival. Of course, as a parody, its full of laughable scenes and humor as several of the young women on the ship are in love with Tenkawa. There's even a hilarious show-within-the show based on older mecha anime that eventually turns out to be very important for the plot. As such, it follows all the standard format of 1990s anime but without taking itself too seriously. One can enjoy it without much familiarity with mecha anime. Indeed, with the exception of this, Macross, Gundam, Gunbuster and Evangelion, I am unfamiliar with most examples of the genre. It's even more of a pity this show never received a proper conclusion...

Nadia: Secret of Blue Water

Been thinking about Nadia: Secret of Blue Water for some time now. Although only very loosely based on Jules Verne's famous novel, the series reimagines it for an engaging adventure story with even more absurd science fiction elements. Despite some rather regrettable story arcs (Lincoln Island and the short trip to Africa), most of the episodes are endearing and entertaining tales of adventure, mystery, technology, and maturation for Nadia, Jean, Grandis and friends in the late 1800s. What's not to love about a series of adventures in the late 19th century, beginning in Paris and ending in space?

Like Shinji in Hideaki Anno's better-known series, Nadia is something of an orphan with a difficult relationship with her father. She also struggles to accept her role and to find her identity, mistakenly thinking she is from Africa when her roots lie somewhere else (no spoilers). But what most appeals to me from this family-friendly TV series from the early 1990s is a cautious embrace of technology and progress. Jean, the boy genius capable of inventing airplanes and other wonders, confronts the limitations of an obsession with technology as the path forward for humanity. Jean must learn that matters of the heart and the ideas behind the technology matter just as much if not more than advanced ancient technology.

The series, to me at least, seems to embrace the idea of progress lying in personal growth and openness to difference, not technological prowess or power. Set in a time of imperialism and industrialization, Jean and Nadia's budding love and the diverse crew of the Nautilus hint at an ideal future at odds with the ugly present of the late 19th century. Even the main antagonist in the series wears a hood resembling KKK outfits and pledges to restore ancient Atlantis to subjugate the human race, calling to mind the ugly realities of the period. Moreover, unlike Neon Genesis Evangelion, there is a more optimistic conclusion to the series, too, although some would interpret the ending of Evangelion as a positive one. Overall, I prefer Nadia to Shinji as a protagonist, but Evangelion is the superior series (its brevity helps as it contains far less filler than Nadia).

Farscape

Farscape, another science fiction show canceled before its time, has been my guilty pleasure for the last two months. There's something so alluring and Australian about this show which, after the the initial bewilderment, continues to attract viewers. I attempted to watch Farscape a year ago, but could not get past the jarring beginning in the premiere. However, if you stick with it, you'll find yourself hopelessly attached to John Crichton and the crew of Moya. Instead of taking place in a distant future, the story is set during our era and features an American astronaut who, like the viewers, is thrust into a strange galaxy with a variety of alien life-forms and conflicts. Along the way, a series of adventures (often episode of the week, but later on more epic story arcs) will entertain and challenge viewers.

The show's lore, characters, humor, creativity, depth, and sense of wonder never fails to deliver, even during the mediocre episodes or the substandard miniseries (which, one must admit, had to wrap up a story that was meant to have a full final season). I cannot recall the last time I watched a science fiction show which could be so action-packed, morally ambiguous, and adventurous all at once. The show endeavors to explore the possibility and ethics of war and power, xenophobia and contact between Earth and the aliens Crichton encounters, and how a group of escaped prisoners befriend and love one another. It is fantastic, swashbuckling, wondrous, and, in some cases, anthropological as Crichton and company explore the Uncharted Territories. Who wouldn't love a show with tight leather costumes,  puppets, living spaceships, corrupt Sebacean Peacekeepers, neural clones, wormholes, bounty hunters, heists (the Shadow Depository episodes being among my personal favorites), and a show irreverent enough to poke fun at its own lore ("Zhaan did a unity thing")?

Of course, Farscape has its shortcomings. The aforementioned miniseries felt rushed, was inconsistent with some of the previous character relationships, and, due to its nature, could not tell the full story envisioned by the writers. Details of the Scarrans, Rygel's return to Hyneria, Chiana's brother and the resistance to the forces of conformity to the Nebari, or the possible Earth-origins of Sebaceans (oops, spoilers) are unexplored, and replacements for Zhaan never felt like full-fledged characters. And don't get me started on Stark, one of the zaniest characters to ever appear in science fiction television. Jool and Sikozu, compared to him, or even Noranti, were lovable additions to Moya's crew. But in spite of, or perhaps because of its flaws, its Australian cast and crew, and its sense of wonder made for an excellent science fiction program. There will never be anything quite like it, but one hopes for a continuation of it or its wacky universe

Psych

Why do we commit ourselves to absurd things without end? Psych, a mystery show I watched back when it first premiered occupied about 2 or 3 months of my life. It never matched Monk in terms of the intricacy of its cases or the emotional and comedic heights of the defective San Francisco defective. However, I found myself watching at least 1 episode per day for months to complete the show. While it's 8 seasons fortunately only amounted to 120 episodes, it still occupied too much of my time to justify watching it.

Nonetheless, for comfort television in the mystery genre, it's light-hearted and simple entertainment that fills a niche. Like Monk, it's comedic nature and mostly episode of the week format are compelling features. One can skip or miss several episodes of Psych but resume watching at nearly any point. Of course, this can be a drawback when the series is on the air too long, which happened with Psych. The show probably should have ended after 5 or 6 seasons, given a proper conclusion instead of the finale setting the show up for a film.

However, after one tolerates the rocky pilot and initial episodes, the show begins to grow on you. The premise is undeniably absurd, but as a mystery-comedy series, it works. James Roday's character, Shawn Spencer, is mildly insufferable, sarcastic, and full of interminable pop culture references. Somehow, despite his immaturity and other character flaws, women are drawn to him. His keen sense of observation, honed by his cop father with whom his relationship is also flawed, makes him seem extraordinary to many. His best friend, Gus, is often a flat Watson to his Sherlock.

While Gus is undeniably book smart and has a wealth of knowledge in pharmaceutical products, which sometimes plays a key role in solving cases, he's usually the butt of jokes, becomes an excuse for bland racial humor, or serves as a babysitter for Shawn. Julia, the Santa Barbara police detective who is a love interest for Shawn, is part of the series endless will they-won't they love angle. Lassiter, another police detective, dislikes Shawn but gradually grows to work beside him despite never believing in his "psychic" detective methodology.

At its best, Psych depicts a great detective who is defective in other ways (childish nature) confronting the darker side of sunny Santa Barbara. Murder, kidnappings, assassinations, ethnic slumming (Indian, Chinese, and other cultures are exploited for local color in some episodes), ghost stories, grisly past crimes, and even serial killers are brought down by Shawn and Gus. Along the way, genre-bending, homages to great TV series or films (like Polanski's Chinatown), and mild emotional growth occur. For instance, the relationship between Shawn and his father improves over time.

His romantic life also develops, first with a serious relationship with a high school flame, then with Julia (although this one is dragged for far too long). Moreover, fans of Phylicia Rashad are treated to her guest appearances as Gus's mother. Some cases, particularly the first one involving a serial killer who targets Shawn's mother, is well-written and suspenseful. Naturally, as many shows of this ilk are wont to do, Yang is brought back too many times and loses her creepiness. Some of the other episodes, which attempted to break out of the conventions of the show, such as a musical, were also less than spectacular.

Overall, Psych is acceptable comfort television. Anyone searching for a serious mystery drama will not find what they're searching for here. As a successor of sorts to Monk it falls short. But it does bring a contradictory Santa Barbara to life. The Watson-type character should have been better, yet the show does feature a large cast of quirky characters who are endearing. Woody, the inappropriate and comedic relief of a coroner, is especially funny with his innuendo or when coming on to Chief Vick. If only the show ended after season 5 or 6, then it would be easier to rewatch. 

Continuum

Time travel is really hard to write about. Continuum went from being a great show exploring the moral ambiguity of time travel and terrorism against corporate dictatorship to becoming a convoluted mess in the third and fourth seasons. Although still worth completing, it's always tragic to see a science fiction show with great potential go astray. Nevertheless, this show made me fall in love with Vancouver while providing several hours of action-packed entertainment. I can't believe I somehow missed this show during the Occupy years and thereafter, since it seems to be a perfect accompaniment to ponder the criticisms of high finance and corporate plunder. 

Moreover, despite its later decline, I appreciated the show's complex ending, which doesn't choose the easy way out for Kiera's character. Moreover, the coming together and dissolution of Liber8 and the complex conflicts playing out across timelines are perfect for those who adore science fiction mumbo jumbo. Compared to Dark Matter, this show aims higher in terms of its message, but the dominance of corporations in the future settings of both programs seem to be a telling feature of science fiction of our day. The zaibatsus of Gibson have taken on a life of their own. 

Fringe

Fringe is the X-Files for the 9/11 era. Clearly influenced by X-Files in its early seasons, the show developed its own unique approach to the X-Files format. Further, the show's writers were far better at developing story arcs and preventing it from becoming too convoluted, in spite of some rather absurd science fiction mumbo jumbo: parallel universes, alternate timelines, and even soul magnets. Now, I will have to be on the prowl for another endearing and quirky science fiction series with the soul of Fringe.

Although the series started off rocky in the first season, and took some missteps in the fourth and fifth seasons (why would you remove Peter from several episodes of the fourth season when his relationship with Walter was part of the show's moral and emotional development?), its second and third seasons were spectacular science fiction television. Double agents, conspiracies, the conflict between the prime and parallel universes, and the perfect antagonists, like David Robert Jones, made for suspenseful television. Sure, Astrid is basically a glorified maid. Yeah, season 4 was clunky and season 5 was, while entertaining, lacking in the monster of the week format of the show's earlier seasons. But, one must acknowledge the creativity of the show in its willingness to explore all kinds of fringe science and take risks on the character development. 

Fringe was an amazing television experience for examining how science evolves faster than our morality, so we're forced to see Walter Bishop come to terms with the consequences of his actions. Watching Walter's relationship with Peter and, in turn, Olivia's relationships with the two were beautiful occasions. Peter and Olivia still aint nothing compared to Scully and Mulder, but their blossoming relationship nicely matches our growing affection for the world of Fringe. Shoot, now I want to go to Boston because of this show. Leonard Nimoy's presence, even though he does not appear in many episodes, also brought a degree of SF culture and history to the show, especially providing humorous moments such as Olivia's consciousness under the control of William Bell. Seeing Nimoy's character's other side in the fourth season, a result, ultimately, of the lack of Peter in that timeline, was likewise an interesting way to reset the show. X-Files has bequeathed to posterity an excellent science fiction show.

Dark Matter

It's always particularly wounding when a great science fiction show on the cusp of greatness is canceled too soon. Unfortunately, such was the fate for Dark Matter, a quirky show about the infamous crew of the Raza. Set in our galaxy but 600 years in the future, the show uses just about every science fiction trope, with cyberpunk's powerful corporations, an oppressive Galactic Authority government, and space western's outlaw feel. The show's special effects were far from the best, and writers did at times drop plotlines immediately without ever returning to it, but the show's creator had sketched it out to only last 5 seasons, which would have brought closure and ended the show on an even more interesting note. The third season cliffhanger just leaves us wanting more. The good things about this show far outweighed the bad and ugly.

The negative features of the show are most likely the budget for special effects, poor acting from a handful of actors, an eager desire to slap together too many science fiction tropes and perhaps, the pacing of the episodes. The special effects are usually okay, but there are moments when it looks particularly hokey and cheap. But that's okay, not every science fiction show will or can have a big budget. It didn't especially detract from the visual sense of wonder and darker palette of the show. Lamentably, the poor acting from a few characters did weaken the series, especially in the case of Ryo and a few recurring guests. Lines were not believable, and it became a bit of a chore to sit through episodes centered on Ryo Ishida. Fortunately, Ishida's character was usually silent, but a few episodes centered on the space-age feudal Japanese-inspired Zairon Empire were a little much. 

One cannot help but think trying to throw samurai swords and civilizations inspired by Japan may have been an unnecessary move, although physical combat and martial arts are prevalent for the crew of the Raza. Moreover, can one really have anything cyberpunk without some absurd references to Japan (thanks, Gibson)? But what truly strikes the viewer is the strange way certain episodes were plotted. A beginning, middle, climax, and conclusion would often be followed by some immediately outrageous or hastened threat, giving the show a feel of constant instability without any lapse or moment for reprieve. When one recalls shows like Firefly, which clearly influenced Dark Matter, a similar episode structure does not ring a bell. Indeed, perhaps the pacing of the show played a role in the dropping of plotlines, including some that would have brought closure to departed members of the crew. 

Despite the aforementioned problems with the show, it's still a tremendously entertaining thrill. Thirteen episodes per season makes it easier to binge or revisit, unlike some of the better but infinitely longer science fiction series. The world-building of the show works very well, showing various colonies, the negative impact of the unrestrained corporations, and the satellites and planets of the galaxy. Having the memories of the ship's diverse crew erased was a useful plot device for getting viewers to identify with the characters since we were learning about the ship and its crew just as the characters were. In addition, some of the crew are clearly based on well-known series, like Three being a Jayne-like character. Fans of science fiction can appreciate these character archetypes and genre references.

The character development of the crew as they come to regain their memories brings to the table a number of moral quandaries, the meaning of friendship, and ethical decisions when there are no good choices. Backstabbing, trust, relationships, and the common glue of the crew, 5 and the Android, provide the requisite amount of emotional content to match the show's addiction to action sequences. The Android, who has an emotional chip, really starts to shine as a sentient being. Her existence forces the viewer to confront "anthropoarchy," and the moral dilemmas of the virtual enslavement of robots. Clearly, the show had a story arc prepared to explore that in subsequent seasons, but now we will never know. The anti-corporate and anti-centralized authority of the show, however, also lend credence to the influence of Firefly and cyberpunk, although Dark Matter, in my opinion, brilliantly did not take itself too seriously. The time travel episode in the final season is an amazing example of that.

That's the magical formula for the show across all three seasons. While certainly addressing important themes of technology, capitalism, ramifications of time travel, precog cults, corporate heists, parallel dimensions, and alien beings, the show's quirky sense of humor often prevailed. Even when there were moments that didn't make sense, that quirkiness saved the show. A quirky, unique sense of humor is what retained my attention. Perhaps the Canadian actors and approach to science fiction, assuming such a thing exists, also works to its advantage when winning over American viewers. Canadians are not in the center of Empire, but close enough, giving them a unique perspective on the problems of the present (and the future). With just one additional season, the show could have wrapped things up seamlessly with its quirky humor. 

Bill Evans Does MASH

The wonder of jazz has always been its ability to 'perfect' popular tunes. Like the elevation of "Someday My Prince Will Come" or "My Favorite Things," Evans, like the best jazz masters, is not averse to using popular material and integrating it creatively in a jazz idiom. Apparently Evans was a big fan of the TV show, too. Anyway, Elliot Zigmund's drumming is masterful as the song shifts between keys while Eddie Gomez keeps things going forward.

Carlin on Charlie Rose

Enjoy an interesting and too brief interview from 1996. George Carlin is one of American comedy's greats, and here he articulates some rather fascinating influences and how his comedy shifted in the 1990s and 2000s. While one may take issue with his detachment from the outcome of our current 'experiment,' Carlin's probably right in how he traces the roots of comedians and attests to their importance.