Science Fiction | At Home with Tech

December 12, 2021

The Pain of having to Wait after a Cliffhanger

To quote the original “Lost in Space” franchise, “Oh, the pain… the pain”… of having to endure the wait for a show’s next season.

Cliffhangers are the norm in movie and TV storytelling these days. It’s not unusual to get to the credits of anything without a significant hanging thread compelling you to get to the next episode as fast as possible.

My family and I just watched the third (and final) season premiere of Netflix’s “Lost in Space.” And of course, our 11-year-old son was pleading at the end of the episode that we blow through his bedtime to watch the second episode. (As there are only 8, I held the line to extend the joy over these upcoming viewing weeks.)

Keeping Track of the Jupiter 2’s Course
This fun, non-stop sci-fi series has been constructed on an endless number of cliffhangers, and it’s been especially challenging as a viewer to wait between seasons to see what happens. It’s helpful that Netflix automatically served up a recap of season 2 to kick things off. The writers enjoy dropping breadcrumbs, and you really need to keep track of developing plot points across the seasons.

Yes, it’s been hard to handle the long pause between the second and third seasons of “Lost in Space.” It’s been almost 2 years! (Yes, there were Covid-19 production delays.) But the producers have committed to get the fans to the finish line. (I can’t yet speak to the characters’ success on that important question.)

Danger
You’d think that properly ending any story is an essential technique. But of course, viewership numbers can sometimes kill off a series prematurely and leave the cliffhanger… hanging.

It’s not bad storytelling. Its economics. But ultimately, it actually is bad storytelling.

For a time, I wondered if the new “Dune” would fall into this category.

Why do Movies have Cliffhangers to Sequels that aren’t Greenlit?
The writers and producers of “Dune” wisely chose to tackle just the first half of the book (unlike the 1984 flick, which tried to cram it all in).

The start of “Dune” even includes a title graphic that say “Part One.” And yes, the movie ends on a cliffhanger, although it plays more like a chapter ending. It’s arguably the film’s weakest element. But you accept it, because there’s going to be a part two… right?

Well, after I watched it with my son on the day of its premiere in October, I immediately did some Googling to see when the sequel was coming out, and I was shocked with what I found.

It’s not that they hadn’t shot the sequel yet. It’s that the sequel hadn’t even been greenlit! They were waiting to see how successful the first film is.

I get the economics, but come on!

How Good is Half of “Dune?”
Okay, so they did green-light the sequel a few days later. (The sequel will be released in October 2023.)

But imagine if the box office wasn’t so kind to “Dune.” We would only have gotten half a story.

As it turned out, “Dune” was a big success. And my son and I liked it too.

It’s a perfect family film if you’re regulars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, there’s lots of action and PG-13-level violence. But If your kids can handle “The Avengers,” “Dune” shouldn’t be a problem. “Dune” is more mature in its storytelling style and more serious in tone. And I think it’s a great next step for a young sci-fi fan.

The Economics can Ruin a Movie Fan’s Day
I can’t dispute economics, but it would have been so much better from a viewer’s perspective if both movies were made back to back, like the second and third installments of “The Matrix” series. (Can’t wait for the fourth one, even though it’s been 18 years!)

Hey, what about a three or four-part “Dune” miniseries for HBO Max? (Yes, again that means covering all of the content.)

Ultimately, If you’re going to tell one story, I feel you’ve got to commit to telling the whole story! Waiting for box office numbers can tragically lead to movies without an ending and very cranky fans.

Patience
On the other hand, maybe you’ve just got to have some faith that things are going to work out the way they should. I’m sure director Dennis Villeneuve had faith that he’d get his shot to direct his “Dune” sequel.”

And remember when the pilot of the “Battlestar Galactica” reboot came out in 2003 with a huge cliffhanger? The actual ground-breaking sci-fi series didn’t show up until 2005. So having to wait is not without precedent.

And then there’s “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” We had to wait another three years to find out Han’s fate.

But in this age of countless streaming options and a glut of great content to watch, fans can be fickle.

If there’s a cliffhanger, please don’t make us wait too long for what comes next.

July 4, 2021

TV Shows to Stream with your Kids this Summer

Finding the right programming for your tweens to watch can be a difficult exercise. Here’s a list of shows that have worked for my family.

Without the rigors of school and related activities, summertime can often be a time for children to ask for more screen time. So, it’s important for parents to stay one step ahead and have some solid choices up their sleeves. Searching for family-friendly programming at the last minute can be really stressful.

I’ve certainly tried to be ready whenever I hear the question from our eleven-year-old son, “So, what are we watching tonight?”

If you’re looking for a TV series to stream with your kids in their tween years, here’s what my family has been watching:

“Loki” on Disney+
This show, based on the Loki character from the MCU, is the best of the Marvel series on Disney+ to date.

It’s smart, character-driven and benefits from Loki’s well-established storyline from the Marvel movies. Yes, there’s a little bad language, but the violence factor isn’t as intense as what some of the other Marvel properties serve up.

The plot to protect the ‘sacred timeline’ is delightfully unexpected, and “Loki” demonstrates the true potential of a Marvel series the same way “The Mandalorian” did for a Star Wars series.

It’s so good.

“The Mysterious Benedict’s Society” on Disney+
Based on the popular books, this series follows the adventures of four gifted orphans on a mission to save the world from ‘the Emergency.’

It has the same quirky feel and cinematic flair of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” on Netflix. But this show is not as dark.

After watching the premiere, my son complained that the show’s characters had been significantly altered, compared to how he envisioned them from the books. That said, he was eager to watch episode 2.

So, we’re in for more.

“His Dark Materials” on HBO Max
This series, based on the books by Philip Pullman, contains complex themes. But if your kids like this type of storytelling challenge, this show is a must watch. There’s no bad language here, but we’ve got some violence (though not at the same level of a Marvel movie).

The emotional intensity surrounding two children in parallel universes is high. Be ready for pain and loss.

It’s big, bold and cinematic. My son and I loved it.

Season 3 comes out next year.

“Lost in Space” on Netflix
This reimagined take on the classic ‘60s sci-fi series is a pure roller coaster ride. There’s nothing campy about this version. And every episode has a major cliffhanger.

There are only a couple of ‘language moments,’ and while there’s some violence, it’s not really part of the show’s fabric.

Dr. Smith (Parker Posey) is really creepy, but the series stays true to offering pure family adventure. “Danger, Will Robinson!”

Season 3 is being released later this year.

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” on Netflix
It’s been a few years since the last of the three seasons came out, but if you haven’t checked out this fabulous show yet, you should. My son couldn’t “look away.”

Even though its plot is entirely depressing, it still manages to be a whole lot of fun for the entire family.

Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf is especially great.

“WandaVision” on Disney+
I expect to get to “WandaVision” with my son later this summer. I prescreened it myself earlier this year after getting burned by “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+. (That show proved to be not for my tween. It was too violent and dark. Even he didn’t want to watch more than the first episode.)

It’ll be interesting to see how he handles the early “WandaVision” episodes, which are total throwbacks to early television sitcoms, which he’s never been exposed to.

Fun? Boring? We’ll find out…

In Search of the Next Series
Yes, there’s a fair amount of great content available for tweens. The only problem with the above series is they don’t contain that many episodes. So I’m always in search of new shows to stream with our son.

Would you have any recommendations to share? I’d appreciate it.

Thanks!

June 13, 2021

Why “Loki” is my New TV Series for Father and Son Streaming

If you’ve been looking forward to watching “Loki” on Disney+ with your kids, you won’t be disappointed. Here’s my review.

I always enjoyed watching Tom Hiddleston’s Loki throughout the Marvel movies. His god of mischief was especially interesting because of the flaws and tragic elements of his early story that made him who he was.

The end of his story in “Avengers: Endgame” was tough to watch, not only because it was so brutal, but because he would never get his chance to redeem himself.

At the end of the day, even though Loki always caused problems, we were still rooting for him…at least I was. All that pain and anger that was just under the surface and rarely revealed by the talented Hiddleston was plenty reason to forgive his naughtiness.

It was hard to say goodbye. And I’m really glad his departure was short-lived.

It’s All Part of the Plan
As I expect you already know, Disney+ has resurrected Loki and given him his own series. It picks up after that time-altering glitch during “Avengers: Endgame” when the Avengers go back in time to get the Tesseract as part of their Infinity Stone collection project. They mess up this part of their mission and Loki escapes his custody via the Tesseract, which isn’t what happened the first time around.

Beyond a momentary setback for the Avengers, it’s an amusing scene in the movie. And the consequences for Loki aren’t addressed. He’s still (spoiler alert) dead at the end of the story, but when you mess with time, there are always unexpected consequences.

It’s a fantastic bread crumb, and I applaud the architects of the larger MCU for dropping it in this way.

Loki Variant
I watched the series premiere of “Loki,” and I couldn’t be happier. Yes, Loki gets another chance to get it right, but this clever and snappy series is much more than that. It introduces so many new elements into the MCU that you’ve got to pay attention…Time Variance Authority/Multiverse/Time Keepers/Variant People/Sacred Timeline. You need a training film to keep it all straight. (Yep, they’ve got that!)

It’s fresh. It’s retro. It’s trippy.
It’s really fun.

The writers also quickly get to the heart of Loki’s flawed character and make him face his past and future choices. It’s essentially a breakthrough therapy session managed by Mobius (Owen Wilson’s TVA character). It feels quite cathartic.

I can’t wait for the next episodes where Loki and Mobius try to fix the timeline and confront the big threat. Plus, you’ve got the god of mischief being asked to follow the new rules and prevent multiverses. What could possibly go wrong?

Family Friendly?
Across the pandemic, my eleven-year-old son and I effectively consumed all the Marvel movies on Disney+. We also massively enjoyed “The Mandalorian” series.

Sure, the Marvel movies have some bad language and plenty of intense action, but it’s been okay for our kid at his particular stage of development.

My wife and I did watch the first episode of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” with our young Padawan. (Apologies for mixing universes.) We felt the increased level of bad language and violence was a step too far for our boy. (The whole series is pretty dark.)

So, I did not suggest that we watch the next episode, and my son didn’t complain. (Instead, we moved on to “Agents of Shield” on Netflix. That series also got too dark for him.)

I enjoyed “WandaVision,” and will eventually introduce that Disney+ series to my boy. I haven’t done that yet, because it moved so slowly in those first few episodes. Plus, you’ve really got to be a child of ‘60s and ‘70s television to appreciate them.

Granted, I’ve only seen the first episode of “Loki,” but I feel this series is perfect for my son. Like me, he’s especially enjoying the humor and mind-bending quirkiness.

Plus, there’s minimal bad language (so far) and the violence is relatively tame. That’s not to say there’s no action… there’s plenty!

Yes, I did prescreen the first episode, (after being burned by “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) but now, I’m planning to watch the rest of the “Loki” series alongside my son.

Wednesday is the New Friday
I’m not sure why new episodes of “Loki” are dropping on Wednesdays as opposed to Fridays. Perhaps it’s a summer scheduling strategy. I’ll still plan on making it a Lester Friday night family event.

So please don’t give anything away while I time shift our viewing. We’ll be just a bit behind everyone else’s timeline.

Looking forward to a summer of Loki-goodness!

Category: Science Fiction

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