The Odyssey: “Treat others as you wish to be treated.”

“Treat others how you wish to be treated,” is a sentiment repeated throughout Christopher Nolan’s epic, The Odyssey. Based on the epic poem attributed to the poet Homer (who may not even have existed), Nolan’s Odyssey takes plenty of modern liberties with the source material. The Greeks speak in modern speech, using colloquialisms such as “dad,” “daddy.” and “f**k.” The costumes are gorgeous but likely inaccurate to the time period in many cases. Certain events are changed to make for a tighter narrative. And you know what? I am here for it.

I only had one complaint: It was too damn loud at points.

Now, let’s dive in and look at all the goodness the gods of ancient Greece have showered upon us.

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“I have the power!” Masters of the Universe (2026)

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is one of the first cartoons I remember watching as a child. It was formative to my expectations of both science fiction and fantasy, because it blended both perfectly for 4-year-old me. Unfortunately, the old cartoon doesn’t really hold up these days. Even 20 years ago, I tried watching the Best of He-Man DVDs with my parents. We were all excited because we had watched it together 20+ years before that. It was beyond difficult to watch. And yet…

Some seed it planted endures within me. The action. The adventure. The fantasy of being more than I am. The moral lessons at the heart of the show. Those are the parts I remember fondly. The sense of safety and family are also important takeaways for me. And you know what? This movie has it all.

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“I Know Who I Am! I’m the Doctor!”: Doctor Who the Movie (1996)

In 1989, Doctor Who left the airwaves as the BBC cancelled the show after 26 seasons.Now, 37 years later, the BBC is putting the Doctor out to tender as they seek a new production company to take over for the departing Bad Wolf Productions. This process of tender and entering a new phase of production is predicted to take at least two years, if not longer.

The good news is that this tender period is not expected to take as long as the drought between the 7th Doctor and the 9th Doctor (1989 – 2005), but it’s possible that the gap could be as long as that between the 7th Doctor and the 8th Doctor (1989 – 1996). That gap was marked by a single official outing for the Doctor, Doctor Who: The Movie. I thought now an appropriate time to revisit the movie for two reasons. First is the BBC putting the show out to tender. The second is that the Movie was recently re-released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, complete with a remaster of the original film negative.

So, let’s look at the often-maligned Doctor Who TV movie. In the words of a later Doctor, “Allons-y!”

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“Looper”: No Fate but What We Make for Ourselves

This weekend, I watched what I now consider the best time travel movie I have ever seen, Rian Johnson’s critically acclaimed Looper. Starring Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and several other notable actors, Looper is the tale of Joe, a special kind of temporal hitman for the mob. When Joe in 2044 finds himself face to face with his future self, he faces an impossible choice: kill his future self, or let him get away and face torture and death in the here and now. That’s just the set-up. What follows is a brilliant tale of humanity, revenge, and hope. The time travel mechanics are minimal and clever. No one ever tries to explain how time travel was achieved 30 years in Joe’s future. It’s just accepted that it exists.

So, let’s dive in and discuss this masterclass in storytelling. Spoilers abound.

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Superman 2025: Hope and Kindness

Let’s cut to the chase: I loved Superman. It’s hardly a secret to those who know me that Superman and Green Lantern are my two favorite DC heroes, probably my two favorite heroes period. So, we get a Superman movie written and directed by James Gunn (Slither, Guardians of the Galaxy) featuring an extended guest appearance by the most notoriously asinine of the Green Lanterns, Guy Gardner, and it all comes together to create a movie that nearly had me in tears more than once.

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“The Reality War”: Killing Time

There was a lot to like about this episode, but the conflict between the Unholy Trinity and the Doctor’s crew was resolved way too easily. Omega, a complex and terrifying villain from the classic Doctor Who era, is reduced to a single scene where he is handily beaten by the Doctor using a weapon that we didn’t really know could act as a weapon. The Rani is eaten by Omega before that, and the Mrs. Flood Rani escapes. There’s a lot of to-do about wishes and a war with the Underverse, but most of it feels like fluff and filler before the final act.

So, let’s dive in and see what that was all about.

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Why I Discuss Media: A Matter of Hope

I’ve spent a great deal of time and energy these last few months talking about Doctor Who and Star Wars. Both are important, formative stories for me. I grew up with them, as well as Star Trek, The Transformers, He-Man, Tolkien, and a dozen or more other properties that still mean something to me. But why spend my time talking about fictitious worlds when ours is slowly going to Hell? The answer is actually very simple, and I’ve already answered it: these are stories that matter, “the stories that stick with you,” as a great Hobbit gardener once said.

They are stories of Hope.

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“Andor” Season 2, Episodes 10-12: A New Hope

Yeah, I’m pretty sure Andor and Rogue One are the best part of Star Wars. My son will argue it’s the Clone Wars animated series, and he has a good argument for it. But for me, it will be the depths of despair and heights of hope of the Rebellion vs. the Empire in Andor/Rogue One. These final episodes drive home the cruelty and malice of the Imperial regime while highlighting the many sacrifices made by the Rebel Alliance. And it all ties neatly into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It’s been a while since I found a television show this poignant and relevant.

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“Wish World”: Tables Don’t Do That

So, the popular theory this season is that the Doctor would discover he is naught but fiction. And “Wish World” plays with that idea, for sure. But it’s so much more than that. This season makes 15 season of New Who over the course of 20 years, so of course, Russell T. Davies and friends want to give us something big to celebrate that. And boy, do they ever give us something big. There are connections big and small to stories of the distant past and the recent present.

As the Tenth Doctor would say, “Allons-y!”

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“Interstellar Song Contest”: Let Battle Begin

I suppose I should have trusted Russell T. Davies and company a little more than I did going into this episode. After all, I’ve been praising this as the best season of Who since it returned in 2005, if not the best season of Who ever. I was afraid this episode would be a goofy excuse for some musical guests and not much else. I love being wrong about this episode while being right about this season.

Welcome to the Interstellar Song Contest!

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