Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Doctor Who (1963) 13.03.01

Pyramids of Mars - Part One

The Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive at UNIT headquarters but something threw them off course. They have arrived decades too early. in 1911 to be precise, although they don't learn that fact until later in the episode. They find that the TARDIS landed in the home of Egyptologist Marcus Scarman. Ibrahim Namin, an Egyptian who claim s to work for Professor Scarman, has taken over the house.

Doctor Warlock, a friend of Professor Scarman, comes to see what's going on in the house. Ibrahim Namin almost kills him. The Doctor and Sarah Jane help Doctor Warlock to get away. Namin and a large lumbering mummy come after them but the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Doctor Warlock avoid them and meet up with Laurence Scarman, brother of Marcus.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

The Twilight Zone (1959) 1.30

A Stop at Willoughby

starring James Daly
written by Rod Serling
directed by Robert Parrish 

Gart Williams (James Daly) hates his boss and his job in advertising. It gives him heartburn. He tries to tell his wife but she doesn't get it. She expects more of him than he is currently delivering. She is not, to say the least, a happy camper.

One night on the train ride home Gart falls asleep and wakes up as the train is pulling into a town called Willoughby. It look idyllic. He can't believe his eyes. He wakes up to discover that it was only a dream. He asks the conductor about Willoughby but he is told that there is no such stop.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 2.25

Tribunal

Miles and Keiko O'Brien leave Deep Space Nine in a runabout. They are planning to enjoy some time off when the runabout is boarded by Cardassians. Keiko is returned to the space station but Chief O'Brien is taken to Cardassia Prime and put on trial. 

Commander Sisko is contacted to let him know what is going on. It is explained that Chief O'Brien has already been found guilty. The trial is merely for the purposes of public display. Once it is over Chief O'Brien will be put to death.

Odo, volunteers to act as counsel to Chief O'Brien. Makbar, the judge, reluctantly agrees to allow Odo to be present. Keiko is also allowed to be at the trial but no one else from Deep Space Nine is permitted to be present for the proceedings.

Party Down 2.04

James Ellison Funeral

Kyle asks a man who plays a guitar at the funeral to teach him about the blues. Roman gets hung up on the definition of Jungle Fever. Henry tries to help out the dead man's mistress to pass as a former coworker. Bit by bit the truth gets revealed.

Thoughts

It may not be clear from my description of the episode but James Ellison and his family are African American. The mistress is White.

This episode made me cringe and made me laugh. The cringe entered through the front door and kept going until it was out the back door and three blocks past the house. It was so far beyond the pale that after a point almost everything seemed funny. I loved the reveals towards the end of the episode.

Monday, October 26, 2026

Bleach 55 / 3.14

The Strongest Shinigami! Ultimate Confrontation Between Teacher and Students

Renji and Rukia argue while he is getting them to safety. Ichigo and Byakuya fight. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto (captain of First Division) takes on Shunsui Kyōraku (captain of Eighth Division) and Jūshirō Ukitake (captain of 13th Division). They take off running, Nanao Ise (lieutenant of 8th Division) goes with them.

Suì-Fēng (captain of Second Division) is about to discipline a junior Shinigami when Yoruichi Shihōin shows up and knocks them both of them off of a cliff after which Yoruichi and Sui-Feng get ready to fight.

Tales from the Crypt 2.07

The Sacrifice

starring Kim Delaney Kevin Kilber, Don Hood, Michael Ironside
written by Ross Thomas
directed by Richard Greenberg

James (Kevin Kilner) conspires with Gloria (Kim Delaney) to murder her husband Sebastian (Don Hood). James subsequently gets blackmailed by his boss Jerry (Michael Ironside) who saw James kill Sebastian. The pressure eventually gets to James and he kills himself.

Thoughts

This episode was very pedestrian. The twist in this tale was not satisfying in the least bit. The whole thing almost felt like a prelude to something better.

Saturday, October 24, 2026

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

starring Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace
written by Rasmus Heisterberg. Nikolaj Arcel
directed by Niels Arden Oplev

152 minutes

in Swedish with English subtitles

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is hired by Henrik Vanger, head of the Vanger Group, to figure out what happened to his niece Harriet, who disappeared almost 40 years earlier. Henrik is convinced that one of his relatives murdered her. Mikael has a personal connection to the case in that Harriet was his babysitter when he was just a few years old.