Sunday, February 1, 2026

Star Trek: Lower Decks 2.04

Mugato, Gumato

Rutherford and Boimler hear a rumor that Mariner is actually a spy and believe it. All three are sent with Shaxs on an animal control mission to deal with some Mugatos, uni-horned white apes. They uncover a clandestine Ferengi operation but Boimler and Rutherford lose their cool when they think they see Mariner kill Shaxs.

Tendi is given a mission by Doctor T'ana to get DNA samples from the last 10 crew members that have yet to provide samples. Captain Freeman deals with a merchant whose ship comes apart when the Cerritos tries to stop it from leaving the area.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

starring James Stewart, Doris Day
directed by Alfred Hitchcock

120 minutes

Ben (James Stewart) and Jo McKenna (Doris Day) are visiting French Morocco with their son when he is kidnapped by another couple. They learn that Hank, their son was kidnapped in order to keep them quiet about a plot to murder a prime minister who will be visiting London in the next couple days. Ben and Jo head to London. They say nothing when questioned by first the French authorities in Marakesh and then Scotland Yard in London about what's really going on.

Saturday, January 31, 2026

True Detective 1.07

After You've Gone

Rust and Marty talk over a few beers. Rust explains that he feels that they have unfinished business. He is referring to the case of Dora Lange. Rust is convinced that there was a third man in addition to Reggie and Dewall Ledoux, and he might still be out there. Rust's word and his impressions aren't enough to convince Marty. It isn't until Rust shows Marty some evidence he stole from one of the Reverend Tuttle's homes, some pretty horrific stuff, that Marty gets on board.

Marty goes to see Maggie. He asks about their girls. He also wants to know about what she told Detectives Gilbough and Papania. Later in the episode she goes to see Rust.

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

starring Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Natwick, Shirley MacLaine
directed by Alfred Hitchcock

99 minutes

Captain Wiles (Edmund Gwen) is out hunting in the woods in Vermont when he runs across the body of Harry Worp. He assumes that he must have shot the man accidentally. He tries to hide the body but people keep running across it while he watches from behind a tree trunk. Miss Gravely (Mildred Natwick) is one of them. The captain is trying to drag the body into the woods when she shows up. They chat, make a date, and then she goes on her way.

Friday, January 30, 2026

The Phil Silvers Show 4.28

Ritzik Goes Civilian

Sgt Ritzik gets out of the Army earlier than Bilko anticipated. Bilko can't stand to see him go, for the usual reason: one less person with whom to gamble. Mrs. Ritzik has her husband take out a loan against his life insurance policy and buy a road side diner. The venture does not prove successful. Bilko shows up just in time to help out Rupert and Emma. He talks the man who sold them the diner into repaying the Ritziks or else get a lot of bad publicity for ripping off an army veteran. 

Thoughts

There was a dream sequence in which Bilko, influenced by something Henshaw and Barbella told him, dreams that everyone he knows is poor but he is rich. It looked like A Christmas Carol, but without Christmas. Colonel Hall and some of the men from Bilko's platoon (Fender, Mullen, Paparelli) show up in the dream sequence.

This was fun. I enjoyed this episode. It wasn't great but it works.

The Wrong Man (1956)

The Wrong Man (1956)

starring Henry Fonda, Vera Miles
directed by Alfred Hitchcock

105 minutes

Jazz musician Manny Balestrero (Henry Fonda), goes to inquire about borrowing some money against his wife Rose's (Vera Miles) insurance policy. She needs some dental work and the Balestreros are short on cash. Not long after that he is accused of robbing the insurance company at gun point, as well as several other businesses in his neighborhood.

The employees who were present at the time of the robberies, most notably the ones at the insurance company, all insist that he was the robber. The police arrest and charge him with the crimes. Rose, plus his sister and brother-in-law, rally around him and get him out on bail.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Star Trek (1966) 1.27

The Alternative Factor

The Enterprise is rocked by an phenomenon of unknown origin that almost destroys the universe. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock descend to the planet they were observing when the phenomenon occurred to investigate something that appears to have materialized on the planet at the same that the phenomenon occurred.

Kirk and Spock find Lazarus, an injured man on the planet. They take him back to the Enterprise where he is attended to by Dr. McCoy. Once the man has recovered he explains to Kirk what he was doing on the planet, about his fight with a thing that destroyed the world from which he came.