Happy Friday everyone! Here’s a little story I wrote, hope you like it!
Love Bites by Adam Wright
The zombies were dead. The doors were bolted. I fell in love.
She sat across from me, a light cut on her forehead. Red blood trickled down her face in tiny droplets. Her hair was short. It doesn’t pay to have long hair when undead creatures grab at it. At one time it was dirty blonde. We’d been through a lot together. I was a wall street broker and she was my barista. We’d met each other day after day for years. I didn’t know her name and she always misspelled mine. In the end it didn’t matter.
We knew the drill. Get inside, barricade yourself. Clear the area if any were left. Check for wounds. Scratches hurt but would heal. Bites were the end. Once bitten, there was only one end. I would prefer a bullet to the head over becoming one of those things. She agreed.
When you go out into the world amongst diseased and desiccated corpses, there is a smell. It hangs there like rotted meat swarmed by maggots. Most of the world smells that way now. So even as we run together, sweat and body odor rising into our nostrils, the human smell of it is all you want to cling to. The aliveness of the other person. It’s comforting even when you know your life could end at any moment. You’d do anything to protect that one other living thing next to you.
We learned to trust each other. She saved my life on the day of the outbreak. I was lucky enough to be at the front of the line and she grabbed my hand and rushed us to the exit. We evaded the mass of undead. We hid in sewers and raided grocery stores. I found weapons. We both learned to shoot. I still prefer the aluminum bat.
I knew enough to get a campfire started on that first day. We soon learned that was a bad idea. We still do it when we’re locked indoors and can make sure no light is let in. You can’t fall asleep though or the fire will take you.
We’ve done everything right for as long as we can. We have survived. I’ve tried not to fall in love. When you get close to someone it’s a weakness. I have seen couples come and go. Usually one ends up shooting the other. It’s good to have a partner. Bad to be in love.
If I was going to fall in love with anyone in my life it would have been her. We didn’t know each other well but she was always kind. I tipped well. I didn’t want love to begin with but now I had the worst kind of love. A dangerous love.
The real problem? I didn’t love her for her body, her kind soul, or her good deeds. I loved her for her brains. The bite didn’t even sting anymore.
Without saying a word, I passed her the gun and closed my eyes.
Anna Cobb stars in We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here. I’m back to review another psychological horror film. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is a 2021 coming of age, psychological horror film centered on a girl named Casey. Casey is played by Anna Cobb. Normally, I would warn you against spoilers in this review but there’s really not a lot to spoil in this film so read away.
The movie is a bit of a hybrid of found footage and classic film making styles. At the beginning of the film Casey awkwardly makes a video talking about how she is going to take the “world’s fair challenge.” This is along the lines of any TikTok or YouTube challenge you might see. You prick your finger to draw blood, say, “I want to go to the world’s fair” three times and you’ve started the challenge. Then something is supposed to happen to you. You are changed in some way.
The good
Before I get into criticisms here I’ll point out what I like about this movie. It is low budget. I love to see independent, low budget horror. I think that’s some of the most creative stuff out there. Anna Cobb takes the lead and her acting performance was solid. She seems a bit understated most of the time but that’s the role. The soundtrack is pretty decent. And the cinematography of the non-found footage is good. Found footage scenes don’t look as good but they aren’t supposed to.
The bad
Also, before I get into the criticism here let me just say I like slow burn horror. It’s not for everyone but I do enjoy a good, slow paced horror film that can pack a punch at the end.
The problem with this film is there is no punch. For there to be a slow burn there has to be a fire at some point. There are some creepy images. A few things Casey says are disturbing. But that’s it. There’s nothing else there. You are supposed to be guessing if this is reality or supernatural. It’s clear the whole time which one it is.
The scenes are incredibly long. I’m okay with slow pacing but you’ll want to fast forward. You don’t miss anything if you do. Most of the film felt like someone new to YouTube struggling to get channel views. As a plot that’s fine but with this pacing, I might as well watch YouTube.
The only other character who relates to Casey is a man named JLB played by Michael J. Rogers. The dude just comes off as oddly creepy and way too interested in a teenager. But it’s not scary in any way.
In Conclusion
I wish I could recommend this film. But if you are looking for horror or psychological thrills you are not going to find them here. It’s good to support independent movies but this one doesn’t take us anywhere. You’re better off finding a different independent film if you want entertainment. But if you love slow dramas and just want to support an independent voice then it’s worth it. I do think the film makers tried their best and made the film they wanted to. If you want to be a low budget film maker it’s worth a watch. But if you want to see some horror? Don’t bother, it’s not here.
If you want to watch brilliant horror film with a slow build up, check out Hereditary.
The crew finds a new planet in Star Trek Enterprise: Strange New World
The first episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise gave us an introduction to the crew and the follow up episode focused mainly on a single character. In Star Trek Enterprise: Strange New World the crew is faced with a new challenge. An environmental problem. I’ll be reviewing this episode today.
If you want to know the chronology of the episodes I’ll be watching, I’ll be going down this list. If you notice I’ve missed an episode, let me know and I’ll correct it. And if you missed my first post about Star Trek, you can check that out right here.
Vulcan cuisine and protocols
The episode starts out with two crew members eating in the mess hall. Crewmen Cutler and Novakovich have a brief conversation about the kind of food they are eating. Cutler enjoys Vulcan cuisine but Novakovich says it doesn’t taste like anything. Cutler is looking at a book about insects. She’s an entomologist. Their conversation is cut short when Novakovich looks out of the viewport. They see a huge earth like planet. Everyone there is hopeful for first contact and they point out features they can see.
On the bridge T’Pol scans for life. They don’t find any intelligent life forms. Archer asks for a shuttle to be prepared. T’Pol objects because they are not following strict protocol. I think there are times when T’Pol has a good point about this sort of thing but here she definitely seems to be a bit excessive with going through the checklist. We find out this is a Minshara-class planet. In later series we just hear them referred to as M-Class but apparently Minshara is a Vulcan word. And without going down to the planet we have no story so, of course we get an away party who will go down to the planet.
This strange new world looks… familiar
The away crew consists of crewmen Cutler and Novakovich, Trip, T’Pol, Mayweather and Captain Archer. Oh, and Porthos gets to go down too to get some exercise. While getting ready T’Pol is pretty cold and analytical to Crewman Cutler. The humans on the shuttle are very impressed with the planet. When Porthos gets out of the shuttle, Trip says, “Where no dog has gone before.” Gotta say, I thought that was a pretty good dad joke right there.
As the crew wander around, you might notice this place looks familiar. It looks a heck of a lot like Griffith park in L.A. That’s because they shot it there. They even go into the Bronson caves you can find there later in the episode. The crew genuinely seems amazed at what they find. But we’ll forgive the familiarity because you have to film somewhere right?
T’Pol is the only one who seems unimpressed. She’s more concerned with collecting data than admiring the scenery. Definitely sticking to Vulcan tendencies here.
Campfire stories
After wandering around a bit, the group comes back together. T’Pol wants to keep Cutler and Novakovich there overnight to do a little more research. Trip and Mayweather also want to stay so they can sleep under the stars. Archer grants permission, saying research is not the only reason they’re out there.
That night, sitting around a campfire, Mayweather tells a ghost story. It goes over fine with the humans but T’Pol is decidedly unimpressed. Then Cutler points out our own sun in the sky. This is one of those Star Trek moments I love. It’s a small thing but just imagine being so far from home you could experience our own sun not as a sun but as one of billions of stars in the sky. How incredible would that be? Maybe someday we’ll get there.
Later that night, some kind of scorpion gets into Trip and Mayweather’s tent. Shortly after that, intense winds start to blow. Crewman Novakovich thinks he hears someone outside of his tent. The winds intensify. The crew are forced to seek more permanent shelter in the caves.
Into the caves
On Enterprise Malcolm Reed informs Captain Archer of the wind storm. Archer contacts T’Pol and asks if he should go down and get them. T’Pol points out it will be difficult under the windy conditions. They’ve found shelter in the caves so they are in relative safety but Archer does ask for the shuttle to remain on standby.
As they settle in, the crew realizes they left their food packs at the campsite. Mayweather goes to retrieve them and he thinks he sees people out there. T’Pol confirms the scans don’t show any signs of people other than them on the whole planet. Novakovich swears he hears someone deeper in the caves. Novakovich panics and runs out of the caves. Trip and Mayweather go after him.
T’Pol leaves Cutler where she is to go see if she can find someone deeper in the caves. Maybe they don’t have scouts on Vulcan but use the buddy system people! You’re absolutely safer in pairs.
We’re getting worried
Outside the caves, Trip thinks he sees rock people come out of the solid rock. Cutler swears she hears T’Pol talking to someone else. And Novakovich is nowhere to be found. Trip and Mayweather decide the conditions are too dangerous to continue looking. Trip tells Captain Archer what is going on so Archer takes Reed and they fly the shuttle down to the planet for a rescue attempt.
But the winds really are too strong and the shuttle can’t land. Novakovich is hailed but he tells Archer to, “Go to hell.”
In the cave, Trip confronts T’Pol, thinking she is yet again hiding something from the crew. He points out Vulcans don’t have a reputation for being completely honest with humans. He is correct about that but Trip is visibly more agitated than he should be.
Novakovich is in bad shape
Because the wind was so strong, the away crew has to make it through the night in the caves. Archer instructs Trip to try to make contact if he sees any aliens again. Cutler and Mayweather settle in to a corner where they basically remain for the rest of the episode. Trip starts yelling at T’Pol and she points out he’s being irrational. To add to the problems, they are running low on water. T’Pol tries to do the reasonable thing and go grab some water from a water source deeper in the caves. (I’m just gonna assume they have some kind of high tech filter if they need it)
But before T’Pol gets anywhere, Trip pulls out his phase pistol and tells her to sit down. Tensions escalate through the episode between the two of them from here on out.
Enterprise tries to contact Novakovich but he’s just screaming in pain. Reed has to transport him back to the ship. Novakovich shows up unconscious, sprouting leaves and twigs from his body. Reed calls sickbay for the medical emergency.
Trip gets paranoid
In the caves Trip starts to get angrier with T’Pol. He becomes incredibly paranoid and Mayweather goes right along with it. T’Pol realizes they are delusional but she starts expressing anger and slips into Vulcan.
Dr. Phlox realizes Novakovich has been infected by something called tropolicene (no idea how that’s actually spelled so forgive me). It’s a hallucinogen which can cause delusions. This explains the paranoia happening to the people in the caves. Dr. Phlox thinks it will wear off in a few hours. But the crew will need to get further into the caves because this pollen is carried on the wind.
It seems like Trip is the most affected as he starts firing at the walls and screaming at people who aren’t there. Archer contacts T’Pol who tells the Captain she has a phase pistol pointed at her head. Captain Archer tries to explain what has happened but Trip is essentially too paranoid to accept reality.
Archer does all he can to get Trip to trust him but it’s touch and go.
Play acting
Trip tries to get Mayweather on his side but he’s too out of it to remain conscious. Cutler is also out for the count. T’Pol starts responding to everything in Vulcan. When Trip walks away, talking to someone no one else can see who he refers to ask Mr. Velik, T’Pol grabs a phase pistol herself.
On Enterprise they realize they can’t land a shuttle for at least 9 more hours. And worse, Dr. Phlox missed something vital in Novakovich’s diagnosis. In addition to the hallucinogen there is an undetectable toxin and Novakovich might die. Thankfully, Phlox whips up a vaccine. They plan to beam it down to the away crew.
There is a standoff between T’Pol and Trip. She has to speak to Hoshi through Vulcan so she can disarm Trip and administer the cure. Archer concocts a scheme to play into Trip’s delusions but T’Pol has to also play act in order to distract Trip. This is no easy feat for a Vulcan.
Ultimately, the ploy works and T’Pol administers the dose to everyone. She does have to stun Trip with a phase pistol and do a Vulcan nerve pinch on Mayweather, however. Trip remembers being shot the next day. Mayweather just wakes up thinking he slept wrong.
Star Trek Enterprise: Strange New World Conclusion
Trip realizes how out of line he was. Mayweather was hoping it was a bad dream. T’Pol forgives him. Maybe that’s not the right word. She acknowledges Trip was under the influence of the pollen and admits she was too. Trip says, “Challenge your preconceptions or they’ll challenge you.” Apparently this is something Mr. Vellik, Trip’s tenth grade biology teacher would say. He was the first Vulcan Trip ever met. T’Pol tells Trip it’s not too late to follow his advice.
The shuttle arrives and everyone gets to go back to Enterprise safe and sound. And that’s where the episode ends.
While this was not as strong of an episode as the last one, I do like the idea of environmental threats. This won’t be the last episode in this series where minds are altered, either. Captain Archer has to use quite a bit of diplomacy in the episode even though he’s only speaking with his own crew. And both Trip and T’Pol show some of their own biases here. It does feel like Crewman Cutler and Novakovich are just kind of along for the ride. That’s pretty standard for Star Trek but I guess they should be glad they weren’t wearing red shirts. It’s a fun episode in the series but ultimately it’s kind of skippable. There are definitely better, and worse, episodes to come.
The next episode is titled Unexpected so who knows what we’re gonna get.
Hello there internet people, it’s Slick Dungeon! I just watched Nosferatu (2024) and wanted to get my thoughts about it out here. There are some spoilers here but if you’ve seen or read Dracula in almost any form, you know the plot.
A quick summary
For a speed read of a review on this, the movie is just Dracula but with some elements changed and a different ending. While the changes are notable and interesting, I didn’t feel like this movie delivered as well as it should have. The production design is incredible and Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgård have excellent performances. However, I personally felt there was a bit of overacting on the part of Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp. I can understand what they were going for but it just seemed a notch too high here and there.
There is some incredible makeup in the film. And it does deliver a decent sense of dread, especially in the first third of the movie. The middle section drags just a bit. The end of the film does wrap up well and there are some incredibly memorable moments but not all of them work.
The story
Dracula and Nosferatu (2024) share very similar story lines for a good reason. In 1922 a film was made called Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. And it’s a film classic. But it was an unauthorized adaptation of the book. So while the characters in Nosferatu are not named the familiar names of Johnathan and Mina Harker, and Dracula is instead called Count Orlok, the integral elements remain the same.
There is a young solicitor who has to leave his young wife to go to a castle in Transylvania and seal a land contract with the Count who lives there. While there, he is taken prisoner and has to escape to return to his wife. And the young wife seems to be somehow entranced by this count. You basically know how this story goes.
The creature
What I do find interesting about both the original Nosferatu and this one, is the look of our favorite vampire. This is no smooth and beautiful creature who charms women. This is an ugly demonic thing which uses its power to dominate both men and women.
There’s also an added element in the third act of the 2024 version that ups the stakes for not just our heroes but all of society. In my opinion, that was a good change. But it wasn’t enough to make me think this film is superior to other versions of Dracula.
In conclusion
Despite this being a rehashed Dracula, it is an entertaining film. There are some great elements of gore, makeup, and special effects. And the production truly feels like walking into the past. I am looking forward to seeing how director Robert Eggers handles werewolves in his next project.
But I also feel like if you don’t see this one in theaters, you’ll be fine streaming it whenever it gets to a service you have. It’s a good take on Dracula but in my opinion not a great one. I know a lot of people might disagree with me here, and that’s totally fine. It just didn’t fully sell me on it the whole way through. But I do love seeing big and bold horror productions so I hope we get more movies like it. I just hope they can be a tad more original and have a couple performances more grounded in reality.
Vampirically yours,
Slick Dungeon
P.S. Want to see a classic horror film? Check out Dracula (1931)!
Toni Collette and Milly Shapiro star in Hereditary
Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here. I know I am late to this party but I just watched Hereditary and I’ve got to say it’s one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen. There are going to be some spoilers in this review but I’ll try to keep them mild.
The film is about the Graham family. The family is mourning the loss of the eldest member of the family, Ellen. The film stars Toni Collette as Annie Graham. Gabriel Byrne plays Steve Graham who is married to Annie. Alex Wolfe plays Peter Graham, Annie’s 16 year old son. And rounding out the cast is Milly Shapiro who stars as Charlie Graham. Ann Dowd also has a sizable role as a woman named Joan who befriends Annie.
Any time I see Toni Collette is in a show or movie I know there will be at least one amazing performance. Hereditary has at least five of them. Toni Collette does most of the heavy lifting but the quiet portrayal by Gabriel Byrne, the descent into panic by Alex Wolfe, and the somewhat strange and mysterious performance by Milly Shapiro give the movie weight and build up the tone to perfection.
At the start of the movie, Annie has suffered a complicated loss. It starts at the funeral of her own mother who she clearly had a fraught relationship with. Charlie seems to have been the favored grandchild of Ellen. So Charlie is the only one who is truly missing Ellen.
Annie goes to a support group to understand her complicated feelings and find some community surrounding her mother’s death. At the same time, her relationship with her husband and children are strained. The reason for this becomes more clear later on in the film but the tension is palpable.
And then a sudden event makes things excessively worse for her and every member of her family.
The lead up to the horror here is definitely a slow burn. But once the horror hits, it is relentless. And it’s not just the horror of jump scares or some lunatic running around with a knife. It’s also the horror of tragedy, of mental illness, and of family members not believing or understanding what is happening.
While the film has won its share of awards, it’s nearly criminal this didn’t win any Oscars. It’s the kind of project where this being a horror film makes the nuance of the performance even more necessary.
And the film delivers an absolutely unforgettable ending. There are those who might say the ending is not earned but if you watch it a second time, everything for the ending is set up in the film early on. It’s great not just on a first watch but on a repeat watch.
The movie is not overly gory but there are moments of gore and these characters are dealing with real trauma. For that reason it gets intense. So if that is not for you, stay away from this one. But if you are looking for an absolutely great horror watch, Hereditary is perfect.
Because today feels like the kind of day we could all use something wholesome and funny and beloved, I thought I would recommend a comic book. My comic book recommendation – Peanuts needs no advertisement from me. But any time I need to turn to something that is guaranteed to put a smile on my face? I turn to Charles M. Schulz. I’m sure you’ve seen Peanuts cartoons or read some comics in a newspaper or had a volume or two starring Snoopy. But I’m going to talk about my favorite way to read these comics. In complete volumes.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
What is Peanuts about?
Put simply, Peanuts comics are about a group of kids who hang out together. The focus is usually on Charlie Brown who tends to run into a lot of bad luck. The most popular character in the series is his adorable dog, a beagle named Snoopy. We see his escapades as he tries (and often fails) to do normal kid things like fly a kite, win a baseball game, and kick a football.
It sounds simple but because Peanuts comics were around for fifty years in newspapers, there is a ton of material to enjoy. There is actually no need to read them in any particular order at all. And any one strip of Peanuts is almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face. But you probably know all of that already.
What you might be a little less familiar with are some of the older strips. These show the characters a little younger than we’re used to. And they introduce us to future mainstays like Woodstock and Schroeder. Virtually all of the comics are meant to give you a laugh but there are some very sweet and touching moments along the way.
In the earliest volumes the kids are just a bit meaner to each other than they tend to be in later years. But it’s still an amazing read and really fun.
How do I get started?
I’ve read most of the Peanuts comics. I can’t say I’ve definitely read every one because there is just such a big volume to them. But the complete volumes are about as close as you can get to make sure you’ve read the bulk of the work. The physical copy comes in a bit of an oddly shaped version. It’s 8.66 x 1.34 x 6.77 inches. This is like half the height of a normal book and it extends out a good bit. They fit three of the daily strips per page. So it sits a bit awkward on a bookshelf. But it’s a great book to lay on a coffee table or something like that. And I promise, if you leave it out, someone will pick it up and read it.
If you want to get started, I’d recommend starting literally anywhere with these books. Buy any volume from 1-26 and you’ve got a great comic in your hand.
But to make it easy I’ll just link to the first volume here. It’ll cost you around $27 bucks for the hardcover. Cheaper if you get it on Kindle.
If ya wanna be a pal, consider using one of the links in this blog when you get it!
And just to give you a taste, here’s a little sample.
In conclusion
Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Peanuts always provides that. It’s genuinely wholesome and always a fun read. You can read just a single strip or a whole collection any time and you’ll probably feel just a little better inside. It’s the small things sometimes.
Anyway, I hope you check out Peanuts if you haven’t or if it’s been a while. You’ll enjoy it.
P.S. Want another comic book recommendation? Check out The Goon!
This year the Cosmere role playing game is going to release at the end of the year. I thought now would be a great time for me to dive back in to the Cosmere books and I decided to start by re-reading Mistborn.
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If you want to get your own copy to read this year, it would help my blog out a lot if you purchased through the image above or clicked here.
Synopsis:
Once, a hero arose to save the world. He failed.
Ever since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist controlled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler.
But hope survives. A new uprising is forming, one built around the ultimate caper, the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind, and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a street urchin who must learn to master the power of a Mistborn.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The first book in the Mistborn series introduces us to the main players and sets up the world they operate in. And it establishes the rules of magic for the world. This is a dystopian world where ash falls from the sky and the despotic Lord Ruler has governed for a thousand years. He stays in power by oppressing the Skaa people and making sure the nobility is beholden to his whims.
But in this world there are people with special gifts. They can do a kind of magic called Allomancy. The way this works is they ingest a small amount of metal. Then they use that metal to allow them to do things like enhance their senses an strengthen their bodies. And even, in one case, they can see briefly into possible futures.
Out of this world a few characters come up with a bold plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler. Kelsier, a famous thief recruits Vin, a teenage urchin, to put his plan into action. The story is from Vin’s point of view as she learns about the nobility, the Skaa, the Lord Ruler, and Allomancy.
But there is a reason this Lord Ruler has reigned for so long. He has every resource at his disposal. The bold plan of Kelsier’s may be doomed.
While I don’t think this is the best book of the series, it does a great job of establishing the heroes, villains, and mysteries of the world. As with a lot of Brandon Sanderson books, the magic system is complicated. But it works well and makes for some really memorable scenes. The opening scene of the book alone is one of the most epic in fantasy novels.
If you like fantasy books and you haven’t read Mistborn I highly recommend checking this one out. To take away any confusion, this book is known as Mistborn but you’ll also see it titled Mistborn: The Final Empire. You might even find it as just The Final Empire.
If you like heroic fantasy set against impossible odds, this book is for you.
Hoshi looks on at an Ariolimax portrayed by a banana slug
The pilot episodes of Star Trek Enterprise introduced us to the crew, established relationships with the Vulcan, Klingons, and Suliban, and gave us the first mission of the ship. Star Trek Enterprise: Fight or Flight takes a quieter approach and focuses on a few key characters while delivering a major threat. I’ll be reviewing this second episode today.
If you want to know the chronology of the episodes I’ll be watching, I’ll be going down this list. If you notice I’ve missed an episode, let me know and I’ll correct it. And if you missed my first post about Star Trek, you can check that out right here.
First contact with a slug
The episode starts with Hoshi and Dr. Phlox looking at a slug-like creature. Hoshi is the one who picked up the specimen and she’s worried it will die because it’s not eating anything. Dr. Phlox wants to keep it alive so he can feed it to his bat. Hoshi calls it a she but Dr. Phlox points out he hasn’t determined it’s gender if it has one. And the way Hoshi looks at it we can tell she strongly identifies with this slug from an alien planet. The slug is an Ariolimax and it does look otherworldly. But they actually used a banana slug for the scene.
Trip comes in to tell Dr. Phlox they rerouted power to sickbay and asks how the slug is doing. He’s bummed because the only alien contact they have had in two weeks is with this slug. He’s clearly hoping for something interesting to happen.
Of slugs, sleep, and squeaks
T’Pol comes to visit Captain Archer in his quarters. He’s bothered by a noise he’s hearing. T’Pol lets him know the sectors ahead don’t have much life in them either. Archer also assumes the Vulcans must have found something interesting out this way. But T’Pol assures him they don’t share humans love of exploration and they don’t explore based on what piques their interests. I’m not sure how true that actually is but Archer writes it off as being Vulcan logic.
Hoshi interrupts this conversation and T’Pol leaves. Archer also wants to know about the slug, who they have named, “Slugo.” Hoshi then complains her quarters are on the wrong side of the ship for her. She can’t sleep because of it and she wants to switch rooms. Archer grants it but it feels like a weird request and Hoshi looks like she wants to say more but she leaves Archer to figure out what the squeaking noise is that he hears.
Targeting problems
Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Ensign Mayweather run targeting simulations but they are off by three meters. Mayweather says it’s only three meters. But Reed says three meters could be the difference between hitting a weapons port and a warp core. He’s afraid they might destroy a vessel instead of disabling it.
Here’s something I love about Star Trek. Reed’s first concern here isn’t that he’s not going to hit a target. He’s worried he will cause more damage than necessary. While he is in charge of some seriously powerful weapons, this guy is looking for the least loss of life he can. I honestly can’t think of another show outside of Star Trek that thinks this way.
To be fair, he’s also afraid this will blow up the Enterprise too but that was not his first consideration. Reed is glad they haven’t found any intelligent life yet because he knows these weapons are not ready. Mayweather thinks Reed is being a bit paranoid and points out that everyone else on board can’t wait for first contact.
Captain Archer comes down to check on their progress and they explain the problem. Archer thinks it could be a problem with the simulation so he has the ship drop out of warp for target practice. Turns out it wasn’t the simulations, there really is an issue. Reed will have to make some adjustments but Archer goes back into warp. And this whole time, Hoshi is looking uncomfortable and nervous as she watches the torpedoes miss their targets. One almost hits Enterprise so I can’t blame her.
The first mess hall scene of Star Trek Enterprise
I don’t know exactly why but I always enjoy and find comforting the mess hall scenes in Star Trek. I think it’s because these scenes allow for quieter moments between characters. It’s rarely about the food they are eating. And something said here is almost always pivotal to either character development or a story happening in the episode.
This mess hall scene involves Trip and Dr. Phlox. Trip sits down next to the doctor who immediately prompts him to eat one of his own half eaten potatoes. Dr. Phlox is obviously not entirely versed on human eating habits. Trip seems uncomfortable. But Phlox has learned that unlike his home planet, speaking during a meal is acceptable for humans.
Trip explains how he’s feeling a bit restless with the lack of contact so far. Phlox feels the opposite because he’s learning so much about humans. And he doesn’t quite have the understanding of human etiquette. He even tells Trip he wonders if a couple on the ship would let him watch them mate. This will come up again in the series but Dr. Phlox is far less prudish than most of the members of Enterprise.
There is something out there
T’Pol does pick something up on the scanners eventually. It’s a vessel out in space and it’s not moving. Captain Archer sends a very diplomatic message to the ship. He lets them know they are on a peaceful mission of exploration and they come from Earth. He even sends a pulsar grid to show the aliens where Earth is. Despite sending this through the translation matrix, there is no response.
Closer inspection of the ship reveals hull breaches and scorch marks. This ship was likely attacked. The tension builds here as Archer wants to scan for life but TPol asserts this could be considered a breach of privacy. She wants to resume course.
Of course, humans are gonna human, so Archer scans for life signs. There are life forms aboard but below the sensitivity of their normal scans. Mayweather thinks they could be in trouble or sick. T’Pol recommends they try alternate methods of contact and Hoshi agrees.
But instead, Archer has Reed prepare a shuttle and takes a reluctant Hoshi along for the ride.
Star Trek Enterprise: Fight or Flight
Commander “Trip” Tucker is upset he doesn’t get to go. But Archer points out Enterprise needs Trip more at the moment.
Archer muses in his quarters about T’Pol and realizes she might be right about these aliens not wanting Enterprise to board their ship. Ultimately he decides they need to take action. Hoshi comes back to Archer’s quarters to try to be allowed to stay. Poor Archer can’t win here with some people itching to go and Hoshi begging to stay. But Archer won’t let her stay despite the excuses she keeps making.
Before boarding the shuttle, Reed gives everyone going a phase pistol. That does not make Hoshi feel any better about this.
In the alien vessel, the crew finds something unexpected. There is almost no power on board and there is a trail of blood. They discover hydraulic pumps and Hoshi lets out a blood curdling scream as she sees bodies hanging from the ceiling. It’s at this point that I think T’Pol might have been right. But it is now time for Enterprise to decide if they flee or if they fight whoever did this.
Whoever did this is dangerous
Turns out there were fifteen people killed, hung upside down, and had their body fluids drained. T’Pol insists they should leave. And yeah, that is definitely logical at this point. But Archer can’t bring himself to leave the bodies. To his credit he does go to warp three and resume course.
Hoshi goes to sickbay to check in with the slug and Dr. Phlox reassures her that it is a totally normal reaction to scream when you see dead bodies strung up on a ceiling. I’m no doctor but I think he’s right on this one. The slug is still not eating but Phlox tries a protein. If the slug won’t eat it, it is going to die.
Dr. Phlox also asks Hoshi if she ever considered teaching rather than exploring. She gets a little upset and realizes the Captain needs her there. But she also feels like she’s not living up to the mission.
Worried about the slug, Hoshi says, “She needs to get back to an environment more suited to her.” To which Dr. Phlox replies, “Perhaps someplace where she could teach.”
While I get the point the doctor is making here, it was maybe not the best bedside manner. But I think it does drive home the point to Hoshi.
We’re going back
Over an awkward dinner with T’Pol and Trip, Captain Archer realizes he left fifteen dead crewmen just floating out in space. Archer asks T’Pol what she would have done if these people had been Vulcans. She points out that they weren’t Vulcans and that it’s very difficult to know who they were or who to contact to retrieve the bodies. Archer also asks Trip if he would have reacted the same if they were human. Trip points out that whoever did this is probably coming back. Archer realizes they can’t avoid confrontation forever. Archer kind of gets angry at T’Pol saying she has an answer for everything. She replies they have a code of behavior and they try to obey it.
Captain Archer points out humans have a code of behavior too. Which means they are going back. I think Archer’s motivations are noble here and I understand why he would want to go back. But I honestly think T’Pol is right in this situation. Their weapons aren’t calibrated correctly, they don’t know who these people were, and more importantly they don’t know who attacked. It’s a fraught situation to say the least.
This time Archer brings Dr. Phlox to help identify the species, Trip to get the ship’s comms up and running, and poor Hoshi has to go back.
Here’s what is going on
Dr. Phlox figures out how they all died. Each one killed in a different way. But they were all strung up the same way. He takes a body to perform an autopsy on. Trip gets the comms on and they discover a repeating signal. Hoshi figures out it is a distress call.
The autopsy reveals whoever did this is trying to collect triglobulin which is similar to human lymphatic fluid. That’s pretty unsettling. And it gives off vibes of the movie Alien as they all discuss this morbid stuff in their exo-suits. Phlox thinks this stuff could be used for anything from vaccines to aphrodisiacs.
For his part, Trip is thrilled. He is also jealous of Hoshi because she’ll probably be needed on away missions more than he will. Hoshi tells Trip she’s going to ask the Captain to take her home. But she does get a small boost of confidence once she decodes the distress message. We won’t find out until the end of the episode but these aliens are called the Axanar.
It might be time to fight
T’Pol signals Captain Archer and lets him know there is a vessel approaching. And worse, it’s power signature matches the scans of the bio pumps draining the dead bodies. Whoever did this has returned. The away crew hurry back to the shuttle so they can return to Enterprise. T’Pol asks Reed if the weapons are ready He says the answer is most likely no. T’Pol commands him to do the best he can and be on the bridge in five minutes.
Things get exciting as the shuttle comes to dock with Enterprise. T’Pol has tried to hail the other ship but there is no response. And Enterprise’s scanners can’t penetrate the shielding to know what kind of weapons are on this other ship.
Just as the shuttle gets onto the docking arm the enemy ship fires, targeting the engines. The away crew is able to get off of the shuttle and onto Enterprise but they haven’t been able to go to warp. The engines have been damaged by the hits.
Archer has Malcolm arm the torpedoes.
Things get worse
With torpedoes loaded, Reed fires at the enemy ship. It bounces off the ship. The second shot is blasted away by the enemy. Suddenly, some kind of bio-scan goes through the ship and Dr. Phlox speculates they have figured out human lymphatic systems contain some useful compounds.
Archer orders Malcolm to get to the armory and start distributing hand weapons. But just after that, another vessel drops out of warp on an intercept course.
This ship actually hails Enterprise. They recognize this person as from the same species as the murdered crew. Archer is visibly relieved. Archer has Hoshi tell the Captain of that ship they weren’t the ones who attacked their friends. Rather, it was the ship above Enterprise which is about to attack.
Two characters get a moment to shine
Hoshi puts things in the translator relay but it doesn’t seem to make sense. This new ship locks on to Enterprise with a stabilizing beam. Now, even impulse engines won’t work. The translations continue to go poorly as the Axanar thinks Enterprise killed his friends. T’Pol calmly tells Hoshi to tell him they sent the distress call. It would make no sense for Enterprise to do that after they killed the crew. The Axanar ship then says the distress call came from his ship not the Enterprise. Archer explains they had to go there to find their frequency. The guy then asks why the humans were there two years ago. Hoshi assumes he means two days ago.
She is probably right but then again, we have already established time travel here so who knows? Hoshi keeps trying but it seems like the Axanar aren’t gong to help. Archer has the idea to tell them to run scans on the pumps hooked up to the corpses. Hoshi puts this into the translator but she can’t get the word for pump right. Captain Archer tells Hoshi to forget the translator and do it herself. This is her chance to talk in a new language to a living alien for the first time. Hoshi comes through and lives up to the moment. This ship will help Enterprise.
Meanwhile, on the weapons front, the enemy ship starts drilling into the hull. But with the Axanar ship helping, the enemy ship lets go of Enterprise. Malcolm says he has the scanners aligned and asks for permission to launch a torpedo. This time it hits dead on and Malcolm has his moment to shine.
The Axanar wait for Enterprise to get clear and they blow up the enemy ship.
Star Trek Enterprise: Fight or Flight conclusion
When the dust clears, Archer tells Hoshi they may have just made a friend, thanks to her. Captain Archer then goes back to do his star log. In case you are wondering, this is May 6th 2151. They did spend some time with the Axanar who are androgynous and live over 400 years. The Enterprise does make a detour to put Slugo on a world more suited to it. I’m really not sure how that would affect a world’s ecology or what the ethics of that are but Hoshi tells the slug, “It’s not that hard to adapt. You’re going to do just fine here.” Obviously, she’s not just talking about the slug here.
While this episode was not as action packed as the pilot there is some great character development here. Mostly for Hoshi but a little bit for Malcolm who also overcomes a challenge. And we’ll see more of the eagerness to explore come out in Trip in future episodes as well. Plus, Archer and T’Pol continue their tense relationship but do come to trust each other a little more with each interaction.
I think episodes like these in Star Trek shows are great. Watching Hoshi overcome her fears in a tense moment, to me, is just as exciting as the battle itself. And while some might consider this a little simplistic, the story really nails the moment. If you ever want to understand the character development of Hoshi, you can’t skip over this episode. Future episodes will give other characters their chance to shine. Although, not all of them meet the challenge as well as this episode does.
This episode didn’t allow for a lot of exploration but it did involve some first contact. The next episode is titled Strange New World, so we’re definitely getting to see a bit more of an alien planet soon.
Fantastic Four #16 (Photo Credit: Marvel, Writer: Stan Lee, Artist: Jack Kirby
There is so much to talk about in Fantastic Four #16. This issue brings back one of the best villains in all of comics, is the first meeting between Ant-Man and the team, and introduces Reed and friends to the microverse. While there have already been some fun stories, this is the first time it feels like Fantastic Four has real staying power and begins to tell a connected story for Marvel 616.
The opening page of the issue feels more like a film poster than a comic book page. It’s reminiscent of those amazing B movie posters from the 50s and 60s featuring strange stories about monsters and adventurers. It promises us the return of, “The world’s most dangerous super-villain!”. It has a huge title which says, The micro-world of Dr. Doom with doom himself looming over a microscope as The Thing and Johnny Storm attack it. A banner at the top advertises a special guest star, “The amazing Ant-man!” And at the bottom of the page we see Reed and Sue looking up in shock while Ant-man rides a flying ant next to them.
The artwork by Jack Kirby conveys so much through movement and perspective that it’s immediately interesting. Each glance back at it gives me something new to appreciate here. And we haven’t even gotten to the story!
Getting into the story itself a few things happen and they all relate to Johnny Storm. First an amateur rooftop astronomer in New York city is overjoyed at finding a new comet. A doctor in an operating room is able to complete a surgery despite the power being out when a streak of light crosses the window. And a group of thugs is caught red handed when the same light allows cops to see what they are up to. What’s the cause of all this? The Human Torch streaking through the air. He’s headed to the Baxter building. Why? no one is answering his signal.
He knows there is something wrong but he can’t think of any power strong enough to overwhelm the rest of his team. Inside the building there are no signs of life. But eventually Johnny sees the outstretched arm of a tiny Mr. Fantastic. His team mates have been shrunken down to the size of toys and they are in danger of being pulled into an air duct.
Johnny welds the duct shut. His friends are safe. But they are small. Suddenly they grow to regular size. Johnny asks how it all happened but none of them seem to have a clue. But then an odd thing starts to happen. Each member of the team tells about an incident when they also shrunk in the recent past.
Personally, I think this is something you’d want to share with the group. But they all say they were too afraid of no one believing them. I mean, these people have incredible powers, have encountered super villains, aliens and underground civilizations, but apparently shrinking is too weird to be believed.
Anyway, just as they all start to share, they hear a voice say, “Hah! You fools! You are helpless as putty before my power! This is only the beginning of what I have in store for you!”
None of them know who spoke but it seems like Reed and Johnny suspect. One by one the heroes tell their tales of shrinking. Johnny was working on his car when it happened. The Thing was working out with a 3 ton weight when it happened. For Sue Storm the incident occurred when she was on a talk show but the audience just assumed she turned invisible. And for Reed Richards, he was testing out the fantasti-car when it happened to him. They all suddenly grew back to normal size with no real explanation.
After everyone tells their tale, Reed has a good thought. He could contact Ant-man. Sue isn’t sure he even really exists. I guess all those newspaper stories about him must have been made up? I don’t know.
Conveniently for the team, Henry Pym’s ants were listening. They relay the incident to Ant-man who rushes over to the Baxter building. He leaves The Wasp in charge while he is gone.
The Fantastic Four are shocked when Ant-man shows up just as they’re trying to figure out how to contact him. Reed uses what he calls a “crystal magnifying amplifier” to allow the group to see and hear the tiny Ant-man better. It’s basically a clear box of some kind but it gets the job done. Ant-man then gives the team a solution with two drops of fluid. One drop is for shrinking and the other is for growing. Henry then goes back to his own lab to learn what he can.
For a moment Reed wonders if Ant-man could be behind the whole thing. I think that’s a reasonable suspicion given the circumstances. But Sue Storm gives irrefutable proof that it could not be him. She says, “Oh no, Reed! He’s much too cute!” Well, I guess that’s proof then.
The next day Ben Grimm is helping out his friend Alicia. Reed comes up and excitedly pours a formula down The Thing’s throat, telling him it’s a cure for him. He won’t need to be the rocky Thing anymore. But out of all people in the 616 universe, Reed Richards has the absolute worst sense of timing. He gives this stuff to Ben while he is… literally holding a piano. Reed lets Ben know it’s only temporary but the piano goes crashing to the floor. Alicia, who is blind, is a little upset to feel Ben’s face in human form. She loves him for him. Ben asks Reed to basically stop trying to change him back from being The Thing and start helping Alicia to see again instead.
But just then a voice speaks again. It says, “…Beware of Doctor Doom! He’s trying to— ohhh!! Help!”
Meanwhile, Johnny entertains his friends by showing off his powers. He does this a lot by the way. But he also hears a voice warning him about Doctor Doom.
For her part, Sue Storm is experimenting with perfumes. She believes her only weakness is that even when she is invisible, dogs can sniff her out. She’s trying to make a scent that will deaden a dong’s sense of smell. It doesn’t work. But she also hears the voice just as the rest of the team arrives. They discuss things for a while and decide it’s possible Doom is still alive so they take the reducing serum.
They start shrinking but it’s so fast they have to take the enlarging formula to slow it down. And the group enters what Sue Storm calls a, “micro-world — a world which might fit on the head of a pin!”
An interesting tidbit about the microverse here. While this is the first time the team has experienced this world, this is not the first time it appeared in Marvel comics. In fact, it debuted way back in 1943 in the pages of Captain America #26. This is technically outside of the timeline of Marvel 616 so, like the Sub-Mariner, this existed before the current heroes we are reading about did. And at the present moment in Marvel 616 there is no Captain America to tell the team what they are getting into here. This doesn’t really change the story in any way but I just find it interesting when things from even older comics pop up in the pages of Marvel 616 stories.
As much trouble as this place sounds like, it’s worse. As soon as they land, the team discovers Dr. Doom has overthrown this world. And Doom has been waiting for the team to show up. They try to attack but Doom activates a shrinking ray from his throne.
Being a true villain, Doom can’t help but explain how he came to power in this place. We get a short recap of how he was shrunk down back in FF #10. Doom was quite angry to find himself in a place where people were… living in peace and happy. You can’t really accuse the Marvel 616 comics of the 1960s of subtlety can you?
Doom impresses the king and the princess Pearla by crafting a telescope and they think he’s a wizard. They make him the court scientist and he promptly invents a shrinking ray and shrinks the king and princess. You know, as you do. he then invents a whole machine just so he could send his shrinking ray and project his voice to taunt the Fantastic Four.
Despite their small size, Doom’s guards have a tough time capturing the team as they use their powers. But Doom captures Sue under glass and uses a sleeping gas on the rest of the team. When they wake up they find they are imprisoned with the king and princess Pearla.
They are in what looks like an underwater apparatus but it’s actually an acidic fluid surrounding the place. And it’s filled with mechanical sharks spying on them the whole time. Johnny flames on and that startles Pearla. Johnny gets a bit flirty with her saying, “Heck! I wouldn’t scare a living doll like you!” Pearla seems pretty impressed by him. And I gotta say, Johnny is not, at least at this point, a one girl type of guy.
They figure out the voice warning them about Doom belonged to Pearla. Doom wants Pearla to marry him. He’s forcing her into marriage by contacting a planet called Tok. This is a planet of lizard people. And Doom has decided the Fantastic Four will be slaves to these aliens.
We get a description of how our heroes will be used. Reed will be used as a bridge for their troops during their invasions! The Thing will be forced to pull out riches from their diamond mines! The Torch will be forced to attack their victims with his flaming powers! And Sue Storm will be… a scullery maid! Come on Lizard men of Tok, you can think of something better for her.
Back at the Baxter building Ant-man returns to find the team gone. He shrinks himself down until he ends up in the micro-world as well. He puts up a good fight but Doom’s guards capture him.
From their prison, Reed has Ben tear out pieces of the wall to make a shelter for the good guys. They turn this into a sort of floating capsule that can take them to the surface.
While they make their escape, Doom is handing off Ant-man to the aliens from Tok. But the Invisible Girl frees Henry Pym. The team gets themselves and the king and Pearla up to regular size. Well, regular for the micro-world.
The team runs to the landing area where the lizard men are about to land. But The Thing grabs a control tower and uses it as a baseball bat to swat the ship away. Ant-man fights his way past the guards. Sue Storm stays invisible and snags Doom’s gun. Doom ducks through a trap door and takes off running. He heads back to our world to, “…give them a reception they’ll never forget!”
With Doom gone the guards are a piece of cake. To repay them, the king allows our heroes to use his enlarging ray to go back home. Pearla doesn’t want Johnny to go and calls him the most fascinating man she’s ever met. Johnny says he’s gotta go back to his “pards” but says he might be back.
And with that the group steps in front of the enlarging ray and… the issue ends!
For the first time in Marvel 616 history, we are embarking on a continuous two-issue story. It’s a huge step towards the longer narrative that is building.
There are a lot of really interesting things going on in this issue. We’ve got a major villain who is becoming an incredible threat. We have a true crossover with the FF and Ant-man. And we’ve been introduced to a whole new world. It’s one that will come up over and over again. The artwork is out of this world good here and really broke boundaries at the time. And the story, while silly at times, really is engaging. And at the very end of the issue, there is a pinup page detailing the powers of Mr. Fantastic.
Can the story be topped? Can it come to a satisfying conclusion? We’re ending on a cliffhanger. So you’re going to have to wait until next time to find out. (Or you could, you know, read the comic yourself if you want)
Next up on our reading list, we’re going to find out what happens with our heroes in the pages of Fantastic Four #17!
