Tread Perilously

Tread Perilously's fantasy month continues with a trip to Fantasy Island called "Voodoo/Parent Trap."

Much to Tattoo's dismay, Mr. Roarke accepts $51 from two children who desperately want to see their parents back together. Under the guise of inspecting the children's survival weekend, the mother and father -- and their respective fiances -- end up stuck in a rustic cabin. Meanwhile, Roarke aids an amnesiac to discover whether or not she is the heiress to a rubber plantation. He also employs the help of the voodoo adherents who lived on the estate. But is there more to this fantasy than meets the eye?

Justin makes his first visit to Fantasy Island and immediately learns to love Ricardo Montalban's Mr. Roarke. Erik reveals the "Parent Trap" segment's other name. The pair discuss the reasons why this is one of the lowest rated episodes of the series on IMDb. The presence of Hervé Villechaize as Tattoo leads to a discussion of lesser Bond movies. The true nature of Roarke is also debated. The "Voodoo" segment, meanwhile, gets raked across the coals for obvious old-timey racism. But a surprise special guest proves good in their role. Erik admits to enjoying both film versions of The Parent Trap and a bear in one of the segments calls the spirit of a certain filmmaker to pronounce his judgement on the proceedings.

Tread Perilously's fantasy month continues with an episode of The Dresden Files called "Walls."

When Harry Dresden witnesses the death of a potential client, he uncovers a trio of frat brothers who have learned a way to do short-range teleportation via a magic relic. They immediately use it to commit crimes. But considering the killer Harry glimpsed may in fact be the spirit contained in the object, are the three bros as much victims as perpetrators? Will Harry stop them in time to save their lives or will a long-dead thief steal it all away?

Finally, it has happened: Erik and Justin discuss The Dresden Files. The pair mention the pedigree of the show and their admiration for episode writers Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Hans Beimler. They also geek about co-star Terrance Mann. Justin reveals a shocking fact about his connection to the series. A surprising amount of books are recommended. The Chicago part of Toronto never leads to a Geography Corner, but it does mean pizza. Erik gives high marks to Valerie Cruz's amazing hair in the episode. Star Paul Blackthorne also proves to be a great lead. A surprise casting idea for Darkseid emerges. The invention of urban fantasy becomes a key topic and the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps gets appraised.

Tread Perilously dedicates itself to a month of fantasy shows starting with an episode of Beastmaster called "Slayer's Return."

After years of wandering, Zuraya seems to have it all worked out. Rolan, the king of a prosperous city state, has lifted her curse of loneliness and they will be married in a few short days. Nevertheless, her wolf, Slayer, seems to hate Rolan. Does he understand something Zuraya is missing? Meanwhile, Dar the Beastmaster continues the search for his long-lost family, all of whom his father turned into animals for their protection. Will these two stories collide when Slayer gets shot with a crossbow bolt? Well, they have to -- it's Beastmaster!

Erik recalls the days when HBO stood for "Hey, Beastmaster's On!" Justin calls sword-and-sorcery his favorite subgenre. The lack of male gaze in the show proves welcome even as a surprise guest star appears. The pair try to determine the premise of the show based on their recollections of the original Beastmaster film. Werner Herzog appears with a surprising Disney recommendation. Erik compares star Daniel Goddard to a surprising number of actors, though Goddard proves capable in the role. Opinions about the upcoming Masters of the Universe film are shared. Late 1900s/early 2000s fashions make their way into the Hyborean-esque world of Beastmaster and Slayer proves to be the goodest of boys.

Tread Perilously's annual Doctor Who month concludes with "Asylum of the Daleks".

The Ponds' break-up is interrupted when the Daleks abduct them to aid The Doctor in entering an asylum where the most hateful and insane Daleks are kept. The mission: shut down the defense field and determine the nature of the woman holding her own against the maddest of the mad. Once in the asylum, the lone human survivor of a crashed starliner makes contact with The Doctor while baking souffles. Is she the one making the Daleks anxious? And why does she seem so familiar? Is the beginning of an impossible (and long) story?

Justin immediately gets lost in the plot, but Erik suggests that's a fault of the episode. The Ponds' divorce, for example, is such a new idea that it needed to be set up in webisdoes instead of the previous season. A Cyclops discussion breaks out which leads to Justin recommending a J. Michael Straczynski Amazing Spider-Man story. Erik admits he really likes Oswin -- something that matters if you know who she really turns out to be. It naturally leads to a discussion of writer Steven Moffatt and his storytelling preoccupations. Justin once again supports Topher Grace as Peter Parker and Erik tries to recall how much Rory remembers about his 2,000 years as an Auton.

Tread Perilously's Doctor Who month continues with a First Doctor adventure called "The Aztecs."

When the TARDIS lands in an Aztec temple circa 1450, Barbara is immediately mistaken for the reincarnation of a priest called Yetaxa. The Doctor, Susan, and Ian become known to the locals as Barbara's followers. But the high priest of sacrifice, Tlotoxl, sees through the time traveler's ruse and vows to destroy them. To do this, he pits Ian against Ixta -- the chosen warrior to lead their armies -- and continually tests Barbara's seeming divinity. And once Susan speaks out against human sacrifice and refuses to marry "the perfect victim," he has all the ammo he needs. The Doctor, meanwhile, gets engaged to a local woman named Cameca. No, really!

Erik and Justin put on their anthropology hats to discuss the depiction of the Aztec culture, Cortez being the ultimate spanner in Barbara's plan, and the right way to do tourism in Mesoamerican ruins. Apocalypto becomes unavoidable. Erik discovers a connection between Cortez and hot sauce. Guest actors Keith Pyott and John Ringham get high marks as Autloc and Tlotoxl, respectively. Ian Cullen's Ixta also proves to be more layered than one might expect. Justin presents a pronunciation note on Aztec names. The nature of obsidian blades is explored and Justin doubts the existence of The Rose Detective.

Tread Perilously's Doctor Who month continues with a recent episode: "Lux."

When The Doctor and Belinda end up in Miami, 1952, they encounter racist policies and a seemingly haunted movie theater with a reclusive caretaker. Once inside, though, it becomes clear what is actually haunting the venue -- a living cartoon called Lux. Sure, he might resemble Mr. Ring-a-Ding, but he has his own aims. Will The Doctor suss out the truth or will he be stuck in an animated Doctor Who forever. And will he ever be able to get Belinda home?

For various reasons, Belinda is renamed "Belinder" and Justin is happy to see his favorite revolutionary playing the part. Erik forgets if this is the first or second proper Fifteenth Doctor adventure for Justin. The persistent rumors of on-set troubles during the making of recent Who are outlined. Ncuti Gatwa's dedication to the part on camera is a plus, though. Guest star Alan Cumming also gets his flowers, as does Linus Roache in a surprising role. Accents become an important part of the conversation with contributions from Charlie Cox. Erik continues to think of Paul McCrane as "prominent forehead guy." Justin disagrees with The Doctor's belief that he is Velma and a gaggle of fans agree "Blink" is still the best adventure.

Tread Perilously's annual Doctor Who month continues with "Fugitive of the Judoon."

Gloucester resident Ruth Clayton is well-liked by locals, but her attempts to sell visitors on a guided tour is often met with shrugs. She's okay with it, though, as she's happily married and celebrating her 44th birthday. But when a troop of Judoon put Gloucester in a suspension field, The Doctor arrives to learn why they are so interested in Ruth and her husband. Is it possible she is more than just another tour guide? Meanwhile, Yaz, Graham and Ryan meet Captain Jack Harkness. It goes as well as you think.

Justin finally meets the Fugitive Doctor! He also finds more reasons to like Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Tosin Cole finally makes an impression as Ryan, while Mandip Gill remains solid as Yaz and Bradley Walsh excels as Graham. The local baker, though, proves to have too much character and John Barrowman's return as Captain Jack leads down a valley of disclaimers. Any photo of someone on a phone proves to be immediately suspicious. Erik finds legitimate reason to praise co-writer Chris Chibnall. Justin recognizes a guest actor from The Umbrella Academy. The pair continue to make suggestions for the Sixteenth Doctor and Justin, at long last, understands what it means to be a Doctor Who fan.

Tread Perilously begins its annual Doctor Who month with a Fifth Doctor tale called "The Visitation."

The Doctor manages to get Tegan to Heathrow Airport, but 300 years too early. Taking a look around, they find the nearby village is caught in the grips of a plague outbreak. But does the mysterious illness have anything to do with a meteor storm actor/highwayman Richard Mace saw a few days previously? Complicating matters is a seemingly abandoned manor house, an android disguised as Death, and a trio of aliens looking both to escape Earth and subdue it with advanced biological weapons.

Erik and Justin continue their backwards journey through season 19 of classic Doctor Who. They enjoy the story's unusual cold open, going into detail about the sequence. Richard Mace (played by Michael Robbins) easily becomes the MVP. Nyssa also acquits herself well for once. Adric, meanwhile, seems to sense how little anyone wants him there. Mrs. J continues to be awesome. The Great Fire of London becomes a key topic. Flintlocks are also examined. Erik relates some tales from the episode's commentary track with Davison, the main cast, and director Peter Moffatt. Justin understands the director's bafflement about the story. The pair try to determine why boy genius characters rarely work and Tegan's hairdo becomes a point of conversation.

Tread Perilously rounds out '80s flashback month with the lowest rated episode of V: The Series -- "War of Illusions."

Just as Diana nears completion on her battlesphere -- a device certain to end the Resistance -- Mike Donovan gets word of an impending Visitor invasion and must find a former CalTech professor to crack the code of the alien technology. The professor, meanwhile, has a son who is much better at hacking into the Visitors' network. Will they team up with Donovan? Will Diana's new boy toy round up all the Resistance fighters in Highland Park? And will Dr. Julie Parrish make any sort of appearance at all?

Erik immediately declares Diana -- and actor Jane Badler -- a murder brunette. The Ashmore Alert fires a false alarm. Justin missed the battlesphere prop and is amused to discover a Spencer's Gift classic is used to represent the tech. The pair praise guest actor Conrad Janis, a mainstay of '80s TV even if you don't know his name. They also discuss their history with V. The shaky metaphor of the series leads to some mixed messages. More Highlander remake discussion occurs. A wild Robert Englund appears! Justin envisions actor Judson Scott as the evil Automan and Kevin Mitnick seemingly enters the chat.

Tread Perilously continues its examination of 1980s TV with an episode of Matt Houston called "Marilyn."

When Matt gets a panicked phone call from one of his employees, he soon discovers the man has been shot and hears his dying request: "Save Marilyn." This piques the private investigator/oil man's interest and he seeks out the missing woman. Just one problem: the employee did not have a Marilyn in his life. Nonetheless, the case leads Matt to some seemingly Irish gangsters and a woman made up to look like Marilyn Monroe. Is it all connected? And will "Too Mean" Malone get to cook a steak to his liking?

Erik and Justin immediately praise "Too Mean". Their summation of Matt -- and star Lee Horsley -- is a different matter altogether. Erik reveals whether or not he watched Matt Houston as a child. The series' premise is discussed with comparisons to both Iron Man and Moon Knight. The pair finally see a real "angry lieutenant" scene. Geography Corner manages to cross the Southland with stops in Downtown LA and Redondo Beach. It leads to memories of San Diego's Horton Plaza. Hired goons become surprisingly important. Erik struggles not to call a character "Jim Kirk" and Buick becomes the key vehicle manufacturer for the series.