Uncanny Treks

Bob and Matt discuss the season 2 finale.

Geometry of Shadows S2E3 (16 Nov 94) vs. 2nd Skin S3E5 (24 Oct 94)-Technomages don’t reappear in B5 but do play a big role in the spinoff Crusade (1999) & a novel trilogy (2001)-Much to Bob’s distaste, Lord of the Rings & Power Rangers come up-Michael Ansara plays the technomage as well as Kang in TOS & DS9 & Mr. Freeze in Batman TAS-René Descartes entertains questions about the first principles of reason & the possibility of deception & error in Discourse on the Method (1637) & Meditations on 1st Philosophy (1641)-Philip K. Dick’s narratives often engage w/ questions of Cartesian doubt, for example Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) & the film adaptation Blade Runner (1982) & “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966) & the film adaptation Total Recall (1990)-Bob’s example of Cartesian doubt this time is the Hitchcock thriller The Lady Vanishes (1938)-Matt makes grim Purge & Jonathan Swift references

Disclaimer: Cover art is meant to be clickbait (and never going to happen).Bob and Matt discuss the announcement of Babylon 5 returning on the CW Network.

Bob and Matt discuss the latest episode of Lower Decks.

Price of Peace (comic Dec 94-Mar 95) vs. Equilibrium S3E4 (17 Oct 94)-Bob vaguely paraphrases the opening line of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Cask of Amontillado’-Matt & Bob references the post-Vietnam & X-Files vibes of the Earth Alliance govt. okaying the Minbari mindwipe of Sinclair-Bob recommends skipping issues #5-10 of the first run of Babylon 5 comics, Matt recommends skipping issues #2-10-The assassination plot seems very inspired by Oliver Stone’s film JFK (1991)-The artist for issue #1-2, & 4, Israeli Mike Netzer, drew a Batman/Green Arrow graphic novel Matt & Bob read as kids, Poison Tomorrow (1992) as well as a 1978 Legion of Super-Heroes back-up where Mon-El fights the Khunds that Bob likes very much in Superboy & the Legion #236 -The fill-in artist for #3, Colombian Carlos Garzón, apparently mainly worked on Marvel Star Wars & DC Star Trek comics.-The artist for #11 is Englishman John Ridgway, who did several fill-ins on the best run of the Spectre, John Ostrander’s in the early 90s-Matt & Bob say Cypher sounds like a badass 90s superhero name, but in fairness it is the mutant name of the least badass 80s member of the New Mutants-Bob makes the connections between the Siskos, beets, & black Louisianan cuisine to great Chew artist Rob Guillory-Bob & Matt debate the meaning & entailments of the concept thirst

Bob and Matt discuss the latest episode of Lower Decks.

Revelations S2E3 (11 Nov 94) vs. House of Quark S3E3 (10 Oct 94) -Matt & Bob debate whether Batman should be motivated by guilt in the same way as Spider-Man-Matt connects Delenn’s post-cocoon skin condition to Greyscale in Game of Thrones-Bob references June Lockhart from last season of Babylon 5 & the original Lost in Space-Bob is fatigued of cliched recitings of W.B. Yeats & T.S. Eliot poetry

Bob and Matt discuss the most recent episode of Lower Decks.

Points of Departure S2E1 (2 Nov 94) vs. The Search p1-2 S3E1-2 (26 Sep & 3 Oct 94)-This week Matt & Bob are too excited to introduce the season premieres by name-Matt no-sells Bob’s reference to the variety show Soul Train (1971-2006); in retaliation Bob no-sells Matt’s reference to the Borat franchise

Bob and Matt discuss the latest episode of Lower Decks.