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Animal Consciousness and Other Ideas - Soul Forge 320

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Animal Consciousness and Other Ideas - Soul Forge 320

Animal Consciousness and Other Ideas!

Are animals self aware? Scientific evidence supports the assumption that it “feels like something” for a fish to be caught on a hook. Shawn and Leah have a bit of a lively discussion regarding animal consciousness. They talk about their dads, wedding preparations, taxes, television shows and more!

Scientists and philosophers across the globe agree it is reasonable to assume the vast majority of creatures on Earth are sentient in some way. This includes lobster, squid and the tiny flies that swarm over drinks left outside in the summer.

The New York Declaration on #Animal #Consciousness, released Friday, was signed by 39 cognition scholars. They are from universities from #Canada to #Australia. It says there is “at least a realistic possibility” that all vertebrates and many invertebrates have conscious experience.

The declaration rests on recent scientific studies that show garter snakes can recognize their own scent. Crows can report what they see, octopi can avoid pain and fruit flies can sleep — and they sleep best when they’re with other fruit flies. Animal consciousness and other ideas is the 320th episode of the Soul Forge Podcast.

Also on this episode are discussions about fears, and how much work has been recently dumped onto Letter Carriers. #Television shows mentioned include #Fallout, #Crusade, #Robocop and #Star Trek Discovery. Leah and Shawn’s dad started planting in the greenhouse. They sat and shared their seeds.

This week’s podcast promo: Cosmic Pizza

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Timestamp: Series Twelve Summary

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Timestamp: Series Twelve Summary

Doctor Who Series Twelve Summary

Jodie Whittaker’s second set picked up the pace.

This group of stories was where the Thirteenth Doctor hit her stride, and it seemed a fitting place to throw a wrench in her confidence with the Timeless Child revelations. The only stinker in the bunch was Orphan 55, a story with one of the most telegraphed plot twists, a serious lack of tension and internal continuity, and an overly preachy ending that lectured the audience and characters instead of using subtle metaphorical elegance.

Much of this series focused on pulpy storytelling and having fun, though Chris Chibnall’s penchant for “oops, we’re out of time” rush endings was a constant companion. I love how this series remembered that Doctor Who can be exciting, whimsical, and thoughtful. The Timeless Child thread was woven fairly well throughout the series, and I appreciate how it only cropped up from time to time instead of being in our faces like Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat are prone to do.

The TARDIS got some enhanced interior deco, finally adding some depth to that claustrophobic set, and the Master got a facelift with an amazing performance from Sacha Dawan. We also got to see the trio of Ryan, Graham, and Yaz in top form (although I would still love to see Yaz doing more) before the fam was broken apart.  It was a fun series that, with one notable exception, I’d easily watch again.

Overall, Series Twelve comes in with a solid 4.1 score. That’s in good company with the classic Fifth Season, the classic Eighteenth Season, Series Two, Series Seven, and Series Nine. It’s a six-way tie for tenth place in the scope of the Timestamps Project.

Spyfall – 5 Orphan 55 – 2 Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror – 4 Fugitive of the Judoon – 5 Praxeus – 4 Can You Hear Me? – 4 The Haunting of Villa Diodati – 4 Ascension of the Cybermen & The Timeless Children – 4 Revolution of the Daleks – 5

Series Eleven Average Rating: 4.1/5

Next up, the Timestamps Project continues to the end of the Thirteenth Doctor’s era with Flux and the finale specials.

UP NEXT – Doctor Who: Flux – The Halloween Apocalypse

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

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Songs Not Even Nominated | Tales From Hollywoodland

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Songs Not Even Nominated | Tales From Hollywoodland

Classic songs go with Oscar telecasts, but it’s simply amazing how many classics were never nominated in the Best Song category.  This week on Tales from Hollywoodland, Arthur, Julian, and Steve examine the musical track record of the Academy Awards, wondering aloud how so many songs not only didn’t receive Oscar gold but weren’t even nominated – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, “Singin’ in the Rain,” “To Sir with Love,” “Staying Alive” – they all came up empty. 

Tales From Hollywoodland on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/talesfromhollywoodland 

Tales From Hollywoodland on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/talesfromhollywoodland/

Tales From Hollywoodland on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX2kbwHqdn47FNN6vVN7Q 

We want to hear from you! Feedback is always welcome. Please write to us at  talesfromhollywoodland@gmail.com and why not subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Goodpods, PlayerFM, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, and wherever fine podcasts are found. 

#Tales from Hollywoodland #Oscarsnubbedsongs #SongsnotnominatedforOscars #Hollywoodmusicdiscussion #Filmsoundtrackanalysis #Hollywoodawardstrivia #Musicincinemapodcast #Iconicmoviesongs #Hollywoodlegendspodcast #AcademyAwardshistory #Hollywoodmusictrivia #Oscar-winningsongsanalysis #Hollywoodnostalgiapodcast #Oscarnominationprocess #Hollywoodmusicindustry #Famousmoviesoundtracks #Oscarscontroversydiscussion #Moviesoundtrackappreciation #StevenJayRuben #ArthurFriedman #JulianSchlossberg

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Songs Not Even Nominated

In this episode of "Tales from Hollywoodland," the hosts and their guest Lee Tsiantis discuss the silent film era's rich history and its profound impact on the film industry. They explore the origins of film, animation, the transition to sound films, and the challenges actors faced during this shift. The conversation covers the low survival rate of silent films into the modern era, the influence of directors like Erich von Stroheim, D.W. Griffith, and Auguste Lumiere, and their influences on modern audiences. 

Tales From Hollywoodland on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/talesfromhollywoodland 

Tales From Hollywoodland on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/talesfromhollywoodland/

Tales From Hollywoodland on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX2kbwHqdn47FNN6vVN7Q 

We want to hear from you! Feedback is always welcome. Please write to us at  talesfromhollywoodland@gmail.com and why not subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Goodpods, PlayerFM, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, and wherever fine podcasts are found. 

Check out this episode of Tales From Hollywoodland!!

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The Land That Time Forgot | Episode 408

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The Land That Time Forgot | Episode 408

Jim reflects on a film based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic “The Land That Time Forgot,” starring Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon, Keith Barron, Anthony Ainley, Declan Mulholland, Steve James, and directed by Kevin Conner. A group of shipwrecked sailors (both British and German) must work together to survive on an island that has dinosaurs and other perils. Find out more on this episode of MONSTER ATTACK!, The Podcast Dedicated To Old Monster Movies.

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The Earth Station DCU Episode 375 – The World is Yours

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The Earth Station DCU Episode 375 – The World is Yours

This Week on Earth Station DCU! Drew Leiter and Cletus Jacobs want to remind you that the world is yours! It’s been a year since Falcone went down and the Penguin’s relationship with Batman gets more complicated in The Penguin #7. While the Wonder Girls are still searching for the Amazons, Queen Nubia and Faruka are solving a mystery on their own in Amazons Attack #5. The Flash and The Boom head to Brazil to seek help in dealing with Doctor Elemental in Jay Garrick: The Flash #5. Batman battles his demons as he continues to cross the desert, while the Question seeks answers in Gotham in Detective Comics #1082. The Flash continues to be plagued by the Stillness as an old adversary makes an appearance in The Flash #6. All this plus, DC News, Shout Outs, and much, much more!

————————

Table of Contents

0:00:00 Show Open

0:00:56 DC News

0:05:22 The Penguin #7

0:12:52 Amazons Attack #5

0:16:35 Jay Garrick: The Flash #5

0:22:16 Detective Comics #1082

0:32:42 The Flash #6

0:42:08 Bodies S1 Ep6 – The World Is Yours

0:56:30 Show Close

Links

The Penguin #7

Amazons Attack #5

Jay Garrick: The Flash #5

Detective Comics #1082

The Flash #6

House of Secrets #61 (Cletus’s Read More Comics Pick)

Earth Station DCU Website

The ESO Network

If you would like to leave feedback, comment on the show, or would like us to give you a shout out, please call the ESDCU feedback line at (317) 455-8411 or feel free to email us @ earthstationdcu@gmail.com

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'Emperor's Sword' Book Review By Ron Fortier

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'Emperor's Sword' Book Review By Ron Fortier

EMPEROR’S SWORD The Imperial Assassin Book 1 By Alex Gough Canelo US 358 pgs

Silus is a half-breed Roman scout comfortable in the wild northern terrain of Caledonia. One fateful mission ends with his murdering a regional chieftain. This reckless act in turn starts a chain of events that has dire consequences for the Empire. The retaliation for his rash act results in further barbarian raids and in one attack his wife and daughter are killed. Lost in a sea of grief and despair, Silus comes to the attention of Caracalla, one of the triumvirate rulers. Seeing potential in the scout, Caracalla has him assigned to the veteran spymaster Marcus Oclatinuis; the chief of an elite spy faction known as the Arcani. They are the assassins of the empire.

What follows is a truly memorable historical action-adventure filled with colorful characters and gut-wrenching battles as two different cultures vie for supremacy. The prize of their war was the island continent of what would one day be Great Britain. Gough’s history is impeccable and enriches his tale greatly. The characters come to life as does the savagery of the times. He brutally displays the insanity of war and the vagaries of the human experience both in its nobility and its depravity.

This is a remarkable book and only the first in a series. One we are eager to follow.

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The Diary of River Song Series 8 Review | Earth Station Who

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The Diary of River Song Series 8 Review | Earth Station Who

Delve into the captivating world of Doctor Who with the Earth Station Who Podcast’s review of the Big Finish Audio’s, “The Diary of River Song” series 8! Join us as we journey alongside the enigmatic River Song through time and space in this thrilling audio adventure. Joined this week by Podcaster Julie Filipek, we explore each riveting chapter of River’s escapades along with Rachel and K9, unraveling the mysteries of her captivating character through Time and Space. Whether you’re a devoted Whovian or a casual listener, our review promises to immerse you in the rich storytelling of Professor River Song and the ever-expanding universe of Doctor Who. Tune in now for an unforgettable journey with the Doctor’s most intriguing companion!

We want to hear from you! Please write to us at feedback@earthstationwho.com. Also, please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are found. Feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Links Listen to older episodes of the Earth Station Who Podcast ESW on iTunes Earth Station Who on Spotify Earth Station Who on Instagram Earth Station Who on YouTube Make-A-Wish Foundation The ESO Network TeePublic Store The ESO Network Patreon Watchers in The 4th Dimension

Promotion Tales From Hollywoodland

If you would like to leave feedback or comment feel free to email us at feedback@earthstationwho.com

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Timestamp #302: Revolution of the Daleks

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Timestamp #302: Revolution of the Daleks

Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (1 episode, New Year Special, 2021)

A little bit of cloning and a little bit of open warfare.

It’s been 367 minutes since the Doctor and her team destroyed the Reconnaissance Dalek in GCHQ. An ill-fated truck driver takes the empty casing to Depository 23, but he is assassinated en route with some bad roadside tea. The woman who served the tea stashes his corpse in the truck and drives it away.

Jo Patterson, the Technology Secretary for the United Kingdom, meets with Leo Rugazzi and Jack Robertson to see the engineer’s new defense drones. The demonstration includes a mock riot which is broken up by a drone that looks like a Dalek but uses water cannons and tear gas. The drone is solar-powered and driven by artificial intelligence. Patterson buys into the idea because they will help her win the upcoming election.

Some 79 billion light years away, the Doctor wakes up in her asteroid cell and scratches another tally mark on the wall. She goes through her daily routine, including a walk with restrained Weeping Angels, Ood, Silence, and Pting, before getting ready for bed. She hears four knocks through her wall and knocks four times in reply, but there is no further answer.

Back on Earth, Ryan, Graham, and Yaz meet in the TARDIS disguised as a house. Yaz is working on a method to find the Doctor, but Ryan and Graham urge her to move on. Graham also shows her footage of the new security drone and the companions decide to investigate.

Patterson convinces Robertson to expedite a national rollout of the security drones at no cost to the taxpayers. Later, the companions confront Robertson about his drones but are forced to leave when armed security arrives.

In the prison, the Doctor finds Jack Harkness during her daily constitutional. He shows her a temporal-freezing gateway disinhibitor bubble which they use to escape by treating it like a hamster ball. Using a vortex manipulator, the pair vanishes.

Patterson wins her election as Prime Minister and party leader. Rugazzi shows Robertson the organic remnants he found in the original casing, which he has cloned and grown into a Dalek mutant. Robertson tells Leo to destroy it, but it eventually takes control of the engineer.

The vortex manipulator drops Jack and the Doctor inside the Doctor’s TARDIS. Jack likes the new interior design. They discuss the Cyberium and Ashad, as well as the Doctor’s imprisonment for being herself while she was trying to figure out who she was. She tells the TARDIS to find her fam.

That fam is discussing the Dalek threat when the TARDIS materializes in the living room. It’s been ten months since the companions and the Doctor were separated, and after she apologizes, the companions tell her about the Dalek.

The Dalek controlling Leo takes him to Osaka, Japan, where he finds a clone farm that has somehow sprung to life in the time since it was cloned. As the companions board the TARDIS, Jack gives them a crash course on his history with the Doctor. They split up, sending Yaz and Jack to find the Dalek DNA in Osaka while Ryan and Graham accompany the Doctor to Robertson’s office.

Robertson shows off his 3D printing operation, but the Doctor warns him he’s messing with something he doesn’t understand. He also denies having a facility in Osaka, which Yaz and Jack find listed as an agricultural park but containing the clone farm. Jack also warns Yaz that she should enjoy her journey with the Doctor because it will end, but is worth the pain in the end.

PM Patterson announces the defense drones in an address outside 10 Downing Street. While she promises a new secure age for the UK, the Doctor, Graham, and Ryan take Robertson to Osaka. The Doctor and Ryan have a heart-to-heart talk during which she promises to find out about herself. Meanwhile, Yaz and Jack set explosives and are besieged by the cloned Daleks. They get some relief when the TARDIS arrives.

The Doctor asks about the farm and Dalek-Leo admits that he infiltrated Earth’s networks and diverted resources to remotely direct its construction. He even fed his clones with the workers just to keep things clean. The Dalek intends to use the planet as a base to conquer this sector of the universe. Yaz and the Doctor note that the light is changing in the facility, gradually becoming ultraviolet to allow the clones to teleport into the shells that Robertson built.

With thousands of shells at their command, the Daleks begin their assault on Earth, including the assassination of PM Patterson. The Dalek controlling Leo kills the engineer and teleports away. The Doctor finally figures out who she is… she’s the one who stops the Daleks. Opting for the nuclear option, she sends the Reconnaissance Scout’s signal through the time vortex and summons the Death Squad Daleks – the SAS of Daleks – who will ignore humans in favor of exterminating the impure clones. They mustn’t realize, however, that the Doctor is on Earth.

As the cloned Daleks wreak havoc in the streets, the bronze-colored Death Squad begin exterminating Robertson’s army. As the Doctor prepares to move on, Robertson approaches the Death Squad and joins them with information about who sent the signal.

The Doctor continues her plan: Once all of the defense drones are destroyed, Jack will destroy the Death Squad ship. Graham and Ryan join him and start planting charges. Jack finds Robertson as the businessman tells the Dalek leader about the Doctor. As the final defense drone is destroyed, Jack calls the Doctor with what he learned and she enacts a backup plan with Yaz.

The Daleks detect the TARDIS hovering over the city and swarm around it. She emerges and baits them into entering the TARDIS as the explosives tear the command ship apart. The Doctor appears as a hologram and reveals that the Daleks are trapped in the “house” TARDIS. Further, she has programmed it to fold in on itself and emerge in the heart of the Void where it will self-destruct.

With the threat eliminated, Graham and Ryan watch the news as Robertson takes credit for saving everyone. Disgusted, the pair joins the Doctor and Yaz on the TARDIS where Jack sends regards from Gwen Cooper. It is then that Ryan declares that he’s done traveling with her because he knows what he wants to do with his life.

The Doctor hugs him farewell. Yaz wants to keep traveling, but Graham doesn’t want to miss his grandson growing up. The fam shares one last hug and the Doctor gives each of the men a piece of psychic paper. The Doctor and Yaz are sad, but they know that it’s okay.

Sometime later, Graham and Ryan are back on the hillside as the latter practices with a bicycle. They discuss strange occurrences like a troll invasion in Finland and gravel creatures in Korea. They decide to make plans, but first, they finish cycling practice.

And a vision of Grace watches over them as they work.

The companions really steal this show as the Doctor struggles with the Timeless Child revelation. It makes sense, given that this is the swan song for Ryan and Graham. We also get a good story where three companions seem to work well together. Unfortunately, that formula still doesn’t include Yaz as she gets very little to do with this otherwise explosive plot.

There are some hiccups along the way. No one addresses the murder that kicks off the defense drone program, and the timing’s a bit suspect when it comes to building the farm. The Dalek wasn’t in charge of Leo long enough to make that work, but the story needed a way to mass-produce Daleks.

On the plus side, the subtle references to Doctor Who history are pretty clever. The Death Squad Daleks are the bronze versions that have popped up throughout the revival era, and the defense drones are voiced similarly to the Imperial Daleks last seen during the Dalek Civil War. It makes sense that they would fight one another.

I enjoyed the crash course on Jack’s history with the new companions. It plays well with the running thread of the companions and their questions about traveling in the TARDIS. I also dug the running gag of not telling Robertson how the TARDIS works while he traveled in it.

Finally, I’m glad that the creative team is embracing the changes they made by way of the Timeless Child. The Doctor has to rediscover who they are while facing a large, looming threat. It’s good drama.

Note that this is the final appearance of Captain Jack Harkness (as of early 2024) due to allegations of sexual misconduct leading to John Barrowman’s blacklisting by the BBC.

Rating: 5/5 – “Fantastic!”

UP NEXT – Series Twelve Summary

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

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All About The Silent Film Era & Early Talkies Too

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All About The Silent Film Era & Early Talkies Too

In this episode of “Tales from Hollywoodland,” the hosts and their guest Lee discuss the silent film era’s rich history and its profound impact on the film industry. They explore the origins of film, animation, the transition to sound films, and the challenges actors faced during this shift. The conversation covers the low survival rate of silent films into the modern era, the influence of directors like Erich von Stroheim, D.W. Griffith, Auguste Lumiere, and the influences on modern audiences.

Tales From Hollywoodland on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/talesfromhollywoodland 

Tales From Hollywoodland on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/talesfromhollywoodland/

Tales From Hollywoodland on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX2kbwHqdn47FNN6vVN7Q 

We want to hear from you! Feedback is always welcome. Please write to us at  talesfromhollywoodland@gmail.com and why not subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Goodpods, PlayerFM, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, and wherever fine podcasts are found. 

#Silentfilmerapodcast #Earlytalkiesdiscussion #TalesFromHollywoodland #Silentfilmhistorypodcast #HollywoodGoldenAgepodcast #Silentfilmstarsanalysis #Earlycinemaexploration #Hollywoodpioneersdiscussion #ClassicHollywoodpodcast #Silentfilmdirectorsspotlight #Vintagecinemapodcast #Silentfilmactorsanalysis #Hollywoodhistorypodcast #Pre-sounderapodcast #Filmpreservationdiscussion #Earlytalkiesevolution

[esonetwork]

All About The Silent Film Era & Early Talkies Too

In this episode of "Tales from Hollywoodland," the hosts and their guest Lee discuss the silent film era's rich history and its profound impact on the film industry. They explore the origins of film, animation, the transition to sound films, and the challenges actors faced during this shift. The conversation covers the low survival rate of silent films into the modern era, the influence of directors like Erich von Stroheim, D.W. Griffith, and Auguste Lumiere, and their influences on modern audiences. 

Tales From Hollywoodland on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/talesfromhollywoodland 

Tales From Hollywoodland on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/talesfromhollywoodland/

Tales From Hollywoodland on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX2kbwHqdn47FNN6vVN7Q 

We want to hear from you! Feedback is always welcome. Please write to us at  talesfromhollywoodland@gmail.com and why not subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Goodpods, PlayerFM, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, and wherever fine podcasts are found. 

Check out this episode of Tales From Hollywoodland!!

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Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla | Episode 407

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Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla | Episode 407

Madeline Brumby and Shane Morton join Jim for a rousing discussion of a Kaiju film celebrating its 50th Anniversary – “Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla,” starring Masaaki Daimon, Kazuya Aoyama, Akihiko Hirata, Hiroshi Koizumi, Reiko Tajima, Hiromi Matsushita, Goro Mutsumi, Shin Kishida and directed byJun Fukuda. An alien race seeking to conquer Earth makes a giant robot based on Godzilla. And when the “Big Guy” finds out, trouble ensues. Find out more on this episode of MONSTER ATTACK!, The Podcast Dedicated To Old Monster Movies.

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ESO Board Silly Episode 41

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ESO Board Silly Episode 41

In this episode of the ESO Bored Silly podcast, Mike, Mary and Kevin engage in a lively discussion about their excitement for upcoming concerts and music festivals, highlighting bands such as America, ELO, and OMD, and events like Merlefest and DelFest. They also delve into personal anecdotes related to running, weather challenges, and the nostalgia of 80s and 90s music and pop culture. The conversation is filled with light-hearted banter as they share their experiences with allergies, dog walking, and the anticipation of seeing Kevin Smith and retro package tours featuring Thomas Dolby and Men Without Hats. Why not join us for all the fun, and help support the ESO Network?

Check Us Out

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'Callback For A Corpse' Book Review By Ron Fortier

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'Callback For A Corpse' Book Review By Ron Fortier

CALLBACK FOR A CORPSE A Maxi and Moxie Mystery By Teel James Glenn Bold Adventure Press 180 pgs.

When we first saw the ads for this book, we were excited at what it suggested; a new mystery series featuring a sleuthing husband and wife team. Shades of Nick & Nora Charles, or Mr. & Mrs. North, not to forget McMillan & Wife. All of which were favorites not so much for the mysteries as for the bantering relationships of the protagonists. At the back of this book, Glenn also offers up a nice little essay on reporters as detectives. But again, it is not what drew us to the series.

Our leads are married and live in Hollywood during its golden days of the 1930s. Moxi is a publicity writer for a studio while his lovely redheaded Maxi is an actress whose career is on the rise. Against this backdrop, we’re constantly given lots of marvelous movie trivia, and none other than Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi appears as one of the supporting players. It’s all put forth by a first-person narration from Moxie; a wry, sarcastic soul madly in love with his wife.

The central plot revolves around the savage murders of several movie-related personnel and the strange disappearances of three young starlets. A former newspaper reporter, Moxie can’t help but get involved, especially when several of the victims were part of the crew working on Maxi’s new flick. His concern isn’t only to solve the murders, but to make sure nothing happens to his better half along the way.

Award-winning pulp writer Glenn spins a truly colorful, exciting tale with just a touch of the supernatural to spice things up. At the same time, he introduces us to two of the most charming and likable characters in all of New Pulp fiction today. “Callback for a Corpse” delivers everything it promised…and more. That says it all.

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Our First Fight - Soul Forge Podcast 319

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Our First Fight - Soul Forge Podcast 319

Our first fight recently took place. What was it about? How did the issue get resolved? Find out on this exciting episode of the Soul Forge Podcast!

This particular episode premieres on April 11, 2024. It was 17 years ago on this date that Shawn joined the Post Office. Since that time, he has delivered hundreds of thousands, if not millions of letters, flyers, magazines and parcels. How many more years will he continue? Only time will tell!

On Monday of this week, the world experienced a solar eclipse. People travelled far and wide to catch a glimpse of the totality. Here in Sault Ste. Marie, we were not in the path. Shawn did manage to take a video of the partial eclipse. However, it was cloudy. There was not much darkness, although the shadows became well defined. And the irony is that after the event was over, the clouds disappeared and the sky was clear.

Star Trek Discovery just returned for its fifth and final season. The first two episodes are decent. Leah created a Facebook group dealing with Jeep ducking. You should all join Soul Forge Jeep Ducks.

Shawn and Leah are fairly well prepared for their wedding on May 4th. Flights and hotels are booked. Dinner reservations have been made. They have plans for several adventures. They hope to go axe throwing and go karting. There is a 2 floor candy store to visit and a movie prop museum to tour. They also plan to visit Disney Land and Alcatraz.

Our first fight happened over the Easter weekend. What was it about? You must listen to find out. And this episode ends with a question and answer session. Leah found some interesting questions on TikTok.

This week’s podcast promo: Cigar Nerds

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Timestamp #301: Ascension of the Cybermen & The Timeless Children

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Timestamp #301: Ascension of the Cybermen & The Timeless Children

Doctor Who: Ascension of the Cybermen Doctor Who: The Timeless Children (2 episodes, s12e09-10, 2020)

The story that broke so many fans.

Ascension of the Cybermen

In the depths of space, Ashad speaks of the Cybermen. The mechanical menace has finally been defeated after winning a billion battles, and after a reign of terror, the empire has fallen. But that which is dead can live again in the hands of a believer.

The adventure plays out in two stories: One follows our heroes on a refugee planet in the far future, and the other follows a mysterious man named Brendan in Ireland.

Brendan’s Tale—

In mid-twentieth century Ireland, a man named Patrick finds a baby in the middle of the road. He takes the baby home to his wife Meg, and together they report the incident to the Garda police. With no leads, they couple decides to take care of him until the parents are found. After a year, they adopt the boy and name him Brendan.

Brendan grows up, attends school, and learns to farm. He applies to join the Gardaí and is welcomed into the police force by the sergeant who met him as a baby. While on duty one day, Brendan chases a thief named Michael near a cliff. Michael pulls a revolver and forces Brendan toward the cliff. Brendan is shot and falls to his death, but by some miracle, he springs back to life.

Brendan attributes it to luck, but everyone else is confused and afraid. Nevertheless, Brendan is awarded with a commendation. Many years later, Brendan retires from the Gardaí and is faced by his father and his sergeant, both of whom have not aged. They take him to the back office where he is strapped into a chair and has his memory wiped while he screams.

The Refugees’ Tale—

The Doctor, Graham, Ryan, and Yaz follow Shelley‘s coordinates to a planet in the far future. The Doctor parks a half mile out and breaks the news of humanity’s near extinction at the hands of the Cybermen. They find the last remaining human settlement comprised of seven surviving humans. The travelers arrive just in time to help establish a defense against the arriving Cyberman fleet.

With the help of Feekat, Ravio, Ethan, Yedlarmi, Fuskle, and Bescot, Team TARDIS gets to work: Graham sets up a neural inhibitor system that can restore Cyberman emotions; Yaz builds a particle projector to attack the automatons with gold dust; and Ryan establishes a forcefield. Unfortunately, a swarm of Cyberdrone heads arrive and destroy the gadgets. They also kill Fuskle and an older woman.

The drones leave and the Doctor orders the survivors to escape in their ship. She tells her companions to join them since the TARDIS is too far away. She promises to find them after she holds off the invading force. As the humans escape, Ashad confronts the Doctor with two additional drones. The drones pursue the companions to the ship, and Ryan is left behind with Feekat and Ethan as the rickety craft takes off.

The Doctor prepares a grenade as Ethan distracts Ashad. Ashad calls Ethan’s bluff and kills Feekat, then tells Ethan to carry his message of the Cybermen’s power. The Doctor uses her grenade and runs with Ethan and Ryan to the nearby Cyberfighters. The group hotwires Ashad’s ship and rockets into space.

The refugees aboard the gravraft limp toward Ko Sharmus and a phenomenon known as the Boundary, which can teleport people to random locations in the universe. On the Cyberfighter, Ethan also sets course for Ko Sharmus. Ethan talks about his upbringing and lessons about destroying cyber tech. Ashad makes contact and threatens to destroy humanity, even if it costs him his imperfect life. He believes that he was chosen to resurrect the Cybermen, and the death of everything is harbored within him.

The gravraft’s systems fail, leaving the ship on emergency power. A series of collisions prompt Yaz to look outside and find a Cyberman graveyard. A ship sits dormant in the debris and Graham convinces the survivors to use their remaining power to board it. They succeed, but as the ship powers up around them, Ashad and his guards arrive in a Cyberfighter.

The Doctor’s craft arrives at Ko Shamus. The planet has a single temporary settlement, and Ko Shamus is the elderly man who maintains it. He is stunned to see living humans and explains that he helps survivors pass through the Boundary. He fled with a handful of others, but as the word spread, more survivors sought sanctuary.

Graham, Yaz, and the refugees explore the Cyberman war carrier. They reactivate it and decide to use the ship as a mobile settlement to rescue what’s left of humanity. Graham and Ravio explore the rest of the ship and discover millions of dormant, battle-ready drones of a new design. The pair runs from Ashad, returning to the control center as the team continues to Ko Shamus despite the threat. Meanwhile, Ashad begins the ascension with his new army.

The Doctor, Ryan, and Ethan investigate the Boundary. It manifests as a rippling sheet of purple energy. As the carrier approaches the planet, Yaz calls the Doctor and explains the situation. The awakened Cybermen rampage through the ship and the Doctor urges the humans to evacuate. Unfortunately, they are trapped.

Then the two stories come together as the Boundary clears.

Through the portal, the Doctor sees the Citadel of Gallifrey. The Master leaps through the Boundary and tells the Doctor that everything is about to change… forever.

The Timeless Children

The Master forces the Doctor to join him in Gallifrey. If she doesn’t, he will kill the humans. As she crosses the Boundary, the Cyberman carrier arrives at the planet. Once on Gallifrey, the Master gloats about burning Gallifery to the ground and then takes the Doctor on a tour of the ruins.

On the carrier, the humans hide in a storage area after Bescot is killed. Graham develops a plan to use Cyberman suits as disguises. The team sets to work removing the biological remains and disconnecting the neural nets. Meanwhile, Ko Sharmus shows Ryan and Ethan his limited weapons supply.

In the Citadel, the Master is notified that the Cybermen have reached the Boundary. He invites Ashad to join him on Gallifrey and to leave some Cybermen behind to destroy Ko Sharmus, Ethan, and Ryan.

Graham and Yaz take a moment to talk about what happens if they don’t survive. He is quite proud of her and impressed by her resolve. With a tear in her eye, she jokes that he’s not so bad either. As their team puts the plan into motion, Ashad is alerted to their presence. Ashad searches for the humans but cannot find them in their disguises, and he gives up when the ship enters the Boundary.

The Doctor questions why the Master would surrender Gallifrey to the Cybermen. He deflects, directing her to the Matrix instead. He is driven by an unbelievable truth that he discovered in Gallifrey’s history, and he traps the Doctor in a paralysis field so he can share that truth with her. He sends her deep into the Matrix with a promise that it will hurt.

The Master presents a history of Gallifrey. In the time before the Time Lords, the Shobogans were the native population of the planet. An explorer named Tecteun found a gateway on another planet, with an orphaned child at its base. Tecteun and the child explored the cosmos before returning to Gallifrey, where she ran experiments trying to determine where the child came from. One day, the child fell off a cliff, but instead of dying, the child regenerated.

This was the first time regeneration happened on Gallifrey.

On Ko Sharmus’s planet, the humans wage war on the Cybermen. Ryan takes out several with a basketball-shaped bomb, but the drones keep marching. Meanwhile, the carrier literally lands on the Citadel. Ashad meets with the Master and introduces the Death Particle, a device created by the Cyberium to wipe out all organic life. Ashad has purged the new Cybermen of organic components in preparation for his takeover of the universe, but the Master offers an alternative to fully robotic life. He accompanies Ashad while his consciousness remains with the Doctor.

The Doctor’s story continues as Tecteun experiments on the child, forcing the child to regenerate time and again. Finally, Tecteun cracks the mystery and injects herself with the solution. Tecteun regenerates. With this new technology, Time Lord civilization exploded with the Timeless Child at its core, limiting each individual to twelve regenerations.

The Doctor asks what happened to the Timeless Child. The Master tells her that she is that child.

Meanwhile, Ko Sharmus, Ethan, and Ryan continue their guerilla campaign. They take out several drones, but Ethan is eventually captured. He is almost executed, but Graham’s team destroys the execution squad. Ryan is surprised to see his friends.

Ashad and the Master arrive in the Cybermen storage bays. The Master uses his Tissue Compress Eliminator to kill Ashad and release the Cyberium. He absorbs the Cyberium and pockets Ashad to keep the Death Particle nearby.

The Doctor awakens on a vast green landscape. She struggles with the revelations but the Master promises his story is true. He continues the story with Tecteun and the child becoming part of a secret group called the Division. Despite the Time Lord philosophy of non-interference, the group intervenes in time when necessary. The vision flashes in parallel with Brendan’s story, then stops altogether because the files were redacted. It is impossible to tell how much was lost, but what remains was encoded with a perception filter that looks like Brendan’s story.

The Master wonders how many lives the Doctor has lived.

As the Doctor revives from her experience, the physical version of the Master reveals that he kept the corpses of every Time Lord he killed. He has combined the power of regeneration with the durability of the Cybermen.

He has created CyberMasters – festooned in Time Lord regalia and armed with the power of regeneration – and he leads them into a conquest of the universe. Meanwhile, the human survivors cross the Boundary and arrive on Gallifrey.

The Doctor’s mind swims in the Matrix’s redacted void when the Fugitive Doctor appears. The Thirteenth Doctor wonders about her life before their First, but the Fugitive Doctor tells her it doesn’t matter. They’ve never been limited by who they were before, and the Thirteenth Doctor has the power to stop the Master now. But first, she must harness the power of the Timeless Child to overload the Matrix. She unleashes the memories of the Doctor into the Matrix and blows out the paralysis field.

She comes to and finds her companions and the human survivors standing over her. The humans explain their plan to destroy the carrier, and the Doctor devises a plan to use the Death Particle to destroy the CyberMasters. The humans place explosive charges throughout the ship while Team TARDIS tracks down the Master. They find Ashad’s miniaturized form and the Death Particle, and the Doctor telepathically offers one last meeting with the Master in the Citadel.

Unfortunately, the bombs are activated early, so everyone has to run. The ship is destroyed as the Doctor ushers everyone into a TARDIS. She asks Ko Sharmus for a bomb – it only has a hand detonator – and explains her plan to unleash the Death Particle on Gallifrey. She sets the TARDIS for the twenty-first century and sends the humans to Earth.

The Doctor returns to the Matrix Chamber on her suicide mission. There she finds the Master and his CyberMasters. The Master goads her but the Doctor doesn’t fall for it. His revelations have strengthened her. She pulls out the bomb and mini-Ashad, but before she can pull the trigger, Ko Sharmus arrives. He sent the Cyberium into the past, and he takes the detonator as his penance for not hiding it well enough. As the Doctor runs for a TARDIS, the CyberMasters shoot Ko Sharmus and he detonates the Death Particle.

The new Cyber-Empire is dead.

The humans arrive on Earth and their TARDIS disguises itself as a house. The Doctor materializes on the refugee planet near her own TARDIS, and the TARDIS she used to get there disguises itself as a tree. Unfortunately for her, three Judoon materialize inside the TARDIS and arrest the Doctor, finally closing the cold case on the fugitive.

The Doctor is taken to a maximum security prison to serve a life sentence, and her companions have no idea if she survived.

It’s the most controversial story in modern Doctor Who history… and I like it just as much now as I did when it first aired.

I understand the complaints. Fans of most major sci-fi franchises don’t like to see things meddled with. From Star Trek to Doctor Who, the complaints remind me of the oft-memed scene from The Incredibles 2: “I don’t know that way. Why would they change math? Math is math. Math. Is. Math!”

But… here’s the reality check. Doctor Who has never been consistent with continuity, and there are several extensive parody lists on Reddit about how changes in the franchise have “ruined the show forever”. Yet, somehow, the franchise continues on even under periodic threat of cancellation (in various definitions of the word).

Of the complaints I have seen regarding the Timeless Child revelation:

“This change disrespects William Hartnell.” How? Show your work. Because his stories still exist (even in telesnap form) and are even being preserved in high-definition format. If anything disrespects the legacy of William Hartnell’s work on Doctor Who, it’s how “An Unearthly Child” won’t be available because of Stef Coburn’s efforts. Otherwise, Hartnell’s legacy as the First Doctor remains intact.

“This change removes the mystery from the Doctor.” If so, please explain the history of the pre-Hartnell incarnations. Because all I see is massive story potential for the Doctor’s time with the Division and the implications of whether or not the Time Lords deserve to come back at all. We already knew they were arrogant and self-righteous, but now we get some context behind the regeneration limit. I also look at the events of The Time of the Doctor and how the Time Lords view the Doctor with a different lens, especially after thirteen incarnations risked their lives to save Gallifrey from utter destruction. Those Time Lords either gave the Doctor another set of regenerations or unlocked the Timeless Child’s potential that they had previously tried to stifle, allowing the Doctor to be who they truly are. In the end, the mystery is still there, effectively fulfilling the so-called “Cartmel Masterplan.”

“The Morbius Doctors aren’t real.” To the contrary, it was Philip Hinchcliffe’s intention that they were previous incarnations. The dialogue is also pretty clear: “Back! Back to your beginning!” followed by the eight faces. What happens on the television screen is part of the official continuity unless retconned later, and showrunner intentions fall into that same category for me. Showrunners are in charge of the show’s legacy while they hold the reins. Fans don’t have that responsibility. Philip Hinchcliffe has even seemed amused that fans ignored the obvious in  Morbius but readily attached themselves to the regeneration limits a mere four stories later.

“The Timeless Child isn’t canon.” We’ve already covered that. Unless retconned later, what happens on the screen during the show is official continuity.

Boiling it down, fans just don’t like the change. While that’s their prerogative, it’s also a personal choice. I don’t agree with that choice, but I respect it. We all need to remember that fan opinion is not continuity.

That said, it’s not all puppy dogs and marshmallows for me. I do have issues with the revelation.

First, is it even true? The revelation is provided by the Master, the man who massacred his entire civilization and is known for lying. Even if he is telling the Doctor the truth, is it based on his own interpolation of redacted events? Even with the Doctor having lives before the First Doctor, could the Timeless Child be someone else? Say, Susan, for example?

Imagine that storytelling potential. Taking Susan away from Gallifrey to protect her and remove some leverage from the Time Lords. Especially considering that Chris Chibnall’s screenplay suggests that the Time Lords who join Tecteun at the dawn of their society could be Rassilon and Omega.

10:27:40 INT. GALLIFREYAN CORRIDOR – DAY

TECTEUN walking down a corridor — at the far end, two Gallifreyan figures (with the collars up) in silhouette. We can assume these might be Rassilon and Omega.

I’d buy that. It would be a stronger story, leave some room for future work, and make the Doctor a bit more vulnerable in the future. It also provides a dramatic reason for the Time Lords to return. Note that the script says “assume” and that these characters were not credited on screen, so we can’t verify that it’s true.

As far as what happened to the Time Lords? I don’t like it. It feels disgusting, which makes it work dramatically. The fact that I physically recoiled from seeing Cybermen that can regenerate tells me that the Master is a villain of the highest order. While Missy had a path to redemption during Series 10, I don’t think this incarnation has a path back. He’s a monster.

I had a similar feeling toward Tecteun and her experimentation on the Timeless Child. She literally killed several incarnations of the child to unlock the secrets of regeneration for her own selfish desires. Yuck.

I also don’t like how the Timeless Child revelation was handled from a writing and production standpoint. The entire sequence with the Doctor in the Matrix was handled in a “tell don’t show” manner. I think it would have been better for the Doctor to experience Brendan’s story in A Christmas Carol format, then have the Master fill in the blanks in a much shorter manner. Having Brendan’s story in Ascension of the Cybermen was more confusing and probably made viewers more defensive from the start. A little rebalancing between the two episodes would have worked wonders.

Otherwise, I liked the balance of action and drama in this pair of episodes. The Doctor doesn’t have all the answers and has to figure things out with us. The companions get a huge chunk of the spotlight, and everyone has to use their wits and smarts to save the day. And Yaz getting some dues was a great thing to see.

In terms of franchise lore, there wasn’t much in terms of callbacks aside from what has already been mentioned. The Timeless Children does have the most extensive use of archive footage in Doctor Who at the time of airing. It’s also the first time clips from William Hartnell’s and Patrick Troughton’s eras were shown in full color.

It also features the first on-screen female-to-male regeneration.

Finally, for something to chew on, this adventure fulfills several elements of the Series Nine Hybrid prophecy: A hybrid creature (the Master and the Cyberium) stood over the ruins of Gallifrey and unraveled the Web of Time (the Master hacked into the Matrix and revealed the Timeless Child secret), and broke a billion billion hearts to heal its own (the slaughter of the Time Lords).

Probably not Chibnall’s intent, but a nice parallel nonetheless.

Rating: 4/5 – “Would you care for a jelly baby?”

UP NEXT – Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

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Brando - The Man In The Leather Jacket

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Brando - The Man In The Leather Jacket

This week on Tales from Hollywoodland, Arthur, Julian, and Steve explore the mannerisms, machismo, and mythos of the truly iconic actor, Marlon Brando. From yelling “Stella!” so memorably in A Streetcar Named Desire, to his mumblings in the jungle in Apocalypse Now, with a visit along the way to The Wild One, Guys and Dolls, The Young Lions, The Godfather, and so much more, they explore the man who changed acting forever. 

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