Steven Universe Review: "Maximum Capacity" (Season 1B, Episode 17)

Looks like Greg's storage unit is at... no, not making that joke.

I haven't really cleared this place out since your mom... ahem. - Greg, admitting he just collected 13 years worth of junk. TLC cameras are coming - people have to learn about this insanity!

Airdate: February 26th, 2015
Written By: Hillary Florido, Katie Mitroff, and Rebecca Sugar.
Plot: It's almost New Years, and what better way to celebrate than looking at Greg's storage unit, full of garbage collected over 13 years. As Amethyst comes over to sort through the trash, she discovers old tapes of Lil' Butler, a sitcom that Greg and Amethyst used to watch way back when. The two binge watch, and neglect the world around them.

Review:

Steven Universe is a psychologist's nightmare come true.

Shocking, right?

Yeah, anybody that's watched from "An Indirect Kiss" on can probably generate an undergraduate thesis on this goddamn show and how messed up its characters are. (Gotta get that diploma from State somehow!) Unfortunately, there are no therapists in fiction (and even if there were, I dunno if Steven would afford one), so these characters have to work through their mental anguish/trauma/lost Lenores with each other... and in so doing, wind up screwing up Steven mentally for years to come.

This episode... is another example of the characters' collective descent into madness and despair.

And it all started with Rose Quartz.

Where Did I Go?

...yeah. It's coming up on two and a half weeks since I last posted something. Not the first time I've gone a rather long stretch without an update, but probably the longest in some time.

I am deeply sorry for the radio silence. There are a few things that did go on over the past couple of weeks in my personal life - a couple of projects, some midterms, and a rather wonky schedule. Not helping matters was a small malaise - a cold, I think - that I came down with last week that sapped my energy for a couple of days. (I've rebounded since.)

Also, my next review is looking like that of "Maximum Capacity". And, to be honest here, the last few episodes of Steven Universe have varied considerably in their quality. StevenBomb 5 was "very good, but not as great as the prior StevenBombs", same with "Room for Ruby", "Tiger Philanthropist" was a dud, and "Rocknaldo" irritated me. There have been some great episodes  - "Storm in the Room" was disquieting, for example - but I think SU's been off-balance so far this season, and I think it's quieted my enthusiasm for this thus-far brilliant series a little bit.

Still, that's no excuse. I should've updated a bit earlier as to what is going on, and I am sorry.

Thankfully, I have Spring Break this week. Hopefully, I'll be able to focus and finish up my "Maximum Capacity" review by St. Patrick's Day.

Scullyfied Simpsons: "Make Room For Lisa" (Season 10, Episode 16)

"Cellular service is all about communication and unity. Community!" - Omnitouch Executive, trying to convince Lisa that having a cellular tower in her room is a good idea. She's not the most infuriating character in that scene.

Airdate: February 28th, 1999.
Written By: Brian Scully.
Plot: Lisa undergoes a day from hell when her trip to a traveling history exhibit goes sour. All thanks to Homer, who manages to damage the Constitution, because comedy. To pay for it, he has to put a cellular tower on top of the roof - taking out Lisa's bedroom for the machinery. (Turns out the government privatized our nation's treasures.) And it all goes down for her from there...

Review:

Wow, it's been a while since I took a look at the start collapse of The Simpsons. Now that we're in the depth of the show's decline, may as well come back to see if it's still falling over...

...yup. Still falling over. Alright, everybody - tuck your pants into your socks, cos this is gonna be a whopper of an episode. And by whopper, I mean my god, is this one a trainwreck.

Happy 29th, Red Dwarf!

Twenty-nine years ago today, Red Dwarf made its debut on BBC Two.

It's actually rather incredible that it even debut - according to the Red Dwarf website, production was almost killed off due to several strikes. Who, from the head honchos at the BBC, to Grant/Naylor, to Craig, Chris, Danny, and Norman, all the way to even the casual viewer, would've thought it would still be in production today?

Steven Universe Review: "Winter Forecast" (Season 1B, Episode 16)

I have a feeling that somebody's gonna turn this scene into a PSA.

"If we leave Beach City, bad things are gonna happen. I've seen it. Bad things. Several bad things!" - Steven, surprisingly not suffering through hallucinations... well, not exactly.

Airdate: February 19th, 2015
Written By: Lamar Abrams and Hellen Jo
Plot: A blizzard is plowing its way through to Beach City - thus, Steven must get Connie home before they wind up stranded. However, in an attempt to get more time together, they wind up screwing up, Greg winds up crashing his car in a snowbank, and the three have to trek through the tundra. The Maheswarans, surprisingly, aren't too pleased with this turn of events. Thinking that he may have pulled a David Cameron with his friendship with Connie, Steven begins seeing a pattern on the back of his father's suit... only to return at the scene of the crash.

Yes, before leaving, Garnet gave Steven a bit of a look into the future. But how does he use it? Who will live in his mindscape? And who could die with every turn?

Review:

Starting with a personal tangent here - winter is not my favorite season. I dislike the cold, layering up in clothing is an irritating waste of time, snow is a nuisance for the road (although snow days for schools are rather cool), digging out is a nightmare, and any sort of outdoor activities are restricted (granted, I'm not an outdoorsman, but still). Not helping is that, in the New York area (where I live), winter conditions (within a week, like this past one) often vary from "barely present" to "makes New York residents forget the intricacies of global climate change."

Yes, because man-made global climate change always results in unseasonable warmth during the winter. (Fun fact - thanks to this particular New Yorker's newest hobby, this sage advice will be stored by the federal government in perpetuity.)

Still, I will admit that winter tends to stir up some rather passionate and warm feelings. While there's a loud passion about summer, a nostalgia about fall, or a romance about spring, winter gives us a more subdued, warm atmosphere. All I want to do when the snow falls is switch the kettle on and drink a nice cup of tea. In short, while I dislike the technical aspects of winter, I absolutely admire what it symbolizes.

I think that explains part of my warm feelings towards this warm, warm episode of Steven Universe - a fine showcase on one of the most enduring partnerships I've seen in any sort of media, as well as a more positive follow-up to the more dramatic "Future Vision" and a damn fine analysis of leadership presented by Steven and Garnet.

Steven Universe Review: "Horror Club" (Season 1B, Episode 15)

Catch, catch the horror taxi. 

I fell in love with a video nasty! 

Catch, catch the horror train. 

The freeze frame gonna drive you insane!

- "Nasty", The Damned. (From The Young Ones episode "Nasty")

Airdate: February 12th, 2015
Written By: Raven Molisee and Paul Villeco
Plot: Steven and Sadie let Lars tag along to Ronaldo's Horror Club - much to the host's displeasure. While watching Evil Bear II, the lighthouse starts acting up - much like a thriller. Investigations lead to Sadie getting taken hostage by the lighthouse. With Lars and Ronaldo having a rather frosty relationship, the conspiracy nut contemplates giving said lighthouse a snack to satisfy it - Lars, to be exact.

Review:

You are reading a review of an episode of a television show - a TV show that lures it's fans in with cute colors, quasi-lesbian aliens, and brilliant songwriting... and attacks them with emotional resonance, psychological terror, and liberal overtones. In one episode, characters mess around at the arcade. In another, characters expose suicidal self-loathing. In another, a kid and his best friend have a very awkward dinner. What type of adventure are we damned to witness for episode 15 of Season 1B? Find out tonight in Night of The Review Nebula 2: Blogspot Takes Up Space on your Data Plan!

Lars, Ronaldo, Sadie, and Steven are our protagonists of the evening. The first one and the third one are trapped in a rather messed-up relationship, and the second one almost killed the fourth one to fuel his own ego. This can either make for a) juicy drama or b) a trainwreck. Which one is it?

Neither, really - although it is damningly dull.

Steven Universe Review: "On The Run" (Season 1B, Episode 14)

"This is where I was made, dude. One day, just - pop! - right out of this hole!" - Amethyst succulently and briefly describes her horrifying, horrifying genesis. 

Airdate: February 5th, 2015
Written By: Joe Johnston and Jeff Liu
Plot: Steven is enthused by his book series, The No-Home Boys, and begins to romanticize the idea of living away from home, especially when he finds out about the genesis of the Crystal Gems. Amethyst is the only one that responds positively to Steven's newfound enthusiasm - albeit because of her own issues regarding where she came from - and the two run away. Steven finds the life on the road to be less romantic, while Amethyst uses the escape as an excuse to take Steven to her birthplace - the Kindergarten. And thus begins a night of an almost unspeakable heartache.

Review:

The last time I reviewed Steven Universe, we got to see a darker, fallible side to Garnet. Meanwhile, in the real world, the United States of America had just voted to experiment with a real life simulation of Tropico 4* a new wave of populism. This review is being posted just after the experiment was launched, what with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. (I still can't believe I typed those last three words as a fact.) How poetic. So, what better way to come back to Steven Universe than by an episode that shines a darker light on another main character?

When you get down to it, Steven Universe's central characters are all a part of tragedies pulled together, each one dealing with their aftermaths. From the start, it's been established that Greg lost the love of his life. Pearl's mental state is on the verge of a total collapse for various reasons (one of which we'll see in a few episodes). Lapis Lazuli was trapped in a freakin' mirror for years. And Garnet and the others, we'll get to during Season 2 (and 3, and 4).

Here, though, we get a look at Amethyst and what happened to her. And damn, if this episode doesn't prove that Steven Universe toes the line of tragedy, I've got nothing for you.

Red Dwarf Review: Series XI Wrap-Up

"Our nomination for JMC Crew Of The Year is starting to look unlikely." - Lister, summing up the whole of Red Dwarf in a nutshell.

Well, almost four months after it's debut in Britain, and two months after it was released stateside, I have completed my look at Red Dwarf XI. Six episodes isn't a lot when stacked against seasons of the other shows I've reviewed, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

So, final thoughts on this season?

Simply put, it was rather good.

Red Dwarf Review: "Can of Worms" (Series XI, Episode 6)

 

"How do I break this to you... you're a moron!" - Rimmer, to the Cat after his date.

"Oh, Rimmer. Go easy on him. Let me handle this. Cat, man, you're a moron!" - Lister, for once, agreeing with Rimmer. Bring on the giant meteor. 

Airdate: 27 October, 2016
Written By: Doug Naylor
Plot: While cutting across an asteroid belt to get back on course, Starbug winds up coming across a largely deserted ship. It's crew - a mercenoid and a prisoner. After some confusion, the crew take out the mercenoid, and the prisoner is rescued. Said prisoner, Ankita, happens to be of the Cat's species. Cat becomes smitten with the very similar prisoner - assuaging his own anxieties regarding his love life (or lack thereof) - and goes on a date with her.

Unfortunately for him, Ankita happens to be a Polymorph who intends to deposit her eggs into the Cat. Ergo, the end of the Cat's first date results in him becoming pregnant - thus becoming the third person on board Red Dwarf to become pregnant, and the second male.

Review:

Well, here we are. The last episode of Series XI. Hard to believe that it's been almost 4 years since I began looking at this silly little sci-fi show - one that is more than the sum of its parts. And, so far Series XI has been rather solid. There've been no truly spectacular episodes, but I would argue that a couple of episodes have been great, and the rest, so far, have been good.

So, will Series XI continue the trend of stable quality? Will it break my expectations and be one of the most spectacular episodes of the series? Or will XI putter to the end?

Well, let's start my analysis with the fact that this episode focuses on the Cat.

Red Dwarf Review: "Krysis" (Series XI, Episode 5)

"Have you ever felt 'I've wasted my life?" 

"You? Sure! Every single day!" 

- Lister and the Cat, summing up a midlfie crisis.

Airdate: 20 October, 2016
Written By: Doug Naylor
Plot: Kryten's hit a rough patch in his duties aboard ship. The trio diagnose him with a midlife crisis - something that becomes readily apparent once Krytie dons a bright red shell (pictured above). To try and remind him of how far he's come, the Boys from the Dwarf go to the Nova III, to analyze a similar mechanoid and see how he's held up all alone... only to come across a mechanoid that has become a connoisseur of and participant in all the finest arts.

Review:

This episode should not work.

I mean, let's face it - it's plot is pretty much the child of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and "Barely Beyond A Joke". I disliked The Final Frontier, and "Beyond A Joke" is my second least favorite episode of the show (third if you count "Krytie TV" as an episode and not as an instrument of torture banned by the Geneva Convention). Point is - is the third time the charm for these plot threads on this blog?

Well, if you count the second half of Gravity Falls season 2, then for the most part, yes.

But what about the fourth time? Does it work then?