December 2009

Doctor Who, "The Waters of Mars"

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WARNING, MANY SPOILERS

David Tennant has had a fabulous run as The Doctor, and now the series is winding towards his closing time.  Although "The Waters of Mars" doesn't directly lead into the last two Tennant episodes (aside from a tiny bit at the end) it represents a change in tone for the series, from "sprightly and fun" to "downright funereal."

The Doctor is travelling alone in "The Waters of Mars," and that never ends well for him.  There's a reason why The Doctor chooses a companion.  In this special, we get to see full well what happens when he goes banging about without an assistant to balance out the crazy and act as a moral compass.  Frankly, he goes completely off the rails.

2009 in Sci Fi Television

One thing you can definitely say about 2009 is that it was a crackerjack year for science fiction on the small screen!

Torchwood: Children of Earth

This was the third season (or "series three" in BBC parlance) of one of my personal favorite science fiction shows, and it did not disappoint.  It horrified, disturbed, and violated everything we had learned to feel for the show's various characters, but it did not disappoint.  I think I'm still a little wobbly from the finale.

Children of Earth was a super-short season of only five episodes due to the show's move to the higher profile channel BBC One.  This matters little to us here in the States, but the up shot is that future seasons will presumably be of normal length.

The End of Battlestar Galactica

I'll be honest with you, I had real trouble

Five Sci Fi Christmas Movies

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Of all the genres, science fiction seems to be the most lacking in the holiday spirit.  In fact, there are precious few holiday references in science fiction at all.  Presumably in the future, we have all moved past primitive rites like "tinsel" and "good cheer" and "getting drunk and insulting your boss' wife at the company holiday party."

Unless you want to argue that Santa himself is a science fictional trope, requiring a transition in the space time continuum in order to deliver all of those presents, your options for a sci fi video marathon are limited.

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1. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians