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borg’s Best of 2019–The Best on TV

Filed under: Fantasy Realms, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes, TV — Leave a comment

December 28, 2019

This year we found one series that could easily sweep most of the categories–a single television series that had everything: compelling story, a full range of emotions, great characters, tremendous action, a sharp use of humor, all kinds of genre elements that were satisfying and left viewers feeling inspired. Richly detailed sets and costumes. An impossible feat to replicate. No drama came close. No other visual effects spectacle could touch it. And its audience is everyone. A truly epic addition to television viewing, that series is The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the greatest television series to come along in years. If you love genre like we do, this was as good as it gets. And like icing on the cake, along came The Mandalorian at year end.

But we’re not going to ignore the other good things that happened on the small screen this year.

Our borg Best of 2019 list continues today with the best in television. If you missed it, check out our review of the Best Movies of 2019 here and the best Kick-Ass Heroines of 2019 here.

Without further ado, this year’s Best in Television:

Best Borg Series – Doom Patrol (DC Universe). With this year’s series Doom Patrol we got a look at two borgs, DC Comics’ Cyborg, an update to Martin Caidin’s original Bionic Man from the 1970s, and an older borg created before the word was even coined in the 1960s, Robotman. Both characters revealed a glimpse at what life might be like with significant cybernetic enhancements (when brought together by a modern Dr. Frankenstein). For 2019, it was the way to get your borg fix on the small screen.

Best TV Series, Best New Limited TV Series, Best TV Fantasy, Best Writing for TV, Best TV Costumes/Makeup, Best TV Soundtrack – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix). It was worth the wait. Jim Henson’s seemingly impossible to replicate artistic vision was successfully achieved thanks to his daughters and the company he founded. The kindest heroes, the darkest evil, a truly epic, legendary story for the ages. Everybody is cranking out CGI extravaganzas, but how many are creating artistry so fundamentally real, with so many individual artists and artisans contributing and achieving so much? Even that wouldn’t be enough if not for the layered mythology and epic adventure story. Add great humor, high stakes, emotional impact, an all-star voice cast, Daniel Pemberton and Samuel Sim’s imaginative musical score, and those puppets and all that go into them–it adds up to a rare thing–a Henson masterpiece.

Best TV Sci-fi Series, Best TV Drama – The Man in the High Castle (Amazon). Amazon Studios could not have adapted a series more faithfully, making changes for the medium and the times, than its take on Philip K. Dick’s most celebrated novel. The use of science fiction to tell a deep and twisty level of subplots and unique setting all came to a perfect conclusion in the series finale. Exciting, intelligent, frightening, and the most thought-provoking series this year, it was also different from its sci-fi competition. Honorable mention: The Mandalorian (Disney+)–but only if we allow space fantasy since the series is not true science fiction, The Orville (Fox)–for its two-part epic movie-worthy space story, “Identity.”

Best New Ongoing TV Series, Runner-up: Best TV Soundtrack, Runner-up: Best TV Costumes/Makeup – The Mandalorian (Disney+). Not a lot needs explaining with this series, which in only its first two hours we rated it closer to the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back than anything with the Star Wars label on it since. The Western motif is still alive, not all that hidden here in space fantasy garb. And we won’t get started on the impact of The Child (aka Baby Yoda) on the genre-loving world and beyond. Credit Jon Favreau’s visible enthusiasm and love for the original movies for the success of this surprisingly awesome arrival–the series is proof Star Wars is far from over.

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Tags: "All's Well That Ends Well" episode, "Fire From the Gods" episode, "Le Reve Impossible" episode, "Legacy" episode, ABC, Alex Høgh Andersen, Alexander Ludwig, Amazon Studios, Amber Rose Revah, Baby Yoda, Baskets TV series, Best Genre TV 2019, Best of 2019, Best Tv 2019, Best TV episodes 2019, Best Tv shows 2019, borg, borg.com Best of 2019, Brent Jennings, Byron Mann, CBS, Christian Yelich, Cobie Smulders, Crystal Reed, Cyborg, DC Comics, DC Universe, Doom Patrol, Genea Charpentier, Halston Sage, Iko Uwais, iZombie, Jordana Brewster, Karl Urban, Katheryn Winnick, Ken Jeong, Kingdom, Knightfall, Larry Manetti, Lee Majors, Lodge 49, Magnum PI, Mark Hamill, Maya Hawke, Natasha Lyonne, Netflix, Pat Monahan, Paul Giamatti, Rachel Nichols, Ragga Ragnars, Rob Thomas, Robert Childan, Robotman, Roger E. Mosley, Rufus Sewell, Russian Doll, Shetland, South Korea television, Stranger Things, Stumptown, Swamp Thing, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Man in the High Castle, The Mandalorian, The Orville, The Orville Identity episodes, The Skekses, Tim Kang, Time to Make... My Move episode, Train band, Uncle Six, William Forsythe, Wu Assassins

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The Man in the High Castle wraps four seasons as TV’s best science fiction drama

Filed under: Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, TV — Leave a comment

November 21, 2019

Review by C.J. Bunce

How often does a television series stay powerfully compelling for the entirety of its run? Most series, especially science fiction series, have a freshman and sophomore season full of bad episodes and clunky storylines. With a fourth season now one for the books, Amazon Studios’ The Man in the High Castle is the exception, and nothing short of cinema magic that the final season of the series didn’t miss a beat in its final ten episodes. The series has been a slow burn from the first season, but if you enjoy the idea of an alternate universe that doubles as an alternate history story–and nobody made them better than author Philip K. Dick–then this is the series for you, waiting for you to stream its 40 episodes right now. It all began with a first-rate pilot (first previewed here at borg) set in a gut-wrenching world where the Axis beat the Allies in World War II, created five years ago for Amazon’s first run at a series format. From the meticulously re-created sets, buildings, landscapes, costumes, props, and vehicles, to a script that may very well reflect the smartest and most tense science fiction ever to hit television sets, The Man in the High Castle proves Amazon Studios can match (and beat) the quality of programming of any of its competitors.

The themes are unfortunately current, grand and weighty like the best science fiction should be, and Santayana’s warning was probably never better illustrated in fiction form, asking the question: Could Nazi leadership of the homegrown American variety be worse than a threat from foreign invaders? The show also explores other big ideas, like the idea that you may not be the very best possible version of yourself (and what you could do about it). Most series are top-heavy, relying too much on the lead characters to drive the story. The writers of The Man in the High Castle took the time to completely flesh out dozens of key supporting characters, each one critical to the story, and all an example of world-building detail that every writer should take notes on. Every thread they created gets nicely tied up by the final episode. The very best, most complex and creative character arcs on any series this decade happened here. And the series’ climactic scene is simply goosebump-inducing. The pool of candidates for anyone’s best TV actor and actress this year? They should begin with this series.

Back again is Alexa Davalos as the world-bending, judo teacher-turned resistance strategist. She was joined by last year’s new suave, rogue soldier, played by Jason O’Mara. They have the knowledge to potentially save their world and infinite others, but how do they decide what is the right way to do it? Leading the bad guys on the American front again is Rufus Sewell′s Reichsmarshall John Smith, whose performance as the rising Nazi leader is so convincing viewers will never see what’s coming next, and his wife Helen, played by Chelah Horsdal, gets to step into the spotlight in nerve-wracking ways this season. Joel de la Fuerte, as Japan’s Emperor’s leader in San Francisco, is so versatile he should be the most sought-after actor on the planet. This year they are joined by new good guys played by Frances Turner and Clé Bennett, who bring a welcome, late-breaking twist to the outcome of the world, plus the return of Quinn Lord as the alt world’s Thomas Smith. Even the kids playing the daughters–Genea Charpentier and Gracyn Shinyei–are scary good (meriting inclusion on our ever-growing horror film “creepy little girls” list).

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Review–Dynamite continues TNT’s The Librarians in excellent new series

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September 9, 2017

For fans of a good fantasy fix, you can hardly find a more exciting adventure and weekly romp than TNT’s The Librarians. For four years The Librarians have continued the world of the Warehouse 13-esque, made-for TV movie series going back to 2004, made popular by star Noah Wyle (Donnie Darko, Mark Felt, Falling Skies, ER, A Few Good Men) as Librarian adventurer Flynn Carsen. Season 4 is coming this back to TNT this Fall (and to Syfy in the UK), and will feature guest stars John Noble (The Lord of the Rings, Fringe, Sleepy Hollow, Forever) as Monsignor Vega, a Vatican bishop who is secretly the head of the Heretical Order of the Shadows bent on destroying the Library, and Rachel Nichols (Continuum, Star Trek 2009, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Conan the Barbarian) as Nicole Noone, Carsen’s original Guardian originally thought to be dead.

While you’re waiting for the TV series to return, a new monthly comic book series will provide fans with an excellent continuation. Published by Dynamite Comics, The Librarians, Issue #1, has the look and feel of an episode of the series, complete with the great banter between the Librarians the show is known for, the quirky characters protecting an even more bizarre Library full of secrets, magic, and the rarest artifacts hidden from the rest of us in the real world.

In the first issue writer Will Pfeifer (Aquaman, Hellboy) and Brazilian artist Rodney Buchemi (Uncanny X-Men) take The Librarians and readers to a classic source of the strange and paranormal, TV’s In Search Of… series that starred Leonard Nimoy. Because it’s The Librarians version of that series, this issue is not about Nimoy and the series creators per se, but it’s similar enough that fans of the series will follow all the references, and–for those that need it spelled out–the first issue is titled “In Search Of… Chapter 1.” Carsen, Caretaker Jenkins (John Larroquette), Colonel Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn) and fellow Librarians Jake Stone (Christian Kane), Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth), and Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim) set out to find the killer of the creator of the paranormal films, Solomon Schick, after he is murdered at a local film festival.

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Tags: Brazilian artist, Christian Kane, Dynamite Comics, In Search Of, In Search Of Tv series, John Harlan Kim, John Larroquette, John Noble, Leonard Nimoy, Lindy Booth, Nimoy In Search Of, Noah Wyle, Rachel Nichols, Rebecca Romijn, Rodney Buchemi, Syfy Channel, The Librarians, TNT Network, Will Pfeifer

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Continuum marathon counts down to Season 2 premiere Friday on Syfy

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June 5, 2013

If you’ve been watching BBC America’s Canadian production of Orphan Black, then you know you’re been watching the most exciting science fiction series on TV this year. But close on its heels was this year’s U.S. premiere of Continuum, also filmed in Canada and re-broadcast on the Syfy Channel in the States. If you didn’t already run out and watch Season 2 of Continuum on video, or if you missed Season 1 altogether, you can catch a marathon of Season 1 this Friday, June 7, 2013, on Syfy, leading to the premiere of Season 2 at 9 p.m. Central Time. We reviewed Continuum earlier this year here at borg.com.

Continuum stars the awesome Rachel Nichols (Alias, Criminal Minds, G.I. Joe) as Kiera, Victor Webster (Castle, Melrose Place) as her partner, detective Carlos Fonnegra, and Erik Knudsen (Jericho, Scream 4) as Alec Sadler, the IT wizard who could be Kiera’s key to saving the future, and whose future self may be more involved than we could have guessed in the time travel mishap that propelled Kiera from the year 2077 back to 2012.

Last season we met Liber8, the terrorist organization whose members returned to 2012 with Kiera. We also saw a glimpse of Kiera’s husband’s boss in the future, a much older Alec Sadler, president of SadCorp, played by none other than the original Smoking Man from The X-Files, William B. Davis. Kiera finds a missing piece of time-jump technology in police headquarters–originally found in the rubble where the transfer occurred. We witnessed future crime-fighting tech that allows Kiera to record memories and force criminals to speak the truth, as well as the many powers her supersuit and weaponry hold, and how she herself can see in ways beyond any technology we have today. And we learned about the fanatics that the young Sadler is forced to live with, and how the death of his stepfather puts into motion a conflict for upcoming episodes.

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Tags: Continuum, Continuum marathon, Continuum Season 2 preview, Erik Knudsen, Fan Expo Vancouver, Orphan Black, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lobo, Syfy Channel, Victor Webster, William B. Davis

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Review–G.I. Joe: Retaliation delivers a fun ride with great action sequences

Filed under: Comics & Books, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Superheroes — Leave a comment

April 21, 2013

Half animated film come to life, half martial arts movie, in G.I. Joe: Retaliation look for one of the best action sequences ever to hit the big screen. Darker and more grounded in the realities of today’s terrorism themed movies as opposed to the days of action war pictures centered on the Cold War, the sequel to G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra is only slightly less fun than the first live-action look at the action figure-turned-animated show and comic book-turned-action figure again franchise. Whereas Rise of Cobra was steeped in toy references and faithful action figure costume re-creations, Retaliation has a plot that could have been pulled from the 1980s animated series.

After a disaster caused by a conspiracy between Zartan and the evil shadow organization called Cobra wipes out literally every active G.I. Joe but three, it’s up to new top ranking officer Roadblock, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to lead the charge to unravel the conspiracy and save the world. He’s joined in a superbly created, fast-thinking survival maneuver by Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), who must then find their way out of a deep water well. Despite being developed characters from G.I. Joe incarnations past, Flint comes off a bit like Hawkeye in The Avengers and Lady Jaye as the token female Joe in an era you’d think would be long past relying on jokes about women in the service. Still, they both make the best of it and the trio, along with Duke (Channing Tatum), the squad leader of the Joes in Rise of Cobra, they share some good chemistry and laugh out loud moments in the film. If there is any fault in Retaliation it is why the producers thought the plot required eliminating such a pantheon of other great Joe characters who were featured in Rise of Cobra, like Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), Baroness (Sierra Miller), Ripcord (Marlon Wayans), Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), or General Hawk (Dennis Quaid). It’s also a bit disappointing Bruce Willis’s General Joe Colton didn’t have a few more scenes. Willis, transitioning from action role to the wise general role, steals every scene and a partnership with Dwayne Johnson in another film, G.I. Joe or not, would be a fun thing to see.

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Continuum, the best new series of 2013, airs tonight on the Syfy Channel

Filed under: Sci-Fi Café, TV — 5 Comments

February 4, 2013

Following on the heels of the successful Canada import Lost Girl, the Vancouver based sci-fi series Continuum premiered this year on the Syfy Channel in the U.S. and it easily earns the status of best new TV series of 2013. Like Lost Girl, the first season has already aired in Canada, and is being shown one season behind here, hopefully to catch up in the U.S. market later this year. The series has already been renewed in Canada, and Season 2 is being filmed on location in Vancouver, B.C. Tonight, episode four airs at 7 p.m. Central/8 p.m. Eastern on the Syfy Channel. You’ll want to set up your DVR for this series and if you’ve missed episodes 1-3 you can still catch them on primetime Free Per View.

Continuum stars Star Trek 2009, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Conan the Barbarian’s Rachel Nichols as a British Columbia cop from the year 2077 named Kiera Cameron who gets transported back in time to 2012 where she tracks down a group of rebel terrorists who have come to the past with her. The terrorists, who go by the name Liber8, were sentenced to death and at their execution someone smuggled in a device that created a warp field that spun the convicts back in time and sucked in security officer Cameron. Like her cool and tough performance as Scarlet in the first G.I. Joe movie, Nichols is perfect as a no-nonsense cop, quick to act in a gunfight and several other situations she never could have trained for.

The producers of Continuum have created the most seemingly realistic future technology here along with a creepy possible future political structure where corporations have bailed out the defaulting government and eventually taken over all its functions, taking away individual liberties from citizens. The police force Cameron works for is in protection of this new world order, and the great twist of Continuum is having the terrorists’ ideal be a return to our political structure today. Continuum is the series many hoped the Battlestar Galactica spinoff Caprica would be, but in only three episodes Continuum has already surpassed that other Syfy Channel series in production quality and story.

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