DOA on TV Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Lanterns

 

Star Trek Strange New Worlds  S4 Ep 5  Level 5 Transporter Accident

 

 Novice engineer Scotty attempts to beat an old rival's transporter distance record by sending a puppet across space farther than has been done before.  The truly awful looking puppet somehow messes up the transporter buffers and sends a wave throughout the ship that changes every single person into a puppet.

Spock, who was on a shuttle mission when this occurs, is the only crew member who is able to use the ships controls because he was unaffected by the accident.  The fuzzy little puppet fingers everyone else is now sporting make no impression on touchpads, and they call on him constantly from all over the ship to help them.

As if that isn't bad enough, a crew of Orion pirates comes upon the somewhat disabled Enterprise and decides to take advantage. 

Every person in their puppet form are just great versions of themselves.  My favorites were Una and La'an  who tried to throw themselves full force into a physical fight with the invaders, only to be tossed aside like toys, and a surprising T'Pring who was logical until she decided chaos would be more effective in these circumstances.

I'm loving the season so far.

 

Lanterns HBO Max   Pilot

 

Promoted as party buddy cop show, part mystery, the Lanterns first episode brought Hal Jordan and John Stewart to Nebraska to solve a small town mystery possibly involving aliens.

The two aren't partners, really, in this first episode, as Hal Jordan hasn't accepted that he should step aside for John, so he hasn't taught him anything.   He torments him with the ring, letting him use it to save himself from a car crash, but making him walk miles to catch up with Jordan.

I loved John's character from the first scene where he's thrilled to see his hero being interviewed on TV.  It's hard to see how that great, brave kid got mixed up with the cynic Jordan is in the current day.   

There are only eight episodes airing on Sunday nights at nine.  I'm hoping lots of backstory is filled in and that there is a redemption arc for Hal who really needs one. 

 

Librariandoa's Saturday Puzzles A Fallen Phrase

 I really had to dig around in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations for something to use this time around.  Surely I haven't used all of the good stuff?

 

 

Librariandoa's Saturday Puzzles An Answer Key for the August Crossword

 I was going to add a collage of pictures to jazz things up, but I thought the clues were so simple that it would be a giveaway in case anything did stump you!

 

 

Five Things Friday 8/21/26

 A few cool days and how easy it is to ease towards fall and winter.  While the official Dog Days are over, we aren’t fooled, are we?  Keep those ice cube trays full!

Mary's Recipes 8/20/26

 Mary at our wedding!

 

 

 

 

 

DOA On TV Star Trek Strange New Worlds

 

 

Star Trek Strange New Worlds  A Case of Chiaroscuro

This week's episode goes full noir mystery.  From the AI overview, Chiaroscuro is "an art technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to give flat objects a sense of roundness".   The entire episode is in black and white due to unusual radiation from the system's sun.

Una, in her first mission as a commander, is joined by Uhura and doctor M'Benga using a shuttle to direct a Federation probe out of Klingon airspace as quietly as possible.  They succeed, but suddenly a Klingon craft appears nearby and they decide to drop to the planet below to hide for a bit.  It can't be known they were here at all.   

It looks like they will be in hiding for awhile so they suit up in appropriate gear and head to the city.  

 

The planet is under heavy Klingon occupation.  There's a Resistance, and Una is a dead ringer for the leader of the Resistance, Nevette, who acts as a double agent of sorts also being the main Klingon collaborator.

The episode is a fine mystery, as Nevette has disappeared, and is mostly likely dead.  Who could have killed her, and where is the body?  Una does an excellent job at jumping in and playing both sides so she can solve the mystery, and keep herself and her crewmates alive.

Having lived under enemy occupation as a child, Una can't just let the Resistance fend for themselves, though M'Benga tries to warn her getting involved is a mistake.

A subplot on the Enterprise (also in black and white) involving La'an thinking the retrieved probe has been tampered with and clashing with Spock in her theories, just seems like a way to show their relationship fraying, and heading towards the inevitable end.

I have had a hard time connecting with the Una character, but after her singing in Klingon last episode, and her star turn here, stepping into a new role in Star Fleet and just killing it, I'm really liking her.

Uhura was very brave standing up to Klingon mind torture.  Talk about a character getting tougher as she goes along, she's really doing great.

M'Benga is such an amazing character, his past being fleshed out perhaps best of all the doctors, I love this guy.   

Librariandoa's Saturday Puzzles An August Crossword

 The month of August is the theme of this crossword.  I used Armored Penguins Crossword Generator if you'd like to do your own puzzle.  Apologies for all the black space if you're printing. I wanted to keep the puzzle to 15 items, not too long, not too short.

 

 

 

 

Librariandoa's Saturday Puzzles An Answer Key for the 8 7 26 Secret Code Puzzle

 Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.  Bartlett's Familiar Quotations say this is attributed to James J Walker.

No girl was ever ruined by a book. 

 

 

Five Things Friday 8/14/26

 Feel that cool breeze? Me neither!  Buy ice cream. Eat ice cream.

Mary's Recipes August 13, 2026

 Mary the Sweater Girl!  She always has a big comfy sweater on these days, no matter the weather.