2026 Predictions…

A Star Trek-themed spoiler warning

Spoiler Warning: Beware of minor spoilers for some of the franchises discussed below.

I thought it could be a bit of fun to mark the start of the year by making a few predictions! This isn’t something that I usually do here on the website, but if it proves to be enjoyable, maybe I’ll make it an annual thing… who knows? For now, though, I wanted to look ahead to 2026 and share some of my predictions for what may happen in the wide world of geeky entertainment.

I’ll give a couple of important caveats, and then I’ll explain the format I’m going to use.

Firstly, I have no “insider information,” and I’m not trying to claim that anything discussed below can, will, or must happen in 2026. These are my own predictions based on… I dunno. Vibes, I guess? And, as always, all of this is the *subjective, not objective* opinion of just one person. If I miss something that you think is obvious, or I predict something you think sounds utterly ridiculous… that’s okay! This is just for fun, and I share my predictions with you in that spirit.

Still frame from a 1995 National Lottery broadcast showing Mystic Meg.
Do you remember Mystic Meg?

Okay, let’s talk format! I’ve got four categories into which my predictions will fall: Films, Games, Television, and the Star Trek Franchise. And within each category, I’m going to make three predictions using the 90/50/10 format: that’s one thing I’m 90% sure will happen, one that I’m 50/50 on, and an outlier that I think has a remote 10% chance of happening – but probably won’t!

So… have we got all that? Four categories, three predictions in each! I’ll briefly explain my prediction, discuss why I think it may or may not happen, and just generally share my thoughts on why I think it’s likely or plausible.

With all of that out of the way, let’s get started and try to predict what 2026 will look like!

Film – 90% Prediction:
A KPop Demon Hunters sequel will be announced.

Still frame from KPop Demon Hunters showing Zoey, Rumi, and Mira at the climax of the film.
Huntr/x.

KPop Demon Hunters was one of the most successful films of 2025 – and I don’t just say that because it won the highly-coveted End-of-Year Award here at Trekking with Dennis! The film topped the charts for weeks on end, becoming Netflix’s most popular original animated film ever, earned itself a sell-out theatrical release, and even saw its soundtrack reach the top of the charts, dethroning the likes of Taylor Swift in the process.

So it’s a shoo-in, then, surely, that Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation will announce a sequel within the next twelve months.

I’m not someone who believes that every successful film should – or even *can* – be turned into an ongoing franchise, and I think there’s merit in the idea of one-off, complete stories that don’t need to be revisited. But I also recognise that, in the modern entertainment landscape, big corporations don’t behave like that! Any successful film is bound to see a sequel; to Netflix and Sony, it would be like leaving guaranteed money on the table. Rumours of a KPop Demon Hunters sequel are already beginning to swirl, and I’d expect the companies involved to want to get a formal announcement out while the film is still popular to capitalise on that momentum to the highest possible degree.

Film – 50% Prediction:
The Mandalorian and Grogu will be a box office bomb.

Promo image (cropped) for The Mandalorian and Grogu showing the title characters on a sand dune.
The title characters.

Star Wars is in a weird place right now. The brand is oversaturated, with Disney having produced so much content just since 2019 that it’s hard for even big fans of the franchise to keep up. The Mandalorian and Grogu is supposed to be the final chapter of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, but the show’s third season received mixed reviews, as did The Book of Boba Fett spin-off. I’m not sure that the fanbase is there for The Mandalorian in 2026 in the way it was in 2019, and given how Star Wars as a whole has been mishandled, I could easily see this one flopping hard at the box office.

However, this is Star Wars’ first trip to the cinema since 2019, and it’s possible that a more casual audience – folks who haven’t been trying to keep up with everything Star Wars on Disney+ – will show up for that. I don’t think it’s a guaranteed failure, hence its position on this list. But if I were an executive at Disney, I’d be concerned.

Film – 10% Prediction:
The first film with a digitally-recreated dead actor in a leading role will be announced.

Still frame from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story showing Tarkin (a digital model based on actor Peter Cushing).
A digital recreation of Peter Cushing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

I’ve believed for a long time now – even since before “generative A.I.” was a big deal – that we weren’t far off a snooty director deciding that the leading role in their magnum opus could *only* be played by someone like James Dean or Marilyn Monroe. And with today’s technology – motion capture, voice cloning, facial animations, etc. – it’s technologically feasible to bring back long-dead actors in films. As far back as 2016, we saw this, when the Star Wars franchise digitally recreated both Peter Cushing and a young Carrie Fisher in Rogue One. And the technology has only improved over the last decade.

What we still haven’t seen, though, is a film where the *lead* role is “played” by a long-dead performer. That’s different from using a lookalike or recreating an actor for just a couple of scenes, and I think it would be incredibly controversial. There’d be arguments over who owns the rights to the performer’s likeness and image… but that’s something a project could clear. Whether a film like this would be any good, and whether a digital performance (perhaps assisted by A.I.) would actually be worth watching… the jury’s out, I guess. But as I’ve said before: people care more about the finished product than the process that went into it, so if a film that was created using this method was good, and the result was basically indistinguishable… it could start a whole new trend!

Video Games – 90% Prediction:
Prices will rise even further.

Promo/concept art of Wario for the Nintendo game Wario Ware.
Gaming is already too expensive…

Sorry, everyone. I’m not happy about it, but after several years of price hikes across the games industry, I don’t see this unfortunate trend stopping. Grand Theft Auto VI could legitimately launch with a base price of $100, which would almost certainly see other publishers raise their prices to match. And with component shortages thanks to A.I. datacentres buying up large volumes of stock – as well as major manufacturers “pivoting” to an A.I.-first strategy – hardware prices may very well rise, too.

2025 saw the Switch 2 launch at an inflated price, as well as the first $80 game. It also saw price hikes from Sony and Microsoft, as well as a rise in the price of the Game Pass subscription service. Much of this isn’t actually a reaction to events – it’s plain and simple greed. These things are a cause of, not a consequence of, inflation. But, regrettably, I don’t see it stopping anytime soon, especially if sales remain weak. Games companies will try to wring more money out of existing players to compensate for a lack of new ones.

Video Games – 50% Prediction:
Microsoft and Xbox will announce a new Fallout game… which is not being developed by Bethesda.

Promo screenshot for Fallout 76 featuring a playable ghoul character wearing headphones.
Is a new Fallout game close to being announced?

With The Elder Scrolls VI still years away, and the Fallout TV series riding high on Amazon Prime Video, it’s not exactly a secret that Microsoft and Xbox want a new Fallout game for fans to sink their teeth into. But because of Bethesda’s absolutely idiotic and outdated approach to making video games, their hypothetical version of Fallout 5 may not even *begin* development until 2029, and likely won’t see the light of day until, say, 2034 or beyond.

So could Microsoft hit the nuclear button (pun very much intended) and take Fallout away from Bethesda? If it were to happen, there’d surely be a ton of PR-speak about how this new game is a spin-off, the license is still Bethesda’s, Microsoft still has full confidence in Bethesda… blah, blah, blah. But it would also speak volumes about how far Bethesda has fallen since their 2000s heyday, and how their approach to creating games needs to change if they still want to tell stories in multiple franchises.

Video Games – 10% Prediction:
Grand Theft Auto VI fails to meet its sales targets and is considered an expensive failure.

Still frame from the second GTA 6 trailer showing the protagonists riding on a jet ski.
Protagonists Jason and Lucia on a jet ski.

No video game is a “guaranteed” hit. Not even the sequel to the most successful video game of all-time. So I consider it an outside possibility that, for any one of a number of reasons, Grand Theft Auto VI fails to convince fans of GTA 5 that they need to switch to the new game, with its online mode in particular struggling to gain traction. Players who do buy the game and try out the online mode could even drift back to GTA 5 if it isn’t what they’re hoping for. The result? GTA 6 could go down in history as one of the most expensive video game flops.

To be clear, while I can conceive of a world in which something like this happens, it feels very unlikely – hence its place on this list! But there are reasons to be concerned if you’re a Take-Two executive. Slow hardware sales for the PS5 and Xbox Series, combined with GTA 6 not getting a PC release, mean there’s a smaller potential audience for the game. Price rises for the game itself and the hardware it plays on in a difficult economy could price people out. And if GTA 5 is still fun and enjoyable for its online players, convincing them to switch to a new game – especially if it means an investment of £650-700 to buy the game and a new console to play it on – won’t be a walk in the park.

Television – 90% Prediction:
Either 3 Body Problem or Strange New Worlds will be my “TV Series of the Year” in December.

Cropped promo posters for 3 Body Problem S1 (left) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S1 (right).
3 Body Problem (left) and Strange New Worlds.

I dish out my annual “End-of-Year Awards” every December – in fact, I just did the awards for 2025 a couple of days ago; click or tap here to check them out! But when I look ahead to 2026, there are really only a couple of shows that I think (at this early stage) could be in contention for the top award. Those are 3 Body Problem and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I’d be very surprised if something else comes along this year and eclipses *both* of these productions; the only one I could see even possibly doing so would be Silo.

Strange New Worlds is far and away the best modern Star Trek series, and even one of the best parts of the franchise as a whole. I was very disappointed to learn it would be cancelled after a cut-down fifth season. And 3 Body Problem’s first season was one of the best, most grown-up sci-fi shows I’ve seen in a long time. I’m genuinely looking forward to both shows’ continuations – and unless, for some reason, neither debuts in 2026, I’m almost positive they’ll be competing for my “TV Series of the Year” award in eleven-and-a-bit months from now!

Television – 50% Prediction:
A big, long-running series will finally be cancelled.

Still frame from The Simpsons depicting a "ratings graph" showing a steep decline.
It might be some kind of visual metaphor…

There are quite a few shows floating around that have been running for fifteen years or more. Grey’s Anatomy, Family Guy, Law and Order, Doctor Who, SpongeBob SquarePants, Criminal Minds, The Simpsons… the list goes on. But some of these shows are almost unrecognisable from their original incarnations, or worse, feel like they’re just going through the motions and coasting on past success. I tried for years to keep up with The Simpsons, for example, even though I could feel the quality declining. But I haven’t watched any new episodes for several seasons at this point, and it just feels like the show has well and truly run its course.

The Simpsons has been renewed for several more seasons and – inexplicably – another movie. But could we learn in 2026 that the show will eventually end? Or could another long-running programme, like Doctor Who’s revival, SpongeBob SquarePants, or Grey’s Anatomy, finally find themselves on the chopping block? I’d always rather a show end too soon, leaving me wanting more and lamenting that we didn’t get “just one more episode,” instead of running too long and becoming a joke. Maybe 2026 will finally be the year that one or more of these long-running television institutions kicks the bucket.

Television – 10% Prediction:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be cancelled after Season 3.

Promo still for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showing Elrond on horseback.
It’s Elrond!

The Rings of Power hasn’t been everyone’s favourite show, to put it mildly. And with long breaks in between seasons – Season 3 is not guaranteed to land in 2026, despite Season 2 wrapping up in the autumn of 2024 – even the folks who did tune in have begun to find other things to watch. Although Amazon and the Tolkien Estate had an agreement to make five seasons of The Rings of Power… are we sure the series will hit that mark?

According to some reports, The Rings of Power shed boatloads of viewers across its first season, with barely one-third of the people who watched the premiere making it to the finale. And Season 2 didn’t bring them back. No TV show is going to be worth making if no one’s turning up to watch it, let alone the most expensive TV series ever made. And with middling reviews from audiences, and a baked-in hate campaign from some folks online… The Rings of Power could, hypothetically, be more vulnerable than we thought. Amazon has done this before with another high fantasy show: The Wheel of Time was cancelled before its story could be wrapped up.

Star Trek – 90% Prediction:
Starfleet Academy will be confirmed to run for just two seasons.

Cropped promo poster for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy showing the main characters.
Will there be more Starfleet Academy after Season 2?

Unless Starfleet Academy can do something extraordinary that no other Star Trek show of the current streaming era has done, I think we’ll learn that there won’t be a third season. The series would, in my view, need to go viral and become a phenomenon – particularly with its younger target audience. If Starfleet Academy can genuinely compete with the likes of Stranger Things and Wednesday in terms of review scores and audience numbers, and also drive a massive, unprecedented number of new subscribers to Paramount+, then – and only then – would Skydance consider renewing the show.

But… do we really think that’s gonna happen?

I’ve said a few times now that I’m not particularly hyped for Starfleet Academy. The show, with its serialised story and teen focus, just doesn’t seem like it’ll be my thing. But that’s not why it’s part of this discussion. I’d love nothing more than to see Starfleet Academy succeed at bringing in legions of new fans to the franchise. I just struggle to see how it’ll manage to do so. And given Skydance’s obvious preference for films over TV, and the cancellations of all other Star Trek shows, I just get the sense that the two seasons which have already entered production will be all the series will get.

Star Trek – 50% Prediction:
Paramount-Skydance will do very little to celebrate the franchise’s 60th anniversary.

The "Star Trek 60" logo on a Starfleet Academy set photo.
Star Trek turns 60 years old in 2026.

With the exception of soap operas, how many TV shows reach their 60th anniversary with new episodes still being created and aired? Star Trek is practically unique amongst big sci-fi properties – heck, amongst entertainment franchises in general. Yet I don’t think that this new incarnation of Paramount really intends to do anything major to acknowledge the milestone. We’ve heard talk of a float at some parade in the United States. And Star Trek’s god-awful online shop will probably release some crappy A.I.-generated merch, like tote bags and beanies, featuring the new “Star Trek 60” logo. But will there be a crossover episode? Some kind of unannounced project that really leans into what Star Trek means and goes all-in?

I would *love* to see Paramount/Skydance do something big. A live broadcast, maybe, reuiniting the stars of past shows to talk all things Trek. Or a documentary about the creation of those early episodes. I’d really love to see a crossover – like we got in 1996 for the 30th anniversary. Maybe we could see Starfleet Academy characters visiting Pike’s Enterprise, or even using the Strange New World sets and bringing back some of the performers to re-tell a classic TOS story. Because Star Trek had gone off the air, we couldn’t get anything like that for the 40th or the 50th. But there’s a window of opportunity right now, in 2026, that may not come again, to really celebrate Star Trek with some kind of big on-screen event. I really hope Skydance has already given it the green light.

Star Trek – 10% Prediction:
A brand-new series will be announced.

Concept art of the USS Enterprise created for Phase II/The Motion Picture.
Will there be more Star Trek to come?

This one… I mean, it’s not gonna happen, is it? Don’t get me wrong: I’d love nothing more than for Skydance to make the genuinely shocking announcement that they’re commissioning a brand-new, episodic, exploration-focused Star Trek series! But I think it’s a remote possibility right now, given the new corporation’s clear choice to prioritise the cinema over television and streaming. A new Star Trek film has been announced and is potentially targeting a 2028 release, so will we see a new show announced before then?

My view remains that Star Trek as a whole – save for the occasional film project – will be shutting down for the foreseeable future after 2027 or 2028, whenever the final episodes of Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds air. But there’s still so much potential in this franchise, and it’s downright depressing to go into the big sixtieth anniversary year predicting cancellation and failure. So I’m crossing my fingers that we’ll get just one new series being announced.

So that’s it.

A render of the number 2026 in green.
2026 is just beginning.

I’ve made a few predictions for 2026, so let’s revisit this piece together in late December to see how much I got wrong! This is my first year making predictions like these, but I really like the 90/50/10 format, so I might try to make it an annual thing… if I remember. And if, next year, I actually have more predictions to make!

In any case, I hope this has been interesting, or just a bit of fun. I’m hopeful for some enjoyable entertainment experiences this year, and I’ll be doing my best to keep up with some of the films, games, and TV shows that I’ve been looking forward to – so stay tuned for some reviews and commentary here on the website!


All titles discussed above are the copyright of their respective developer, publisher, broadcaster, studio, distributor, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Looking Ahead To 2026

A Simpsons-themed spoiler warning.

Spoiler Warning: Beware of minor spoilers for some of the productions below.

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. Although we might still be recovering from a night of partying, fireworks, and maybe a little too much champagne (alright, prosecco), I think the beginning of the year is a great moment to look ahead. There are bound to be some fun entertainment experiences lying in wait between now and Christmas, after all!

By the way, is that the first time you’ve heard someone mention Christmas 2026?

As I do every year at this time, I’m going to preview a few films, video games, and television programmes that I’m personally looking forward to over the next twelve months.

Hooray! It’s 2026!

My usual caveats apply! Everything we’re going to look at today is the subjective, not objective, opinion of just one person. If I highlight something you think sounds awful, or miss out one of your favourites… *that’s okay*! There’s plenty of room for polite discussion and differences of opinion, and I’m in no way trying to claim that these are somehow “the only” things to look forward to as the year gets underway.

Secondly, it’s possible that some or all of these will miss their intended release or broadcast dates, and they could even be cancelled entirely. Such things have been known to happen in the world of entertainment, unfortunately. But at time of writing, all of these are either on the schedule for 2026 or at least heavily rumoured to be out this year.

I’ve chosen eight films, eight television programmes, and eight video games that I’m looking forward to as this new year begins! So without any further ado… let’s take a look at my selections.

Film #1:
Coyote vs. Acme

Wile E. Coyote in court…

After years of using Acme Corporation’s products without much success, Wile E. Coyote sues them! That’s the premise of this “cartoon characters in the real world” film, and it’s giving me Who Framed Roger Rabbit vibes. I think the premise alone sounds like a ton of fun, and I’m genuinely excited to see what the finished product will be like.

There are reasons to be sceptical, though, unfortunately. Coyote vs. Acme was originally filmed all the way back in 2022, but Warner Bros. Discovery cancelled it in 2023, and it seemed for a time as if the completed film wouldn’t see a release. The likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount+ all submitted bids, but none were willing to pay the reported $70 million that Warner Bros. Discovery was asking. That’s enough to give me pause, but a distributor was belatedly found and a release this summer is now on the cards. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for some wacky, cartoony fun.

Film #2:
The Mandalorian and Grogu

The title characters.

I’m not the world’s biggest fan of The Mandalorian, to be honest with you. And if, as has been reported, this film represents a cut-down version of one of The Mandalorian’s already very short seasons… that doesn’t sound great. As someone who hasn’t seen all of the various Star Wars spin-off shows on Disney+, I’m also a bit concerned about this film being the culmination of multiple story arcs that I’m not caught up with or invested in.

However! With all that being said, a brand-new Star Wars film is always going to pique my curiosity, and although I wasn’t *wild* about The Mandalorian, the show has had its moments, and I’m at least interested in seeing where the characters will end up as their adventures apparently come to an end. Some Star Wars projects that I didn’t have high expectations for – The Last Jedi and The Book of Boba Fett, for example – ended up being surprisingly good fun, so there’s potential in The Mandalorian and Grogu. This is also Star Wars’ first trip to the cinema since 2019.

Check out my review of Season 2 of The Mandalorian by clicking or tapping here.

Film #3:
The Magic Faraway Tree

The film’s title card.

I was a huge Enid Blyton fan as a kid. Several of her books have been brought to the big and small screens over the years, and I’m especially interested to see what this adaptation of The Magic Faraway Tree will look like. The film boasts an all-star cast, featuring Andrew Garfield, Michael Palin, Rebecca Ferguson, Claire Foy, and Lenny Henry, and from what I glimpsed in the trailer, it looks like it’s captured the whimsy of the original book.

The Magic Faraway Tree is definitely a kids’ film, so set your expectations appropriately! And I can absolutely see this not being to everyone’s taste. But as someone who remembers the original books with great fondness, I shall be tuning in to see Dame Washalot, the Saucepan Man, Moonface, and the others when The Magic Faraway Tree premieres.

Film #4:
Disclosure Day

Promo still for Disclosure Day (2026)
Emily Blunt in a promo still for Disclosure Day.

This is a last-minute addition to my list based on nothing but the “vibe” I got from the trailer! Disclosure Day’s plot is still under wraps, but it’s Steven Spielberg’s first film in four years, and his first sci-fi film since 2018’s Ready Player One. The picture will star Emily Blunt and Colin Firth, among others, and has something to do with a UFO conspiracy.

I’ve enjoyed a number of Spielberg’s films over the years – which shouldn’t be a surprise; he’s still one of the best filmmakers around. And Disclosure Day is reminding me more than a little of Spielberg’s own E.T., which is a film I fondly remember from my childhood. Disclosure Day might be taking a less whimsical and more, for want of a better term, “grown-up” approach to the genre, but that’s okay. The trailer was genuinely gripping, and Disclosure Day has definitely launched its way onto this list!

Film #5:
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

It’s Princess Rosalina!

I’ll be honest: I barely played the first Super Mario Galaxy, and I couldn’t get on with its “spherical levels” idea, so when Nintendo announced that the follow-up to the absolutely excellent Super Mario Bros. Movie would be based on those games… I was underwhelmed. However, the first film was so darn good that I’m willing to push any scepticism aside and see what Nintendo and Illumination have been cooking! Who knows, it’s possible that the film format will suit the Mario Galaxy story better than either of the games did!

The trailer for the film looked great, and going on another adventure with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Bowser just seems like it’s gonna be a lot of fun. So despite my ambivalence to its source material, I’m genuinely looking forward to this one.

Check out my review of The Super Mario Bros. Movie by clicking or tapping here.

Film #6:
Project Hail Mary

Ryan Gosling stars as Dr Grace in Project Hail Mary.

I like what I’ve seen of Project Hail Mary so far. I’m getting a bit of an Armageddon-meets-Interstellar-meets-2001: A Space Odyssey vibe. If that even makes sense! The film looks interesting and potentially quite funny, or at least with some moments of light-heartedness to balance out heavier themes of Earth and humanity being close to extinction. I’m curious to see where Project Hail Mary will go, and which side – comedy or serious messaging – the film will come down on.

I’m always going to be interested in new sci-fi properties, especially in an entertainment landscape drowning in sequels, spin-offs, and franchises. So I hope Project Hail Mary can be something a bit different, taking a familiar starting point but doing its own thing with it. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller also directed 2014’s The Lego Movie, which I really enjoyed, so that’s another reason for optimism.

Film #7:
The Odyssey

A first glimpse at The Odyssey.

The Odyssey promises to be an epic retelling of the classic Ancient Greek tale, as Odysseus makes his way back home from the Trojan War. Christopher Nolan, the film’s director, has previously directed such hits as The Dark Knight, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer, winning an Academy Award for the latter. This adaptation of The Odyssey features some big names in its cast, such as Eliot Page, Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, and Matt Damon.

I suppose my only real concern with The Odyssey is that there’s quite a lot of story to cram into the runtime of a single film. I’ve been critical in the past of films being unnecessarily lengthened or split into multiple parts, but maybe The Odyssey is one story that could’ve benefitted from a longer runtime. We’ll have to wait and see!

Film #8:
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Dr Kelson.

I thought that 28 Years Later was okay in 2025, but it wasn’t a patch on the sheer terror of the original film. Something about the “naked zombies” ended up being almost… comical, rather than threatening. But having seen the first half of this sequel, which ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I don’t want to miss out on the conclusion.

The trailer seemed to tease a possible breakthrough in dealing with the rage virus, which could be really interesting if handled well. There’s definitely scope to take another look at this world and the decades-long aftermath of its apocalypse. I wouldn’t say I’m incredibly excited for The Bone Temple, but I’m… curious.

Check out my review of 28 Years Later by clicking or tapping here.

Video Game #1:
Squadron 42

Will we see Squadron 42 this year?

At time of writing, Squadron 42 is slated for a 2026 release. But, as with everything related to the mismanaged clusterfuck they call Star Citizen, I’ll believe it when I see it! Squadron 42 is the single-player campaign from the makers of Star Citizen, and I’m always going to be interested in a new sci-fi universe and a large-scale “space game.” Squadron 42 also features an all-star cast, with the likes of Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, John Rhys-Davies, Gillian Anderson, and Andy Serkis all featuring in some capacity.

Star Citizen gets plenty of criticism for its bloated budget, ridiculous microtransactions, and the pathetically poor way the project has been managed. And I’m not disagreeing with any of that! But… at the end of the day, I want to play a good, enjoyable space game. If Squadron 42 lives up to the hype – assuming it *ever* makes it to release – I’m still gonna be interested in that. Will 2026 be the year? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Video Game #2:
Control: Resonant

Promo image of Control: Resonant.
Dylan in Control: Resonant.

A last-minute addition to this list, after Exodus missed out on a 2026 release, is the sequel to 2019’s Control. I absolutely adored my time with Control, and it’s one of the finest third-person action/adventure titles of the past decade. I was really curious to see what would come next after the story came to an end, and to be honest with you… I’m kind of disappointed to see protagonist Jessie being replaced with her brother Dylan for the sequel.

However! This is still the sequel to a fantastic game, and it would be silly to render judgment without even trying it. So I will do my best to go into Control: Resonant with an open mind. The game seems to be more focused on melee combat than the original, which could be interesting, and having a new character to control could mean we get to explore a different set of powers and upgrades. I just hope it won’t feel like a typical video game-y “reset” of the player character just to run through the whole process of gaining and evolving the exact same powers all over again.

Video Game #3:
007: First Light

A classic car…

A James Bond video game… made by the people who created the Hitman series? That sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, 007: First Light is happening, and from what I’ve seen, the game looks pretty darn good. It’s an original story following a young James Bond on one of his first big missions, and it looks like it has, well, everything you might want. Flash cars, gadgets, stealth, gunplay, and a compelling story.

I don’t want to get over-hyped, but I have pretty high hopes for this one. Story aside, the only thing that might spoil it would be a rushed, buggy, or just generally under-baked launch. I’m really keeping my fingers crossed, and while I won’t be pre-ordering, if First Light gets good reviews, I may very well be tempted to pick it up as soon as it’s out.

Video Game #4:
Star Trek: Voyager – Across The Unknown

The USS Voyager!

I’m a bit of a Star Trek fan, as you may know, and Voyager is one of my favourite parts of the franchise. I played the demo version of Across The Unknown back in 2025, and I think if you set the right expectations and don’t go into the game expecting a high-budget, “AAA” type of experience, there’s going to be a lot of fun to be had here. This game won’t appeal to non-Trekkies, really – not even to folks who like these kinds of management/base-building types of titles. But that’s okay. Not every game is gonna be right for everyone!

What I like most about Across The Unknown is how the game gives you the chance to potentially have a very different journey through the Delta Quadrant than the one we saw in the show. There are these inflection points, where decisions need to be taken, and it’s possible to make different choices to the ones made by Janeway and the crew. Depending on how well that’s handled, and how many of these decisions there are… that’s a really fun and interesting idea, and could give the game a ton of replayability.

Check out my thoughts on the demo version by clicking or tapping here.

Video Game #5:
Forza Horizon 6

Promo image for Forza Horizon 6.
The game’s logo… and Mount Fuji.

Before I had to cancel my Game Pass subscription, Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 5 were both among my most-played games. So I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the next entry in the series. Add in a fun-looking Japanese setting, and I think you’ve got the recipe for another fantastic open-world arcade racing title. The Forza Horizon games have been great fun, and I love just how many different vehicles and race types there are, with practically the entire open world being part of at least a handful of different races.

The only downer on Forza Horizon 6, really, is that this is a game I’d have played on Game Pass, but now I’ll have to buy it outright. I’ll definitely be checking out the reviews first, to make sure it lives up to its predecessors – and maybe waiting for it to go on sale, too. I’m not exactly short of racing games at the moment, and I still haven’t played last year’s Tokyo Xtreme Racer, which is also set in Japan. So this one’s definitely on my wishlist, but it’s also in a strange “wait and see” zone!

Check out my review of Forza Horizon 5 by clicking or tapping here.

Video Game #6:
The Blood of Dawnwalker

The player character taking on some guards or soldiers.

An open-world fantasy game created by some of the folks who worked on The Witcher. That’s the one-line pitch, but there’s more! The Blood of Dawnwalker is set in medieval Europe, and sees the player character take on the role of a half-human, half-vampire, with a range of vampiric powers to take advantage of. The game’s main story seems to involve trying to save your family, but details are still under wraps.

I liked what I saw from The Blood of Dawnwalker’s trailer a few months ago, and I hope that new studio Rebel Wolves have taken their time to really get this game right. I’m always up for trying out a new fantasy world, especially with so many sequels and spin-offs out there. It’s rare for a new studio to put together an ambitious project like this… and I really hope that the finished game will be worth waiting for.

Video Game #7:
Nivalis

Still frame from the end of the Nivalis promo trailer.
Welcome to Nivalis!

Nivalis’ developers describe the game as a “slice-of-life” simulator set in a cyberpunk city. But… would it be unfair to suggest that this could be a “cozy game?” I’m definitely getting that impression from what I’ve seen of Nivalis so far. You can run a business, decorate your apartment, befriend NPCs… everything about that screams “cozy” to me! And I love stories and games set in a small island of calm or safety in a dangerous world. Nivalis could really scratch that itch for me.

So… Cyberpunk 2077 meets Animal Crossing, then? Maybe. The game’s visual style might take some getting used to for me; there’s a combination of blocky, voxel-style environments with characters who look a bit more realistic. But I like the idea of running a business, setting up a home, and just living a life in this kind of totally different world.

Video Game #8:
Cat Isle

Cute cats!

A cute cozy game, with beautiful pixel art… and it’s all about cats? Where do I sign up?! Seriously, this just looks adorable; a cozy game with building and management elements where kitty cats are the stars. I love cats, I love games about cats, and I enjoy a good cozy game, too. So Cat Isle could be just what I’m looking for in 2026!

Domke Games is an indie developer, and I like to try to support indie games where I can. That doesn’t mean Cat Isle will get a free pass, and I’m sure this title won’t be right for everyone. But it looks like the kind of cute game I could see myself playing for a few minutes a day… or really losing myself in for ages, depending on how it shakes out.

Television Show #1:
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Promo photo for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
The cadets.

To be blunt, even as a big Trekkie, I’m not sure whether Starfleet Academy is gonna be “my thing.” The show seems to be going down a serialised route, with a “big galactic threat,” a villain with a mysterious connection to a main character, and all of the repetition and hammy performances that go with that kind of thing. Additionally, there seems to be quite a focus on what you might call “teen drama,” with that side of things taking precedence over the likes of exploration. Both of those things give me pause.

But… this is still a brand-new Star Trek series. It’s based on a concept that even Gene Roddenberry himself was kicking around back in the ’60s and ’70s. And… it could very well be the *last* new Star Trek series of this current streaming era, now that the Skydance takeover has been finalised. So I will do my best to support Starfleet Academy when it premieres later this month… and I’ll try not to judge it too harshly. Not every show – even Star Trek shows – are right for every viewer, and if Starfleet Academy succeeds at bringing new eyes to the franchise, that can only be a positive thing in my book.

You can see a more detailed look at the upcoming show by clicking or tapping here.

Television Show #2:
Dasher

Cover art for the book Dasher.
Santa meeting Dasher.

Is it too early to be thinking about Christmas? Jokes aside, I’m really interested to see this holiday special from Disney+ later in the year. It’s going to be a single animated production, probably shorter than a feature film would be, and… well, it’s all about Dasher, one of Santa Claus’ reindeer. Dasher is based on a children’s book, and it depicts the titular reindeer running away from a life at the circus and meeting the jolly man in the red suit for the first time.

The Polar Express is a great example of this kind of kids’ book being adapted into a wonderful animated picture, and if Dasher is even in the same ballpark, I’ll have a great time with it. I know it’s early, and Christmas is literally eleven months and twenty-four days away! But I wanted to put this one on my list so I don’t forget about it by the time the holidays roll around again. And you know me… I love Christmas!

Television Show #3:
3 Body Problem
Season 2

Still frame from 3 Body Problem Season 1 showing three suns in the sky.
The titular three bodies.

3 Body Problem was my pick for TV Show of the Year back in 2024, and I was concerned for a while that there wouldn’t be a continuation of this compelling and wonderful story. But thankfully there is – albeit a belated one. 3 Body Problem’s second season probably won’t land until later in the year, but I’m really hoping for great things as the San-Ti get closer and Earth’s defenders are forced to step up to the plate. The series ended with multiple storylines on cliffhangers… so there’s a lot to do to pick up those dangling narrative threads!

3 Body Problem really is the best kind of grown-up sci-fi, with philosophical themes, complex physics and mathematical problems, and a great cast of characters to boot. There was controversy when the show’s first season moved the main story out of China – where the original books were set – and gave it more of a multinational, multicultural flavour. And I get that. But what we got was genuinely fantastic TV that had me riveted and desperate for more. I can’t wait to pick up this story later in the year.

You can read my review of 3 Body Problem’s first season by clicking or tapping here.

Television Show #4:
Spider-Noir

Cropped promo image for Spider-Noir.
Who’s this?

I mistakenly thought we’d see Spider-Noir in 2025, but the show is, instead, coming this year. Starring Nicolas Cage as an older Spider-Man from a different timeline, the show promises a “film noir” inspiration and visual style. There will even be a black-and-white version of Spider-Noir, if you want to go for that real ’30s hard-boiled feel.

To be honest, I just love the idea of Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man, and that this will be a completely different version of the superhero. Spider-Noir will be set in a world inspired by New York City in the ’20s and ’30s, with Spider-Man – or Ben Reilly, to use his real name – working as a private detective. I’m not the world’s biggest superhero or comic book person, as you may know… but in a genre drowning in sequels and sameyness, Spider-Noir looks like it could be something different.

Television Show #5:
Silo
Season 3

Still frame from Silo S2 showing Sims.
Sims.

Silo – like 3 Body Problem above – has been one of the best sci-fi shows of the last few years. And talk about a cliffhanger! Season 2 ended in explosive fashion, and I cannot wait to see what will happen next for Juliette and her friends – in both of the titular silos. It felt like we were getting close to unravelling at least part of the mysteries: who created these silos, why, and why is the air outside deadly to breathe? Some of the characters have the answers already… but we don’t.

Filming for Seasons 3 and 4 of Silo have already wrapped, and I’m hopeful that there won’t be as long of a wait before Season 4 rolls around. In any case, I’m really looking forward to picking up this fun and engaging story again after a long break.

Check out my review of Silo Season 2 by clicking or tapping here.

Television Show #6:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Season 3

Still frame from The Rings of Power S2 showing the Dark Wizard.
The mysterious “Dark Wizard.”

I know The Rings of Power hasn’t been to everyone’s taste, and there have been some issues with the series to say the least. But I haven’t hated what I’ve seen so far, even if some storylines are admittedly stronger than others, and I’m definitely curious to see where the action will go next. Season 2 moved key storylines along, and we’re uncovering mysteries, moving characters around, and clearly building up to something big.

I’m hopeful for more of the “bromance” between Elrond the Elf and Durin the Dwarf this time, as I felt that was something Season 2 didn’t give us enough of. And after one character’s identity felt a bit obvious and telegraphed last time, I hope we might get a few more twists and turns this season, or at least story points that don’t feel like they’re spinning their wheels. I first fell in love with Tolkien’s world as a geeky little kid, reading The Hobbit with my dad. Any adventure that takes me back to Middle-earth is one I’m interested in and hopeful for.

Click or tap here to read my review of the show’s second season.

Television Show #7:
Neuromancer

Crop of the first edition cover of Neuromancer.
The original novel’s cover art.

The 1984 novel Neuromancer is, according to some folks, *the* seminal work of the cyberpunk genre. So this adaptation is a long time in the making, then! The original novel – which, admittedly, I have not read – is hailed as one of the early defining works of what we now call cyberpunk, and is also responsible for popularising the term “hacker.” I’m really curious to see what this adaptation will look like.

As I said above, there aren’t a lot of new sci-fi or fantasy properties to get excited about at the moment, so this adaptation of one of the most important works of its genre could be something fun and different in 2026. At least part of Neuromancer is set in Japan, and filming for the series took place in Tokyo. I’m not sure which streamer this will debut on, though; it was originally slated for Apple TV+, but it’s produced by Skydance Television, which now owns Paramount+. I guess we’ll have to see later in the year.

Television Show #8:
Crystal Lake

Still frame from Friday the 13th showing the Camp Crystal Lake sign.
The original Camp Crystal Lake sign from Friday the 13th.

Based on the film Friday the 13th (and its sequels and spin-offs) comes this prequel. I’m not the world’s biggest Friday the 13th fan, but I thought the first film, at least, was good for what it was. I like the inclusion of Linda Cardellini, formerly of Freaks and Geeks and ER, in a major role, as I’ve always thought she was an underrated performer. And stepping back to before the events of the first film in the series could turn Crystal Lake into an entertaining horror/slasher show.

There are plenty of great horror TV shows, but what we haven’t seen as many of are slasher TV shows; I think there’s an open question as to how well Friday the 13th’s format will work with a longer runtime. Still, I’ll be curious to check out Crystal Lake and see what the series has to offer.

So that’s it!

A render of the number 2026.
What else might lie in store this year?

We’ve talked about eight films, eight games, and eight TV programmes that I’m looking forward to in 2026.

2025 brought us some solid entertainment experiences, and you can click or tap here to check out my annual End-of-Year Awards for some of my personal favourites! I’m cautiously optimistic about 2026’s prospects; there seem to be some interesting new ideas on the horizon, as well as some continuations or expansions of existing franchises to look forward to.

Once again, let me wish you a very Happy New Year! Whatever you’ve got planned for this year, and whatever you might be looking forward to, entertainment-wise, I hope it all goes well for you and yours. Tomorrow, I’ll be making a few predictions for the year’s entertainment landscape, so be sure to join me for that! And later this month, I’ll be checking out the two-part premiere of Starfleet Academy, among other things. See you soon!


All titles discussed above are the copyrights of their respective studio, developer, broadcaster, distributor, publisher, etc. At time of writing, all titles discussed above were scheduled or heavily rumoured to have a 2026 broadcast/release date, but that may change. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Phineas and Ferb: Season 5 Review (Part Two!)

A Phineas and Ferb-themed spoiler warning.

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Phineas and Ferb, including Season 5.

Back in the summer, I shared my thoughts on what I mistakenly assumed was the entirety of Phineas and Ferb’s fifth season – the show’s first new episodes in a decade. But it turns out that Disney, for some reason, dumped only *half* of the episodes onto Disney+ back then, and a few more episodes have premiered over the summer and into the autumn. So I thought I’d better update my Phineas and Ferb Season 5 review, as some of what I said back then may no longer be accurate!

It’s also worth noting, before we go any further, that there are still a few more Season 5 episodes to come – but those won’t be landing until January. So I hope you’ll swing back in the new year for Part Three of this review, and to get my final thoughts on Season 5 as a whole! I just wanted to be clear about that, since I got a bit muddled up last time.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated building.
Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!

As always, I’ll give my usual caveat. Everything I’m going to say is the entirely subjective, not objective, opinion of one person only. If you hate my take on Phineas and Ferb, think I’ve gotten it horribly wrong, or we just have different ideas for what makes a fun or successful episode… *that’s okay!* There ought to be enough room in the fan community for differences of opinion and polite discussion, and I share my thoughts with you in that spirit.

What I’d like to do first is talk about the recent batch of episodes in general, then I’ll address a couple of criticisms I made of Season 5 earlier in the year, which I’d now like to change or recind. And finally, after all of that, I’ll go through the newer episodes one by one and share my thoughts on each of them. For the purposes of this review, I’m calling each individual story an “episode,” even though they usually come paired up on TV and streaming. Last time, I covered all of the episodes in Season 5 up to The Ballad of Bubba Doof, meaning this time I’m starting with Attack of the Candace Suit and covering all the episodes up to Dungeons and Dating, which is the most recent story to air at time of writing.

With all of that out of the way, let’s get started!

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doof, Vanessa, and Norm.
Norm and Vanessa with Doof.

One thing I wanted to mention last time (it was in my notes, but somehow didn’t make it into the final review) has also cropped up in this second batch of episodes. Someone on the animation team *really* loves their new “low light” filter, don’t they? So many dark scenes now have a kind of “hazy” effect over characters and environments, which is something I don’t remember seeing in any of the first four seasons. It doesn’t look bad, exactly, but when it’s used so often in so many different episodes, it becomes noticeable… at least it did for me! And when there really aren’t a lot of other visual effects or filters being applied, the constant re-use of this one sticks out all the more.

I don’t hate the way this looks, just to be clear. It’s a bit of a change from what you might remember from earlier in the show’s run, but on its own, in one-off situations, I’d never say that it looks *bad*. But when there really aren’t any other comparable visual effects, changing the way the animation looks to represent, for instance, twilight, firelight, or other such things, this “low light” effect being recycled in multiple episodes became pretty noticeable for me.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Vanessa in low light.
The “low-light” filter.

Speaking of new obsessions that the writers seem to have, several episodes this time haven’t *really* ended, with an apparent old-school cliffhanger seeming to tease story continuations that are almost certainly never coming. If it was a one-off gag, I’d be fine with it. In some cases, those kinds of things work well, either as a genuine tease or as a pastiche of the kinds of films and TV shows which do that kind of thing a lot.

But when it’s overdone, and when it’s obvious that these stories are well and truly over, one-and-done things… it gets repetitive. As above with the “low light” effect, it was just something that I started to notice as we got further into the season, and even though it was by no means happening in every episode, I definitely felt it begin to overstay its welcome.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing a zombie Ducky Momo.
An example from the end of The Nightmare-Inator.

Dr Doofenshmirtz has (arguably) been Phineas and Ferb’s breakout character. But even keeping that in mind, Doof was *all over* this batch of episodes, being featured prominently. Heck, *four* of these episodes have Doof’s name in them, which must be some kind of record! There is still room for other characters, of course, but I think at this point it’s safe to say that Phineas and Ferb’s writing team are acutely aware of Doofenshmirtz’s popularity, meme-ability, and just the general place he’s carved out in pop culture.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing necessarily, and *most* episodes still manage to feel balanced. But there’s a sense, perhaps, that Doof’s near-omnipresence is beginning to tip the scales just a little, and while the show is still managing to throw him into new situations or give him new experiences, I worry that if this continues, we might actually start to burn out on the character prematurely. There are still, at time of writing, forty-four new stories being produced, and if Doof is front-and-centre in as many of them as he has been in this batch of episodes… it might start to get a bit too much. He’s always been a main character, of course, but I just felt the balance tip a little this time.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doof on his hands and knees.
Doof is all over Season 5.

Phineas and Ferb took a break in August and September, before coming back with new episodes in October. I was a little surprised, then, that we didn’t get any kind of Halloween special. Such things are not expected nor demanded, but the show’s previous special episodes have been some of the best, and getting another Halloween or Christmas episode was something I had on my wishlist! Given that we aren’t getting any new episodes now till January, I doubt we’ll see anything festive this year. But I’m still crossing my fingers for 2026 or 2027!

There also aren’t any double-length or two-part episodes in this batch, excluding the second part of the Candace Suit saga. Again, not necessarily a problem, but some of the special feature-length episodes have been among the show’s best. Perhaps we’ll get something like that for the season finale?

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Isabella, Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet, and Buford.
There was no Halloween or Christmas special this time.

On the whole, I think I’d say that this second batch of episodes wasn’t quite at the same level as some of the other episodes we’ve enjoyed in Season 5. There were some standout stories, plenty of callbacks to the show’s original run, and the return of some characters who I felt had gone missing in those first few episodes – all of which I enjoyed and appreciated. But there were also a few duds, a couple of storylines which don’t land as well in the revival as they did in the show’s original run, and the pay-off to a pretty weak joke (that had been running all season) which didn’t really live up to the hype.

So… a mixed bag, then!

In terms of quality, I stand by what I said last time: Season 5 is probably about on par with Season 4, which – prior to the revival – would’ve been what I’d have said was the weakest part of the show. Note that I didn’t say “bad,” because there are some solid and some excellent Season 4 stories – as indeed there are in Season 5, too. But there are perhaps fewer of them, and some of the stories in between are either not especially memorable… or just not as good.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Candace on her bed.
Candace on the phone with Stacy.

Last time, I said that I was disappointed to see Irving, Norm, Roger, and Jeremy basically go missing – and I’m pleased that each of them got at least *something* to do in the recent batch of episodes. Irving, by the time we reached the end of Season 4, seemed to have climbed out of the secondary character milieu to become an adjacent member of the friend group, so his absence was particularly noteworthy. Though we got a couple of solid roles for Irving further into Season 5, he’s still not as prominent as I might’ve expected, and doesn’t seem to be as close with the core friendship group as he was when the show’s original run was coming to an end. Episodes like Dungeons and Dating could’ve provided a “nerdy” character like Irving with loads to say and do, but he was relegated to a non-speaking cameo.

I’m glad that we got to see a bit more from Norm and Roger. Though neither has been especially prominent in Doof’s stories, they add a lot to his world and to that side of the series, and Norm in particular was great comic relief in some of the recent episodes. I’m glad that both of them had a bit more to say and do this time around.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Vanessa and Norm.
Vanessa and Norm.

Jeremy is a bit of an odd case. If you didn’t know (and I don’t think I mentioned it last time), Jeremy’s original voice actor didn’t return for Season 5, and I suspect that’s why his role has been reduced this time around. Personally, I think that’s a real shame – after Jeremy and Candace became an official couple, his moments with her really opened up new narrative avenues which the show had begun to take advantage of. Although I think I’m right in saying that we saw more of Jeremy in the second part of Season 5 than we had in the first, he still doesn’t seem to be a particularly major character – not for Candace, nor for the series.

Jeremy works well when his easy-going, laid-back attitude can provide a contrast to Candace’s energetic and chaotic side. Throwing Jeremy into some of the boys’ plans has also worked well in the past, giving Candace either a reason to join in or at least to keep her busting in check for a while. Even in some of Jeremy’s more prominent moments this time, we didn’t get a lot of that. And he still doesn’t seem especially important or prominent on this side of the story. In any individual episode, it’s not something you really notice. But upon reaching the end of this batch of episodes, it’s odd to think that Jeremy – once such a prominent secondary character – has only made seven appearances in thirty-five stories, some of which only gave him a few seconds of screen time and one or two lines.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Jeremy.
Jeremy’s role feels smaller in Season 5.

Last time, I said it was weird to see Candace achieving one of her biggest accomplishments – getting her driver’s license – only for it to not be mentioned again. We did finally get to see her drive, though, so we can check that one off the list! I still think the driving thing could be brought up a bit more often, even if it’s not directly related to the plot… because otherwise what was the point of License To Bust? But I’m glad that we got something in that vein this time around.

We’ll get into this a bit more when we cover the episode Bread Bowl Hot Tub, but this non-sequitur, which ran for basically all of Season 5, didn’t really get a strong enough payoff for me. I like how random it was, and it was cute to see Buford getting so excited as his request was belatedly granted. But after so much buildup across practically every preceding episode, this was one story which *really* needed to stick the landing. Unfortunately, despite a great guest star in Diane Morgan, it kinda didn’t.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Buford's bread bowl hot tub.
Buford in his bread bowl hot tub.

Phineas and Ferb continues to be pretty meta and self-referential in Season 5, stretching some one-off gags and jokes into full storylines… even when there isn’t really enough material, or a strong enough foundation, to support something like that. I noted it last time with Buford’s life-size moulds – something which, inexplicably in my view, came up again in this crop of stories – but we can also add things like Perry’s lair entrances and the boys’ plans for croquet into that same category.

I’m all for the show reliving some of its glory days and replaying its greatest hits! That’s why a revival like this exists, at the end of the day – to play on the nostalgia viewers have for its original run. But at the same time, there are ways to tell new stories using these characters and familiar narrative frameworks that don’t *only* rely on things that had been set up years earlier. A nod and a wink to returning viewers can be a ton of fun, and I’m on board with in-jokes and meta humour. But when those things are the sole foundation for a story, or when the writers take a one-off gag or throwaway line and try to build it out into a complete story of its own… I think we’re getting far more misses than hits with that approach. So, for clarity: meta humour and being self-referential works well for jokes and small story beats, but hasn’t worked very well when an entire episode has been constructed around it.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Monogram, Carl, and Perry in Perry's lair.
All of the entrances to Perry’s secret lair.

Next, let’s look at each of the episodes in turn, and talk about some of the things I enjoyed, disliked, or just found noteworthy about each of them.

For the sake of clarity, I’ve only watched most of these episodes a couple of times, so I’m not going to be delving deeply and nitpicking every element of them! I’ll cover each episode in broadcast order, and I’m not going to be ranking them, nor rating them out of ten or anything like that. Although these episodes are paired up, I’ll be covering each story individually.

Attack of the Candace Suit:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the titular Candace Suit.
The Candace Suit.

As I said last time, Buford’s “life-size moulds” was a funny one-off gag that worked well in Season 3. But it’s not the kind of thing to build an entire story around, let alone a two-parter. With that being said, I felt Attack of the Candace Suit was the stronger half of this weird little two-part story, being noticeably better and more enjoyable than The Candace Suit had been earlier in Season 5. The now-sentient suit elicited some genuine sympathy, in the same sort of way as Frankenstein’s monster might, as it came to terms with existing as a living creature in this world.

This was also a good episode for Candace and Jeremy – one of the only times in the season where they got to spend much time together. It was also fun to see Candace and the boys on the same team, something that’s not totally uncommon but is still nice to see. The episode also got a happy ending, with the sentient suit being paired up with Klimpaloon, who got a small cameo at the end. I hope this will be the final part of the Candace Suit saga, and that we aren’t gonna get some kind of third episode next time!

Book Flub:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Candace playing with Addyson.
Candace and Addyson on a see-saw.

This one I genuinely liked. We got a Candace-Linda team-up story, with one of Linda’s problems being in focus for a change. It made for a really interesting change of pace, as Linda had to rely on Candace’s unusual skills to resolve her book club issue. The return of Irving, as noted above, was also incredibly welcome, and seeing Irving and Linda working together was odd but cool! It’s nice, after all this time, that Phineas and Ferb can still find new character groupings, and put different spins on its storylines. This kind of originality, quite honestly, is something I wish we’d gotten a bit more of in Season 5.

This is a bit of a rarity insofar as it’s a story without much input from either Perry and Doof or Phineas and Ferb, but I think staying laser-focused on Linda, Candace, and Irving was the right choice. Perry and Doofenshmirtz’s fight on a burrito-plane was fun, and they added a bit of levity to the story as things progressed. All in all, though, this was a great change of pace.

The Bad Old Days:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doof and Vanessa in the back of a car.
Doof and Vanessa in Drusselstein.

Any chance to visit Drusselstein with Doof is fun, but I especially liked this new take on the old country. Doofenshmirtz is left hurt and confused when he sees how his hometown has been completely redesigned and gentrified, and is no longer the primitive backwater of his tragic backstories! This side of the story also contained some rare moments with Doof and Vanessa, and his excitement at her potentially becoming a citizen showed off his best fatherly tendencies. I wish we got more with these two in Season 5.

The boys’ side of things felt a little… repetitive. The giant drill was similar to something we saw right at the beginning of Season 1, and searching for either a missing ring or one of their mom’s lost possessions was also kind of samey if you remember similar escapades in Seasons 3 and 4. Nothing about it was *bad*, though, and this was really the episode’s secondary story. A great episode for Doof and a fun visit to Drusselstein, even if goings-on back in Danville weren’t quite as strong.

Mantis Fact:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doof cowering from a giant praying mantis.
Jurassic Park vibes, anyone?

Mantis Fact felt like a classic Phineas and Ferb episode from the show’s original run. Candace wants to bust the boys for their over-the-top creation, while Perry has to investigate what’s going on with Doofenshmirtz’s latest inator. The twist was that Perry and Doof ended up having to work together to shut down his inator, which had created a group of giant, deadly praying mantises. I don’t think the core idea of constantly sharing “mantis facts” added much to the story, though, and the delivery felt a bit grating as the episode wore on.

The camouflaged bird sequence gave me a few good laughs near the end, and I felt Mantis Fact was a solid mid-season offering that harkened back to the show’s earlier seasons. I mean that as a compliment, and it’s an episode I’ll happily return to and re-watch in the future.

The Nightmare-Inator:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doof and Perry.
Doof and Perry do battle.

This episode felt like it was harkening back to Season 3 or 4, whichever one had that Halloween special! There were some fun sequences, as Doof’s inator seems to malfunction, causing nightmares to become real. Vanessa got a great up-tempo song in a sequence that drew on the likes of Evil Dead and other horror titles for inspiration. We also got a callback to the haunted/evil Ducky Momo, as well as Vanessa’s relationship with Candace’s favourite kids’ show.

This was another story with only one main storyline, and I think keeping Doof and Perry in focus worked pretty well. It allowed for a greater variety of dream and nightmare sequences, including some pretty random and surreal imagery, which is always fun. I like the running joke of Ferb’s mind being a total enigma, and Doof’s apparent phobia of a giant, out-of-control Perry. Not a totally unique idea, perhaps, but solidly executed overall, and with a great song.

Doof in Retrograde:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Baljeet and Irving.
Baljeet and Irving: an unlikely duo!

I had to re-watch this one to remember what happened; nothing about the episode left much of an impression. The whole “solar system” thing felt way too samey after the boys made something comparable back in Season 4, and Doof’s motivation for wanting to be the centre of attention didn’t really ring true for me. There were a couple of fun moments, like Carl moving Perry’s chair when he tried to enter his lair, but a lacklustre song kind of capped off a really uninteresting Doof and Perry story for me.

On the flip side, it was fun to get some interaction between Baljeet and Irving, and I liked how this storyline gave Baljeet more of a main role. The two “nerdy” characters worked well together (surprise, surprise!), and it was just a fun change of pace for Baljeet. Irving got a chance to live out his “being like Phineas and Ferb” fantasy, and we got a pretty classic ending to the story with Doof’s inator destroying the kids’ inventions.

Bend It Like Doof:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doofenshmirtz and Perry playing football (soccer).
The match of the century?

Bend It Like Doof had a pretty weak setup, and at first I thought it was just going to be a vehicle for a couple of famous guest-stars. In the end, neither Megan Rapinoe nor Cristo Fernández really got all that many lines, so I’m just not sure what the intention was here! I like football (or soccer, if you prefer) as much as the next person, but Phineas and Ferb already did a pretty solid episode themed around that sport back in Season 3’s My Fair Goalie. This episode wasn’t *bad* per se, but it lacked originality, and the central Doof-Monogram conflict has been done better – and more believably – elsewhere.

It was nice to see most of the members of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N again, albeit that most of them didn’t have major roles, and to spend a bit more time than usual with Major Monogram. It was also weird (and kind of funny) to get some continuity with the episode Tropey McTropeface, through the news reporter-turned-prison escapee Dink Winkerson. Not a great episode, but there are some highlights and funny moments.

Dooflicated:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing a giant Phineas robot.
A giant Phineas robot.

This was a fun idea, and even though it leans a bit too heavily on the “doesn’t Doofenshmirtz have weird mannerisms” trope, I think it was well-executed, too. Seeing the boys take their inventions in an overtly evil direction – albeit in the name of fun – was a blast, and Candace being the protagonist for once, having to stop them when they got out of control, felt like something fun and different.

Dooflicated also gave us one of the rare moments in Season 5 where Doof and Vanessa have a meaningful conversation. I liked Vanessa’s totally blasé attitude to name-dropping a famous relative on her college application; it seems in-keeping for her character while also being a subtle comment on nepotism in the United States. I still miss the idea of Vanessa working for the O.W.C.A. in some capacity, and I think it’s a shame how that idea wasn’t picked up more this time. But a nod to her college applications was a fun way to go, too.

Space Adventure:

I’m a big Star Trek fan (if you couldn’t tell already), so Space Adventure was almost tailor-made for me! The show-within-a-show doesn’t just parody Star Trek, of course, and there were references or hints at other sci-fi properties, too. Although it was undeniably silly, I really liked the end result, and it’s no exaggeration to say that I think I laughed the most at Space Adventure’s parody than I did at any other episode in the season!

Space Adventure was, unsurprisingly, also a solid episode for Buford and Baljeet. I felt it harkened back to stories like Bully Bromance Breakup, while also reminding me a little of Excali-Ferb – at least in terms of its core premise. It was bold to frame this story around *only* Buford and Baljeet, with Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Doof, and Perry all absent. It was arguably even bolder to then have the bulk of the story just be this Star Trek-themed show-within-a-show! But for me at least, Space Adventure is one of the highlights of the season.

Droogenfest:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the titular Droogenfest.
The Fireside Girls at the festival.

I like some of the ideas present in Droogenfest, but the core drama of Danville somehow being *desperate* for a trade deal with the Drusselstein delegation didn’t really work, even in light of Gimmelstump’s new-look presentation from earlier in the season! Setting that overblown nitpick aside, though, Droogenfest comes across like another classic story. The kids are participating in a big local event, Doof’s attempt to ruin his brother’s reputation gets in the way, and they end up having to work together to put things right.

The callback to Candace Against The Universe – where Doofenshmirtz and Isabella last interacted with each other – was a fun addition, and a way to keep the film somewhat relevant. Little touches like that – when not overwhelming a story – help the world of Phineas and Ferb feel connected, so I appreciated that. And it was neat to get another little addition to Drusselstinian culture and history. All in all, a pretty solid offering.

Doofercise:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doof's gym advertisement.
Join the Doofnasium!

Doofenshmirtz gets the idea to turn exercise into power for his inators and opens a free gym. I actually weirdly kinda like this premise, and Doof and Norm make for really fun exercise gurus. The episode starts off slow, but quickly builds up to Doof’s gymnasium idea, with even Vanessa getting roped in when he makes one of those dodgy low-budget local TV commercials! That was a particularly fun sequence. Perry’s idea to overload the inator was a bit obvious, perhaps, but it worked well to bring this side of the story to a conclusion.

Candace and Jeremy’s date gets interrupted by the boys’ land-boat. The visual of the boat was pretty neat, and I liked the way it looked. As I said above, we didn’t get a ton of Jeremy and Candace together, so this date – before its interruption – was nice to see. The chase through the city was also pretty exciting. Another episode that could’ve been from an earlier season, really – which I mean as a compliment.

Croquet Y-8:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Phineas explaining his new game.
Oh look, it’s that throwaway line from Season 4… as a full episode. Yay.

Remember in the New Year episode, when Baljeet asked why the boys were going straight from Football X-7 to Hockey Z-9? Yeah. This is another one-liner that, for some reason, has been stretched beyond breaking point to form the core of an entire story. And I’m sorry, but there was just no need. The “we’re saving that for croquet” comment in Season 4 was funny, but it was clearly nothing more than a joke – the humour coming from the fact that croquet is not the kind of sport you could really “soup up”, for want of a better term. The end result even borrowed from the boys’ bowling ball invention back in Season 1, and it just didn’t feel like a particularly strong premise *or* a good execution of the idea.

The dilemma Perry faced, though, added stakes to his and Candace’s side of the story, and it was cute to see Candace and Jeremy following the robotic Perry duplicate around, trying to make the documentary. I didn’t feel Doof’s sheep-related invention was one of his best or most interesting ideas, but the time limit Perry had kept that side of the story largely on the rails.

Dinner Reservations:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doof and Monogram at a restaurant.
Ah, the old sitcom cliché…

The boys’ drone light-show idea was fine, if a little underwhelming after their more impressive laser light-show in Season 4! But I liked the way it began, with Buford talking about how his family home was, apparently, just covered in Christmas lights. And the visuals at the end, with the drones making different images, worked pretty well.

However… the other side of the story was not my favourite. I can buy Monogram and Doof’s feud, though I think it fell into the fairly common kids’ show cliché of adults not knowing how to act like adults. But what I didn’t really think worked was Monty and Vanessa’s relationship. In Act Your Age, at the end of Season 4, we saw Ferb and Vanessa together as a couple in the future. And that’s a really great direction for both of them, paying off Ferb’s crush from earlier episodes while also giving Vanessa an unexpected new direction. But with that context, I just can’t get invested in Vanessa’s doomed relationship with Monty. It was great to see Monty again, and we got some pretty okay slapstick comedy out of the whole “enemies having dinner” premise. But… I think I’m over Vanessa and Monty now that the show has confirmed Vanessa’s future with Ferb. I don’t want to see her and Ferb together in the show’s present day… eww. But maybe Vanessa’s relationship with Monty should just quietly be sidelined?

Bread Bowl Hot Tub:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Buford on a raft.
Rafting home.

As I said above, I didn’t feel this episode was good enough to be the payoff to a season-long gag. In fact, even if it hadn’t been running all season, I’d still say this was an especially weak story. I’d actually rather that Buford’s bread bowl hot tub had remained un-made; a non-sequitur type of joke that could be brought up sometimes… just another random idea of Buford’s that the kids are clearly never going to make. Because what we got was just… not very good.

Diane Morgan, who guest-starred as the voice of the titular hot tub, is great, and it’s such a shame she was wasted on such a weird and ultimately underwhelming story. There probably was a way to write a story like this, but maybe it needed to be a feature-length story or maybe it needed other characters involved? Something went wrong, anyway, and while it’s great to see Buford getting his wish, and to get a Buford spotlight episode which picked up on various aspects of his characterisation… this wasn’t the way to do it. And the end result was one of the worst episodes of the season for me.

Entrance Exam:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Candace and Stacy trying to speak with the mysterious force.
Communing with the “mysterious force…”

I’m glad that, after Perry’s lair entrances gradually disappeared from Phineas and Ferb as the show’s original run wore on, Season 5 has brought them back. They’re a classic part of the show, and many of them – like couch gags in The Simpsons – have been a ton of fun. But sometimes, when you over-explain or dig too deeply into something like this, it loses much of what makes it fun or impactful. We get it: Perry has lots of ways to access his secret lair. Did we need an entire episode all about that, drawing attention to how much of the Flynn-Fletcher household is taken up by these access points?

Where I will give Entrance Exam its dues is in Candace’s story. Hearing Monogram’s voice from below, she mistakenly believes she’s speaking with the “mysterious force” responsible for making the boys’ inventions disappear – and that typical sitcom mistaken identity cliché actually made for some genuinely funny moments. Particularly when Stacy also got involved, this side of the story was a ton of fun.

Dungeons and Dating:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Evan.
Evan.

The most recent episode at time of writing. Dungeons and Dating was all about live-action roleplaying, as the boys (and their friends) set out to tell their own version of the ending to their favourite franchise when it was prematurely cancelled. I like the premise, I like the references to D&D, and we got some neat backdrops for the kids as their adventure unfolded. I think this could’ve been a good story to include someone like Irving or Albert, but both were only present in the background, which was a bit of a shame. I liked the callback to Buford being a fan of fantasy, though, and the kids had a fun adventure on this side of the story.

Doof’s reality show dating thing was neat, too. It was clearly a reference to the likes of The Bachelor and Love Island, and the character called Evan, who could seemingly only say his own name, was a hilarious send-up of the kinds of pretty-but-empty-headed folks who all too often appear on programmes like that! Norm and Vanessa’s banter as they watched Doof on TV was also laugh-out-loud funny for me.

So those are all the episodes so far!

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the Flynn-Fletcher house.
The Flynn-Fletcher house.

Closer in quality to Seasons 4 than Seasons 1-3, and perhaps a bit of a dip compared to the first half of the season. But there are still some funny moments in practically every episode, and some novel and interesting story ideas which go a long way to justifying Phineas and Ferb’s resurrection after a decade-long break. I will gladly watch these episodes again (and again), and I’m sure I’ll enjoy them all the more when I’m not taking notes for my review or looking for things to pick on!

There are four episodes left in Season 5, and then we still have Season 6 to come. I’m hoping for some kind of special episode or feature-length outing in January to round out the season – but even if we don’t get that, I’m sure I’ll be satisfied with more adventures in Danville with Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Perry, Doof, and the rest of the gang.

I hope this has been interesting. Please remember that all of this is subjective! And be sure to join me in January or February when I’ll write up my thoughts on those final episodes, as well as perhaps talk a little bit more about the season as a whole. If you missed it earlier in the year, you can check out my review of the first part of Season 5 by clicking or tapping here. That’s all for now, so… Trekking with Dennis is out! Peace!


Phineas and Ferb Season 5 is currently airing on the Disney Channel, with some episodes also streaming on Disney+. Other episodes will join Disney+ in January 2026. Phineas and Ferb is the copyright of Disney Television Animation and The Walt Disney Company. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Alien: Earth – Season 1 Review

An Alien-themed spoiler warning graphic.

Spoiler Warning: Beware spoilers for Alien: Earth and other films in the Alien series.

The original Alien film (the one from 1979) is one of my absolute favourite sci-fi/horror titles. The claustrophobic atmosphere, the masterful way director Ridley Scott built up the danger and tension, and of course, the titular alien itself, were all absolutely incredible. The film is a classic of cinema – but that’s kind of where my attachment to Alien as a franchise ended… until now.

I liked Aliens, but not as much as the first film. And subsequent entries in the franchise – in my subjective opinion, of course – got progressively less interesting. None of them were out-and-out bad – at least, none that I’ve seen – but I really started to get the sense that Alien should’ve been a one-off; the Xenomorph just felt like a one-trick pony. And I was content to leave Alien there, revisiting the first film for occasional viewings every once in a while, but without really broadening my exploration of this world. I haven’t seen Prometheus or Alien: Covenant, and while I’m pretty sure I watched Alien Versus Predator, I genuinely can’t remember a thing about it.

Promo photo for Alien: Earth (2025) showing Joe holding a torch.
Let’s examine Alien: Earth.

So why Alien: Earth, then? And is my take on a series in this franchise even valid? You’ll have to answer that – no hard feelings if a review from an occasional fan isn’t right for you! But I wanted to be up front about my feelings on the Alien franchise as a whole. Alien: Earth appealed to me, to be blunt about it, because it’s a big-budget sci-fi show in a franchise I’m at least partially familiar with. I’m always on the lookout for new and engaging sci-fi to enjoy, and I thought there was a chance, at least, that Alien: Earth might be worth a watch. Here in the UK it’s on Disney Plus, which is a subscription I dip in and out of, and during one of the months I was paying for it I thought I’d check out the series.

Here’s the headline: I thoroughly enjoyed Alien: Earth, and I’d rank it only slightly behind 1979’s Alien if I were to make a “tier list” of everything I’ve seen in the franchise to date. I binged the entire show over a couple of evenings, because I found once I got started I didn’t want to put it down. Alien: Earth managed to thread the needle: growing the world and lore of its franchise while staying true to the original themes and tone. And if I may be so bold… I think it’s set the stage for an expansion of the Alien franchise in a way no entry before it managed to do.

Behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Alien: Earth showing director Noah Hawley on the Maginot set.
Behind the scenes during production.

A couple of years ago, I took a look at the video game Aliens: Fireteam Elite here on the website. And I wrote then that there was “an odd duality” to the Alien franchise, with some films presenting a single Xenomorph as an unstoppable killing machine… while others depicted whole legions of them as being little more than cannon fodder. I wrote then that Alien really only had one alien… and diminishing it too much would risk making future projects feel less frightening and less intense.

Alien: Earth introduces several new alien species to the franchise – and they’re a genuine breath of fresh air. If there are to be more Alien films or TV shows, the franchise will need to expand beyond just the Xenomorphs and fill out its galaxy with more life-forms to terrorise (and occasionally bond with) our protagonists and antagonists. For me, Alien: Earth took a massive and incredibly important step in that direction, creating brand-new creatures – at least one of which was arguably more frightening than the original Xenomorph. If Alien remains in production, we may come to look back at Alien: Earth as a major turning-point, revitalising the franchise and keeping it fresh.

A trio of promotional posters for Alien: Earth.
A trio of promotional posters for Alien: Earth.

Alien: Earth depicts a future ruled by corporations. This corporate dystopia has been a theme going all the way back to the original film; Weyland-Yutani’s single-minded desire to capture a Xenomorph was revealed to be the driving force behind that story. Given that Alien: Earth (and the rest of the franchise) is now owned by Disney, one of the biggest corporations on the planet… there’s an irony there which wasn’t lost on me. The anti-corporate tone, criticisms of oligarchy, and the general depictions of both Weyland-Yutani and Prodigy as being horribly corrupt… it doesn’t land quite as hard, perhaps, because of the real-world ownership and money behind it!

However, I found the messaging interesting – once I got past all of that. We spent a lot of time with Prodigy, and its founder, and we got to see more than I think we’ve ever seen before of this vision of humanity’s corporatist future. At one point, Joe explains to the kids how democracy “didn’t work,” so it was overthrown and replaced with the corporatocracy that the series depicts, and the whole thing really was fascinating. Sci-fi is usually as much a commentary on the world today as it is on the future, and there are parallels to the rise of real-world corporations and their power that were intentionally unsettling.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing Boy Kavalier.
Boy Kavalier, the owner/founder of Prodigy.

In terms of individual episodes, the fifth episode of the season, In Space, No One… was by far my favourite – and a damn good reimagining of the original 1979 Alien, in my opinion. It was the only episode set entirely in space, aboard the doomed USCSS Maginot, and the story unfolded in such a tense and exciting way. I’m so glad that Alien: Earth introduced new alien life-forms, because along with the Xenomorph, these were all fascinating and frightening in their own ways – and I could see the eyeball alien in particular being an incredibly intense antagonist in a future story.

Everything about this episode just worked. The damage to the ship, the slow reveal of the saboteur, and the sense of impending doom as the crew came to realise they were on a collision course and running out of time. Then, the breaches in the containment labs, with facehuggers, blood-sucking parasites, and the octopus-eyeball… it was just a masterful buildup of horror and tension. As in the original Alien, gore wasn’t the primary focus, and the Xenomorph itself spent most of its time off-screen, leaving the situation and the tension to carry the story. For me, as a fan of the original film, In Space, No One… was far and away the best episode of the season – and a riveting watch in its own right.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing Morrow and his assistant aboard the Maginot.
Just a fantastic episode.

I’ve recently been looking into the development of artificial intelligence, and I’ve talked about one A.I. research paper here on the website. Themes connected to the fast-moving world of A.I. were present in Alien: Earth, and I found the show’s approach to be genuinely interesting. Alien: Earth doesn’t launch headfirst into the A.I. apocalypse in the way something like Terminator or Battlestar Galactica have done, but the theme of A.I. outsmarting and outmanoeuvring humans was key to the story. And, as in the 1979 original, the idea of incredibly wealthy and powerful humans programming their A.I. systems to act not in the common good, but to sacrifice lives to achieve objectives… that was here, too.

We saw it in the synthetic characters. We saw it in “Mother,” the A.I. system installed aboard the Maginot. And we saw it with the hybrids, too, and how they changed and developed after they were installed into synthetic bodies. Kavalier, in his quest to develop and launch a revolutionary A.I. product, felt like a stand-in for any number of real-world A.I. evangelists and entrepreneurs, talking up the benefits of his new hybrid model… before getting distracted with the alien specimens he’d commandeered!

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing Wendy's creation.
Creating the first hybrid.

Because A.I. is such a big topic right now, I found this aspect of Alien: Earth to be genuinely interesting. The show takes a nuanced approach, depicting A.I. itself as kind of neutral – at least at first – with its “morality,” or lack thereof, contingent on the whims of its creators and owners. Some synths appear to be completely loyal to their masters, but others, like Kirsh, seem to have a lot more freedom to operate independently, even if that meant doing things like lying, concealing the truth, or even getting into dangerous situations.

At first, I thought Alien: Earth was going to come down on the side of the hybrids being fully human, but as the series progressed, it became clear that the hybrids – human “minds” transferred to synthetic bodies – were no longer fully human. We’re a long way away from “mind uploading” here in the real world (at least, I think we are!) but again, the question of where to draw the line between a machine and a person – and whether there even *is* a line, or if it’s more of a gradient – was absolutely riveting stuff.

Photo of the Alien: Earth cast at the show's premiere.
Most of the main cast at the Alien: Earth premiere.

Since we’re talking about the hybrids, I thought they were an interesting collection of characters. I’m not sure whether the original intention was for these roles to be taken by actual child actors, which could have been interesting (as well as leaned into the “creepy kids” horror trope), but I found the idea of children in adult bodies to be an interesting one. It was also another commentary on the whole A.I. concept that we were talking about a moment ago. The performances which brought the characters to life were, for me, a bit hit-and-miss – not so much because of the actors, but rather the way some characters were written. Marcy/Wendy, Jane/Curly, and Isaac/Tootles were much less child-like than their peers, at least most of the time, and while that could be okay, it kind of detracted from the idea of these being kids struggling to come to terms with their new minds, bodies, and abilities.

In contrast, Aarush/Slightly, Rose/Nibs, and Christopher/Smee were all very child-like in the way they came across almost all the time – and I think all three performers deserve a ton of credit for bringing that feeling to life. The way they’d stand and sit, swinging their arms, touching leaves or walls, the awkwardness with which they’d move or approach each other… basically the entire range of all three performances really nailed, for me, the feeling that these were still children at heart, even though they were in adult bodies. There was some great directing and acting (and probably some fantastic coaching, too) that brought this feeling to life.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing the hybrid kids at the end of the series.
The hybrids.

The others, as mentioned, didn’t lean as much on the child-like side of things, though each of them got some moments of childishness scattered through the story. Jane/Curly had her quest to become Kavalier’s “favourite,” which felt very childish, as did her moment near the end of the season with Dame Sylvia. But then, in between, she’d be a dedicated scientist, as was Isaac/Tootles, and the contrast was kind of obvious. In their cases, the transition from child to adult felt more abrupt, I guess, rather than like a slow burn across the season. That’s not necessarily a criticism, just an observation of the way these characters differed from the other, more child-like hybrids.

As the main protagonist, Marcy/Wendy was in focus much of the time. I think maybe the choice to have her kill an adult Xenomorph came too early in the story; it was at the beginning of the third episode, and showing her raw power and capabilities so early was a risk. However, she was a truly interesting character to get to know, and we saw her coming to terms with her new status as a hybrid in different ways as the story progressed. Her fixation on her brother was observed by the Prodigy team, but they deliberately didn’t interfere, even granting her the wish to chase after him when he was in danger. As a way to communicate that she’d retained her memories and personality after the transfer, I think that worked incredibly well.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing Joe and Marcy Hermit.
Joe and Marcy.

Alien: Earth made a concerted effort to lean into the aesthetic of the original film – a visual style that I’d call “very ’70s.” This is still a very late ’70s vision of the future, with plenty of brown and orange tones to the furniture and bold patterns and prints on some shirts and outfits. Whether you like this or not is very much a subjective thing! Where I was less keen was when it came to retro technology – I just have a hard time buying that this is supposed to be “the future” where A.I. exists and there are sentient robots if all computers look like the BBC Micro that I used in my first-ever I.T. lesson back in school!

CRT screens and monitors, black-and-white cameras, handheld camcorders, computer systems with text-only interfaces and green-on-black screens, cassette tapes… none of it feels like the future, and I think it’s indicative of a trend in some sci-fi franchises where the desire to perfectly recreate everything that came before overwhelms common sense.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing the Mother A.I. interface.
A CRT monitor with an out-of-date interface.

Think about it: why did the original Alien depict computers with text interfaces, CRT monitors, and tapes? Because, in 1979, that was what the future of technology looked like. There are ways to modernise the way technology is represented in a franchise like Alien without sacrificing everything about it – updated screens, faster computers, graphical and visual interfaces can (and I would argue should) be able to exist in this world. It wouldn’t be immersion-breaking, and for me, I think it would be more interesting and a more realistic depiction of a far future setting where the kinds of fantastical technologies depicted in the series exist. You’re telling me the world of Alien invented artificial gravity for spaceships… but not flat-screen displays or a graphical interface?

There could’ve also been an opportunity to show the passage of time and the contrast between the world Morrow and his crew left behind and the one he returns to. Alien: Earth seems to depict a world where technology is stagnant – 65 years ago, when Morrow left, his ship was presumably on the cutting edge, yet by the time he returns, technology looks and feels basically the same. If the USCSS Maginot had had the old-school retro stuff, but the research facility and other Earth locales had had more modern technology, it could’ve done more to hammer home just how long Morrow had been away and how much had changed in that time.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing Morrow.
Morrow on the phone.

Morrow was an interesting character, and not the pure antagonist that I expected based on his actions in the premiere. In fact, you could make that case for most of the characters, really – Alien: Earth gave pretty much everyone some moral complexity. For Morrow, the revelation about his daughter’s death was heart-wrenching, and learning about how he came to have his cybernetic arm – and that it basically constituted a “life-debt” to Weyland-Yutani – also did a lot to soften, or at least explain, his characterisation. I can’t be the only one who heard “paging Mr Morrow, Mr Tom Morrow” when I first heard his name, though… can I? (If you’re a Disney World fan, you’ll get the reference!)

That leads me into a point about some of the characters’ names. Mr Morrow is already a bit of a weird one, but then we have Boy Kavalier. Really? On the nose much? Dame Sylvia’s also a bit of an odd choice of name, if you think about it, as are Joe and Marcy Hermit. Maybe I’m misremembering… but weren’t most character names in Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and so on a bit less… weirdly literal? I mean, you had names like Ripley, Burke, Clemens, Dillon, Dallas, Kane, and Brett. I’m not sure why these unusual names were chosen. For synthetic and hybrid characters, it made sense – and for the hybrids in particular, names were a big narrative point. But for someone to be named (or name themselves) Boy Kavalier… it just felt a bit odd, I guess.

Behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Alien: Earth showing the Xenomorph being adjusted/touched up.
A glimpse behind the scenes.

There were definitely echoes of Jurassic Park in Alien: Earth’s top-secret research facility on a jungle island! The main facility itself, with its lab full of glass and metal cages, reminded me a lot of the labs seen in the Jurassic Park/World franchise, too. Later in the season, when Joe, Marcy/Wendy, and Rose/Nibs were trying to escape, I really got hit with that Jurassic Park vibe. Being stalked through the vegetation, first by the Xenomorph and then by various factions of soldiers, really contributed to that feeling. It wasn’t intentional, I’m sure, just a coincidence! But having seen Jurassic Park back in the day, I was surprised to be reminded of it in a completely different franchise some thirty-plus years later.

If I were to make one criticism of the jungle scenes, though, it would be this: I don’t think Alien’s titular Xenomorph benefits from being shown off in bright sunlight. The creepy monster works best, for me, when it’s obscured in shadow, when it has places to hide, and while the vegetation definitely provided hiding places… seeing the creature so well-lit and from all angles was, in my opinion, somewhat diminishing. There was some creative cinematography here, and the incredibly fast motion of the Xenomorph still makes it feel threatening. But over-exposure can, in some cases, be detrimental to a villain or a monster, and I think that’s true here.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing the Xenomorph outside the facility, surrounded by green vegetation.
The Xenomorph in the jungle.

I also worry, at least a little, about the effect of creating a “friendly” Xenomorph. It was never explained how or why Marcy/Wendy could communicate in the Xenomorphs’ language, which is something I’d have liked to get a bit more information about. We saw other characters talking about “learning” languages simply by having them uploaded to their new hybrid brains… but Wendy didn’t get that, did she? And as far as I know, no one in the Alien franchise has ever known the Xenomorphs’ language. In fact, until Alien: Earth, wouldn’t you have said the Xenomorphs are more akin to non-sentient animals than sentient life-forms capable of language? They’re apex predators, sure, but so are lions or sharks – and we can’t just download their “languages” and chat to them.

But to get back on topic, Marcy’s “pet” Xenomorph… how do we feel about that? I’m worried that, if the Alien franchise does this kind of thing, it’s going to diminish that all-important fear factor the next time a writer wants to make a story like In Space, No One… or 1979’s original film. As I said above with some of the video games turning the Xenomorphs into cannon-fodder, when there aren’t a lot of other antagonists or monsters, you have to treat the ones you have with care. And while I’m hopeful for a second season of Alien: Earth that will provide a narrative payoff to Marcy befriending the Xenomorph, I feel a little concerned that having a Xenomorph ally could detract from how frightening the monster should be.

Behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Alien: Earth showing Sydney and Alex posing with the Xenomorph.
Sydney Chandler (Wendy) and Alex Lawler (Joe) posing with the Xenomorph during filming.

Alien: Earth had some wonderful practical effects as well as some spectacular CGI. If you know me, you’ll know I adore physical props, costumes, and puppets in my sci-fi, and for my money, the show excelled in that department. Obviously we have the Xenomorph, recreated for Alien: Earth using a performer in costume, but there were so many other wonderful props that really brought the world of Alien to life. The obligatory chest-buster scene was less shocking, perhaps, because we knew what was coming, but I can’t deny that it looked fantastic. As did the gore used to depict dead (and half-dead) victims of the Xenomorph and other entities.

CGI was also incredible. Shots of the Maginot in space stand out to me as looking better than anything we’ve seen in modern Star Trek, for example, and I think you can really see Alien: Earth’s animation budget being put to good use. Several of the other alien creatures – the blood-suckers, tadpoles, and eyeball-octopus – were also CGI creations, and they also looked fantastic. Seeing the blood-suckers drain a person of life in moments was especially gruesome.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing Zoya hiding from the Xenomorph.
Hiding from the Xenomorph…

The eyeball creature was, for me, the surprise standout monster in Alien: Earth. Its first appearance – in the eye of a poor kitty cat – was shocking and brutal, and the way it tried to attach itself to Nibs was genuinely frightening, really hammering home how dangerous it could be. But then, as the story progressed, we came to realise that this creature is surprisingly intelligent. As I said above, I could absolutely envision a future film or series in which the eyeball creature serves as a major antagonist.

Because Alien: Earth left things open at the end of the season, with the kids seemingly in control of the facility and the eyeball monster having escaped, possessing the corpse of poor Arthur… maybe that’s what’ll happen next time! I’d certainly be interested to learn more about this creature, its connection to the Xenomorphs, and what – if anything – its objectives or goals might be. The Alien franchise has needed a new creature like this for a long time.

Still frame from Alien: Earth (2025) showing the eyeball alien.
The eyeball creature.

So, after all of that, where do we stand with Alien: Earth?

I had a genuinely wonderful time with this series. It felt closer in tone, most of the time, to 1979’s classic Alien than to any of the lesser spin-offs or sequels that I can remember sitting through, most of the main characters felt complex and compelling, and there were new additions to the franchise which I think have a ton of potential to expand Alien beyond the Xenomorphs – which, for reasons discussed above, is going to be important! My favourite episode was In Space, No One… which was set aboard the claustrophobic USCSS Maginot, and really succeeded at recapturing the feel of Alien for me.

But the rest of the season was interesting and exciting, too. It was fun to get a look at Earth in this vision of the future, and while I’d argue some of the anti-corporate message is blunted when you know who funded production, Alien: Earth’s exploration of a future dominated by mega-corporations felt timely and engrossing.

A trio of promotional posters for Alien: Earth.
Three more promo posters.

I’ve recently started playing Alien: Isolation – the survival/horror game from a few years ago. I’m a big old scaredy-cat, though, so I’m not sure how far into the game I’m gonna get before I have to put it down for a while! So far, it’s been a fun way to continue my exploration of the world of Alien. Stay tuned, because a write-up of that game (or part of it, perhaps) is possible in the weeks ahead.

So that was Alien: Earth. A great show, a fun sci-fi adventure, and a much-needed expansion of the Alien franchise. There were genuinely interesting characters, complex themes touching on prescient real-world issues, and more than a few scares for the horror aficionados out there! I’m happy to recommend Alien: Earth to fans of the original film, sci-fi and horror fans, and really just anyone looking for an engaging and high-tempo adventure.


Alien: Earth is available to stream now on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ around the world. Alien: Earth will also be released on DVD/Blu-ray in the future. The Alien franchise – including Alien: Earth – is the copyright of 20th Century Studios and the Walt Disney Company. Some promo photos courtesy of IMDB. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

We’re Halfway Through 2025!

A Shenmue-themed spoiler warning.

Spoiler Warning: Beware minor spoilers for some of the entries on this list.

You’ve made it to the halfway point! That’s right: by my reckoning, the end of June marks the halfway point of the year, which I think makes it a great moment to look ahead and think about some of the entertainment experiences that await us. This piece isn’t for dishing out made-up awards and trophies; that’ll come at the end of December! No, what we’re gonna do today is take a look at five films, five games, and five TV programmes that are scheduled to arrive between now and New Year’s Eve.

Has the first half of this year gone by quickly? I think it’s a bit of a cliché to complain about the passage of time, but it really doesn’t seem like it’s been six months since I was taking down the Christmas tree! And yes, we’ll be thinking about Christmas again before you know it.

Stock photo of Santa Claus' hand holding a cookie in front of Christmas decorations.
I’m already thinking about it…

But until then, we’ve got a summer and an autumn to get through – with plenty of interesting-looking entertainment experiences lying ahead. As I said, I’ve picked five films, five games, and five TV shows that I think could be fun as the second half of 2025 gets underway.

As always, I have a couple of caveats. Firstly, this list is just one person’s subjective opinion, so if I recommend a production you don’t care for or miss something that you think should’ve been obvious… that’s okay! There are plenty of things to be excited for this year, and we won’t always agree on which ones look best! Secondly, all titles below are on the schedule for 2025 at time of writing, but with everything going on in the world, some or even all of them might miss their intended release dates. Finally, I’ve grouped the list into three categories, but the individual productions are listed randomly, not ranked in order of what I’m most keen on!

With all of that out of the way, let’s dive into the list.

Film #1:
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Promo still for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere showing the title character.

Biopics of musicians have been all the rage in recent years. After Bob Dylan, Elton John, Elvis Presley, and other performers have had their lives dramatised… in 2025 it’s the turn of Bruce Springsteen. I’m a pretty big Springsteen fan; his folk album We Shall Overcome (The Seeger Sessions) is one of my absolute favourite albums, though of course he’s better-known for his rock stuff!

Deliver Me From Nowhere is set during the creation of Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska – the album that spawned Atlantic City. I think it has the potential to be an interesting re-telling of an important chapter in the singer’s life, as well as an entertaining film to boot. If nothing else, it’s gonna have a great soundtrack!

Film #2:
I Know What You Did Last Summer

Promo photo/behind-the-scenes photo from the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025 version) showing the famous hook and a clapper board.

Do we call this a sequel? A remake? A squemake? Whatever it is, I’m cautiously interested! The original I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was released in 1997, is one of those not-so-great films that had an impact on me because of when I watched it! I went to the cinema with some friends, with no plans for what we were gonna watch, and we picked this horror/slasher film at the last minute, not really sure what to expect. I found I Know What You Did Last Summer to be riveting stuff as a teenager, and even though I don’t think it makes such a good impression these days, it has a place in my heart for that reason.

Whether this adaptation/sequel will recapture the magic remains to be seen – but I think there are some reasons to be hopeful. Returning characters from the original, combined with a new story, could make for an interesting film… but we’ll see.

Film #3:
Brick

Promo still for Brick showing two characters and the titular bricks.

I really don’t know what to expect from this German-language mystery-thriller – but the premise alone has me intrigued. Some people awaken to find their apartment building surrounded by an apparently impermeable wall, with no way in or out. The trailer showed several different characters in various apartments, some of whom may know something about what’s going on and why.

The film definitely feels “Netflixy,” if you get my meaning. But I think there’s enough of an interesting premise to carry the story, and it could end up being something of a sleeper hit. Maybe I’m wrong about that – but I’m eager to find out.

Film #4:
Zootopia 2

Promo still for Zootopia/Zootropolis 2 showing Nick, Judy, and another character.

Disney is still really into its sequels, eh? A follow-up to 2016’s smash hit, Zootopia 2 will see Judy and Nick back in action – this time both as members of Zootopia’s police force. The story will involve a renegade snake… and that’s about all we know so far! The original Zootopia was fun, though I admit I haven’t seen the Disney+ miniseries from a couple of years ago. Still, a return to this world could be entertaining, especially for the little ones.

In 2016, Zootopia and Moana seemed to clash, but this time Disney has managed to keep their sequels a year or so apart – which is good! Whether either of those films really needed sequels, though… well, I guess we’re about to find out.

Film #5:
In Your Dreams

Promo still for In Your Dreams showing two characters (and a teddy) riding on a bed through the clouds.


Another animated film now. In Your Dreams has a creative premise: two kids entering the dream world, looking to find the Sandman. I’m getting kind of a Spellbound vibe here, insofar as both films deal with kids trying to help their parents. The trailer was cute, and Netflix has done well with some of its animated pictures in recent years – so there’s definitely reason to be hopeful!

I just think the film looks great, and with Disney – as mentioned – focused on sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, there’s plenty of room for a studio like Netflix to muscle in and stake a claim in the animated realm. Last year’s Spellbound was one of my favourite films of the year, so In Your Dreams has the potential to build on that success.

Video Game #1:
Donkey Kong Bananza

Promo image for Donkey Kong Bananza showing DK punching the ground.

I don’t have a Switch 2, so chances are I won’t play Donkey Kong Bananza this year! And there are reasons to be sceptical of the game; I’m getting “double-A,” kind of mid-tier vibes from everything I’ve seen so far. However… as a big fan of DK’s last 3D adventure – Donkey Kong 64, which was more than a quarter of a century ago! – I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued. A recent trailer showing off Pauline – who appeared in the original arcade game and has recently become a mainline Super Mario character – has also piqued my curiosity.

As I said when discussing the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2: this isn’t the game you buy an expensive console for. But if I eventually get my hands on a Switch 2, I can absolutely see myself picking up Donkey Kong Bananza if for no other reason than to have another 3D adventure and maybe get some of those nostalgic Donkey Kong 64 feels!

Video Game #2:
Mafia: The Old Country

Promo still for Mafia: The Old Country showing the interior of an Italian villa.

I remember the original Mafia on the Xbox – I expected it to just be a ’30s Grand Theft Auto III clone! The game was a lot of fun in its own right, though, with a strong, engaging story populated by fun characters, not just film noir caricatures. Mafia: The Old Country is going to step back in time and hop across the Atlantic to Sicily, focusing on the growth of the Cosa Nostra at the turn of the last century. I really like this idea; not only the time period but the Sicilian location seem like they could be a ton of fun – and something a bit different.

The Mafia trilogy was remade from the ground up a few years ago, and the remakes are also well worth playing for any fan of third-person action-adventure games. It’s my hope that The Old Country will be in the same vein, and will tell an exciting and compelling crime story. I don’t want to fully board the hype train for any unreleased title… but I have high hopes for this one!

Video Game #3:
Crimson Desert

Promo screenshot of Crimson Desert showing a mounted character overlooking a lake or ocean.

At time of writing, Crimson Desert is still on the schedule for later this year. However, it’s been a while since we heard much about the game, though some journalists got to see it at one of the recent games industry events. In short… I’m not sure if we should expect a delay! But the game looks fantastic; a large fantasy open world that promises plenty to do and different ways to play.

Developers Pearl Abyss are well known for Black Desert Online, which is now over a decade old but still has a dedicated community. I think there are plenty of reasons to look at Crimson Desert with optimism… though, as mentioned, I wouldn’t be shocked if a delay pushes it back into 2026. Of all the games we’ve talked about today, this feels like the most likely one to miss its release window.

Video Game #4:
Terminator 2D: No Fate

Promo screenshot for Terminator 2D: No Fate showing a character being punched.

Playing through the events of Terminator 2: Judgement Day in a game that looks like it was made for the SNES? Sign me up, that sounds perfect! Everything I’ve seen of Terminator 2D: No Fate just gives me the nostalgic feels; like I’m a kid again, playing my SNES after school with some licensed side-scrolling game like Alien 3 or Super Star Wars. The graphics look perfect, the gameplay looks like a lot of fun, and it’s an officially licensed game based on a solid film. What could go wrong?

Alright, fine – maybe I’m getting over-excited! But it’s been a while since I saw a project quite like this one, and something about the visuals and the style of gameplay just really struck a nostalgic chord for me, even just from looking at the trailer. I really can’t wait to try it for myself.

Video Game #5:
Copa City

Promo screenshot of Copa City, showing a top-down view of a fan zone.

Copa City fills a niche I didn’t realise existed! It’s a football game where the objective isn’t to score goals as a player or take charge of the team as a manager, but where you set up the infrastructure around the matches. It sounds like a “tycoon game” where you’re managing different aspects of the football event: things like transportation, setting up fan zones, and the like.

I think it’s a really creative concept – and there are already a handful of officially-licensed teams and stadia on board. Whether Copa City can make good on a neat core idea remains to be seen, but I like what’s been shown off so far, and I’m curious to try it for myself. I don’t see it eclipsing the likes of EA FC and Football Manager, but it could easily find its own niche as a football game with a twist.

TV Series #1:
Fallout Season 2

Render from the credits sequence of Fallout Season 1 showing the New Vegas skyline.

The first season of Fallout was creative and fun – even if it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever watched. The cliffhanger ending was compelling enough for me to want to see the next chapter, though, for Lucy, the Ghoul, and… everyone else. You know… those characters whose names I can’t call to mind right now! Bringing the world of the Fallout video game series into live-action was a good idea, and I can see why the series has been generally well-received.

It seems as if Fallout Season 2 is heading to the city of New Vegas – so fans of the game which was set there can expect plenty of callbacks and references to those events. Maybe I should finally and belatedly play New Vegas before the new season arrives in December? Don’t hold me to it, but I might give it a go if I can find the time.

TV Series #2:
King of the Hill

Still frame from the King of the Hill revival trailer, showing an older Peggy, Bobby, and Hank.

King of the Hill was one of those shows that I used to watch occasionally, when it was on. It was never a favourite, but I usually cracked a smile or two at the antics of Hank, Bobby, Peggy, and the rest of the characters. I can’t say I’m surprised to see King of the Hill being revisited; revivals and reboots are all the rage right now, so why not step back to the show and see if it can connect with a new audience?

I’m not sure what to expect, really. As with the recent Phineas and Ferb revival, King of the Hill is stepping forwards in time – by quite a ways, judging by Bobby’s age in the recent teaser! That could open up new storytelling ideas… but it could also take something away from the show and what made it so appealing to fans in the first place. Will it be soulless corporate slop… or was there a genuinely good idea for a revival? Let’s find out!

TV Series #3:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Promo still for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showing a character wielding a sword.

Call me overdramatic if you like, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is basically Westeros’ last chance to win me over! I enjoyed Game of Thrones… until it went off the rails toward the end. But I wasn’t especially keen on House of the Dragon, and I kind of drifted away from that show after a handful of episodes. With a focus on a different group of characters in a new era and setting, though… could A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms be the series that drags me back into the world of Westeros?

Maybe? I mean, why not, right? I’m not sure Game of Thrones really needs all of these spin-offs, but given how popular the original show was in its prime, I can’t exactly blame HBO for trying to recapture some of that magic. Will it work, though? And will this series succeed where Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon didn’t? I guess we’ll find out later in the year.

TV Series #4:
Alien: Earth

Cropped promo poster for Alien: Earth showing a Xenomorph wrapped around planet Earth.

I’m not at all caught up on all of the recent movies in the Alien universe, so I hope this TV series won’t lean too heavily on those for its main narrative arcs! A story like Alien seems well-suited to a big-budget TV show instead of just a film, so I’m certainly interested to see what kind of stories and characters we’ll see in a new format. The series taking place on Earth is an interesting idea, too, as exploring this future version of Earth is something none of the films have done.

I’m not sure I’d have chosen to make Alien: Earth as a prequel, though. My other concern is this: are the Xenomorphs still scary, and will they be scary enough to carry this new television format? Some recent Alien projects have, I would argue, degraded the Xenomorphs’ fear factor somewhat. Still, I’m curious and perhaps even hopeful that Alien: Earth can do something creative and a little different with this sci-fi property.

TV Series #5:
King and Conqueror

Promo still from King and Conqueror showing William the Conqueror, a rowing boat, and the sea.

I thought we were going to see King and Conqueror earlier in the year; filming wrapped ages ago and it seemed primed for a spring broadcast. Never mind! The series, set during the Norman Conquest of England, is set to be broadcast sometime before the end of the year. Starring Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William the Conqueror, the series looks like it has a lot of potential to be a fun, interesting, and entertaining re-telling of an important chapter in history.

Every British schoolkid learns about the Normans in history class – but I can’t remember a big-budget adaptation of these events like this. In that sense, I think it’s going to be really interesting to see the Norman Conquest brought to life. I hope it isn’t over-dramatised, with love interests and soap opera-style personal drama getting in the way of things! But I have confidence in the BBC and American collaborator CBS to bring the story to life in a fun and engaging way.

Bonus: Star Trek!

Promo poster for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 showing the main characters walking across an alien landscape.
Captain Pike and the crew are returning soon!

It wouldn’t be a Trekking with Dennis list without some Star Trek, eh? We have Strange New Worlds’ third season coming up very soon, and I’m really looking forward to another set of adventures with Captain Pike and the crew. Some folks have suggested that Starfleet Academy could also be broadcast before the end of the year; personally, I don’t think that’s especially likely… but you never know, I guess!

For me, Strange New Worlds has been the absolute highlight of modern Star Trek; a largely episodic series focused on exploration and adventure that brought the franchise back to its roots. Starfleet Academy, with its focus on teenage and young adult characters, could be a way into the Star Trek fan community for new, younger viewers – exactly the kinds of people the franchise needs to attract in order to shore things up. With the 60th anniversary next year, I’m hoping Paramount is holding something back to celebrate – but until then, we’ve at least got ten Strange New Worlds episodes to be sinking our teeth into!

So that’s it!

Stock photo of a little girl playing a video game.
Are you excited to play a particular game later this year?

We’ve taken a look at a few of the entertainment experiences that lay ahead of us over the next six months. I think there are plenty of fun ones and things to get excited about – and I’m sure there are others that will seem to come out of nowhere and catch me off-guard! That always seems to happen.

So we’re already at the midpoint of the year… and I’m still catching up on some of the things I missed in 2022, let alone 2023, 2024, and the first half of 2025! I’m getting old… which probably explains why I have my own website instead of a TikTok page, or something! In any case, I hope this has been a bit of fun and an interesting look ahead to some of the things we might enjoy between now and New Year’s Eve. Speaking of which… I’d better make sure I’ve got all of my Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s decorations ready. If the first half of the year is any indication, the holidays are going to sneak up on me with lightning speed!

Have fun out there!


All titles mentioned above are the copyright of their respective studio, publisher, distributor, broadcaster, etc. Some photos and promotional art courtesy of IMDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Phineas and Ferb: Season 5 Review

A spoiler warning graphic.

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Phineas and Ferb, including all of Season 5.

Phineas and Ferb’s fifth season was one of my most-anticipated entertainment experiences of 2025. I’m a pretty big fan of the show, having first encountered it shortly after its original premiere in 2007 or 2008, back when I used to have a satellite TV subscription! When Season 5 premiered on Disney+, I didn’t just binge the entire thing right away; I wanted to take things a bit slower and give each episode a chance to settle. That being said, I still finished the whole season in under a week, so maybe my self-control isn’t as good as I thought!

If you just want the tl;dr, here it comes: Phineas and Ferb Season 5 was wonderful. Some episodes were truly outstanding, reaching the bar set by those earlier stories in the 2000s and 2010s. Others weren’t as spectacular, but even in the ones I found less enjoyable, there were still fun moments, creative storytelling, or jokes that managed to win a chuckle. I think I laughed out loud at least once while watching all eighteen/nineteen episodes (the numbering gets a little bit weird; we’ll cover that as we go), which I think says a lot.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Phineas with a Fireside Girl at school.
Phineas at the beginning of the new season.

I think we should start by getting a handful of negative points out of the way before we talk about all of the good stuff.

First of all, the new season was quite self-referential, calling back to episodes, story beats, jokes, and even internet memes spawned by Phineas and Ferb’s original run. That, in itself, is not a problem, and at least some of these “meta” moments were funny, added something to the story, or just plain worked. But for me, Season 5 came very close to crossing a line that basically no series ever gets right, turning in-jokes and winks to the audience into cringeworthy fan-service. Relying too heavily on the past, even in a revival like this, doesn’t allow new storylines to stand on their own two feet, and while some self-referential “meta” moments in Season 5 were incredibly good fun… others strayed too close to that line for comfort.

Secondly, Season 5 basically ignored Dr Doofenshmirtz’s character arc from the latter part of Phineas and Ferb’s original run. The season premiere saw him – apparently at random – deciding to “turn evil again” after an entire year of being a good guy, and then none of that was ever acknowledged again. Doof was back as we last saw him – which, for me, felt a little hollow. Don’t get me wrong: it was fun to see him back in his element, and to have more wacky adventures with him and Perry. But the way it was handled left something to be desired. I’m not sure how the show could realistically have done a better job here – except, as I mentioned more than once before Season 5 aired, if these new episodes had been set in the same endless summer as before, instead of one year later.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doofenshmirtz firing one of his inators.
Doof is evil again.

The one year time jump wasn’t mentioned a lot, and didn’t really do much for most of the characters. Though nominally “older,” the only kid character whose age was even mentioned was Candace, and that was just a throwaway line. Everyone just kind of… reverted to type, if that makes sense. And for a show whose main characters are children, I’m not sure that feels right if you step back and think about it. When you’re a kid, one year is a massive amount of time, and none of us were the same at age ten as we were at nine, or at sixteen as we were at fifteen. While I’m not saying I wanted to see whole character arcs for the kids or big personality changes, what I am saying, again, is that the time jump doesn’t seem to have achieved very much. I’m left wondering why it was included at all.

We saw Candace finally achieve one of her biggest goals – something she’d been pushing for going all the way back to the beginning of Season 1: getting her driver’s license. And the episode was funny – we’ll touch on that in a moment when we look at each episode in turn. But… after getting her driver’s license, Candace literally didn’t use it again for the entire rest of the season. In the very next episode, we even see her riding her bike.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Candace on her bicycle.
This was literally the episode after Candace passed her driver’s test.

As with Doofenshmirtz above, this kind of speaks to a bigger issue for me. Candace has grown as a character over the course of an entire year, and finally scored one of her biggest accomplishments – something even her brothers don’t have. This happened early in the season, and there were fifteen more stories in which Candace could’ve driven a car, even just in the background of a scene, not necessarily as a major plot point. But it didn’t happen. I love episodic television, and a big part of Phineas and Ferb is that it’s an episodic show where things “reset” from one episode to the next. But for something so important and meaningful for a character to be completely sidelined… it doesn’t feel right, somehow. And it all adds to that same feeling I was talking about with the time-jump: was it really necessary?

There were eighteen individual stories in Season 5 – the opening pair of episodes form a single story, and the Meap episode was also feature-length. Across those episodes, we spent at least some time with most of what I’d consider to be the show’s recurring characters… but by no means all. There were some noteworthy absences, as well as several characters whose roles were very minor. The likes of Jeremy and Norm got very few lines, Roger Doofenshmirtz was seen but didn’t really interact with the plot in a big way, Love Handel only appeared in the background to sing a song, and Irving – who’d climbed the ranks to become an honourary member of the friend group by Season 4 – was entirely absent aside from a couple of background cameos.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Irving looking sad.
Irving was notably absent in these new episodes.

There were also a few character groups or pairings that didn’t appear in Season 5. The relationship between Dr Doofenshmirtz and Vanessa was barely touched upon, as they hardly spent any time together. The Flynn-Fletcher family didn’t actually do anything all together, either; no family vacation, no road trip, not even sitting down for a meal. With Roger and Norm effectively absent, Doofenshmirtz didn’t have either of them as character foils, and there was no Charlene, either. Major Monogram only had Carl. And Candace spent very little time with Stacy, Jeremy, or any of her other friends.

As above, there wouldn’t have been time for every conceivable duo or group to get an outing, and there’s still Season 6 to come. The first four seasons took time to even introduce some of these characters, let alone build up relationships between them, and I’m not really trying to demand everyone everywhere all at once! But… I felt some of these absences. Doof and Vanessa not getting any time together was particularly noteworthy given how the show’s original run ended and how important Vanessa is to Doof’s arc. Norm’s absence was similarly felt. Then for the kids, Irving disappearing and Jeremy getting basically a single scene all season long kept things focused on the principal characters, sure, but it also limited their potential interactions outside of their core friendship group. None of it is egregiously awful, and if you just watch a single episode, you wouldn’t even notice anything was amiss. But taking the entire season as a whole… it felt odd to reach the end with the absences and lack of interactions we’ve discussed.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Mayor Roger Doofenshmirtz.
Roger didn’t get much screen time – or any scenes with his brother.

I guess the positive spin I could put on all of that would be that this is a revival, and the writers and producers may have wanted to take their time re-establishing the show’s core formulae and character dynamics before adding in too many secondary characters and side characters. That’s a reasonable argument in some ways, as Phineas and Ferb Season 5 is also intended to bring in new viewers alongside returning fans.

Okay, okay. That’s probably enough negativity for now. Phineas and Ferb doesn’t need to be nitpicked to death. So let’s move on and talk about the things I enjoyed. Thankfully, that’s pretty much everything else.

If you read my pre-season “wishlist,” you might remember me saying that what I wanted out of this revival was, in a word, more Phineas and Ferb. And that’s pretty much what I got: the show has returned to its classic formula, with two-and-a-half storylines that intersect, plenty of wacky inventions, fun musical numbers, and a good-natured sense of humour. Not every episode was perfect, but I’d happily watch all of them again… and again. No season of television is going to be filled with five-star episodes, but there were several in Phineas and Ferb Season 5. Even when the new season was at its worst, there were still laugh-out-loud moments, emotional scenes, enjoyable songs, beautiful animation, and other things to enjoy. No episode this time was irredeemably awful, and I’d say that the new season’s overall quality was about where I expected it to be. Perhaps it’s closer in tone and quality to Season 4 of the original run than to Seasons 1-3 – and if you know me you’ll know I felt Season 4 wasn’t quite reaching the bar of those earlier seasons. But it was still good – and so is Season 5.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc. building.
You can just hear this image, right?

When I reviewed Candace Against The Universe a few years ago, I said that one of the best things the film did in its opening moments was re-establish the world and characters of Phineas and Ferb, making it feel like nothing had changed and that everyone we remembered was still there, living their lives in the Tri-State Area. And once we got over the new season’s opening sequence, which was set at the kids’ school, I think the rest of Season 5 nailed that feeling again. Most of the main storylines felt like they could’ve been lifted from the show’s original run, and with the exception of the season premiere and its obvious time-jump, narratively the rest of the episodes blend in with the rest of the show. In a few years’ time – and regardless of whether more Phineas and Ferb is produced after Season 6 – it probably won’t even be noticeable to play some of these episodes in a random order, mixed in with others from the show’s original run.

One of the biggest differences – and where Season 5 might actually be noticeably different from Season 1-4 – is in the animation. Some character outlines felt softer and less blocky, colours tended to be flatter, with less differentiation, and there’s something about a lot of the characters’ eyes – particularly background and secondary characters – that just felt a little… off. I don’t know how else to put it. I will say that, despite some pre-season fears, this was something I got used to. And I think the animation lines up with Season 4 and Candace Against The Universe more than it does with Seasons 1-3. It wasn’t bad per se, but maybe there’s been a change in Disney’s animation software or a different animation studio… and I think it’s worth mentioning, at least.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing minor characters in a crowd scene.
A selection of background and secondary characters.

The songs were all top-class, and I enjoyed all of them. I would note that it was a bit strange how not every episode got its own original song this time around; the episodes More Than An Intern and Agent T (For Teen) got versions of songs from the original run of the show rather than their own compositions. They were fine, though.

My favourite songs of the season would have to be When The Tri-State Aurora Comes Around and No Sleepin’ At A Slumber Party, both of which were great fun. The Tri-State aurora sequence – which we’ll talk about more in a moment – was absolutely stunning, and the music elevated it even more. It really was a great sequence. The rest of the songs were good; Submarine Sandwich Submarine and License to Bust felt the most “classic,” like they’d come from the show’s original run. But all were in keeping with the tone of the series, really.

Next, I’ll run through each episode one by one and talk about what I liked (and didn’t like) about each of them. Then at the end, I’ll share my final thoughts on Season 5 as a whole.

Summer Block Buster/Cloudy With A Chance Of Mom:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the main kid characters performing a musical number.
The opening musical number – and a cheeky reference to Hamster and Gretel.

This episode had the difficult task of re-establishing Phineas and Ferb’s world five years after we last saw it. And I think it hit all of the right notes. We got to see the last day of school before summer – and I like the implication that the boys’ “What I Did Last Summer” presentation took the entire year. Doofenshmirtz “turning evil again” was skipped over too quickly, but that says more about the decision to set this new season a year later than anything else. The big musical number at the beginning was a ton of fun, and felt in line with some of the epic songs from special episodes like Summer Belongs To You.

As a season premiere, the second half of the story was kinda risky! It didn’t follow the show’s typical formula; mixing things up by involving Linda directly in the story. But that decision gave real stakes and emotional weight to what the kids had to do, and I think it worked exceptionally well. All in all, a wonderful way to kick off the new series. And yes – I’m counting these two episodes as two halves of one story!

Submarine Sandwich Submarine:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing a very large submarine sandwich with several characters.
The sub under construction.

I liked the callback to Candace’s sandcastle-building award from the previous summer – but this was a storyline where I definitely felt the absence of Jeremy. Even if Stacy or one of Candace’s other friends had been there I think her side of the story could’ve worked just a little bit better. The boys’ side of the story was neat, though, and I liked the visual impact the submarine made. The giant fish was kind of random, but weirdly in keeping with other sea monsters the show has introduced!

Doof and Perry had a classic battle in his lair, one that reminded me a little of their famous hot dog/bratwurst duel, thanks to the abundance of food. Doofenshmirtz’s inator did cover up the boys’ invention – literally, covered it with sand – but was also a bit of a twist on what viewers might’ve been expecting. As noted above, this episode also had a very classic song, and the whole thing had the feel of a Season 2 or 3 episode – which I mean as a compliment.

License To Bust:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Candace and her driving instructor.
Candace taking her driver’s test.

The boys’ gecko gear was cool, and reminded me a little of their rubberisation ray from Night of the Living Pharmacists insofar as it allowed the kids to bounce all over town. This invention wasn’t the main focus of the story, though. As mentioned above, I’m a little disappointed that Candace getting her driver’s license – finally, after more than four seasons! – wasn’t so much as mentioned in subsequent stories, and that puts a little bit of a downer on the ending of her storyline here.

That being said, the driving test sequence was a ton of fun, as was the song. And Doofenshmirtz’s inator – while arguably less destructive than some of his creations – interfered in just the right way to bring everything together. If future episodes do more with the idea of Candace being able to drive, I’ll definitely place License To Bust higher in my rankings! For now, it was fine as a one-off story.

Dry Another Day:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the kids on their luge invention.
Luging through town!

Phineas and Ferb has done the “it’s the hottest day of the year, so let’s do something icy” thing more than once, but the infinitely rolling luge wheel definitely made the concept feel fresh! Candace skiing was a fun visual, and the entire sequence with the song was fantastic, too. The concept reminded me a little of Season 4’s “foam town,” probably because both were big rolling wheels, but the luge idea was definitely original.

We got a glimpse at a Doofenshmirtz backstory! Hooray! Doof told us a little about his childhood as he schemed to store his oil at the swimming pool. That was fun, and the water park was actually a surprisingly detailed and interesting location to visit. The hammerhead shark slide was especially creative. Again, this just felt like a classic, fun Phineas and Ferb episode that I’d happily revisit.

Deconstructing Doof:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Candace and Doofenshmirtz's therapist.
The therapist.

This felt like a pretty “meta” story concept at first, but the way it brought together Doofenshmirtz and Candace – who worked so well together in the Season 4 finale in 2015 – was genuinely fantastic. It makes sense, if you think about it, that someone might be able to piece together the unusual goings-on around Danville, figuring out why these wonderful inventions are always gone by the end of the day. Does that take something away from the “magic” of an animated show? Well… maybe. But I think it worked pretty well.

I wasn’t particularly keen on this episode’s main song; it was fine but just not to my taste, I guess. Not every callback in every episode worked or won a smile, but the therapist’s line about a platypus being a metaphor definitely did! The reference to the Season 2 episode Brain Drain was played deadpan and absolutely perfectly, and it was just a ton of fun. I had to pause the episode for fear of laughing so much I’d miss something good!

Tropey McTropeface:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the "mother mugger" being caught.
The arrest of the “mother mugger.”

I didn’t expect much from this episode when I saw the title, I’ll be honest. But the story was, surprisingly, much more coherent and fun than I’d been expecting. The story of Michael Bublé’s involvement is actually sweet: his son had been a huge fan of the show, and they’d watched it together when he was suffering from a serious illness, with Phineas and Ferb becoming something positive for them both at a difficult time.

There was quite a lot going on in Tropey McTropeface aside from the titular zoetrope; a mugger loose on the streets of Danville, Perry and Candace’s bath appointment, Doof’s plan to rotate city hall… it was a busy episode, but still connected everything together. I don’t think it was the highlight of the season, but a better episode than I expected based on the title.

Biblio-Blast:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doofenshmirtz gardening.
Doofen-plants!

Perry’s lair entrances were one of Phineas and Ferb’s original elements, but as the series dragged on, they became less prominent. Biblio-Blast has one of the best, though: that pinball sequence was incredibly detailed and great fun. Though a bookcase might not seem like the wildest idea at first, it was another part of the episode that felt like it was harkening back to earlier episodes where the boys’ inventions were sometimes a bit more child-like and grounded. The sequence of the bookcase being built – set to the show’s Quirky Worky Song – was also in that classic vein.

Doof’s story with the evil plant monsters reminded me a little of Night of the Living Pharmacists, and it’s certainly one of the worst backfires of any of his inventions! The design of the plants was quite unsettling, too, meaning they worked well as antagonists on this side of the story. The main song was definitely one aimed at kids – but hey, if it encourages anyone to read more or stick with reading, that can only be a good thing! Oh and the plant-themed reprieve was genuinely cool. Buford also had some great lines in this episode.

A Chip To The Vet:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Buford and Cadace at Mr Slushy Dawg with Jeremy.
Buford, Candace, and Jeremy.

I think I’m right in saying that A Chip To The Vet is the only episode in which Jeremy speaks – though with a different voice actor in Season 5. As noted above, I think his absence was felt, and even here, really, he didn’t play a huge role or advance Candace’s story in a big way. The main vet-themed portion of the story was neat, though, and seeing Perry and Doofenshmirtz doing battle in a completely new location was fun. You’d think the OWCA would be equipped to deal with something as common as microchipping – but then again, it is just a cartoon!

Okay, the goat jump-scare? It got me – and it was hilarious. As was Doof listing all the things he could chip before figuring out he could use the chipper on Perry. The kids’ pet wash was fun, too, and as with Doof and Perry it was great to see them do their thing somewhere other than the back yard. We also got a rare “platypuses don’t do much” line right at the end, too!

More Than An Intern:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Carl looking dejected.
Carl.

This story has a message that I think will resonate very strongly with Phineas and Ferb’s returning fans. A lot of folks are working multiple jobs in the “gig economy,” just trying to make ends meet. And while I wouldn’t have expected a critique of this phenomenon from what is nominally still a kids’ show… I think it’s actually a powerful story. Carl – OWCA’s unpaid intern – has to work multiple other jobs just to pay the bills, and even while he loves his work with the agency, he’s forced to take on all of these other jobs. Major Monogram’s obliviousness is also a big part of this story – perhaps a comment on the “boomer” generation and their unawareness of how tough things really are.

As with Candace and her driver’s license above, this is a story that I would’ve wanted to see have genuine repercussions. Even if Carl doesn’t immediately get paid by the agency, having Major Monogram show a little more appreciation in subsequent episodes would’ve been nice. The rest of the episode was fun, don’t get me wrong, and I’m aware we’ve really only commented on the messaging this time. But it really is an important message, and one I was pleasantly surprised to see the series tackle. Carl really was the perfect character for this story, too.

The Aurora Perry-Alis:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the aurora.
The Tri-State Aurora.

This episode was actually pretty mixed for me. I loved the cruise ship setting, the song, and the whole sequence with the aurora. The animation work to bring the aurora to life was genuinely beautiful; among the best parts of a season where environments have all been outstanding. However, I think The Aurora Perry-Alis maybe tried to cram in just one element too many. Between Monogram’s aunt, Vanessa reconnecting with Monty, the kids building their inventions, Candace and Linda at the spa, Perry and Stacy, Doof and Perry getting miniaturised, the disgruntled cruise employee, and Lawrence stuck in a conga line… there wasn’t quite enough time for every character and narrative beat to shine in the way I’d have wanted.

That being said, I really enjoyed the episode when it settled down, particularly near the end. The moment where everyone just stopped to enjoy the aurora was sweet, and it reminded me a little of the calm, relaxed feeling at the end of the New Year’s Eve episode from Season 4. A mixed bag, for sure, but a great song, some stunning animation, and a solid ending manage to hold it together.

Lord of the Firesides:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the Fireside Girls turning against Isabella.
How could a disagreement about cupcakes get so out of hand?!

I’m glad that we got one episode where Isabella was with her Fireside Girls group and separate from the core characters. The conflict between the two groups of girls was pretty basic, and the twist – that it was all caused by one of Doof’s inators – wasn’t exactly concealed! But it was solid enough, and led to plenty of fun moments as the Fireside Girls’ meeting rapidly descended into chaos. The heavy metal-inspired song and red, firey imagery all worked well on this side of the episode.

Doof and Perry’s story – renewing their business licenses – was neat. Having the pair on roughly the same team works well as an occasional change of pace, and a story about bureaucracy is in line with what we saw of Danville in episodes like Season 4’s Where’s Pinky? which was also set at city hall. Definitely a bit of a change from the characters’ usual shenanigans – but one that worked.

The Candace Suit:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Stacy, Buford, and a pile of Candace suits.
So many Candaces…

You know how some episodic shows have a throwaway line, joke, or scene that works in context but just… doesn’t have the legs to be a standalone thing? Yeah. That’s The Candace Suit for me, at least on the side of the story involving Buford and his life-size moulds. When that was brought up in Season 3’s Doofapus, the idea of a random character like Buford making life-size moulds of people was such a non-sequitur that it was funny. For me, The Candace Suit dragged out that idea way too far, killing the joke… but also taking a strangely dark turn that, while arguably in character for someone like Buford, didn’t sit right.

Perhaps because I found the premise stretched too thin, I wasn’t wild about this episode’s song, either. Doofenshmirtz and Perry didn’t have as much time in the spotlight this time – which is fine in theory, but I wish the main storyline had been stronger. I know this all makes it sound like I detested this episode; I really didn’t. I just think it exhausted its core premise pretty quickly, and over-stretched what should’ve been a throwaway one-liner that, in my view, didn’t really have enough in the tank to be a fully-fledged story on its own.

Agent T (For Teen):

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Stacy on Perry's moped.
Stacy gets a turn in the spotlight!

If The Candace Suit took a narrative beat from the show’s original run and overdid it, Agent T (For Teen) is an example of how to do things right. Taking Stacy’s knowledge of Perry’s secret identity from Season 4’s Happy Birthday, Isabella, Agent T (For Teen) picks up that storyline and expands upon it. Stacy’s role here was a lot of fun, and it’s great that another secondary character got a spotlight episode like this. Stacy’s interactions with OWCA – first through the funny instructional video and later when speaking to Major Monogram – were fantastic.

The earlier part of the episode, which saw Stacy and Candace working together at a fancy event, was also funny, but where Agent T (For Teen) really excelled was in those moments with Stacy, Perry, Doof, and the returning Dr Diminutive. I’d wondered if anyone from L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. might appear in these new episodes; I wouldn’t have chosen Dr Diminutive necessarily, as Rodney is by far the more iconic character, but his role was surprisingly fun. Doof’s evil organisation also seems to have gotten a serious upgrade… will that come into play in a future story, perhaps? Oh, and the reworked “Agent P” song? Cute.

The Haberdasher:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the OWCA haberdasher.
The titular character.

This is another episode that just… didn’t wow me, to be honest. The callback to the “I’d have x number of nickels” meme was fun, sure, and guest star Alan Cumming gave a genuinely great vocal performance. But something about the deep dive into OWCA’s hat-making and the character of the Haberdasher himself just… didn’t do it for me. I realise that’s horribly subjective, by the way!

Doof’s evolution into a weird mothman-hybrid was truly disturbing, though, and I’ll definitely give the episode its dues for that particular design! And seeing Buford, Baljeet, and Isabella interacting and building things without Phineas and Ferb was a fun idea – one I wish we’d seen a bit more of, to be honest.

Out Of Character:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Buford holding a film camera.
Buford Van Stomm: film director.

When an episode takes established character traits, or introduces new ones, as part of a storyline, things can work really well. When an episode – with an ironic name – introduces something that doesn’t seem to fit a character for the sake of artificially manufacturing a storyline… well, you get an episode like Out Of Character. I can’t remember if Baljeet has had to act before, I think he must’ve at least once in an earlier episode, though! But even if he hadn’t, surely someone as smart as he is could grasp the concept of acting. As a result of that, I felt the bulk of the kids’ story was built on a bit of a flimsy premise.

However! That didn’t ruin Out Of Character for me, and I loved the return of the Space Adventure fictional franchise. The retro sci-fi, kind of Star Wars or Star Trek-inspired vibe was beautiful, and seeing the kids getting all invested in their roles was an absolute blast. Doof’s inator – turning people’s faces forgettable – was a creative idea, and led to a fun visual effect, too. I also felt a cute little nod and wink to Act Your Age, with Buford taking on a leading role in the filmmaking process. A fun episode – even if the premise was a bit annoying!

Meap Me In St. Louis:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Meap walking away from an exploding car.
Remember this clip?

I’ll level with you: the two Meap episodes weren’t really my favourites from the original run of Phineas and Ferb. I’m not sure why, exactly; I’m a huge sci-fi fan and both episodes had fun moments, backstory, and character interactions. But they didn’t blow me away, so Meap Me In St. Louis wasn’t exactly at the top of my list when I was looking ahead to Season 5! That being said, there were still plenty of fun moments in this feature-length episode. I felt the “checklist” of moments from the trailer was a bit too on-the-nose, and the core story of Big Mitch seeking out a substance he could use to rule the galaxy was a tad repetitive… but other than that, it was a surprising amount of fun.

Meap Me In St. Louis (which I’m pretty sure is supposed to be pronounced “Saint Lew-iss,” but one battle at a time, eh?) gave most of the main characters plenty to do. Meap teaming up with Candace was fun, Perry and Doof working together again was also cute, and while the song was very silly, I actually kind of liked it. Again, some beautiful animation work to bring the outer space and seasonal changing sequences to life, too.

No Slumber Party:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the "Friends" parody.
I loved this.

I already highlighted this episode’s song, which was just fantastic, and really the entire premise was a blast. Doof’s desire to spread evil by spoiling a TV show (a hilarious Friends parody) was absolutely pitch-perfect for his level of evil-doing, and his stay awake-inator was on theme, too. I’m surprised Disney okayed a Friends parody, given that the show is owned by a competitor, but I’m glad the higher-ups were good with it because it was genuinely hilarious.

The kids’ competing slumber parties were cute, too, and it was nice to get at least some interaction between Vanessa and Candace before the season ended! The boys’ invention looked really cozy – exactly the kind of thing I’d want to hang out in and watch movies! And Candace’s attempt to get Linda to see it was one of the best in the season as she dragged her downstairs, with the awake-inator missing her multiple times. A really fun episode that took place at night for a bit of a twist, and that had a fun song to boot.

The Ballad Of Bubba Doof:

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Doofenshmirtz and his cousin in a faded photograph.
Dr Doofenshmirtz with his swamp-dwelling cousin.

I can see a universe in which “Doofenshmirtz has a redneck Cajun cousin” works as a premise. However… I wasn’t wild about this character in this version of the story. Firstly, it felt a bit mean-spirited; too many stories across the world of entertainment look down their noses at rural or small-town America, particularly in the Appalachian and southern regions, and some of the stereotyping just leaned into that in an uncomfortable way. And secondly, I just didn’t find Bubba to be particularly fun or engaging as a character.

There are some positives to this episode, though. I liked Bubba’s inventiveness, and his successful trapping of Perry. Monogram and Carl had some fun scenes together, and it was nice to see them outside of the OWCA headquarters in a completely different environment. The kids’ forced perspective town was fun, leaning into the Western genre in a big way. Not entirely original, perhaps, but still good. All in all, though, I wouldn’t say this was the strongest end to this new season.

In Conclusion…

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing most of the main characters at the end of episode 2.
Most of the main characters in the season premiere.

So we’ve talked about all of the individual stories. While researching for this article, it seems as if there might be four more episodes to come later this summer… so maybe this isn’t the full Season 5 review, after all. I wonder why Disney did that and didn’t drop those remaining stories at the same time as the rest of the season?

Anyway, setting that aside, I had a great time with Phineas and Ferb’s revival. There were some fun stories with the kids, Candace, Perry, and Dr Doofenshmirtz, and after such a long time away, it felt incredible to be back in the Tri-State Area all over again. Phineas and Ferb’s fifth season, while imperfect, is still the best animated series I’ve seen in 2025, and will absolutely be a contender for “TV show of the year” when I do my annual end-of-year awards in December. Check back after Christmas to see if it makes the cut!

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Dr Doofenshmirtz sitting in a chair holding a bowl of popcorn.
I watched (most of) Season 5 with a big grin on my face!

I’ve rambled on for long enough, so it’s time to wrap things up. There were some episodes and storylines that weren’t as strong as others, and there were a few weird quirks with the animation, especially for secondary characters. But despite those glorified nitpicks, I had a wonderful time. I felt genuinely sad when I realised I was coming to the end of the season; I just didn’t want it to be over! For anyone with Disney+ and who enjoyed even one Phineas and Ferb episode in the past, Season 5 is an easy recommendation.

If there are four extra episodes to come in July, be sure to check back because I’ll definitely share my thoughts. And when Season 6 is ready, I hope to be able to review those episodes, too. Until then, if you want to check out ten of my favourite episodes from Seasons 1-4, you can find them by clicking or tapping here. And I wrote a longer piece about the Christmas special back in December to mark its fifteenth anniversary, which you can find by clicking or tapping here. Until next time… and have a wonderful summer!


Phineas and Ferb is available to stream now on Disney+. Season 5 is also being broadcast on the Disney Channel in the United States. Phineas and Ferb – including all episodes mentioned above – is the copyright of Disney Television Animation. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Phineas and Ferb Season 5: Hopes, Fears, and Expectations

A spoiler warning graphic

Spoiler Warning: Beware minor spoilers for Phineas and Ferb, including the Season 5 teasers and trailers.

By the time you read this, the season premiere of Phineas and Ferb’s revival might already have aired! I’m working hard to get this piece out before the full season hits Disney+, though!

I’ve talked about Phineas and Ferb on a few occasions here on the website. The show is unironically one of my all-time favourites, and moreover, it’s something I often turn to when I’m not feeling great or struggling with my mental health. To say Phineas and Ferb is one of my “comfort shows” wouldn’t be wide of the mark.

So I have a few thoughts about its imminent revival!

Two promotional posters for Phineas and Ferb Season 5 (2025).
The revival’s promo posters.

It goes without saying that all of this is the entirely subjective opinion of just one viewer, so if you hate my take, think I’ve missed something important, or I’m excited about something that sounds awful to you… that’s okay! There should be enough room in the fan community for polite and civil discussion. I think it’s also worth noting, in a piece like this, that I don’t have any “insider information,” and I’m not trying to pretend that anything we’re about to discuss can, will, or must be included in Season 5.

Phew! Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about some of my hopes, fears, and expectations for Phineas and Ferb’s revival.

Original concept art for Phineas and Ferb Season 1.
Early character designs from the show’s original pitch.

This first point is a big one, but it can be kind of difficult to quantify. Too many reboots and revivals feel corporate and forced; soulless, money-grubbing “content” created not with any artistic vision or integrity, but to please shareholders and/or pad out the increasingly meagre lineup of a streaming platform in a fractured marketplace. I remember that, in the mid-2010s, the rumour was that Phineas and Ferb’s creators felt they had ideas for a potential fifth season – so that’s good news. But at the same time, I’m acutely aware that Phineas and Ferb is being revived for business reasons; Disney wants to use the revival to sign up and retain as many Disney+ subscribers as possible.

Corporate executives tend to treat existing brands and IP much more favourably than something new. We can see that in the marketing push Phineas and Ferb’s revival has gotten; comparable recent projects, even from the same creative team, like Milo Murphy’s Law or Hamster and Gretel didn’t get the same love and attention from Disney. And that’s to say nothing of shows like Hailey’s On It, which was cancelled after just one season and seemed to get absolutely no marketing budget whatsoever.

Photograph from the Phineas and Ferb S5 premiere showing Olivia Olson with a Perry the Platypus costumed figure.
Olivia Olson (left) with Perry the Platypus at the Season 5 premiere.
Photo Credit: The Walt Disney Company

In short, will Phineas and Ferb feel… hollow? Will it be noticeably more corporate in its tone, and will that impact the enjoyment of the finished product? Anything Disney is and always has been corporate, but in its original form Phineas and Ferb was at least an original idea. Will this version be noticeably worse for being revived a decade after it went off the air?

Another way to think about this point is like this: are there genuinely good ideas left and new stories to tell with these characters? Or will it be obvious from the first episode that everyone involved just came back to earn a stack of money? There are some reboots and revivals that are so nakedly corporate that they’re painfully unwatchable; think Dexter or Sex and the City, for instance, though those shows are far outside of Phineas and Ferb’s animated comedy genre. I guess I’m just worried that there’s nothing left in the tank; that all of the good episode ideas were made during the show’s original run, and that this revival will not only fail to recapture the magic… but might even taint the original series by being obviously soulless and so much weaker.

Photograph from the Phineas and Ferb S5 premiere showing the co-creators.
Co-creators of Phineas and Ferb Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh at the Season 5 premiere.
Photo Credit: The Walt Disney Company

And I think there’s a valid cause for concern in that regard. I don’t believe it’s an especially “hot take” to say that, outside of a few special feature-length episodes, the quality of Phineas and Ferb seemed to dip during its fourth season. It seemed, even then, that some premises had been done and done again, and that certain characters were more or less played out in terms of how far their arcs could take them. There were still some enjoyable episodes in the mix, but they tended to be ones that flipped the script or tried something different.

This ties into my next point. The revived series is going to be set one year later, meaning everyone will be a bit older. What impact will that have on character dynamics? Will Candace be as high-strung at sixteen as she was at fifteen? Will Phineas and the gang still be together on the same terms as before? The character this matters most for is Dr Doofenshmirtz; after an entire year as a “good guy,” and having had multiple adventures in Milo Murphy’s Law, how will he be different and how will that impact his relationships with Vanessa and Perry?

Promotional image for Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Dr Doofenshmirtz at a therapist's office.
How will the time-skip (and character regression) affect Doofenshmirtz and his relationships?

I can’t help but feel it was a mistake to move the timeline along. It risks undermining the powerful and emotional ending that the show’s original run got in 2015, and for an episodic series… would anyone really notice if the new episodes were set in that same endless summer? We can argue that some characters didn’t really change a lot over the course of the show, but Doofenshmirtz definitely did – and having him “become evil again” after going through everything and promising to change for Vanessa’s sake just… it doesn’t sit right, somehow.

The opposite problem might also arise. If we’re saying the kids are all a year older, it’ll seem strange if they look, dress, and behave exactly the same way, won’t it? I think it’s unlikely that the time-skip will do anything narratively; there won’t be some big off-screen adventure that happened during the school year that will be called back to. So if the time-skip doesn’t do anything for the story, and doesn’t seem to have affected most of the characters either, based on what we’ve glimpsed from trailers and teasers… why do it? Why not set the new episodes in that original summer, before the events of the series finale?

Still frame from the Phineas and Ferb Season 5 trailer showing the kids mid-jump.
If all the kids look and behave the exact same way, why not set the new episodes during the original summer?

The combination of Doofenshmirtz’s arc being potentially regressed or overwritten and the apparent lack of change to any of the other characters has me concerned that the time-skip will be seen as a mistake. I can see the reasoning behind it, and the temptation to give the kids another 104 days to plan all-new adventures. But there are drawbacks to it, too, and I can’t help but feel that these outweigh any potential benefits.

I mentioned that Phineas and Ferb was, in its original incarnation anyway, an episodic series. And one of my biggest hopes for the revival is that it stays that way! I don’t need Phineas and Ferb to become some kind of weird serialised cartoon, with each episode setting up the next and ending on a cliffhanger. There’s more than enough serialised storytelling out there; one of the most appealing things about Phineas and Ferb has always been that each episode is a self-contained adventure.

Still frame from the Phineas and Ferb Season 5 trailer showing Candace and Linda.
Linda and Candace as they appear in the Season 5 trailer.

Many episodic shows from the past are being brought back in a new, serialised form. Just look at the Star Trek franchise as an example, but I’m sure you can think of plenty of others. Episodic storytelling was the order of the day a few years ago, but in the aftermath of successful shows like Lost and Game of Thrones, every media executive seems to be demanding season-long narrative arcs nowadays. I hope that Phineas and Ferb won’t fall victim to this, and that Disney’s producers have recognised that the show’s episodic style is a core part of its identity and one of the biggest reasons why it worked so well.

Two-part episodes, feature-length specials, and the like are all okay, of course! But I don’t want to log in to Disney+ to find that each episode leads directly into the next; that Season 5 is one long narrative arc. It just wouldn’t be right for Phineas and Ferb, and it would almost certainly make it feel much more corporate, bland, and unexceptional in the ways we were discussing above.

Photograph from the Phineas and Ferb S5 premiere showing the co-creators on stage.
Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh on stage at the Season 5 premiere.
Photo Credit: The Walt Disney Company

I have one specific casting concern, and I’m not really sure how best to broach this. Richard O’Brien – who voices Lawrence, the boys’ father – is 83 years old at time of writing. And throughout the revival’s marketing campaign, I haven’t so much as glimpsed him. Is O’Brien part of the revival? He’s tentatively credited on IMDB, but only for one episode of Season 5, which feels like a placeholder. I haven’t heard talk of the role of Lawrence being re-cast, but I haven’t seen or heard anything from Richard O’Brien himself or the show’s production team to confirm his involvement.

Phineas and Ferb is no stranger to re-cast roles, of course. Ferb – literally one of the title characters – was re-cast in 2020 for Candace Against the Universe, and I think that passed by inoffensively enough. But it would be a shame to lose Richard O’Brien, or to see the role of Lawrence diminished if he’s not able to voice the character as often or as freely any more. I guess we won’t know for sure until the new season arrives, but O’Brien’s absence and silence have left me a little concerned about a potentially reduced role for one of the core members of the Flynn-Fletcher family. Lawrence may not have always been the centre of attention in the way Linda is with Candace, but he’s often been an important presence in episodes, setting up key storylines or just butting in with a funny one-liner.

Cropped still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 3 showing the boys with their dad.
Lawrence with the boys in Season 3.

I’m not an artist or an animator, so please be aware of that caveat as I make this next point. From the clips and still images I’ve seen so far, something feels “off” about some of the background characters. I’m not sure if it’s something in their eyes, something to do with the colour palette used, or how they’re integrated into scenes, but some of these secondary characters feel floaty and lifeless. It’s like they’re not really there; ghostly, almost transparent presences.

Could that be connected to Disney using a different animation studio, or even just different digital animation software? I’m not sure. I hope it’s not something that’s gonna be too noticeable throughout the revival, though! The main characters – at least from what I’ve seen so far – stay true to their original designs and don’t seem to be impacted by whatever animation changes have been made. That’s positive, for sure, and visual/artistic styles are usually something I can get used to (or get over) given enough time. But from what I’ve seen so far, some of these secondary characters have left me feeling unimpressed.

Still frame from the Phineas and Ferb Season 5 Sneak Peek showing multiple characters during a musical sequence.
I’m not wild about how some of these secondary characters looked in the trailer and sneak peek.

So I think that’s everything I had to say on the negative side of things. Let’s try to be a bit more positive now and look ahead to some of the things I’m most looking forward to!

First of all, to counter some of the negative thoughts I had about the show’s time-skip, I think there’s at least some potential in that idea. It gives the writing team – who are a mix of old hands and newbies – a virgin, unspoiled landscape for telling new stories. There’s no need to worry about how certain character beats or narrative moments might impact stories which are supposedly set further along the show’s timeline, and there’s unlimited room for growth for pretty much all of the characters. In an episodic series – which I’m crossing my fingers and hoping Phineas and Ferb will continue to be – there’s perhaps less of a need for consistent character growth, but the potential is still there.

Behind-the-scenes photo from Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing the production team.
The team during production on Season 5.
Image Credit: Dan Povenmire

With the kids all being one year older, that could potentially open up new storylines, too. The original run of the show saw various characters develop crushes, but only older characters like Candace and Jeremy got to take things further and develop a full-blown relationship. Could someone like Buford or Ferb get a partner this time? That could be an interesting thing to explore.

And on the teen side, with Jeremy potentially leaving for university and Candace old enough to drive, there could be new storytelling potential. How would Candace react to Jeremy leaving, for example? If she’s able to drive, could that mean more adventures for her and her friends, or her and her brothers, without any adult supervision? That could definitely open up new locations further afield for adventures and building projects!

Promo image for Phineas and Ferb Season 5 showing Candace driving a car.
Is Candace gonna get her driver’s license?

One of my favourite episodes of Phineas and Ferb is the Christmas special from Season 2, and even though it’s June and the show’s usually set in summer… I wonder if we could see another holiday-themed episode either this season or sometime further along in the revival. There were a couple of Halloween episodes during the show’s original run, too, and that’s always a fun holiday to visit! It would be fun to see at least one episode – even if it’s not feature-length – set outside of the summer during one of the holiday events.

And speaking of special episodes – how about another vacation or travel story? Phineas and Ferb took characters to Hawaii, Africa, France, Japan, and my native UK… but there’s huge potential to visit locations all across the United States and around the world. The boys could visit Australia, the Amazon rainforest, or even Antarctica as part of one of their adventures, or maybe Dr Doofenshmirtz will visit a country like Spain or South Africa while pursuing an evil scheme. There’s a huge amount of storytelling potential when characters step outside of their usual environment, and the show used this to great effect last time around.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb Season 1 showing a depiction of famous British landmarks and buildings.
Phineas and Ferb visited England in Season 1.

So far, I’ve only heard one song from the revived series: Summer Is Starting Right Now which is from the season premiere. The songs in Phineas and Ferb have always been one of the best parts of the show, and at least the first song from the revival seems to keep that trend going in the best possible way! The song feels like it’s right out of the original series, in tone, in terms of vocal performances, and everything. Given that I want to feel like Phineas and Ferb basically picked up where it left off, the revival’s first song definitely hits the right notes for me.

And I think that last point pretty much encapsulates what I want to see from this revival. Sure, there are going to be new stories to tell and new ways for characters to interact and for the two-and-a-half storylines to intersect. But for me, the point of doing a revival of this type is to give fans new stories which stay true to the original formula. That isn’t to say there’s no room for experimentation, but fundamentally, what I want out of a Phineas and Ferb revival is quite simply… Phineas and Ferb.

Still frame from the Phineas and Ferb Season 5 trailer showing the kids on toboggans.
I hope Season 5 is going to be a blast.

I want to see Phineas and the gang inventing and building impossibly awesome and fun projects. And I want to see Dr Doofenshmirtz work on an evil scheme to conquer the Tri-State Area. Candace should be on top form trying to get the boys in trouble, and Perry needs to be pushing Doof’s self-destruct buttons. These storylines should come together at the climax of the plot, with Doofenshmirtz’s inator somehow causing the boys’ mom not to see what they’d built. That’s Phineas and Ferb in a nutshell, and it’s what made the show so enjoyable to watch during its original run. I really hope the revival won’t stray too far from that wonderful formula.

Despite some concerns, I’m genuinely excited to welcome Phineas and Ferb back to our screens after such a long absence. You might remember me talking about the show’s Christmas special back in December; it’s something I revisit with fondness every holiday season. Phineas and Ferb is one of my favourite shows, and I really hope this revival will succeed at recapturing the magic.

Check back some time soon for a review… I’ll be sure to let you know if it achieves that objective!


Phineas and Ferb Season 5 will premiere on the 5th of June 2025 on the Disney Channel in the United States, with all ten episodes being available on Disney+ on the 6th of June 2025 in the United States and “select markets.” The rest of the world will follow later in the year. Phineas and Ferb is the copyright of Disney Television Animation and/or The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Ten of My Favourite Phineas and Ferb Episodes

A spoiler warning graphic.

Spoiler Warning: Beware of minor spoilers ahead for Phineas and Ferb.

In just a couple of months, Phineas and Ferb will be back on our screens for the first time in a decade. Well, for the first time since Candace Against the Universe premiered as a one-off TV movie! So I thought it could be a bit of fun to take a look at ten episodes from the show’s original run that stand out to me.

I’ve talked about this before, but I encountered Phineas and Ferb when I was already an adult. When I used to have a satellite TV subscription back in the 2000s, I came across an ad for the show either just before or just after its premiere. Although I shouldn’t have been interested in a kids’ cartoon airing on the Disney Channel, something about the show’s writing or art style must’ve leapt out at me – so I gave it a watch. And I’m so glad that I did, because Phineas and Ferb has unironically become one of my favourite TV shows… ever.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Klimpaloon (an old-timey bathing suit with a face).
It’s Klimpaloon!

The best children’s programmes offer something for adult viewers, too – and no, I don’t just mean that they keep the kids busy so we can get on with other things! There can be jokes that adults will find funny, storytelling that transcends the generational divide, or characters who exhibit traits that kids and adults alike can relate to. This explains the enduring popularity of the shows and films which strike the right balance – and for me at least, Phineas and Ferb is up there with the likes of SpongeBob SquarePants, Tom and Jerry, and the best of Disney’s animated films.

The show’s two-and-a-half storyline structure is really what makes it stand out. The boys and their invention are on one side, with their sister Candace trying to get them in trouble, while secret agent Perry the Platypus is on the other as he battles the self-proclaimed evil scientist Dr Doofenshmirtz. But where Phineas and Ferb really excels is by bringing these two halves of the show together – often, but not always, by ensuring Doofenshmirtz’s scheme will cause the boys’ invention to disappear. Particularly in later episodes, the writers would get creative with these intersecting moments, too, successfully subverting audience expectations!

So that’s a bit of background as we head into the list. But before we go any further, I have a couple of important caveats.

Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh at an event for Phineas and Ferb circa 2014.
Phineas and Ferb co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh.

Firstly, I’m not “ranking” these episodes. Nor am I saying these are my “all-time top ten favourites!” These are just ten great episodes from Phineas and Ferb’s original run that I happen to really enjoy. Making some kind of tier list of all the show’s episodes or seasons will have to wait for another occasion. I’m listing the episodes in broadcast order, starting with Season 1 and going through to Season 4, and for the purposes of this list, one “episode” is one story. On Disney+ (and often during the show’s original broadcast run) two episodes would be paired up – but that’s not how I’m arranging my list.

Finally, nothing about this is in any way “objective!” Other fans of the show will have different favourite episodes, so if I pick an episode you hate or ignore one that you think should be obvious for a list like this… that’s okay! There ought to be enough room in the fan community for differences of opinion and polite disagreement.

With all of that out of the way, let’s take a look at ten of my favourite Phineas and Ferb episodes.

Episode #1:
Are You My Mummy?
Season 1

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Phineas, Ferb, and Candace (in a mummy outfit).

Of all the early Season 1 episodes to really nail the core concepts of Phineas and Ferb, Are You My Mummy? has to be one of the best. It’s an adventure story inspired by classic mummy and monster movies, but unlike some later stories which see the boys perform completely out-of-this-world feats, there’s something about the cinema setting that keeps things grounded. The boys go on an adventure, sure… but it’s an adventure in the basement of a cinema filled with “fakey promotional lobby junk,” and a misunderstood “mummy.” This kind of story – in which we see the world through a kind of child’s-eye view – wouldn’t always be present in the series, but I think it’s a big part of what makes Are You My Mummy? so charming.

Perry’s side of the story – in which he has to prevent Doofenshmirtz from flooding the city – is a ton of fun, too. The two halves of the episode come together in the basement of the cinema, with Phineas, Ferb, Candace, and Perry going on a water ride inspired by the likes of Disney’s own Splash Mountain.

Episode #2:
Dude, We’re Getting The Band Back Together
Season 1

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Love Handel's concert.

Phineas and Ferb quickly became known for its songs and musical numbers, and Season 1’s Dude, We’re Getting The Band Back Together has several great tracks. An episode all about music – and the importance of music in the lives of the characters – was bound to have some excellent songs, and we get some outstanding additions to the show’s soundtrack here! It’s hard to pick a favourite, but You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart is definitely up there, and I’d be remiss not to also mention Ain’t Got Rhythm, which was nominated for an Emmy award.

The boys team-up with Candace is particularly cute, too, as it shakes up the formula of the show somewhat. It also shows Candace’s willingness to join in with her brothers – at least sometimes! – which is a fun change of pace for her character. Doofenshmirtz’s story of hosting Vanessa’s birthday party also sees him working with Perry for a change – and cements his status as one of the best dads in animation!

Episode #3:
I Was A Middle-Aged Robot
Season 2

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Carl, Perry, and their robot.

This episode puts Candace and Perry in the driving seat, after a “mishap” with a memory erasing machine means Lawrence can’t take her to the father-daughter picnic competition. There are some fantastic moments of humour in this episode; I particularly love the sheer randomness of Perry’s robot being programmed in Dutch, and him having to use two Dutch-to-French and French-to-English dictionaries to operate it. Trying to explain it kills the joke, of course!

I Was A Middle-Aged Robot is another great family episode, as we see the boys, their mom, and their friends all get together to cheer on Candace and their dad. The obstacle course means a lot to her, so having everyone get together to support her just… gives me the warm fuzzy feels. Perry abandoning Doofenshmirtz – who seemed to have a whole story of his own lined up and ready to go – was funny, too.

Episode #4:
Christmas Vacation
Season 2

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Santa Claus meeting the kids.

I know it’s the middle of April and we really shouldn’t be thinking about Christmas… but this Christmas special is one of my all-time favourites, and one I return to every single holiday season. I’m a sucker for the whole “Christmas is in danger, someone has to save it!” story cliché, and Christmas Vacation really sells it – with a Phineas and Ferb twist, of course. As you might expect, it’s Doofenshmirtz’s evil scheme that puts Christmas in danger, meaning it’s up to Phineas and the gang to restore Danville’s holiday spirit.

We talked about songs a moment ago, and Christmas Vacation has some truly outstanding musical numbers. Christmas Is Starting Now should be on everyone’s festive playlist, and that’s just one! There are so many good songs, some beautiful animation to bring the winter wonderland to life, and a fun holiday story keeping it all together. I have a longer piece about Christmas Vacation that I wrote last year to mark its fifteenth anniversary, so click or tap here to check it out.

Episode #5:
The Doof Side Of The Moon
Season 2

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Phineas erecting a building.

I’m pretty sure that the skyscraper in The Doof Side Of The Moon is the biggest thing the boys ever built! It’s gotta be one of the biggest, anyway, as it reaches all the way to the moon. The sequence of the skyscraper being constructed really is a ton of fun, with so many wacky and random building methods all thrown in together. Candace, naturally, wants to report on what her brothers are doing, and this time enlists the help of Albert… a character who really gives me the creeps! I think we all knew or at least remember someone like that from our school days – a very cringeworthy individual to say the least.

There isn’t as much going on with Doofenshmirtz and Perry in this episode, and Doof’s plan is silly even by his standards! But I liked his chart comparing his everyday evilness to the other “background evil” in the Tri-State Area. And Doofenshmirtz’s scheme was responsible for the building disappearing from the Flynn-Fletcher back yard!

Episode #6:
The Belly Of The Beast
Season 3

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Candace and Stacy on their boat.

There are multiple references to the classic monster film Jaws in this episode, which is a ton of fun. The boys build a giant mechanical shark for Danville’s Harbour Day celebration, leading Candace and Stacy to hire a ship to chase after them. The ship’s captain is an incredibly funny character (and someone I hope will return in Season 5 or 6!) and there’s just a lot of fun to be had in this nautical setting. It takes most of the characters away from their usual haunts to do something a little different – while also paying homage to the kind of small-town celebrations that are common across the United States. There’s a lot to love on this side of the story.

Doofenshmirtz’s Taffy-Inator isn’t one of his wackiest or worst inventions; it’s basically just a large taffy machine. Why he wants to promote tooth decay, though… I’m still not clear on that! There were plenty of neat moments with Doof and Perry, though, and again it was fun to see them in a different setting for a change.

Episode #7:
Magic Carpet Ride
Season 3

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing the gang on their magic carpet.

I’ll be honest: this episode is primarily making the list for its song! Aerial Area Rug is epic and silly in equal measure, perfectly satirising Aladdin’s A Whole New World while retaining the same majestic tone. Songwriter Robert Lopez – who later wrote the songs for Frozen and Frozen II – put it together with help from the show’s writing team, and it’s just one of the absolute best in the series in my opinion.

Song aside, the episode is fun. The boys recreate a flying carpet that their dad saw on TV when he was a kid, and Doofenshmirtz tries to ruin his brother’s day – only to have it blow back on him. I actually feel sorry for Doofenshmirtz in Magic Carpet Ride, and I think it’s a great episode for exploring more of his feud with Roger.

Episode #8:
Delivery Of Destiny
Season 3

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Doof's building from street level.

An episode told mostly from the point-of-view of a random side character? I know it sounds silly, but it really works! Not only that, but it’s a kind of uplifting story of a young man learning to appreciate his job – something I think we can all relate to in some way. There are some fun musical clips thanks to the inclusion of Love Handel, too. Seeing both the boys’ invention and one of Doofenshmirtz’s plots from a totally different perspective was genuinely interesting.

Delivery of Destiny is the kind of episode that wouldn’t have been possible prior to Season 3. It took the series, its characters, its world, and all of its tropes and completely flipped the script, showing us a glimpse of how things look from the perspective of one of the citizens of Danville. It also wrapped everything up in a fun self-contained story, too. Something a bit different – and that’s why I like it!

Episode #9:
My Sweet Ride
Season 4

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Phineas blowing a bugle on top of a car.

This is probably a “hot take” and a bit of a generalisation… but I find that the quality of Phineas and Ferb seemed to dip a bit as Season 4 rolled around. There are some great episodes in the season, but I’d argue there were also a few less-enjoyable offerings, as well. My Sweet Ride is a blast, though! The nostalgic Americana of the Doo-Wop Hop and the classic car festival is a ton of fun, and the episode’s song is a classic retro-inspired number, too.

Phineas and Ferb trick out Candace’s new car – and let their dad take most of the credit! Doofenshmirtz’s crazy contraption is also a lot of fun, and gives us another glimpse of life in Drusselstein, which is neat. Monty and Vanessa continue their relationship and get a cute moment together, and it’s fun to get a story which brings almost all of the main characters from both sides of Phineas and Ferb’s world together in the same place.

Episode #10:
Phineas and Ferb Save Summer
Season 4

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Monty hiding behind a wall.

Season 4 has a bunch of feature-length episodes, and there are several I could’ve chosen to include here! This time, we’re going with Phineas and Ferb Save Summer – an exciting story which sees Doofenshmirtz’s evil scheme succeed, leading to his organisation trying to take over the world by forcing the planet into a new ice age! Although the boys and Doof are kept separate, their stories come together in the best way possible, leading to Phineas and the gang undoing the damage.

I really enjoyed seeing a different side of Doofenshmirtz. After his initial scheme succeeds, he gets swept along by other evil scientists – notably his nemesis, Rodney – and feels increasingly uncomfortable with the things they’re doing. We also see Perry’s animal colleagues at the OWCA captured after Major Monogram gets fired, leaving Carl and Monty in charge. There’s a fun battle sequence between the animal agents and the evil scientists, and Candace gets a sub-plot about achieving her childhood goals and overcoming a phobia. There’s a lot going on – and it’s all great fun!

So that’s it… for now!

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb showing Candace staring at the boys on a TV screen.
Phineas and Ferb will be back on our screens in a couple of months!

There are literally dozens more episodes I wanted to include, so stay tuned – I’d love to revisit this topic in the future and pick out another selection of episodes. If you only have time to watch (or re-watch) a handful of episodes before Season 5 premieres, though, I hope I’ve given you a few ideas for where to start!

I’m cautiously optimistic about Phineas and Ferb’s revival. I really want to see the show succeed, and I hope the writers have found new stories to tell that will really get back to what made Phineas and Ferb so enjoyable during its original run. However… I would be lying if I said I didn’t have some concerns. Setting the new season a year later is good in some ways, as it allows for character growth and could give the characters new experiences and challenges. But it could also undermine the pretty definitive ending that the series got, and I can’t help but feel that setting the new episodes in that original endless summer might’ve been a better call. I’d love to be proven wrong, though!

Behind-the-scenes photo showing the cast and crew of Phineas and Ferb Season 5 standing in front of a projection of the title screen.
The cast and crew of Phineas and Ferb Season 5.
Image Credit: Dan Povenmire on Instagram

Speaking of Season 5: when it premieres later this year I’m planning to review it, so I hope you’ll swing by for that! I’ll talk about all of the episodes and go into detail about what I liked (or didn’t like, if it comes to that). I’m definitely crossing my fingers and hoping for an enjoyable time. Back in 2020, Candace Against The Universe was pretty good, so there are reasons to be hopeful.

Until then, I hope you enjoyed this look at some of my favourite episodes from Phineas and Ferb’s first four seasons. Who knows… if Seasons 5 and 6 are successful, a renewal could be on the cards and there could be many more stories still to tell in the Tri-State Area.


Phineas and Ferb Seasons 1-4 are available to stream now on Disney+. Some episodes and films are also available on DVD and/or Blu-ray. Phineas and Ferb Season 5 is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ and the Disney Channel in the United States in June 2025. Phineas and Ferb is the copyright of Disney Television Animation and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Futurama: Season 9/12 Review

A Simpsons-themed spoiler warning graphic.

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Futurama.

About a year ago, I took a look at Futurama’s eighth (or eleventh, depending on how we count things) season. I said in my review that a few episodes managed to win a chuckle here and there, but none were outstanding. This revived edition of Futurama still had a lot of work to do to justify its resurrection – something that was born in one of Disney’s corporate offices as executives scrounged around, desperate for content to add to Disney+ and hoping to successfully play the nostalgia card.

Futurama Season 9/12 is in the same vein – but less funny. In fact, I think I could count on one hand the number of times I laughed across the entire ten-episode season, which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of what was once TV’s premiere sci-fi comedy series. Futurama has lost a step, and while it’s far from the only revived or rebooted show to fail at recapturing the magic… that doesn’t make me feel any better!

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing the professor and Hermes sitting in an office.
Futurama is back… for a bland and uninspired season.

Here’s the headline: I can’t say I hated any of the ten episodes this season. There were some moments of cringe humour – the kind that I personally can’t stand – and a couple of episodes that had clearly taken so long to produce that they felt way out of date. But despite the fact that I didn’t really find much of it to be all that funny, these episodes passed by inoffensively enough. They’d probably make for decently okay background viewing – the kind of thing I switch on while I’m distracted doing something else. There’s not a lot of content or story to get stuck into in really any of the episodes. This season is like the television equivalent of fast food; something to watch, but lacking in any real substance.

So while I’d definitely watch this batch of episodes again, it wouldn’t really be by choice. If I felt sufficiently bored and needed some background noise, they’d be fine for that purpose! But is that what fans want from Futurama? Is the series – which, in its prime, was one of the cleverest sci-fi shows around, and one of the funniest comedies, too – really just being relegated to this… slop? As corporations race to add ever more content to streaming platforms in a bid to retain subscribers, shows like Futurama are being butchered, turned into corporate-mandated fluff that executives can boast about to shareholders in their annual meetings. “Did you see how many fans came back to Disney+ for Futurama? That means we made a net gain of subscribers this quarter!” That’s why Futurama is back. And it shows.

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing Kif and Zapp Branigan.
Kif and Zapp.

I’d argue that this season fundamentally misunderstands not only what made the original Futurama so entertaining, but what a revived series should aim to be. This was a chance to tell new stories with characters fans came to know and love, but instead Futurama’s writers – almost certainly at Disney’s insistence – are trying to re-do the show’s “greatest hits.” Plot points are recycled, random characters from earlier episodes make cameos for no good reason, and even jokes are re-told in less funny, less entertaining ways. These last two seasons of Futurama should be a case study in how to completely misunderstand and overrate the importance of nostalgia as a driving force in entertainment.

As an example, the ship’s can opener – which causes Bender to sing uncontrollably and mangled him in the third season episode Bendin’ In The Wind – made a return… but not in any real way. A joke was made about Bender singing, another about the can opener being given its own quarters… but that was all. It was a reference to a funnier, stronger, and all-around better episode for no other reason than to say “hey guys, remember how good Futurama used to be?”

Concept art for Futurama circa 1998, from the official concept art book.
Concept art of Fry, Leela, Bender, and Amy circa 1998.
Image Credit: Abrams Books/The Hollywood Reporter

And this didn’t just happen with jokes. A flashback to a young Hermes playing with blocks in the aftermath of a hurricane was a callback to How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back, only without any of the fun or emotional impact. Bender’s second trip to Mexico likewise lacked any of the charm of his first, and even flashbacks to Fry’s family in the 20th Century felt like little more than the show trying and failing to recapture the magic of better episodes.

All of these in-jokes, meta-humour, and self-referential moments came across less as fun little easter eggs for returning fans and more as callbacks to when the show was actually good. This is what I mean when I say the season overplayed its hand; little jokes and references here and there can, under the right circumstances, be fun, and fan service is not inherently a bad idea. But Futurama totally missed the mark on this occasion.

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing young Hermes.
Remember when Futurama did that fun bureaucrat song in a much better episode?

I can’t help but feel that Futurama is taking the wrong lessons from the likes of Rick and Morty. Having originally inspired a whole new generation of sci-fi animated comedies, Futurama is now in the awkward position of trying to take storytelling styles and narrative concepts from them. Rick and Morty regularly breaks the fourth wall, references itself, and creates these meta-narratives that are funny – but messy. Futurama didn’t fully commit to that style, but this season tried to steal some of the trappings with almost no success.

Futurama doesn’t get the same leeway as the likes of Rick and Morty, which uses more violence, more sexual content, swearing, and so on. In that sense, Futurama feels more tame – but rather than lean into that, the show’s writers want their show to feel more “edgy.” But without being able to go further – perhaps constrained by Disney in a way that Rick and Morty isn’t – it just comes across as half-hearted… or half-arsed. The same is true of the show’s meta-jokes and self-referential humour: without being able to fully commit to being that style of show, Futurama can’t employ those moments effectively.

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing the Inferno Festival.
Could it be a visual metaphor for this season?

The series is in real danger of losing its identity. Futurama is unable to keep up with newer shows in the sci-fi animated space – shows that it inspired and that wouldn’t exist without it. It’s unable to fully emulate or copy them – and doing so would erase everything that makes Futurama feel like Futurama. But in an entertainment landscape that has changed massively in the quarter of a century since it debuted, Futurama can’t effectively do the same things it used to. Its attempt to mix a sci-fi setting with real-world parallels falls flat. Its episodic storytelling with character growth has plateaued and seemingly has nowhere left to go. Even its trademark mix of laugh-out-loud jokes with emotional moments that literally left fans in tears isn’t working any more. The jokes aren’t funny and the attempts at emotional storytelling feel thoroughly un-earned.

This is usually the part where I’d say something like this: “if the jokes and emotion landed for you, that’s great!” But I don’t think there are many Futurama fans in that camp. These two recent seasons feel so corporate and hollowed-out, so devoid of everything that made the original work feel special, and so utterly, irredeemably bland… that I really don’t know if anyone is loving Futurama any more. I think a lot of people will watch it and tolerate it – aside from a dated episode about NFTs and some jokes that were too cringe for my taste, there’s not much unpleasant about this season of Futurama. It goes down easy, as they say. But actually watching this season to enjoy what’s on offer? Is anyone out there doing that?

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing Bender at the NFT museum.
This episode’s NFT plot was out of date before it was even written.

Alright, let’s go through the episodes briefly and talk about which (if any) might graze the high bar of “yeah, I guess that one was okay.”

The One Amigo is a horribly outdated story about NFTs – the market for which tanked a solid two years before its July 2024 broadcast. Bender returning to Mexico felt like a significantly worse version of Lethal Inspection. That episode had genuine stakes, a great emotional core, and a twist. This one has Bender meeting a bunch of random Mexican stereotypes and no real ending. Seriously… Bender was “sacrificed” then, one scene later, was back at home just in time for the credits.

Up next was Quid’s Game, which honestly was just middle-of-the-road fluff. None of the characters ever felt like they were in danger, the flashbacks to Fry’s family were okay but didn’t really deliver much in terms of story or emotional weight. The twist – that Fry’s mother was secretly rigging the games so he’d win – was pretty obvious, and the return of Gedgie (from Season 6’s Cold Warriors) wasn’t particularly interesting, either.

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing a group of characters falling into green liquid.
Did you feel any of the characters were in danger?

The Temp called back to the episode Amazon Women in the Mood, setting part of its story in the aftermath of that episode. Though timelines aren’t something to be terribly concerned about in a show like Futurama, it was a little odd that The Temp repeatedly called attention to the twenty-three year time span. When characters don’t seem to age and the show appears to be mostly episodic with a floating timeline, it’s just a bit of a strange thing to bring up. The Temp was mostly okay, though, and the idea of a very forgettable person being accidentally abandoned was interesting.

Ah yes, a timely and delicate critique of bullfighting – that’s what Futurama needs. Or so the writers of Beauty and the Bug believed. We get it: bullfighting is outdated and cruel. But this episode added nothing to that conversation that hasn’t already been said, and it muddled its messaging with Bender’s quest to become a champion bug-fighter taking up much of the middle of the story. There wasn’t much nuance… and I just don’t see the point of a story like this.

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing a matador and a buggalo.
A robo-matador in Beauty and the Bug.

AI chat bots have been in the news a lot – so one side of One Is Silicon, The Other Is Gold seemed pretty timely. But that Fyre Festival parody at the beginning? I mean, that was way too late to be biting and funny! Still, once the episode got going the idea of Leela falling prey to a chat bot was interesting, and the boys’ book club was surprisingly cute.

Attack of the Clothes annoyed me because it seemed to end on a cliffhanger… only for its story to disappear, never to be mentioned again. The world of “fast fashion” is, I will admit, not something I’m especially familiar with. But a story about not immediately disposing of things after one use could make sense. Attack of the Clothes, though, just felt like a vehicle for guest star Cara Delevigne. Some recent episodes of The Simpsons can be way too deferential to their guest stars, sucking up to them and showering them with compliments. Attack of the Clothes felt like that, at least in part. Is it fair to call it a good story concept ruined by a guest star who was a little too present?

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing the professor and Cara Delevigne.
Attack of the Clothes.

Planet Espresso wasn’t terrible at first, but it had that awful callback that I mentioned above, and also ended on another underwhelming cliffhanger. Are we ever gonna see those coffee aliens again? I doubt it – so why not finish the story in a more solid way? Having never met (nor even heard about) Hermes’ father, there wasn’t a lot for this episode to build on. I think the bare bones of the story had potential, but the emotional moments didn’t really stick the landing for me.

On a couple of occasions, Futurama has used one of these “three-stories-in-one” episodes to show off a range of different storytelling and animation styles. The Futurama Mystery Liberry was this season’s attempt to do that… but the animation was weirdly lacking, at least for me. There was an opportunity to really lean into different visual styles inspired by the comics and illustrations that the stories were drawn from, but that didn’t happen. The stories themselves, being less than ten minutes apiece, were pretty basic, but if you’re familiar with the likes of Nancy Drew and Tintin you’ll at least get most of the references. I thought it was a bit of a waste of guest stars LeVar Burton and Neil deGrasse Tyson, though.

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing LeVar Burton in a rocking chair.
LeVar Burton guest-starred in this episode – a play on his Reading Rainbow role.

Remember in the ’90s when everyone got obsessed with Beanie Babies? The writers of Cuteness Overlord do… and they thought it was worth making a timely critique of the phenomenon. I mean… do I even have to say it? There were echoes of the NFT episode here, too, which just felt repetitive, Amy seemed to act out of character in order to drive the story, and I just… I just don’t understand why you’d make an episode like this in 2024. In 1999, maybe. But now? The Beanie Baby fad died decades ago and you’d have to be my age or older to even remember it. What was the point?

In keeping with earlier seasons, Otherwise was this season’s attempt to end with an emotional sucker punch. But like last year, we seemed to spend most of our time following a different set of characters – who were all killed off at the end anyway. These parallel universe/alternate timeline stories really don’t have much to say, and given that these events will almost certainly not be brought up again in future… I just don’t feel much of an impact. There were some moments with Fry that came close to expressing the emotion that the episode wanted… but the ending wrenched most of that away.

Still frame from Futurama Season 9/12 (2024) showing the main characters aboard a spaceship.
The alternate dimension characters aboard their new ship.

So that was Futurama’s ninth or twelfth season. It’s hard to say I hated it given how plain and inoffensive most of it was. The worst I can say, really, is that references to things like NFTs and the Fyre Festival came years too late to be relevant – kind of like last season’s covid vaccine story. But on a deeper level, I really feel sad for Futurama. To be turned into this bland content slop just so Disney can play the nostalgia card amidst the “streaming wars”… I dunno. A show that was so influential that it basically created its own sub-genre deserves better than this.

There are two more seasons of Futurama to come – presumably later this year and in 2026. On current form, I don’t really expect to see the series improve significantly. I’d love to be proven wrong, and for the final two seasons to be a genuine return to form. But this revival feels so soulless and like such a misunderstanding of what viewers want and expect that I don’t have high hopes.


Futurama is available to stream now on Disney+. The series is also available on DVD and Blu-ray. Futurama is the copyright of 20th Television Animation, Hulu, and/or The Walt Disney Company. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Do We Really Need A Buffy Reboot?

In the ’90s and early 2000s, I was a pretty big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show felt fresh and different; taking horror villains and tropes but bringing them into a fun, modern setting. There was a great cast of characters, too, that changed and grew over time, and some well-executed longer arcs mixed in with plenty of episodic storytelling. There’s no doubt in my mind: Buffy was a great show.

I haven’t actually re-visited Buffy the Vampire Slayer since it was on terrestrial TV here in the UK. The final episode would’ve aired in late 2003, I guess, meaning I haven’t seen it in more than twenty years! Can I still call myself a fan of something two decades later? I don’t know… but I still consider myself a fan, at any rate.

The main cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2.

So why are we talking about Buffy today? The answer is simple, unfortunately: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the latest series to be targeted for a resurrection by its corporate overlords. They’re hoping to add more content to Hulu – an unsuccessful streaming platform. A Buffy reboot is in the offing… and honestly, I think it sounds like a terrible idea.

When interviewed about the reboot – which is still at a very early stage – Sarah Michelle Gellar likened the show’s revival to the likes of Dexter and Sex and the City. Y’know… those notoriously successful reboots that everyone just adores. Given that several members of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s old cast have retired from acting (or couldn’t be part of a reboot for other reasons), I think a more apt comparison would be something like Frasier. That show, which also had its heyday in the ’90s, was revived with only one of its main characters returning. And, as anyone could’ve predicted, it flopped.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers) in 2024.
Photo Credit: IMDB/Getty

A reboot is not inherently bad in and of itself, but it has to be created for the right reasons. There have to be new stories to tell, something more to say, and a purpose beyond a corporate board and investors looking to make a quick profit. The streaming TV landscape is also oversaturated with attempted revivals of once-popular shows, as well as franchises trying to recapture their glory days. There’s much more limited room for manoeuvre for a Buffy reboot in 2025 than there might’ve been even a few short years ago.

If I recall correctly, Buffy’s seventh and final season came to an explosive end – but left the door ajar for potential future stories. But with many character arcs being complete, and with Buffy herself having literally been to hell and back, what kind of new adventures could she realistically get into? And with several characters dead and other performers no longer available, would fans be interested in half of a reunion? Would brand-new characters – who would need to be added to fill out the lineup – be as interesting or as welcomed by the returning fans that the reboot’s producers hope to entice?

Buffy at the end of the series.

There was a charm to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in its original form. It was something different on TV; soft horror that had a lot of the monsters but without crossing over into anything outright terrifying. It could be light-hearted and funny, but it was also serious enough in the way its characters were handled that moments of drama and tension still worked. The mix of episodic storytelling – a literal “monster of the week” – with ongoing story arcs and character development was also something rare on television at the time.

I don’t know how you replicate that today. With so many other horror shows on the air – from Stranger Things to The Terror and beyond – there’s a risk that Buffy the Vampire Slayer would seem tame or campy in comparison to some of those other offerings. Or, conversely, if Buffy was “updated” to be more violent and terrifying, really leaning into the horror angle, that the show would lose itself. Everything that made it unique would be erased; lost in the slop of big-budget streaming TV.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn’t need to rely on cheap jump-scares or gore to be entertaining.

Some films and TV shows work in context – but they’re very much anchored to the time and place of their creation. You couldn’t reboot Cheers in the 2020s – not successfully, anyway. It’s an ’80s show with an ’80s theme and tone, and it wouldn’t work if you tried to transpose it to a brand-new decade. I can think of plenty of others, too – from British classics like Fawlty Towers to big-budget American shows like Seinfeld. Some story premises are genuinely timeless… but others aren’t.

Is Buffy the Vampire Slayer in that category? Is it a show so inherently linked to the turn of the millennium that it couldn’t work in the 2020s? I fear it might be – and while I could entertain, perhaps, the idea of a complete reworking of the concept, with a brand-new cast of characters taking on a horror series with episodic elements, I’m not sure bringing back some of the original cast will work, either. Twenty-five years ago, Buffy and her friends were at high school and university. Now… what will they be doing? They’re all going to be in completely different places in life, and that would also take something important away from the series – part of its core identity.

Is Buffy too much of a late ’90s/early 2000s show to work in the 2020s?

I’ve been wrong about these things before, and if this reboot does go ahead, then I’ll probably at least take a look at the trailers to see whether it seems like it has a chance of being any good. But to me, it feels like the kind of utterly soulless project born in a corporate boardroom, not a genuinely organic creation. To bring back a series that already ran to 144 episodes across seven seasons, you need to find a reason for doing so – and some way to tell new stories that weren’t possible last time. I don’t see what those stories could be, and without key characters who were essential to the original show, as well as the school setting which did so much to keep things grounded and relatable… what’s left?

I look at the failure of many recent reboots – Dexter, Frasier, Roseanne, and even, to some extent, the likes of Star Wars – and wonder what fans of Buffy will make of this idea. Returning to the core concept might have some merit to it, though even then I’d probably argue that a new series, with new characters, would be less restricting and a better way to go. But bringing back a handful of characters, now in their forties or older, to revive this high school drama? I mean… doesn’t it seem like a bit of a stretch?

A Buffy reboot without most of its cast will likely go about as well as the Frasier reboot did under similar circumstances.

Having said all of that, I was pretty excited in 2019 and 2020 for Star Trek: Picard – a series which brought back the fan-favourite character from The Next Generation for a new adventure. So perhaps the Buffy die-hards will be just as thrilled at the prospect of her return as I was for Jean-Luc Picard. And maybe, if the reboot is a success, it’ll be more a case of passing the torch from one generation of vampire slayers to another – and those new characters could go on to expand the franchise.

There is room, I would argue, for more episodic television in 2025, and that’s what Buffy used to be. The biggest horror and horror-adjacent streaming shows today are wholly serialised affairs: From, The Walking Dead, The Last Of Us, etc. And there’s room for a show inspired by the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to go back to the format’s episodic roots instead of telling one ongoing story. I don’t know whether this planned reboot even intends to do that… but I think there could be space for a series like that. If there’s a gap in the market anywhere, it’s on the episodic side of things.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer may be back on our screens in the years ahead.

So I guess that’s where I’m at when it comes to this idea. Part of me hopes that it won’t go ahead at all; Buffy was such a unique and singular show that tainting its legacy with an uninspired, corporate reboot – which will probably be squashed into eight-episode serialised seasons that don’t suit the format – would be a disappointment. If it does actually enter production, though, my only hope is that the creative team genuinely understand what made Buffy work in the first place and work on the reboot with that in mind.

Will I watch an all-new Buffy the Vampire Slayer if it gets made? I think, at the very least, morbid curiosity will push me to check out the trailers and see how it looks. But I’m not optimistic about a reboot in the current media environment, and it feels like a project that’s been sharted out by a corporate leader in a suit who’s desperate to find “content.” That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the potential quality of the revived series! If it looks good and reviews well, though… who knows? Never say never, I guess.

Honestly, though, I think I’d rather leave Buffy in the early 2000s where it belongs.


Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the HD remaster) is available to stream now on Disney+ in the UK, and Hulu in the United States. The series is also available on DVD. Buffy the Vampire Slayer may be the copyright of the Walt Disney Company, Mutant Enemy Productions, and/or 20th Century Fox Television. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation – Fifteen Years Later

A spoiler warning graphic (with Doofenshmirtz!)

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Phineas and Ferb.

There aren’t many Christmas TV specials that I watch, without fail, every single festive season. In fact, the only one I can think of in that category is Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation, which premiered fifteen years ago. 2025 looks set to be the year that a revived Phineas and Ferb will be on our screens, so I thought it could be a bit of fun to look back at the special and talk about why I find it to be so… well, special.

For some context, Phineas and Ferb is a series I first encountered in adulthood. I saw a commercial for it on the Disney Channel back when I used to have a satellite TV package, and even though a cartoon aimed at kids should’ve held absolutely no appeal to me… something convinced me that this was a show I needed to take a look at. And I’m so glad that I did! In the years since I watched those first episodes, Phineas and Ferb has become one of my “comfort shows;” a piece of media that I drift back to on days when I’m feeling low, my mental health isn’t great, or I just need to switch off for a few minutes. It’s with that background that we arrive at the Christmas special.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella by a house at night.
One of the clips from the opening titles.

If you’re unfamiliar with Phineas and Ferb, practically every episode in the show takes place in one seemingly endless summer. Christmas Vacation was the first episode to be set outside of that summer break, and that makes it feel pretty special. The warm sunny days of the rest of the show are replaced with cold and snow, and the city of Danville is transformed into a winter wonderland for the kids’ activities to play out in.

I adore Christmas and the winter – and although it can be a pain to navigate, I love the way snow looks. The animators did a great job, in my opinion, at bringing the wintery world of Danville to life. The snow looks fantastic, and there’s one sequence in particular near the end where the town’s Christmas lights break through the clouds that just looks absolutely stunning. Many kids’ cartoons have moved to fully 3D computer animation, but there’s something special about this older 2D style that I think adds to the sense of magic and wonder that Christmas time brings. We’re not quite at the level of the brilliant pastel-drawn Father Christmas (that I talked about last Christmas; click or tap here if you’re interested to read more) but the animation here is fantastic.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing the town of Danville.
There’s some fantastic animation in Christmas Vacation.

Phineas and Ferb is a very musical series. Almost every episode has its own custom song, and there are jingles and other musical interludes as well. The soundtrack to Christmas Vacation is honestly one of the best parts; there are just so many fantastic songs that it’s hard to know where to start! I’ve talked about two of them already on previous editions of my festive playlist (I put together a list of Christmassy songs every December, in case you’ve missed it), and the fact that so many of the songs from Christmas Vacation are worth listening to in their own rights should tell you all you need to know!

I really don’t know if I could pick a favourite song. Christmas Is Starting Now, which plays at the climax of the story, should be on everyone’s festive playlist, because it’s an absolute cracker. Thank You Santa, from the end credits, is gentle and cute, and even Doofenshmirtz’s I Really Don’t Hate Christmas is a ton of fun. Each song has its own style and fits in with what’s going on for the characters on screen. For a thirty-five-minute special to cram in so many songs basically makes it a musical! And what’s great is how enjoyable all of the tracks are. I bought the CD soundtrack (which came with a few other Phineas and Ferb Christmas songs, too) and I love it.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Doofenshmirtz and some backing dancers.
There are some great songs in Christmas Vacation… no, really!

There’s not really anything particularly ground-breaking about Christmas Vacation’s plot. You’ve seen the whole “Christmas is in danger and someone needs to step up and save it” story outline before in other productions, but the way in which the special uses Phineas and Ferb characters really makes it stand out. Of course Dr Doofenshmirtz – the self-proclaimed “evil” scientist – would be the one to threaten Christmas with another of his outlandish inventions! And of course it would fall to Phineas, Ferb, and their friends to invent something capable of saving Christmas for everyone! But how the special uses the characters and gets to those moments is what makes the story so fantastic.

Doofenshmirtz is – I would argue – Phineas and Ferb’s real breakout character. And his arc in the Christmas special is a microcosm of why people find this character so fun and even relatable. For all of his proclamations about being “evil” and wanting to rule the Tri-State Area with an iron fist, Doofenshmirtz is actually a complex individual – something we see this time through his relationship with Christmas. He feels he has to hate the holiday, as many of his colleagues do, but without any reason to do so, he struggles. The inner conflict between wanting to be “evil” and his generally alright nature (no, I can’t call him “good!”) comes to the fore, and makes this side of the story far more nuanced and interesting than if he was just a moustache-twirling villain.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Dr Doofenshmirtz.
Doofenshmirtz is conflicted about Christmas.

I am a total sucker for the whole “Christmas is in danger, someone has to save it!” story trope – and I’ll confess that up front! These kinds of stories are (almost) always a blast for me, and seeing people come together or work hard to ensure that everyone gets to have a merry Christmas is a narrative cliché at this time of year, but it’s one I’ll honestly never get tired of. Throwing some peril or jeopardy into a Christmas story gives characters a reason to work together – and Phineas and Ferb executes it brilliantly.

In Christmas Vacation, we have the double rug-pull of Phineas believing that Christmas being cancelled and Santa deeming the whole town to be “naughty” could be his fault, and that gives him added motivation for stepping up to bring Christmas back to everyone. This misunderstanding would be resolved at the end for Phineas – and of course, we knew all along that he didn’t have anything to do with it – but it’s a surprisingly clever moment of characterisation that adds to the stakes for Phineas in particular.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Phineas holding a letter.
Phineas comes to believe it’s his fault that Christmas has been cancelled.

Phineas and Ferb has always been a series with engineering and technology at its centre. There are plenty of fantastical elements to go along with it (I mean, two kids building a rollercoaster in an afternoon isn’t exactly “realistic”) but within the world of the show itself, these things are depicted as feats of design, engineering, and construction rather than anything magical. And Christmas Vacation continues that trend, even extending it to this version of Santa Claus and his elves. The way the North Pole receives “naughty or nice” information is by satellite, not by some kind of magic process, and while the elves are still, I suppose, magical creatures, the way they’re depicted with handheld scanners and computer equipment is much more down-to-earth than in many comparable productions.

Though Perry the Platypus gets less to do in Christmas Vacation than he does in some other stories, there are some fun moments with him. I particularly liked the OWCA Christmas party at the beginning of the episode, as it’s cute to see Major Monogram, Carl, and some of the other animal agents in a different setting. We very rarely get to see Monogram or really anyone else from the OWCA outside of work, so seeing them let their hair (and fur) down for Christmas was really sweet.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Major Monogram and Perry at the OWCA party.
Monogram, Perry, and several animal agents at the OWCA Christmas party.

The relationship between Doofenshmirtz and Perry can feel a little one-sided (only one of them can talk, after all), but the end of the episode shows them exchanging Christmas gifts. Perry bought Doofenshmirtz his favourite candy, showing that he knows him quite well and does have some affection for him, even if he can be difficult and stopping some of his schemes can be an annoyance! As an epilogue to their side of the story, the gift-giving scene was particularly cute.

Candace’s storyline intersects with the boys’ after a while, but it starts out with her obsessing over whether she got Jeremy the right present. All of this is in character for her, and when I reviewed Candace Against The Universe a few years ago I talked a bit more about how Candace’s mental health came into focus. While I would never say I dislike this side of the episode, for me it’s perhaps the weakest individual storyline – especially at first. By the time Candace rejoins her brothers on the mission to save Christmas, things definitely improve for her. Sometimes Candace can just feel a little… stuck? Not sure if that’s exactly the right word. But Christmas Vacation does give her a bit of an expanded role, one less focused on “busting,” which is always nice to see.

Candace on the robo-sleigh with Santa’s elves.

Santa Claus himself, though only present right at the end of the story, is revealed to have known about everything all along – and I think that was a great way to handle it! In order to grant everyone their Christmas wish, Santa orchestrated the entire plot of the episode – from Doofenshmirtz’s Naughty-Inator to Phineas getting a chance to be just like him for one Christmas. Tying everything together through the omniscient Santa Claus was a creative way to link up the different storylines in the special, and it worked really well.

I love the sequence of the townspeople all coming together to decorate for Christmas and to say a big “thank you” to Santa Claus. The song that accompanies it is fantastic, too, and the whole thing just has a really special Christmassy vibe. Again, the idea of people coming together to do something nice for others at this time of year just gives me the warm, cozy feels!

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing the Christmas lights at night.
The lights on Christmas Eve.

So I guess that’s all I have to say for now. Phineas and Ferb’s co-creators, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, said at the time of its release that they want people to come to see Christmas Vacation as a holiday classic – and I think, fifteen years on, we can see that process happening already. The special aired partway through the show’s excellent second season, becoming its most-viewed episode at the time of its original broadcast, and with interest in Phineas and Ferb growing as the 2010s dawned, its Christmas special definitely picked up even more attention.

Speaking for myself, there’s a lot to enjoy in Christmas Vacation. It’s a great special that puts a uniquely Phineas and Ferb spin on a fairly typical “save Christmas” story outline, and it does it in a really fun and musical way. There are some incredible songs that I enjoy listening to at this time of year, and the entire special is just a ton of fun. If you haven’t seen it yet, fire up Disney+ and give it a whirl. I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

The fifteenth anniversary of Christmas Vacation was really just an excuse for me to talk about one of my favourite shows and favourite TV holiday specials. With a fifth season of Phineas and Ferb in the offing for 2025, it seems like an especially good time to revisit the show! Who knows, maybe another Christmas-themed episode is on the cards? Until then, I’ll be content to revisit Christmas Vacation… as I do every year.


Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation is available to stream now on Disney+ and may also be available on DVD. Phineas and Ferb is the copyright of The Walt Disney Company and/or Disney Television Animation. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Futurama: Season 8/11 Review

Spoiler Warning: Minor spoilers are present for Futurama.

So here’s a question to kick things off: is this Season 8 or Season 11 of Futurama? There are different points of view depending on how you count splits in earlier seasons and whether the TV movies count as their own season! It’s not really all that important, just an interesting side-note as we welcome back Futurama after a ten-year absence.

I was cautiously optimistic about Futurama’s return to the small screen. The show got a pretty conclusive ending back in 2013, but its episodic nature – combined with the fact that it’s never been a series that takes itself all that seriously – meant that it wasn’t too hard to pick up where things left off. In that respect, I think the resurrected Futurama did alright. There were several genuinely fun and entertaining episodes in the mix – but there were also a couple of duds.

The new season picks up where the last left off.

One of the questions I had about this revival is how necessary it would feel. Or to put it another way: is Futurama being brought back because its creators, producers, and writers genuinely feel that there are more stories to tell – or is this just a cynical playing of the nostalgia card by a big corporation as it seeks to win and retain subscribers amidst the “streaming wars?” On that latter point, there were several really in-your-face moments across practically every episode of the new season of Futurama as the show seemed almost desperate to use nostalgia as a crutch.

Characters from popular or well-remembered episodes of the show would appear for cameos seemingly at random, in ways that added nothing to the story of the new episode – and practically all of these moments fell flat. Characters would also make unnecessary references to past events and adventures, again for no other reason than to say “remember how good old Futurama used to be?” Pretty much all of these cameos and callbacks ended up detracting from the episodes they were part of; net negatives as the nostalgia card was invariably overplayed.

Moments like this one, where two characters from the Season 2 episode The Deep South made a cameo appearance, were meaningless and added nothing to the new story.

And that’s a shame – because there were some fun, original stories this season. I particularly enjoyed How The West Was 1010001 and its western-inspired story arcs. The Christmas special – I Know What You Did Next Xmas – was also great, thanks to the uncommon pairing of Zoidberg and Bender for a time-travelling adventure! I’d also pick out at least parts of the episodes Zapp Gets Cancelled and Related To Items You Viewed as being highlights this time around.

Futurama has never been shy about having a point or making social commentary, even going all the way back to its first season in 1999 with episodes like A Big Piece of Garbage or Fry and the Slurm Factory. With that in mind, then, I didn’t object to the premises of episodes like Related To Items You Viewed or Rage Against The Vaccine… but I also don’t feel that the points those stories aimed to make were communicated particularly well, nor were they fully-realised by the time the episodes made it to screen.

Professor Farnsworth with his vaccine syringes.

Firstly, Rage Against The Vaccine arguably missed its moment of relevance, coming after most of the so-called “controversy” surrounding Covid-19 vaccinations has passed. Although the episode only premiered this past September, watching it felt almost like stepping back in time a couple of years, such was the outdated nature of the story. But also, within the story itself, arguments about vaccine safety, magnetism, and 5G were particularly on-the-nose and not subtle in any way. Subtlety is a huge part of what makes this kind of parody work, and when it was so flagrant and so obvious, for me at least part of the humour fell flat.

Related To Items You Viewed wanted to make a point about massive corporations like Amazon pushing small companies out of business – but did so quite poorly. Corporations like Amazon are, as the episode depicts, ever-expanding… but the story just seemed to end at that point without knowing what else it wanted to say. Corporations are putting smaller companies out of business, and then… what? Why go to the trouble of saying so if there’s not a broader point to be made?

Related To Items You Viewed came dangerously close to making a point… before retreating with its tail between its legs.

The Prince and the Product was by far this season’s weakest offering, with an uninteresting frame narrative containing a couple of uninspired product/TV advertisement parodies. It was an attempt, perhaps, to try something similar to episodes like Naturama and Saturday Morning Fun Pit… but I didn’t like those either! It’s hard to put my finger on what doesn’t work about this idea… but taking the characters so far outside of their usual setting and appearances is probably part of it.

I love a good Christmas special, and I Know What You Did Next Xmas was definitely a fun story. Time travel can be difficult to get right in fiction, but Futurama’s less serious nature means that the show can get away with a lot. Dr Zoidberg and Bender made for a fun duo, and the episode was unique this season insofar as it built on what had been established in earlier seasons without feeling like it was little more than a naked attempt to rely on nostalgia. Futurama’s version of an evil robot Santa Claus was put to good use – and the time travel premise worked well, too.

What are Bender and Zoidberg up to?

Zapp Gets Cancelled didn’t go down the “cancel culture is stupid and/or fascist” route that I feared it might’ve based on the title, and had some fun and entertaining moments throughout. There were definitely nods to the Star Trek franchise in the presentation of the Democratic Order Of Planets and the Nimbus – as well as a surprisingly compelling villain in Dr Kind. My only criticism would be that Zapp Branigan didn’t seem to learn much from his escapade… and the character felt a bit listless after the main thrust of the episode’s plot got going.

All The Way Down was one of the season’s attempts to tell an emotional story – but it felt more confusing than emotional most of the time. Without much of a connection to the people of Professor Farnsworth’s simulated universe, it was hard to really care about them potentially discovering their simulated nature, and the episode’s talk of the main characters living in their own simulation never really went anywhere. The simulation hypothesis is a massively complicated topic – and this episode barely paid lip service to it. I get what the writers were going for here, but it didn’t quite stick the landing.

Do we all live in a simulation?

The rest of the episodes were neither outstanding nor awful, with some moments of well-timed humour that made them enjoyable enough to watch once or twice. I can’t say I didn’t have a good time with Futurama’s return overall, and it certainly killed a few minutes here and there this summer and autumn. But I can’t shake the feeling that, as things sit right now, Futurama is a corporate product. Some of this season’s opportunities for genuine social commentary felt toned-down to the point of irrelevance, and the cameos and callbacks to past stories were excessive. Futurama, then, hasn’t really found a justification for its return yet.

I’m not entirely comfortable raising this point, and I don’t want it to come across as an attack in any way. But I think it’s worth noting that, while he did a solid job with the voices of both Professor Farnsworth and Dr Zoidberg, Billy West’s portrayal of Fry is noticeably different – and I would suggest older – than in previous seasons. This isn’t a criticism exactly – and we’re all getting older, after all – but when you compare the way Fry sounded even in an episode from the most recent season before this one, there is a difference in his voice.

Billy West voices Fry – among other characters.

Speaking of Fry, I’m glad that Futurama didn’t try to write off his relationship with Leela or reset the characters. The events of Meanwhile were significant, and I wouldn’t have wanted the revived series to try to ignore everything that happened last time. Fry and Leela’s relationship wasn’t front-and-centre this season, but it was a permanent fixture as the episodes played out. That’s sweet, and I appreciated it.

There are ten more episodes to come in Season 8/11, and I assume they’ll be shown sometime in 2024. Nothing that I saw this time has put me off, even though not all of this season’s episodes have been as strong as I’d have liked! I’m sure I’ll be tuning in next year, then, to see the rest of the new episodes. And earlier this year, Hulu and Disney confirmed that another twenty episodes have been ordered, presumably keeping Futurama on the air into 2025 or even 2026.

Fry and Leela in How The West Was 1010001.

So what’s the verdict, then? I had fun with most of the episodes most of the time, and even the season’s weaker stories still had moments of humour, the occasional good joke, or something else that made me crack a smile. Futurama isn’t a show that I take too seriously, and in that respect I’d say it was fine. Was it as good as it was in those early seasons around the turn of the millennium? Perhaps not. But I didn’t really expect it to be.

I’d recommend this new season to folks who enjoyed Futurama in the past – if for no other reason than to see what comes next. I don’t think that anyone who didn’t like Futurama in its earlier incarnations will be swayed by the revived series, and some super-fans from years past might not enjoy every story or creative decision. But as I’m not in either category, I’d say it was fine. Some episodes were decent, some were duds. None were exceptional, though… so make of that what you will.

Futurama is available to stream now on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The series is also available on Blu-ray and DVD. Futurama is the copyright of 20th Television Animation, Hulu, and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Phineas and Ferb returns!

Spoiler Warning: There are minor spoilers ahead for Phineas and Ferb.

I called it, didn’t I? When Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against The Universe premiered on Disney+ a couple of years ago, I said I wondered whether it might lead to a renewal of the show… and here we are! Almost eight years after the series ended its run on the Disney Channel/Disney XD, co-creator Dan Povenmire announced on social media that Phineas and Ferb will be returning – not just for a one-off special or TV movie, not even for a single season, but for two whole seasons and a whopping 40 episodes!

I’m actually really pleased to hear this news. Phineas and Ferb is a fun series, and one I return to on days when I’m struggling with my mental health. I guess you could call it one of my “comfort shows,” so to know that there will be more episodes to get stuck into in the months and years ahead… it’s good news from my point of view!

“Mom! Phineas and Ferb are making a comeback!”

I first encountered Phineas and Ferb shortly after its premiere. Back then I had a cable TV subscription (remember those?) and I can’t remember how it came about exactly, but somehow I saw a promo or advertisement for Phineas and Ferb and thought that it looked like fun. I wouldn’t have normally given most things on the Disney Channel a second glance, but even in that short promo something must’ve leapt out at me, convincing me that this was a show I needed to see. And I’m very glad I did, clearly!

Even though I was already an adult when I first watched Phineas and Ferb, it was obvious that the show had a lot to offer beyond its young target audience. The best shows made for kids have something to offer to adults, too – and no, I don’t just mean a way to keep kids distracted and quiet so we can do other things! Phineas and Ferb had subtle jokes and references aplenty that were genuinely hilarious, and the way it told two stories that often (but not always) intersected was something original in the animated space.

There are even Star Trek references!

There was a sense, though, that Phineas and Ferb had started to run out of steam by the time of its fourth season, and I’m not alone in thinking that. Season 4 tried out several different concepts in the form of special episodes, stories that featured new characters, different premises, and tie-ins with the likes of Marvel and Star Wars. The original formula of the show – with the boys’ inventions and the conflict between Perry and Doofenshmirtz – took a back seat.

Most of those special episodes are great fun, don’t get me wrong, but there was definitely a reason why they were made – there were fewer ideas on the table and arguably, as the show had developed and fleshed out its main characters, fewer places to take them in a way that felt interesting. This is a hurdle that the renewed Phineas and Ferb will have to overcome – and it may not become apparent at first.

One of the special episodes in Season 4 was a “zombie” story!

When the show returns, I expect that most fans will welcome it back with open arms. Those first few episodes will re-establish Phineas and Ferb and its format, reintroducing its characters, and if the show basically does what it did from Seasons 1-3, a lot of folks will be thrilled. The question, though, is really whether that format can sustain another forty episodes without something happening to shake things up.

I’m not particularly concerned about questions of “canon” in a show like Phineas and Ferb. It is worth noting, though, that the show has an internal timeline of sorts, and not only that, but Season 4 provided two episodes that come together to give its story a pretty definitive finale: Act Your Age and The Last Day of Summer. There have also been main character crossovers in the series Milo Murphy’s Law – but as far fewer people watched that show, I don’t think it matters in the same way, and there’s definitely enough creative freedom to overwrite some of these things.

Dr Doofenshmirtz in Milo Murphy’s Law.

Having said that, the questions of timing and setting crop up. Will these new episodes take place in the same endless summer as last time, or would they be set further along the timeline – perhaps during the school year or even in the next summer? With Doofenshmirtz supposedly converted to the “good” side by summer’s end, how would that work for his character?

I don’t think that Phineas and Ferb could realistically get away with making Doofenshmirtz a “good guy.” The original format worked so well specifically because his story and his evil schemes stood in contrast to the boys’ shenanigans, so somehow that has to be retained. But it has to be done in a way that doesn’t undo all of the development Doofenshmirtz got over the course of the show’s run; it’s not unfair to call him the breakout character, and a big part of that is because his character arc, such as it is, portrayed him sympathetically, despite his self-described “evil” nature.

Being “evil” is a huge part of Doofenshmirtz’s character – and something the renewed series shouldn’t try to jettison.

It’s a challenge to walk that line: to bring the show back and retain its signature formula, all the while avoiding taking key characters backwards and regressing their development. The most important one to get right in this regard is Doofenshmirtz, though Buford’s status as a semi-reformed yet still self-described “bully” is also of note.

Speaking of characters, it hasn’t been confirmed at this stage whether all – or even any – of the original voice cast will be back. With one notable exception, they all returned for Candace Against The Universe in 2020, though, so I would hope that negotiations are at an advanced stage and the voice cast will all reprise their roles. One or two absences can be worked around – this isn’t a Rick & Morty type of situation, where that series has just lost (for totally understandable reasons) its main voice actor and the person who voiced both of the titular characters. It would still be unfortunate, though, if Phineas and Ferb had to make significant changes to its cast.

Somehow, Phineas and Ferb will have to reassemble (most of) its original voice cast.

Someone else who doesn’t seem to have signed onto the project yet is co-creator Jeff “Swampy” Marsh. Marsh and Povenmire created Phineas and Ferb together, and it’s noteworthy that Marsh has yet to comment publicly on the series being revived. He also provided the voice of Major Monogram, directed a handful of episodes, and was credited with writing more than a dozen – including some of the show’s most popular and best-remembered stories. I’m sure that Disney (and Dan Povenmire) will be working in private to get him back, but his loss would be significant for the show if those efforts fall through.

Without Marsh, and with the main voice actors also not being signed up, I can’t help but wonder if this announcement may have been a little premature. If things don’t go to plan and major voice actors aren’t able to rejoin the project, that would be a real shame – and would put a downer on things as Phineas and Ferb returns, so I really hope that Disney will pull out all the stops to make it happen.

Phineas and Ferb co-creators Dan Povenmire (left) and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh.
Image Credit: IMDB

Although Disney Channel shows have tended to be one-and-done things, it’s hardly something new in the animated space for a series to be continued. Look at the likes of Tom and Jerry, the Looney Tunes, or Scooby-Doo – the latter of which has just been reworked on HBO Max as Velma… actually, maybe the less said about that last example the better!

But the point stands: some animated shows become classics, and have a lifespan far beyond what may have been intended – or even hoped for – at the time they were created. If you’d told William Hanna and Joseph Barbera that new incarnations of their characters and stories would still be being created and enjoyed in the 2020s, I doubt they’d have believed it! So there’s plenty of scope for Phineas and Ferb to come back, and perhaps even to iterate and modernise some of its stories for a new decade and a new audience – some of whom will literally be the children of the kids and teens who watched the show when it first debuted.

The very first shot of the premiere episode of the series.

So I’m thrilled to welcome back Phineas and Ferb, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the first batch of new episodes when they’re ready. I’m not expecting to see anything imminently – animation takes time, and although the announcement has been made, it’s clear that the revived Phineas and Ferb is still at a very early stage in its pre-production. In addition to the obvious voice cast, producers, directors, writers, and animators all need to be signed up before work can begin. We’re probably a year or two away from the first episodes being ready… but I’m happy to wait.

This was a bit of a surprise announcement – albeit one that I felt Candace Against The Universe paved the way for – and although it may have been a little early or even premature, it’s certainly succeeded at getting fans hyped up and talking on social media. I’m genuinely excited to have more adventures in the tri-state area with Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Perry, Doofenshmirtz, and the whole gang when the series is ready!

Phineas and Ferb Seasons 1-4 are available to stream now on Disney+. Seasons 5 and 6 are currently in pre-production and have no premiere date scheduled. Phineas and Ferb is the copyright of The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

We’re halfway through 2022!

Spoiler Warning: There may be minor spoilers for some of the entries on the list below.

The end of June marks the halfway point of the year, and I think that makes it a great time to take a step back. There are a lot of entertainment experiences that lie ahead over the next few months, and with the nights already starting to get longer it’ll be autumn and then Christmas before we know it! There’s a lot coming our way before we must bid farewell to 2022, though, so today we’re going to take a look at a few of the projects on my radar.

Since the vaccine rollout peaked last year we’ve seen an easing of pandemic restrictions, including in the entertainment industry. That bodes well for at least some of the projects that have been in development! While there are still regulations and guidelines being enforced on film and TV sets, it’s much easier for many productions to work than it has been for the past couple of years. There may be disruptions to come thanks to lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine, though… so watch this space!

I’ve broken down my choices into three categories – films, television shows, and video games – and I’ve picked six titles in each category that I’m hoping to pick up and enjoy before the sun sets on New Year’s Eve!

Film #1:
Avatar: The Way of Water

I took a look at Avatar: The Way of Water when we got a brief teaser trailer earlier in the year, but suffice to say I’m curiously interested to see what writer-director James Cameron has to offer this time around. I never felt that the original Avatar was the genre-defining epic that its creators hoped it would be, and over the course of the past decade I don’t think it’s unfair to say that the world of Avatar has largely dropped out of the cultural conversation.

The Way of Water has a lot to do, then, to reintroduce viewers to a fictional universe that many haven’t revisited since 2009 or 2010. It also has the task of expanding the world of Avatar beyond the events of the first film, showing us more about the world of Pandora, the Na’vi, and this future version of Earth and humankind. There have been some clever technical feats that have gone into the production of this sequel – including gruelling underwater motion-capture shoots – so I’ll be interested to see if it all comes together when the film releases in December.

Film #2:
Jurassic World: Dominion

Technically Jurassic World: Dominion has already been released – but as my health prevents me from doing things like taking trips to the cinema these days, I’m waiting for it to become available to stream! The teaser trailer for the film, which was released back in December, looked great, and the prospect of a reunion of the main cast members from the first film – Sam Neill as Dr Alan Grant, Laura Dern as Dr Ellie Sattler, and of course Jeff Goldblum as Dr Ian Malcolm – is a pretty significant draw.

There is always going to be the question of whether the premise of the original Jurassic Park – which was based on a novel by Michael Crichton – can really sustain a multi-film franchise. The first film was brilliant in both premise and execution, but was it a one-trick pony? I’m curious to see what director Colin Trevorrow can do to make dinosaurs both fun and intimidating once more! I’ve been trying to avoid reading reviews and spoilers for this one, and when it’s available to stream I hope to get a review written here on the website – so stay tuned for that!

Film #3:
Minions: The Rise of Gru

Despicable Me was a fun film that managed to be surprisingly heartwarming, and the franchise it spawned has gone on to become one of the biggest animated properties of all-time. The last Minions film was released back in 2015, and this sequel will reintroduce Gru – the antihero/evil villain from Despicable Me – as he teams up with his Minions for the first time.

There’s potential for a lot of fun, kid-friendly hijinks in The Rise of Gru, and I’m genuinely looking forward to another outing with the Minions. Steve Carell has been on top form in previous entries in the franchise, and the film will also feature Star Trek: Discovery’s Michelle Yeoh as part of a star-studded cast.

Film #4:
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

I had a good time with Rian Johnson’s “whodunnit” Knives Out a couple of years ago, so this follow-up definitely holds appeal. Without wanting to give away any spoilers for the first film, suffice to say that I’m excited for one character in particular to make a return!

From what I can gather, Glass Onion isn’t so much a direct sequel as it is a follow-up; a film set in the same world and that will bring back at least one familiar face, but that will also introduce an ensemble cast of new characters and perhaps a new setting as well. Hopefully what results will be just as fun and dramatic as the original!

Film #5:
Hocus Pocus 2

I missed the original Hocus Pocus when it was released in 1993, and it wasn’t until years later that I finally sat down to watch it at the insistence of a friend. What I eventually found was a fun, even somewhat clever film; a light-hearted take on Halloween that’s just right for someone who isn’t a big fan of horror!

The sequel aims to bring back Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy as the three witches from the original for a new adventure that sounds like it will be a riff on the original concept. Keep an eye out for Star Trek: Discovery’s Doug Jones, who will also be reprising his role from the original film. Hocus Pocus 2 might be just right for Halloween 2022!

Film #6:
Beast

Could Beast be “Jaws but with a lion?” Because the marketing material released by the studio makes it sound like that! I quite like a good thriller or monster flick, so maybe Beast will be a bit of fun. I don’t have especially high expectations; it’s unlikely to be a cinematic masterpiece. But it might just be entertaining enough to waste a little time.

Idris Elba is always fun to watch regardless of what he’s doing – see last year’s The Suicide Squad as a case in point! So at least on that front there’s a solid star in the leading role, and the film’s South African setting appeals to me as I used to live there. I’m curiously interested to see what Beast will have to offer when it’s released in August.

Television Show #1:
Lego Star Wars: Summer Vacation

Lego Star Wars: Summer Vacation will be the third Lego Star Wars special released on Disney+, and the first two were fantastic! 2020’s Holiday Special was a barrel of laughs, and last year we enjoyed Terrifying Tales in October, a lightly spooky Halloween special featuring Poe Dameron. The trailer for Summer Vacation had me in stitches, so if the special itself lives up to its marketing then we’re in for a wonderful time!

Expect to see some cheeky marketing for Disney’s “Galactic Starcruiser” themed hotel (which hasn’t been doing particularly well) in a special that will star “Weird Al” Yankovic and will bring back Finn, Poe, Rey, Rose, and other Star Wars characters.

Television Show #2:
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3

At time of writing we don’t have a confirmed premiere date for Season 3 of Lower Decks, but if it follows the same pattern as it did in 2020 and 2021 we might see it in late summer, perhaps mid-to-late August. Season 2 actually ended on a cliffhanger – which I won’t spoil – and I still have a few theories and ideas kicking around that I’ll try to get written up before the new season arrives!

Lower Decks took a couple of episodes to fully get going, but it’s been an absolute blast across its first couple of seasons. Consistently high quality has left the series with only a couple of boring or unenjoyable episodes, and there’s a surprising amount of emotion at the heart of the Lower Decks crew. It’s a Star Trek show through-and-through, and one I find myself getting surprisingly invested in. I’m hopeful for more of the same when Lower Decks returns.

Television Show #3:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Although The Rings of Power is already (and prematurely, in my view) proving to be controversial in some quarters, I have high hopes for what will be the most expensive television show ever produced! A return to Tolkien’s world is, of course, hugely enticing, but The Rings of Power is aiming to be a spiritual successor to Game of Thrones, telling a multi-season serialised story set in the realm of high fantasy. With a massive budget to back it up, I couldn’t be more excited about that concept!

However, with a high budget and high expectations come dangers. The Rings of Power has a long way to fall if it fails to live up to expectations, and no matter what the producers and creative team try to do, the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy will be the yardstick by which this new series is measured. I hope it can compare favourably!

Television Show #4:
House of the Dragon

Take everything I said in the entry above, copy-and-paste it, and that’s how I feel about House of the Dragon as well! This Game of Thrones prequel is one of several projects currently in production, but as far as I can see the biggest hurdle it has to surmount is not its predecessor’s reputation as one of the best television shows of all time, but the deep disappointment practically all Game of Thrones fans felt at its finale.

Just convincing people to show up for House of the Dragon in light of Game of Thrones Season 8 feels like a big ask… but if the show learns from those mistakes and makes changes, we could be in for something genuinely exciting. The first five-plus seasons of Game of Thrones were some of the most tense, atmospheric, and exciting ever brought to the small screen, so a return to Westeros – and to the writings of George R R Martin – could be fantastic. Could be.

Television Show #5:
Star Wars: Andor

A prequel to a prequel (or should that be a spin-off from a spin-off?), Andor will follow Rogue One’s Cassian Andor in the years before the events of the film. We might get to see more detail about the early days of the Rebel Alliance prior to the Battle of Scarif, which would be interesting in itself, but more than that I’m curious to see what Star Wars can do with a genuinely different premise. In this case, we’re talking about a spy thriller.

Is there room in the Star Wars galaxy for stories that aren’t just about Jedi Knights, the Force, and lightsaber duels? The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett could’ve begun to show us what the Star Wars galaxy looks like away from those familiar elements, but chose not to do so. So it falls to Andor to potentially become the first Star Wars series to really broaden the franchise’s horizons and show us what’s possible. Is that too much to hope for? Maybe… I guess we’ll have to see!

Television Show #6:
Five Days At Memorial

When done well, a miniseries can be a great format for storytelling. Five Days At Memorial aims to adapt the true story of doctors and nurses working at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Based on a book from 2013, the miniseries will take a look at some of the events that transpired – including how patients were triaged when the hospital’s systems failed and supplies ran low.

Most controversially, some patients were euthanised by doctors at the hospital – leading to a legal case against them in the months and years afterwards. Hopefully the miniseries will be faithful in its adaptation and won’t try to over-sensationalise these difficult events. I’m really curious to see how it turns out.

Video Game #1:
Star Trek: Prodigy – Supernova

You wait years for a Star Trek video game and then two come along at once! This year should see the release of Star Trek: Resurgence – a narrative adventure game – as well as Star Trek: Prodigy – Supernova, a kid-friendly adventure title based on the new animated series. With new episodes of Prodigy’s first season set to air later this year, the time is right for a tie-in.

I was disappointed (and a little concerned) that Prodigy kicked off its first season with no toys or tie-in products, but that is slowly being addressed. Supernova looks a little last-gen in terms of its graphics, and I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t, but I’m still hopeful for a fun game that ties in with the show, and one that can appeal to the younger audience that the show has been targetting.

Video Game #2:
Stray

Stray has been on my radar for a while, and it’s finally due for release in July! Getting to play as a cat is already a huge part of the appeal, but it sounds as if Stray will have a genuinely interesting mystery at its core: what happened to all of the humans in its world? Players will assume the role of a stray cat in a cyberpunk-inspired city, and solving that mystery will be top priority.

I’m really looking forward to what I hope will be a different experience with Stray. Many games do mystery, third-person exploration, and create atmospheric worlds, but Stray feels like it could offer something that I haven’t experienced before.

Video Game #3:
Grounded

If a game has been in early access for more than two years, should its “release” even count on a list like this? Regardless, I haven’t played Grounded yet – because I largely avoid early access titles – so I’m looking forward to seeing what the full release will have to offer. I loved Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, and even visited the attraction at Disney World… could Grounded let me live out a long-held childhood fantasy?

There are survival aspects to Grounded that could either work exceptionally well… or feel annoying, depending on how good the rest of the game is and how much fun I’m having! But I’ve heard good things from players who’ve enjoyed the early access version, so I’m going to give Grounded a shot when it officially releases in September.

Video Game #4:
Return to Monkey Island

Despite loving the first three games in the series, I seem to have fallen behind on my Monkey Island adventures! The fourth and fifth games in the series ended up on my “pile” of unplayed games, and despite meaning to get around to them I still haven’t! Perhaps I should rectify that before Return to Monkey Island – the sixth game in the series – arrives.

Updated versions of the first three Monkey Island games proved that point-and-click adventure titles could still find an audience when they were released a few years ago, and there’s still an appetite for this kind of comedy-adventure. I’m hopeful that Return to Monkey Island will deliver more of the same humour and excitement as the series did in its early days.

Video Game #5:
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

After being on my radar for a while, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has finally set a release window. All being well we’ll see the weird-sounding game in September. I honestly don’t know what to expect from this one, as Gollum would never be the kind of character I’d have expected to build a game and a story around. However, there’s clearly more to his story than we saw in the films – or even the books – so this could be an interesting adventure!

With a renewed focus on the world of Tolkien and high fantasy thanks to the Amazon show and other fantasy films and TV shows, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum could be a surprise hit. I don’t want to go overboard with the hype, but I’m definitely interested to see what the developers have come up with.

Video Game #6:
Saints Row

It does the Saints Row series a grave disservice to call it simply a “Grand Theft Auto clone,” even if that’s where it might’ve begun. This soft reboot of the series aims to take it back to its roots, setting aside at least some of the over-the-top hijinks of the third and fourth games in favour of a return to the gangland roots of the original Saints Row from 2006.

With no Grand Theft Auto VI on the horizon any time soon, Saints Row might just scratch that open-world crime itch for players who are getting tired of Grand Theft Auto V – but hopefully Saints Row can continue to carve its own niche and stand on its own two feet.

So that’s it!

Those are just some of the projects that we can look forward to in the weeks and months ahead. There are plenty more, of course, and I’m sure there’ll be some surprises along the way, too! Although 2022 has been much better than the past couple of years, there’s still the potential for disruption and delays, so keep in mind that any of the shows, films, and games listed above may not make their currently-scheduled launches. Such things happen, unfortuately!

I hope that this was a bit of fun and a glimpse at what lies ahead. It’s always interesting (to me, at least) to research different upcoming projects to see what piques my curiosity, and as someone who takes an interest in the world of entertainment I’m always keeping my ear to the ground to see what might be coming up! I hope you’ll stay tuned here on the website for reviews, impressions, and write-ups of at least some of the projects we’ve talked about today.

Until next time!

All films, television shows, and video games listed above are the copyright of their respective owner, company, distributor, broadcaster, publisher, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series: hopes, fears, and expectations

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the Star Wars franchise, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and recent films such as The Rise of Skywalker.

I’ve made no secret through my commentary here on the website that I’m not thrilled by many of the decisions and announcements that have come out of Disney and Lucasfilm lately. The Star Wars franchise as a whole feels stuck; bogged down by nostalgia and led by a team whose creativity is being stifled by a corporate board that is unwilling or unable to move on from successes that are now decades in the past. The divisiveness of the sequel trilogy will eventually abate, but for now the Star Wars franchise is intent on looking backwards.

This is why we have projects like Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first place. The very concept of the series is backwards-looking, and all it really offers, at a fundamental level, are more of the same nostalgia plays that tripped up projects like Solo: A Star Wars Story. As I said last time I took a look at the upcoming series – which is now less than a month away – if I were in charge over at Disney and Lucasfilm, a project like this would’ve never been greenlit!

Obi-Wan in a teaser for the upcoming series.

That isn’t all there is to say, of course. Another recent Star Wars project that I had relatively low expectations for was The Book of Boba Fett. Arbitrarily bringing back from the dead a relatively minor character and dedicating an entire spin-off project to him felt like it should’ve been the epitome of everything I’ve come to dislike about modern Star Wars. But as you’ll know if you read my review of the first season, I actually had a good time with The Book of Boba Fett. It was far from perfect, but it hid its imperfections in a story that was, for the most part anyway, just plain fun.

So as I look ahead to Obi-Wan Kenobi, there are reasons for optimism. Ewan McGregor’s performance as the titular Jedi Knight was one of the prequel trilogy’s highlights, and he did well to bring to life a younger version of the character we’d originally met in 1977. Though I’ve never been wild about the prequels – the first two parts in particular – McGregor inhabited the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi and showed us, at least in part through Kenobi’s eyes, the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker, as well as the hubris that led to the demise of the Jedi Order itself.

Hello there!

My biggest concern when it comes to Obi-Wan Kenobi is how it will find a story to tell that fits into the existing saga of Star Wars. The series has to be very carefully-crafted to be able to slot neatly into place like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Unlike The Book of Boba Fett, which could’ve gone in all kinds of different directions as an epilogue to Boba’s story, Obi-Wan Kenobi has to show us a chapter of the Jedi Master’s life that falls in between the parts we already know. It has the very difficult task of being interesting, exciting, and dramatic without overwriting anything we already know, nor robbing any of the other stories of their impact.

Between what we saw in the prequels and the original films, we know the story of Obi-Wan’s life. I’d argue that we’ve seen the most interesting parts already: how he rose from being a padawan apprentice to a master in his own right, the role he played in the Clone Wars, and how the Empire rose around him. We’ve seen him take on Luke Skywalker as his apprentice, and then sacrifice his life in a duel with Darth Vader. What can Obi-Wan Kenobi add to this story that we don’t already know or can’t infer from the parts we’ve already seen? How can it give its protagonist an arc that takes him from where we left him at the end of Revenge of the Sith to where we picked up his story in A New Hope? And how can it make that story something worth watching without feeling either incredibly tacked-on or like a bolt from the blue?

“Old Ben” Kenobi in A New Hope.

Those are just some of the narrative challenges that the new series faces, and they’re by no means small ones! Obi-Wan Kenobi has to thread the needle; it can’t stray too far from what we already know, but it also has to find a way to chart its own path despite that limitation. I guess another of my worries is that the story the new series ultimately tries to tell will ignore some or all of those points and blaze a trail that will take Obi-Wan on an adventure that undermines his arc in either the prequels, original films, or both.

For the show’s writers, it must be sorely tempting to pit Obi-Wan and Darth Vader against one another – but doing so would utterly ruin one of the most powerful sequences in A New Hope. As much fun as it might be for the writers and creative team to stage another duel between the former master and apprentice, these classic characters need to be treated more carefully than that. Star Wars is already in a strange place thanks to things like Palpatine’s survival after Return of the Jedi; to throw Obi-Wan and Vader into a conflict against one another a decade before A New Hope would take away one of the few significant moments that remain unaltered from the original trilogy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi mustn’t undermine the meeting between Obi-Wan and Vader in A New Hope.

In their rush to recapture the magic of Star Wars, the franchise’s current executives and producers have actually erased a good deal of what made the original films as meaningful as they were. The story of Anakin’s redemption and return to the light in Return of the Jedi, for example, is hideously twisted and undermined by the subsequent revelations that Palpatine was able to survive, live for another thirty years, start a new Sith Empire, and even corrupt Anakin’s own grandson. Obi-Wan Kenobi simply can’t repeat this kind of mistake. If it does, Star Wars will have very little left.

Part of what made the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader aboard the Death Star so powerful is that it was their first meeting in many years. Even when watching the original film years before the prequels came out, it was obvious that the hate Vader had for Obi-Wan had been building for a long time. Add into the mix the backstory that the prequels gave us and the moment takes on a different and even greater significance. For Vader, this was his opportunity to get revenge on the man who left him badly injured and dependent on his hated suit. It became one of the most powerful sequences in the film – and in the entire saga.

The iconic lightsaber duel.

A few months ago I took a look at a similar project over in the Star Trek franchise: Ceti Alpha V is a proposed miniseries that would revisit iconic villain Khan. Having already seen the two most interesting parts of Khan’s story – his awakening in the 23rd Century and his battle against Kirk in The Wrath of Khan, I argued that such a project is ultimately not necessary. What would we learn about Khan from that miniseries that hasn’t already been explored either by Space Seed or The Wrath of Khan? It’s almost certainly the least-interesting part of his story, one that would not only be kind of a waste of time, but if given too much leeway, one that could undermine one of the high points of the entire Star Trek franchise.

And it’s hard not to look at Obi-Wan Kenobi with a similar degree of scepticism. Since we clearly aren’t just going to watch Obi-Wan sit around in his desert hut for six episodes, the question of what exactly he’s going to do comes to the fore. What makes this chapter of his life worthy of a six-episode miniseries, and how will it balance the need to be exciting and entertaining with the constraints of a very definite beginning and end point?

An Imperial Inquisitor seen in the teaser.

All that being said, Disney+ has a pretty good track record with its original productions. Obi-Wan Kenobi will likely have a per-episode budget that fans of other franchises could only dream of, so on the technical side of things we can almost certainly look forward to a polished production that looks great and makes creative use of CGI and other visual effects. Recent Star Wars projects have brought back more of the puppets and practical effects that defined the franchise’s look in its original incarnation, and that’s something I’ve enjoyed seeing. And in terms of special effects, things like the de-ageing and digital character creation that we’ve seen employed in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian are nothing short of technological marvels.

Famed composer John Williams is returning to the Star Wars franchise yet again to compose the show’s theme, which is another neat inclusion. Just like The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi will make use of an AR wall (similar to the one used in recent Star Trek productions), which should also look fantastic. In addition to Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen is reprising his role as Darth Vader, and the inclusion of actors like Rupert Friend rounds out what seems to be an excellent cast. Director Deborah Chow has a good track record, too, with directing credits in series as diverse as Turn: Washington’s Spies, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Man in the High Castle. She also directed two episodes of The Mandalorian, so she’s not a newcomer to the franchise.

A company of Stormtroopers in the teaser.

All of those things give me hope! There’s potential in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and there’s no denying that Disney and Lucasfilm have put together a great team, backed them up with a significant budget, and given the project a shot at success. For me, the biggest potential pitfall remains the premise of the series itself, and the limited storytelling directions it could reasonably take.

I’m trying to rein in both my scepticism and excitement on different sides of the project, and I guess I’ll wrap this up by saying I’m cautiously optimistic. The success of The Book of Boba Fett earlier in the year, which was similarly a series I had reservations about, has perhaps led me to feel a little more hopeful than I otherwise might about Obi-Wan Kenobi’s prospects.

One final note: it’s worth saying that Obi-Wan Kenobi exists, like several other recent and upcoming sci-fi and fantasy projects, largely because fans were asking for it. Fans who grew up with the prequel trilogy, viewing those films as “their” Star Wars, have generally reacted very positively to news about Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I’m happy for them that Disney and Lucasfilm have been listening. I hope they get the series they’ve been looking for – and with any luck it’ll be something that I can enjoy too!

Obi-Wan Kenobi is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on the 27th of May 2022. The Star Wars franchise – including Obi-Wan Kenobi and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A handful of older films, games, and TV shows that I enjoyed in 2021

Spoiler Warning: Minor spoilers may be present for some of the entries on this list.

At this time of year, practically every outlet – from dying newspapers to new social media channels – churns out list upon list of the best entertainment products of the year. The top threes, top fives, top tens and more of 2021 abound! I have something similar in the pipeline, but today I wanted to take a look back at a handful of films, games, and TV shows from previous years that I found myself enjoying in 2021.

I have long and seemingly ever-growing lists of films, games, and TV shows that I keep meaning to get around to! I still haven’t seen Breaking Bad, for example, nor played The Witcher 3, despite the critical and commercial acclaim they’ve enjoyed! I also have a huge number of entertainment properties that I keep meaning to re-visit, some of which I haven’t seen since we wrote years beginning with “1.” In 2021 I got around to checking out a few titles from both of these categories, and since there are some that I haven’t discussed I thought the festive season would be a great opportunity for a bit of positivity and to share some of my personal favourite entertainment experiences of 2021… even though they weren’t brand-new!

Film #1:
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)

We’ve recently marked the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of Peter Jackson’s epic adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s magnum opus. The passage of time has done nothing to detract from these amazing films, and this year a 4K Blu-Ray release has them looking better than ever before.

The early 2000s had some serious pitfalls for film and television. CGI was becoming more mainstream and many filmmakers sought to take advantage of it, but just look to the Star Wars prequels and how outdated the CGI in those titles is; it hasn’t held up well at all. The majority of the special effects in The Lord of the Rings were practical, and combined with clever cinematography even incredibly dense and complex battle sequences still look fantastic two decades on.

Though I don’t re-watch The Lord of the Rings every single year without fail, I’m happy to return to the trilogy time and again – and I almost certainly will be for the rest of my days! The Hobbit and Tolkien’s Middle-earth was one of the first fantasy worlds I encountered as a young child; I can vaguely remember the book being read to me when I was very small. The conventional wisdom for years was that The Lord of the Rings was unfilmable – but Peter Jackson proved that wrong in some style!

Film #2:
Despicable Me (2010)

I spotted this while browsing Netflix one evening, and despite having seen at least one film with the Minions, I hadn’t actually seen the title that started it all. I have to confess that I didn’t have particularly high expectations, thinking I was in for a bog-standard animated comedy. But Despicable Me has heart, and there were some genuinely emotional moments hidden inside.

The Minions got most of the attention in the aftermath of Despicable Me, and can now be found on everything from memes to greetings cards! The critters are cute, but they’re also somewhat limited – and I think it’s for that reason that I didn’t really expect too much from Despicable Me except for maybe a few laughs and a way to kill an empty evening. I was pleasantly surprised to find a much more substantial film than I’d been expecting.

There were still plenty of laughs and a ton of cartoon silliness to enjoy and to keep the tone light-hearted. But there was a surprisingly emotional story between the villainous Gru and the three children he adopts – especially Margo, the eldest. I can finally understand why the film has spawned four sequels, fifteen shorts, and a whole range of merchandise!

Film #3:
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

The Final Frontier has a number of issues that I’m sure most of you will be aware of. It arguably suffered from a little too much involvement from William Shatner, who sought to put Captain Kirk at the centre of the story at the expense of others. But The Final Frontier has some truly great character moments, including one of the final times that Kirk, Spock, and Dr McCoy would be together before The Undiscovered Country brought an end to Star Trek’s original era.

The film has some truly funny moments, too: the scene where Uhura catches Chekov and Sulu pretending to be caught in a storm being one, and Scotty’s moment of slapstick being another that never fails to win a chuckle. The Undiscovered Country was a great send-off for Star Trek’s original crew, but it was quite a heavy film with a lot of tense moments and high-octane action. The Final Frontier brings more light-hearted moments to the table, and that’s something I can appreciate when I’m in the right mood.

There are some exciting sequences too, though. The shuttle crash is a very tense and dramatic moment, and the final confrontation with the entity at the centre of the galaxy, while silly in some respects, does succeed at hitting at least some of those same dramatic highs. Though I wouldn’t suggest that The Final Frontier is anywhere near the best that Star Trek has to offer, it’s well worth a watch from time to time.

Game #1:
Control (2019)

Though hardly an “old” game, I missed Control when it was released in 2019. It had been on my list for a couple of years, and I was pleased to finally get around to playing it this year. The game had a far creepier atmosphere than I’d been expecting, with protagonist Jesse having to battle an unseen enemy called the Hiss.

One thing I really admire about Control is the way it made incredibly creative use of some fairly plain environments. The entire game takes place in what’s essentially a glorified office building, and rows of cubicles or the janitor’s workspace could, in other games, come across as feeling bland and uninspired. But Control leans into this, using the environments as a strength, juxtaposing them with incredibly weird goings-on at the Bureau of Control.

I also liked that, for the first time in years, we got full-motion video sequences in a game! FMV was a fad in gaming in the early/mid-1990s I guess, primarily on PC, and titles like Command and Conquer and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy made use of it. It had been years since I played a game with FMV elements, and it worked exceptionally well in Control – as well as being a completely unexpected blast of nostalgia!

Game #2:
Super Mario 64 (1996)

Despite the serious limitations of Super Mario 3D All-Stars on the Nintendo Switch, which I picked up last year, I can’t deny that it’s been fun to return to Super Mario 64. One of the first fully 3D games I ever played, Super Mario 64 felt like the future in the late ’90s, and even some titles released this year, such as Kena: Bridge of Spirits, owe parts of their 3D platforming to the pioneering work that Nintendo did with this game.

Super Mario 64 is and always has been good, solid fun. There doesn’t need to be an in-depth, complex story driving Mario forward to collect stars, because the game’s levels and bosses are all so incredibly cleverly-designed. Jumping in and out of different painting worlds is relatively quick and feels great, and the sheer diversity of environments is still noteworthy in 2021. Mario goes on a journey that takes him through snowy mountains, a sunken shipwreck, sunlit plains, cities, clouds, and more.

I can’t in good conscience recommend Super Mario 3D All-Stars. The way these games have been adapted for Nintendo Switch isn’t worth the asking price. But even so, going back to Super Mario 64 has been one of my favourite parts of 2021, a chance to reconnect with a game I played and loved on the Nintendo 64. If you’ve never played it, track down a copy and give it a go. You won’t regret it.

Game #3:
Red Dead Redemption II (2018)

I’d been meaning to get around to Red Dead Redemption II for three years – but I’d always found a reason not to pick it up (usually it was too expensive!) It took forever to download on my painfully slow internet connection, but it was well worth the wait. I’ve had a fascination with America in the 19th Century for as long as I can remember – I guess partly inspired by playground games of “the wild west” that were fairly common when I was young. I even had a cowboy hat, toy gun, and “Davy Crockett” hat when I was a kid!

Red Dead Redemption II transported me to that world in a way that I genuinely did not think was possible. Films and TV shows can do a great job at pulling you in and getting you lost in a fictional world, but the interactive element of video games can add to that immersion – something that was absolutely the case with Red Dead Redemption II. The amount of detail in the game’s characters and open-world environments is staggering, and having finally experienced it for myself I can absolutely understand why people hail this game as a “masterpiece.”

I wasn’t prepared for the many emotional gut-punches that Red Dead Redemption II had in store. In many ways the game tells a bleak and even depressing story, one with betrayal, death, and many examples of the absolute worst of humanity. But every once in a while there are some incredibly beautiful moments too, where characters sit together, sing, play, and revel in their bonds of friendship. Red Dead Redemption II gave me the wild west outlaw fantasy that my younger self could have only dreamed of!

TV series #1:
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-69)

I’ve re-watched quite a lot of The Original Series this year, probably more episodes than I’d seen in the past few years. Because of its episodic nature, it’s easy to dip in and out of The Original Series, firing up an episode or two to spend an hour with Captain Kirk and the crew without feeling the need to commit to an entire season of television.

The Original Series started it all for Trekkies, and I’m always so pleased to see that modern Star Trek hasn’t lost sight of that. In this year’s episodes of Lower Decks and Discovery we’ve gotten many references and callbacks to Star Trek’s first series, keeping the show alive and relevant as we celebrated its fifty-fifth anniversary – and the centenary of its creator, Gene Roddenberry.

Though dated in some ways, many of the themes and metaphors present in The Original Series are still relevant today. Society has changed since the 1960s, but in some areas we’re still fighting the same or similar fights for acceptance, for equality, and so on. The Star Trek franchise has always had a lot to say about that, being in some ways a mirror of society and in others depicting a vision of a more enlightened, optimistic future.

TV series #2:
Fortitude (2015-18)

I went back to re-watch Fortitude this year, for the first time since its original run. The series starts very slowly, seeming at first to be little more than a murder-mystery in a different setting. But it builds up over the course of its first season into something truly unexpected, crossing over into moments of political thriller, action, and even horror.

There are some truly shocking and gruesome moments in Fortitude, and it can be a harrowing watch in places. But it’s riveting at the same time, and I managed to get hooked all over again by the complex characters, the mysteries and conspiracies, and the bleak but beautiful arctic environment.

Fortitude featured some star names among its cast, including Michael Gambon, Stanley Tucci, and Dennis Quaid – the second-most-famous Dennis to be featured on this website! Although it was fun to watch it weekly during its original run, Fortitude is definitely a show that can be enjoyed on a binge!

TV series #3:
Family Guy (1999-Present)

Family Guy’s sense of humour sometimes runs aground for me, dragging out jokes too long or failing to pay off neat setups with decent punchlines. But with the full series (up to midway through Season 20 at time of writing) available on Disney+, I’ve found myself putting it on in the background a lot this year. The short runtime of episodes, the lightheartedness, and the way many of the jokes are often disconnected from whatever nonsense plot the episodes have going on all come together to make it something I can dip in and out of while doing other things.

There are some insensitive jokes, and some entire storylines in earlier episodes have aged rather poorly. But Family Guy seldom strikes me as a show punching down; it satirises and pokes fun at many different groups. In that sense it’s kind of halfway between The Simpsons and South Park; the former being more sanitised and family-friendly, the latter being edgier and meaner.

I rarely sit down and think “gosh, I must watch the latest Family Guy episode.” But if I’m in need of background noise or something to fill up twenty minutes, I find I’ll happily log into Disney+ and put on an episode or two.

So that’s it.

There have been some great films, games, and television shows that were released in 2021. But there were also plenty of entertainment experiences from years past that, in different ways, brightened my year. As we gear up for New Year and for everyone’s end-of-year top-ten lists, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday, or just a relaxing day yesterday! I did consider writing something to mark the day, but I found that I had remarkably little to say that was different from the piece I wrote last year. 2021 has been “2020 II” in so many respects, unfortunately. However, unlike last Christmas I will be able to visit with some family members – I’ll be seeing my sister and brother-in-law later this week, which will be a nice treat! So here’s to 2021’s entertainment experiences – and as we enter the new year, it’s worth keeping in mind that we don’t only have to watch and play the latest and newest ones!

All titles on the list above are the copyright of their respective broadcaster, distributor, developer, network, publisher, studio, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

How Sega and the Dreamcast offer a valuable lesson for streaming platforms

In 2001 I was bitterly disappointed by the failure of the Dreamcast – a console I’d only owned for about a year and had hoped would carry me through to the next generation of home consoles. For a variety of reasons that essentially boil down to mismanagement, worse-than-expected sales, and some pretty tough competition, Sega found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. The company responded not only by ending development on the Dreamcast, but by closing its hardware division altogether.

At the time, Sega seemed to be at the pinnacle of the games industry. For much of the 1990s, the company had been a dominant force in home video game consoles alongside Nintendo, and as the new millennium approached there were few outward signs of that changing. It was a massive shock to see Sega collapse in such spectacular fashion in 2001, not only to me but to millions of players and games industry watchers around the world.

The Sega Dreamcast failed in 2001.

Thinking about what happened from a business perspective, a demise like this was inevitable in the early 2000s. Both Sony and Microsoft were arriving in the home console market with powerful machines offering features like the ability to play DVDs – something that the Dreamcast couldn’t do – but at a fundamental level the market was simply overcrowded. There just wasn’t room for four competing home consoles. At least one was destined for the chopping block – and unfortunately for Sega, it was their machine that wouldn’t survive.

But the rapid demise of the Dreamcast wasn’t the end of Sega – not by a long shot. The company switched its focus from making hardware to simply making games, and over the next few years re-established itself with a new identity as a developer and publisher. In the twenty years since the Dreamcast failed, Sega has published a number of successful titles, snapped up several successful development studios – such as Creative Assembly, Relic Entertainment, and Amplitude Studios – and has even teamed up with old rival Nintendo on a number of occasions!

The end of the Dreamcast was not the end of Sega.

I can’t properly express how profoundly odd it was to first see Super Mario and Sega’s mascot Sonic the Hedgehog together in the same game! The old rivalry from the ’90s would’ve made something like that impossible – yet it became possible because Sega recognised its limitations and changed its way of doing business. The board abandoned a longstanding business model because it was leading the company to ruin, and even though it does feel strange to see fan-favourite Sega characters crop up on the Nintendo Switch or even in PlayStation games, Sega’s willingness to change quite literally saved the company.

From a creative point of view, Sega’s move away from hardware opened up the company to many new possibilities. The company has been able to broaden its horizons, publishing different games on different systems, no longer bound to a single piece of hardware. Strategy games have been published for PC, party games on the Nintendo Wii and Switch, and a whole range of other titles on Xbox, PlayStation, handheld consoles, and even mobile. The company has been involved in the creation of a far broader range of titles than it ever had been before.

Sega’s mascot Sonic now regularly appears alongside old foe Super Mario.

So how does all of this relate to streaming?

We’re very much in the grip of the “streaming wars” right now. Big platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ are battling for subscribers’ cash, but there’s a whole second tier of streaming platforms fighting amongst themselves for a chance to break into the upper echelons of the market. The likes of HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock, BritBox, and even YouTube Premium are all engaged in this scrap.

But the streaming market in 2021 is very much like the video game console market was in 2001: overcrowded. Not all of these second-tier platforms will survive – indeed, it’s possible that none of them will. Many of the companies who own and manage these lower-level streaming platforms are unwilling to share too many details about them, but we can make some reasonable estimates based on what data is available, and it isn’t good news. Some of these streaming platforms have simply never been profitable, and their owners are being propped up by other sources of income, pumping money into a loss-making streaming platform in the hopes that it’ll become profitable at some nebulous future date.

There are a lot of streaming platforms in 2021.

To continue the analogy, the likes of Paramount+ are modern-day Dreamcasts in a market where Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ are already the Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation. Breaking into the top tier of the streaming market realistically means one of the big three needs to be dethroned, and while that isn’t impossible, it doesn’t seem likely in the short-to-medium term at least.

Why did streaming appeal to viewers in the first place? That question is fundamental to understanding why launching a new platform is so incredibly difficult, and it’s one that too many corporate executives seem not to have considered. They make the incredibly basic mistake of assuming that streaming is a question of convenience; that folks wanted to watch shows on their own schedule rather than at a set time on a set channel. That isn’t what attracted most people to streaming.

Too many corporate leaders fundamentally misunderstand streaming.

Convenience has been available to viewers since the late 1970s. Betamax and VHS allowed folks to record television programmes and watch them later more than forty years ago, as well as to purchase films and even whole seasons of television shows to watch “on demand.” DVD box sets kicked this into a higher gear in the early-mid 2000s. Speaking for myself, I owned a number of episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation on VHS in the 1990s, and later bought the entire series on DVD. I had more than enough DVDs by the mid-2000s that I’d never need to sign up for any streaming platform ever – I could watch a DVD every day of the year and never run out of different things to watch!

To get back on topic, what attracted people to streaming was the low cost. A cable or satellite subscription is easily four or five times the price of Netflix, so cutting the cord and going digital was a new way for many people to save money in the early 2010s. As more broadcasters and film studios began licensing their content to Netflix, the value of the deal got better and better, and the value of cable or satellite seemed ever worse in comparison.

Streaming isn’t about convenience – that’s been available for decades.
(Pictured: a 1975 Sony Betamax cabinet)

But in 2021, in order to watch even just a handful of the most popular television shows, people are once again being forced to spend cable or satellite-scale money. Just sticking to sci-fi and fantasy, three of the biggest shows in recent years have been The Mandalorian, The Expanse, and The Witcher. To watch all three shows, folks would need to sign up for three different streaming platforms – which would cost a total of £25.97 per month in the UK; approximately $36 in the United States.

The overabundance of streaming platforms is actually eroding the streaming platform model, making it unaffordable for far too many people. We have a great recent example of this: the mess last week which embroiled Star Trek: Discovery. When ViacomCBS cancelled their contract with Netflix, Discovery’s fourth season was to be unavailable outside of North America. Star Trek fans revolted, promising to boycott Paramount+ if and when the streaming platform arrived in their region. The damage done by the Discovery Season 4 debacle pushed many viewers back into the waiting arms of the only real competitor and the biggest danger to all streaming platforms: piracy.

Calls to boycott Paramount+ abounded in the wake of the Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 mess.

The streaming market does not exist in a vacuum, with platforms jostling for position solely against one another. It exists in a much bigger digital environment, one which includes piracy. It’s incredibly easy to either stream or download any television episode or any film, even with incredibly limited technological know-how, and that has always represented a major threat to the viability of streaming platforms. Though there are ethical concerns, such as the need for artists and creators to get paid for their creations, that isn’t the issue. You can shout at me until you’re blue in the face that people shouldn’t pirate a film or television show – and in the vast majority of cases I’ll agree wholeheartedly. The issue isn’t that people should or shouldn’t engage in piracy – the issue is that people are engaged in piracy, and there really isn’t a practical or viable method of stopping them – at least, no such method has been invented thus far.

As more and more streaming platforms try to make a go of it in an already-overcrowded market, more and more viewers are drifting back to piracy. 2020 was a bit of an outlier in some respects due to lockdowns, but it was also the biggest year on record for film and television piracy. 2021 may well eclipse 2020’s stats and prove to have been bigger still.

The overcrowded streaming market makes piracy look ever more appealing to many viewers.

Part of the driving force is that people are simply unwilling to sign up to a streaming platform to watch one or two shows. One of the original appeals of a service like Netflix was that there was a huge range of content all in one place – whether you wanted a documentary, an Oscar-winning film, or an obscure television show from the 1980s, Netflix had you covered. Now, more and more companies are pulling their content and trying to build their own platforms around that content – and many viewers either can’t or won’t pay for it.

Some companies are trying to push streaming platforms that aren’t commercially viable and will never be commercially viable. Those companies need to take a look at Sega and the Dreamcast, and instead of trying to chase the Netflix model ten years too late and with far too little original content, follow the Sega model instead. Drop the hardware and focus on the software – or in this case, drop the platform and focus on making shows.

Some streaming platforms will not survive – and their corporate owners would be well-advised to realise that sooner rather than later.

The Star Trek franchise offers an interesting example of how this can work. Star Trek: Discovery was originally available on Netflix outside of the United States. But Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks went to Amazon Prime Video instead – showing how this model of creating a television show and selling it either to the highest bidder or to whichever platform seems like the best fit for the genre can and does work.

Moves like this feel inevitable for several of these second-tier streaming platforms. There’s a hard ceiling on the amount of money folks are willing to spend, so unless streaming platforms can find a way to cut costs and become more competitively priced, the only possible outcome by the end of the “streaming wars” will be the permanent closure of several of these platforms. Companies running these platforms should consider other options, because blindly chasing the streaming model will lead to financial ruin. Sega had the foresight in 2001 to jump out of an overcrowded market and abandon a failing business model. In the two decades since the company has refocused its efforts and found renewed success. This represents a great model for streaming platforms to follow.

All films, television series, and video games mentioned above are the copyright of their respective owner, studio, developer, broadcaster, publisher, distributor, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

It’s disappointing that Rangers of the New Republic has been axed

Spoiler Warning: There are minor spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian and the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

I’ve made no secret here on the website over the past couple of years that I’m not exactly thrilled with the direction of the Star Wars franchise. In the aftermath of the total narrative failure of The Rise of Skywalker, Lucasfilm has doubled down hard on overplaying the nostalgia card in practically all of its upcoming projects.

There’s some kind of series or miniseries focusing on R2D2 and C-3PO in development. There’s a prequel to Rogue One focusing on Cassian Andor. There’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, which will bring back the classic character to look at his life in between the prequels and the original films. There’s The Book of Boba Fett, in which Boba Fett is inexplicably back from the dead. There’s Ahsoka, a spin-off from The Mandalorian focusing on a character from the animated shows.

Boba Fett is one of several minor characters returning to Star Wars.

All of these projects indicate to me that the higher-ups at Disney and Lucasfilm don’t really know how to handle the Star Wars franchise. They’re intent on looking backwards at Star Wars’ past, seeming to think that what the franchise was is all it can ever be in the future. The result is spin-offs from spin-offs, prequels to prequels, unimportant chapters being thrown under the microscope, and characters of decreasing importance thrust into the spotlight.

Though it was purported to be a spin-off from The Mandalorian, one of the few announced projects that seemed to have any semblance of originality was Rangers of the New Republic. The series was to have looked at the New Republic – the galactic government which was created by the Rebel Alliance following the events of Return of the Jedi – in far more detail than ever before. However, Rangers of the New Republic has now been cancelled.

Logo for Rangers of the New Republic.

The New Republic hasn’t been explored in much detail in Star Wars’ main canon, instead being relegated to a background role in both The Mandalorian and the sequel trilogy. In The Force Awakens, we see Starkiller Base deployed against the New Republic’s capital system, destroying its government institutions and much of its military. By the time of The Last Jedi, the First Order is said to be in control of much of the galaxy, and the New Republic isn’t mentioned thereafter.

The Mandalorian showed us a glimpse of the New Republic, including how it tries to police outlying star systems and enforce its laws – and how it’s relatively ineffective at doing so. There was potential to expand on this depiction, showing both the governmental side of the New Republic, hampered by legislative inefficiencies, as well as the actual Rangers themselves.

A New Republic pilot seen in The Mandalorian.

A lot of Star Wars projects currently in production look at morally ambiguous characters. The Mandalorian focuses on a bounty hunter – someone who primarily operates outside of the law, albeit that he has a heart of gold underneath his armour. The Book of Boba Fett will focus on another Mandalorian bounty hunter, and if it stays true to its premise will show us Star Wars’ seedy underworld in more detail.

Andor will follow Cassian Andor – a character whose moral ambiguity was on full display in Rogue One, and who will do anything to advance the Rebels’ cause. Ahsoka is going to follow the titular Ahsoka Tano, an ex-Jedi who appears to be off doing her own thing rather than helping Luke Skywalker and the Rebels. The only series following an out-and-out hero – or one of the unambiguously “good guys” – is Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Cassian Andor will be the focus of a new Disney+ series.

Rangers of the New Republic had the potential to show us a different side of Star Wars – arguably one closer thematically to the original films, yet still distinct and independent of them. While other shows would look at the underworld of the galaxy, at criminals, or at spies who’ll do anything for their cause, Rangers of the New Republic could’ve been a breath of fresh air. The series could’ve presented an optimistic cast of characters who were genuinely trying to help the new government succeed.

Characters who are too pure and excessively virtuous can be boring, and that would’ve been a pitfall that Rangers of the New Republic would’ve needed to avoid. But had the show managed to walk that line, we might’ve seen something a bit different from Star Wars’ other current and upcoming offerings: a show that would’ve happily looked at the “good guys” as they tried to shore up the New Republic and tackled everything from criminals to ex-Imperial officers.

Emblem of the New Republic.

In part, the decision to cancel Rangers of the New Republic is probably tied to the situation with Cara Dune actress Gina Carano. Though it was never officially stated that the show would star Carano, many fans and commentators assumed that she would have a significant role to play, so following her dismissal from Lucasfilm in the aftermath of some very stupid social media posts, perhaps the show was always living on borrowed time.

We won’t get into the Gina Carano situation here. Suffice to say that anyone with any kind of profile needs to be incredibly careful what they say on social media, and she wasn’t. She upset a lot of people, doubled down on some of her controversial remarks, and that ended up costing her a potential recurring gig with Lucasfilm. She only has herself to blame.

Gina Carano as Cara Dune in The Mandalorian Season 1.

I would argue, though, that Rangers of the New Republic didn’t need to be all about Cara Dune. We met a couple of New Republic characters in The Mandalorian, and they could’ve served as a gateway into the show, keeping it connected to The Mandalorian and potentially building up to a crossover event with one or more of the other shows that were in production at the same time.

There was potential in Rangers of the New Republic. Not only was it a series that could’ve been something different from the likes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett by looking at the post-Return of the Jedi government, but it was also a series that could’ve left familiar characters behind to strike out on its own. All of the other Star Wars projects currently in production have this kind of backwards-looking, nostalgia-heavy focus, and Rangers of the New Republic was one of the few offerings that had the potential to be something a little different. As Star Wars continues to double down on nostalgic throwbacks, I fear we’ll come to regret the cancellation of Rangers of the New Republic.

The Star Wars franchise – including all films and series mentioned above – is the copyright of Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales – a review

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales. Spoilers are also present for other iterations of the Star Wars franchise, including the following films and shows: The Mandalorian Season 2, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and The Rise of Skywalker.

It’s Spooktober – the spookiest month of the year! To celebrate Halloween at the end of the month, Disney and Lucasfilm released Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales on Disney+, a Star Wars-themed kid-friendly Halloween special. Last year’s The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special – which I didn’t get around to reviewing in time for Christmas – was a ton of fun, so I had high hopes going into Terrifying Tales. Stay tuned for a review of The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special in late November or December, by the way, as I’m adamant that I’ll finally review it this year!

Terrifying Tales was incredibly funny, at least equalling last year’s Lego Star Wars offering. It was the kind of silly, irreverent style of humour that Lego Star Wars is known for, and also drew on a number of different classic horror tropes. I had a wonderful time with the forty-five minute special, and if I had one criticism it would be that I wish we got these Lego Star Wars special episodes more often!

Poe Dameron and BB-8 with new character Dean.

I’m not the world’s biggest fan of horror. Some horror stories can be a mental health trigger for me, so I tend to avoid the genre as a whole unless I’m really sure that I’m in the right frame of mind. But Terrifying Tales was exactly the kind of child-friendly light horror that appeals to me. The animated special made use of a horror-themed aesthetic and horror-based stories, and played up some familiar tropes, but it did so without being frightening. If you’re concerned about younger kids or anyone of an especially sensitive disposition, I didn’t see anything in Terrifying Tales that I feel would be particularly scary or upsetting.

Lego Star Wars has been something I’ve adored since the release of the first video games in the mid/late 2000s; 2007’s Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga is undoubtedly one of the best video games I played during the Xbox 360 era. I’ve also been eagerly awaiting the newest Lego Star Wars video game which is due for release in the spring. Watch this space again, because I hope to review the game when it’s released!

I’m already looking forward to the next Lego Star Wars project!

Last year’s Lego Star Wars Holiday Special managed to get a great balance of prequel era, original era, and sequel era references and stories, and I was incredibly pleased to see Terrifying Tales managed to do the same. At first I was worried that the special was going to lean very heavily on the sequels, with Poe Dameron as its primary character. However, while the frame narrative focused on Poe, there were plenty of references and callbacks even then to past iterations of Star Wars. Overall, Terrifying Tales managed to get the right mix of characters and storylines from the cinematic franchise’s three main eras.

The frame narrative was typical Lego Star Wars silliness, with a Hutt having taken over Darth Vader’s abandoned Mustafar castle. Planning to turn the Sith fortress into a Las Vegas-style hotel, the setting was a great mix of creepy and silly – there was more than enough light-heartedness in the modifications made to the intimidating castle to tone it down and take the edge off the spookiness. At the same time, the castle was a great setting. It had a fairly typical “haunted castle” vibe, complete with darkened hallways and imposing architecture. Even in the lobby, which was brimming with Vegas-inspired (or perhaps Disneyland-inspired) kitsch and souvenir shops, there was still a creepy background note, as though the place wasn’t entirely safe.

Darth Vader’s castle – now with gift shop!

As the characters ventured further into Vader’s castle, however, the setting took on a different feel. It became less of a haunted castle and more akin to an ancient temple – or a pyramid from a classic mummy film. Deep within the bowels of Vader’s abandoned fortress, hidden rooms with unclaimed – yet cursed – treasures and cleverly-operated switches and traps awaited Poe, BB-8, and the rest of the cast. The castle thus served a dual purpose, and to cram both settings into one locale in a way that felt natural and that didn’t feel rushed shows some pretty great writing.

The only thing that the frame narrative perhaps lacked were more recognisable characters. I’ve argued on a number of occasions that the Star Wars franchise is overly-reliant on characters from its past and that I wanted to see more original creations – but Terrifying Tales isn’t really where I expected to meet a whole bunch of newbies! To see Poe without Rey or Finn was just odd, and as much fun as characters like Vaneé and Graballa the Hutt were, the frame narrative could’ve found a way to include more familiar characters. Lego Star Wars is the one place where bringing back classic characters makes sense – and it’s also where logic and internal consistency matter far less, so there’s plenty of ways to do so! It wasn’t a fatal flaw by any means, and I enjoyed Poe’s mentoring of young Dean in particular. But it was certainly noteworthy that this part of the story really only had Poe and BB-8 in terms of familiar faces.

Poe was the main character in Terrifying Tales.

Graballa the Hutt gave me almost a Ferengi vibe with his unchecked capitalistic greed, and though we didn’t get much time for any of these characters to be truly fleshed-out, there was enough of a moral shadiness to him that left me in no doubt the kind of character this was. Graballa’s the kind of money-driven dodgy boss who’ll cut any corner to save a buck and would’ve sold out Poe and Dean and everyone else for his own safety. He made a fun addition to the group as comic relief, but at the same time he was a constant cause for concern – he’d trade everyone’s lives for a shot at his own survival, and in horror stories those kinds of characters can cause a lot of trouble!

Vaneé is a character who first appeared in Rogue One, and whose role was expanded upon in the novelisation of the film. He’s also made appearances in a number of Star Wars comics – none of which I’m familiar with. For all intents and purposes, though, the character we met in Terrifying Tales was a blank slate upon which the animated special could craft a suitably over-the-top villain!

This character from Rogue One, seen bowing to Darth Vader and informing him of Krennic’s arrival, is Vaneé.

Vaneé definitely had a creepiness to him during the story. He set up the three vignettes in a suitably spooky manner, and the voice performance from Tony Hale was an exquisite parody of these kinds of characters from classic horror films and shows like The Twilight Zone. The downtrodden, overlooked butler or apprentice with an evil streak is an archetype of the genre, and Vaneé slotted into that role perfectly in Terrifying Tales.

At the climax of the story, after we’d been treated to the three vignettes, Vaneé made his grab for power via a Sith artefact that looked an awful lot like the wayfinder from The Rise of Skywalker. From that moment on he was no longer a creepy character but a completely over-the-top pantomime villain – and I loved that transformation! In a story like Terrifying Tales, with all of the silliness and light-heartedness of the Lego Star Wars brand, a villain who goes completely hell-for-leather into wanting to rule the galaxy was pitch-perfect.

The villainous Vaneé!

But we’re racing ahead of ourselves! Before we get to Vaneé’s endgame and thus the end of Terrifying Tales we first have to look at… well, the titular terrifying tales themselves!

The first of the three was titled The Lost Boy, and focused on Ben Solo and the Knights of Ren some time prior to The Force Awakens. And it was surprisingly fun! The Knights of Ren were presented as basically a motorcycle gang, wreaking havoc on a village or community somewhere in the vicinity of Luke’s new Jedi Temple. The idea that the Knights of Ren already existed before Ben Solo became Kylo Ren is actually an interesting one, and the cameo from Christian Slater as the leader of the gang was neat as well.

The Lost Boy lasted six minutes, yet managed to contain more backstory for Kylo Ren than the entire sequel trilogy! And no, this isn’t going to turn into another rant about The Rise of Skywalker, but I really felt that the way we saw Ben Solo presented in this short story was far better and more sympathetic than we ever saw in the live-action films. We saw his bad attitude as a student, his arrogance and desire to learn the Force more quickly, and these things informed his fall as the story ran on. Feeling constrained and restricted by his uncle, he was tempted by the Knights of Ren and their charismatic leader, and that set him on a dark path.

The Lost Boy gave us Kylo Ren’s backstory that was missing from the sequel trilogy!

Sadly that isn’t canon! But it was surprisingly cathartic, especially after the way The Rise of Skywalker ended, to get some kind of origin story for Ben Solo that we could see for ourselves and not hear second-hand from other characters.

The dream sequence during this short story was fantastic. It was incredibly well-animated, and had a very trippy presentation that really did feel like we were following Ben Solo into a nightmare. The way Ben was haunted by a face seeming to come out of the ceiling, then was transported into a creepy dream-world was incredibly well-done, and by far the highlight of this part of the story. As the leader of the Knights of Ren appeared to Ben in his dreams I got a Nightmare on Elm Street vibe – as if something deadly was about to happen.

The leader of the Knights of Ren.

Though this was an “alternative” take on Kylo Ren’s creation and Ben Solo’s fall, I really liked it. There were some great moments of humour, particularly Ben commenting on Luke training for “like twenty minutes” on Dagobah – a reference to The Empire Strikes Back and how Jedi training seems to progress very differently for Luke compared to other characters! But it was also a story of teen angst, rebellion, and the fall of a character to the Dark Side. Because we didn’t get to see Ben’s fall in canon, I found it particularly interesting.

The second vignette brought us a battle between General Grievous and Darth Maul. Terrifying Tales called out how patently ridiculous it was for Darth Maul to have been revived – finally! The Star Wars franchise apparently loves to bring back characters who were clearly and unequivocally dead: Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker, Boba Fett in The Mandalorian, and of course Darth Maul in The Clone Wars television series and Solo. But the fact that such “back from the dead” moments are ridiculous needed to be called out, and it was done so here in incredibly fun fashion!

Darth Maul’s return from being dead was always ridiculous… and Terrifying Tales pointed that out!

Maybe you’ve always wondered who would win in a fight between Grievous and Maul. I hadn’t, but their duel was still action-packed and fun to watch. This was perhaps the least “terrifying” of the three stories, by which I mean it had the least focus on any horror trope or element. The cursed lightsaber was an interesting macguffin, but I didn’t really feel that it had much of an impact on either mechanical monstrosity as they fought over it. If anything, it had a similar effect to the Ring in The Lord of the Rings, giving both characters a Gollum-like craving.

The real standout star of The Duelling Monstrosities, though, was Palpatine. This version of Palpatine as a nonchalant, almost casual manager of his Empire is never not funny! If you’re familiar with the way Palpatine was parodied in the likes of Robot Chicken and the Family Guy Star Wars specials, this depiction is comparable. If not, go and watch the Robot Chicken Star Wars specials at the very least, because they’re hilarious!

Palpatine was hilarious in this vignette.

Palpatine carried this segment and provided much of its comedy. He was hilarious as he pitted Maul and Grievous against one another – accidentally, of course! And then betrayed the victor to claim his prize of the broken cursed lightsaber. We never did find out why he wanted it, but it didn’t matter!

The third vignette was inspired by the 1902 short story The Monkey’s Paw, and there were elements of the 1960 Twilight Zone episode Man in the Bottle too – itself a loose adaptation of that short story. It was by far the creepiest short story in terms of its setup and premise, and Vaneé gave his best Twilight Zone-inspired speech to tee up the tale.

The Twilight Zone-inspired title card for The Wookie’s Paw.

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader were the stars this time around, with Luke wishing upon a Wookie’s paw to grant wishes for himself. In this alternate version of A New Hope, Luke becomes an Imperial pilot and Darth Vader’s Dark Side protégé. If you’ve ever wondered what might’ve happened had Luke been trained by Vader, The Wookie’s Paw gives us a glimpse into that alternate reality!

In true Monkey’s Paw fashion, though, everything is not what it seems. Luke’s wishes come with a price – and after using the cursed Wookie’s paw to rise through the ranks and become a pilot and Sith apprentice, Luke goes too far. By wishing for fame he actually gets notoriety, accidentally blowing up the Death Star while trying to defend it from a Rebel attack. It was actually pretty funny to see him make such a catastrophic mistake!

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

The interplay between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader was surprisingly cute in The Wookie’s Paw. Though both remained blissfully unaware of their familial connection, Vader took on a similar mentor/fatherly role to Luke as Obi-Wan had in A New Hope, and seeing Luke go through a Dark Side version of some classic training scenes – from the training droid to carrying Vader on his back – was both sweet and funny at the same time.

If you’ll forgive a short detour, what I liked about this story was that the cursed Wookie’s paw didn’t actually change the outcome of A New Hope. Princess Leia stepped up to lead the assault on the Death Star in Luke’s absence, aided by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who survived in this alternate timeline. Luke still fired the torpedoes that destroyed the battlestation, even if he didn’t mean to. The message, aside from “be careful what you wish for,” is one of fate and destiny. Even if Luke Skywalker were removed from the equation – or fighting for the other side – the Rebellion still prevailed.

Be careful what you wish for, Luke!

So we come to the finale! Once the three vignettes were over and Poe had been led deep into the heart of Darth Vader’s fortress, Vaneé revealed his ultimate plan. Using Dean to open the Sith holocron, he used it to seize the power of the Dark Side. Cloaking himself in armour he resembled a Sith monster, and he used his newfound power to turn an army of zombified battle droids on Poe, Dean, and Graballa.

This was perhaps the most intimidating battle droids have ever felt in Star Wars! From their first appearance in The Phantom Menace all the way through the prequels battle droids were presented as cheap cannon fodder and even comic relief to be laughed at. Turning them into zombies with glowing red eyes, and pitting a small band of heroes against them and their master, was an interesting and surprisingly fun turn. One of the battle droids even got a moment inspired by classic film The Shining, which was absolutely hilarious!

Zombified battle droids!

After a conversation between Poe and the charming Dean about how fear is natural and something everyone experiences, the duo were able to save the day and defeat Vaneé. There was a neat battle between Poe and Vaneé that showed off Lego versions of the AT-ST and AT-AT walkers, before Vaneé was finally thrown into Mustafar’s lava just like his master before him! It was a tense yet fun battle, and giving Dean the opportunity to save the day was perfectly in line with the kind of story that Terrifying Tales aimed to be.

I had fun with Terrifying Tales. It was a cute Lego Star Wars parody that delivered everything I wanted and expected, and even managed to throw in a few neat surprises and things I didn’t even know I needed to see! The animation work was fantastic, a perfect blend between computer-animated Star Wars locales and a distinctive Lego aesthetic for the characters and vehicles. A project like this could’ve come across as an extra-long toy commercial, but I didn’t get that sense at all. It was a fun Star Wars-themed Halloween romp.

Terrifying Tales was a great way to kick off the spookiest season of the year for me! There’s only a little over three weeks left until Halloween, and I have a few more spooky ideas up my sleeve before the month is over, so I hope you’ll come back for some of those! Happy Spooktober!

Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales is available to stream now on Disney+. The Star Wars franchise – including Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

The Book of Boba Fett: Thoughts, hopes, and expectations

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the Star Wars franchise, including The Mandalorian Seasons 1-2 and Return of the Jedi.

“Mixed feelings” might be the best phrase to describe my attitude toward the upcoming Disney+ Star Wars series The Book of Boba Fett. I have no doubt that the series will do a lot of things well, from visual effects to exciting action sequences. But if you recall my criticisms from 2020 when it was first rumoured that Boba Fett might be included in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, the bare premise of the series is enough to leave me underwhelmed.

Let’s be blunt for a moment. Boba Fett was a dull character whose entire popularity in the early 1980s came from his unique-looking armour. This led to sales of action figures, models, and dolls – and an oversized, undue gravitas given to a minor, one-dimensional foil for Han Solo. Boba Fett does have a unique, cool look, I won’t deny that. But his role in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi was minor, and his death in the latter film was a fittingly unspectacular end for an unspectacular character.

Boba Fett’s popularity stems from toys and action figures. By the way, does anyone else really dislike Pop Vinyl/Funko Pop? I just can’t get on board with the design of practically any of their figures…

However, Boba Fett’s popularity endured over the years, helped in no small part by his character being fleshed out in a fan-fictiony way by writers of the old Expanded Universe books and comics. So by the time of the prequels, George Lucas and others involved in the production of those films clearly felt an obligation to include backstory for him as well.

I don’t hate Boba Fett, but when I watched the Star Wars trilogy for the first time I just didn’t get the hype. Why was this character so remarkable considering he did one thing – captured Han Solo – then died in a pretty stupid way when his jetpack misfired? And he didn’t even capture Han Solo himself, he had to enlist the help of Darth Vader and a whole legion of Stormtroopers. In short: cool-looking armour, but that’s about as much as I can say about Boba Fett in his original incarnation.

Boba Fett’s first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back.

However, The Book of Boba Fett isn’t following the character as he appeared in the original films. As I noted in my review of Season 2 of The Mandalorian, the character introduced to us as “Boba Fett” feels a long, long way removed from the bounty hunter we met in The Empire Strikes Back. His entire demeanour was so radically different that I said in my review that the two characters feel entirely separate. The plot of The Mandalorian Season 2 wouldn’t have been any different had that character been given a different name and Boba Fett never been mentioned.

One thing I will credit The Mandalorian’s Boba Fett with is that I felt the character got a more nuanced portrayal than he ever did in the films. There was a sense that this man was a weary veteran, ready to hang up the armour and live a quiet life somewhere. He’d fought all the battles he wanted to fight and was ready to try something new – at least until we saw him in the final moments of the season seemingly intent on seizing control of Tatooine’s underworld.

Boba Fett as he initially appeared in The Mandalorian Season 2.

Just like The Rise of Skywalker had done before it with Palpatine, The Mandalorian Season 2 completely ignored what has to be the most important point about Boba Fett: how on earth is he still alive? If the new series can find a way to pull an answer to that question out of its backside that even makes a degree of sense, it’ll have made progress. And I think that’s my biggest single request when it comes to the storyline of The Book of Boba Fett: find some way to give us a plausible explanation for the main character’s survival.

Remember that Boba Fett fell into the gaping mouth of a giant monster in the Tatooine desert. The Sarlaac monster in the Pit of Carkoon was presented as a truly awful torturous death, supposedly taking a long time in its inescapable digestive tract. Jabba the Hutt was said to favour this method of execution, and planned to execute Luke Skywalker and Han Solo there in Return of the Jedi. Boba Fett fell into the monster’s mouth, and that seemed to be a very definitive end for him!

How did Boba Fett survive? Finding a plausible answer is key to the show’s success.

One aspect of the story of The Mandalorian Season 2 has potentially complicated any story of Boba’s escape. The fact that his armour had been lost on Tatooine, recovered by Jawas and later sold to Cobb Vanth clearly indicates that Boba didn’t simply blast his way out of the creature as soon as the battle on Jabba’s barge was over. Because he fell into the pit wearing his armour – and thus carrying at least some of his weapons – the show might’ve been able to argue that he didn’t die and simply shot his way out. But if so, he’d have kept his armour.

So the question of his survival remains, and in the aftermath of just how poorly the awful line “somehow Palpatine returned” went down in The Rise of Skywalker, I can’t imagine that The Book of Boba Fett would try to ignore this point. Even if all we get are a few lines of dialogue saying that he climbed out and was saved by roaming scavengers or Chewbacca’s great-aunt, I think we need some kind of closure before we can take seriously the fact that Boba Fett is back.

Boba Fett, moments before dying like a chump.

Then we come to the premise of the series itself, and this is perhaps what I’m most interested in. One of my biggest disappointments when it came to The Mandalorian was that the show’s basic premise remains unfulfilled despite sounding incredibly promising. I wanted to see “the adventures of a gunslinger away from the reach of the New Republic,” but instead the show brought Baby Yoda, the Force, the Empire, and even Luke Skywalker into play in a story that increasingly felt like Return of the Jedi II as Season 2 wore on.

The Book of Boba Fett promises us the following: “Legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.”

Though I stand by my criticisms of the Star Wars franchise making desperate nostalgia plays for characters and settings from the original films, that premise doesn’t sound half bad. Though I don’t want to get my hopes up too high after being burned by The Mandalorian, maybe we can finally get a look at the Star Wars galaxy away from the Force and the Skywalker family.

Hopefully The Book of Boba Fett won’t be repeating scenes like this one…

Boba’s survival after falling into the Pit of Carkoon risks coming across as cheap, fan-servicey, and just plain dumb. But if the show can find some way to navigate that sizeable pitfall (pun intended), then Boba Fett could actually prove to be an interesting point-of-view character for exploring the darker side of the Star Wars galaxy.

As an ex-bounty hunter, Boba Fett used to inhabit this seedy underworld that the show’s official description is teasing us with. But as someone who’s been out of action for almost a decade at this point, things have moved on in his absence. The biggest change, most likely, is the fall of the Empire. Without the Empire to crack down on criminals, and with the New Republic taking a different approach, it’s possible that the criminal underworld has grown since Return of the Jedi.

What will the criminal underworld be like after the fall of the Empire?

Boba Fett will have to navigate a changed world, and that offers up a lot of potential for exposition and explanation to be dropped into the series in a way that makes sense. There’s a high probability of learning more about the Star Wars galaxy – and particularly its criminal side – than we ever have before. That idea is definitely an interesting one, and though I wouldn’t personally have chosen to bring Boba Fett back from the dead in order to tell this kind of story, as a concept it’s hard to fault.

As a character, Boba Fett is perhaps open to further exploration. As I noted above, in his original appearances he was fairly one-dimensional, and his role in The Mandalorian Season 2 came with a degree of mystery to it. There’s scope to learn more about Boba Fett the man: who is the person underneath the armour? What drives him? What are his ambitions now that he’s got his armour back and taken over Jabba’s former throne? All of these things could potentially lead to interesting moments of characterisation, and as a concept the idea of an anti-hero or a villain with a heart and understandable motivations can work exceptionally well.

Din Djarin with Boba Fett in The Mandalorian Season 2.

All of this could come to pass if the show stays true to its premise! And this is where my concerns kick in. As Boba Fett’s return proves in and of itself, the Star Wars franchise is completely and utterly dependant on its original films and the characters and concepts that were present there. The Mandalorian brought us Baby Yoda, the Force, Ahsoka, the Empire, and Luke Skywalker in its first two seasons – along with dozens of other throwbacks to Star Wars’ past. Some of these elements came close to working, but overall they drowned out any originality the series could’ve had. I fear that The Book of Boba Fett will meet a similar fate.

There are all manner of ways this could happen. Off the top of my head, here are a few: Boba Fett comes into conflict with Luke Skywalker and his new Jedi Order somehow, perhaps even seeking revenge for his encounter with the Sarlacc. Maybe Han Solo will be a target of Boba Fett’s over the course of the show, again looking for revenge. Some other Jedi could emerge, perhaps a character from the prequels or one of the kids’ shows. Boba Fett could encounter Jedi or Sith artefacts, which would bring the Force into the series. And so on. There are many ways that we could see the show fall back on these nostalgia plays and fail to live up to its potential.

Promotional poster for The Book of Boba Fett.

I’d love for The Book of Boba Fett to have more to offer than nostalgic throwbacks, good visual effects, and well-constructed moments of action and excitement. Whether it will or not… well, the jury’s still out. I’m hopeful, but cautious.

The Book of Boba Fett exists in a strange space for me. I should feel more excitement for what is only the second ever live-action Star Wars television series, especially considering the huge budget afforded to shows made for Disney+ and the platform’s excellent track record with visual effects. Star Wars has literally never looked better in terms of visuals and special effects, and with the franchise taking a different turn to perhaps visit the seedier underworld in depth for the first time, there are things that pique my interest. I’m just having a hard time jumping on the hype train.

Despite that, I will do my utmost to give The Book of Boba Fett a fair shake. It will premiere on the 29th of December – right in the middle of Star Trek: Discovery’s imminent fourth season. I can’t promise I’ll have time to review every individual episode with so much else happening in December, but I’ll certainly share my thoughts on the series at some point, so I hope you’ll stay tuned for that. I’d love to be able to come back after the show’s first season and say that my fears and doubts were unfounded.

The Book of Boba Fett will premiere on Disney+ on the 29th of December 2021. The Star Wars franchise – including The Book of Boba Fett and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Darth Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the Star Wars franchise, including The Mandalorian Seasons 1-2, Jedi: Fallen Order, and the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

We’ve known for a while that the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series will feature Darth Vader – somehow. Hayden Christiansen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, has even signed on to play the role, something which has excited at least some Star Wars fans. Today we’re going to consider what kind of role the Obi-Wan Kenobi series could offer to the franchise’s most iconic villain, and how the show will have to navigate a tricky situation of its own making.

Regular readers will know that I haven’t exactly been wild about many of the recent decisions taken by the Star Wars franchise. The Mandalorian, which seemed to offer such promise when it was announced, very quickly returned to the Force and the Skywalker family, and brought in a number of characters and settings that were lifted directly from the original trilogy. When Lucasfilm announced a slate of upcoming Star Wars projects last December, I felt that the franchise was doubling down on this kind of nostalgia play, unwilling to step out of the shadow of the original films and tell new stories. The inclusion of Darth Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series – and indeed the very existence of the show itself – is a case in point.

Iconic villain Darth Vader is set to return to Star Wars very soon.

Regardless of what I and others may think, this is the direction Lucasfilm and Disney have chosen for the franchise. The most generous thing I could say about it is that, following the controversy generated by the sequel trilogy, they’re retreating to what they consider to be safe, comfortable ground for the foreseeable future. Returning the franchise to characters fans know and (mostly) love may be indicative of a franchise aiming for a grade C – a basic pass – but perhaps after the controversies of recent years, the higher-ups think that will be good enough.

Although the decision to return to classic characters may seem to be the safe path in the aftermath of the sequels, it’s not one that is free from danger. Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi may indeed prove to be bankable characters – along with the likes of Boba Fett in his upcoming spin-off – but fans won’t forgive Disney and Lucasfilm if the way these characters are used undermines their previously-established arcs.

What role will Vader play in the upcoming series?

When it comes to Darth Vader’s inclusion in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, to me the single most important thing is that the two characters simply can’t be permitted to meet. A New Hope was their first face-to-face meeting since their duel on Mustafar, and were they to meet in the series it would seriously undermine the power of that moment.

We could talk at length about the failures of the prequel trilogy – and I have in the past – but to me their most egregious fault was the harm done to the character of Darth Vader. In the original films we’d learned all we needed to know about this character – he had once been good, then fell to the dark side, but had enough residual love for his son to be ultimately redeemed in the moments before his death. He was an intimidating villain, but one we could feel a pang of sympathy for. Seeing him as a child and a whiny teenager detracted from that; his background was over-explained.

I would argue that we didn’t need to see Anakin as a child and young man to understand Darth Vader in the original films.

Vader has already been undermined by the prequels, and it’s difficult to see him in the same frightening way as I did on first watching the Star Wars films in the early 1990s. But throwing him into a face-to-face meeting with Obi-Wan years before their iconic duel aboard the Death Star would rob the original film of one of its most significant moments. It would feel like cheap fan-service and accomplish nothing.

There are ways for Darth Vader to play a role in the new show’s story – even a major role – without having him and Obi-Wan meet. The show is set at least a decade after the events of Revenge of the Sith, meaning that Darth Vader’s role as the second-in-command of the Empire is well-established by this point. He’s a senior leader who answers directly to the Emperor with his own dedicated Stormtrooper corps, and has spent much of his time chasing surviving Jedi and enforcing the Emperor’s rule on wayward systems.

More than a decade after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Vader’s role in the Imperial hierarchy should’ve solidified.

We also know that Darth Vader has an intense hatred of the planet Tatooine. Obi-Wan chose the planet for his and Luke’s hiding place specifically for that reason, so Vader shouldn’t set foot on the planet for the entirety of the story. And really, Obi-Wan shouldn’t leave the planet either! It was strongly suggested in Revenge of the Sith and the original trilogy that he and Yoda wouldn’t leave their respective exiles, and Luke Skywalker seemed to have known “Old Ben” for his entire life.

This was something that led me to be sceptical of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series from the outset; how much of an adventure can “Old Ben” have within a few miles of Mos Eisley and his desert hut? I assume, though, that he will ultimately leave the planet at some point – it would be a pretty dull series otherwise!

What did “Old Ben” do in the years prior to A New Hope?

But if a significant portion of the action takes place on or in the vicinity of Tatooine, and Vader won’t set foot on the planet, then we have a pretty good reason for keeping the characters apart and preserving the special moment in A New Hope. But that still raises the question of what kind of role Darth Vader will have in the series.

If I were writing it, I’d use Darth Vader sparingly. He could be the overarching villain, sending out his troops or henchmen on missions for the Empire without ever having to interact with Obi-Wan personally. He might have a minor role in a couple of episodes, or he could appear toward the end of the season, with the revelation being that whoever Obi-Wan has been battling is actually one of Vader’s henchmen. This would still have to be done in a way that kept the knowledge of Obi-Wan’s survival and location from Vader, and that’s a difficult line for the series to walk.

Darth Vader with some of his loyal Stormtroopers in A New Hope.

It isn’t impossible for Darth Vader to be included in a Star Wars story in this fashion. The video game Jedi: Fallen Order did something similar – players spend much of the game facing off against the Second Sister and other forces of the Empire, only for Darth Vader to reveal himself at the story’s climax. In the case of Jedi: Fallen Order there wasn’t a pressing need to keep protagonist Cal Kestis away from Vader in the way there is in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but the game was better for having more original characters, at least in my opinion.

Although some prequel fans are undoubtedly looking forward to Vader’s return, I’m more interested to see what original characters the Obi-Wan Kenobi series will introduce us to. Will the titular ex-Jedi be facing off against the forces of the Empire? Presumably the inclusion of Darth Vader means there’ll be some kind of Imperial involvement in the story somehow. But I’m just as interested to see what Obi-Wan might get up to on Tatooine, outside of Vader’s reach.

Darth Vader appeared in the video game Jedi: Fallen Order.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t have chosen to greenlight a series like this one. And if I were tasked with picking it up after it had already been greenlit, I’d have certainly kept characters like Darth Vader far away from the new show. Even though we’ve spent more time with him than we arguably needed to, Darth Vader can still be used to great effect in Star Wars, and I don’t want to say that there’s no room whatsoever for the franchise’s first and most iconic villain going forward. But the Obi-Wan Kenobi series just feels like a bad fit.

These are two characters who spent a long time apart, totally disconnected from one another for almost two decades prior to their fateful meeting aboard the Death Star. Maybe there’s a way for Obi-Wan to learn that Anakin survived and became Darth Vader – we know he was aware of his former apprentice’s identity by the time of A New Hope. Maybe there’s a way for Vader to be included in some kind of flashback, dream, or vision. But I can’t imagine that the series could get away with having the two face off against one another or have another duel. How would such a meeting end? If Vader so much as knows that Obi-Wan is alive – let alone meeting or fighting him – it undermines a key part of the original film.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series will have to tread very carefully so as not to further undermine Darth Vader’s character and the story of the original films.

Having made this announcement and gone to a lot of trouble to include Darth Vader in the conversation surrounding the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, some fans will feel let down if Vader’s role is reduced to some kind of dream or flashback. I still think he could be included as some kind of overall villain, provided it was handled in such a way as not to overwrite anything we learned in A New Hope. But to me, this is a pretty egregious example of Star Wars skirting too close to canon for comfort. It’s not as bad as bringing Palpatine or Boba Fett back from the dead with no explanation, but it’s straying into that territory.

I’d love to say I’m excited for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series… or any upcoming Star Wars project, for that matter. At best, though, what I can muster is cautious interest. I’m curious to see what Obi-Wan got up to during the years we all assumed he was living in quiet seclusion on Tatooine. I just hope that the story doesn’t go off the rails. The decision to bring Darth Vader into the story has me more nervous than excited, and if I’d been in the room I’d have argued very strongly against it.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be broadcast on Disney+ in 2022 or 2023. The Star Wars franchise – including all properties mentioned above – is the copyright of Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

The Mandalorian theory – Baby Yoda

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian Seasons 1-2. Further spoilers are present for Jedi: Fallen Order, Rogue One, The Last Jedi, the prequel trilogy, and the original trilogy.

Let’s get a couple of things straight right off the bat: I don’t think The Mandalorian is an especially good show, and I don’t want either of these theories to turn out to be true. In both cases the reason is pretty much the same: the Star Wars franchise as a whole, and The Mandalorian in particular, greatly overplays the nostalgia card, and were either theory I’m about to discuss prove to be true, it would represent yet another example of the show’s writers and producers being unwilling to let it stand on its own two feet.

With that caveat out of the way, I’ve got a couple of theories regarding The Mandalorian that I’ve finally decided to write down. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s come up with these concepts; it seems like it would be a pretty easy way of joining up some of the dots present in the franchise. But regardless, we’re going to talk a little about Baby Yoda – or to give him his proper name, Grogu.

Today we’re looking at the cutest little critter in Star Wars – Baby Yoda!

In Star Wars’ main canon – not including anything from the now-overwritten Expanded Universe – there have only been three members of Yoda’s species shown on screen. Yoda himself of course debuted in The Empire Strikes Back, then in The Phantom Menace we briefly met Yaddle, another Jedi Master who served on the Jedi Council. Finally we have Grogu himself, and that’s it. Of all the races and species in Star Wars, few are as mysterious and under-explored as Yoda’s species – it doesn’t even have a name.

This is odd, actually. Star Wars’ old Expanded Universe delved into the backstories of countless minor characters and background races, and while much of that has been overwritten, some elements have made their way back into canon. But even in old Expanded Universe projects that did feature members of Yoda’s species, like Knights of the Old Republic for example, we still didn’t learn anything about them – not even a name. When you consider that the Expanded Universe dived deeply into the backgrounds of races like the Quarren or the Rodians, neither of which had major characters in any of the films, for Yoda’s species to be left alone is certainly unusual. You’d think it would’ve been ripe for an Expanded Universe author to have explored at some point.

Yoda’s species has never been explored – not even in the old Expanded Universe.

The rarity of Yoda’s species also raises interesting points, one of which is connected to the two theories we’re discussing today. Every member of Yoda’s species that we meet in canon is Force-sensitive, which is already a point of interest. But the fact that the race seems to be so uncommon, and doesn’t have a known homeworld suggests that there is something strange going on. Is Yoda one of the sole survivors of his species, perhaps?

If so, perhaps Yoda – and possibly Yaddle – are the parents of Grogu. Though Yoda explained in Revenge of the Sith that for a Jedi, attachments and romantic entanglements are off-limits due to their opening up a path to the Dark Side, if he’s a member of a dead or dying species, the needs of his people may have overcome this. It would make sense that we had never met Grogu before the events of The Mandalorian, as Yoda would not have played any role in his upbringing – merely delegating that role to the Jedi Order once the infant had been conceived. This theory could also account for Yaddle’s absence after The Phantom Menace, as she may have been more involved with Grogu or even left the Jedi Order to raise him.

Yaddle was a Jedi Master during the events of The Phantom Menace.

This theory relies on Yoda – at well over 800 years old – becoming physically intimate with another member of his species. Sorry for giving you that particular mental image! But as we learned in The Mandalorian Season 2, Grogu’s M-count – assumed to be short for his midichlorian count – was said to be exceptionally high. This could be natural for Yoda’s species, as Yoda was said to have a high midichlorian count himself, but it could also be a genetic trait passed from parent to child. If Grogu’s parents were two Jedi Masters, that could explain his abnormally high level of midichlorians.

It could also explain Luke Skywalker’s interest in Grogu. Though it seems as though Luke would’ve been interested in recruiting any Force-sensitive child for his nascent Jedi Academy in the years after the Battle of Endor, if he knew Grogu’s true identity after conversing with the ghost of Yoda that may have given him an extra incentive to rescue the youngling. It could also explain how Ahsoka knew Grogu’s name – he didn’t communicate it to her, as she implied when she spoke with Din Djarin, but she’d already met him during her time as a Jedi apprentice.

Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian Season 2.

With cloning technology featuring prominently in both The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker, another possibility is that Grogu is in fact a direct clone of Yoda. As above, this would account for his unusually high level of midichlorians, but would avoid the need for Yoda to have had any role in conceiving an offspring. Though we do know that Grogu spent some time prior to Order 66 at the Jedi Temple, if he were a clone of Yoda that doesn’t mean that the Jedi played any role in his creation.

It would be possible for some nefarious faction – perhaps even the Sith themselves – to have attempted to create a clone of Yoda, hoping to turn Grogu into a powerful Dark Side user. The prequels showed us Yoda’s capabilities in much more detail; suffice to say that a Dark Side clone of Yoda would be an incredibly useful weapon for the Sith – or anyone else. Perhaps such a scheme was uncovered by the Jedi during the years prior to Order 66, and Grogu came to reside at the Jedi Temple after being rescued.

The Jedi Temple on Coruscant was Grogu’s home prior to the downfall of the Jedi Order.

Cloning would tie in thematically to points already present in The Mandalorian, as well as in the broader Star Wars franchise, so I could certainly see the story going in this direction. It would require a bit of backstory to explain who created Grogu and how he came to be rescued, but it wouldn’t be impossible to pull off from a narrative point of view. With cloning having already been introduced into the series and prominently featured, it could even be argued to make sense.

There is one more dimension to this theory, though, and it’s one that I’ve been wary of since Baby Yoda first appeared in the show in late 2019. Rather than being a child or clone of Yoda, could it be that The Mandalorian is setting up a story where Grogu is, in fact, Yoda himself?

Could Grogu actually be Yoda?

This might sound preposterous, and if it weren’t for Star Wars’ overreliance on characters and storylines from the original trilogy I probably wouldn’t consider it a realistic possibility. But given that the franchise is intent on looking backwards, and that The Mandalorian has already brought two major characters from the original films into its narrative, nothing would surprise me any more!

So here’s another caveat: I’m not familiar with everything that happened in the animated shows The Clone Wars and Rebels. But as I understand it, time travel is possible and has been depicted in those shows. Ahsoka Tano, who appeared in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, had her life saved thanks to the intervention of a time traveller who used something referred to as the “World Between Worlds” to rescue her from certain death at the hands of Darth Vader. The World Between Worlds also showed up in last year’s Lego Star Wars Holiday Special – but I’m pretty sure that appearance is non-canon!

Could Grogu travel back in time through a portal like this one?

The point is that time travel in some form does exist within Star Wars. Not only that, but at least one character present in The Mandalorian has some experience with the World Between Worlds. Suddenly it doesn’t seem to be impossible to think that Grogu might be sent back in time – either intentionally or accidentally.

One of the tragedies of The Mandalorian – as things sit right now, anyway – is that Grogu isn’t safe with Luke Skywalker. The events of The Mandalorian occur years before the sequel trilogy, before Luke’s Jedi Order was destroyed by Kylo Ren. According to what we learned in The Last Jedi from Luke himself, the only students who survived went on to serve the Dark Side as the Knights of Ren. Grogu seems to have been too young to have joined the Dark Side, so the logical conclusion is that he was killed along with Luke’s other students.

Luke’s new Jedi Order was destroyed by Kylo Ren. All of his apprentices were killed. But was Grogu among them?

Star Wars has certainly told stories with unhappy endings before. Heck, the entire prequel trilogy was a story that led to a very dark place, with characters like Padmé ultimately dying at the end. Rogue One likewise ended with the deaths of Jyn, Cassian, and everyone else involved in the mission to steal the Death Star plans. So it wouldn’t be out of character for the franchise to go to all of this trouble to set up a story in which Grogu ultimately dies and never gets to train and become a Jedi.

However, something about the way the story has been told – particularly in the final few episodes of Season 2 that really tried hard to ramp up the emotional connection between Din Djarin and Grogu – seems to be telling me that it might not end the way we currently think. It’s certainly true that there are ways Grogu could survive the attack on Luke’s Jedi Order that don’t involve time travel, and in many ways such a story would be much easier to construct. But there are possible points in its favour – by which I mean points that seem to make this storyline at least a possibility, not points that would make it a good story!

Grogu aboard the Razor Crest.

We know that Yoda’s species are very rare in the Star Wars galaxy. It’s not impossible to think that the race could have gone extinct with the passing of Yoda and Yaddle; they may have been two of the last survivors. We also have the presence of Ahsoka Tano, whose life was saved by time travel. And finally, we know that Grogu has a way of instinctively using the Force at key moments; it’s a power that’s beyond his control in some respects, yet one he has used repeatedly to save himself and others. He’s also potentially very powerful in the Force – perhaps as powerful as Yoda.

It’s not impossible to think that, before or during the attack on Luke’s new Jedi Order, Grogu would call on the Force to help him escape Kylo and the Knights of Ren. We’ve seen a couple of different ways to open a portal to the World Between Worlds, and Grogu could summon one himself – or someone already inside the World Between Worlds might open a portal and arrive to rescue him.

Might Grogu use the Force – intentionally or accidentally – to escape from Kylo Ren?

Once in the World Between Worlds, Grogu might be sent back in time, either intentionally or accidentally, emerging 900+ years in the past. From there, it’s a short hop to joining the Jedi Order, which would still exist in this time period. Without adding anything new to Star Wars, it’s possible, based on what we already know, for Grogu to “become” Yoda.

From the moment I saw Baby Yoda in the first couple of episodes of The Mandalorian, I began to worry that this would be the character’s ultimate destination. I mentioned at the beginning that I don’t think this theory would make for an enjoyable or satisfying story, and I stand by that. The Mandalorian has been a let-down for me because of its overuse of elements from Star Wars’ past, and if its entire story were ultimately revealed to involve yet another classic character, well I just don’t think that would be to the show’s overall benefit.

From the moment “Baby Yoda” appeared I began to wonder if the show would ultimately go down this route.

This kind of time travel story also happens to be one of my least-favourite tropes of the genre: the time-loop. Grogu was saved by Luke because Luke was trained as a Jedi by Yoda, who was saved as a baby by Luke. The whole thing becomes circular, and while Star Wars has often tried to tell stories that were symmetrical or that used comparable settings and character concepts, this would be a step beyond that. It would become a paradox; how could Yoda train Luke without Luke first saving him? And how could Luke save Grogu if he hadn’t first been trained as a Jedi? There’s no solution to such a storyline, and I personally find this type of time travel narrative annoying.

Time travel, as I find myself saying all too often, is exceptionally difficult to get right. It’s far too easy for a story to trip over itself and get all tied up in knots trying to explain away inconsistencies and paradoxes. For me, the idea that Grogu might be sent back in time to become Yoda is a classic example of such a story. Even if Luke hadn’t been involved in saving his life from the Dark Troopers at the end of Season 2, I still wouldn’t want the story to go down this road – nor for Grogu to be revealed to be Yoda’s clone or offspring.

Luke Skywalker with Grogu.

The Mandalorian teased a concept that I still find genuinely interesting: “the adventures of a gunslinger far from the reach of the New Republic.” But by bringing the Force, Boba Fett, and the Skywalker family into its storyline in significant ways, that premise hasn’t really been fulfilled – at least not yet.

Grogu’s departure at the end of Season 2 could be the soft reboot The Mandalorian needs. It could offer the series a fresh start, with Din and his companions setting off for new adventures away from the Jedi and the Skywalker family. For Star Wars this would be huge – it’s impossible to overstate how big of a deal finally breaking away from the Skywalkers and the Force would actually be. Season 3 or 4 bringing Grogu back and setting up this kind of time travel or cloning storyline would feel regressive in a series which, for me, already relies far too heavily on nostalgia for the franchise’s past.

Saying goodbye to Grogu could set the stage for new stories in Season 3 and beyond.

Shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett can carry the torch for classic characters. Perhaps The Mandalorian can continue to chase down Moff Gideon, the Dark Troopers, and the cloning facility that I swear was creating Snoke. Tying the series into the sequel trilogy, not the original trilogy, would be a bold move, and might even go some way to rescuing some of the sequels’ less successful story elements.

Anyway! Those are all fantasies that may yet play out in future seasons and future stories. For now, I’ll bring this piece to a close by summarising my theories: Grogu is either a clone of Yoda, a child of Yoda, or will be sent back in time somehow in order to become Yoda himself. Even though I don’t necessarily want to see any of these theories make it to the screen, I will be very curious to see if any of the upcoming Star Wars projects give us more information about Grogu, Luke’s recreated Jedi Order, or anything else we’ve talked about today. Something tells me that Grogu’s story isn’t complete and that he won’t meet the ignominious end of being killed by Kylo and the Knights of Ren. Stay tuned, because if it turns out I’m right I’ll be sure to have something to say about that!

The Mandalorian Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream now on Disney+. The Star Wars franchise – including The Mandalorian and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Jungle Cruise – film review

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Jungle Cruise.

Any review of Jungle Cruise on Disney+ needs to take into account the film’s price tag. Right now Jungle Cruise costs £20 in the UK or $30 in the United States to “unlock,” and thus the film’s value will vary from viewer to viewer. For my two cents, unless you’re a huge fan of the original Jungle Cruise ride at the Disney theme parks or a particular fan of either Dwayne Johnson or Emily Blunt, this is probably a film to wait for. In a matter of months, and certainly by Christmas, the film will be added to the regular Disney+ lineup, and though I had a decent enough time with Jungle Cruise, I’m not sure that I necessarily got £20 worth of enjoyment from it. If you’re on the fence, trying to decide whether to pay up or wait, I think this is one you can safely wait for.

That being said, Jungle Cruise was enjoyable. I’ve said this before, but in 2002-03 when Disney was talking about adapting Pirates of the Caribbean into a film, I thought it sounded like an atrocious idea! How could a theme park ride possibly translate to the screen, I wondered? I was wrong about Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl then, and if I had similar doubts about Jungle Cruise eighteen years later then I was wrong again! The film was decent, and paid homage to a classic ride which has been part of Disneyland since the very beginning.

Jungle Cruise poster.

If you’re fortunate enough to have ridden Jungle Cruise, you’ll recall that there is a “story” of sorts to the ride itself. Obviously the film takes liberties with this, chopping and changing things to make the story more suited to the screen rather than a semi-interactive theme park attraction. But I was surprised at just how well Jungle Cruise captured the feel of the original ride, with Dwayne Johnson’s character of Frank taking the role of the Disneyland boat captain from the attraction.

There were nods to other aspects of the ride as well, particularly in the film’s opening act with Frank’s literal jungle cruise entertaining the tourists with the same mixture of dad jokes and props as the ride itself. As the story went on, the film naturally stepped away from being true to the ride to focus on a story that was not dissimilar to the aforementioned Pirates of the Caribbean film, complete with cursed undead sailors, a magical macguffin, and lashings of aquatic adventure.

Quila hits the rapids!

There were several surprisingly poignant and emotional moments in Jungle Cruise which I wasn’t expecting. Aside from the typical Disney happily ever after ending (complete with a fake-out sad ending which preceded it) the tastefully handled moment where Jack Whitehall’s character of MacGregor came out to Frank was a very sweet inclusion. Not only did it add personality and dimension to both characters – MacGregor gained a backstory of rejection and further reason to follow Lily, and Frank came across as accepting and kind – but it was a huge step for representation and inclusion. Seeing MacGregor experience rejection yet find acceptance in the most unlikely of places is a powerful message, and the mere act of LGBT+ representation in a blockbuster film is always fantastic to see. Such a message is especially important for younger viewers.

While we’re discussing some of Jungle Cruise’s deeper themes, the film took a dim view of wealth, aristocracy, and closed societies – despite practically all of its main characters being drawn from the upper classes of their day. MacGregor’s unease at having to experience life away from his home comforts was initially played for laughs – though he did become more comfortable with it as the film reached its end. The villain of the piece being a German aristocrat was also a continuation of this theme, as was the initial depiction of Frank as the last independent river boat captain – and the poorest.

Dwayne Johnson as Frank, the riverboat captain.

Having seen a number of films with British villains over the last few years, the decision to make the German Prince Joachim the main adversary to Frank and Lily was actually a bit of a change. There was a time a few years ago where villains in cinema were often German – or of German extraction. But enough time has passed and enough other villains have come and gone that the return to a German villain didn’t feel like stereotyping or a trope in the way it might’ve done had Jungle Cruise been made in the recent past.

The story itself took a couple of unexpected twists. The revelation that Frank wasn’t who he seemed to be definitely came as a shock – but in a good way! Sometimes twists of this nature can feel rushed or like they jolt the story in an unwanted direction, but learning Frank’s true origin managed to avoid that pitfall. It made his character feel more rounded and gave him motivation. We learn why he wanted to take Lily upriver – and why he was so convinced she wouldn’t succeed in her quest to find the Tears of the Moon.

Lily was seeking the Tears of the Moon.

Frank’s “betrayal” of Lily and MacGregor – which he apparently set up off-screen with Trader Sam and her tribe – was perhaps the weakest moment in the story. It did nothing to endear us to Frank, and while it was arguably in character for him it robbed what was initially set up as a tense moment of practically all of its drama. Though the threat and peril were restored after a brief respite, the way the film handled this moment was poor overall.

Representation of native peoples and their relationship to colonists has come a long way in recent years, and when looking back at past Disney depictions of indigenous peoples – such as in Peter Pan or even the original incarnation of the Jungle Cruise attraction – the way the “headhunter” tribe was presented was an improvement. Considering the tribe played a relatively minor role in the film, what we saw worked well. The depiction retained some of the mystery that westerners have of indigenous peoples – something that the original ride drew on for part of its threat – yet at the same time made at least one key character relatable.

The tribal chief.

Jungle Cruise also didn’t shy away from depicting the brutality of colonisation, showing Conquistadors savagely attacking a tribe of native people even after being offered shelter, food, and medicine. However, the film then immediately strayed into once again mystifying the tribespeople by giving them magical powers seemingly connected to the Tree of Life. Overall, the way Jungle Cruise handled its characters’ interactions with indigenous people was better than in some Disney titles, particularly older ones, but arguably imperfect and verging into some of the tropes commonly associated with such tribes in fiction.

Aside from the opening act, which was set in London, and a few other scenes near the beginning of the piece, Jungle Cruise broadly stayed true to its premise as a film about a voyage on a riverboat. The boat itself had character, being old and beaten-up, and was memorable for the way it looked while again retaining some of the charm of the original Disneyland attraction. Quila (Frank’s boat) was not only the characters’ home and method of transportation, but also played a key role toward the end of the story by blocking the river water and saving Lily and MacGregor. Giving the boat more to do in the story than simply be an ever-present stage for the characters made a huge difference to the film, and made its setting feel meaningful.

Quila – the boat – was almost like an extra character in the film.

Though the Conquistadors wanted to kill Frank – and later Prince Joachim – they seem to have had similar objectives when it comes to acquiring and using the Tears of the Moon, and as a result some of the moments toward the film’s climax felt rather forced. Obviously Lily and MacGregor had an incentive to stop the Prince and his gang of German submariners, as they clearly had nefarious intentions for the magical macguffin. But the Conquistadors had basically the same objective as Frank – to lift their curse – and it felt like there could have been a moment near the end of the film where they had all realised that they didn’t need to fight. In fact I initially wondered if Prince Joachim’s betrayal of the Conquistadors was going to set up precisely that kind of storyline. It feels like a miss that it didn’t, as the film basically ended with the heroes defeating two parties of villains.

There’s always room in fiction for that kind of narrative; not every story has to depict an emotional coming together and teaming up to defeat a worse villain. But the disturbing implication to the way Frank’s story ended is that he simply left the Conquistadors to endure endless torture; they’re unable to die and it didn’t seem as though he took action to lift their curse. Perhaps this is Disney leaving the door open to a sequel?

Did Frank and Lily condemn the Conquistadors to eternal torture?

Speaking of the way the film ended, with Frank and Lily only able to pluck a single petal from the tree, all Lily really got to do was write up her adventure and land herself a job. In the male-dominated world that the film depicted that is unquestionably a victory for her – but her original ambition had been to use the Tears of the Moon to “revolutionise medicine” and save countless lives, not least in the ongoing First World War. It seems as though this ambition was thwarted, yet the film skips over this point.

Jack Whitehall is not someone I would have expected to see in a film like Jungle Cruise, but he put in a creditable performance as MacGregor. His stand-up act often draws on his self-styled “posh” image, and his character felt like an exaggerated version of that in some respects. Emily Blunt was outstanding in the role of Lily, bringing real personality to the character and crafting a heroine that we as the audience wanted to get behind. Dwayne Johnson seemed at first to be playing a fairly typical “Dwayne Johnson” role, but the addition of an unexpected backstory for his character of Frank took the character to a different place and forced him to step out of his comfort zone and play things differently as the film passed the two-thirds mark. Though perhaps it wasn’t an Oscar-worthy performance, I found Frank to be a believable protagonist and someone I wanted to see succeed.

MacGregor and Frank shared a genuinely touching moment in Jungle Cruise that I wasn’t expecting.

Jungle Cruise relied heavily on CGI almost throughout, and not all of the animation work was as realistic as it could’ve been. Recent productions, even on television, have seen some truly outstanding CGI work, and while nothing in Jungle Cruise was awful or even immersion-breaking, there were quite a few elements that didn’t look quite right. At a number of points I felt that some of the CGI had that “too shiny,” plastic look that plagued CGI a few years ago, and I really thought that animation – especially cinematic animation – had begun to move past that particular issue.

I would’ve liked to have seen more physical props and practical effects, and the fact that a large portion of Jungle Cruise was filmed with green screens and other modern tricks wasn’t as well-concealed as it might’ve been. And perhaps this final point on visuals is a bit of a nitpick, but the fact that a number of the so-called “jungle” sequences were filmed not in South America but in Hawai’i was apparent to anyone who knows their flora! Different biomes do look different from one another, and a few scenes in particular which supposedly took place on the banks of the Amazon were very clearly filmed elsewhere. I know that’s a minor point that won’t have bugged many people, but I found it worth noting.

Happily ever after for the main characters!

So that’s about all I have to say, I think. Jungle Cruise certainly compares to the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean and other fantasy-adventure titles. It was fun, emotional at points, and set up its trio of main characters for a story that was easy enough to follow for kids while still having plenty to offer for adults as well. It stands up well against many adventure films, including classics of the genre like Indiana Jones – which Jungle Cruise was clearly channelling at points!

I had an enjoyable time with Jungle Cruise, and it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Whether it will be worth the cost of admission on Disney+ is something everyone will have to decide for themselves, but I think it’ll still be an enjoyable watch in a couple of months’ time. Jungle Cruise presented a fun story that drew inspiration from the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean, yet stayed true to its origins as a theme park attraction. It was a fun ride down the river with Frank, Lily, and MacGregor, and I’m sure I’ll have fun watching the film for a second and third time in the future; it’s definitely one to return to when I’m in the mood for adventure!

Jungle Cruise is available to stream now on Disney+ Premier Access (for a fee). Jungle Cruise is the copyright of Walt Disney Pictures and The Walt Disney Company. Some promotional images courtesy of The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

The Mandalorian – Season 2 review

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian Seasons 1-2, including the Season 2 finale and post-credits scene.

As Season 2 of The Mandalorian approached, I debated whether or not to review each episode as they were broadcast. However, with Star Trek: Discovery’s third season running at the same time I concluded that two large reviews every week would probably be too much to manage. So this is what you’re getting instead – the full season reviewed all at once… seven months later.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Mandalorian Season 1. Though the series did some things very well, there were – in my subjective opinion, of course – a number of missteps. The worst problem I felt the show had in its first season was the protagonist himself – who was without even a name until the season finale. A combination of factors left me unimpressed with Mandy: sparse dialogue, a monotone, unemotional delivery of the scant lines he did have, the full face helmet making it hard to read any emotion or get any sense of how the character was feeling, and a lack of clarity on his aims and motivations. Mandy felt as though he was doing things because a room full of television writers decided that’s what he was going to do, and when it came to massive life-altering decisions such as betraying his client and the bounty hunters’ guild to save Baby Yoda, there was practically nothing from the man himself to inform that decision. Crucial backstory that should have been communicated sooner was included in the season finale, but by then it was too late. Some stories work well that way – but for a number of reasons this one didn’t.

Oh, Mandy. You came and you gave without taking…
If you got that Barry Manilow reference then congratulations, you’re as old as I am!

The first season also left me underwhelmed by its short runtime. Eight episodes in total, most of which averaged around 30-35 minutes was not a lot to get stuck into; there are children’s shows that run longer than that. Several episodes felt poorly-paced as a result; rushed stories that would have benefitted enormously from simply a few extra minutes to allow events to unfold and better depict the passage of time.

Finally, I felt that Season 1 massively overused elements from Star Wars’ original trilogy to the point that it was drowning in nostalgia. The Rise of Skywalker fell into a similar trap, though that film had a far weaker story under the nostalgic veneer. Elements like the freezing in carbonite of Mandy’s bounties – something which had been presented in The Empire Strikes Back as a terrifyingly unique punishment for Han Solo – or the large amount of time spent with a Jawa sandcrawler all felt cheap and fan-servicey. And that’s before we get to Baby Yoda and the inclusion of the Force in a series billed as “the adventures of a gunslinger far from the reaches of the New Republic.” I hoped The Mandalorian could have left much of this behind and instead told a new, original story in the Star Wars universe, expanding that setting rather than overtreading the same ground.

Bounties frozen in carbonite.

So by the time the first season of The Mandalorian drew to a close I was, at best, underwhelmed. While I appreciated that the series had succeeded in bringing many fans back into the franchise after they’d been left disappointed by the sequel trilogy, on a personal level I was unimpressed with what the show had offered. In between Seasons 1 and 2 came the announcement that Boba Fett would be joining the show in its second season, and as I wrote at the time that news was breaking, I felt it was another backwards step for the show and for Star Wars in general.

Though I did consider reviewing each episode for the website, when I ruled that out for practical reasons I then very seriously debated whether or not to watch Season 2 at all. I don’t like to seek out things I don’t think I’ll enjoy, and having had a disappointing experience with Season 1, and been put off by some of the announcements in the run-up to Season 2, I gave consideration to skipping the show altogether. There are plenty of other things to watch, after all! But curiosity got the better of me, and even though I knew I wouldn’t be reviewing each episode one by one, I thought there was the possibility to talk about the season as a whole, or elements from it, here on the website. And as you can tell by the fact this article exists, I did eventually settle in to watch Season 2.

Baby Yoda.

Runtime was once again problematic. In a short season which consisted of only eight episodes, five were less than forty minutes long, with two of those barely reaching the thirty-minute mark. For a flagship programme on a streaming platform, I find that incredibly difficult to excuse. Though the season premiere approached fifty minutes, none of the other episodes felt sufficiently long, and just as happened last season there were issues which arose from that. The entire runtime of The Mandalorian thus far – including titles and credits – stands at less than ten-and-a-half hours, which is simply not enough for two “full” seasons. It’s actually shorter than a single season of Star Trek: Discovery, and I can’t shake the feeling that Disney has stretched out a single season’s worth of plot over two seasons.

On the other hand, I do appreciate that Disney+ streams The Mandalorian in 4K resolution. It’s also available with HDR (high dynamic range) so there’s no denying that the show is visually beautiful. In addition, Disney+ has reached a far greater worldwide market than it had when the first season was rushed out the door in 2019, meaning that Star Wars’ considerable international fanbase was able to watch the series together. Both of these points are worth other companies taking note of – the Star Trek franchise in particular could learn from that!

Ah yes, the old “you thought he was dead” cliché…

The story of Season 2 is quite odd. Season 1 was, for the most part, a single story with a relatively clear line from point to point. Season 2 feels far more episodic; Mandy takes off on a variety of what can best be described as side-missions, with the long-term aim of reuniting Baby Yoda with his people. The Season 1 finale gave us crucial information about why Mandy wants to do this, and at least from that point of view the story doesn’t feel arbitrary in the way it did for much of last season. But it does certainly jump around a lot! Personally I like episodic television; I think it can be done very well. But The Mandalorian is a show with one overarching story, and several of these episode-long side-quests left the overall show feeling rather rudderless.

If these side-missions had felt important to the story, or perhaps if there had been fewer of them, I don’t think it would have become such a problem. But almost every episode felt like Mandy’s mission had slowed to a crawl as he got sidetracked by job after job. Instead of feeling like integral parts of a greater story, these side-missions became annoying – they got in the way of the main story. Though several of them were interesting enough in their own right, it was the way in which they were set up that caused the problem. It would have been possible to write the season in such a way as to make each of these stories feel like they were part of Mandy’s overall quest; instead they felt like obstacles to his mission and thus they came across as obstacles to the story the show wanted to tell.

Mandy with Bo-Katan on one of his many side-missions.

Modern Star Wars appears to find it impossible to step out of the shadow of its original films, and the greatest evidence of this in Season 2 of The Mandalorian came with the inclusion of Boba Fett. Just like Palpatine’s ham-fisted return dragged down the story of The Rise of Skywalker, Boba Fett inexplicably coming back from the dead likewise harms the story of The Mandalorian, and I don’t see a way around that. His role in the show was so different from the Boba Fett we met in The Empire Strikes Back that he may as well have been a different character, and the story of The Mandalorian Season 2 would have been absolutely no different if this character had been called Dennis or Engelbert Humperdinck.

But if I thought Boba Fett’s return was striking the wrong tone for the series, the season finale brought an even worse and far more desperate nostalgia play: the return of Luke Skywalker. There was, for a moment, something visually cool about seeing a Jedi cut through a squad of troopers with ease, but when this character was revealed to be Luke, whatever semblance of originality remained in The Mandalorian evaporated.

The Mandalorian was supposed to be a chance for Star Wars to step away from the Skywalker family.

Does every Star Wars project have to be about Luke Skywalker and the Jedi? Or maybe, one day, can Star Wars be more than that? A big part of the reason why both seasons of The Mandalorian have been so disappointing is that they took a premise that sounded genuinely appealing – “the adventures of a gunslinger far from the reaches of the New Republic” – and turned it into Return of the Jedi II. There is scope to see more of Luke’s adventures in between Return of the Jedi and the sequel trilogy… but I didn’t want that here.

At the risk of repeating myself, Star Wars feels stuck. It’s a franchise trapped by its original incarnation with producers, writers, and corporate leadership unwilling to step away from that and genuinely try something even slightly different. The return of Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett in Season 2 are symptomatic of this, but this problem doesn’t stop there. It extends to the sequel trilogy and to practically all of the recently-announced upcoming projects.

For the second time since 2019, the Star Wars franchise revived a dead character with no explanation.

At least Luke Skywalker, unlike Boba Fett and Palpatine, hadn’t been killed off. His appearance, while irritating, does make a certain kind of sense for the sake of the story, and it’s not a complete non-sequitur in the way those other two characters’ returns were in their respective stories. Even with those caveats, though, I felt it was pretty weak for The Mandalorian to already be relying on Luke Skywalker as a story crutch.

The Star Wars galaxy is one of the best fantasy settings ever brought to life in the entertainment realm. It’s a setting that feels vast and genuinely lived-in in a way that many franchises can only dream of, yet the producers at Lucasfilm and their corporate masters in the Disney boardroom seem dead set on only ever letting us see the same tiny sliver of this potentially wonderful setting over and over and over and over again. The Mandalorian had a chance to do something different, to take Star Wars to new places both literally and thematically. Its retreat to the safe ground of the original trilogy and the warm embrace of Luke Skywalker feels utterly regressive.

Though I freely admit this was a well-staged, action-packed sequence, I maintain that the story didn’t need Luke Skywalker.

There were a couple of visual misses in Season 2, despite the production as a whole being pretty good in terms of CGI and special effects. A few of the practical models and puppets didn’t look quite as good as they had done in Season 1. I’m thinking of the newborn alien-lizard in episode 3 in particular, but there were several other examples of practical effects that didn’t make the cut. Perhaps that’s a consequence of shooting in 4K HDR and viewers having better screens!

The second visual miss is the character of Ahsoka Tano. Though I haven’t seen the animated children’s shows The Clone Wars and Rebels in which Ahsoka Tano was a main character, when she made her live-action debut there was something off about the way she looked, and it took me a moment to figure out what it was. Ahsoka is a Togruta, a species with head-tentacles. Others of this species, and other tentacle-headed species, have been seen in other Star Wars projects since the prequel era. In The Mandalorian, Ahsoka is depicted with her tentacles being a different colour to her face, and not only that but a weird kind of leather-tiara right at the point where the two skin tones meet. The effect of this made it look like she was wearing a weird hat instead of being an alien with a tentacle head, and it was pretty distracting at points!

See what I mean? It looks like she’s wearing a hat!

Now that we’ve talked about the bad, how about some good points? There must be some, right?

Although the numerous disconnected side-missions were distracting, I appreciated the fact that, unlike in the first season, I knew what Mandy’s overall objective was and why he was doing the things he did. Mandy himself showed a little more emotion than in Season 1, and combined with seeing him without his helmet a little more often, that made him start to feel like an actual person for the first time – not just a walking, heavily-armoured plot device.

The dark troopers were neat; I liked their vaguely Vader-inspired aesthetic combined with the fact that they’re droids – something which we could argue ties in thematically with the droid armies of the prequel era. They managed to feel genuinely threatening in a way that many Star Wars villains don’t, and perhaps something about their inhuman nature and red eyes contributed to that. Though the dark troopers didn’t get much screen time, I’m hopeful we’ll see more of them in future.

The dark troopers were intimidating adversaries that I hope we see more of in future Star Wars productions.

The Mandalorian has enjoyed well-designed sets and a wide variety of filming locations that made most of its planets and locales feel different from one another. The only planet which definitely felt like southern California was Tython – the planet with the Jedi “seeing stone.” Compared to the likes of Star Trek: Picard – which relied far too heavily on outdoor filming locations in southern California that all looked alike – this was a success, and shows what’s possible when a big streaming show has a suitably high budget.

Season 2 gave us the briefest of glimpses at the New Republic – the faction which aimed to replace the Empire in the years prior to the rise of the First Order. I would’ve liked to have seen more of the New Republic, but with Rangers of the New Republic in early production, and other spin-offs like The Book of Boba Fett also in the works, perhaps that’s something we’ll get more of in future.

Season 2 gave us a brief glimpse of the New Republic.

Perhaps the most interesting story reveal came in the form of how Moff Gideon wanted to use Baby Yoda. Baby Yoda’s blood or DNA was being used to create Force-sensitive clones, and some of those clones looked an awful lot like the sequel trilogy’s Supreme Leader Snoke. Though this remains officially unconfirmed, my theory is that the clones seen in the fourth episode are supposed to be Snoke.

Snoke, as we learned in one of the worst moments in The Rise of Skywalker, was a clone and a puppet of Palpatine, and The Mandalorian appeared to drop a hint as to how Snoke came into being. Despite that particular storyline going down like a lead balloon in the final act of the so-called Skywalker Saga, it was nevertheless interesting to see it expanded upon here, and it finally provided Moff Gideon with a logical motive for his Baby Yoda obsession.

Is this clone in a tank supposed to be Snoke? It looks that way to me!

Speaking of Moff Gideon, like Star Trek: Picard’s Narek before him, he appears to have vanished in the season finale. Captured by Mandy and his squad when they attacked his ship, Gideon eagerly awaited his liberation by the dark troopers before being knocked unconscious as Luke Skywalker was making his way to the bridge. And then… he dropped out of the story. Did he remain in captivity with Mandy? Did Bo-Katan and the other Mandalorians take him? Was he turned over to Cara and by extension the New Republic for interrogation? Did he escape in the chaos surrounding Luke’s arrival? We just don’t know, and his absence from the season’s closing moments was noteworthy for a story that otherwise did a reasonable job at wrapping things up.

Overall, I’d say that The Mandalorian Season 2 feels like it should’ve been the second half of Season 1. It completed the story that was left unfinished last time, and the short runtime of both seasons makes it feel like fans didn’t really get two full seasons’ worth of action and adventure for their money. There were some solid character moments – Mayfeld coming to terms with his Imperial past being one of the better ones. The season saw Mandy develop as a character – or rather, develop into a character for the first time, and having a protagonist to root for instead of an unemotional helmet-wearing slab of nothing was a transformation the series desperately needed.

Season 2 saw the show’s protagonist grow into a character with understandable motivations.

Despite some decent growth and a main story that was worth pursuing, the disjointed nature of the side-missions meant that the season as a whole seemed to drift. There was direction to its main story, but at the same time that took up basically two of the eight episodes, with the other six comprised largely of fluff; obstacles in Mandy’s way as he attempted to complete his quest.

Season 2 was better than Season 1, but had the two halves of the story been united in a single season instead of being split up like this, perhaps I would’ve come away from the show with a better overall impression. I’m still disappointed that the basic premise of The Mandalorian, which seemed so appealing in 2018-19, hasn’t been fulfilled, and that the show has been overwhelmed by a tidal wave of nostalgia plays.

To me, The Mandalorian will always represent the Star Wars franchise missing an open goal. There was a chance to step away from the Force, the Jedi, and the Skywalker family for the first time, to open up the vast, unexplored Star Wars galaxy and tell some genuinely different and interesting stories. Instead, the show retreated to the same comfortable, overtrodden ground as the films that spawned it, and as a result it’s so much less than it could have been.

The Mandalorian Season 2 is available to stream now on Disney+. The Star Wars franchise – including The Mandalorian and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of LucasFilm and the Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

(When) Will Marvel reset the MCU?

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for multiple films and television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Avengers Endgame and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

As I was watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier recently, I got thinking. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (or “MCU” for short) has been running since Iron Man kicked things off in 2008, meaning it’s been in continuous production for more than thirteen years at time of writing. There have been 23 mainline Marvel films released in that time, as well as more than 380 episodes of television across 13 different shows, totalling several hundred hours of viewing. All of this is complicated, and as I’ve said previously, keeping up with Marvel can feel like a full-time job!

None of that means that a franchise needs to go through a reboot, though. Star Trek is going strong after more than half a century and 800+ episodes of television, and aside from the three films in the Kelvin timeline there hasn’t been a resetting of Star Trek; all of its shows and films coexist happily in one setting. But Marvel is arguably different.

2008’s Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

One of the key elements of the MCU’s setting is that the superheroes and supervillains we meet all inhabit the real world right alongside us. This version of Earth is very similar to our own, but it’s one in which superpowers exist. The early films in the MCU depicted the way in which ordinary people came to terms with this idea, and how government agencies and others sought initially to keep things under wraps.

But now that’s all changed, and Marvel’s superheroes are known figures – almost celebrities – in their world. That change may not seem like a big deal, but what it does is chip away at one of the world’s foundational ideas: that superheroes could be among us right now and we just don’t know it. As Marvel’s world has changed and undergone progressively more massive events – culminating, at least thus far, in Thanos’ snap and the resultant disappearance and reappearance of half the world’s population – its original premise of being “the real world plus superheroes” has disappeared.

Sam Wilson (The Falcon) was recognised by members of the public in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Attempts to recreate that are going to be met with challenges that weren’t present in earlier iterations of the MCU. And to be fair to Marvel, thus far the franchise has set the bar when it comes to creating a persistent, connected world. But that world is as much a constraint at this point as it is a highlight, because every story going forward as the MCU enters “Phase Four” has to be able to fit in with the very different world that was created by the events of Infinity War and Endgame.

We saw this as the underlying premise for the main storyline in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. And in that series it worked well, building on the idea that the changes that happened were popular with some people and unpopular with others, as well as showing us glimpses at a world trying to figure out how to get back to “normal” – or what “normal” even means after such life-changing events. That concept can be explored in more detail and will undoubtedly be interesting – but it isn’t what attracted so many fans to the franchise to begin with.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed us the first real look at a post-Endgame world.

As the next part of the MCU’s story builds on the events of the last few years, I have two concerns. The first one is that storylines will become convoluted, with any new film or show almost drowning in backstory and lore to the point of being offputting or even incomprehensible for anyone other than a fully up-to-date Marvel superfan.

Secondly, the MCU has to contend with the fact that Avengers Endgame felt like the end of a story. Several principal characters were killed off, and after the events of Infinity War brought the Marvel world to a crushing defeat, Endgame came along and saw the heroes save the day. They made it to their “happily ever after” – and figuring out what comes next is always a major challenge. Following up a monumental story like Endgame risks feeling anticlimactic and small, or worse, repetitive.

Endgame felt like the end of a story.

Having cheered on the Avengers as they saved the universe from Thanos, will fans show up in such numbers for the next supervillain who threatens all life? Endgame was, briefly, the highest-grossing film of all time. Maybe Marvel peaked?

All of this leads me to the crux of this argument: comic books often reset their characters and storylines. After a while, when writers feel they’ve taken the characters and stories as far as they can, or when stories are played out or too convoluted to continue, comic book companies have historically had no problem at all stepping in and just resetting everything. In DC comics – Marvel’s main competitor – the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline in the mid-1980s effectively erased the backstories and past adventures of many superheroes, streamlining the convoluted DC universe into a much simpler form that continues to this day.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a DC crossover event that reset the storylines of many DC superheroes.

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe rumbles on, getting more complicated and further away from the real world with each iteration, it makes jumping on board for new fans difficult, and it makes keeping up with every project feel like a full-time job; miss the latest show or a couple of films, and suddenly it’s hard to figure out who’s who and what’s what. That’s combined with the fact that some stories are going to feel small or even anticlimactic when compared to the likes of Infinity War and Endgame.

Not long ago I took a look at a number of television shows that ran too long. Shows like Supernatural, Lost, and The Walking Dead were great at first, but after they peaked they stumbled through a period of decline, failing to live up to past successes. I don’t know if Infinity War and Endgame represent the peak of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – the best may still be to come. But sooner or later the franchise will hit that peak, and when it does, it seems inevitable to me that a comic book-style reset is on the cards.

The Walking Dead, like many other television shows, peaked. It then entered a period of decline.

The MCU wouldn’t necessarily go back to the drawing board and remake past films. The legacy of characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk could pass to new iterations of those characters with new actors taking on lead roles in stories inspired by earlier films, but remaining distinct from them. New backstories could be created, perhaps based on different versions of the superheroes from other editions of their comic books. Marvel has decades of history to draw on, and many superheroes have very different origin stories and personalities than the versions we’ve seen on screen in the last few years.

We’re undoubtedly going to be seeing Marvel and some version of the MCU remain a powerhouse for parent company Disney and the Disney+ streaming service for many years to come – perhaps even decades. I’m not suggesting for a moment that Marvel is simply going to pack up and disappear; there’s too much money on the table for Disney to allow that to happen! But as the MCU continues to expand, taking different characters in different directions, sooner or later that sense of it being convoluted is going to begin to bite.

Marvel Studios will continue to churn out new films and television shows.

I find this to be the case with Star Trek, at least to some extent. When talking to a friend or colleague about Star Trek, if they’re unfamiliar with the franchise it can be hard to know where to start. 800+ episodes and more than five decades of history and lore is intimidating to the point of being offputting, and for some people, simply getting started with Star Trek feels impossible without a guide. New and different iterations of the franchise – like Lower Decks as an animated comedy, or the upcoming Prodigy as a kid-friendly show – can be helpful jumping-on points for newbies, but even then I know the sheer size and scale of Star Trek, as well as its reputation, can be enough to put people off.

Marvel isn’t at that point yet, but it’s getting close. When I was talking to my brother-in-law, who’s a huge Marvel fan, about Infinity War, he recommended that I watch several other films first so that I’d “understand what was going on” better. This sentiment, while well-intentioned by someone who genuinely cared about me getting the most out of a film he liked, can actually have the opposite effect. Marvel is already becoming complicated – too complicated for some casual viewers to drop in and out of comfortably.

A trio of secondary characters in Avengers Infinity War.

Perhaps Disney and Marvel executives feel that, given the size of the MCU’s fandom, they can afford to put off casual viewers. If the fanbase is signing up for Disney+ and buying Marvel merchandise in droves right now, what’s the harm in continuing to make every series and film inextricably tied together? That attitude, if indeed it is prevalent over at Disney, is short-sighted in the extreme.

Any franchise taking such an approach will find its growth stunted, and when existing fans slowly but surely drop out, there won’t be many people lined up to replace them. That’s the danger in trading solely on nostalgia, too – eventually your existing fans either switch off or die off, and if there are fewer people jumping on than there are jumping off, the franchise will sputter and eventually fail. Marvel is undoubtedly a long, long way away from that right now, but every twist and turn in the MCU saga, and every would-be new fan dissuaded from getting started with a convoluted and complicated franchise is a problem for the comic powerhouse.

Does Endgame – briefly the highest-grossing film of all time – represent the peak of Marvel’s success?

Different franchises handle expansion in different ways. In Star Trek, for example, while there can be benefit to be gained from wider knowledge of other iterations of the franchise, for the most part, each television and film series is self-contained. It’s quite possible to be a fan of Deep Space Nine without ever seeing an episode of The Original Series, The Next Generation, or Voyager; a viewer in that position has lost practically nothing, understands basically everything going on, and while they’re missing some background about certain factions and some of early Star Trek history, all of that is explained within the show itself. The same applies to modern Star Trek productions – perhaps with the exception of Picard.

Marvel stands in contrast to that. Every film and show connects in a nakedly obvious way to every other film and show. Characters, factions, themes, and whole storylines cross over from one part of the franchise to another, and while it’s perfectly possible right now to sit down and watch just one or two films or one television show, a viewer who does so is clearly missing out. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier tried to mitigate this as best it could, but even so there’s no denying that a fan who’s seen every Marvel project will have got more out of it than someone who hasn’t.

In contrast to the way the MCU works, a Star Trek fan can watch just one series in the franchise without missing out on too much or getting lost with themes and stories that cross over.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one big, interconnected world. That is its strength, as we’ve seen Marvel films bring in audience numbers and a level of financial success that are quite literally unprecedented, as well as facilitating the transformation of comic book superheroes from nerdy niche to mainstream blockbusters. But that interconnectedness may yet prove to be a weakness, too, if more and more viewers find that new iterations of the MCU are too dense and require too much prior knowledge to properly enjoy.

Based on all of that, it seems inevitable to me that Disney and Marvel will eventually hit the reset button. Whether it happens in five years or fifteen, I think there will eventually be a resetting of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How it will work, and whether it will revitalise the franchise and propel it to further success in future are all open questions, and we won’t know for sure until it happens. Watch this space!

All titles mentioned above are the copyright of their respective broadcaster, distributor, production company, etc. The Marvel brand – including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers Endgame, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and all other titles mentioned above – is the copyright of The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – miniseries review

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as for other titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Avengers Endgame.

I’m a little late to the party on this one; The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiered back in late March. But it’s taken me till now to get around to watching it, so this review is just going to have to be “better late than never!” Superheroes and comics aren’t really my thing, and thus it takes something a little more down-to-earth to really pique my interest in the genre. Some Marvel stuff has been okay – I liked the first couple of seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for example.

2019’s Avengers Endgame had a big impact on the Marvel cinematic universe, killing off major characters and shaking up the superheroes’ world in a significant way. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was my first point of contact with this post-Endgame environment, and going in I was at least a little curious to see how the miniseries would respond to those major changes.

Sam Wilson – a.k.a. the Falcon.

Having decided to skip the very weird-looking WandaVision earlier in the year, and not being 100% caught up on every Marvel film or television project, I have no doubt that I missed some in-jokes and references that bigger fans would have understood. But a show like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier appealed to me for precisely the reasons something like WandaVision didn’t – it looked to be a fairly straight-laced action series.

So that was my mindset going in, and you know what? It was perfectly entertaining action fare. A little over-the-top at points, but nothing too immersion-breaking. The miniseries format definitely suited The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; six episodes was great, and watchable over the course of a couple of evenings, but I wouldn’t have wanted a full fifteen- or twenty-episode season. That might’ve been too much!

James “Bucky” Barnes – a.k.a. the Winter Soldier.

Though there were plenty of superhero and comic elements in the miniseries, for the most part it stayed true to its action-oriented premise, with leads Sam and Bucky getting into scrapes as they teamed up to take on a group of terrorists. Though there were mentions of some of the wackier elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for the most part the main story of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could have worked without any of the superhero trappings. Simply swapping out superheroes for generic action heroes wouldn’t have ruined the story – and perhaps it’s for that reason that I enjoyed it!

The interplay between the two leads was one of the main draws of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. And in that sense it was a risk – both of these characters were very much secondary supporting players in their earlier appearances. Giving them a centre-stage moment could’ve backfired on one or both of them, yet they managed to share the limelight without one overshadowing the other. Both characters bonded over their past relationships with Captain America, but each brought something different to the table as well. The unexpected chemistry between Anthony Mackie’s Sam and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky went a long way to making the show a success.

The interaction between the two main characters was the highlight of the series.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier attempted to raise the stakes by crossing over into dramatic territory, focusing on the personal and family lives of its principal characters. Though some of this could feel a little forced at times, what it succeeded in doing was showing the post-Endgame world outside of the limited environment of superheroes. Many smaller interactions – from Bucky’s attempt at dating to Sam and his sister’s visit to a bank – were changed and defined by Thanos’ snap and its aftermath.

Since its inception more than a decade ago, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has strived to create a persistent world. The monumental events of one story aren’t forgotten in another, and the setting doesn’t simply reset itself in between iterations. This is a double-edged sword in some ways, as it can feel like keeping up with Marvel is almost a full-time job given how many productions there have been. But The Falcon and the Winter Soldier made a creditable effort to strike the right balance between being part of that broader ongoing story while being understandable to more casual viewers. There were elements from past Marvel outings that played into the story, and fans more familiar with those films than I am almost certainly got more out of it. But the series does try to be self-contained, and many of the character introductions and story elements don’t require background knowledge as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier does its best to tee them up. It’s not perfect, but that’s part and parcel of jumping into a series which is one part of a broader story.

There were plenty of callbacks and references to past Marvel outings.

The introduction of a “new” Captain America was interesting. In the second episode, both Sam and Bucky have to contend with this notion, and the way they both react is genuinely interesting, and the series explored it well given its limited timeframe. Though I have to say I felt Captain America’s burgeoning villainy was obvious even from the moment he was introduced, setting that moment aside, the way Sam and Bucky reacted to someone taking on a role pioneered by their friend was emotional – and at the same time an interesting look at the way mantles like Captain America are passed from individual to individual in comic books.

I’m not much of a comic fan, as already mentioned. But in comic books, especially those which have been running for a long time, it’s not unusual for superhero roles to be passed down to new characters. In Marvel, for example, there are multiple individuals who have been Spider-Man, with these roles occasionally being recast or reworked as new comic books, series, and storylines are developed. To fans who’ve become attached to the original incarnation, sometimes these changes are met with controversy, and though The Falcon and the Winter Soldier doesn’t dive into this kind of fandom critique in depth, elements of the Captain America storyline seemed to give that notion more than a passing glance. Marvel has come in for criticism in recent years from fans unhappy with new or evolving superheroes, and it felt like this was perhaps a nod to that controversy.

Sebastian Stan as Bucky.

Laying atop that layer of subtext, though, were the stories of two very different men who were both emotionally invested in Steve Rogers and Captain America. Seeing someone new step into those shoes was hard for both Sam and Bucky – and laid the groundwork for their unlikely bond, both in terms of the way the narrative played out and in terms of their personal connection.

In the story of Captain America himself – John Walker – we see a man struggling to live up to an inherited legacy. This is something many folks have some experience with – being unjustly compared to someone older, more experienced, or even just a more successful family member. The feeling of a responsibility being overwhelming – and not knowing how to deal with that – as well as a degree of so-called “imposter syndrome” were present in the character as well. Walker embodies the worst aspects of how to respond to such a situation, but the way in which it manifests and slowly builds over a couple of episodes, beginning with smaller insecurities before escalating, is strangely relatable. Credit must go to actor Wyatt Russell, who put in a stellar performance in the role.

Wyatt Russell’s Captain America was a different and interesting take.

Art and entertainment reflect the times in which they were created, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had distinct racial themes that mirror events in the United States over the past few years. I’m not the right person to comment on such narrative elements, but I would say that they didn’t overshadow the series. Considering the way race relations in the United States have progressed (or should that be “regressed?”) over the last few years, it’s not surprising to see racial themes making their way into entertainment and popular culture.

Race relations and America’s chequered past wasn’t the only political theme, as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also looked at issues of immigration and particularly the way refugees are welcomed – or ignored. Indeed, the show as a whole was more politically charged than I expected going in. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, and the way The Falcon and the Winter Soldier set up its refugee theme was very much fictionalised – these are people who “returned” following the events of Endgame. As I often say when it comes to the Star Trek franchise, using a fictional lens to look at real-world issues can be both powerful and effective, and it was both here. The moral ambiguity in Karli’s fight, and the way even the protagonists could empathise with her goals, was handled impressively.

Falcon actor Anthony Mackie and Sarah Wilson actress Adepero Oduye on set with director Kari Skogland (centre).
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick for Marvel Studios

There were certainly some very contrived moments as the narrative rumbled on – the trio’s lives being saved in Madripoor by utter chance being just one example – but not so many that I felt the integrity of the overall story was too badly damaged. Such things are par for the course when dealing with both comics and action flicks, after all!

The moment in the fifth episode where Sam cashes in family favours felt like a storyline lifted almost directly from 1946 Christmas film It’s A Wonderful Life – an homage I never thought I’d find in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It was certainly a contrivance, but as above it wasn’t an especially heinous one. Some contrivances are more easily shrugged off than others, but suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite when setting foot in a fictional world. As long as a story isn’t overflowing with such things, I’m content to let them slide.

The Falcon in flight.

Filming locations and sets used in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier were impressively diverse. I was concerned upon seeing the opening mission to “Tunisia” that we were going to see an over-reliance on one or two environments being recycled, but for a series that took its protagonists to different parts of the United States and the world, the series did a solid job with most of its settings; there were genuine differences between the locales visited – the kind of thing one might expect to see from a blockbuster action film. Last year I had criticised Star Trek: Picard for its samey filming locations, so it was great to see what Marvel and Disney can do when they throw their money around!

Erin Kellyman, who took on the challenging role of budding revolutionary Karli, put in a solid performance. I wasn’t especially impressed with her when I’d seen her in Solo: A Star Wars Story a couple of years ago, but when given a broader role, one with greater range, she did a perfectly creditable job. I’m not sure that the whole “the villain is a young girl” revelation still works as a twist or storytelling shock, though – just as it didn’t when Kellyman had a similar moment in Solo. That aside, Karli made for an interesting adversary – someone whose methods may be extreme, but whose overall philosophy is difficult to condemn. Comic books often deal in black-and-white: virtuous superheroes who want to save the world and flat-out evil supervillains who have dastardly ambitions. Karli was, in that sense, a breath of fresh air, even when compared to the likes of Thanos.

Karli was the main adversary for the duo to tackle.

One storyline that I felt didn’t work very well was the decision to bring back the random villain’s henchman from the opening act of the first episode to be a kind of supervillain with a grudge against Sam in the final part of the last episode. This nameless character had no impact on the entire narrative aside from being a goon to outsmart to set up Sam’s character, and his return just didn’t feel like it mattered in any meaningful way – most significantly for Sam, but also for the character himself. Revenge is a motivation of sorts, but as a mercenary who seems to have only been in it for the money, and a one-dimensional mercenary at that, I just didn’t buy it. It was a contrivance, really, and a way to bring in another hurdle and a villain to be dispatched.

So to wrap things up, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was an enjoyable romp. I’d certainly rank it as one of the better Marvel projects that I’ve seen, and while I won’t be diving into every new film and show that the comic powerhouse churns out, I’m sure I’ll keep an eye out for other similar projects in future – including a second season, which may or may not be coming next year.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is available to stream now on Disney+. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – along with other films, series, and properties mentioned above – is the copyright of Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Have we seen an unstoppable shift away from the cinema?

One of the consequences of the pandemic has been the long-term closure of many cinemas (movie theaters for my American readers). Aside from a short respite last July and August, most cinemas here in the UK have been shut since March 2020 – for well over a year now. Some, like a local independent cinema near me, have had no choice but to close permanently, even with the end of lockdown seemingly in sight. Even when cinemas are able to reopen, limits on capacity due to social distancing, the general unease among many people about sitting in a room with dozens of strangers with the pandemic still ongoing, and most significantly, the lack of major film releases in the near term will – in my opinion, at least – most likely mean it will be a long time before things are able to get back to normal.

But will things ever get back to normal? That’s the question I want to ask today.

Will empty cinemas be full again one day?

In the early days of the pandemic, most films scheduled for release in spring or summer 2020 were simply postponed; their release dates pushed back by a few months so that they could be released to full crowds when lockdowns were lifted in their key markets. But as the pandemic has dragged on and on, film studios have begun to switch the way they release many big titles – opting to send them to streaming platforms rather than wait.

Without Remorse was originally supposed to get a theatrical release, but premiered on Amazon Prime Video instead. Raya and the Last Dragon went directly to Disney+. Then there are titles like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Mulan, The Little Things, Godzilla vs. Kong, Bill & Ted Face The Music, News of the World, and Tom & Jerry. Upcoming titles such as Jungle Cruise, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Black Widow, Malignant, and A Quiet Place II are all going to either be released directly on streaming or with a limited theatrical run at the same time as going straight to streaming.

Animated film Raya and the Last Dragon went straight to Disney+ earlier in the year.

Is this a one-time thing, purely caused by the pandemic? And if it is, will audiences be happy to return to cinemas once the pandemic has cleared and they can fully reopen? If you’d asked me in March or April last year, I’d have said yes to both questions without hesitation. But now I’m not so sure.

There are a lot of advantages to streaming compared to going to the cinema, and as more and more people come to see those advantages, the cinema becomes a less-attractive option in contrast. This trend is not new – cinema attendance has declined a lot from where it was a few decades ago, and with the rise of high-quality television series which can rival and even surpass films in many cases, this is a reckoning that cinemas have had coming for a while. The pandemic has accelerated that to light-speed, but the trend has been going in this direction for a while.

Paramount+ is one of many competing streaming platforms that have arguably benefited from the forced closure of cinemas during the pandemic.

So what are the supposed advantages of at-home streaming? The first has to be convenience. Viewers can watch what they want on their own schedule, with the ability to pause a film to take a phone call or go to the bathroom, watching before or after work, or even late at night. It’s possible to watch with subtitles, audio description, director commentaries, and even watch in other languages. Most folks are more comfortable in their own homes than they are in a cinema chair – even the nicest cinema seats aren’t as pleasant as a comfy armchair or couch. There are no distractions from (other people’s) noisy kids, people munching popcorn, or idiots on their phones. You don’t have to sit through half an hour of adverts and trailers to get to the film. If you’re using a phone or tablet it’s possible to watch on the go, or literally anywhere. And some of the things we might’ve considered to be disadvantages a few years ago – such as screen size, resolution, and audio quality – are all easily surmountable even for folks on a limited budget.

Obviously not all of these points apply in every single case, but as a general rule, as screens get bigger and better, the need to watch something in the cinema is dropping. The old adage that a particular film was “better in the cinema” or “made for cinemas” no longer applies in many cases.

Amazon Prime Video have snapped up a number of films that couldn’t get a theatrical release this year – including Without Remorse.

I have a relatively inexpensive 4K television that doesn’t have OLED or HDR or any of those higher-end features, just a bog-standard LED set. But this model, even when I was buying it a few years ago, only started at a 40-inch screen size, with sizes going all the way up to 60″ or 65″. Nowadays, 85″ and 90″ sets are on the market and within reach of many consumers. Sound bars and speakers that put out fantastic quality audio are equally affordable, with prices dropping massively from where they had been when 4K and large screens were new. Even on my cheap and cheerful set, films look great. And if you sit reasonably close, it really does feel akin to being in the cinema – in the comfort of my own home.

It’s difficult, in my opinion, for cinemas to compete on price or quality. Even the more expensive streaming platforms, like Netflix, cost around £10-12 per month. It’s been a while since I was able to go to the cinema – health issues prevent me from doing so – but the last time I was able to go, £10 wouldn’t even stretch to two tickets. For that money you get one month’s worth of access to a massive library of titles – including many brand-new ones and Netflix originals made specially for the platform.

Large, good-quality television screens are increasingly affordable and offer a cinema-like experience at home.

In the late ’40s and ’50s, when my parents were young, going to the cinema was a frequent outing. You’d see an A- and B-movie, as well as perhaps a newsreel or something else, and it would feel like good value. Since the early 20th Century, going to the cinema on at least a weekly basis was a big part of many peoples’ lives – but things have been changing, slowly, for quite a while.

For at least the last couple of decades, going to the cinema is something most folks have viewed as an occasional treat rather than a regular outing. The price and value of a cinema ticket – and the additional extras like drinks and snacks – have shot up in relation to earnings, while at the same time the number of advertisements and trailers have also increased. Though the cinema still has a place in many folks’ lives, that place had been slipping long before the pandemic arrived. In the ’90s and 2000s, the blame for that lay with cable and satellite television channels, including many dedicated film channels. Nowadays, the blame has shifted to streaming.

Netflix has picked up a lot of subscribers in the past year.

Many film studios are keen to play their part in this trend, too. Sharing a big chunk of their profits with cinema chains and operators was never something they were wild about, which is why we’re seeing more and more studios and production companies either partnering with big streaming platforms or else trying to launch their own. Paramount+ exists for this reason, as do Disney+, HBO Max, and many others. These companies don’t care in the slightest about the fate of cinemas – except insofar as they can use them to turn a profit. When the pandemic meant that wasn’t possible, many companies happily jumped ship and released their films digitally instead.

Though I know a lot of people who have told me they’re keen to get back to the cinema as soon as possible, when I probed most of them further and asked how often they would go to the cinema pre-pandemic, or what films they were most excited to see at the cinema next, all of the answers I got back up everything I’ve been saying. Most folks go to the cinema infrequently at best, and while they’ve missed some of the social aspects of the “cinema experience,” they certainly haven’t missed the adverts, loud seat neighbours, and hassle. Streaming, while not as glamorous or exciting in some ways, is a more enjoyable experience in others.

Some people have missed every aspect of being at the cinema… but many haven’t!

I know I have to acknowledge my own bias here. As someone whose disability prevents them going to the cinema, I’d be quite happy if every film I want to watch from now on comes directly to streaming! On a purely selfish level, that’s something I’m fine with. And while I stand by the fact that the trend away from the cinema in a general sense is real and demonstrable, the pandemic probably hasn’t killed the entire concept of the cinema stone-dead. Nor would that be a good thing. Many cinemas offer more than just the latest blockbusters, with classic films, recorded theatre plays and ballet performances, and other such events. In the rural area where I live, the idea of being able to see something like the Royal Ballet is beyond a lot of people due to the distances involved. But local cinemas occasionally show things like ballets, operas, and Shakespeare plays, bringing a different kind of culture and entertainment to the region. Cinemas are also big local employers, and it’s nothing to celebrate when a local business is forced to close.

So most cinemas will eventually re-open. But the question I asked is still pertinent, because I don’t know whether they’ll see pre-pandemic numbers of visitors for a very long time – if at all. The pandemic has forced the hand of film studios and distributors, and the result has been an uptick in the number of subscribers to streaming platforms. Many folks have tried streaming for the first time, and while there will always be holdouts, people who proclaim that it really is “better in the cinema,” I think a lot of people have been surprised at how enjoyable streaming a film at home can be, and how favourably it can compare to the cinema experience.

Many people haven’t missed the “cinema experience” as much as they expected.

A big home theatre setup is no longer necessary. With a relatively inexpensive – but still large – television set and maybe a sound bar or pair of satellite speakers, many people can have a truly cinema-like experience in their own living rooms. And a lot of people who’ve tried it for the first time, prompted by lockdown, may have no plans to return to the cinema any time soon – or if they do, they’ll be making fewer trips.

In my opinion, this is something that has the potential to continue to build over time. As screens continue to improve, and as more people eschew the cinema in favour of staying in, more films will go direct to streaming because companies will see more success and more money in it. Fewer films will end up in cinemas exclusively, so fewer people will go. And the cycle will continue!

Even if I’m wrong on that final point, I do believe that we’ve already seen a slow move away from cinemas in the pre-pandemic years. The pandemic came along and blew the lid off that, and while there will be a return once things settle down, at-home streaming is here to stay. It benefits viewers and companies – the only folks who are going to lose out are the cinema chains themselves. I’m not saying it’s a positive thing necessarily, although it does stand to benefit me in some respects, nor am I advocating for it. But when I look at the way things have been going over the past few years, and add the pandemic’s disruption into the mix, I really do feel that we’re seeing a big move away from the cinema in favour of at-home streaming.

All titles mentioned above are the copyright of their respective studio, distributor, production company, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Star Wars Biomes is a cute and clever way to spend twenty minutes

Released to mark Star Wars day, Star Wars Biomes is a short film that’s simultaneously something different yet very nostalgic. A silent tour over several locations from the original trilogy, prequel era, sequels, and even The Mandalorian, Star Wars Biomes was not the sort of thing I was expecting from the franchise. It’s “slow TV” – something to watch for relaxation or to have on in the background while doing something else, and it’s unusual for a major franchise to produce something like that.

In other ways – and you probably know what I’m going to say if you’ve read some of my recent critiques of the overall direction of the Star Wars franchise – this was Star Wars once again retreating to largely safe, well-trodden ground. The short film only visited planets we’ve previously seen in other iterations of the franchise, and made no attempt to branch out and look at anywhere new. But you know what? On this occasion, with this unusual short film, I think that’s okay.

The Millennium Falcon departs Ahch-To in Star Wars Biomes.

A work like this is 100% about the visuals. And on that front, Star Wars Biomes largely delivered. The animation and CGI work was streets ahead of many high-budget television shows of recent times, and far beyond anything the prequel trilogy or special edition edits of the original trilogy were capable of. For example, I would say that Star Wars Biomes showed off the single best representation of Tatooine’s twin suns that has ever been put to screen.

There were a couple of moments in the eighteen-minute broadcast where I felt the CGI strayed into looking a little unrealistic and video-gamey, but generally speaking the animators did a good job. The vistas – or I suppose we should really be calling them “biomes!” – looked fantastic, even stunning in places, and that’s exactly what a short film of this nature aimed to deliver.

I don’t think Tatooine’s twin suns have ever looked this good!

When I first heard the name “Star Wars Biomes,” I wondered if we were going to get something akin to a nature documentary, looking at some of the wildlife or flora of the visited locations. But it was clear from the start that that’s not what the objective was! That’s fine, and it’s not the purpose of a review to say “well I wish it had been a totally different kind of film,” so I’m happy with what was put to screen. That being said, a pseudo-documentary looking at galactic flora and fauna would be an interesting project – as I said when I proposed something similar for Star Trek a little while ago!

Of the locations visited in Star Wars Biomes, I would suggest that the salt-crusted surface of Crait was perhaps the boldest choice. There were only six planets that Star Wars Biomes took us to, and considering the incredibly controversial nature of The Last Jedi, picking one that was featured prominently in that film was very daring on the part of whoever was making that decision! I think we even saw the crashed ski-speeders of Finn and Rose, which was a plot point that was not popular with many fans. Perhaps that’s Star Wars sticking up a cheeky middle finger as if to say “The Last Jedi is still canon!” But perhaps I’m reading too much into it. I still think it was a bold choice, regardless of the behind-the-scenes reasoning!

The crashed ski-speeders on Crait.

Hoth looked beautiful in all of its snow-capped glory. I do love wintery, snowy scenes, and Star Wars Biomes rendered the snow on Hoth perfectly. Moving like a helicopter (or drone, I suppose) the camera panned across the snowy landscape, and spotted a probe droid – which made the familiar, slightly menacing whirring noise it made in The Empire Strikes Back. We also saw AT-AT walkers, and I think it was the first time seeing them from so high up or at such an angle. Both the droid and walkers contributed to a sense of nostalgia, but at the same time it felt new.

As Star Wars Biomes wrapped up its time on Hoth, we got the first of several typical Star Wars “wipes” – the transitions from one scene to another that the Star Wars franchise has always done with a particular flair! This was new in the ’70s, but modern films have largely left this style of wipe behind, with the result being that it feels unique to Star Wars – even though you can find similar transitions in other films of the original trilogy era.

AT-AT walkers seen on Hoth.

Tatooine is up next, and as already mentioned, its twin suns look amazing. Rendered to look similar to our own sun, the shot at the end as the camera panned up was really stunning. Sand, like snow, is more or less a single colour and texture, so perhaps the Tatooine section of Star Wars Biomes relies more on other visual elements – droids, skeletons, Jawas, and a landspeeder – in order to retain visual interest. It was a well-done segment, though.

After Tatooine, Star Wars Biomes heads to Sorgan – a planet whose name I had to Google! This is the planet with the rustic village that was visited in The Mandalorian, and we saw the Razor Crest flying in as the camera panned overhead. Sorgan was the first point in Star Wars Biomes where I felt the CGI – in this case used for some of the huts in the village – strayed from being 100% realistic into video game territory, at least toward the end as the camera zoomed in and got closer. It wasn’t bad by any means, but as we got closer to the village it was possible to tell it was CGI.

The village on Sorgan.

Crait, as mentioned, was the boldest choice in my opinion. The camera angle used here was odd, looking down at a 90-degree angle the entire time. I kept waiting for the camera to pan, showing us more of the surface of Crait, but it never did. The way the vehicles depicted left red trails in the salty surface of Crait was neat, though, and very well done – even if a couple of the large walkers depicted looked a tad video gamey!

Mustafar came next, and was probably my favourite segment. The lava fields were rendered beautifully, and Darth Vader’s castle looked suitably menacing, dominating the scene. Mustafar is, of course, the planet from Revenge of the Sith where Vader was badly injured. A shuttle and a couple of TIE fighters were seen during this segment, too, and they were done well.

Darth Vader’s castle on Mustafar.

Finally we came to Ahch-To, the planet Luke travelled to to hide away, as seen in all three sequel films. We saw a couple of porgs in flight – but not up close – and at Luke’s island, the Millennium Falcon taking off which was neat to see. The island looked like it might’ve been a real shot taken from the Ahch-To filming location off the coast of Ireland, but it could just be very well-made CGI – at this point it isn’t always easy to tell! One CGI misfire during this segment came with a sea monster – the way it breached the surface then sank back beneath the waves didn’t make the right movements on the surface of the water. I know that’s a nitpick!

So that was Star Wars Biomes. Whether you sit and watch it intently – as I did – or put it on in the background as a screensaver, I think it’s worth a look. It’s a bit of fun, and a cute and clever way to celebrate Star Wars without going all-out on a movie marathon! Generally I think it was well-made, with just a couple of moments where the CGI was imperfect. It’s the kind of short film you can put on while you relax and unwind, and its short runtime means it doesn’t feel like a huge commitment.

I had fun with Star Wars Biomes, and I daresay I’ll come back to it again at some point to take another look and see if I can spot anything I missed! It’s the kind of thing I can see myself putting on in the background on a loop while I’m doing something, or even if I have people over (once coronavirus is over and done with). If you decide to check it out, I hope you enjoy Star Wars Biomes as much as I did.

Star Wars Biomes is available to stream now on Disney+. The Star Wars franchise – including all properties and titles mentioned above – is the copyright of Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Raya and the Last Dragon – a review

The first part of this review contains no major spoilers for Raya and the Last Dragon. The second part does, however, and the end of the spoiler-free section is clearly marked.

Raya and the Last Dragon is an expensive film right now, available only via Disney’s “premiere access” feature on Disney+ for £20 in the UK or $30 in the United States. My review of the film has to be seen through that lens, because it’s not simply a title you can watch as part of your regular Disney+ subscription – though it will surely become available on Disney+ in the coming months. If Raya and the Last Dragon follows the same path as last year’s Mulan, it may be available to stream as part of Disney+ in the summer.

So the big question is this: can I recommend it for £20? Or is Raya and the Last Dragon a title that you’re better off waiting for?

I’m kind of an impatient person! And because Raya and the Last Dragon was one of the titles I was most looking forward to this year, for me it was unquestionably worth it. Raya and the Last Dragon is a great animated film that easily hits the highs of other recent Disney projects. I don’t mind paying a little extra for that under the circumstances – it’s about the price of two or three cinema tickets, so if you consider it from that point of view, it doesn’t seem too bad.

But there’s no getting away from this price discussion, and I want to briefly add my two cents. On the one hand, it can seem unreasonable for Disney to insist on an additional £20 on top of the monthly fee for Disney+. If it were an either/or case it would perhaps sit better with folks, but being asked to either pay £20 on top of your £8 a month, or to have to sign up at £8 on top of the £20 to see Raya and the Last Dragon certainly feels anti-consumer, and I get why folks feel that way.

Raya and the Last Dragon was originally supposed to get a theatrical release.

I’m sick to the back teeth of companies using the pandemic as an excuse for everything, and there’s no denying that Disney could simply have waited and released Raya and the Last Dragon in cinemas either later this year or next year if needs be. That’s the approach taken by Eon and MGM for the upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die, which has been delayed for well over a year. However, despite all of that, I like this method of distribution, and I think we’re seeing the beginnings of a shift away from theatrical releases in favour of streaming.

My health and disability means that I can no longer go to the cinema, so from my selfish perspective I love the idea of bringing more titles straight to streaming platforms, and on an occasional basis for a big release that I’m very keen to see, paying a little extra to watch it is no big deal. As television screens get better (and bigger) the so-called “cinema experience” offers less and less value anyway, and being able to watch a film on one’s own schedule, with the ability to pause, rewind, take breaks, etc. is so much nicer than going to the cinema in many ways. So in my opinion, bringing Raya and the Last Dragon to Disney+ for a fee is acceptable. Would I have preferred it to be included in the price? Of course. But these projects are hugely expensive, and recouping some of that money is going to be necessary for Disney, so I understand why they’ve done it this way. It feels like a compromise – not one that everyone will love, but one I find acceptable.

Young Raya during the film’s opening moments.

Before we get into the main section of the review, here are my spoiler-free thoughts.

I would describe the animation as competent. Nothing blew me away with how amazingly detailed it was – like the snow in Frozen or the oceans in Moana did – but there was nothing wrong with it and it was in line with other modern Disney films from the last decade or so. Considering a significant portion of the work on Raya and the Last Dragon was done remotely, that’s pretty good in my opinion.

The story was surprisingly heavy and emotional for a kids’ film, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. In the first few minutes it was perhaps a little fast-paced for my liking, dropping quite a few characters, locations, and themes all at once. But after that fast beginning it settled in, and followed Raya on her quest at a reasonable pace that wasn’t overwhelming. There were light-hearted and comedic moments, plenty of different environments for Raya and her friends to explore that were all based on different parts of southeast Asia, and the vocal performances were outstanding. Aside from the credits there weren’t any musical numbers, and that was something I wasn’t expecting. The score was great, and had an Asian-inspired theme to it, but after the likes of Moana and Frozen in recent years saw huge success with their songs, I was expecting at least a couple.

So that’s my non-spoiler summary.

This is the end of the spoiler-free section of the review. Expect spoilers from here on out!

Raya and the Last Dragon began with an immediate dump of exposition, explaining the backstory of the broken land of Kumandra – based loosely on southeast Asia. As indicated above, this opening section of the film was quite fast-paced, almost rushed, and introduced characters, themes, magic, locations, and backstory all at once. As I sat through those opening minutes I was hoping that the rest of the film would slow down, and luckily it did after a few minutes. That makes the opening, unfortunately, the weakest part of the film overall.

Raya and the Last Dragon follows the titular Raya as she seeks to save the fractured world of Kumandra, whose people have split up into five competing, squabbling, and warring lands in the aftermath of the disappearance of the dragons. But saving the world is just a side-quest for Raya, whose real objective for much of the film is to save her “ba” – her father, and the chief of her people. Yes, that makes Raya a Disney Princess!

Chief Benja, Raya’s father.

The story takes Raya to all five of the different lands, and each was based on a different area of southeast Asia. We spent just enough time in each land to take in the setting, but I think that taking a few minutes more to really get a feel for each – or perhaps the film including one fewer land – might’ve improved things. This is really the only point of criticism, because each of the lands was unique and richly detailed. At first I wasn’t sold on using English names for these places: Fang, Heart, Spine, Tail, and Talon. However, the metaphor made the ultimate payoff to the film’s story more easily understood, especially for younger viewers. The point of these names was to hammer home, at every opportunity, that the people of Kumandra were artificially divided; that the resolution to their problems would be in learning to trust one another and come together. Like the parts of an animal can’t function independently, neither can the peoples of Kumandra. Each land, represented by a piece of the dragon, brings something that the others lack, and working together is the only way.

This theme carried over into the film’s climactic final battle, as each of the friends Raya had made along the way – each from a different land – stood together and used the last of the dragon gem’s magic to help the people of Fang. This metaphor was certainly omnipresent, but didn’t feel laboured. The film knew, from the very beginning when Chief Benja introduced us to the idea of reunifying the fractured land, that this was the direction of the story. The names of the lands fed into that, as did the way Raya assembled her motley crew from different places.

Raya’s friends work together to help the people of Fang.

At time of writing, there’s a renewed focus on anti-Asian hate and hate crimes in the United States. I’m not an American, but I’d like to offer my perspective on how a film like Raya and the Last Dragon fits at this moment. We often hear criticism of Disney for taking legends and stories and twisting them, “Disney-fying” them to sanitise them for a western audience. And you know what? Raya and the Last Dragon, just like other Disney films based on folklore and legend, is Disney-fied. But there’s incredible value in representation, even in this simplified style, and with Disney’s unique reach that extends across borders, cultures, and ages, Raya and the Last Dragon offers representation to an under-represented group of people in cinema, animation, and the cultural mainstream.

We could devote an entire essay to debunking the argument that “representation and diversity for their own sakes are negative things,” but in the context of this film, coming at this particular moment, let me just say that positive representation is important. It’s important that people of all backgrounds feel included, and being depicted positively in mainstream entertainment – particularly in something as significant as a Disney animated film – is an historic moment. Raya and the Last Dragon draws on the mythology and folklore of southeast Asia in the same way as Moana drew on Polynesian legend, and it’s a net positive for people of Asian heritage to see such representation.

Raya and the Last Dragon presents a positive depiction of Asia and Asian people at an important moment.

Kelly Marie Tran is also uniquely positioned at this moment. Tran suffered horrible racist and sexist abuse online in late 2017 through 2018, and I’m so pleased to see her back in such an inspiring role. Raya and the Last Dragon is a story about bringing people together, learning to trust and overcome hatred, and as someone who has, sadly, experienced hatred firsthand, there’s something even more powerful in knowing who it is bringing Raya to life through an outstanding voice performance.

I don’t like to get “political,” but the release of Raya and the Last Dragon happened to coincide with a significant moment for people of Asian heritage in the United States, and I felt it important to at least acknowledge that.

Kelly Marie Tran voices the character of Raya.
Picture Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live via YouTube.

In the west, we usually associate dragons with fire. Fire-breathing dragons are both a part of European folklore and have gone on to become a trope in fantasy fiction, so it was very interesting – and more than a little unusual – to see a water dragon as the main focus in a dragon-themed film. This is, of course, a reflection of the film’s Asian-inspired story, as was the design of Sisu herself.

Continuing the theme of breaking with common western depictions of dragons, Sisu is presented in an Asian style – a long body, no wings, and covered in fur. Sisu’s design is a Disney take on that concept, blunting its sharp edges and making it child-friendly. And it worked. I daresay Sisu toys and teddies will become a major part of Disney’s merchandise this year and beyond!

Sisu had a great design, inspired by Asian folklore but with a Disney twist.

The other character with a cute design was Tuk Tuk, and right from the opening moments of the film it was clear he’d been designed to be the cute animal sidekick that so many Disney protagonists have. Tuk Tuk worked best in the film’s prologue, after which he’d grown large and basically served as a form of transportation for Raya and Sisu, though the design remained largely the same.

With Tuk Tuk I think we can point to one of the few examples of Raya and the Last Dragon stumbling, at least somewhat. Aside from having a cute (and merchandisable) design, Tuk Tuk was clearly set up for some light-heartedness; some comic relief. Yet the introduction of Noi (the baby) and her three monkeys largely switches the comic relief focus away from him. It’s not a case of “too many characters,” but rather that the film didn’t really know what to do with two sets of comic relief characters. There was less for Tuk Tuk to do as a result.

Raya and Tuk Tuk near the beginning of the film.

The only other point of criticism I have comes at one of the film’s climactic moments. Raya and her friend-turned-nemesis Namaari are involved in a standoff. Namaari planned to take Sisu and the dragon gem pieces back to Fang on her mother’s orders, and Raya drew her sword to stop her. As Namaari points her crossbow at Sisu, Sisu asks Raya to trust that she knows what she’s doing – but Raya doesn’t, and the result is that Namaari’s crossbow fires, killing Sisu.

This moment was meant to show that Raya is the one who bears most responsibility for Sisu’s death; that if she had trusted Sisu, as Sisu asked her to, Namaari was about to stand down. But it simply wasn’t clear that that was the case, and it would be easy for a casual viewer – or a child, and this is a children’s film, after all – to simply see this moment as Namaari shooting Sisu.

Who was really responsible for pulling the trigger?

For such an important moment, I think it needed to be clearer that Raya is the one to blame. This is her character arc across the film’s final act: learning to trust, and being willing to make the first step to establish trust. If we as the audience see this moment as the culmination of Raya’s failings – an unwillingness to trust either Sisu or Namaari – then the rest of her actions and her arc make sense. If we miss that crucial context and simply see this moment as Namaari the betrayer shooting Sisu, what Raya does later on – giving up her pieces of the dragon gem to signify her willingness to trust – doesn’t make as much sense in context.

Namaari’s words to Raya during their epic final fight also ring hollow when the film is seen in this way. Instead of a heartbroken Namaari laying a harsh truth on Raya, it could be interpreted as another attempt by a liar and trickster to get under Raya’s skin. The moment with the crossbow was set up perfectly, but it was too easy to miss that it was Raya, not Namaari, who was really to blame for what happened, and as the rest of the plot turned on this moment I think that should have been much clearer.

Raya chose to trust Namaari at the film’s climax.

We could also talk about how easy it seems to be to slay a dragon in this film’s lore! It seems like an unimportant point, and perhaps I’m the only one who cares or feels this way, but the way the film treated dragons across the first hour or more made it seem as though they’re magical, almost god-like creatures. The way the film’s human characters worship Sisu – and the other dragons – represents this well. Yet all it took to kill Sisu was a single crossbow shot, and I guess what I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t seem to gel. On the one hand we have the film establishing dragons as magical creatures that provided for humans, bringing water and literally giving life to the world, being worshipped and deified centuries after the last of them were wiped out. Yet on the other hand, they’re no different from any other animal and a single crossbow bolt can kill them.

Perhaps this is my western perspective, thinking about dragons not in the context of Asia but in the context of JRR Tolkien and other works of high fantasy. In western dragon lore going all the way back to the legends of Saint George and King Arthur, slaying a dragon is considered an incredibly difficult task worthy of song and celebration. In the world of Raya and the Last Dragon it seems to be something any competent soldier could do. Who knows, maybe that’s why the other dragons went extinct!

Namaari the dragon-slayer!

Raya and the Last Dragon features a cast whose major characters are all female, with male characters in secondary supporting roles. This is something new to Disney, as even past female-led films like Moana, Frozen, or Mulan have included major male characters. The creative choice to have both the main hero and villain both be female actually works really well, and Raya manages to have a closer relationship with Namaari as a result.

Namaari being a redeemable villain – and the film essentially having no overall “big bad” who has to be killed to be stopped – was also a great choice, one that fit perfectly with the theme of overcoming hate and coming together. The whole story of Raya and the Last Dragon was about learning to trust one another, setting aside differences in order to work together for the common good. This theme would have been completely undermined if the final act required Raya to kill Namaari or even her mother, so making both characters redeemable was essential to the story.

Namaari needed to be a redeemable villain for the story to work as intended.

The real villains of the piece were the non-human Druun, depicted as a non-sentient force of nature rather than a character or faction. The design of the Druun managed to strike a balance between being intimidating but not scary and offputting for young children, and I would think that all but the most sensitive children would be able to watch Raya and the Last Dragon without feeling frightened by these crackling clouds of dark purple energy.

More could have been made of the Druun’s relationship with humans. At one point it was suggested by Sisu that the Druun are an embodiment of the arguments and lack of trust between humans, yet this wasn’t really developed further. It’s not clear whether humans directly caused the Druun to appear, whether they came from someplace else to feed on this mistrust and hatred, or what their precise origins are. If the world of 500+ years ago was populated by humans and dragons and was united, with no mistrust and no hatred, how the Druun even arrived in Kumandra is not clear. Perhaps that’s something a future title will explore in more detail, because I think it’s potentially interesting to say that humanity is responsible for giving strength to this powerful foe.

The Druun were the main adversary for Raya and her friends to overcome.

So I think that’s about all I have to say. Raya and the Last Dragon was a thoroughly enjoyable film and a worthy successor to the likes of Frozen and Moana. Disney has been on a roll for almost a decade now, since the release of Frozen in 2013, and the hits keep coming. In the very short term I doubt that Raya and the Last Dragon will catch fire in the way Frozen did, largely because of the cost of accessing it on Disney+ via the “premiere access” feature. However, once the film becomes generally available that should change. In a few months’ time, when it arrives for all Disney+ subscribers, it should see a significant boost.

Unlike Frozen and Moana, the choice not to include musical numbers means that there can’t be a breakout song. Let It Go and, to a lesser extent, You’re Welcome and Shiny went on to not only define the films in which they featured, but arguably bring in more viewers. By “going viral” in a sense, the songs drew more attention to their respective films, and this is something Raya and the Last Dragon won’t have.

The main characters at the end of the film.

I had a great time with Raya and the Last Dragon. I can’t tell you whether you’ll get £20 or $30 worth of entertainment and enjoyment from the film, because such things depend on your budget and your perception of value. But this time, as a one-off and as something I won’t repeat for the rest of the year, I didn’t mind spending the extra money. I didn’t spend money on last year’s Mulan remake, and having seen the film subsequently I think that was the right call. But this time, for the latest Disney animated film, I think it was worth it. Raya and the Last Dragon was funny, emotional, and clever, and told a story about people coming together that is timeless. Its Asian roots shone through, and though some will surely argue that it was a dumbed-down version of Asian traditions, that’s Disney’s trademark style.

If you enjoyed previous Disney animated films, especially recent ones, I daresay you’ll have a good time with Raya and the Last Dragon.

Raya and the Last Dragon is available to stream now on Disney+ via the “premiere access” feature for an additional fee. Raya and the Last Dragon is the copyright of Disney Animation Studios and the Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Twelve great episodes of The Simpsons

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the episodes on this list.

At time of writing, the 700th episode of The Simpsons is imminent. Aside from soap operas, which are usually broadcast daily, very few shows come close to reaching that mark. The Simpsons is the longest-running scripted television series in US history, having made its debut in 1989 – 32 years ago! So there must be at least twelve decent episodes, right?

I first encountered The Simpsons in the mid-1990s. The first episodes to be broadcast on terrestrial television here in the UK were in 1996 or 1997, and I recall that it used to occupy the 6pm slot on the BBC. In the late 1990s this would mean it was on right before Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, providing a nice little extra as I sat down to my favourite shows!

The Simpsons in its heyday was funny, clever, and a satirical take on the idealistic sitcom families of the 1970s and 1980s. It took television tropes of that era and turned them on its head. It showed a “darker” side of American family life than other shows of its era, with a dysfunctional family at the centre. That edginess held a particular appeal, as did The Simpsons’ style of humour. Some of its nuance and specific America-centric jokes went way over my head in my youth, but I came to enjoy what the fun cartoon had to offer. The fact that The Simpsons was detested by my parents and others of their generation was another great point in its favour! In that sense, perhaps I associate earlier seasons of The Simpsons – which we got in the UK several years after their US premiere – with my burgeoning adolescence. The show came along when I was at that age – having outgrown kids’ cartoons and looking for something edgier and more serious.

It will come as no surprise, then, that the earlier seasons of The Simpsons hold most of my favourite episodes. Despite that, I have watched every season of the show at least once, and while I agree with the general consensus that the quality declined somewhere after Season 9 or 10, most seasons have had decent episodes, and most episodes manage to win a chuckle for the odd good joke, even if the premise or story itself is less fun overall.

Looking at a series that has endured for more than 30 years offers some unique challenges. Is it fair to assess The Simpsons’ overall output; all 700 episodes? If so, the show is undoubtedly mediocre, with far more sub-par episodes than good ones. But if we break The Simpsons down into two distinct eras – its ’90s heyday and then the more recent seasons – we can perhaps be fairer in our assessment. Think of it as comparable to assessing the musical legacy of artists like Bob Dylan or The Rolling Stones. In their heydays, both put out incredible, genre-defining work. But as they kept going and going and going some more, the music they were making became stagnant and its quality dropped. Can we call the careers of either artist mediocre because of a back catalogue overflowing with uninspired work that doesn’t live up to their early successes? I would argue no, both Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones should be considered musical greats – that their early work defines them, not their mediocre decades. The same should be true of The Simpsons when we come to write its eulogy. It was a great show once. It isn’t any more, but it was once – and it was such a great show that it redefined American humour for an entire generation and spawned a whole genre: adult animation. Without The Simpsons we wouldn’t have Family Guy, South Park, Rick and Morty, or even Star Trek: Lower Decks. It’s an influential series; a landmark in both the history of television and ’90s popular culture.

So without any further ado, let’s take a look at my twelve episodes. For the record, because I know people like to throw tantrums and get upset: I’m not saying that these episodes are objectively the best, nor that they represent the absolute pinnacle of The Simpsons. These are simply twelve episodes from the show that I consider to be great and well worth a watch – especially if you’re looking for something to watch on Disney+!

Number 1: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (Season 1, 1989)

Where better to start than at the beginning? Airing just before Christmas 1989, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire launched the series. The characters were not new – they had been part of The Tracey Ullman Show going back to 1987 – but this Christmas episode marked their solo debut. As I wrote the last time I looked at this episode on one of my Christmas lists, it represents a series finding its feet. Not all of the characters or other elements of the show that we would come to know are present yet, but the feel of The Simpsons was firmly established.

Even as Homer spirals downward, it’s impossible not to sympathise with him. The down-on-his luck dad genuinely trying to save his family’s Christmas is an oddly timeless story, one that works just as well in 2021 as it did in 1989. In my opinion, any fan of The Simpsons needs to watch this episode – if for no other reason than to see where it all began!

Number 2: Krusty Gets Busted (Season 1, 1990)

Kelsey Grammar became the first household name to guest-star in an episode of The Simpsons in this episode. He plays the role of Sideshow Bob – a character who recurs occasionally to this day! Bob attempts to frame Springfield legend – and Bart’s hero – Krusty the Clown for armed robbery, and what transpires is an astonishingly good piece of television that incorporates elements of action, mystery, and courtroom drama.

The Simpsons had already proved across its first season that it was more than just dumb jokes and simple comedy, but for me, no other Season 1 episode epitomises this better than Krusty Gets Busted. It managed to be witty and clever, taking the audience on a wild ride as Bart and Lisa attempt to prove Krusty’s innocence in spite of seemingly overwhelming evidence.

Number 3: One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish (Season 2, 1991)

Guest-starring Star Trek’s George Takei, this episode was surprisingly sombre for an animated comedy. After Lisa prompts the Simpson family to try sushi, Homer accidentally consumes the poisonous fish fugu, and is given 24 hours to live. He begins to prepare for death, and though the episode contains a number of jokes and gags, it really showed that both the series and Homer himself can be serious.

Homer makes a bucket list of things he wants and needs to do, the most touching of which were making amends with Grandpa and recording a video for Maggie. More recent episodes focusing on Homer have either shown him to be rude and selfish or a complete clown, so this goes down as a story that shows how Homer used to be – a regular guy trying his best. He has heart in this story, and his impending death doesn’t just mean he wants to do things for himself, but rather for others – for his father, his daughter, and his friends.

Number 4: Flaming Moe’s (Season 3, 1991)

There are a few episodes of The Simpsons that are absolutely iconic, and Flaming Moe’s has to be one of them. Focusing on the relationships between Homer and Moe and Homer and Bart, it’s a surprisingly dramatic story with a truly silly premise! That concept is something that the show did especially well in its early years. Homer accidentally invents an amazing drink – the “Flaming Homer” – but Moe steals his recipe and uses it to drive business to his bar.

Moe is a strangely relatable character, at least for me. He does a lot of bad things across the show’s run, and is by no means sympathetic, but he’s driven by depression and loneliness. While that doesn’t excuse his actions in Flaming Moe’s, the desire to be successful and lauded, especially for someone who feels so low much of the time, is at least understandable, and the episode manages to be more than the sum of its parts because of the nuance in both Moe and Homer’s characters.

Number 5: Homer at the Bat (Season 3, 1992)

We don’t have baseball or softball in the UK, so some of the gags in Homer at the Bat went over my head on first viewing! But it’s a truly funny story, as Mr Burns tries to cheat at softball by hiring professional players to work at his power plant – a commentary both on the way some countries run their Olympic teams and on the concept of college sports.

In true ’90s sports movie style, Homer ends up winning the important game by accident! It’s a fun romp, one which shows Mr Burns at both his most devious and eccentric, as well as looking at the sport of baseball in some detail.

Number 6: Mr. Plow (Season 4, 1992)

Another of The Simpsons’ most iconic episodes, Mr. Plow shows Homer stepping away from his usual job at the nuclear plant to start his own snowplow business. I like winter time and winter-themed episodes, so this premise was a lot of fun. But in true Simpsons style, things don’t go to plan for Homer. After initially becoming successful as the town’s snowplow of choice, Homer loses it all when Barney (of all people) jumps into the business as his competitor.

The “Mr. Plow jingle” became an early meme, and it’s a great example of the show’s early humour and depictions of Homer. By creating the silly five-second jingle, Homer imitates other commercials of the era in his own way. The whole Mr. Plow commercial perfectly captures low-quality local television commercials of the 1990s and was absolutely hilarious.

Number 7: Homer’s Barbershop Quartet (Season 5, 1993)

There have been some great flashback episodes across the show’s run, providing elaborate backstories to many of the characters. In Homer’s Barbershop Quartet, we learn that Homer – along with Apu, Barney, and Principal Skinner – used to be famous. The plot parodies the rise and fall of The Beatles, from the band getting together, having a string of hits, and subsequently falling apart, but like many earlier episodes, it manages to be gentle in its treatment of the subject it tackles – it’s a send-up of The Beatles without being mean-spirited.

The reunion concert which closes the episode is of course a reference to The Beatles’ famous rooftop concert in 1969, and was a truly touching moment for the episode to end on. This is another episode that manages to have plenty of jokes, but still tells a story with emotion and heart. There are some great songs, too!

Number 8: Itchy & Scratchy Land (Season 6, 1994)

I’ve written before about how I greatly enjoy Disney World and other Disney theme parks, and Itchy & Scratchy Land is a perfect parody of them! Homer and Marge take the kids on holiday to the titular theme park, but things go wrong almost from the first moment they arrive. Seeing Bart and Lisa begging for the vacation was cute and funny, and Homer buying “Itchy & Scratchy money” only to find it isn’t accepted at any of the shops in the park was a hilarious gag.

The episode later turns into a send-up of Jurassic Park when the theme park’s animatronics come to life and begin attacking the family. Of course they manage to survive and escape, but it’s a surprisingly tense and action-filled second half to an episode that started out as a gentle family holiday parody.

Number 9: Lisa the Vegetarian (Season 7, 1995)

A show like The Simpsons typically “resets” after each story, with any growth or change the characters experience being largely ignored in subsequent adventures. A rare exception to this came in Lisa the Vegetarian, which added a new dimension to the character of Lisa. Lisa’s vegetarianism has gone on to be a defining feature of her character, a major part of making her the show’s liberal, left-leaning voice.

Paul and Linda McCartney, who guest-star, were already committed vegetarians by this point, and making Lisa a vegetarian was done in their honour. Linda McCartney sadly passed away less than three years after the episode was broadcast. A true gem that often flies under the radar when fans put together “best of” lists, Lisa the Vegetarian tackles some deep issues in The Simpsons’ typically fun way and deserves more recognition.

Number 10: The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson (Season 9, 1997)

New York City in the 1990s was experiencing somewhat of a renaissance, and this episode shows why. Homer had a bad experience in the crime-riddled city years previously and refuses to go back, but when Barney leaves his car parked at the World Trade Center, Homer and the family must go there to retrieve it.

I’ve only been to New York a couple of times, but the city is absolutely iconic. This episode does a fantastic job of capturing the look and feel of New York, and as we see part of it through Homer’s eyes, it isn’t quite the paradise it wants to be! The city can be confusing and difficult for tourists and newcomers, and The Simpsons’ gentle prodding shows why. We really see two sides of New York in the episode – Homer’s dark vision of the city and the rest of the family’s vision of a fun place to visit.

Number 11: Treehouse of Horror X (Season 11, 1999)

I wanted to put at least one Treehouse of Horror episode on the list, because The Simpsons Halloween specials have always been fun. It’s unusual for any series to regularly roll out “non-canon” episodes, but the annual Halloween specials are a perfect example of how The Simpsons doesn’t take itself too seriously.

In the tenth outing (the Treehouse of Horror specials first appeared in Season 2) the three mini-stories focus on the family running over Ned Flanders in a parody of the 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer, then Bart and Lisa gain superpowers in a gentle send-up of nerd culture and collecting, and finally Homer accidentally brings about the end of the world – courtesy of the millennium bug! Do you remember “Y2K” and how a lot of folks were in a panic about that? It was a big deal in 1999, and was the perfect way for that year’s Halloween special to end.

Number 12: Mypods and Boomsticks (Season 20, 2008)

I wanted to choose at least one recent episode for this list – though I suppose 2008 is stretching that definition a little – to prove that The Simpsons does still, at least on occasion, get it right. Mypods and Boomsticks partly focuses on Lisa as she overspends on music for her new MyPod – a not-so-subtle iPod parody. But the main reason it succeeds is in its depiction of Homer and his interactions with a new Muslim family.

The Simpsons in its early years tried to be a dark mirror of American society, showcasing and parodying the darker side of everyday American life. After the 9/11 attacks, anti-Muslim prejudice rose significantly in the United States, and Mypods and Boomsticks is the show’s attempt to look at the issue. Homer initially suspects his new neighbours are plotting a terrorist attack, but it’s later shown that he’s completely mistaken. The episode was praised by many Muslim groups in the United States for breaking down stereotypes and presenting a positive depiction of American Muslims.

So that’s it. Twelve great episodes of The Simpsons.

There are far, far more great episodes that I didn’t put on this list – so maybe this can be a topic to revisit one day! The Simpsons, especially in its early years, was a fantastic and very witty series, so there are dozens of truly outstanding episodes to choose from. It’s certainly true that recent years have seen a drop in quality, but perhaps that’s as much to do with the way entertainment and humour have moved on than it is to do with the series itself.

The Simpsons pioneered a new style of comedy and brought animation to the world of adult entertainment for the first time. A whole host of shows that are going strong today owe it their existence, and it will always have a place in the history of television. If you have Disney+ you have access to the show’s entire back catalogue, and while I’ve recommended twelve episodes here, there are so many more that are worth your time as well.

As a comedy series I first encountered in adolescence, The Simpsons holds a special place for me as a piece of my youth. In its heyday it was a slice of American counter-culture that definitely upset the crusty old grown-ups, and I wasn’t alone in appreciating that side of the show’s darker, edgier humour.

That’s about all I have to say. The Simpsons was a fantastic series, and I had fun choosing a small number of great episodes from its almost 700-strong back catalogue. I hope this was a bit of fun for you too!

The Simpsons is available to stream now on Disney+ and is also available on DVD. The Simpsons, and all episodes listed above, are the copyright of the Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A willingness to change is the key difference between Star Trek and Star Wars in 2021

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the following: The Mandalorian Seasons 1-2, The Rise of Skywalker, Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-3, Star Trek: Picard. Minor spoilers may be present for other iterations of both the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises.

I’ve been working on my review of Season 2 of The Mandalorian, which was shown on Disney+ at the end of last year, and I found myself saying the same thing several times. I will (eventually) finish that review, but for now I wanted to take a step back and look at two of the biggest sci-fi/space fantasy franchises, and one crucial difference between them.

Whether it’s the prequel trilogy, sequel trilogy, spin-offs, or even the recently announced slate of upcoming projects, Star Wars is intent on sticking close to its roots. I’ve made this point before, but Star Wars as a whole has only ever told one real story – that of Palpatine, Anakin, Luke, and Rey. Every film and television series in Star Wars’ main canon either directly tells part of that story or is inextricably tied to it. The inclusion of Luke Skywalker and other legacy characters in The Mandalorian doubles down on this.

Luke Skywalker recently appeared in The Mandalorian.

In contrast, Star Trek has continually tried new and different things. The Next Generation took its timeline 80+ years into the future and left much of the franchise’s first incarnation behind. Deep Space Nine took the action away from starships to a space station. Enterprise was a prequel, but not one which told the early lives of any classic characters. The Kelvin films attempted to reboot Star Trek as a big screen popcorn blockbuster. Discovery took a serialised approach to its storytelling, and Picard picked up that format but used it to tell a very different type of story. Lower Decks is perhaps the biggest departure to date, branching out beyond sci-fi into the realm of animated comedy. Though there are common threads binding the franchise together, each project is one piece of a much larger whole, and the Star Trek galaxy feels – to me, at least – much more vast as a result.

Where Star Wars has told one overarching story, Star Trek has told hundreds, many of which are totally separate and distinct from one another. And that concept shows no sign of slowing down. Indeed, both franchises are doubling down on what they do best: Star Wars is focusing on classic characters and looking inwards, Star Trek is expanding and trying new things.

Captain Burnham will take Star Trek: Discovery to new places.

That willingness to change, to explore totally different and unrelated aspects of its setting, is what sets Star Trek apart from Star Wars right now – and arguably is one of the big points of divergence going all the way back to the mid-1980s. It may also explain why so many fans are excited about The Mandalorian and even the dire Rise of Skywalker, while some Star Trek fans have never been interested in Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks.

Nostalgia is a big deal in entertainment, and while I would argue Star Wars has overplayed that particular card far too often, there’s no denying it has seen success with that formula. That’s why we’re seeing the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, the Ahsoka series, the Lando series, and even the Cassian Andor series all getting ready to debut on Disney+ in the next few years.

Star Wars continues to bring back characters, themes, and designs from its past.

Someone far cleverer than I am said something a while ago that really got me thinking. If a franchise – like Star Wars, in this case – relies so heavily on nostalgia to the point of never trying anything new, it won’t survive beyond its current generation of fans. Because bringing in new fans – the lifeblood of any franchise – is increasingly difficult when every project is designed exclusively with existing fans in mind. How can Star Wars survive when its current fanbase moves on if everything it does is fan service? What kind of appeal does the Obi-Wan Kenobi show have to someone new to Star Wars? Basically none.

With the exception of Star Trek: Picard, which did rely on the strength of its returning character, I think any Star Trek project has the potential to bring in new fans. Some shows and films are definitely enhanced by knowing more about Star Trek and its setting, but even in Discovery, where main character Michael Burnham is related to classic character Spock, there really wasn’t anything that required a lot of background knowledge.

Spock in Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek is not only trying new things, but the people in charge are conscious to allow each project to stand on its own two feet. They are parts of a greater whole – and while I have argued many times here on the website that Star Trek could do more to bind its ongoing series together, it’s still possible to watch one show and not the others without feeling like you’ve missed something important.

What we see are two very different approaches to storytelling. Both Star Trek and Star Wars were reborn in the mid-2010s out of a desire on the part of their parent companies to use nostalgia as a hook to bring in audiences. That should not be in dispute, and I don’t want to say that Star Trek somehow avoids the nostalgia trap. But where Star Wars really only has nostalgia going for it, Star Trek continues to branch out, using nostalgia as a base but not allowing it to overwhelm any project.

“Baby Yoda” is symbolic of Star Wars’ reliance on nostalgia in many ways.

Neither approach is “right” or “wrong;” such things are subjective. I don’t want to sound overly critical of Star Wars either, because despite my personal feelings, there’s no denying many of the creative decisions made are popular – even The Rise of Skywalker, which was eviscerated by critics, was well-received in some areas of the fandom. It just strikes me as interesting and noteworthy that these two major franchises are taking very different approaches to the way they construct their narratives.

Whether it’s the inclusion of Luke Skywalker himself, the aesthetic of practically everything in the show, or a storyline which returns the franchise to the Jedi and the Force, The Mandalorian oozes nostalgia from every orifice – and if that’s what fans want and will lap up, then that’s okay. It was too much for me, and I stand by what I said last year during the show’s first season: I was expecting to see “the adventures of a gunslinger far from the reaches of the New Republic;” a show which would take Star Wars away from some of those themes to new places. That was my preference – a personal preference, to be sure, and judging by the positive reaction not only to The Mandalorian but to spin-off announcements like the Obi-Wan Kenobi series (and the return of Darth Vader to that series) I’m in the minority.

Mandalorian armour (i.e. Boba Fett’s armour) seen in The Mandalorian.

Star Trek takes a different approach. Both Picard and Discovery in their most recent seasons moved the timeline forward, brought in new characters, and dealt with contemporary themes. There were touches of classic Star Trek in both shows, including in aesthetic elements like set design and costuming, but in both cases the franchise feels like it’s moving forward.

Costuming is an interesting point to consider, as it’s representative of where both franchises find themselves. As early as 2015’s The Force Awakens, Star Wars was stepping back, relying on Stormtrooper armour, First Order uniforms, and especially the costumes worn by Rey that were practically identical to those seen in the original films. This was continued in The Mandalorian, not only with the main character’s Boba Fett armour, but with the use of Original Trilogy Stormtrooper armour and costumes for many villains. In contrast, Star Trek took its main characters out of uniform entirely in Picard, and Discovery has introduced a whole new set of uniforms and a new combadge for the 32nd Century. Where Star Wars looks back to its heyday, Star Trek looks forward, incorporating some of its classic designs into wholly new variants.

Discovery’s new combadges (as seen in the opening titles).

What we see in these costuming choices is a reflection of where both franchises are narratively. Star Wars continues to look back at the only truly successful films the franchise has ever made: the Original Trilogy. Frightened of trying anything truly new and unwilling to leave that comfortable ground, it’s stuck. As I wrote once, the Original Trilogy has become a weight around the neck of modern Star Wars, as projects not only become constrained by those films, but continue to fail to live up to them.

Star Trek looks forward, tries new things, and embraces change. Not every new project will win huge support and be successful, but some will, and every project has the possibility to be a launchpad for others, taking the evolving franchise to completely different places.

The Original Trilogy is – in my opinion at least – holding Star Wars back.

It’s clear which approach I prefer, and that I’d like to see more innovation and change from Star Wars. Though I was certainly underwhelmed by some of the recent announcements made by Disney and LucasFilm, I’m hopeful that, despite being held back in many ways by an overreliance on nostalgia, some decent films and series may stumble out the door.

Each franchise could learn something from the other, though. Star Trek’s projects are split up, and while Discovery’s third season made an admirable effort to connect to Picard, that was not reciprocated. Lower Decks had many callbacks and references to ’90s Star Trek, but otherwise stands alone. The franchise could work harder to bind its different projects together, reminding audiences that they’re watching one piece of a greater whole.

The Qowat Milat, who debuted in Picard, later appeared in Discovery. But the franchise could do more to bring its projects together.

Star Wars could see how a successful sci-fi franchise doesn’t need to be constrained by its original incarnation, and that shaking things up can work. The Mandalorian felt to me as though it was retreating to Star Wars’ comfort zone, and while that move may be popular right now with the fandom, it doesn’t really provide a solid foundation for expansion in the way Star Trek’s shows and films have done.

At the end of the day, both franchises are testament to the power of nostalgia to bring fans back. But they undeniably take very different approaches to that. Star Wars is conscious to try to make everything feel like its first couple of films – to the point that it can be overwhelming. Star Trek certainly doesn’t overwhelm anyone with nostalgia – to the point that some recent projects have been criticised for feeling like they aren’t part of the franchise at all.

Whichever approach you ultimately feel works best, one thing is clear: neither franchise is disappearing any time soon! The first half of the 2020s -and hopefully beyond – will see several different projects from both Star Trek and Star Wars, and as a fan of both and of sci-fi and fantasy in general, that’s great news. Long may it continue!

The Star Trek franchise – including all properties mentioned above – is the copyright of ViacomCBS. The Star Wars franchise – including all properties mentioned above – is the copyright of LucasFilm and Disney. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

What might we watch and play in 2021?

Happy New Year! As we put the calamitous 2020 behind us, let’s look ahead to some of the entertainment experiences we might enjoy between now and Christmas. There’s only 51 weeks till the big day, you know. Better start your Christmas shopping!

The effects of 2020’s disruption are still being felt, and while we should hopefully see a return to normalcy slowly building over the next few months, there will undoubtedly be changes to come. From my point of view as a Trekkie, the big question is this: how much Star Trek will we get this year? After 2020 saw the release of three different Star Trek projects, it’s not inconceivable that the only episode we’ll see in 2021 will be next week’s finale of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3!

We do know, at least, that some big projects still intend to release this year. Let’s look at a few – in no particular order.

Cinema

The pandemic has not magically gone away with the arrival of the new year, and many cinemas look set to remain closed in the weeks ahead. The distribution of vaccines will be key to their re-opening, and thus to the release of at least some big films. However, there have been plans announced to bring some of 2021’s big releases to streaming platforms – either instead of or in addition to a theatrical release. How well this will work, and whether many of these plans go ahead if the pandemic is brought under control is up in the air right now – but it remains a possibility.

Number 1:
Dune

The latest adaptation of Dune is the first part of a duology, and was originally supposed to be released in 2020. Of course that couldn’t happen, and Dune is now set for a December release, and will supposedly come to HBO Max at the same time. Though the story has been notoriously difficult to adapt, this version has a huge budget, a stellar cast, and what look like wonderful visual effects based on the trailer. It feels like a film with great potential, and I’m eagerly awaiting its release.

Number 2:
No Time To Die

The latest Bond film – which is set to be Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 – has been delayed by over a year. It was originally scheduled for an April 2020 release, but that has been pushed back to April 2021. There are no current plans to bring the film to streaming, and as it’s supposedly the most expensive Bond film of all time, perhaps that makes sense. April feels optimistic, but we’ll see how things go! Regardless, I’ve always enjoyed the Bond franchise, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens as this chapter of the 007 cinematic saga draws to a close.

Number 3:
Jungle Cruise

I love Disney World and the other Disney theme parks! When I heard that the House of Mouse was planning to make a film based on their Pirates of the Caribbean ride in the early 2000s I thought it sounded like a terrible idea – yet Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was an incredibly fun film with heart. Jungle Cruise is likewise based on a Disney World/Disneyland ride, one which, if memory serves, is cute and action-packed! The film adaptation will have to try hard to retain at least some elements of what makes the ride enjoyable, but if it can succeed it could grow to become an ongoing series like Pirates of the Caribbean.

Number 4:
The Matrix 4

As I said last time, I really don’t know where The Matrix 4 could possibly take the story of the series. However, I’m still fascinated to find out! This will be our first time back in this setting since 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions, and I’m sure a lot of fans are excited and nervous in equal measure. The idea of the world being artificial was somewhat of a novelty for the big screen when The Matrix did it in 1999, but we’ve since seen other takes on the concept. Will it stick to the late-90s/early-00s aesthetic for scenes set in the simulated world? Will there even be a simulated world if humanity broke free? We’ll soon find out.

Number 5:
Raya and the Last Dragon

After Disney saw success with the Polynesian-themed Moana, they have turned to Southeast Asia for inspiration for Raya and the Last Dragon. Kelly Marie Tran will voice the titular Raya, and Disney animated films have always been worth watching so I’m expecting an enjoyable film. Disney appears to be going through somewhat of a second renaissance in the aftermath of Frozen’s huge success in 2013, and hopefully this will be a continuation of that. I’m also rooting for Kelly Marie Tran after the awful treatment she had to endure at the hands of some so-called “fans” of Star Wars. Raya and the Last Dragon will take the approach pioneered by Mulan and be released on Disney+ for a fee.

Number 6:
The Suicide Squad

2016’s Suicide Squad won an Academy Award. Just in case you forgot! Was it an outstanding cinematic triumph that I’m happy to rewatch time and again? Not exactly, but it was a decent action-packed blockbuster that was an okay way to kill a couple of hours. And that’s what I expect from this direct sequel – nothing groundbreaking, but a solid film with some cute comic book elements.

Number 7:
The King’s Man

Kingsman was a surprisingly fun film when it was released in 2014, and the third entry in the series is a prequel. The King’s Man looks set to examine the outlandish spy organisation’s past and possibly its origins, as well as throw together another action-comedy that takes inspiration from the likes of James Bond. I think that sounds like fun! The King’s Man will feature some pretty big names, including Ralph Finnes, Charles Dance, and Rhys Ifans.

Number 8:
Uncharted

Films based on video games have not often performed well. Though some have become cult classics in their own right, most films adapted from video games have not been successful. Will Uncharted be any different? The project has been in development for a long time and seen many behind-the-scenes changes, but having settled on a script and director, Tom Holland was cast in the role of Nathan Drake. At the very least there’s potential for a summer popcorn flick; a blockbuster adventure film. Whether it will succeed at becoming “the new Indiana Jones” is up for debate – but maybe!

Number 9:
Death on the Nile

2017’s Murder on the Orient Express was great fun, and Death on the Nile is a sequel of sorts. Adapted from a 1937 novel by famed murder-mystery author Agatha Christie, Kenneth Branagh both directs and stars in the picture as detective Hercule Poirot. The cast list reads like a who’s who of British and international stars, including Jennifer Saunders, Rose Leslie, Russell Brand, and Gal Gadot. If you’re familiar with the book or one of the two earlier adaptations the ending will no doubt be known – but that doesn’t mean the journey there won’t be mysterious and thrilling!

Number 10:
Free Guy

Free Guy is about a non-player character in an open world video game who becomes sentient and tries to escape the game. And he’s played by Ryan Reynolds. Are you sold yet? Because that premise (and casting choice) was all it took to hook me in and decide that Free Guy would be worth a look! It sounds like fun, and Reynolds has great comedic timing as we’ve seen with titles like Deadpool. At the very least it’s a unique premise for a film, and one that seems like it could be really funny.

Gaming

With two new consoles barely a month old, both Sony and Microsoft will surely make moves to shore up their player bases this year. There are some titles on the schedule that look absolutely fantastic, and while the release of many of these on what is now last generation’s hardware will mean we won’t see the full power of the next-gen machines just yet, we should begin to see some improvements in what games are capable of. I better get on with upgrading my PC!

Number 1:
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Rumours swirled for much of last year of an impending Mass Effect trilogy remaster, and the project was finally announced a few weeks ago. Despite its controversial ending, the three games tell a deep and engaging story in a unique sci-fi setting, and were great fun during the Xbox 360 era. Has enough time passed to make updating the trilogy worthwhile? Mass Effect 3 was only released eight years ago, after all. And will the remaster do everything needed to bring these games up-to-date? With Mass Effect 4 on the distant horizon, it will have to! I’m cautiously interested in this one – it could be wonderful to replay these games, but as we’ve seen with some recent remasters, not every company manages to hit a home run when it comes to updating a beloved title.

Number 2:
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Though I didn’t have time to review it before Christmas, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special was great fun over on Disney+. I had hoped to see Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga last year, but it got pushed back and is currently due for release in “early 2021” – whatever that may mean! The first couple of Lego Star Wars games, which were released in the mid-2000s, were really great fun, and I’ve been looking forward to the latest bricky reimagining of the Star Wars saga since it was announced. Lego games have never tried to take themselves seriously, and the end result has always been titles which are just a lot of fun.

Number 3:
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

What could a game starring Gollum possibly bring to the table? I have absolutely no idea! But games – and stories in general – focusing on an antihero can be wonderful, so I’m very curious to find out. It’s also great to see another big single-player title given the glut of live services and always-online multiplayer games. I’m a fan of Middle-earth and the world Tolkien built, so hopefully this game will be a fun return to that setting. Taking on the role of Gollum will offer a different look at Middle-earth, and whether it focuses on the main story from the books or not, has the potential to be fascinating.

Number 4:
Skull & Bones

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag demonstrated that there’s still a lot of appeal in pirate-themed titles. Skull & Bones wasn’t something I was especially interested in at first, but upon learning it will feature a single-player campaign I was happy to add it to the list. It seems to be a game that will deal with the naval combat side of things, and as long as it can really nail ship-to-ship combat within its game engine it should at least be a solid title. Naval games are relatively rare in the combat/strategy/action genres, so perhaps Skull & Bones will offer something a little different.

Number 5:
Outriders

Outriders was one of the first next-gen games that reviewers really had a chance to get to grips with before the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The consensus was that it seems like a fun third-person shooter, even if it wasn’t quite as “next-gen feeling” as some had hoped. Regardless, Outriders has continued its development and will be released this year. The basic premise feels like a mix of sci-fi and superhero comics, and at the very least it’s a brand-new setting at a time when a lot of studios are focused on sequels and franchises.

Number 6:
GhostWire: Tokyo

I honestly don’t know what to expect from GhostWire: Tokyo. It’s a game shrouded in mystery! One thing we know for sure is that it will feature a supernatural storyline, and that alone sounds like it has potential. A teaser trailer released last year didn’t show much, but we know that the game will draw on Japanese mythology and will be a first-person action-adventure game with some supernatural horror elements. It might be wonderful… or it might not be my thing! We’ll have to wait and see.

Number 7:
Diablo IV

After disappointing fans with Diablo Immortal, and then messing up with the controversy around their decision to censor a professional player who supported the protests in Hong Kong, it’s not unfair to say that there’s a lot riding on Diablo IV for Blizzard’s reputation. Early indications are that the dungeon-crawler looks good, and could be a return to form. Diablo III had issues at launch, so this is very much one to take a “wait-and-see” approach with, but if the studio can recreate the magic of older titles then Diablo IV should offer a fun experience.

Number 8:
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

My most recent foray into Mario’s 3D adventures was underwhelming, as Super Mario 3D All-Stars was not actually all that great. However, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury might be! The base game was released on the Wii U, but Bowser’s Fury is something altogether new. How substantial it will be remains to be seen, but taken as a whole the package seems to offer good value. I love the cat suits introduced in Super Mario 3D World, they’re cute and add a different element to Mario and the gang’s 3D adventures.

Number 9:
Humankind

Humankind initially attracted me because of how similar it looks to Civilization VI – one of my most-played games of the 2010s. But there’s more to it than that, and the concept of creating a unique civilisation by combining different historical empires and cultures is, at the very least, innovative. I love a good strategy game, and Humankind could be a big time-sink for me this year – if it can deliver on some pretty big ambitions!

Television

After 2020 saw major disruption to cinema, 2021 could be television’s turn. Though shielded from the brunt of the pandemic, a number of television shows planned for 2021 have seen major delays to production. Despite that, there are still plenty of options on the horizon, including some that look absolutely phenomenal.

Number 1:
Zack Snyder’s Justice League

I can’t actually remember if Justice League is one of the DC films I’ve seen or not. If you’re a regular around here, you’ll know I’m not a big comic book fan generally speaking. And it’s not unfair to say that DC is the lesser of the two comic book powerhouses right now! I honestly did not expect the so-called “Snyder cut” of Justice League to ever see the light of day, but after a campaign by fans the film will be released – as a four-part miniseries on HBO Max. I’m at least somewhat interested to see what all the fuss is about!

Number 2:
Star Trek: Prodigy

After Lower Decks took the Star Trek franchise in a different – and very funny – direction in 2020, I’m curious to see what Prodigy will bring to the table. Some shows made for kids can actually tell very meaningful and interesting stories, and it’s my hope that Prodigy will manage to offer at least something to Trekkies beyond its target audience. The addition of Kate Mulgrew to the cast – reprising her role as Captain/Admiral Janeway – is tantalising too, and although that’s about all we know at this stage, the series aims to have a 2021 release. That could be pushed back, but fingers crossed we’ll see Prodigy some time soon.

Number 3:
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series

Despite not having so much as a title, Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series has been targeting a 2021 release. It seems certain that, if this is to happen, it will have to be later in the year; filming is still ongoing at time of writing. However, a return to the land of Middle-earth is truly an exciting prospect, as is a look at the setting away from most of the characters we remember. The series will take place thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, so there’s the potential to tell some very different fantasy stories in Tolkien’s world.

Number 4:
Station Eleven

Based on a 2014 novel of the same name, Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic drama set after the world has been devastated by a pandemic. Timely, right? Though filming began in early 2020 the series is still being worked on, but could finally see the light of day on HBO Max at some point this year. It feels like a project that, simply due to bad timing, may be controversial – but that could simply increase its appeal! Regardless, I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.

Number 5:
Foundation

Isaac Asimov is one of the grandfathers of science fiction. Whether his work will translate well from page to screen is an open question… but one I’m very curious to see answered. This adaptation of Asimov’s Foundation series will star Jared Harris, an absolutely incredible actor you might recall from 2019’s Chernobyl. It’s being produced for Apple TV+ as one of their first big-budget productions – or at least, the first one I’ve come to care about. 2021 looks set to be a big year for some of these second-tier streaming services!

Number 6:
Star Trek: Lower Decks

Lower Decks has finally secured an international broadcast agreement, more than five months after its first season premiered for viewers in North America. That’s good news, because a second season is already in development and will be able to be shared by fans around the world when it’s ready. Season 1 ended with some surprising twists for an animated comedy, and it remains to be seen what the end result of those storylines will be for our young ensigns aboard the USS Cerritos. Lower Decks took a few episodes to really hit its stride – and there were some missteps along the way – but for my money it’s up there with the best animated comedies of recent years, and I hope that the combination of its international debut and second season will see the show get the admiration it warrants.

Number 7:
The Expanse

I haven’t yet sat down to watch Season 5 of The Expanse, which premiered last month on Amazon Prime Video. However, the first four seasons were outstanding, and Season 6 is set to be the show’s last. Hopefully it will go out on a high! The Expanse is a wonderful science fiction series, one which has tried to take a more realistic look at the dangers of space travel and alien life. Many sci-fi stories treat these elements almost as mundane, yet The Expanse approached them with wide-eyed wonder, making things like accelerating a spacecraft integral parts of its story. It’s a wonderful series, and its final season should be explosive, entertaining, and ever so slightly sad as we bid it a fond farewell.

Number 8:
The Witcher

I half-expected to see the second season of Netflix’s The Witcher last year, but for whatever reason the streaming powerhouse is taking its time. Henry Cavill was great in the title role in Season 1, and hopefully the second season will keep up the high quality. I always appreciate a new fantasy series, and while the show owes its existence to the popular video games, it’s distinct from them at the same time, drawing more on the original book series for inspiration. Its return to our screens – which may not be until later in the year – is highly anticipated!

Number 9:
Star Wars: Andor

I wasn’t exactly wild about the recent announcements of upcoming Star Wars projects. As I wrote at the time: “spin-offs to spin-offs and the increasingly minor characters given starring roles is indicative of a franchise out of ideas.” Part of that criticism was aimed at Andor, the series which will focus on Rogue One’s Cassian Andor. However, on its own merit the show – which bills itself as a “spy thriller” – may very well be decent, and I’m cautiously interested to see what Disney and Lucasfilm bring to the table. Rogue One was certainly one of the better offerings since Disney began producing Star Wars projects, so maybe Andor will surprise me and tell some genuinely different stories in the Star Wars galaxy.

Number 10:
Clarice

Alex Kurtzman’s latest project for ViacomCBS will focus on Clarice Starling – the FBI agent introduced in Silence of the Lambs. How well will a show about Clarice work without Hannibal Lecter? Well that’s an open question, quite frankly, because as far as we know, complicated licensing and rights agreements mean Dr Lecter can’t appear. The show is being pitched as horror, though, following Agent Starling as she investigates sexual crimes in the aftermath of the events of Silence of the Lambs. It certainly has potential!

So that’s it.

You may have noticed some exclusions – notably Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. While all three are in pre-production for their upcoming seasons, none have been confirmed for 2021 at this juncture. Given the state of the world and how badly production has been impacted, while I remain hopeful that at least one live-action Star Trek show will make it to air, it’s entirely plausible that none will. That’s why they didn’t feature on the list.

If all goes well, 2021 should be a good year for entertainment. I see a lot of projects in film, gaming, and television that have the potential to tell wonderful, engaging stories. If lockdowns and quarantines remain in place – where I live in the UK restrictions just got a lot tougher – then we’ll need all the distractions we can get!

Mark your diary for some upcoming releases!

The year ahead is unpredictable, and it’s possible that some of the projects I’m excited for won’t make it to release – or will end up being less enjoyable than expected. But on the flip side, there are undoubtedly films, games, and television shows waiting in the wings to surprise me; titles that didn’t make this list that I will come to greatly enjoy as the year rolls on. There were several wonderful surprises in 2020 that, had you asked me in January of last year, were not even on my radar. The same will perhaps happen this year too!

With everything going on in the world, having something to look forward to is important. Even if all you can think of that excites or interests you is a television show or video game, that’s okay. It gives you something to hang on to; light at the end of the tunnel. I wish you a very Happy New Year, and all the best for 2021.

All titles listed above are the copyright of their respective company, studio, developer, publisher, broadcaster, distributor, etc. Some promotional artwork and images courtesy of IGDB. Stock photos courtesy of Unsplash. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Star Wars doubles down HARD

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the Star Wars franchise, including The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian, and announcements for upcoming productions.

A few months ago I wrote an article titled “Star Wars needs to move on.” In that piece I looked at how the Star Wars franchise has only ever told one real story since it debuted in 1977. Prequels, sequels, and spin-offs all played into or expanded the only real story the franchise has ever told – that of Palpatine and minor characters like Anakin, Luke, and Rey who apparently don’t get to act of their own volition. I argued that, just like Star Trek had done with The Next Generation in 1987, Star Wars needed to put the Skywalker Saga behind it and genuinely move on, telling new stories with new characters.

The Mandalorian should have done this, but hasn’t. The inclusion of Baby Yoda, the Force, Boba Fett, and so many elements copied from the Original Trilogy overwhelmed that series and left me disappointed. I was desperately hoping that, after the reaction to The Rise of Skywalker, the team at Disney and Lucasfilm would think hard about what to do next.

The inclusion of Palpatine ruined The Rise of Skywalker.

Instead they’ve once again retreated back to the Original Trilogy, its spin-offs, and familiar characters. I would have hoped that the failure of Palpatine’s ham-fisted insertion into The Rise of Skywalker would have served as a warning, and that with the only story the franchise has ever told now at a seemingly-final end, the franchise could genuinely move on.

The Star Wars galaxy is up there with Tolkien’s Middle-earth as one of the finest fantasy worlds ever brought to life, yet the creative team at Disney and Lucasfilm seem intent on never exploring the wonderful sandbox they paid $4 billion for. They’re instead going to show us the same tiny sliver over and over again, bringing to life ever more ridiculous spin-offs looking at characters of decreasing importance. What a disappointment.

Star Wars: Andor is a spin-off from a spin-off and a prequel to a prequel.

Let’s look at these disappointing announcements. A Droid Story will focus on R2-D2 and C-3PO. The Bad Batch is a spin-off to The Clone Wars, which was itself a spin-off to Attack of the Clones. Andor is the previously-announced series based around Rogue One’s Cassian Andor. Lando is bringing back Donald Glover, who took on the role of the smuggler in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Rangers of the New Republic is a spin-off from The Mandalorian. Ahsoka is another spin-off from The Mandalorian. And in the previously-announced Obi-Wan Kenobi series, we have the return of Darth Vader.

The only announcements which seem to have any potential to tell new stories are 2023’s Rogue Squadron, a project called Acolyte about which no information was revealed, and an as-yet-untitled film helmed by Taika Waititi. Everything else falls into the same trap that the franchise has fallen into repeatedly since the prequel era: overtreading the same ground, forcing fans to look back, and overplaying the nostalgia card. There’s nothing bold or innovative in any of these announcements. They represent a backwards-looking cowardly corporation, desperate to rekindle the magic of the Original Trilogy but without any clue of how to do so.

Do we really need a Star Wars film about these two droids?

Spin-offs to spin-offs and the increasingly minor characters given starring roles is indicative of a franchise out of ideas. There’s absolutely no creativity in any of these projects that I can see. At a fundamental level they’re all trying to do the same thing – use nostalgia as a hook to bring fans back. If the Star Wars galaxy looked bland and uninteresting, perhaps that would be a necessity. But it’s always been presented as such a vast, interesting setting that it’s positively criminal to only ever look at a tiny portion of it. There are tens of thousands of years of galactic history to dive into, as well as an uncertain future in the years after the war against the First Order. Could we see some of that, maybe?

And how about new characters? The idea of a show based on the two droids is patently ridiculous, as are those focusing on minor characters from spin-off projects. Donald Glover’s portrayal of Lando was certainly one of the better elements of Solo, but does that mean he needs an entire project of his own? What will Disney and Lucasfilm do when these projects run their course? Are we going to see Star Wars: Snowtrooper #7 and Star Wars: That Two-Headed Podrace Announcer? At this rate that’s what’ll happen.

Is this guy getting his own spin-off too?

The sequel trilogy got two things wrong when considering the fundamentals of its storytelling. Firstly was the inexplicable decision to split up the writing, leaving it with no direction and no overarching story. But secondly, and perhaps most importantly, was the decision to re-tell the Original Trilogy, drag Star Wars full-circle back to where it started, and spend too much time looking backwards. The sequel trilogy was an opportunity for Star Wars to lay the groundwork for future success, but instead it’s dragged the franchise backwards.

The Original Trilogy is a weight around Star Wars’ neck. The popularity of those three films compared to any others means that cowards in a corporate boardroom can’t see beyond it. Instead of looking at ways to take Star Wars forward to new adventures, all they know how to do is look backwards at the only successful films the entire franchise has ever produced.

Star Wars is being run by a corporate boardroom that clearly has no idea what to do with the franchise.

The end of the Skywalker Saga saw Luke, Han, and Leia killed off. It saw the final demise of Palpatine. And despite the story of Star Wars having been dragged through the mud, there was an opportunity that hasn’t really existed before – an opportunity to move on to greener pastures. With the only story Star Wars has ever told brought to a conclusion, it was hardly an unrealistic expectation to think we might get something new.

I’m disappointed, as you can tell. The lack of vision and the lack of boldness on the part of Disney and Lucasfilm means that we’re once again looking at the same miniscule fraction of the Star Wars galaxy that we’ve always been shown. There’s nothing interesting about that, and even though I have no doubt that, on an individual level, many of these projects will be at least decent and watchable, I just feel Star Wars could do better. These shows and films are a franchise aiming for a grade C. They’re middle-of-the-road attempts to scrape by, coasting on past success.

If the franchise ever wants to do more than get a basic pass, they’ll have to be bold and aim higher. Do something genuinely different. Step out of the ever-growing shadow of the Original Trilogy and do what Star Trek has been doing for thirty years – tell new stories.

The Star Wars franchise, including all films, series, and upcoming projects listed above, is the copyright of Disney and Lucasfilm. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe – a review

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against The Universe as well as for the Phineas and Ferb television series.

This is a rare treat! There hasn’t been a new Phineas and Ferb story since 2015 when the series went off the air, and I genuinely wasn’t expecting it to return. Disney Channel shows are usually one-and-done things, even now that we’re in an era of reboots and unnecessary sequels. Although some of the characters from the series had crossed over to Milo Murphy’s Law, the announcement of Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe was an incredibly welcome surprise.

I first saw Phineas and Ferb shortly after its 2007 premiere. I had a cable television subscription at the time (remember those?) and one of the channels in the package I’d selected was the Disney Channel – not that I watched it all that much as an adult! But somehow I caught a preview or advert for the series, and it looked like a lot of fun so I gave it a try. I was glad I did, because far from being a silly little kids’ cartoon, Phineas and Ferb has a depth to it that I truly believe transcends its target audience. There’s a lot to like in the show for kids and adults, and as someone who first encountered it as an adult, I can attest to that.

Phineas and Ferb debuted in 2007 with the episode Rollercoaster. This was the opening shot of the series.

As I mentioned the last time I talked about Phineas and Ferb, it’s a show I drift back to on my bad days when my mental health suffers. The bright colours, happy storylines, cute animation style, and fun musical numbers can really take the edge off sometimes, and I’ve always appreciated that about the series.

So what about its latest offering then? Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat – what on earth is going on with that horrible title? Nine words is far too long for any film’s title, and it needed to be cut down as much as possible! Calling it something like Phineas and Ferb: Candace v. the Universe would have conveyed the same message in a more concise form; there was no reason to include “the Movie” in the title of… a movie. So long as it was even moderately well marketed the audience would have known it was a feature-length production.

The titular Candace.

Unlike some titles, such as the upcoming Mulan remake, there was never any question of a theatrical release for Candace Against the Universe (as I shall be calling it for the sake of brevity). It was always scheduled for a Disney+ debut, and I believe it was always planned to arrive in the summer. Though the 28th of August is certainly the tail end of summer, it made its release window despite all the pandemonium in the world, and that’s a great accomplishment!

If I had to summarise my thoughts in a couple of sentences, I’d say that the film blew me away. It was exactly what I’d hope for from any returning franchise: plenty of references to past successes, but with a new and exciting story tying it all together. There were numerous callbacks to past events in the series, but none of them felt like they got in the way of a brilliant, surprisingly emotional story.

Candace referred to the events of a number of Phineas and Ferb episodes in her opening song.

Candace Against the Universe riffs off a similar overarching story from Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, the first feature-length film in the series that released in 2011. In that story, Candace, Perry, and the boys wound up in an alternate reality and had to get home, while stopping the villain – that dimension’s version of Dr Doofenshmirtz – conquering their home. This time, after Candace is abducted, they have to rescue her and escape an alien planet, then stop the planet’s ruler conquering their home. Both of these stories are epic in scope and allowed for powerful moments, and the fact that it’s not a wholly original premise doesn’t even matter – what matters is it was an amazing ride.

I’ve talked before about Phineas and Ferb delving into some quite deep and complex themes, and perhaps the biggest one featured in Candace Against the Universe is that of mental health. Candace’s unhappiness (or depression), and the fact that those closest to her hadn’t noticed, is a big part of her story and sets up the main plot of the film. Mental health can be a difficult subject for any film to tackle, let alone one primarily aimed at kids, but Candace Against the Universe managed to approach the topic in a way that was understandable even for younger viewers.

Candace’s mental health was the main focus of her story.

Candace being unhappy with herself and her lot in life was communicated in two main sequences: one at the beginning of the film, and one as it approached its climax. It’s very easy for depression to be missed, even when the person isn’t going out of their way to conceal how they feel. Candace’s family didn’t spot how unhappy she was, which ultimately became a contributing factor and made her feel worse. Phineas is the character this affects the most (as Ferb, naturally, has very few lines). The realisation that his sister is feeling awful while he’s been having a great time weighed on him for practically the entire film.

This wasn’t a bolt from the blue for returning fans, either. Candace has always been a character with a complex psyche, at least in the episodes that explored her side of the story in any detail. We’ve seen her being neurotic, manic at times, and dejected and depressed too, so this side of her character really was a natural fit. Obviously there’s far more to mental health than can be explored in an hour-and-a-half, but the elements that the film was able to include – as well as the tone – were pitch-perfect. We often see characters with depression stereotyped, even in films and television shows made for adults. Yet Candace Against the Universe tackled its subject matter in a wholly different way, still firmly making Candace the star while allowing her to explore her issue and get to the heart of why she’s unhappy – instead of just beating us over the head with the fact that she is unhappy.

Vanessa approaches Candace near the beginning of the film.

While the concept of a single issue causing depression, then that depression being easily overcome in one single moment of realisation and coming together (as the film depicts) is arguably an oversimplification, it’s nevertheless by far the best way I’ve seen depression handled in any film or television show for a very long time. The writers and producers deserve a lot of credit for putting out this frank yet understandable depiction, and for conveying the message that you don’t need to be the centre of the universe to matter. That’s what Candace learned – and I bet a lot of kids watching learned it right along with her.

Okay, that’s enough about that for now. Phineas and Ferb was a show with an incredible soundtrack – and Candace Against the Universe didn’t buck the trend. I actually think that Candace voice actress Ashley Tisdale’s singing is even better than it was a few years ago during the show’s original run, and she had a great song right at the beginning called Such a Beautiful Day.

Candace Against the Universe had some great musical numbers.

That song was the opening sequence of the film, and it did a great job not only setting up Candace’s story, but recapping the show for new viewers and those who haven’t seen the series in a while. There also seemed to be a hint – just a hint – at possible further stories in the Phineas and Ferb universe, as Candace sings “other nonsense coming soon” when listing some of the boys’ inventions. I wondered earlier in the year whether Candace Against the Universe might be a springboard for Phineas and Ferb Season 5, and this line was the first big hint that the film dropped at that possibility. Certainly going on the strength of the film and its story, if co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh wanted to make another season, Disney would surely be up for it!

Also during this opening song (or rather, during a break in it) we got a short scene between Candace and her best friend Stacy. Though Stacy wouldn’t have much to do in the film overall, I loved this scene. It was a perfectly normal interaction between them, but it was in this moment that I really felt like I was back in the Phineas and Ferb universe. Life was going on, and all the characters were right where I left them.

This scene with Stacy normalised everything and made it feel like Phineas and Ferb never went away.

Other songs were good too, and overall the film had a great soundtrack. The songs equalled the best offerings from the series, and anyone coming into Candace Against the Universe looking for good music certainly didn’t leave disappointed!

The biggest familiar trope missing from the film was the interaction between Perry the Platypus/Agent P and Dr Doofenshmirtz. Because the story involved a team-up between Phineas, Ferb, and their friends with Doofenshmirtz, Perry was relegated to a lesser role, hiding in the shadows trying to avoid being seen by anyone for much of the film. Of course it makes perfect sense, and after the closing of Across the Second Dimension required the kids to get a memory wipe in order for the show to continue its two stories concept effectively, nobody really wanted to see a repeat of that. However, it meant that one of the usual two stories we’d expect from most Phineas and Ferb productions wasn’t present, and there’s certainly part of me that feels that’s a shame. Though there was a very brief fight between them at the beginning of the film, it didn’t fulfil its usual role as the second story, and the absence of that story beat was definitely noticeable.

Perry had less to do than usual – and didn’t really battle Dr Doofenshmirtz.

That isn’t really a complaint, though. Perry still had a role in the story, and although we didn’t see him spend much time with the other characters, he got time with Doofenshmirtz and Vanessa near the end of the film. Perry’s plot in some ways is reminiscent of his role in Across the Second Dimension, where he similarly wasn’t battling against (the original) Dr Doofenshmirtz.

The other thing we didn’t really get to see all that much of was Phineas and Ferb inventing. Off-screen they built the giant clown-robot at the beginning of the film – which was destroyed in a clear homage to Avengers Infinity War! Again off-screen they built the robots they used to attack the villain near the end of the film. They also built the portal to Feebla-Oot, which ultimately didn’t work. Again, I don’t feel this detracted from the film – though it was certainly a brave choice. It was definitely a twist in the final act to see the boys’ robots so easily defeated.

The defeated robots.

Candace Against the Universe actually contained several references to Star Trek, which isn’t something I was expecting! Part of the story involves Baljeet’s obsession with the fictional “Space Adventure” franchise. This isn’t new to Phineas and Ferb and had been mentioned or seen several times before. It’s a generic sci-fi franchise which seems to include films and a television series, and while I would have said past Phineas and Ferb stories treated it more like Star Wars, in this film it was definitely used as a stand-in for Star Trek. The aesthetic of Space Adventure, including its starship design and the design of the bridge of the ship, pays homage to Star Trek, and the starship featured in the show even used the “USS” designation. Baljeet was definitely a Trekkie stereotype at points, but that’s okay!

Phineas and Ferb has often been random in its sense of humour, and Candace Against the Universe definitely continued that trend. Buford bringing a canoe into space is one example that I found funny, and every time the canoe showed up I was wondering if this would be the moment it would finally find a use. The joke about passing the speed of light was hilariously random too – seeing the different stages of animation all the way back to co-creators Marsh and Povenmire explaining the storyboard was breaking the fourth wall at its finest! Again, this is something Phineas and Ferb has done on a few occasions in the past, so this was a continuation of that theme.

Dan Povenmire (left) and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, the co-creators of Phineas and Ferb.

Doofenshmirtz’s lab being destroyed – as it so often was in the show – when the rocket launches was funny too, and shows how bad he is at planning! The post-credits scene where Lawrence steps through the boys’ portal into the still-burning lab was also incredibly funny, and was played pitch-perfectly by both the animators and voice actor Richard O’Brien. O’Brien actually created The Rocky Horror Picture Show – a little Phineas and Ferb trivia for you!

Am I overthinking it, or was the alien prison vehicle at least a little similar to the prison transport Jyn Erso is on near the beginning of Rogue One? Regardless, I loved the cowardly aliens that the gang met, and their city of Cowardalia. It was perhaps a little fast for Phineas and Isabella to inspire the cowardly aliens to take on their biggest foe, but they were cute so they get a pass!

The gang arrives in Cowardalia.

There were plenty of little jokes, too. The escape pods all launching at once because of the faulty alien Alexa device. Vanessa ending up on the planet and not being sent back to Earth. The photo Major Monogram has of Candace being attacked by a crab. The diversion song. The fact that when the aliens’ upper bodies explode it makes the sound “Candace!” Dr Doofenshmirtz insisting on being a leader while being vastly incompetent. All of these little jokes and dozens of others lent that same fun, random sense of humour to the film that fans of the show will have appreciated.

Vanessa’s calmness in the face of everything going on provided a contrast with Candace, and putting the two characters together worked well, especially in the beginning of the film. Olivia Olson, who provides Vanessa’s voice, has always felt like an underrated performer, but she gave it her all here. The jokes about Vanessa posting everything going on on her social media were pretty funny too – as well as setting up a way for Dr Doofenshmirtz to find her. The final act of the film also gave Vanessa a big role, taming a wild space dragon and flying the gang to safety.

Vanessa’s social media post.

The aesthetic chosen for the alien world (Feelba-Oot) was interesting. I kept trying to decipher the name of the planet – it feels like an acronym, but I can’t figure out what (if anything) it means! But back to the way it was designed, I liked the giant mushroom forest, and the brown-and-orange colour palette. It made for a suitably “alien” presentation, as well as being in the vein of some of the classic sci-fi films and series (including Star Trek) that Candace Against the Universe was drawing on for inspiration.

So the crux of the plot. The villain, named Super Super Big Doctor, has a plant which produces mind-controlling spores. She used the plant to conquer the planet, but the plant is old and dying. She believes Candace to be the only source of a special element that can restore the plant – but this turns out to be carbon dioxide, and after Candace tells her there’s loads of it on Earth, she tries to conquer Earth too.

Candace with Super Super Big Doctor.

We can skip the nitpicking and asking why Super Super Big Doctor didn’t realise other earthlings breathe out CO2. The answer is “because plot”, and it’s a kids’ movie so that absolutely gets a pass! The film was, as its title suggests, Candace’s story. And this setup takes Candace from depression to elation as she realises she’s incredibly important – then back to contending with the fact that she isn’t special. Candace comes to realise her unhappiness is tied to feeling inadequate and overshadowed by her brothers, who can perform incredible feats, and she longed to feel special. The mind-controlling plant and evil villain were just there to help her come to that realisation; this is still Candace’s story.

In that sense, Phineas and Ferb (and the rest of the gang) played second fiddle. That’s a bold move for a franchise returning from a five-year hiatus, to put Candace front-and-centre, and it could have backfired. But it didn’t – it worked spectacularly well. Candace provided the story with heart and emotion, and a genuinely satisfying character arc.

Candace with Phineas and Ferb.

It was great fun to have another adventure with Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Perry, and the rest of the gang. I had high hopes for Candace Against the Universe, and I did not come away disappointed. Sometimes a high bar can be impossible to reach, but this time my expectations were met, and the film has to go down as one of the best I’ve seen all year.

The big question now is… will there be more from Phineas and Ferb? And if there are to be further adventures, will they take place in the form of a fifth season or of specials and feature films like Candace Against the Universe? It’s hard to predict right now, but if the film has performed well, I’m sure the team behind it will want to keep going and create more stories in this world. I’ll be very interested to find out if there is more to come, but if not, it’s fair to say that this one-off return saw the franchise go out on a high that surpassed its finale from five years ago.

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe is available to stream now on Disney+. The film is the copyright of the Walt Disney Company. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Is the decision to bring Mulan straight to Disney+ a good one?

I’ve made no secret here on the website that I consider Disney’s live-action remakes of some of its classics to be very much lesser versions of those films. That’s for a variety of reasons, and I’m sure is at least partially influenced by the nostalgic feelings I have for some titles. 1998’s Mulan is an interesting film in many ways, but it’s always felt like a second-tier member of the Disney Renaissance, not quite reaching the same heights as The Lion King, Aladdin, or even Pocahontas. So its remake, which had been scheduled to premiere earlier this year, is a project I’ve been anticipating with muted excitement at best.

That was before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted everything. After abortive attempts to release the film in cinemas in March, then July, then finally August, Disney decided to try something they haven’t done before: bring a major release directly to their streaming service, Disney+. But Mulan won’t arrive on Disney+ ready to watch like any other title, instead it’s going to be paywalled with customers being asked to stump up an extra $30 on top of their regular Disney+ subscription fee in order to access it when it releases next month.

Mulan (1998) is getting a live-action remake.

On a purely mathematical level, I can understand the charge. Films are expensive to make, and Disney wants to recoup as much of that money as possible. $30 is around the price you might pay for 3-4 cinema tickets, so if you think that it’s the same money as a family going to see the film at the cinema, Disney obviously feels that it’s a fair price. But of course watching a film on streaming isn’t the same as going to the cinema, and I have to confess I was taken aback by how steep the cost of seeing Mulan is. As a single person, $30 (or whatever its equivalent in GBP will be) is excessive for seeing one film! That’s the equivalent of more than four months’ subscription to the streaming platform, and I have no doubt many will be as put off as I was.

My big question is this: why can’t Disney just be patient? It isn’t just film releases that have been disrupted, film production has been massively affected too. Disney has already postponed the release dates of many other titles that are currently in production as a result of the pandemic, and surely Mulan could have taken any one of those release slots once the disruption finally ends. Sitting on the film costs Disney very little – releasing it too soon could backfire and cost them massively.

Liu Yifei in the 2020 remake of Mulan.

Ever since broadband internet made it possible to stream and download large files, piracy has been a problem for big entertainment companies. Streaming services like Disney+ are able to survive in part because most people like to follow the rules, but also at least in part because they make it easy and affordable to do so. Who would even notice £4.99 a month – that’s how much Disney+ costs in the UK. Hardly anyone would, of course, and that’s how the service survives. But a sudden turnaround to charge more than $30 for a single film and suddenly a lot of people will be looking for other options.

Piracy is incredibly easy. A simple online search leads to dozens of websites that allow users to stream up-to-date films, and within hours of a film or television series going live, it’s been recorded and reuploaded countless times. When Mulan releases behind a paywall, it will very quickly be uploaded to pirate websites where people will be able to watch it or download it for free.

No, not that kind of piracy…

While Mulan’s release on streaming will almost certainly be lacklustre, it could have the unintended side-effect of harming Disney+ as a brand. Disney+ already is worse than its competitors in that the most recent seasons of its television series aren’t uploaded until months or even years after they debut on television, but if the service gets a reputation for paywalling content, many people will wonder what the point of paying for it is and will unsubscribe. Partly that’s on principle, and partly it’s because the cost of accessing Mulan is incredibly high.

Disney has also harmed its relationship with cinemas and distributors. The cinema industry is suffering greatly from months of closure, and here in the UK, while cinemas have been allowed to reopen since early July, many haven’t. Regular readers will know that disability precludes me going to the cinema these days, but in the past when I was able to, I favoured an independently-owned cinema in a nearby town – one of the few left in the UK. Its fortunes hang in the balance right now, and one thing that could have helped is a big release like Mulan to tempt people back. By cutting cinemas out of the equation and going direct to streaming, Disney has upset the apple cart. Why should cinemas go out of their way to show other Disney films in future?

Cinema owners will protest this decision vehemently.

At least one cinema chain – Odeon, which is owned by AMC – has stated that they will no longer show any films by Universal Pictures as a result of that company making a similar decision. Universal chose to release Trolls World Tour digitally as a result of the pandemic, and AMC and Odeon reacted swiftly, banning Universal films in their cinemas, of which there are many in the UK; Odeon is a big chain. Disney could end up in a similar situation, and if several big chains were to band together, they could effectively prevent Disney films being released almost anywhere. Any company, even a giant like Disney, needs to tread very carefully.

Disney has chosen to prioritise making as much money as possible as soon as possible ahead of all other concerns. And with the company losing money – Disney lost $4.7 billion in just three months this year – perhaps the higher-ups decided they needed to do as much as possible to offset that. Indeed, the decision to reopen as many of the company’s theme parks as they’re allowed to is also part of that – the losses made by having the parks open are clearly less than the losses made by keeping them shut. Evidently Disney has made the calculation that the short-term harm of releasing Mulan digitally is less than the harm of sitting on it for an unknown length of time.

For those willing to pay, Mulan will be available next month on Disney+.

The coronavirus pandemic has been hard to predict, but many medical experts and analysts are anticipating a renewed increase in cases as we move into the autumn and winter here in the northern hemisphere. Disney may have interpreted such statements to mean that regional lockdowns may not be going away any time soon, and even if the rules are relaxed, the general nervousness of the public about the disease – and the looming recession it’s triggered – may put people off going to the cinema anyway. With the USA, which is Disney’s biggest market, being much more seriously affected than the rest of the world, even if everywhere else were to get back to some degree of normality, it may take a lot longer before American cinemas will all be able to reopen.

All of these issues and more have fed into the decision, and I can understand it on a corporate level. But I think one of the key problems is that many higher-ups don’t appreciate just how much they’re asking people to pay to see a single film in their living rooms – or even on a phone screen. $30 is a lot of money to a lot of people, and while it may not be to someone who’s making megabucks at the top of a huge company, out here in the real world it is. $30 could be the back-to-school supplies for a child, a big takeaway meal for a family, or as already mentioned, more than four months of Disney+. People could do a lot with that money, and while many are happy to pay extra for a treat like a visit to the cinema, far fewer will be willing to cough up cinema-ticket prices for a film they’re watching in their living room or on their phone. Disney+ has been inoffensively priced until now, and that has won it many supporters and subscribers. Mulan is not inoffensively priced. In fact it’s priced in such a way as to be downright offensive to many people.

Disney evidently sees this as the least-bad option right now.

Speaking purely anecdotally, I haven’t found anyone willing to pay for Mulan. One person I asked suggested that if it were a better film, they might be willing to consider it, but definitely not for a remake of a B-tier film like Mulan. That was the closest I got to a “yes” out of everyone I spoke to. While there will be a market for it, as some people will desperately want to see this reimagining and others will be pestered into it by their kids, it won’t be enough for the film to break even and I have no doubt Mulan will have a seriously disappointing launch.

But even a serious disappointment may be good enough for Disney as they look for ways to slow their financial haemorrhaging. Mulan will undeniably bring in more money for the company than the precisely $0 it would if it remained unreleased. As long as it covers the costs of streaming it worldwide – which, given Disney+ already exists, it almost certainly will – it may be seen as a success. At the very least it will be something Disney can show to investors and shareholders to demonstrate that they’re trying new and creative ways to get through what could be many more difficult months that lie ahead.

Mulan and Disney+ are the copyright of the Walt Disney Company. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.