Cultural Wormhole Presents: X-Nation Episode 19

In this installment of X-Nation we take a look back at the Month in X for May 2011.

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The Month in X: Namor: The First Mutant Annual #1, Astonishing X-Men #37, Astonishing X-Men #38, X-Men: Prelude to Schism #1, X-Men: Prelude to Schism #2, X-Men #11, X-Men Giant-Size #1, Daken #9, Daken #9.1, X-23 #10, Wolverine #9, X-Men: Legacy #248, X-Men: Legacy #249, New Mutants #25, X-Factor #219, Uncanny X-Force #9, Uncanny X-Force #10, Generation Hope #7, & Uncanny X-Men #537.

Doctor Who - "The Rebel Flesh"

Rory (Arthur Darvill) and Amy (Karen Gillan) go lurking through a dank, acid-leaking castle.

Review by David Lowbridge

'Doctor Who’
Season 6 – Episode 5
“The Rebel Flesh”

Everyone likes to believe they’re one of a kind. Alas, in the words of Tyler Durden, “you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake”. There’s a lot of pathos and comedy to be mined from a doppleganger situation. In recent cinematic memory Duncan Jones explored the consequences of a man coming face to face with himself. 2009’s Moon was poignant, claustrophobic, blackly comic. Clones aren’t just a trope of sci-fi either; four hundred years ago, Shakespeare employed twins and disguises for his comedies of error.

Cultural Wormhole Presents: The Merc Report Episode 8

Spinning out of X-Nation, The Merc Report is your monthly review of the many Deadpool comic books published by Marvel Comics. This episode Corwin Crowl and Scott Bechtel takes us through the Month in Merc for April 2011.

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Reviewed this episode: Deadpool #35 & #36, Deadpool MAX #7, Deadpool Family, and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #38.

Music by Jenki "Girls of Los Angeles"

Doctor Who - "The Doctor's Wife"

Idris (Suranne Jones) meets the Doctor (Matt Smith).

Photo Credit: BBC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Doctor Who'
Season 6 - Episode 4
"The Doctor's Wife"

The nature of the TARDIS has always been one the cooler, more fanciful, aspects of 'Doctor Who'. We know that the Doctor stole, or in his words "borrowed", it long before his adventures begam being televised in the mid '60s. Also, the TARDIS doesn't always take the Doctor where he wants to go, but quite to where he is needed. There are times when the little blue box seems almost alive.

Doctor Who - "The Curse of the Black Spot"

Rory (Arthur Darville), Amy (Karen Gillan), and the Doctor (Matt Smith) just realized that it's going to be one of those episodes of 'Doctor Who'.

Photo Credit: BBC

Review by Antony Ellis

‘Doctor Who’
Season 6 – Episode 3
“The Curse of the Black Spot”

Doctor Who, in my opinion, has two types of episode. Ones which mainly build the seasons overarching plot, and those quieter ones which are set pieces, if you will; done-in-one adventures in time and space. I’m a continuity whore – I love the stuff – so it was weird for me to be looking forward for the done-in-one adventure that “The Curse of the Black Spot” provides, however, I put that down to the terribly confusing and illogical opening to Season Six with “The Impossible Astronaut” and “Day of the Moon”.

Stargate Universe - "Gauntlet"

Rush (Robert Carlyle), Eli (David Blue), and Col. Young (Louis Ferreira) prep the stasis pods.

Photo Credit: Syfy

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Stargate Universe'
Season 2 - Episode 20

"Guantlet"

I've mentioned before that I was never a viewer of 'Stargate SG1' or 'Stargate Atlantis', but I decided to give 'Stargate Universe' a try because of Robert Carlyle and the very fact that it look totally different from the previous shows. It didn't hurt that it was promoted as being new viewer friendly. For the most part, it was different (less 'Star Trek' and more 'Battlestar Galactica') and I was able to jump into it with ease and with very little knowledge of the Stargate franchise.

Cultural Wormhole Presents: X-Nation Episode 18

The Silents will jiggle! In this installment of X-Nation we take a look back at the Month in X for April 2011. Plus we have some listener voicemails and thoughts from the forum.

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Month in X – April 2011: X-Men: Legacy #247, New Mutants #24, Age of X #2, Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier Annual #1, Daken: Dark Wolverine #8, X-23 #9, Wolverine #8, Wolverine & Jubilee #4, X-Factor #218, Uncanny X-Force #7, Uncanny X-Force #8, X-Men #10, Generation Hope #6, Uncanny X-Men #534.1, Uncanny X-Men #535, & Uncanny X-Men #536.

Fringe - "The Day We Died"

Ella (Emily Meade), Astrid (Jasika Nicole), Peter (Joshua Jackson), and Olivia (Anna Torv), fifteen years into the future.

Photo Credit: FOX

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Fringe'
Season 3 - Episode 22
"The Day We Died"

One of the problems with some science fiction stories that take the narrative into a possible future, is whether or not such a side trip is even necessary. Does the story impact the bigger picture in anyway, or is this just a tale told just for the sake of it? Luckily, the little fifteen year jaunt that we see in "The Day We Died" does have some significance for the greater narrative of 'Fringe'.

Stargate Universe - "Blockade"

Eli (David Blue) runs through some calculations.

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Stargate Universe'
Season 2 - Episode 19
"Blockade"

As 'Stargate Universe' nears the end of its run, it's pretty clear that the creators were not given much wiggle room to wrap things up in a more final fashion. "Blockade" is the penultimate episode of the series, but it certainly plays as it was originally intended, an episode before a "season" finale. Alas, Syfy deemed the show not worthy of a second season and it looks like the show could likely end without a satisfying resolution.

Game of Thrones - "Lord Snow"

Littlefinger's (Aiden Gillen) intentions are misunderstood by Ned Stark (Sean Bean)

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Game of Thrones'
Season 1 - Episode 3
"Lord Snow"

While defined plans have not been concretely laid out after three episodes, there is still a feeling that sharks are circling their prey. The thing is, not all the sharks and prey are aware of their roles. Some characters are just now realizing their true potential.

Fringe - "The Last Sam Weiss"

Sam Weiss (Kevin Corrigan) helps Olivia Dunhamn (Anna Torv) get an artifact of the First People.

Photo Credit: FOX

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Fringe'
Season 3 - Episode 21
"The Last Sam Weiss"

What?! And there's still one more episode left in this season?! Take it easy on me, 'Fringe'! I don't think I can handle this intensity!

Doctor Who - "Day of the Moon"

Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) does her best Dana Scully imitation in "Day of the Moon".

Photo Credit: BBC

Review by David Lowbridge

‘Doctor Who’
Season 6 – Episode 2
“Day of the Moon”

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” So said Adolf Hitler, but I imagine a similar mantra was adopted by Russell T Davies during his tenure as the Doctor Who show-runner.