Women and Sci-Fi

io9 has a great editorial up about the strange interactions between women and sci-fi. There is a popular public perception that sci-fi is exclusively the realm of nerdy (typically young) men, and that women sci-fi fans are not only few and far between -- but weird! Ewwww... GIRLS! 

Now, I don't mean to say that this problem is, you know, like a major WORLD EVENT that needs changing. But it is a bummer. Here's some of what io9 has to say:

If there's something keeping women away from enjoying science fiction, it's not spaceships. It's not "aliens on some far-off planet." It's the fact that people on our very own planet keep telling us that women aren't supposed to like science fiction. It's a self-confirming prophesy, because the more that scifi creators are told this, the more they imagine that their audience is all boys. So they write rich, believable male characters and boring, cookie-cutter lady characters. They organize conventions with panels devoted to shit like "the hottest women of science fiction" and nothing devoted to female heroes — or the kinds of hotties that straight women might want to see (i.e., men).

I totally agree that it is a self-fulfilling problem. But it gets better: 

Women who do love science fiction see all this going down, and they are ashamed to admit that they like science fiction. I'm not saying this happens to all of us, but many women wind up assuming that there's something wrong with them for liking SF. After all, everybody keeps telling them that SF is for boys, and the only reason why women would like it is if the definition of SF is "expanded" to include magic and romance. (Nothing against magic and romance, mind you — it's just not typical of SF.)

I agree again. It's like the only "sci-fi" that women are "supposed" to like is fantasy and magic. RoboGirlfriend is an example -- she loves fantasy stuff, but I had to drag her kicking and screaming over to Battlestar Galactica -- a show she's just as into at this stage as I am. It's a cultural stereotype, like girls must like pink, and guys must dig football, that each gender reinforces on their own to fulfill some sort of social norm. But guess what? Not all dudes love football. Not all women like pink. A lot of women like football, and a lot of dudes (RoboNixon included) wear pink. Just because it's the standard doesn't mean it has to be the norm. It doesn't mean that the pattern can't be broken. But here's the kicker: 

Women love tons of science fiction, regardless of how many boys are main characters, because they like good stories as much as the next guy.

And that's what it comes down to. Battlestar Galactica works for men and women because it's a dynamic, well told story. And it doesn't hurt that it's filled with a dynamic range of intriguing, well drawn females. Star Wars' Princess Leia is more badass than Luke (I would argue), and while she certainly gets her fair share of "being saved" she also fucking kills Jabba the Hutt. On her own. In a golden bikini.

LOST is a great example of the mainstreamification of sci-fi for everyone. Strong characters are both male and female without skimping on the traits of either gender. Jack is the masculine leader, but Juliet and Kate are also bad ass and driven. Sawyer's typically whining, and Rousseau (RIP) was crazy-jungle person. Not only that, but it uses sci-fi in a non-conventional way. It's like saying you're taking your date to the "theater" only to bring them to a cabaret -- yeah, you know, it's theater, but it's not exactly what you were expecting. LOST is an adventure show... that, like the cabaret, is something different, simultaneously.

Hell, dudes who like sci-fi like chicks who like sci-fi, because it's one more thing to have in common, to share together. RoboGirlfriend and I watch BSG together, as well as LOST. And we jointly nerd out over them (though I'm sure she'd protest that we never "nerd-out" about anything). Sci-Fi, like any genre, should be the realm of men and women. 

Otherwise, we're all missing out.

Check out the original editorial. It says it much better than I ever could.

-RoboNixon

For LOST Nerds

I somehow was turned on to this awesome blog that focuses exclusively on LOST. I heartily recommend it for you obsessive-types out there. It's much more in depth than my little RoboBlog could ever be. At least, you know, in terms of LOST.

'njoy.

-RoboNixon

They Aren't So Lost Anymore... Right?

"There's No Place Like Home"

A few things before I begin. 

1) This episode was awesome, even though it causes the viewer to suffer from a serious case of TV-Blue-Balls. 

2) The preview for the 2 hour finale looks like some serious shit is going to happen, which also makes me giddy.

3) BSG and LOST can now comfortably exist in cross-over land together (more on this later).

I'm not super into summarizing the episode -- you can get that from the link above, or more in depth from Lostpedia -- but I wanted to share some thoughts. Let's begin with Flashforwards.

The opening is fantastic, and, I think, something we've been waiting for since Oceanic 815 crashed onto the Island. The mood of these post-Island scenes is very different than what we've seen post-Island before, due, I think, to a sense of relief on behalf of the characters -- before shit gets bad again. Also, the Oceanic Six's minder, Karen Decker, is played by Admiral Caine from BSG herself, Michelle Forbes.

(I loved the momentum in this episode; now that rescue is so close, the Losties loyalty to each other -- to getting everyone off the Island -- is paramount. The urgency was pronounced and visceral. They are GETTING. OFF. THE ISLAND.)

Also, I love how one of the pilots clings to his lucky charm, like having the Oceanic Six on board is some sort of terrible terrible curse... That maybe bad-luck clings to them like underaged girls to Rob Lowe in 80's sex-tapes. 

And finally they land and the moment where they step onto Non-Island land, and their families are there (except for Kate's) was... magical. I especially loved Hurley dragging Sayid over to meet his family. And it's nice to know that Jack was not birthed from an egg but rather a woman who is his mother.

Oh God, there's so much I love in this episode and I want to keep it short. OK, what else -- The presentation by Decker on how the Six survived was also great and, I think, not entirely crazy -- it kind of made a smidge of sense and if we hadn't been watching what actually happened for four seasons, I might, you know, think maybe they were telling the truth. Like Jack said earlier, "They'll just think we're in shock." 

"Jack," Sun replies, "We are in shock."

Sun telling her father that she owns a controlling interest in her company, and that he's essentially responsible for Jin's death (along with another unnamed party... dun Dun DUN!) and he can go fuck himself, she's in charge. Great to see her character change, from pre-to-post Island. And I loved the look on his face when he realizes that, yeah... maybe he is completely terrible.

Thought that the stuff w/Cheech (ie. Hurley's Dad) bringing him to the car they had always wanted to fix up together -- now pristine -- was really touching. In fact, I thought so much of what happened in these flash-forwards was touching that it kind of pains me to know that something wicked this way comes. Also: Island themed party? Hurley on his mom: Yeah, she just doesn't get it. Fantastic.

I also thought that Matthew Fox was GREAT in the scene after his father's memorial service, where Claire's mom comes to tell him that his sister was on the plane... and named Claire. We, the audience, know what's up, but he just fucking loses it. When he turns to Kate and Aaron after Claire's mom leaves, the look on his face... such complete and utter devastation... was worth its weight in gold.

Also, I'm super bummed out that Sayid gets the shaft... because in pretty much every moment of this flash-forward... he's happy. Happy with Nadia. Happy at the party. Happy to be off that godforsaken Island. But we know where it all leads him... right back to Ben...

OK, to the ISLAND stuff.

Alright, an ass-load happens, and there's a lot of confusion and back-and-forth, so I won't cover it like I covered the flash-forwards (and let's not play games -- they were the highlight of the episode). But I liked it. I liked it a lot.

I like how leave-no-man behind is so real for them now that rescue is so close. When Daniel flips through his book, sees the drawing of the Orchid, and turns to Charlotte: "We need to get off this island NOW," I was stoked. Lots of running back and forth in the jungle, lots of explosives on the boat -- possibly connected to Keamy's weird arm-thingie? -- and Michael being reintroduced to everyone else... just, so much! So much! I loved every second.

Especially Ben surrendering. "How many times do I need to tell you? I always have a plan." I'm pretty excited to see what's inside the station... and what it does.

Ugh. So two weeks before we get the rest. But let me state, that not only am I super excited, but this could prove to be the most bad-ass season finale that Lost has yet had (which is tough because Seasons 2 and 3 were also bad-ass). 

Stay tuned, guys 'n gals. We're in for a bumpy ride.

(thanks to Lostpedia for pictures)

-RoboNixon

I Guess It Was Worth It... Kinda...

I would like to preface this, because I haven't before, that anytime I do a write up of an episode it, necessarily, contains spoilers. Of various sorts. So if you haven't seen the episode and don't want it ruined for you, DON'T READ MY EPISODE WRITE-UPS. Unless you don't give a shit. In which case, read on. It'll probably save you the effort of watching the episode.

"Cabin Fever"

So what's the deal with awesome TV shows falling into a mediocre spell? The last two episodes of BSG have been lame-to-bad in quality, and after last week's interesting (but slow) ep. of LOST, we get... one of the more mediocre eps of the season. And that's with some fairly bad-ass reveals.

So let's start somewhere and get movin', shall we? The flashbacks. Let's start with these. I can pretty much sum them up in one word: lame. Why do we need to see Locke's trampy-teenage-pregnancy-Mother get hit by a car? Did we really need those awkward beats with the mother noticing Richard Alpert and realizing she can't smoke around a THREE MONTH PREMATURE BABY in the hospital? Was it important to show Abaddon telling Locke to go on a walk-about? Honestly, the stuff w/Immortal Richard and Abaddon reeked to me of "tying-up-loose-strings." The problem with this is that loose strings are sometimes better left hanging on their own. We don't need to know why Locke went on a walk-about -- we can come to that conclusion on our own from what we've seen of his (pathetic/horrible) life. We don't need to see Immortal Richard testing him as a child, or attempted recruitment to Mittelos, or on and on and on when we get all this from Locke on the Island now. We don't need to be deluged. Sometimes making the audience fill in the between-the-lines-gap is not only more entertaining (and cheaper), but more efficient; avoids any confusion on the part of the viewer. And I can say that of the three people I watched the episode with, two were, at various points, VERY confused. They didn't remember Abaddon, or Immortal Richard (who's been absent nearly all season [if not all season]), and were confused as the order of events.

So there's the flashbacks. Let's leave them there and move on, shall we?

The Island. The dream-scene w/deceased Horace (RoboRoommate v.2 -- "Horace... isn't that Greek?" RoboNixon: "Horus. He's an Egyptian god.") was cool, gives us some (non-necessary, but detail oriented, character building) history, and moves things along.

Problem: Why did it take FOREVER for them to reach the cabin? Yeah, OK, rummage through corpses, Locke, but seriously, was that necessary? Also, isn't having a MAP to the cabin kind of, you know, contrary to the seemingly immaterial nature of the cabin as established so far? Like it appearing in and out of the jungle to Hurley, but being a real place when Ben first brings Locke there? I don't know. The point I'm trying to make is that the "rules" in the LOST Universe surrounding the cabin are hazy. 

OK, but continuing... we get to the good stuff. Christian Shepard in the cabin. Alright. We've seen him here before. But oh -- he tells Locke he's like Jacob's Lorax -- I am the Christian Shepard and I speak for the Jacob. Except without letting on that he's Jack or Claire's father. Fine. Blah blah blah, we really don't find out a lot. We cut to a long and boring tangent of Hurley sharing a candy-bar with Ben (really Hurley? really? seriously? what about the whole BEN KILLING PEOPLE thing you object to?) that runs for like thirty seconds before, yes, finally, Locke comes out and gives us the big punch of the episode. The way to save the Island is to move it. Alright. Awesome! Except... Oh... Wait... We waited all episode for that? Uuuugggghhhhhhh...

But let's move to the freighter, shall we? The Captain's character does a 360, leading me to believe that the writers had no idea what to do with him once they realized Keamy was the baddie on board, and he inexplicably helps out Sayid, then gets capped. Also, WTF is up with Keamy's robot-tech? I mean, WTF are they doing to him when Lapidus takes Michael out of lock up? He's shirtless and being strapped up with shiznit and it kind of looks like that shot from the HULK trailer where Tim Roth is getting jacked up, Abomination style. 

But I digress.

Lapidus helps out Michael, whose Island-Protection rears it's useful (in this case) head. The doctor is killed (giving us more confusion in how the Island's time is different than World time), Lapidus tosses a SatPhone to Jack 'n Co., and the ep's over. 1) Maybe if Lapidus has just typed out a text message or something it would have helped more. "gtg. non-rofl. run." 2) Jack's dumb. "Oh, well, we know that these people on the boat are shady, and they just dropped this sat phone out of the helicopter without telling us why, so let's just assume that these shady bad people with questionable tactics want us to FOLLOW THEM?!" Seriously, Jack, WTF? Did they sew up a dead cat inside you or what. 

All in all, a meh episode. Not bad -- not nearly as bad as last week's BSG -- but a disappointment after the pleasant flash-forward of last week, and the smoke-attack of the week before. With the three part season finale gearing up next week, I hope that we may find ourselves headed in a different direction... and that it might prove more dynamic than lame-Lockeness.

Over and Out.

(Thanks to LOSTpedia for pictures)

-RoboNixon

Jack, Seriously, Get Your Shit Together

"Something Nice Back Home"

It occurs to me that Jack should know better by now. He's well aware he has appendicitis, but it's not like there aren't any other medical professionals on the island. Juliet has sliced-and-diced at least half-a-dozen women since coming to the island, and seems pretty well experienced in the art of "playing with organs."

Bernard, also, is in medicine, albeit dentistry, which, you know, is like mouth medicine. 

So Juliet finally calls him out on it, then sends Jin, Sun, Daniel and Charlotte to retrieve some medical items from the Medical Station. Someone does call Juliet out on this lame plan -- why not just take Jack there -- but noooooo -- his organs could explode. Wahhh. You have like a bajillion pieces of plane and and endless forest of wood. Build the guy a stretcher and carry him there. That way you have legitimate lighting, a plethora of equipment, and a clean environment. But no. They cut him open in a tent. Maybe that's why all your patients died, Juliet. You're a moron.

Also, why doesn't anyone talk Jack out of his lame insistence on being awake during the surgery? I mean, it's not just that he's hopping aboard the bad idea train, it looks like he's shoveling the coal into the engine, too. Shouldn't Juliet -- a real doctor -- be like, "Jack. Dude. Frealz. That shit is whack. Wiggity whack. Not just regular type." She could even do the whole, "I won't do surgery on you unless you're out because if you're flailing in incredible pain it's going to be tough to remove an infected portion of your intestine."

But let's move on from the surgery, shall we?

Finally! Jack and Kate boning! Thank Christ. It only took four seasons. But of course Jack can't be happy. I mean, Hurley's out of his mind, so why you're giving his whacky statements any weight is dumb. And then, you know, becoming all crazy-possessive-BF is not cool either. Jack, Jackie-Boy, WTF are you doing?

But I guess we know. My theory is that he's turning into his father. And by theory I mean: He's turning into his father. Jack just can't be happy, which is a bummer, because he really does look SO HAPPY with Kate and Aaron. 

But, thankfully, Claire disappears in this episode, so at least we got less of her than I expected. Maybe she won't ever show up again. Maybe the jungle ate her. Or maybe she was fired for being whiney and boring. 

And what's the deal with Sawyer? I want to see him play a vigilante in a movie, because he's got that crazy-earnest look in his eyes. "I will save Claire and her baby, even if that means cutting off Miles' balls." That is, of course, not a word-for-word quote.

More stuff with Jin and Sun, and a nice reversal from him being the one who couldn't understand, to being the one who understands it all. It also ties into Sun hiding her English from him and him not knowing. Charlotte tries to hide her Korean from them, and he finds out. Yay! You've come full circle. Too bad you either die or stay on the island.

I'll leave it with this question I'm wondering: Obviously, Kate wasn't cheating on Jack with Sawyer, because we find out pretty handily that Big Brother did not leave the Island. So what was it that Kate promised him to do, and why is she doing it? And why won't she tell Jack?!

"We probably shouldn't have eaten everyone on the island for food."

Seriously, it's like they're all teenagers.

Good episode, but, of course, a letdown after last-week's ridiculously chock-full-'o-action spot. Let's hope that next week we get more shit blowing up, more characters getting offed, and more Miles using his "powers."

(Thanks to Lostpedia for pictures)

-RoboNixon

With Special Guest Star Smokezilla

"The Shape of Things to Come"

Last night's episode of LOST, the first in five weeks, opened up a lot of doors. I'm not going to summarize the episode, so if you haven't seen it, stay back, and if you have, clicking on the above link might be a good idea.

Time Shit: The body of the Doctor from the freighter washes up on the shore, throat slit (bad-TV-make-up-style), even though the dudes on the freighter claim the doctor is A-OK on their end. So wtf does this mean? We know that the Island is not, shall we say, "temporally consistent." But we're lead to believe, earlier in the season, that the Island is behind in time, not ahead.

After the Commandoes cap Alex, RoboGirlfriend turned and asked, "Why did he do that?" The "that" being Ben not turning himself in to save her. And I replied, "Because Ben is the biggest coward there is." It's something we've seen again and again, and looking at Ben's actions through the prism of cowardice makes total sense. Locke can talk to Jacob? Gotta shoot him -- or else he'll take over! NOOOO. Gotta get Ben out of the hatch? Get Michael to cap bitches for him (bitches as in people who die like them, not that they happened to be women). And either confront his fears and sacrifice himself to save his daughter or--

BLAM. BRAIN'D!

I like that the question we've been pondering since the end of Sayid's last episode -- why did he become Ben's private assassin? -- was answered. Though the look on Ben's face as he turns from Sayid, just after having Sayid sign on, betrayed his plan all along -- Ben, even in flashforwards, is still going to play people.

Then there was the Smoke-monster freight-train. Perhaps the coolest thing we've seen in any episode of LOST, is how I prefaced it when I returned to my RoboApt. where RoboRoommate v.2 was watching the TiVo'd ep. To be fair, it is the coolest thing we've ever seen in an episode of LOST. Though, like anything else in the show, all it does is raise more questions. What is the smoke-monster, and how did Ben control it?

Let's talk about Tunisia a second, and also the unnecessary titles that accompanied locations in the fast forward. Ben's in a desert. We get it. Dudes who look middle-eastern or North African show up on horses. Cool. I think we get it that we're not on the Island anymore, Toto. We don't need you to tell us we're in the Sahara. One, it's totally bad-ass that Ben has a bad-guy weapon, his ROD-O-DOOM. He's wearing a Dharma jacket, which may be a mislead -- I don't think he has anything legit to do with the project -- but I think it's also OK to assume that he traveled there via a means he has little control over. There are theories on the series-of-tubes that wormholes (or something) on earth are the reason some crazy shit happens. Because we know that Ben did not get to the middle of the desert via a trip to Fiji and a plane ride to wherever. Also, time-travel again rears its ugly head. "2005...?" "Yes, 2005." More questions, more questions, more questions.

And finally, the big bad showdown between Widmore and Ben. It's set up that they can't kill each other. Weird. Why not? It's also set up that this is a power-struggle much larger than the Island. And that perhaps Widmore and Ben have a peculiar history...

Widmore: Everything you have you stole from me.

Whoops. But it looks like Ben has set his destination for a show-down with Desmond (assuming Desmond is alive in the future) over the fate of Widmore's daughter, Penny, who looks to be the recipient of sweet (if misplaced) revenge.

I would like to comment on the lighting and set design in this show-down scene. Ben is wearing BLACK, and is in shadow and dark light. Widmore is lit completely by his bed-side lamp, and is wearing light colors. Light and dark. Good and evil. A struggle larger than we can imagine.

Sounds kind of hokey to me.

RoboGirlfriend turned to me after this scene to add a nice observation. "The game of RISK Sawyer and Hurley were playing... it was a metaphor for Ben and Widmore." Yes. It seems like it was. But with RISK, we know what the two are playing for -- amusement. In the LOST world, the stakes between Widmore and Ben are unknown, as is the reason it exists.

Here's to hoping we find out soon.

Back towards the beginning of the ep. I like that some of the Survivors get capped like there's no tomorrow. Sawyer rushes to one of them, who then gets a line. RoboRoommate v.1 turned to me and went, "Who's that guy?" That Guy delivered another line then -- BLAMMO. Obviously the Survivors who went with Locke aren't too bright -- they hear gunshots and all come running out of the cabins... and into bullets. That Guy gets capped? Wow, Lame Extra has to run out and investigate. Oh no, Lame Extra was shot! Chick Extra needs to find out what happened to Lame Extra! Oh no, she hit a wall of bullets. Of course, OF COURSE, when trying to shoot Sawyer, the Commandoes immediately become shitty shots. I suppose you could say it's because they weren't trying to kill him, they were trying to "convince him" (with bullets) to turn Ben over. OK. Sure. Whatever. Lame.

Claire was definitely not in that cabin when it es'ploded. She must have been outside. Otherwise she is indestructible. I do not think she is indestructible. I am, in fact, hoping she is completely destructible. I'm over Claire. She whines. A LOT.

On a tangential side note, when are Jack and Kate just going to bone? I mean, obvi she's kind of tainted by the Sawyer-love she's been on the receiving end of, but they just need to do it and get over it. Frealz.

A good resource for those of you nerding out over the ep, I give the Lostpedia, and it's entry on last night's episode.

Here's looking forward to next week. Maybe we'll get some more s'plosions. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for answers. But I know, I know, that's hoping for too much.

-RoboNixon

LOST returns!

It was reported over at io9 (and first at Entertainment Weekly), but evidently Season 5 of LOST will be a major departure, not just from this season, but from the entire show so far.

...the two-hour season finale, airing May 29, will serve as a "pilot" for the show's fifth season... which will be much more slow-paced than season four has been. Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof are already warning that fans may find season five draggy and unnecessary filler on the way to the good stuff in season six.

At io9 they (rightfully so) question why the showrunners would make a statement like this. I mean, is season five going to be set in a hospital, and the Oceanic Six are all interns, with Jack as their dreamy supervisor? As long as there's no naval gazing, I'm in. Lindelof does add:

...season 5, it is the connective tissue that will bring us home.

I'm in it until the end. LOST, I wish I could quit you*.

-RoboNixon

*No I don't. I love it (only slightly less than BSG).