Doctor Who Christmas Special - The Christmas Invasion

Title: The Christmas Invasion

Broadcasting Station: BBC

Official Site

Synopsis: It's Christmas Eve, but this is to be a far from silent night - the cruel Sycorax have come to Earth to enslave mankind and, as ever, only The Doctor can stop them. Unfortunately, he's lying in a coma in Jackie's home...

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This special Christmas episode revolves around how Rose Tyler copes with the Post-Regeneration Doctor. Honestly? Most of the episode kinda sucks, as The Doctor is unconscious for most of the episode, during which time all Rose actually does is cry about how she is, and I quote, 'Useless' and how that's not 'Her Doctor.' Luckily, at the end, David Tennant (The Tenth Doctor) finally wakes up and shows why he was chosen for the role, quickly making an extremely fun and cool finale for the special. Unfortunately, this episode meant a whole lot of Jackie and Mickey, both of which are annoying at best. It's an okay episode, but not what I'd expect of Doctor Who.


STEPH SAID

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The Christmas Invasion is the first story with David Tennant as The Doctor. I was expecting an epic introduction of this new Doctor. I wanted to know how he is and if he will live up to Eccleston's Doctor. Unfortunately, this episode featured an unconscious Doctor for the better part of it. During the first half of the episode the Doctor is unconscious and lying around. Rose is the only one that could do something, yet she admits that without the Doctor she is useless.

After two thirds of the episode, the Doctor finally awakens. He makes some laugh-out-load funny comments and fights the leader of the Sycorax. That took about 15 minutes. Those 15 minutes were amazing. The new Doctor impressed me beyond measure. If he managed to be witty, intense, decisive and powerful in just 15 minutes, I couldn’t wait to see what he was going to do in 45-minute episodes.

Tennant was amazing and, at the end, that made the episode somewhat worthwhile. However, Tennant’s performance wasn’t enough to carry the whole episode.

Doctor Who (2005) - Series 1

Title: Doctor Who

Year: 2005

Broadcasting Station: BBC

Official Website

Official Synopsis: Meet the new Doctor and his companion Rose as, together, they set out across space and time in a series of exhilarating adventures and deadly confrontations...

Official Trailer

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I first met 'The Doctor' thanks to one of my best friends. After seeing the first episode, I was still skeptic. I gave it a shot, though, and went on watching it. Now I'm really happy I did. The Doctor is an endearing, quirky character that travels through time and space in a big blue box called TARDIS: Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Now, even though this is a sequel to the Classic Doctor Who, it did a good job in making a story that draws in newcomers, yet making it good for the fans of the Classic Doctor Who.

As a whole, this season (Or series, as it's called in the U.K.) is based around the Ninth Doctor and his companion (Which he meets in the first episode) and their journey through time and space. But, the reason I love this season so much is because of another character: Captain Jack Harkness. He appears halfway through the season, and it was an instant hit. The episode he first appears (Written by Moffat) in is epic, and he was just perfectly portrayed. Not only was he himself fun, but his attitude and demeanor around others made him cool and hilarious. Christopher Eccleston himself was also amazing. He managed to make me laugh with, and at, The Doctor, but gave me goose bumps at other times, all due to his amazing acting.

That said, I have to add that the first few episodes aren't very good compared to other episodes within the same season, and the ending itself leaves so much to be desired. Rose Tyler does basically nothing (As her actions in the finale aren't her own) and she seems to be more of a damsel in distress than an actual companion. Solid Doctor; Sad Ending; very good TV Series. If you like Sci-Fi or mysteries, then this series is for you. And, if you don't like these things, you should still give it a look!

STEPH SAID

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Truth be told, I did not like the pilot of this series at all. If it weren't because Ell had already seen many seasons of it and told me it was worth it, I wouldn't have given Doctor Who a chance to redeem itself. I'm so grateful I did. It is the greatest TV series I've ever seen and my favorite.

Doctor Who reintroduces an old and famous British character. He has been around since 1963, but only recently did he began to be known in America: The Doctor, a time-traveling alien. After about 40 years, Doctor Who was canceled due to low numbers; in 2005, it was picked up again. However, to be sure that it would be interesting to everybody, not just fans of the original series, the producers and writers gave it a spin. They made a reboot of the series, introduced whole new characters and stories, while maintaining the principal character. Exactly how? Spoilers! I can tell you this though: you don't need to know anything about the classic series to understand this reboot. Everyone is introduced, and everything is explained in due time. Don't think that if you have a question it means that you're missing something. That's just how Doctor Who works: lots of questions, lots of intrigue.

Now, back to this season. I didn't like the pilot because I found the bad guys - plastic window dummies- to be stupid. Yes, they had guns and were "deadly", but I still saw it as a joke. Nevertheless, I was very intrigued by this Doctor. Who is he? What's his name? Is it true what it's said about him in the pilot? Is he really a time-traveling alien? So I kept watching.

The series does gets better and after a few episodes you'll start to have a blast. My favorite episode of the season is "The Empty Child" by Steven Moffat. First of all, you have to take note of this writer, remember his name. The best Doctor Who episodes are written by him. Second, I love this episode because it introduces a new character: Capt. Jack Harkness. This character is wonderful, different and contagious. Not only that, but he comes to shake things up a bit, for better or for worse.

This season is not Doctor Who at its best. I have to admit that. However, I know it achieves greatness along the way. It is a great series with different topics and role models than those in American TV series. And, if you give it a chance, it will blow you away.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Book 3)

Title: The Last Straw

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year of Publication: 2009

Official Site

Synopsis: Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other "manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.

STEPH SAID

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There is not much to say about this book. It was better than the previous ones because it has a plot and a story arc. However, just like the other books of this series, it lacks depth, character development and engagement with the reader.

It didn’t produce any type of reaction in me; I wasn’t happy or mad, I didn’t feel better or worse after reading it. At least with the previous book I found them funny and thought they were an enjoyable light reading. With this book, on the other hand, I felt no such thing. It was like “I’m done? Oh ok.”

Fringe - Season 5

Title: Fringe

Broadcasting Station: Fox

Status: Ended

Creators: J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci


Official Site

Official Synopsis: The year is 2036. The Observers have become overlords on Earth. An underground resistance fights the opressors from the future, alongside the previously ambered Fringe Team. A series of Walter's videotapes guides Olivia, Peter, and their long-lost daughter Henrietta, towards an ultimate plan of defeating the invaders.

STEPH SAID

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A joke of a season, a complete waste of time and money, and a colossal, avoidable paradox. This sentence perfectly summarizes my feelings towards the last season of Fringe.

This season is set in a future where the Observers have invaded Earth and the original Fringe team is part of a resistance group. Walter, with the help of a man named Donald, created a secret plan to get rid of the Observers. But he forgot the plan and Donald was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, Walter recorded the plan in different tapes that where scattered across his lab at Harvard. This was supposed to be a super secret plan, yet the tapes were within anyone's grasp.

The writers of this series apparently didn't have much for this last season and decided to milk every moment they did have. Thus, each episode deals with a part of the plan; one tape per episode. In each episode the characters had to jump trough hoops to follow the clues and instructions and at the end they would have discovered just that one clue. It turn out to be rocks or an impossible equation etc. In other words: they would only find one part of the plan per episode and that was still nothing because they didn't know what to do with it.

Besides this, some unimportant subplots were introduced this season, either to add drama to the series or to be able to fill 13 episodes of approximately 45 minutes each. Peter converting into an Observer was pointless, and the resolution was unbelievable. Walter's double personality was unrealistic and unnecessary. But the one that took the cake was Etta's mini-story. She was only written so the protagonists could have someone trustworthy to show them the ropes in the future. She was mean, cruel, seemingly guilt-less, practically useless and utterly un-relatable. Thus, when she died, after only three episodes, I was completely unmoved. I understand her background and why she is how she is, it's not that. Maybe if she had stayed longer she could have grown on me. Then again, I guess it didn't help that not even her mother was exited to see her. That alone should tell you something.

On top of those things, the season ended with a huge, definitely avoidable paradox and with a bunch of questions left unanswered. To fulfill the plan, someone had to go to the future; Walter decided to do it. He goes to the future, solves the problem and the Observers never invade Earth. This resets the timeline and life continues its course as if the Observers had never invaded - rendering this whole season moot! This is not a paradox in itself; the paradox is that, even though the Observers never invade, Walter "stayed" in the future. Walter went to the future to stop the Observers' invasion, if the Observers never invade, why would Walter go to the future?

The writers' position was, from what I could gather, that Walter needed to stay in the future so the fix in the timeline could work. As if the fix would have been to close a door and Walter needed to make sure the door stayed closed. However, time travel doesn't work like that. When a timeline is reset you are supposed to go back to where you were and continue your life, not having any memory of the timeline that had just been erased.

Among the questions that were left unanswered are: what happened to Astrid in the end?; if Peter stayed "Over Here" it means that someone must have distracted Walternate while he was creating Peter's medicine, who was it?; what happened "Over There" after the Observers crossed? Did everything went back to normal?;  what did the apple, the hand and the other symbols mean?; did that scientist from the future created the new type of super-humans? If he did, what are they like? Are there any women?; what happened to the other Observers that were members of the group of 12 scientists?; and, exactly how and why was Peter important in the beginning? Why did September went to see the creation of the medicine? The universes originally were not supposed to collide (September once explained that his meddling was what brought the war between the universes), so, Peter wasn't needed to power the machine because there would be no need for the machine. He wasn't needed to take Walter out of St. Claire's, as was pointed out in the Amber universe when his timeline was erased. It wasn't because of Henrietta either because without her the plan worked out perfectly. So, why was Peter so important?

Besides these questions there is one that troubled me throughout the whole season: how did Peter managed to convince Olivia to give their baby girl such an unusual name? I know Olivia would have asked the reason behind Peter's choosing of that particular name - I don't think she came up with it herself- and she wouldn't be satisfied with a "Just 'cause." Yet, I bet he didn't say "Oh, Bolivia and I had a baby boy in the original timeline, she named him Henry but he no longer exists. So, in his honor I want to name our daughter Henrietta, that way every day that you call her name you can remember that time I cheated on you."

On the good side, I liked that September had a bigger role in this season, even if his last appearance left much to be desired. Also, I liked that we were able to see and understand the Observer kid. Actually, we were able to understand the Observers overall. That was nice. So, the good thing about this season is the "bad guys", how ironic.

Fringe - Season 4

Title: Fringe

Broadcasting Station: Fox

Status: Ended

Creators: J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci

Official Site

Official Synopsis: Explore a world without Peter, whose absence sent ripples through both universes. No longer at war, the worlds must now unite against a common enemy threatening to destroy them. Agent Dunham is joined by a new colleague, fighting together a whole new breed of menacing Shapeshifters. And behind every mystery, in the background of every case, the Observers are patiently watching and governing everything.

STEPH SAID

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This season broke with everything that Fringe stood for, every rule about time and space Walter had presented, and the story arc that was being developed from season one. 

At the end of season three both universes are connected by a bridge. During season four this is taken for granted – they start to collaborate with each other and travel between Universes – and the series start to focus on something else: Peter being erased from his timeline and the real motives behind David Robert Jones's experiments.

During season four it is explained that Peter’s timeline is erased because September didn’t saved him as a kid when he was drowning in Reiden Lake. According to Walter’s rule of time and space, and what we have seen during seasons two and three, this would mean a new set of different universes. Each decision creates at least two different universes: one in which you chose option A, and one in which you chose option B. When September chose option A (to save Peter), the Blue and Red universes were created; when September chose option B (to not save Peter), the Amber universes were created. However, the writers of this series broke with this rule. At first, Peter rightly thought he was in a different universe; an universe in which he didn’t exist. Nevertheless, after much struggle, September tells Peter that the Amber universe is Peter’s universe, with a different timeline. With this, the series writers merged two time related theories.

This is the problem when talking about time travel and parallel universes! People get confused and start mixing them up! “Each decision creates a different parallel universe” is a different theory from “each decision creates a different timeline within the same universe”.

Thanks to some Cortexiphan injections Olivia is able to "remember" the original timeline and, thus, remembers Peter. The others obviously don’t. 

When Peter’s matter is resolved the series’ focus shifts towards the real motive behind Jones’ experiments. Up to this point I thought Jones’ experiments were to find soldiers for the upcoming war between Universes. They weren’t. Maybe in the original universe that was his purpose but because this is a different universe the purpose has changed. Anyway, without spoiling the end, I can say that it was one of the weakest plot twists I’ve seen in a TV series. When it was presented in the series’ finale I thought it was either a joke or a device to deviate the viewer’s attention from the real motive. Unfortunately, it was neither. This real motive is presented and resolved in the season’s two-part finale which means it won’t be the topic of season five.

If this season had something good it was the interaction between the two universes. It was interesting to see each actor play two versions of the same character and how they make them different in some way. My highest praise goes to Jasika Nicole, who plays Astrid; she was exceptional. The moment in which the two Astrid meet is one of the most emotive of the season. 

I also liked that we get to see and know a bit more about the Observers. September’s involvement in Olivia and Peter’s life is more evident and direct, and the truth about the Observers is explained.

Overall, this season is good. It has many really good, interesting episodes. Moreover, if I think about this season as independent from the ones that preceded it, I have to say it was really good. Yet, it is completely dependant on previous seasons and therefore, I have to judge it like so. When there is a series that starts so well and so strong as Fringe, viewers should accept nothing but greatness. And even though this season was good, it wasn't as good as Fringe used to be. This season irrevocably lowered Fringe's standards and it's probably the reason why the series got low numbers and was canceled.

iPhone Apps - Manga Readers

iPhone Apps - Manga Readers

I decided to download some free manga readers to decide which one is the best. Most of them are not worth it, either because their database is too small or because they have ads right on top of the menu. I selected the top two because one has what the other one lacks and vice versa. From these, the one that’s best for you will depend on your internet connection and how fast you read.

Manga BDR Lite

iTunes Preview Page for the free version

iTunes Preview Page for the paid version

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

*You must be at least 17 years old to download this app.*

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This app has a built in browser in which you look for the manga online. It automatically opens in MangaFox, which has most mangas available. If the manga you want is not in that page you will have to look for the manga somewhere else. Once you find the manga you’re looking for, you add it to the reading queue and start downloading it. You can read in portrait and landscape mode. You can also export the chapters you have downloaded in .cbz format.

The problem is that with the free version you may only have five chapters per manga downloaded at any given time. If you have a constant internet connection, this shouldn't be a problem as you can download chapters one through five, read 1, delete it and put chapter six to download while reading chapter two, and so on.  However if you do not have a constant internet connection, then you may be left hanging.

If you really love mangas and are willing to spend some money, the paid version of this app is worth it. Besides being able to download as many chapters as you want, you can also import the mangas that you have in your computer.

Manga reader

View it on iTunes

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.3 or late

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This one is a manga database. They have many titles, including the most famous mangas right now, and are constantly updating them, adding new chapters. Once a new chapter of a manga you have marked as favorite is available, you receive a notification.

In this reader you may download as many chapters as you want from as many mangas as you want. The problem with this one is that you can only read in portrait position; no landscape. I'm kind of blind, so for me this means zooming in and out every page. It gets annoying because I have to zoom in to read the text, but then I have to zoom out to be able to look at the whole picture.

Also, the chapters you download are not organized. All of the chapters you download will be in a list in order of download. Meaning you could have many mixed mangas in the list. Thus, once you have downloaded the chapters you want to read, you will have to look for them in the downloads list. (If you have an Internet connection you may go to the manga’s page and open the chapter from there.)However, if you don’t have a constant connection, this is the best reader for you. As you can download the whole manga at once and, then, read it when you have the time.