Axiom’s Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy

Short reviews/comments on select episodes from this past week’s Science Fiction and Fantasy television offerings.

By John J. Joex

(THESE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS)

Lost (“Follow the Leader”) – In the past, Jack is determined to carry out Faraday’s plan to explode the hydrogen bomb and destroy the island and hopefully change the sequence of events that brought him and the others to the island in the first place. Meanwhile, in the present, Locke has plans that involve The Others and killing the mysterious Jacob. And this time around they finally really annoyed me with their time travel stuff. The part where Locke, Richard, and Ben go to where Locke was previously shot so that Locke can tell Richard to do what we had previously seen him do to help him with his injury (yes, it’s as confusing as it sounds) just pushed my time travel endurance to its limits. So basically, what happened there only happened because Locke knew it would happen and told Richard to do what Locke knew he should do (my brain is really starting to hurt). These are the sort of conundrums that we often see in Science Fiction television and movies that just drive me crazy. They stretch the credibility for a show that has worked hard so far to suggest there really are rules governing this whole time travel thing. And this just verges on contrivance. The only potential out that the writers gave themselves was Locke’s comment that the Island told him to do this. The season finale comes this week and hopefully it will bring with it the end to this whole time travel story line.

Dollhouse (“Omega”) – In the previous episode, Ballard unknowingly helped Alpha infiltrate the Dollhouse. Now the rogue active apprehends Echo and plans to make her like him by implanting all of her previous imprints into her brain at the same time. Ballard then teams with Langton to get her back. This episode was actually not as strong as several of the ones that preceded it, but it had its moments. It was good to see Alan Tudyk back aboard a Joss Whedon production and you know that he was channeling Woody Harrelson’s performance as Micky Knox from Natural Born Killers into his role as Alpha. This episode gives us some answers about Alpha and the Dollhouse and appears to resolve the storyline of Ballard hunting the Dollhouse. He seemed to agree to work with the organization he previously crusaded against a bit too easily, but he may have been doing so with ulterior motives. The episode gave us an acceptable wrap up to the season, but not a satisfying series finale which it almost certainly will be based on the finale’s ratings.

Supernatural (“When the Levee Breaks”) – Dean and Bobby decide that Sam has gone too far with his addiction to demon blood and create their own detox program by locking him up. Then Bobby starts to second guess their decision and wonders if it would be better to have Sam at full strength, despite the consequences, in order to defeat Lilith and avert the apocalypse. And apparently Castiel is on the same wavelength as he unlocks the cell while Dean and Bobby are sleeping and Sam escapes. This episode brings to a head the storyline about Sam’s thirst for demon blood and sets the stage for the season finale which will come this week. Considering how the previous three seasons ended, I’m sure they have something big in store for, though hopefully it does not involve one of the brothers dying or promising away their lives again as that act has gotten a bit old. If they just keep the whole story moving forward, I will be happy.

Krod Mandoon (“Thrilla in the Villa”) – This Comedy Central entry ends its six episode run on a pretty bad note. It won’t go into too much detail, but basically Krod and his men are transformed into dogs to spy on Grimshank and decide they like this change because they can lick themselves. Okay, that probably was too much detail. The show had a few moments where it delivered the laughs across its six episodes, but far too many more that made you want to cringe and/or just shake your head and wonder what they were thinking. It started out leaning toward good Mel Brooks but ended up leaning way too far in the direction of bad Mel Brooks. I’m not too sure how this one did in the ratings because I didn’t see too much information about it. So I’m not sure if Comedy Central plans on bringing it back for more episodes or not, and I’m not sure I care.

Previous Column:

April 29th – Heroes and Chuck Go Out on a Good Note, but What is Supernatural Trying to Pull Over on Us?

Read Full Episode Recaps at

Zap 2 It’s – It Happened Last Night

Have an idea for an article or review relating to the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre?  We are accepting contributions so write it down and send it to us at mail@axiomsedge-scifi.com.  (See our Submissions Guidelines)