They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, a weekly column where we gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we’re all about great new video games (both handheld and console), an exciting new episode of The Flash, and a forthcoming Netflix series that looks to remake a sci-fi classic. Read on for more.
Lisa’s Favorite Thing is… Pokemon Sun and Moon!
Two weeks ago the latest Pokemon game came out for the Nintendo 3DS. I’m a big Pokemon fan; I’m of the generation that was a kid when the TV show came out in North America. I’ve been playing since the very beginning with Pokemon Red. Pokemon Moon (this is the version I got) moves away from top-down style play to full 3D which makes the battles all the more awesome. I can’t believe how far this franchise has come and now I can finally play and personalize my character!
Traditionally I have always picked the fire type starter Pokemon (Charmander, anyone?) but this time I deviated and went with the Grass type Rowlett because he is just so cute! I’m about halfway through the game now and I’ve been spending my time filling my Pokedex and breeding as many Pokemon as I can. This game has really great features for trading: GTS trade, where you can offer up one of your Pokemon in return for a specific one you need; or Wonder Trade, where you pick one of your Pokemon and send them out and the game matches you with a random person and gives you theirs. It’s a gamble but a fun way to send out your duplicates.
I highly recommend this game and if you’re a Pokemon Go player but never played the original series, give this a try!
Keyes’s Favorite Thing is… The Party of Final Fantasy XV
I’m a big fan of female representation in my video game player-character casts. In fact, if you check back later this month, I’ll be talking about that in some length. So I was disappointed when it was announced some time ago that the party of Final Fantasy XV would be all male (though my disappointment was tempered somewhat by the fact that Final Fantasy, as a series, usually has several female party members on offer and has featured female leads or arguable leads on many occasions). I’m about six hours in at this point, and I must admit that the party has quite won me over. Noctis, our male lead, is thus far relatively boring aside from an obsession with fishing, but his retinue/battle bros Ignus, Gladiolus, and Prompto are quite a delight to listening in on as we traverse the great fields of Eos in our rocking car. This a particular blessing given that the lack of sharp color contrast on the mini-map is currently getting me lost on a regular basis. Ah well. If you are listening, Square, for the love of all that’s Holy, do something about that the fact that the mining spot marker is just about the same color as the rocks.
Also, I want a carbuncle. As a pet. Right now. Somebody make that happen.
Nancy’s Favorite thing is… “Killer Frost”
As much as I enjoy the TV shows that make up the Arrowverse, there’s no denying that they struggle when it comes to handling their ensemble casts. Certain side characters always feel underused. On The Flash, one of those characters is Caitlin Snow. She contributes her medical know-how to Team Flash, but the writers seem unsure of what to do with her beyond that. As a result, she’s just shoved off into doomed romantic relationships that really don’t do much for her as a character (Ray Palmer of Legends of Tomorrow could relate).
Enter Killer Frost.
While Killer Frost (the ice-powered alternate reality version of Caitlin from Earth Two) was a delightful diversion last season, season three steps it up with the aptly titled “Killer Frost” episode. This time around, our version of Caitlin has started to develop powers. And unlike Cisco’s “vibe” powers, Caitlin’s come with a much bigger price. She doesn’t just get cool ice powers, but the cold, cruel personality that comes along with it. Caitlin resists using her powers, until she has no choice, then Killer Frost’s personality starts to take over.
Suddenly, sweet Caitlin isn’t so sweet anymore. She’s cruel and manipulative, torturing bad guys and tearing her friends apart emotionally. Cailtin’s new personality not only provides a real challenge for Team Flash, but allows actress Danielle Panabaker to deliver a dynamic performance. By the end of the episode, she, with the help of Barry, has managed to beat back the demon inside of her, but there’s always the chance that Killer Frost might come back.
It was incredibly satisfying to see a character like Caitlin get a chance to shine. I just hope, as the season plunges forward, that the writers don’t forget about her again.
Sharon’s Favorite Thing is… Lost in Space!
There is no subject more likely to rile a roomful of geeks than the question of whether a beloved show or movie needs to be — or even should be — remade. And nothing we’re more willing to fight about than whether that remake was any good.
And so it is with great trepidation and perhaps irrational hope that I await Netflix’s 2017 remake of Irwin Allen’s twisted 60’s television classic, Lost in Space. (The William Hurt-led 1998 movie version? We shall not speak of it.)
Lost in Space debuted in 1965 — a year before Star Trek. Irwin Allen pitched the idea to studio execs as “The Swiss Family Robinson in Space.” I’m sure it started as a wholesome idea — a family of space travelers gets thrown off course and is forced to work together and fend for themselves. The pilot, initially devoid of the show’s creepy saboteur stowaway Dr. Smith, must have looked like good clean family fun. What it became? One of the weirdest, darkest contributions to children’s television EVER. Irwin had no qualms about offering up horror plots to kids, and even less concern about hinting that the most dangerous thing in the universe is probably that creepy guy no one has the balls to maroon on a planet.
This reboot’s creepy guy is no guy at all. In pure casting genius, Parker Posey takes the role of the conniving Dr. Smith. Toby Stephens, fresh off the final season of Black Sails, steps into the shoes of Professor Robinson, and House of Cards’ Molly Parker plays Maureen Robinson, plucky Space-Mom.
Will the new series capture any of the disturbing weirdness of the original? We’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, gorge free episodes on Hulu or rent all four seasons on Amazon or iTunes.
Any thoughts on the selections above? Let us know in the comments!
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