That’s right — we’re doing this again. Why? Because mind-bending, overly complicated blog posts are my reason for the season. So, put your mittens around your kittens and away we go!

On the twelfth day of spec fic, my nerd friend gave to me…

Eight-Hundred-and-Two Reboots…

Just kidding. I’m not starting this list at 802 — “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is long enough as it is. This is just a little joke for those who watch The Good Place. And if you aren’t watching it, stop reading this list…well, at the end. Read this list to the end, then go and watch some amazing TV.

Also, if you haven’t heard yet, it was recently renewed for a fourth season. Yes!

Eleven Daring Doctors…

Ah-ha! You were expecting an image of the official eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, weren’t you? Well, for the Doctor Who devotees, I think you’ll understand why there’s a picture of Donna Noble above. Donna Noble, aka my favorite companion of all time, aka DoctorDonna, is never really counted, but, without spoiling anything, she saves the universe. The whole universe! And that’s good enough for me to put her on the Doctor roster. (Yes, that means that, in my headcanon, there are two eleventh Doctors. Deal with it, my darling purists!)

Ten Types of Dragons…

Specifically in the Potterverse. They’re named in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:

• Romanian Longhorn
• Antipodean Opaleye
• Hebridean Black
• Swedish Short-Snout
• Chinese Fireball
• Ukrainian Ironbelly
• Hungarian Horntail
• Peruvian Vipertooth
• Common Welsh Green
• Norwegian Ridgeback

It’s rumored that there are more breeds mentioned in different sources, but I’m sticking with Newt Scamander’s original word on the subject.

By the way, are you playing Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery? It’s so much fun! I made my character a Slytherin and… You know what? If you are playing, let’s talk about it in the comments. Here, I’ll just say that it’s worth a download.

Nine-E Model BB (aka BB-9E)…

BB-8 — the new cutest droid in the Star Wars Universe (Sorry, R2-D2.) — now has an evil rival/counterpart in the form of BB-9E. Apparently referred to as “BB-H8” (BB-Hate) on the set of The Last Jedi, this new BB has a squared-off head, black plating, and sinister red sensors. It was created and programmed by the First Order, with the bad attitude to match. Not to mention, it’s a sneaky little bastard, ready to expose or thwart the Resistance at every possible chance.

If there isn’t a showdown between the beloved BB-8 and BB-9E, I’ll eat my hat. And given that it’s Star Wars, I think we know who’ll come out on top.

Eight Significant Cylons…

In Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009), there are thirteen cyborgs — or “skinjobs,” as opposed to the old-skool Centurions, aka “Toasters” — whose identities are revealed throughout the course of the series: the Significant Seven and the Final Five.

Wait. But that’s only twelve, right? Right. That’s because there’s an eighth Significant Cylon. He comes up in “No Exit,” easily one of the best, if not the best, episode of the series. His name is Daniel, and while he’s named and discussed by some of the other cylons, he’s never seen. And that’s because one of the other cylons became jealous of Daniel and corrupted his genetic code, preventing him from ever downloading into another body. Basically, this other cylon killed his otherwise immortal brother, creating a sort of Cain and Abel situation to fit into the wider, semi-Christian arcs of the later seasons.

Yeah, things got weird toward the end of BSG’s four-season run, but, unlike some others, for whom the finale apparently ruined the series, I think the show is still pretty damn great overall and well worth watching.

Seven Towering Tiers…

So, I haven’t seen Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines yet, but I have read the book. In the book, set in the very far future, London is a mobile city that roams around, literally devouring smaller towns and cities for supplies and scraps. Also, in the book, London has seven tremendous tiers, described as growing smaller and smaller as they go up, like the tiers of a cake.

Now, whether or not this detail makes the movie remains to be seen. But, the book is a fantastic read, and if the movie is even half as good as the source material, then we’re all in for one hell of a killer ride.

Six Heavy Hugos…

Yes, six is the number of Hugo Awards for which N.K. Jemisin has been nominated. But, wait…there’s more!

In 2016, Jemisin became the first African-American author to win the Hugo for Best Novel for The Fifth Season. In 2017, she won the same award for the sequel, The Obelisk Gate. And this year, The Stone Sky won her a third Hugo in the same category, making her the first author to win the Hugo for Best Novel three years in a row and the first author to win them for a complete series. (You can find Lane Robins’ excellent reviews of the books in the links.)

Go, Jemisin! Show those pitiful puppies what for!

Five Babylons…

Well, Babylon 5. Honestly, B5 has never been my cup of tea, meaning I haven’t watched much of it, but it seems logical that there would be four other Babylon stations before the fifth one. I mean, it’s not shaped like the Pentagon, right? I do know for a fact there were five seasons of the show, not counting any tie-ins or spin-offs. And I know that those who love B5, do so dearly. So, this one’s for you Babylon 5 fans.

May you live an elongated life and thrive. (What? I couldn’t find any B5 catchphrases! B5 fans, help me out here.)

Four Dragon Ages (I hope, I hope, I hope!)…

“I suspect you have questions…” #TheDreadWolfRises pic.twitter.com/oT7L6LOFKA

— BioWare (@bioware) December 7, 2018

Recently, at the 2018 Game Awards, BioWare released an AWESOME teaser for the hopefully upcoming Dragon Age 4. Why do I say hopefully? Well, since Electronic Arts acquired BioWare, results have been mostly about the bottom line. For example, when Mass Effect Andromeda didn’t perform as well as expected, EA dropped all DLC development for the game and closed BioWare’s Montreal office. Now, the scuttlebutt is that DA4’s future rests on the shoulders of Anthem, which is slated for release on February 22, 2019.

Long story short (TOO LATE!), if Anthem crashes and burns, sales- and player reception-wise, BioWare might fold in on itself like a flan in a cupboard, and Dragon Age 4 may never materialize. *sob* If worst comes to worst, and BioWare does fold, I suppose there’s a small chance that, Maker willing, another studio could step in to save the day (like Skybound Entertainment is doing for The Walking Dead: The Final Season after Telltale Games’ recent and abrupt demise), but all we can do for now is hope.

Oh, follow that Twitter link above and watch that teaser! There was much squeeing in my house when it finished. #TheDreadWolfRises

Three Charmed Sisters…

That’s right. The Power of Three is back! Admittedly, I was a bit meh about the first show (although, I have seen all the episodes), but I’m digging this one.

First of all, it’s much more diverse than the original series. In the original, just about everyone was white, cis-gendered, and straight. The only POC character I can remember is Darryl, and he was mostly there as a plot device. In the reboot, two of the sisters, Mel (above, on the right) and Maggie (on the left), are Latinx (also, Mel is gay and an outspoken feminist), and their half sister Macy (middle) is half-Latinx, half-black. There is the inclusion of Santeria into their magic, too, as well as a plethora of other diverse characters.

That said, their Whitelighter (the Charmed Ones magical sensei/minder) Harry is a white, straight, cis-gendered male, and the only Elder we’ve met so far is a white, straight, cis-gendered female. But this highlights my only real issue with the show thus far. In trying to appeal to the show’s original audience, this reboot is, at the moment, too closely adhering to the older series. I’m hopeful, though, that once the new Charmed has a chance to get its feet under it, it’ll continue to develop and grow beyond its successor.

Two Strange Lives…

I’ve discussed Life Is Strange and its prequel, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, elsewhere on this site, so I’ll keep things short here. LIS is about a young woman who returns to her hometown, rekindles her relationship with her former best friend, and finds out she can manipulate time. As one does.

It was developed by Dontnod Entertainment and released in five separate episodes over the course of 2015. As with so many games these days, your choices in the game had ramifications in the subsequent episodes, tailoring the story to the player. I mention this because, in addition to Before the Storm, Dontnod created a short, one-off episode of The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, which was released for free back in June, and Dontnod has said that decision made in that game will affect some aspects of Life Is Strange 2.

As for Life Is Strange 2, only the first episode has been released so far. In it, Sean Diaz is the main, playable character, and after his dad dies under weird, supernatural circumstances, Sean takes his little brother Daniel, and they hit the road, running away from Seattle for Puerto Lobos, Mexico.

After all the talk of game studios closing, you might be hesitant to get involved in an episodic game like this one, but Dontnod tells amazing stories, and there’s no more risk in starting a video game series than there is in starting a books series. Like George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. (Which, let’s be real, he’s never going to finish.) Live dangerously and jump in early with me.

And a named female lead in an MCU movie!

The Wasp! After only twenty movies, a woman finally gets to headline an Marvel Cinematic Universe film! Of course, she has to share that title with Ant-Man, but from what I’ve heard, Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp is basically the main character in the movie. Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man is there to provide a connection to the MCU and some eye candy. *drool*

I realize that MCU has given us Agent Carter (which I LOVED) and Jessica Jones (another meh for me), but those were on the small screen. TWENTY feature films and shared billing is far less exciting than, say, Wonder Woman or Wonder Woman 1984, release date on June 5, 2020. How about we step things up, MCU? I know we’re getting a Captain Marvel movie next year, but is that Black Widow movie ever gonna happen? For the record, DC’s not off the hook. They’ve just banked a little more capital with me for firing gross Brett Ratner (Thank you, Gal Gadot!), hiring Patty Jenkins, and bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen in the wonderful way they did.

And that’s your 12 Days of Spec Fic for 2018! It was a little more difficult this year, but I enjoy a challenge. Am I insane enough to attempt this again in 2019? Watch this space…