Entertainment
Beloved Star Trek Character’s Best Episode Secretly Ripped Off An Earlier Show
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
There’s an old, somewhat controversial statement about creative works often attributed to Pablo Picasso: “good artists copy, great artists steal.” The quote often ruffles the feathers of creative types because it seemingly glorifies the act of stealing from someone else’s ideas. However, the greatest sci-fi franchise ever created has been engaging in this practice for over 60 years.
The first Star Trek show was originally conceived of as “Wagon Train to the stars,” which meant it would take the style and sensibility of Western TV shows and adapt them to a sci-fi setting. Subsequent spinoffs adopted this same mentality and, inevitably enough, some of Trek’s best episodes ended up cannibalizing the best episodes of previous shows. For example, the writer of the fan-favorite Voyager episode “Projections” admitted that he created this seemingly original tale by mashing together two different episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
If You Glitch Him, Does He Not Bleed?
“Projections” is a Voyager episode with a very fascinating concept: after an attack on the ship, the holographic Doctor discovers that he is flesh and blood. As the episode unfolds, he starts to believe that he is actually a human being and that the rest of the crew are actually holograms. Thanks to a surprise appearance from minor TNG character Barclay, the Doctor is convinced he must destroy the ship in order to end the holographic program he is stuck inside. However, he realizes far too late that he is actually stuck on the holodeck, and listening to Barclay’s destructive orders will actually delete his own program.
This Voyager episode was written by Brannon Braga, the rockstar writer who helped transform The Next Generation into must-see TV. He was so well-versed in that earlier Star Trek show that he wasn’t afraid to borrow heavily from it when he was writing Voyager episodes. In an old interview with Star Trek Monthly, he admitted that the plot of “Projections” is a mashup of the plots from two very different THG episodes: “The Measure of a Man” and “Frame of Mind.”
Mixing And Matching Star Trek Stories
“The Measure of a Man” is, of course, the iconic TNG episode in which Lieutenant Commander Data had to prove in court that he was a sentient being rather than Starfleet property. Meanwhile, “Frame of Mind” (which Braga also wrote) has Riker trapped in an asylum after the completion of a recent covert mission. He has trouble telling what’s real and what is not, eventually discovering that he was captured by enemies during the mission, and all of the mind games he was experiencing were a side effect of these aliens probing his mind for Federation secrets.
How does combining the plots from these two TNG episodes add up to Voyager’s “Projections?” Like Data in “The Measure of a Man,” the Doctor must prove that he is exactly who and what he thinks he is. But there’s an interesting inversion here: the artificial Data had to prove he had the same rights as humans like Riker and Picard, whereas the Doctor had to prove that he was completely artificial and not a flesh-and-blood human being.
The Ultimate Story Synthesis
The parallels between “Projections” and “Frame of Mind” are even easier to see: in each episode, the primary character had to decide which version of reality was authentic. The Doctor had to figure out whether he was actually an Emergency Medical Hologram or Lewis Zimmerman, the human scientist who created the EMH in his image. Riker, meanwhile, had to figure out if he was actually the first officer of the Federation flagship Enterprise or a crazy man trapped within an alien asylum.
Brannon Braga was the first to admit that “Projections” wasn’t the most original story because it mashed up the stories from two earlier Next Generation episodes. Nonetheless, he managed to synthesize two older stories into something that felt both fresh and innovative. The result was an episode that has thrilled fans for decades due to its cool concept, vaulting ambition, and pitch-perfect acting.
Entertainment
Survivor 50 Star Predicted His MrBeast Moment Four Years Ago
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans made not only Survivor history but also some really great dramatic TV with its nefarious MrBeast appearance, which aired on April 29, 2026. Even the recap was an awesome mini-movie of the drama and conflict from the previous episode, in which Christian Hubicki was voted out.
Rick Devens, under fire after his and Christian’s fake idol antics, made an alliance with Emily Flippen, who is Kaos Kass 2.0 (referring to Kass McQuillen of Survivor: Cagayun and Survivor: Cambodia). What kind of craziness will ensue from a pairing like that? He also came clean to the tribe about the fake idol he used to bluff votes away from him and toward Christy and Coach at the pairs Tribal. This impressed Joe Hunter, who admitted out loud that was a good move.
Return Of The Survivor Auction
Then it’s time for an event, but it’s not a competition. It’s auction time! The show put a new twist on this classic Survivor challenge by making its theme Comfort or Chaos. That meant that some of the “winning” bids would lead to chaotic challenges that harken back to the days of eating gross foods like bugs and worms. Aubry Bracco, whose tagline this season has been “I’m a psycho!”, asked Jeff how many things were going up to auction, causing Jeff to quip, “Since when am I the giver of information?”
The first few items were comfort foods like French fries and milkshakes, but finally, Jeff put two items up, with the caveat that there was a catch to it. Comfort or chaos? Psycho Aubry lived up to her name by winning the bid. She practically enjoyed the grub she had to eat. It won her and Rizo Velovic chocolate chip cookies and milk to kill the taste of those yucky, meaty worms. Jonathan also had to eat a sea slug, and the shocked and disgusted look on his face upon the first bite was priceless, but he did it and won Ozzy fried chicken and mashed potatoes. He made up for it with a PBJ while poor Cirie Fields couldn’t hold her stomach.
Finally, at the end of the auction, came the momentous MrBeast appearance. He actually acted sort of like a person and less like Pinocchio before the Blue Fairy got hold of him; unleashing the fateful Beware advantage without telling anyone what it was. Suddenly, there was no more auction; it became an immunity challenge.
The Immunity Challenge On Not Crossbows
There were crossbows… wait, they were not crossbows, they were those curved rockers with the ball on top. Balance the ball on the rocker, and you win. The banter referred to “Survivor’s favorite news anchor, Rick Devens” as he tried to keep his balance in the challenge (Rizo: “Take that, Savannah Louie.” Well, she’s an ex-newscaster, so it’s okay, she’s still a Survivor favorite.). Jonathan Young did a ballerina dance when he fell off. Powerhouse Tiffany Ervin won.
Tiffany has been a sleeper with not many confessionals, but I think that is more because her domination has been in her athleticism and interactions with others, rather than in her private thoughts. People have complained Tiffany hasn’t gotten a lot of edits, and she was nearly invisible early game, but only because she has been flying under the radar until the Kamila vote, quietly attacking challenges with gusto and forging relationships that have kept the target off of her, even while her allies have been made Public Enemy Number One.
Chaos At Camp
Right now, though, Ozzy Lusth seemed like Public Enemy Number One. Jonathan tried to leverage him out with negotiations around camp, but told Devens, who told Emily. We all know how that can go already, but multiply it by the impish pair being a secret alliance. As they said, “We should not be allowed to play this game… Certainly not together!”
Stephenie got pushy in her part in it, and then transferred the attention to Cirie, since Ozzy has an idol. While this worked in Devens’ favor after his antics with the fake immunity idol, it was still chaotic as no plan survived the field of battle. And, oh yeah, did we forget that Aubry, the Psycho, is also aligned with Crazy Devens and Kaos Emily? Is this the Insanity Alliance?
Tribal Council Explodes In Accusations
Discussion during Tribal Council was explosive. Doing his best Emily imitation, Devens revealed that Steph had a steal-a-vote.
Truth bombs blew up in Tribal as Jonathan and Steph were called out for targeting Ozzy. Rizo showed off how smart and analytical he is, both reasons he got so far in both 49 and 50, by demanding of Steph that she own her actions when she denied having dropped people’s names, because it’s Survivor, and if you aren’t dropping a name to vote out, you’re not playing the game. This all took place with almost 30 minutes left to the episode, heralding the events that would follow and how complicated the game was about to become.
MrBeast Reveals His Beware Advantage
MrBeast returned and explained his Beware advantage: a coin flip, where heads would provide an immunity idol and double the jackpot while tails would send the “advantage holder” home. Crazy Devens took a big swing and took the challenge.
Once again, Pinocchio acted like a real boy as MrBeast was even more excited, having been a long-time fan. He came up with this challenge, and it made for some momentous television, especially since Devens knows how to make great TV from his off-Survivor career as a news anchor (“Take that, Savannah Louie.”).
Rick Devens Flips A Coin And Wins Big
Even the jury (Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Chrissy Hofbeck, Dee Valaderes, and Christian Hubicki) was eating popcorn like Michael Jackson watching Thriller, and to top it off, the coin took a suspenseful roll before it landed: heads. Devens wins. The entire competition has now doubled. As Rizo would say, “Cinema.”
To top it off, a Survivor fan shared an old tweet from Devens:
Well, Jack, MrBeast is about to change your life. Congratulations on a lifelong dream fulfilled.
The End Of Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick’s Survivor Run
With the stakes of the game now doubled for everyone and Devens in possession of a real immunity idol, Tribal Council immediately turned live as everyone scrambled to decide who to vote for. Stephenie’s name started blowing up as no one believed Jonathan had campaigned for Ozzy (despite him talking to all of them), so she played her steal-a-vote on Devens. Rizo even admitted that he had nothing to say when writing his vote, which, coming from this constant talker, only proves how shocking the coin flip was for the tribe.
The votes fell against Stephenie, with Aubry as the only other person to receive any, which was somewhat out of left field given the episode’s events and the targets of debate. In fact, the only votes that weren’t for Steph were from her own steal-a-vote.
MrBeast Delivered Big For Survivor
There was a lot of skepticism about the MrBeast episode. He is a personality that most people either love or hate, and I admit I’m in the latter camp. So when I say that this episode was not only compelling television thanks to his twist, that is a huge concession on my part.
As a long-time Survivor fan who hasn’t decided yet who my favorite player is in this gripping season, to have the stakes raised for some of the greatest returning personalities to be put together for the show since Heroes versus Villains only elevates this season for me. Sure, the advantages have been excessive and weird, and I am still never going to forgive Jimmy Fallon for his role in Christian’s elimination, but for drama and gameplay, this season has delivered on the promise that Survivor made to its fans when it introduced its first cutthroat season.
Catch up on all the action on Paramount Plus, which has every episode of every season of Survivor, and join the battle over the title of Sole Survivor on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST.
Entertainment
NASA video shows how much ground a Mars rover has covered, literally
When NASA makes a new timelapse video, it’s not for reminiscence or clout chasing on the Internet.
The U.S. space agency recently pulled together images from Curiosity, one of its two robotic rovers on Mars, for a scientific purpose. The two-minute video provides a quick succession of clips spanning six years of exploration at Gale Crater. Each image shows the rover ambling over crumbling lithic landscapes as it slowly climbs Mount Sharp, which rises three miles above the basin floor.
The montage isn’t just an intriguing look back on the mission, but a tool for the rover’s science team. Using views from Curiosity’s right navigation camera, mounted on its head, the researchers analyze the sand grains shifting on the rover’s deck.
You can watch the Martian dust churn in the rover’s treads in the Instagram post below. (The Lenny Kravitz soundtrack, though not for science, certainly adds to the appeal.)
“Distinguishing between sand jostled by each drive and wind gusts can provide new information about seasonal changes in the atmosphere,” the agency said.
Curiosity took these images between Jan. 2, 2020, and March 8, but the rover’s journey began long before that. After eight months and 352 million miles flying through space, the rover landed on Mars on Aug. 5, 2012. Its mission: Find out if this smaller neighboring world ever had conditions to support living creatures.
Mashable Light Speed
NASA’s question was answered rather quickly. Within a year, the rover had drilled a rock sample from a long-gone lakebed and confirmed the region had the right chemistry for habitation in its ancient past, as well as potential nutrients for microorganisms.
Since then, the rover has continued to study the alien environment using its internal chemistry lab. A recently published study revealed the rover detected 21 different organic molecules in a small rock sample, the largest set found on the Red Planet so far. Among the findings, Curiosity discovered preserved complex carbon material. Life could have produced them, though NASA can’t say for sure, as chemical reactions between water and rock could also create these molecules.
As scientists monitor the shifting sand for clues about Mars’ seasonal changes, engineers keep a close eye on how that dust and debris put wear and tear on the vehicle. Almost since the beginning of the journey, the team has noticed sharp rocks in the terrain ravaging Curiosity’s wheels, even causing punctures.
Before the rover’s sibling launched, NASA went back to the drawing board. Engineers built Perseverance with hardier wheels made from thicker aluminum. Each wheel is powered by its own motor and can turn in a full circle, allowing it to dodge and swerve around hazards more easily.
Engineers inspect damage to Curiosity’s wheels on Mars on April 18, 2016.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
But to help the elder rover, NASA has problem-solved alternative techniques, such as driving in reverse. Software engineers also provided upgrades that gave Curiosity’s team more control over individual wheel speeds to reduce the force of jagged rocky surfaces. Those efforts have kept the rover trucking, which has traveled 23 miles on Mars.
Wheel damage isn’t the only concern in the harsh conditions on Mars. Many a mission has succumbed to the effects of blustery Martian winds, which kick up dust that then settles on solar panels.
Such was the fate of Curiosity and Perseverance‘s predecessors, Spirit and Opportunity, who died from dust choking their vital power sources.
Entertainment
Smutty Netflix Movie Has Women Dating Hairy Beasts For Kink And Comedy
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
I’m married to an amazing gal with a passion for literature. Not just any literature, but romantic literature, often of the smutty variety. Through her, I discovered the Monster Romance genre, which is exactly what it sounds like.
Some women like to fantasize about bad boys; about hooking up with a monstrous man with the deliciously dangerous thought, “I can fix him.” Other women want to cut out the literal middle man and simply get with the monster. There’s now a growing number of monstrous erotica books and even films, including Guillermo del Toro’s hilariously horny Frankenstein.
When I first saw the trailer for Your Monster, I thought it was going to be a straightforward adult picture. You know: watching the cute gal from Scream (Melissa Barrera) get with a fuzzy hunk straight out of DeviantArt. To my surprise, though, this was less 50 Shades of Grey Fur and more like Black Swan meets Beauty and the Beast. One part romantic drama, one part psychological thriller, and one part creature feature comedy horror, Your Monster is one of the most original films of the last decade. If you want to experience the ultimate intersection of kink and comedy, you’re in luck: Your Monster is now streaming on Netflix.
Babes, Beasts, And Boinking
Your Monster is about an actor (played by Melissa Barrera) whose life is falling apart. Shortly after she is diagnosed with cancer, she is dumped by her playwright boyfriend (played by Edmund Donovan). Moving back into her childhood home, she discovers there is a literal Monster (played by Tommy Dewey) living in her old closet. The two form a bond that eventually turns romantic, but the sick actor is still pining for her old boyfriend and her old life. But when she discovers he is now directing the play she helped him develop and has given the role written for her to another woman, our protagonist’s entire life begins to unravel.
Despite what the title and even the cover of Your Monster imply, there isn’t that much explicit monster intimacy in this movie. Instead, the movie explores some crunchy philosophical questions, like “what does it mean to actually be a Monster?” The fuzzy guy in our hero’s closet is beastly on the inside, but he proves himself to be a well-spoken, highly cultured gentleman over time. Meanwhile, our protagonist’s former boyfriend has the face of a man, but he makes a number of decisions (like breaking up with his girlfriend after her cancer diagnosis and icing her out of the play she helped write) that are downright monstrous.
The Drama, The Trauma
The movie plays with this concept in different ways, all of which lead to a jaw-droppingly weird climax. Without spoiling the bonkers ending, I’ll just say that Your Monster increasingly explores the idea that people are not divided into a strict binary of, say, monstrousness and humanity. Everybody has both a noble spirit and an inner savage, constantly at war with one another for dominance. The movie’s thesis is that this is a form of psychological self-defense: if we aren’t willing to act like a monster towards those who hurt us, the film says, we will never escape the cycle of pain caused by our abusers.
Your Monster is a powerhouse creative effort from Caroline Lindy, who wrote and directed the film. Previously, she was mostly known for movie shorts, including provocative titles such as Aspirational Slut. Previously, she directed a short called Your Monster, and the film of the same name is a larger and more ambitious version of that same basic story. The 2024 Your Monster is Lindy’s feature film debut, and it’s very impressive: on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 79 percent critical score and an 85 percent critical score. With her ability to weave such an original concept into such a startlingly cohesive meditation on love and romance, Lindy clearly has an awesome career ahead of her.
Monstrous Chemistry
In addition to its rockstar director, Your Monster had a secret weapon: the chemistry between its two leads. Melissa Barerra and Tommy Dewey are incredibly believable as the world’s oddest couple: she’s all vulnerability masking intense inner strength, and he’s all soft boy support hidden behind a veneer of outward ferocity. Each of them wears a kind of mask when dealing with the rest of the world, and like in all great relationships, they are able to take the masks off when they are with each other. As an added bonus, each is a very funny actor, and the characters’ weird, dark humor forms the beating heart of the most unconventional relationship in cinematic history.
Thanks to the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy (looking at you, The Last Jedi), moviegoers are understandably worried when they hear how a film “subverts our expectations.” However, it’s true (all of it!): the best thing about Your Monster is how it subverts your every expectation for the better. I expected plenty of boinking beasties and instead got an emotional roller coaster of a film that made me laugh and cry, usually at the same time. All of this culminates in a shocking final scene that will haunt me (in the best possible ways) until the day I head towards that big cineplex in the sky.
Fortunately, you don’t have to head to the Cineplex to experience Your Monster. Heck, you don’t even need to head into your dusty childhood closet. All you have to do is stream it on Netflix to experience three different kinds of films (romance, horror, and comedy) jammed into one furry package. If nothing else, it’s worth watching this quirky episode to discover the definitive answer to TikTok’s most-debated topic: why women would rather be alone in the woods with a bear than a strange man. Why do they all “choose the bear?” Just watch Your Monster, and you’ll never ask again!
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Survivor 50 Star Predicted His MrBeast Moment Four Years Ago
