Entertainment
Star Trek’s Biggest Actors Argued Whether Their Characters Were Secretly In Love
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Star Trek: Voyager wasn’t every fan’s cup of tea, especially if you preferred the darker, more serialized misadventures over on Deep Space Nine. However, Voyager did one thing arguably better than any Trek before or since: demonstrating just how weird exploring the galaxy can get. This is especially true in “Persistence of Vision,” an episode where the crew is forced to have increasingly bizarre hallucinations that cause some characters to reflect on the past. This includes Captain Janeway, who sees a vision of the husband that she left back in the Alpha Quadrant. Other characters hallucinate in different ways, including Chief Engineer B’elana Torres.
Normally, this hotheaded half-Klingon is all business, especially during an emergency. However, she ends up hallucinating a sexual fantasy involving Commander Chakotay, which many fans thought meant that she secretly had feelings for him. Incidentally, Chakotay actor Robert Beltran thought the same thing, and he imagined this episode might be setting up a relationship between their characters in later episodes. However, Torres actor Roxann Dawson pushed back against these claims, arguing there was simply no way that her character would fall in love with the ship’s first officer.
Breaching Her Warp Core
The premise of “Persistence of Vision” begins like many Star Trek: Voyager episodes: with the ship getting ready to make contact with an exotic race of aliens. The Botha are standoffish at first, but are willing to negotiate with Captain Janeway about safe passage through their little corner of the Delta Quadrant. Soon, crew members start seeing wild hallucinations and have no idea why this is happening. Eventually, it is revealed that these hallucinations are being caused by a telepathic Bothan. While everyone sees different things, B’elanna Torres gets an especially spicy fantasy involving Commander Chakotay.
Somewhat disappointingly, we find out that the Bothan caused all these chaotic hallucinations simply because he could. Janeway speculates that the alien might have done everyone a favor by forcing them to confront buried emotions. Because of this, Chakotay actor Robert Beltran believed that Torres must be secretly holding a candle for his own character. In an interview with The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, he said, “That was very interesting to me because it revealed in Torres how she might be feeling about Chakotay. This entity reveals all of our fantasies, and we got to see how she feels about him.”
Carrying A Torch Through The Delta Quadrant
In that same interview, Beltran speculated that his character might harbor secret feelings for Torres. “Maybe he’ll feel the same for her,” he said. “That’s not quite confirmed, but it’s possible, and it sets the stage for some further development of their relationship.” It’s a provocative idea, one that is even explored in Pathways, a Star Trek: Voyager book written by “Persistence of Vision” screenwriter Jeri Taylor. However, one person who has been fighting this interpretation from the very beginning is B’elanna Torres actor Roxann Dawson.
In an interview with Cinefantastique, Dawson said, “the strength of that alien, the way he could get to us as Humans, was that he understands the deep need…we all have to love and to be loved.” She believes that her character’s “trance” was not “a reflection of a direct attraction to Chakotay” but instead “a desire to give in to a side that she does not give into easily…I don’t think that necessarily means that he is always on her mind…it was more of a reflection of her need to please, to fulfill, all of these things are very real, very human.”
Red (Hot) Alert
In other words, since Torres is half-human, half-Klingon, the telepathic trance temporarily brought out human aspects (like being a lonely people pleaser) that she often tries to repress. In another interview with Star Trek Monthly, she opened up about how weird it would be for her character to love Chakotay, someone who is basically a surrogate father to her. “I see Chakotay as a combination of mentor and father figure for B’Elanna. She might have some romantic feelings towards him in a kind of Freudian sense, but I don’t see them getting together on any other level than as a mentor and pupil.”
This is one argument that Roxann Dawson ultimately won. There weren’t many sparks between B’elanna Torres and Commander Chakotay after this, and her character eventually ended up with Robert Duncan McNeil’s Tom Paris. Chakotay remained relatively unlucky in love, never hooking up with Captain Janeway despite lots of heavy-handed flirting. He finally hooked up with Seven of Nine in the last four episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, but they are apparently broken up by the time of Star Trek: Picard. That’s okay, though: Chakotay likely would have been just as checked out of any romantic relationship as Robert Beltran was checked out of his performance!
Entertainment
The Greatest TV Show Just Sold Out, And It May Ruin Everything
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
We’re still living in the Golden Age of Television, with new must-see shows popping up all the time. However, there’s one that has yet to be dethroned as arguably the greatest series ever made: Breaking Bad. Courtesy of showrunner Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad captivated the entire world with its tale of a cancer-ridden science teacher (Walter White) forced to sell meth in order to afford medical care. It soon went beyond this provocative premise with a tale about power, corruption, and redemption. Breaking Bad even became a cross-generational hit, appealing to Zoomers as much as it does to Millennials.
The Breaking Bad franchise continued with a movie focusing on Jesse Pinkman (El Camino) and a spinoff show about Walter’s hilariously shady lawyer (Better Call Saul). All were well-received, and the entire franchise is regarded as the standard of modern storytelling. Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite dramatic franchise just sold out. IMG Licensing and Sony Pictures Television have teamed up in order to develop an entire global licensing program dedicated to the Breaking Bad Universe.
He Is The One Who Snacks
According to The Hollywood Reporter, IMG and Sony are developing a Breaking Bad licensing program as part of a “multi-year collaboration” that “will deliver consumer products, brand partnerships and immersive fan experiences worldwide.” In conjunction with franchise creator Vince Gilligan, they hope to “identify strategic partners across key categories including premium apparel, collectibles, food and beverage, home decor, travel, publishing, and experiential activations.” The goal is simple: to appeal to existing Breaking Bad fans while bringing some new ones into the fold. What makes all of this notable is that this is “the first time Sony has appointed an external licensing agency to develop a global licensing program for the franchise.”
When I first heard this news, my heart sank a little bit. I’ve never had a problem with basic Breaking Bad merchandise; after all, as one of the most popular shows ever made, it was inevitable that the show would get its predictable bevy of t-shirts, action figures, and even blue rock candy made to look like Walter White’s signature brand of meth. However, I absolutely despised the 2023 Super Bowl commercial that brought Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul back together to sell Popcorners. It badly recreated memorable Breaking Bad scenes and ended with Cranston uttering the cringiest line of all: “I am the one who snacks.”
Breaking Bad: The Search For More Money
Maybe I’m just old and cranky, but I hated that commercial because it cheapened the entire Breaking Bad brand, all to sell some freakin’ potato chip alternative that nobody ever has or ever will actually care about. Now, that was the kind of weird stuff that was happening before executives started working with a global licensing program. Things have the potential to get a lot worse, like Star Wars-style Happy Meals, AI-powered parody commercials, reality shows, etc. Trust me: no matter how bad you think it will be, this is ultimately going to get much, much worse.
For example, I’ve got a bad feeling about those aforementioned “immersive experiences.” Are we going to get pop-up stands where you can lie down on a huge stack of fake money for a photo opportunity? Competitions where we see how well you can land an oversized pizza frisbee on top of a house? Maybe there will be an interactive game where you can attempt to save Hank from certain death. Could some of this be fun and memorable? Maybe. But all of it would serve to further dilute the IP, making Breaking Bad more like Star Wars. That is, nothing more than an excuse to sell as much merchandise as humanly possible.
As always, I could be wrong. Maybe we’ll get plenty of tasteful merch and genuinely awesome experiences, especially since Vince Gilligan is involved. But if this licensing program produces mostly crap, it will be the worst of both worlds, keeping Gilligan from meaningfully working on anything new while lowering our general opinion about his integrity as a creator. With that said, though, we can agree on one thing: all will be forgiven if they introduce Los Pollos Hermanos as a global brand selling fried chicken. Be sure to get a side order of blue meth for the most immersive experience of them all!
Entertainment
The Numbers Are In, And Supergirl’s Word Of Mouth Is Really, Really Bad
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Right now, Supergirl’s box office is looking pretty grim. Things seemed bad enough when the movie was projected to earn, domestically, between $45-$55 million in the first weekend, which was less than half of what Superman earned last year ($125 million). However, those projections just kept shrinking as we got closer to the film’s official release. Now, it looks like the film will earn more like $40 million domestically, with Toy Story 5 absolutely trouncing it at the box office. At this point, Supergirl’s only real shot at box office success is if it, like Obsession, gets great word-of-mouth to get more butts in seats in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately, it looks like that’s just not going to happen. According to PostTrak (which surveys moviegoers on how they felt about a film immediately after they leave the theater), only 52 percent of those who saw Supergirl would definitely recommend that others see it. This effectively compounds the bad box office problems: only a few people showed up to see this blockbuster film, and of the ones who did turn out, only about half said they would enthusiastically recommend it. In the short-term, this is bad for Supergirl; in the long run, though, this may spell disaster for the DCU.
Really Bad Word Of Mouth
Considering that it’s a blockbuster summer tentpole and the second film of the DCU, Supergirl’s box office is looking grim. The movie was basically dead on arrival, and everyone is now conducting an autopsy on exactly what went wrong. Much of that is up for debate: many blame writer Ana Nogueira, while others blame DC Studios CEO James Gunn, who hired Nogueira and championed her script as one of the best he has ever seen. Of course, many blame Craig Gillespie, the director who transformed a beloved, buzzworthy comic (Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow) into a largely bland and forgettable romp through space.
Whoever deserves the most blame, one thing’s for sure: Supergirl has failed to impress about half of those who saw it. According to PostTrak, men made up 59 percent of the movie’s audience, and only 45 percent would definitely recommend that others see it. Women made up 41 percent of the audience, and 62 percent of them would definitely recommend that others see it. Crunch those numbers, and you are left with only 52 percent of those surveyed saying they would enthusiastically recommend that others watch Supergirl.
It Gets Even Worse
Supergirl getting such poor word of mouth helps to partially explain why the movie’s opening weekend projections just keep lowering. In fact, some estimate that it may earn closer to $35 million domestically in its opening weekend. Believe it or not, though, things get even worse when you compare Supergirl to other tights-and-flights films. For example, it had a CinemaScore rating of B-, which may not sound that bad. But that’s a lower rating than The Flash, which is widely considered the movie that killed the DCEU. It’s a lower rating than The Marvels, which is the first MCU film to actually lose money.
Speaking of money, The Marvels earned $47 million domestically in its opening weekend, which is at least $7 million more than Supergirl will earn. Heck, even Morbius, the internet’s favorite punchline of a movie, earned $39.1 million, making (believe it or not) a profit; Supergirl will be a loss for the studio. To put this even more in perspective, this latest DCU film is doing badly enough at the box office that it may not even earn $200 million worldwide by the time it leaves theaters. Put another way, Spider-Man: Brand New Day may earn more in its opening weekend than Supergirl does in its entire run!
Obviously, all of this spells bad news for Supergirl. But it may spell even worse news for the DCU as a whole. That’s because, among other things, this bad box office and poor word-of-mouth prove that audiences won’t necessarily show up for feature films featuring relatively minor characters. That means we might get a correspondingly terrible box office for Clayface, the movie about a Batman villain that is inexplicably coming out before Batman makes his DCU debut.
Plus, Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira is going to be writing the scripts for both Wonder Woman and Teen Titans. Unlike Supergirl, these characters are absolute fan-favorites, and in the hands of the right writer, they could be runaway successes for the DCU. But if the scripts for those films end up being as mediocre as Supergirl’s, they may similarly implode. Should those films flop, they may cause some serious collateral damage. Namely, they may destroy this cinematic universe as surely as The Flash destroyed the DCU, leaving Marvel with no real rival as the MCU reboots its entire universe with Avengers: Secret Wars.
Entertainment
Classic '80s Show Featuring Beasts, Barbarians, And Babes Now Streaming For Free
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
Acclaimed author William Faulkner once wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Certainly, the last two decades of entertainment media have proven him correct. We’ve seen the return of numerous beloved ‘80s properties, including Transformers, Ghostbusters, G.I. Joe, and so many more. Because these revivals have been so hit-or-miss, it’s easy to worry when a new one gets announced. That’s how I felt when the Masters of the Universe movie was first announced. He-Man was my absolute favorite hero when I was growing up. Were they going to screw it up? My fears notwithstanding, I got more excited the closer we got to the movie’s premiere.
As it turns out, my faith was rewarded: the new Masters of the Universe was more exciting than most MCU and DCU films, offering an absolutely brilliant reboot of this killer IP. Of course, He-Man has been rebooted many times before, but this film put me in the mood to go right back to the cartoon that started it all. If you’d like to go on this “good journey” with me, you’re in luck: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is now streaming for free on Tubi!
He Has The Power
The premise of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is that the distant planet of Eternia is constantly being threatened by Skeletor, a demonic warrior with an army of evil allies. Fortunately, the planet has its protectors, including Man-At-Arms and his warrior daughter, Teela. One of those protectors is Adam, a prince with a fabulous secret: when he holds aloft his magical sword, he transforms into He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe! He is Skeletor’s greatest enemy, and he fights to save the rest of his kingdom from certain death.
In retrospect, the most notable thing about He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is how nonviolent the show really is. It was based on toys that encouraged epic battles by including special features like battle damage. But in the show, you never really see He-Man use his sword for anything but deflecting ranged attacks. With living creatures, our hero never used his sword or even his fist; he’d just throw them out of frame. If he did punch something, it was always a robot. While all of this can be goofy or even frustrating, it does make it that much easier to share with your own children.
Helter Skeletor
In He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the plot is a bit like the violence: borderline nonexistent. There’s not much complex lore here, and episodes are mostly a loose collection of Maguffins, toy cameos, and cheesy dialogue. Why, then, am I recommending that you revisit the cartoon? For one thing, because of the cheesy dialogue. Phrases like “I have the power” have entered our cultural lexicon as easily as Skeletor’s colorful ranting has become the source of countless memes. All of this adds up to B-movie perfection you’ll enjoy if you, like me, are a huge fan of ‘80s-style schlock.
Additionally, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is filled with iconic designs. Both the aforementioned Skeletor and Castle Grayskull are seriously spooky, and they speak to the emo goth kid within all of us. He-Man, in turn, remains the ultimate symbol of masculinity and strength for an entire generation. Oh, and Snake Mountain is the coolest evil lair ever put onscreen. All of these characters and locations help bring to life a world where sci-fi and fantasy collide. Like, be honest: where else are you going to find a barbarian riding a speeder bike to chase down a magician with no skin?
A Really Good Journey
If you’re in a properly nostalgic mood, you’re likely to find He-Man and the Masters of the Universe hilarious. You can’t really keep a straight face when Skeletor is blurting out lines like, “It’s the sorceress, you boob!” On top of the cheeseball dialogue and funny character antics (Cringer and Orko are always good for laughs), one of He-Man’s funniest aspects is the public service announcement at the end of each episode. As an old-school “what’s the moral of this story?” wrap-up, each message is throwback perfection. Plus, you’ll find some standouts that range from accidentally hilarious (He-Man conflating potions and drugs) to surprisingly horrific (Orko warning kids about weirdos touching them!).
While He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is great for anyone who loves vintage, animated schlock, it will appeal the most to anyone who played with He-Man toys growing up. Seriously, rewatching some of these episodes helped unlock absolutely wonderful memories from my childhood. The result is a very nurturing nostalgia that takes us back to a wonderfully simpler time. Good always triumphs over evil, might never makes right, and every struggle is just a lesson in disguise. In our own world of instability and outright chaos, this escape to a simpler time is practically an exercise in meditation.
Ready for a little peace of mind yourself? Don’t worry: you won’t have to storm Snake Mountain or learn how to fly a hoverbike. And you won’t have to match wits with Skeletor or unlock the power of a magic sword. All you have to do is grab your remote and stream He-Man and the Masters of the Universe for free on Tubi today. With the money you save, you can make like Prince Adam and pay for a gym membership. Don’t worry; I’m sure you’ll have his physique in no time!
The Greatest TV Show Just Sold Out, And It May Ruin Everything
Marlins rout Rockies with offensive explosion
