SciFi TV Rewatch

Black Bolt and Medusa rule over a secret Inhuman city on the Moon, but a NASA scientist's curiousity puts the group in jeopardy. After a military coup at the behest of Black Bolt's brother Maximus, most of the royal family escape to Earth.  Episode Grade: C

The Starfleet cruiser USS Shenzhou encounters a seemingly dormant Klingon ship, and one simple act opens the door for a potential interstellar war. For the first time since 2005, the Star Trek universe returns to the small screen as CBS hopes the iconic show will take its streaming service to the next level. Will Burnham's mutinous act come back to haunt her? Episode Grade: Dave B  Wayne A-

After disappearing for seven years, Prairie Johnson returns home with a troubling story and a desire to return to the man she loves. The eight episode Netflix original series follows Prairie, who now asks people to call her The OA, as the young woman assembles a group of five disperate individuals and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. In addition to explaining to her parents and those around her where she's been, the fact that the once blind girl now can see only adds to the enigma surrounding her. Episode Grade: Dave A Wayne B

Cancelled after two seasons and 23 episodes, this Netflix series benefitted from fan outcry over social media and was awarded a two hour movie to enable the show's creators to tie up loose ends and provide suitable resolution. Created by the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, Sense8 tells the tale of eight individuals scattered across the globe as they discover they possess a psychic connection to each other even though they've never met. Genre television fans will certainly recognize Brian J. Smith (Stargate Universe), Freema Agyemen (Doctor Who), and Naveen Andrews (Lost) as key figures in the opening episode. Episode Grade: A

Buffy the Vampire Slayer marks the beginning of Joss Whedon's storied career as one of television's most iconic characters embarks on the classic hero's journey. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) teams up with two friends and the school's librarian to prevent The Master from escaping his bonds and wreaking havoc on Earth, and the quest to rid Sunnydale of all manner of demonic individuals begins. Episode Grade: A

When the Fox executives found Joss Whedon's original pilot lacking, it was back to the drawing board. And while it's not difficult to understand in retrospect why they didn't approve, there are some redeeming qualities and interesting scenes. Of course, some of the footage found its way into "Epitaph One." We also discuss the season finales of Game of Thrones and The Defenders. Episode Grade: Dave C  Wayne C-  

"Kids playing with matches, and they burned down the house." In an abrupt paradigm shift, the story of the Dollhouse moves to 2019 after its technology has shattered society's fabric and brought on an apocalypse of biblical proportions. As a small band of survivors navigates the dystopic future landscape, they stumble upon the Dollhouse as they search for Safe Haven, which to them may simply be an urban myth. Juxtaposed against this story, we see, through a series of flashbacks, how the Dollhouse fell and the impact science run unchecked has on the perpetrators as well as the innocents. Episode Grade: A+

Even though a thirteenth episode appears on the DVD set, "Omega" was the final season one episode to air on Fox. Ballard unwittingly brings Alpha back into the Dollhouse giving the renegade active exactly what he wanted: Echo. A number of truths are revealed including Dr. Saunders' back story and the fact that the Dollhouse enlisted convicted criminals to be part of their early trials. Regardless, while Echo returns safely, Alpha remains at large waiting to wreak havoc once again. Episode Grade: A

The tale of Sleeping Beauty provides the basis for the season one penultimate episode as heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Echo's engagement centers on her attempt to help a young girl overcome emotional trauma, and Paul Ballard finally finds his holy grail. Alan Tudyk's Alpha immediately sends the narrative in a frightening direction. Episode Grade: A

In order to solve a close friend's murder, Adele DeWitt has Topher bring the woman back from the dead and place her consciousness in Echo's body. Boyd is bothered by the moral and ethical ramifications of providing life after death and sees this as "the beginning of the end." The physical and emotional toll that working at the Dollhouse takes on the staff are explored through Topher's "diagnostic" with Sierra. Episode Grade: A

Topher discovers that someone has been tampering with his imprints, and Mellie delivers Paul Ballard news that he's longed to hear. A while there is a spy within the Dollhouse's walls, it's the reveal of Laurence Dominic's true purpose that stands as a real game changer. How will Boyd handle his new responsibilities, and is Adele DeWitt really finished with her secret lover? Episode Grade: A-

Adele DeWitt takes a risk running an experiment to see what Echo and her followers might be capable of doing with a bit more awareness. Is she afraid Echo might turn out to be another Alpha, or does she suspect something even more insidious? We learn some key details of Mellie/November's life before the Dollhouse and begin to understand what life events led some of the actives to sign over five years of their lives. Episode Grade: A

Caroline Farrell's backstory and the events that led her to the Dollhouse comprise the bulk of this episode. This week's engagement provides a bit of a twist as the actives take control which even includes Mr. Dominic who experiences a brief lapse of judgement as the result of the experimental drug at the heart of the story. Will the Rossum Corporation continue to play a role as season one progresses? Episode Grade: Dave A+  Wayne A

In this episode penned by Joss Whedon, we move away from the standard engagement-of-the-week approach and examine some of the moral and ethical issues related to the Dollhouse. While it's been common knowledge that the dolls are routinely sent out on sexually explicit engagements, the physical and emotional abuse taking place within its own walls becomes painfully clear. Agent Ballard takes his relationship with Mellie to the next level, but we also learn a startling fact about his lasagna making neighbor. And it's always great to feature Patton Oswalt. Episode Grade: Dave A+  Wayne A

The season's fifth episode brings to light the far reaching impact the Dollhouse wields as a United States senator and the ATF enlist Adele DeWitt's help in bringing to justice the head of a religious cult. Sending in Echo as a blind woman drawn to the cult's leader, she provides the government eyes inside the compound and information that leads to a search warrant. Of course, things don't go smoothly, and we see that Topher's mind wipes may not be as complete as he contends. Episode Grade: Dave B+  Wayne B