This week’s second bonus episode looks at the Doctor Who episode, the Devil’s Chord.
Simon and Eugene discuss a missed opportunity for a respectful pastiche of the Beatles, whether bi-generation will be reversed, and whether Ruby is an abominable snowman.
Bonus episode discussion this week is the first episode of the 2024 Doctor Who series, Space Babies, by Russell T. Davies.
Simon and Eugene discuss whether the best way to introduce the show to a new audience is a massive info dump, what Ron DeSantis would have thought of the episode, and whether it was written by ChatRTD.
This week’s episode under review: Bugs S03E10 – Renegades.
Simon and Eugene discuss whether this episode was always intended to be the finale of season 3, whether it’s another sequel to the Cybernauts, and Eugene gives us his interpretation of Australian Eric Idle.
This week’s episode under review is the eleventh episode of Space Above and Beyond, The River of Stars.
The River of Stars was written by Marilyn Osborn, was directed by Tucker Gates and first aired on December 17th, 1995.
Kenneth and Eugene act as pedants on both sides of the religious content, ponder whether West has faith or just an self-destructive obsession, and did God compensate for Wang’s incompetence with a spilled can of soda.
John and Eugene take a lot at two more episodes of Neo Ultra Q.
This week, they look at The Iron Shell – a story of natural disasters and scientific hubris that first aired on February 23, 2013, and then they look at Memories are Crossing the Planet – the story of alien reincarnation that reminds people used to think parkour was cool. Memories are Crossing the Planet first aired on March 3, 2013.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at the Bugs episode Happy Ever After. John Stroud directed this Series Three episode, which first aired on August 30, 1997.
They discuss marrying for love and marrying for control, the implications of a water grid and why this wasn’t explored in a show ostensibly about technology, and whether passion for cricket is the best reason not to go live in the United States.
This week John and Eugene look at two more episodes of Neo Ultra Q.
In the first episode, The Town That Doesn’t Speak, which originally aired February 9, 2013, the gang investigates the fate of a group of artificial humans, which prompts our podcasters to ask, “If you could perfectly read body language, would you appear psychic?”
The second episode in The Extremely Smelly Island. The plot revolves around a castaway on a deserted island discovering a very pungent kaiju.
This episode originally aired on February 16, 2013. Discussion topics include: “Can you milk kaiju snot?” and “Did our heroes have a three-way back at Emi’s apartment?”
Under review this week is series 3, episode 6 of Bugs, entitled “Fugitive.” Matthew Evans wrote this episode, which first aired on August 23, 1997.
Hosts Simon and Eugene discuss when giving our heroes vulnerabilities adds interest as opposed to destroying the character, how much the Sci-Fi and Tech dimension (or absence of it) matters to the mainstream audience, and how an episode titled “Fugitive” really ought to involve a lot more running away.
Fugitive Summary
In a high-stakes operation, Team Bugs pursues a seemingly ordinary gunrunner with unexpected twists. A mysterious CD-ROM becomes the center of attention, sparking conflict between the Bureau of Weapons Technology and the SSD. Ros faces suspicion, intensified by a relentless investigation and a mole hunt. A fake video and a stolen compact disc reveal the identity of the mole. Ros outsmarts her pursuers, ultimately uncovering the truth and preventing a major heist. As secrets unravel, relationships are tested, and a surprising proposal awaits at the end. The episode blends action, espionage, and personal drama, keeping viewers on the edge until the final moments.
“Outsmarts” and “keeping viewers on the edge” might be questionable choices of wording.
This week, our episodes under discussion are Space Above and Beyond numbers 8 and 9, the two-episode story Hostile Visit & Choice or Chance. These episodes were written by Payton Webb and Doc Johnson, respectively. They first aired on November 19th and 26th, 1995.
Hosts Kenneth and Eugene discuss if a second nail-clipping scene might have been included, whether Kylen was always green goo, whether her and West’s lack of chemistry was in the script or just on the screen, and whether the writers really understood Jimmy Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo.
Summary of Hostile Visit & Choice or Chance
[Mild spoilers]
The Saratoga faces a Chig attack, and the 58th salvage a Chig bomber. McQueen proposes a daring plan: use the Chig ship as a Trojan horse for a suicide mission to strike the enemy’s base. Despite opposition, McQueen persuades the Commodore. The 58th volunteers for the risky mission, leading to a failed attack and the destruction of the ship. However, they escape in an emergency pod, finding themselves on the Chig planet.
After a crash landing, McQueen and Tank escape the wreckage, but the rest of the gang is taken as prisoners to a Chig-run penal colony. Separated and facing various challenges, the team learns the AIs collaborate with the Chigs. McQueen signals the Saratoga, prompting a surprise rescue mission. Kylen offers West an escape plan, but suspicions arise. Tortured and manipulated, the team endures hardships. The Saratoga, aided by false information, launches a rescue while secrets unfold back on the ship.
This week Simon and Eugene are taking a special one-off look at The X-Files episode Die Hand Die Verletzt. This was the 14th episode of the second season of The X-Files and marks the departure of Glen Morgan and James Wong from the series. It first aired on January 27, 1995.
Simon and Eugene discuss romanticizing conspiracies and misinformation, implanted memories and satanic rituals, and which way water goes down the drain.
Trigger warning: Two atheists end up talking about religions.
This week’s episode under review is Doctor Who – The Church on Ruby Road, the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special written by Russell T Davies and directed by Mark Tonderai. Starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, this episode first aired on December 25, 2023.
Hosts Simon and Eugene discuss the musical conceit of characters producing rhymes out of nothing, Ncuti Gatwa’s performance, and the Doctor committing gobslaughter. They also speculate about Mrs Flood’s identity.
Summary of The Church on Ruby Road
Ruby Sunday, a foundling seeking her family, faces mysterious accidents orchestrated by mischievous creatures. A stranger named the Doctor aids her. On her 19th birthday, a foster baby arrives, coincidentally born on the same day. While caring for the baby, Ruby learns her family history search is futile. The creatures snatch the baby, leading Ruby and the Doctor on a rescue mission. Captured on a goblin ship, they escape, but normalcy eludes them. Goblins steal Ruby from her past, prompting the Doctor to intervene. In the end, Ruby discovers the TARDIS, beginning a new chapter in her extraordinary journey.