Friday, March 21, 2025

Star Trek: Resistance

Episode: "Resistance"
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Season 2, Episode 12
Original Air Date: November 27, 1995

via Memory Alpha

An away team is sent to find and buy much needed tellerium.  All goes horribly wrong.  Torres and Tuvok are arrested by the oppressive Mokra Order.  Janeway manages to get away with the help of a mysterious friend, Caylem.  Actually, Caylem mistakenly believes Janeway is his own long-lost daughter.  Together, Janeway and Caylem hatch a plan to break our heroes out of prison.

I think "Resistance" is the strongest second season episode so far and it's all thanks to Caylem, played by the inimitable Joel Grey (more on him in a bit).  His story is heartbreaking, and probably all too real for people living under oppressive regimes.  Janeway clearly feels deep sympathy for him and also genuine regret she can't do more to help.

It's a good episode for the Torres/Tuvok relationship, too.  The two see the world in different lights but they also respect each other, and care for each other.  The current dilemma is a meaningful test of limits for both.  How far can you push a Vulcan before he breaks?


Acting Notes

via Muppet Wiki

Joel Grey was born Joel David Katz in Cleveland, April 11, 1932.  Unlike many I've featured in this space, Grey never went to college.  He started his career at age 10 at the Cleveland Play House and never looked back.  

No Broadway star shines brighter than Joel Grey.  In 1966, he won the role of a lifetime: Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret.  The part won him a Tony on stage and an Oscar on screen.  


He was nominated for further acting Tonys for George M!, Goodtime Charley and The Grand Tour plus one as director for The Normal Heart.  He was the original Wizard of Oz in Wicked.  He's done pretty well on screens both large and small.  Most importantly to me, he hosted The Muppet Show, first season, fifth episode.  

I welcome any excuse to post the following scene: "Sunday" from Tick Tick Boom, featuring Grey in its Broadway legend cast.  


Grey received a Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Award at the Tonys in 2023.  On top of everything else, he's a famous father.  His daughter Jennifer starred in Dirty Dancing.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

On the Road: 2025 Spring Bulb Show

The Botanic Garden of Smith College held its annual spring bulb show this past weekend.

Some photos:





A couple highlights from the other greenhouses:

Maranta leuconeura

Anthurium scherzerianum

Unlike the Mum Show in the fall, the Bulb Show is non-competitive so no voting this time.  For the record, my favorite for the Mum Show, #86, actually won!  Congratulations to Lily Garcia, Smith class of 2024.  Also unlike the Mum Show, the Bulb Show will continue to be held in future years.

Friday, March 14, 2025

Star Trek: The Sword of Kahless

Episode: "The Sword of Kahless"
Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Season 4, Episode 9
Original Air Date: November 20, 1995

via Wikipedia

Legendary Klingon warrior Kor arrives at the station.  After regaling Quark's patrons with tales of past glories, he invites Dax and Worf to join him on a quest for the Sword of Kahless, a long-lost Klingon artifact.  The story is probably the closest Star Trek ever got to Indiana Jones.  

This was the first DS9 episode to feature Worf as the lead character.  Not long before watching this, the Purple Penguin asked me how I felt about NextGen Worf vs. DS9 Worf.  In truth, I see them as the same character with a broadened story.  He was brought onto the new series in hopes of improving Nielsen ratings and unfortunately, it didn't work.  Viewership for all Trek series steadily declined over the 11 years following TNG's finale.  However, popularity doesn't necessarily reflect quality.  Critical ratings for DS9 consistently improved over time.

As I outlined in my post for the Season 4 premier, I think Worf's return brought all kinds of good to the series, allowing meaningful expansion for Dax and Odo in particular.  By the end of NextGen, Worf's exploration of his Klingon heritage had in many ways just begun.  In DS9, he has opportunities to go a lot deeper and it all begins with "The Sword of Kahless."  

Fortunately for all of us, we get one more Kor episode in Season 7.


Acting Notes

via Ice Age Wiki

Rick Pasqualone played the role of Toral, son of Duras, who tried to get to the sword before our friends in hopes of using it to stake his own claim to rule the Klingon Empire.  Pasqualone was the second actor to play Toral.  J.D. Cullum played the part in two NextGen episodes.

Pasqualone was born in Albertson, New York, March 30, 1966.  He has also made guest appearances on Friends, NYPD Blue and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation among others.  Films include Alpha Mail, Greenland and Mank.  

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Squid Flicks: 12th Fail

Title: 12th Fail
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Original Release: October 27, 2023
My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Original book cover via Amazon

Manoj Kumar Sharma (Vikrant Massey) wants to be a police officer.  In order to get the job he wants - Indian Police Service (IPS) officer - he has to pass the civil service exam.  In fact, that's just the first hurdle.  The deck is stacked against him.  He grew up in poverty, then failed his Class 12 exams when his entire batch (class) was caught cheating with their teachers' assistance.  Based on a true story - and Anurag Pathak's book of the same title - the film follows all of his adventures and misadventures in pursuing his dream.  

12th Fail was a surprise commercial and critical success, earning more than triple its budget at the box office and winning five categories at the Filmfare Awards, the Hindi-language Oscars, including Best Film.  It's easy to root for Manoj.  Beyond the obvious underdog appeal, he strives to follow the example of his own father and also DSP Singh, two men determined to call out the prevalent corruption in Indian society.  Plus, he falls in love with Shraddha, a fellow civil service candidate.  So we get a romance to root for, too.  Massey's disarming smile doesn't hurt either.

The story is undeniably predictable - an inspiring civil service exam movie - but also undeniably charming.  From my under-informed outsider perspective, the social commentary is poignant if a bit heavy-handed.  Indian critics praised the film as a glimpse of reality for the hardships civil service candidates must endure.  I found it to be solid all-around.  Acting, writing and visuals were all strong.  Good pacing, too - a 2 1/2-hour film didn't seem it.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Star Trek: Maneuvers

Episode: "Maneuvers"
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Season 2, Episode 11
Original Air Date: November 20, 1995

via Memory Alpha

Seska is back.  She and her current Kazon biker gang entourage steal transport technology from Voyager.  An embarrassed Chakotay, in defiance of orders, sets off on his own to get it back.  Understandably, Janeway is furious, especially considering the fact she must now also try to rescue her insubordinate officer.  Torres urges her to exercise compassion when/if they get Chakotay back.

For me, this is much more satisfying Chakotay development than we got a couple episodes ago.  We see pride, shame, courage, impulsiveness, resourcefulness.  Now that's a well-rounded, interesting character.  Let's build on that.

Seska's a satisfying foil, too.  There are strong Lady Macbeth vibes in her relationship with her Kazon lover Culluh.  For what it's worth, I don't buy Torres's suggestion that Chakotay is/was in love with Seska.  That's not the vibe I got when Seska was still in the fold.  Maybe uncomfortable with how vulnerable his sexual relationship with Seska made him.  But that's not the same as "in love."  And yes, the difference matters.


Acting Notes

via Logan's Run Wiki

Anthony De Longis played the role of Culluh.  He was born in Glendale, California, March 23, 1950.  He went to Cal State-Northridge for college.  "Maneuvers" is his second of six appearances as Culluh.

De Longis is an expert swordsman, a highly valued skill on both stage and screen.  In fact, his fight choreography resume is more impressive than his on-screen work.  He provided whip training for Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and for Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns.  Television appearances include Highlander: The Series, Days of Our Lives and MacGyver.  Films include Fearless, Masters of the Universe and Road House.  

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

On the Road: Spain and Morocco


Once upon a time in a college music class - over 30 years ago now - a classmate brought photo slides to share from her study abroad travels in Spain.  This marvelous woman - whose name I have long forgotten - provided my first glimpses of the Alhambra and the Mezquita, magnificent architectural relics of Spain's Muslim past.  Ever since that day, visiting Andalusia has been at or near the top of my travel wish list.  For my wife, it's probably been longer.  This last week, we finally made it happen.


Granada


Granada is home to the Alhambra, a palace/fortress complex dating back to the 13th century, occupied for 254 years by the Nasrid emirs.  A UNESCO world heritage site, the Alhambra is regarded by many as the most beautiful building - more accurately a collection of buildings - in the world.  Oddly enough, given this reputation, it's not much to look at from the outside.  The magic is within: magnificent arches, serene courtyards, exquisite gardens, beautifully intricate carvings on practically every wall.  The carvings alone must have taken masters decades to complete.  How could anyone make stone look so light and feathery?  There are sights to take your breath away around every corner.


The miracle is that the Alhambra has survived at all.  In 1492, when he knew he had lost, Emir Muhammed XII surrendered to Christian forces with the agreement that the complex would be preserved.  Amazingly, the pact has been respected for over half a millennium.  Even the Inquisitors, as ruthless zealots as the world has ever known, couldn't bear to destroy something so beautiful.



Overall, we enjoyed Granada.  Beyond the main attraction, exploring the Albaicin, the city's old Muslim district, is highly gratifying - and hilly.  I'd go back.  I'd love to do the night tour of the Alhambra, plus there's a cathedral which we only had the time to appreciate from the outside.




Cordoba


Mezquita
is the Spanish word for mosque.  The building in Cordoba known colloquially as the Mezquita is more accurately termed The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba.  It is both, you see.  The mosque was built first, in 785.  The Catholics took over 500 years later and, once again, could not bring themselves to destroy the most beautiful building in the city.  Instead, they built their cathedral inside of it.  



In both the Alhambra and the Mezquita, it's important to look up.  A lot of the best work is above you.



In general, Andalusia suffers a bit from interior decoration overkill.  Even a hotel room is not spared.  Blank space on a wall is obviously frowned upon, sure to be covered as quickly as possible by a painting, a hanging plant, a mirror, whatever.  And it seemingly began with the Alhambra.  Good luck finding a wall without decorative tiling or carved calligraphy all over it.  But at the Mezquita, you see the Muslims had nothing on the Catholics.  Every alcove has been filled with its own garishly adorned chapel.  I quickly came to appreciate the simpler, less representative, endlessly repeating Islamic aesthetic.  


For me, the Mezquita was less impressive than the Alhambra but once again, one appreciates the miracle that it has survived at all, especially in its bizarre religious turducken arrangement.







Cordoba was more easily explored than Granada for the simple reason that the former is flat whereas the latter is brutally hilly.  Cordoba has also done a better job of preserving its Jewish heritage so one gets a  sense of how all three religions once coexisted in relative harmony there.  Before the zealots ruined everything.

Yes, folks, there's a historical lesson on display we all should be heeding right about now.


The Cordoba highlight for me was the flamenco show we went to at Tablao Flamenco El Cardenal our first night.  At first, it seemed such a cheesy, touristy thing to do but truly, the performance was amazing.  I was particularly impressed by the seemingly effortless virtuosity of the guitarist.


Casablanca


Our best flight option for the trip was with Royal Air Maroc, connecting through Casablanca.  As such, it was only by chance that Morocco's largest city became part of our itinerary.  Why not extend what was already a long layover into a two-night stay?  We've never been before.  We can add Africa to our continent life lists.  Never mind the fact that if we had more time, we'd go to Marrakesh, Fes or Tangier, one of the more popular tourist destinations.  Casablanca is where the plane lands.  Let's make the most of it.

Wouldn't you know, the impulsive add-on would be the highlight of our adventure.  We enjoyed Spain.  We fell in love with Morocco.


Maybe it was just nice after Granada and Cordoba to be in a city not overrun by tourists.  No obligations on the sightseeing docket.  Instead, wander through the medina, sit at a cafe, haggle with merchants, watch the world go by.  Absorb.  To be honest, I find sightseeing to be overrated because all you see is other travelers.  The more meaningful experience is watching local people going about their daily lives: walking their kids to school, complaining about their boss, laughing with their friends.  For all of that, Casablanca was ideal.  

But it runs deeper.  Casablanca was often uncomfortable - the healthy sort of uncomfortable you want to lean into for a while.  Learn the language.  Find your own favorite cafe, make friends, get a seat at the card table.  Pick a local football team to support.  Immerse yourself in all of the new experiences that are routine for everyone around you.  Embrace your own otherness.  Then leave the instant any of it starts to feel normal.  A visit measured in years rather than hotel nights.

It's been a long time since I've felt that way about a place.  

Casablanca is simultaneously the edge of the Muslim world, the Arab world and the African world.  Exciting experiences extend for thousands of miles in multiple directions.  I hope we'll make it back someday.

Bonus photos...


Cats

Stray cats and cat images are prevalent in all three cities.  This, too, is a link to Islamic heritage.  The Prophet Muhammad himself was a cat lover and as such, the animal is highly revered.









Food


Granada means pomegranate in Spanish.  Representations of the fruit pop up all over the city, including at the Alhambra.