Nathan Tavares is here for everyone enraged over New Sunnydale never seeing the light of day.

Thanks so much!

Project Hail Mary Knows What Makes Humans Special — And It’s Not Heroism - Reactor Bravery and self-sacrifice are often tied to stories of heroism — but what if there's a better alternative?

What if "bravery" as the sole important attribute to enacting positive change is a scam, actually.

The United Federation of Planets Has a War College Now — Are We Gonna Talk About It? - Reactor Are we acknowledging Starfleet's hierarchical makeup here, or attempting to cover it up?

The problem isn't that the Federation has a War College, the problem is that the existence of a war college seems to skate right over the military aspects inherent in Starfleet from go, and I reeaally hope that they deal with that. reactormag.com/the-united-f...

I can absolutely understand its appeal for some - I wanted to love it! And there were pieces I enjoyed, deeply, but I couldn't get past the feeling that we could've had something really gorgeous with just a few more passes on that script.

the demon looked so much like the electricity monster in the Are You Afraid of the Dark? computer game that haunted me as a child

The Bride! Can’t Decide Which Revolution It Wants to Power - Reactor In the words of its eponymous character… I would prefer not to.

And I scream from the top of my lungs
"uh... brain attack"?

For the Valentine's Day crowd!

"You’re here, you’re queer—and it’s good for you, actually."

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die Has a Unique Take on Time Loop Stories - Reactor Let's go ham on the apocalypse, with glitter and kittens.

Sometimes you need a break - why not laugh about the end of the world for a couple hours, instead of swimming in dread?

Businesses think they can make jokes at their own "expense," but they can't. Not when they're holding the red veto pen.

Next up this January, an important look at intersectional identity, patriarchy, and The Hockey Show...

I really hope you read this one. Indrapramit Das pulls it all together in a way that will help your brain flip that switch you've been scrabbling for.

Many thanks to @use-theforce-em.bsky.social & @reactorsff.bsky.social for taking this piece. It's been a while since I've dug into some juicy critical writing, & it felt good (eager to do more). Heads-up that this contains spoilers for s1 of PLURIBUS (which I liked very much, to be clear).

A Family of Monsters: On Dust Bunny and Fighting for the Love We Deserve - Reactor Okay, the monster IS a metaphor. Just not the one you think.

Please watch Dust Bunny and talk to me about fighting for connection and belonging k thanks

Thank you for the rec!

Look, I made a joke about it before, but I'm back with receipts this time, and my logic is unassailable...

😘

I might also do that...

Dust Bunny Will Have You Demanding That Bryan Fuller Make More Movies - Reactor Monsters-as-metaphor is a tactic Fuller knows all too well — and he will not be playing by “the rules.”

Between this and Legend of Ochi this year, the tiny child I used to be feels very seen and loved. (This is my favorite movie of the year, though. Find a theater, Pushing Daisies crowd.)

Are the Fantastic Four Leading a Planet-Wide Cult in Their Universe? - Reactor Sorry, they let Sue Storm do what?

I'm just asking questions! (pretty sure it's true, though)

Fantastic Four: First Steps Seems Intent on Proving That You Can’t Make a Good Fantastic Four Movie - Reactor Fans hoped that getting folded into the MCU would fix the team’s track record on film. It’s clobbering time?

This one hurt. (Maybe just watch the first and final ten minutes?)

We Don't Love Superman Because He'll Save Us - Reactor Superman gives audiences hope — but not as a straightforward savior narrative.

Everyone wants to talk about Superman saving the squirrel, or saying I love you 3 months into dating, or holding a dying robot, and I just wanna shake them and shout "And *why* do you like that part??"

(This is why.)

Some Thoughts About Spock's Chest Hair - Reactor Or: We Need to Talk About Vulcan Manscaping on Strange New Worlds

The Vulcan underground depilation community must be *wild*. Wild, I say.

Yes, this is the sort of thing I'm thinking about when I watch TV.

Superman Cracks a Long-Forgotten Code to Its Central Character - Reactor The movie is over-stuffed, but who cares when being kind is the new punk rock?

I don't care if it's overcrowded, give me every superhero story where we skip origins, always.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Renewed for Fifth and Final Season - Reactor Captain Pike and his crew will close out with six final episodes.

I know this is a losing battle and yet! I will die on this hill:

SIX EPISODES IS NOT A SEASON IT IS A MINISERIES

You can never go wrong with that one

The wildest slap in the face! Undercutting all the incredible work they did. I'll never understand it.

The thing I realized as we put these lists together is that, regardless of subject matter or genre, I have 2 main desires: slapstick soulmate shenanigans or *gay ennui*

Even the stuff that didn't make the list pretty much always hit those two categories.

That is genuinely so gratifying to hear! Thanks so much

Anywho, here are all my Andor recaps in one place: