The following article discusses spoilers for The Elysian Kingdom.
There’s a genre of writing best embodied by the serial escalation of premises found on forum threads in certain corners of the internet. It’s the sort of energy that imbues this week’s Strange New Worlds as it takes a one-episode detour into a fantasy parody. Not content with dropping the crew into a swords-and-sorcery romp, they’re all tasked with playing against type! Oh, and the only people who can save them is an awkward buddy-cop duo of the noble Doctor and the grouchy engineer! Shut this off five minutes or so before the ending and this could easily be the second best episode of the show’s first season.
The Elysian Kingdom is both the episode’s title, and the subject of the book Dr. M’Benga has been reading to his terminally ill daughter Rukiya throughout the series. She’s annoyed by the ending, which requires the noble king to choose what thing he’s willing to give up at the conclusion of the story. M’Benga tells her, when he’s cured her, she can rewrite the story any which way she chooses. And before you can say gee, that foreshadowing was a bit on the nose, the Enterprise gets caught up in the nebula it’s been studying, unable to move.
By the time the doctor gets to the bridge, the ship has been covered in tapestries and ye olde tiki torches. Everyone bar him (and, as it turns out, Hemmer), has been mind-wiped into becoming characters from the book. Pike is a cowardly courtier, La’an is a comedy Disney princess, Uhura is the big villain and Spock is an evil wizard with a Fabio wig and two-day stubble that reminds us all Ethan Peck is, in fact, hot under that goofy Vulcan haircut.
Marni Grossman / Paramount+
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Star Trek lean into its often-denied campy side and, as I’ve said before, it’s a groove Strange New Worlds works well in. The fact the series feels confident enough to do this just eight episodes into its first run speaks volumes about how the creative team are doing. (You just know there’s a whiteboard in the writers’ room with Musical Episode(?) written up top, and I’m here for it.) If there’s a downside, it’s that the ensemble is big enough that some actors get short-changed in their moments to play out of character. Of course, none of this would work without Babs Olusanmokun’s central performance to hold the story together, aware of the ridiculousness of the situation but remaining true to M’Benga’s inner turmoil.
Of course, I wouldn’t be writing about Strange New Worlds if there wasn’t also a small list of annoyances. The tone reminds me a lot of Futurama’s glorious M*A*S*H parody with iHawk, the robot with a Maudlin / Irreverent switch on his side. This episode wants the switch to be jammed at both ends, mixing high camp with a meditation on, uh, something.
We must now talk about the ending, (again, spoiler warning) which is such a weird left turn that it makes my scalp feel itchy just thinking about it. The denouement of the episode sees the sentient nebula offer to take Rukiya off the ship and cure her illness, allowing her to live a life of fantasy in the stars. She appears, moments later, as an adult, telling her father about her life and reassuring him he made the right decision to let her go. Suitably resolved, he’s back at work minutes later.
Marni Grossman / Paramount+
Sorry, it doesn’t sit right. I can understand the notion of giving up your kid to save their life, and parents have thrown kids from burning buildings on that basis. But the idea he’d make that decision in about half a minute’s conversation with a sentient space cloud with unclear motives? M’Benga has spent the whole season so far working to find a cure for Rukiya, and was even given a promising lead just two weeks back. This storyline has been seeded through enough of the series that this feels like it’s the creative team course-correcting.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say the abruptness of this is the resolution of a production problem. My guess is that nobody realized just how quickly children age, making it difficult for Sage Arrindell to play a child trapped in temporal stasis. It’s the reason Malcolm David Kelly left Lost at the end of its first season: You can’t pretend everyone has spent just 40 days on the island if the kid visibly ages a year since they shot the pilot. (I assume, too, the episode was shot on the standing Enterprise sets as a way of saving cash for the finale unless those gorgeous period costumes rinsed through the show’s substantial budget.)
Alternatively, the writers planned this out and it was always meant to be something that resolved itself within the first season. In that case, I’m forced to wonder who in the world thought that a father just handing over his kid in such an arbitrary fashion was a smart emotional beat. Unless it’s one of those situations where more emphasis was placed on the surprise of it, rather than the logic, narratively or emotionally. To me, it feels a bit like yet another Strange New Worlds episode where, much as I want to offer praise, there’s always something that leaves me a bit cold.
If you're looking to upgrade to a speedy, compact desktop, Apple's Mac Mini M1 is a good option. The machine is back on sale at Amazon right now for $570 thanks to a coupon that knocks $99 off its price. That's the lowest price we've seen on the desktop that runs on Apple's M1 chipset, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Yes, we're on M2 machines at this point, but only a couple of Apple computers run on that updated processor (and only the M2 MacBook Pro is even available right now). The Mac Mini M1 remains the most affordable way to get an M1 device in your home, too, as the latest iPad Pros that share the same processor start at around $799. The desktop is powered by an eight-core CPU and eight-core GPU, plus a 16-core Neural Engine. While we haven't given the Mini M1 the full review treatment, you can expect it to run similarly to the MacBook Air M1, which is speedily and efficiently.
While the Mac Mini M1's design isn't anything to write home about, that almost works to its advantage. Apple didn't change much from the Intel version, keeping the machine a sleek, square box interrupted only by a couple of ports: two Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A connectors, an Ethernet port, one HDMI port and a headphone jack.
The biggest issue we have with the desktop is its lack of upgradeability — its RAM and storage are soldered in place, so you're stuck with the amount that you initially purchase. RAM is arguably more crucial than storage here, since you can always connect an external SSD to the Mini M1 if you need to offload important files. If those limitations don't bother you, the Mac Mini M1 could be a great replacement for your aging desktop.
Ridesharing isn't typically viable in the US if you want to pay with cash, but that won't be a problem now that Lyft has introduced an option to pay for rides using cash. Visit 35,000-plus stores like Walmart, ACE Cash Express and Kroger and you can present a barcode or ID number to turn physical money into a balance accessible through the Lyft app or website. You'll have to scan approved identification after requesting your first ride.
You'll need to add at least $30 whenever you contribute to the balance. Your transportation options will also be limited if you go cash-only. You have to attach a credit card or another payment option to your account if you want to hire a bike or scooter.
Lyft pitches the feature as a way to democratize rideshare services. About 7.1 million US households either had no bank accounts or only limited access to conventional financial services as of 2019, according to FDIC data, and that frequently affected communities of color. The cash option lets those unbanked people request on-demand rides without paying for cabs. We'd add that this could help if you're uncomfortable with linking payment cards to transportation services like this.
The move might give Lyft an edge in the country. Its rival Uber lets American riders use a balance to pay for trips, but they currently have to load funds using payment cards, PayPal and Venmo. For now, Lyft is your only major choice if you'd rather pay with paper.
Barack and Michelle Obama are heading to Audible. On Tuesday, the Amazon-owned company announced an exclusive multiyear first-look production deal with the former first couple’s Higher Ground media company.
The deal comes after it came out that the Obamas and Spotify had decided not to extend their exclusive podcast partnership beyond the end of 2022. According to a Bloomberg report published in April, the family wanted an agreement that would see their content distributed widely across various platforms, and that’s what this deal with Audible will allow the Obamas to do. It will also let the couple take a more behind-the-scenes role in future productions, a request that Spotify reportedly met with pushback when it came to their recent negotiations.
“At Higher Ground, we have always sought to lift up voices that deserve to be heard — and Audible is invested in realizing that vision alongside us,” former President Obama said. “I’m looking forward to partnering with them to tell stories that not only entertain but also inspire.”
Audible did not disclose the financial terms of its agreement with Higher Ground. The Obamas’ previous deal with Spotify was rumored to be worth around $25 million. That partnership produced Renegades: Born in the USA with Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, as well as The Michelle Obama Podcast. The latter was among the most popular original podcasts Spotify released in 2020.
Instacart hopes to make its subscription service more alluring through a simple strategy: let everyone in on the shopping. The company has introduced an Instacart+ service (yes, yet another "+") that replaces Express while adding family sharing features. Family accounts let another member of your household (such as a partner or roommate) participate without sharing your sign-in or subscribing on their own. Family carts, meanwhile, make it easier for others in the home to add to the grocery list.
The expanded offering also brings more perks for Chase cardholders. You can have free Instacart+ memberships, ranging from three months for Freedom and Slate holders through to a year for Sapphire Reserve. The new plan is otherwise very similar to Express. You'll have free delivery for orders over $35, lower service fees, five percent credit back on pickup orders, and bonuses like Delta miles.
This new subscription costs the same $10 per month ($99 per year) as its predecessor. The family sharing could make it an easier choice if you're not the only one ordering deliveries. With that said, the value proposition remains largely the same as with Express — this only really makes sense if you use Instacart every week.
You might have found the right Father's Day gift if there's a literary dad in your life. Amazon is selling the basic Kindle e-reader with lock screen ads for $60, or a hefty 33 percent off. You can also buy the Kindle Kids variant for $65 (41 percent off) if the upgraded warranty, child-friendly cover and year of Kids+ service will provide some piece of mind. You can buy the regular version without ads for $75.
The standard Kindle has been around for quite some time, but for a good reason: it handles the essentials very well. The front light and contrast will help you read in bed, and the touchscreen design is both easy to use and easy to carry around. Simply speaking, you might not need much more than this to read a favorite novel.
There are limitations. The base Kindle isn't waterproof, so you won't want to bring it to the beach. And while the six-inch screen and 8GB of storage should be enough for typical reading, you might like the larger, better-lit screen of the Kindle Paperwhite or the 32GB capacity of the Paperwhite Signature Edition. If you're new to e-readers or just aren't fussy, though, Amazon's everyday model is more than enough.
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The rumors were true: Hideo Kojima has confirmed his next game will be published by Xbox Game Studios. During Microsoft's Xbox and Bethesda showcase today, Kojima said there has been a game he's always wanted to create, which will be like "no one has ever experienced or seen before." Now, thanks to Microsoft's cloud technology, he says it's possible. Kojima admitted it "may take some time" before the game is completed, but that's to be expected at this point.
While there aren't any other official details about the game yet, journalist Tom Henderson recently reported that Kojima's next project was a horror game called Overdose. He described footage of the actress Margaret Qualley walking through environments with a flashlight—you know, the sort of thing you'd expect a character in a horror game to do. Kojima Productions also asked him to take down the report, which suggests it may be accurate.
We’ve finally fully emerged from winter and dad might be feeling a little cooped up. Now that the weather is getting warmer, he’s probably itching to get outside ASAP. If your dad or father figure is the type to wander off into the woods — perhaps for days at a time — we’ve got some suggestions for Father’s Day gifts. Whether he’s an ultra-light backpacking maniac or a car-camping comfort seeker, we have just the thing.
JetBoil MiniMo
JetBoil
The Jetboil Flash is basically inescapable on the trail. Its lightweight, easily packable design and fast boil times make it attractive to backpackers. But the MiniMo is worth the extra money and weight. It’s only one ounce heavier, but the MiniMo’s wider, shorter cook cup is easier to handle. Plus it can actually simmer things, unlike the Flash. And let me tell you, dehydrated eggs are bad enough as is, even without burning them in what amounts to a coffee tumbler mounted on a jet engine. Trust me, this is one of the best upgrades you can make to your dad’s setup.
The Leatherman Free series has been a staple of Engadget buying guides ever since it debuted in 2019. There are plenty of options out there when it comes to multitools, and many of them are great. But, the Free series was a serious game-changer with its one-handed access to every tool. Plus everything, including the knife, locks into place so you’re less likely to pinch or cut yourself. It even requires less regular maintenance and cleaning than older Leatherman like the Juice series which, while great, tended to collect lint and dust in every nook and cranny at an alarming rate. Your dad might not need every tool while hiking the Appalachian, but he’ll appreciate having options other than a knife or a rock.
After food, water and shelter, the next most essential thing on the trail is light. The Biolite Headlamp 330 is comfortable, bright and long lasting. It has both spot and flood modes, plus a red light for saving your father’s eyes at night. And, if you can get him the Extend Pack (which is unfortunately often out of stock), it also comes with a backup battery in case he needs to recharge on the trail, along with a light-diffusing stuffsack that basically turns his headlamp into a lantern he can hang from the ceiling of his tent or lean-to.
I love my old-school enameled steel camp mug. It’s indestructible and has an undeniable classic look. But, it also conducts heat like nobody’s business. I’ve burned my hands and lips on enough white hot cups of instant coffee to know they’re just not that practical. Sea to Summit’s X-Mug with cool grip promises to protect your little fingies from your boiling hot beverage. Plus, it collapses into a neat little puck for easy storage. Admittedly, I have not tried the Cool Grip model yet, but I’ve been using the company’s collapsible bowl for over a decade. And my hiking buddy uses the regular X-Mug, so I’m pretty confident in recommending Sea to Summit’s gear.
I skipped a sleeping pad on my first backpacking trip. I regretted it immediately. Therm-a-Rest pads are the industry standard. And the NeoAir XLite is pretty much smack in the middle of their backpacking lineup. It’s not the lightest or the warmest, but it’s probably the most versatile. The R-value (a measurement of insulating power) of 4.2 is good enough for three-season camping. And it packs down to about the size of a water bottle. This particular model has been around for a long time, and it will probably continue to be a staple of Therm-a-Rest’s lineup for years to come.
Full disclosure: I haven’t tested the Enduro. Nor has anyone else at Engadget. But, we’re big enough fans of Garmin’s sports watches to feel comfortable recommending it. But why pick this particular one? Simple: battery life. Garmin says it lasts up to 80 hours in GPS mode, which is frankly absurd. If your dad likes to quantify everything in his life, including multi-day hikes, this is a pretty great way to do it. It not only has a giant battery, but also a built-in solar charger. Plus VO2 max estimates for trail runners, heat and altitude acclimation tools for the parent that’s into mountain climbing or desert hiking, and even navigation features to keep him from getting lost. And, once he’s found his way back to civilization he can snag a coffee at Starbucks using Garmin Pay.
More than even food or shelter, water is essential on the trail. But, dad can’t just go drinking from streams and ponds, nor can he carry enough with him for a multi-day trip. That’s where the Sawyer Squeeze filter comes in handy. There are tons of different ways to purify water, from old-school iodine tablets to boiling to pump filters. But a squeeze filter system is often the fastest and easiest to use. Sawyer’s are probably the best known for good reason — you can fill up the pouch and drink straight from the filter or use the to fill up a reservoir or water bottle. They’re not ideal for places where dad might be reduced to getting water out of shallow muddy springs or where viral pathogens are a concern. But they’re perfect for more developed and regularly trafficked trails.
Your dad will need a towel on the trail. Trust me. Maybe he’ll be lucky enough to find a shower. Or perhaps he’ll go for a dip in a lake. Or, maybe like me, he just sweats enough to drown a small animal. Regardless, an Ultralite PackTowl is an absolute must-have. They’re incredibly small and lightweight, yet seem to have unlimited absorption power. I’m pretty sure they’re actually a portal to another dimension where the water is stored. I have two that I take with me on every trip: one body-sized and the other a face towel that stays clipped to my shoulder strap for when I need to mop my brow.
This should go without saying, but your dad needs a utensil to eat. Yes, even on the trail. And there’s nothing better than a good old fashioned spork to save space and weight. I’m a big fan of this titanium model from Snow Peak. The company makes a ton of great gear, but this simple and indestructible essential is probably my favorite. Plus, it comes in a handful of fun shades like blue, green and purple in case your dad is known for his colorful personality.
If your dad would prefer to burn his lips on real coffee, consider getting him an Aeropress for his adventures. This is, admittedly, a luxury when you’re backpacking. But, I’ve tried instant coffee, coffee “tea” bags, mesh coffee steeping contraptions, camping french presses and honestly, nothing makes better coffee with less cleanup than an Aeropress. You could go for the full-size model, but the Go version shaves off a few precious ounces, which could be crucial when trying to cut weight for a long trip. But, I actually bring the full-size version when I hit the trail and have had no problems.
Not every dad wants to strap three days worth of gear to his back and walk off into the woods. Some are perfectly content driving up to a campsite, pitching a tent and building a fire. For them the Lighthouse 600 is a great gift. It is, first and foremost, an LED lantern perfect for food prep, reading or even playing cards around camp. But, he can also use its 5200mAh battery to charge his phone or headlamp. And, if he does happen to sap all its juice it has a hand crank for recharging through manual labor, and an optional solar panel.
Obviously, part of the reason dad disappears into the wilderness is to escape from technology and enjoy nature. But I’m sure he wants to capture at least some of it for posterity. Dragging a DSLR or even a mirrorless camera into the woods is overkill, especially when he’s probably got a pretty good camera with him already: his cellphone. Joby’s unique GorillaPod tripods are perfect for the outdoors. And the affordable Action Kit is pretty flexible. It comes with a Bluetooth remote, it can hold most phones or even a GoPro camera, and it has a cold shoe adapter for a light or microphone.
Look, if he’s driving up to the campsite anyway, there’s no need to fight with alarmingly thin steel pans or tiny fuel canister stoves. The 14-inch cast iron Cook-it-All from Lodge is the perfect campfire companion. It can be a dutch oven, a griddle or a skillet. You can even bake a pizza inside it. ( I’ll admit, though, that I’ve never considered baking a pizza while camping.) Cast iron is heavy and bulky, but it’s also damn near indestructible and holds on to heat for a long time, which is good when you’re dealing with a finicky campfire. Plus, if seasoned properly and treated with care, cast iron is reasonably nonstick. So, dad might even be able to make some sunny-side-up eggs for breakfast.
Last year we recommended Osprey’s Atmos AG 65 for anyone looking to be as comfortable as possible while backpacking. This year, we’re doing the same, just with some updated Osprey designs. The Atmos has been given a minor face lift, but the bigger deal is that it’s now made with 100-percent recycled materials. You still get an integrated rain cover, Anti-Gravity suspension and fit-on-the-fly adjustment system. It’s just now more eco friendly.
As part of the redesign, the capacity has been increased to better reflect the pack’s name. Before, if you bought the Atmos 65 in a small, you actually only got 62 liters of storage. Now the small is a full 65 liters. The one downside is that the new materials and carrying capacity have led to a slight increase in weight too, with the S/M Atmos AG 65 coming in at four pounds, 10 ounces.
The women’s equivalent of the Atmos is the Aura AG 65, which is slightly smaller and lighter, but has the same suspension system and similar lugging capacity. And if you’re on a tight budget this year, you can still find the older model available in some places at a steep discount.
Obviously, one of the most important pieces of camping equipment is a tent. Not everyone’s dad wants to spend their nights in a lean-to. But their needs will dictate what kind of tent to buy. If your giftee is an avid backpacker who needs something ultra light to take on the trail, I heartily recommend Big Agnes’ Tiger Wall UL 2. It’s not their lightest offering, but it strikes a great balance between weight and convenience. It can sleep two, and has two vestibules for stowing gear, but as a single person tent it’s borderline luxurious. Even with the optional footprint (which I highly recommend for any tent), the pack weight weighs under three pounds, and the mtnGLO light system means no fussing with a lantern or headlamp to read and sort gear after dark.
If unabashed luxury is more your dad’s thing, consider REI’s Wonderland 6. At $599, this is no casual investment, but it should last quite some time. The walls are nearly vertical and it reaches a height of six and a half feet in the middle, meaning all but the tallest of humans should be able to stand upright inside. The 83-square feet of floor space is plenty of room for a family of six to sleep in, and it has large ventilation windows to keep the inside cool during the hottest months. The one caveat is that, if you happen to do most of your camping in rainy environments, you might want to shop around for something with fewer windows and better rainfly coverage.
Neither the Wonderland, nor the Tiger Wall are cheap. So if budget is an important factor, or if dad is just looking to dabble in the world of car camping, consider the Coleman Skydome 6. Coleman gear is nothing fancy. You can find it in practically any Walmart or Dick’s Sporting Goods across the country. But it’s so ubiquitous because of its rock solid reliability and reasonable prices. The Skydome 6 is nearly the same size as the Wonderland, but comes in at just $130 (or $199 if you opt for the Darkroom model). The ceiling is shorter, and the walls more angled, but if you’re only using the tent to sleep in, that shouldn’t be a major concern.
Parents of young kids just need a break. Even before the pandemic, it was tough to run out to the movies, since that involves setting up a baby sitter and praying nothing goes wrong in the middle of your night out. Thankfully, it's pretty easy to help new dads (and moms) build out their home entertainment options. And it’s even easier if you're aiming to find gifts for someone who hasn't already nerded out on A/V gear.
Sonos Beam
Sonos
There are plenty of soundbars out there, but few are as versatile as the Sonos Beam. It's a sleek box that'll instantly upgrade any TV with expansive and detailed sound. But, it's also a smart speaker with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. That makes it a viable alternative to devices like the Echo. Being able to shout "Play some Sesame Street songs!" comes in really handy for new parents. Trust me.
These days, it's almost impossible to buy a dumb TV without any internet connectivity or streaming apps. But for folks who have older sets, especially those relegated to bedrooms, a streaming stick like Roku's could change their lives. It offers the company's full suite of apps, excellent 4K and HDR performance, and it's surprisingly inexpensive. And once we can start traveling again, the Roku Streaming Stick+ is great to bring on vacation, so you're never too far from your binge-watch queue. We still love the original model, but if you spring for the newer Streaming Stick 4K+, you'll get longer-range WiFi and an updated voice remote.
The Apple TV 4K finally gets the update it needed this year — and best of all, it has a larger Siri remote with a more responsive, touch-enabled clickpad. It's a solid gift for anyone already embedded in the iOS ecosystem. This latest model also features Apple's A12 Bionic chip, which offers faster video decoding and support for Dolby Vision HDR at higher frame rates. And if you know someone who already has the previous Apple TV 4K, you can always gift them the new Siri remote separately for $59.
If your dad (or anyone else) is in desperate need of a living room TV upgrade, then you can’t go wrong with LG’s award-winning OLED TV from last year. It has incredible picture quality and a long list of features that will keep it current even when you plug in a new-gen game console.
The best part? For as long as the CX is still available, you’ll be able to find some good deals, with prices almost as low as they’ve ever been since these TVs debuted. This one normally costs $1,500, but you can often find it for as low as $1,100. Don’t wait.
If your dad just needs to spend time with an audio book or some music, then a pair of noise-cancelling headphones are a good match and this Sony model provides some of the best technology around. The XM4 can connect to multiple devices at the same time, so it will work with dad’s phone and computer without constantly needing to re-pair and cause more hassle.
One of the few knocks we could find on the XM4s during our review was their high price, which has dropped noticeably since their release. They have a good fit, and can automatically pause when the wearer starts talking — he’ll appreciate that. And if you want to spring for a splurge gifts this year, you could get him the new WH-1000XM5, which add a new design and improved noise cancellation to all of the existing features found on the XM4.
If your entertainment runs through a game console, and dad just wants to kick back to watch a game or some Blu-ray discs, then he’ll appreciate navigating things with a remote instead of a gamepad.
The PS5 Media Remote matches your console aesthetically, and includes shortcut buttons for several popular apps. Plus, its batteries will last longer than the one in a DualSense so it will always be ready to go. Your biggest problem could be probably finding one in stock, although if you managed to snag the console then we think you’ll be able to figure this out too. For Xbox owners, the PDP Media remote works for systems from the One through the new Series X/S. Instead of shortcut keys it includes a fairly standard universal remote setup so that there’s not a lot of re-learning involved.
Whether the house is already leaning into automation or not, this starter kit of Philips Hue White and Color lights should be a good fit. It comes with three bulbs that can glow in millions of colors, as well as a button for easy manual control and a Hue bridge. The latter will be important if dad eventually wants to add to its lighting system as it supports up to 50 connected lights. He’ll be able to control his lights from anywhere using the companion mobile app, set schedules and routines and use Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri commands to change the lighting in the house as he sees fit. That means it’ll be easier than ever for dad to get the right ambiance for his next movie night.
For the biggest and best screen possible, you’ll always want a projector. The BenQ HT2050A is as good of an option as you’ll find, and your dad can brag about how much of a deal it was at just $750. What this 1080p projector lacks in resolution and dynamic range it more than makes up for in value, and is a perfect choice to get someone started on live the projector lifestyle. Just find a blank wall and pop this on a table for an incredible movie or game night with a few vaccinated friends. A proper projection screen, blackout shades and seating upgrades are follow-up gifts that everyone will get to use.
Blu-rays and DVDs aren't dead yet. For the true cinephile in your life, consider a 4K Blu-ray player like Panasonic's UB420. It'll playback UHD discs at full resolution, and it includes support for HDR and HDR10+. While many 4K Bluray owners rely on their gaming consoles, having a dedicated player is a major upgrade in terms of speed and usability. (Plus, it's just a pain to control movies with a gamepad.) As a bonus, you'll also be able to play back your older discs at an upscaled resolution. Sure, it costs a bit more than typical Blu-ray players, but it's a worthwhile gift for anyone who cares about the quality of their films. If you're on a tight budget, consider a Blu-ray player like the Sony S6700. It can upscale HD and DVD video to 4K, and it also has its own suite of streaming apps. Best of all, it's pretty compact, so it won't take up much room on your TV stand.
No, we won't ever stop loving The Matrix. And the series looks better than ever with its 4K Blu-ray remaster, which fixes some egregious errors from the original Blu-ray release. Whatever you think of the sequels, The Matrix fundamentally reshaped action and science-fiction in Hollywood — mostly for the better. Thanks to a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack, the films also sound more immersive than ever. And really, what better gift is there for new dads than a series that wrestles with the nature of humanity? Bringing a new life into the world certainly gets you thinking, especially when the eventual outcome for civilization sometimes seems grim.
While this box set is several years old, it's a worthy addition for any new dad's collection. Somehow, Tom Cruise willed the classic spy series back to life and has managed to keep it fresh and energetic over the past few decades. (I'll defend Mission: Impossible 2 as a staggering work of action opera any day, just come at me.) Consider them the ultimate dad movies: Stories about people who are great at their jobs, and almost always right in the face of insurmountable odds.
Planet Earth II was the best example of 4K HDR we'd ever seen when it was released in 2017. Several years later, it still looks better than most 4K films. This combo set makes a great gift, since it also includes the sumptuous Blue Planet II, which focuses more on marine life. Dads will appreciate the incredible footage and soothing narration. Both series will also make you feel connected to the circle of life, which you can't help but be a part of when holding a child in your arms.
The following article discusses spoilers for Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach, and topics of a sensitive nature.
Last week, Strange New Worlds hit something of a groove with a lightweight comedy episode that showed how well this show can work. This week, it takes a hard turn toward the weighty, with an episode that tries to cover a whole host of stuff in its 50-minute runtime. In some ways, this feels like the most The Next Generation thing Star Trek has put out since 1994. In others, it feels like the show tripped backwards and landed on something deeply profound by accident.
We open on Pike in pensive mode as the USS Enterprise heads to the Majalan System to run a stellar survey. He’s been this way before, on an unseen rough-and-tumble adventure back when he was a lieutenant, and he’s hoping for an easier ride this time around. No such luck, as just as the ship arrives, it’s thrust into a low-stakes battle between two small vessels, one of which starts firing on the Enterprise itself. That forces Pike to intervene, rescuing three people from one of the ships: A child with the title The First Servant, a prickly doctor who is also the First Servant’s father and Elora, a noblewoman Pike met on his last visit.
The ship came under attack because it was carrying the First Servant, who is about to “ascend” and achieve some great destiny for his people. He’s sufficiently special that he’s been implanted with a special perpetual-healing device to protect him from injury. But what’s obvious, from a few minutes into the episode, is that neither of the adults want to talk about why the kid is special, or what his grand ascension ceremony is going to entail, beyond the fact that the entire civilization will collapse unless it takes place, pronto. In my notes, I wrote “I bet they’re planning on eating the Dalai Lama kid,” because this whole plot felt like a throwback to a less TV-literate age.
Unfortunately, Pike seems to have left his brain in his other pants as soon as he realizes that there was mutual affection between him and Elora. In fact, as soon as Pike realizes that he’s on track to Get Some, he becomes quite petulant when his subordinates try to drag him away to try to further the episode’s narrative. And that’s despite the fact that Elora is the most Character With Something Dark To Hide character you’ll see on television this year. All the while, La’an and Uhura, this week on the security portion of her apprenticeship, try to work out what exactly is going on.
Of course, that perpetual-healing machine piques the interest of Dr. M’Benga, who wonders if such technology could be used to heal his own daughter. Sadly, the doctor brushes off the request for help, saying that it would be impossible for the Majalans to share their technology. The kid’s also something of a child prodigy, and based on nothing more than a half-overhead conversation about a sick child, he’s managed to bust Rukiya out of the transporter buffer. At this point, I can’t work out if her presence onboard is meant to be a secret or not, since it seems like a random child from an alien culture can figure out she’s there in about thirty seconds. (Pike, too, later in the episode, is tempted with an offer to get his own future fixed with their magical medical technology.)
Unfortunately, the next section of the plot is mostly throat-clearing and runarounds as Pike uncovers some sort of conspiracy. The hows and whys of the conspiracy aren’t really clear, and the only real point is to have a laser stick fight/chase scene through what looks like the grounds of Toronto’s Casa Loma museum. You can feel the show spinning its wheels while we get to the inevitable conclusion. Pike rescues the kid and hands him over to the Majalans, who promptly plug him into a supercomputer that “kills” him. This, somehow, is the key to keeping their society, which floats on suspended islands above the clouds, much like Columbia from Bioshock Infinite, from falling into the lava below. (Why? Don’t ask questions, it just does.)
Marni Grossman / Paramount
Pike does try to stop it happening, but gets enough of a beatdown to watch as the kid gets wired up. It’s a pretty disturbing scene and as close to horror as Star Trek has gotten for a while, since the child realizes too late that it’s going to lead to his untimely end. Elora, in response to Pike’s objection, then goes on a rant about having the courage to sacrifice one child for the greater good. I’ll quote her response in full: “Can you honestly say that no child suffers for the benefit of your Federation? That no child lives in poverty, or squalor, while those who enjoy abundance look away? The only difference is that we don’t look away.”
Now, it was these lines that threw me, only because it’s clearly meant to be a say-the-quiet-part-out-loud statement about the US. But while the Federation is meant to be some allegorical mash-up of the Western World at large, it’s also meant to represent a utopian version of that. In the 23rd century, the Federation had the ability to synthesize food, clothing and other materials pretty darn easily. In Discovery’s first season, Burnham uses food and clothing synthesizers to produce a delicious meal and new uniform pretty much on demand. Which means that, while the Star Trek of Pike’s day wasn’t the post-scarcity economy of The Next Generation, the idea that people would go hungry and live in squalor feels… off. I don’t want to be that guy, but did any of the show’s nine thousand producers read Trekonomics?
Here’s the thing, while the meat of the episode isn’t particularly meaty, the topics it covers are fairly profound. One of Star Trek’s most famous philosophical tenets is that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. This form of Utilitarianism is upheld as a noble goal within the spirit of the Federation (except, of course, when Leonard Nimoy fancies a shot at directing and so decides / agrees to resurrect Spock, but let’s not talk about that now). Then again, it’s hard to see how a kid, even a bright one, can be emotionally and mentally mature enough to consent to such a grizzly demise.
Then there’s the fact that Pike loses, and is essentially powerless to do much of anything to “correct” what went on here. He can file a report to the Federation and lodge his objection to what went on, but there’s little anyone can actually do. And that raises another interesting point, since Star Trek can be read as an essentially colonialist text, one in which a group of people with Western values venture out to “civilize” the “wilderness.” If Pike had stormed back, phasers blasting, to rescue the First Servant, it might have made for good TV, but is it morally and ethically right for one group to impose its will upon others under force of arms?
(Longtime Trek fans will probably have spotted the handful of nods to the early TNG episode “Symbiosis” which covered similar ground. I won’t spoil it for you, but that too posed the question of how much you can, or should, interfere when you find one group of people taking advantage of another. Late ‘80s Just Say No moralizing aside, it does manage to reach a satisfying conclusion and keep within the rules of how the Prime Directive prevents the Federation from simply imposing its order upon the rest of the universe.)
But no matter how hamfistedly the show might be gesturing toward these sorts of problems, it is at least gesturing toward them. The thing that is working about Strange New Worlds is that it’s working to provoke you to think, and dwell upon your own moral and intellectual values. And it’s worth asking yourself, too, what you would be prepared to do to prevent this form of moral injustice in the world we live in today. And that, my friends, is the power of good sci-fi.
