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A new profile of Jean-Luc Picard himself, Sir Patrick Stewart, provides us with juicy new information about CBS All-Access’s upcoming Star Trek: Picard as well as Stewart in a stunning red suit. What more could we ask for?
Although many of the finer details about Star Trek: Picard are still under wraps, the Variety cover story on Stewart fills in a lot more about the political situation an older Picard contends with. The retired Picard is living in semi-isolation, “estranged from Starfleet,” on a French vineyard (likely the Picard family chateau first seen on The Next Generation) when we meet him.
While this much we could divine from hints and previews, what’s fascinating here is the extent to which both Starfleet and the Federation as a whole have apparently shifted away from the “haunted” Picard’s ideals. It seems like Picard will be operating in this show without Starfleet sanction.
He’s haunted by a pair of catastrophes, one personal, the other societal — the death of his android colleague Lt. Cmdr. Data (as seen in “Nemesis”) and a refugee crisis spawned by the destruction of the planet Romulus (as seen in Abrams’ “Star Trek”). When those two seemingly disparate strands of his life cross, Picard returns to action, this time without the backing of a Starfleet whose moral center has shifted.
There seem to be real-world parallels happening in Picard, especially in terms of the Federation—and this stemmed from Stewart’s desire to explore echoes of our current international stage. Though the show will remain true to creator Gene Roddenberry’s more utopian dream of humanity’s future, that doesn’t mean it can’t explore the fallibility of human institutions.
“In a way, the world of ‘Next Generation’ had been too perfect and too protected,” [Stewart] says. “It was the Enterprise. It was a safe world of respect and communication and care and, sometimes, fun.” In “Picard,” the Federation — a union of planets bonded by shared democratic values — has taken an isolationist turn. The new show, Stewart says, “was me responding to the world of Brexit and Trump and feeling, ‘Why hasn’t the Federation changed? Why hasn’t Starfleet changed?’ Maybe they’re not as reliable and trustworthy as we all thought.”
Real-world politics and humanitarian crises aren’t far from Stewart’s mind, and Picard will reflect that; the themes are at least partially due to Stewart’s own interest and engagement. And, of course, the realities of what’s happening around the globe.
“I’m not sure which one of us is in the most trouble,” [Stewart] says of Britain and the United States. “I think it’s actually the U.K. I think we’re f—ed, completely f—ed.” He points to studies predicting decades-long economic damage inflicted by the country’s looming withdrawal from the European Union. Of the U.S., he says, “There is a time limit to your f—ed state, which is four years away.” He expresses hope that “the United States that has given us the Trump administration” can change, but adds, “He will likely get reelected.”
I can only hope that Sir Pat’s predictions about our own state of affairs don’t prove to be correct. The Variety profile is a great summation of Stewart’s past and his current pursuits, as well as further news from the show, so head on over there for even more Picard. The series starts on January 23, 2020.
These pics of Sir Patrick Stewart on @Variety magazine are just mind blowing!! 😍 #StarTrekPicard pic.twitter.com/NknDgxlIzM
— Rashid Uzzaman (@rashiduzzaman82) January 8, 2020
(via Variety, image: CBS All-Access)
- Required reading: “Top 10 books about toxic masculinity” (via The Guardian)
- Iranian Americans discuss what they think will happen next. (via CNN)
- “Elizabeth Wurtzel Took Up Space, Even When the Literary World Wouldn’t Have Her” (via Vulture)
- In a time of terrifying news, at least we have this quarter to look forward to. Some things are still good.
excuse me, i’m sorry, i need to yell this
NATIONAL PARK OF AMERICAN SAMOA **FRUIT BAT** QUARTERS ARE COMING NEXT MONTH https://t.co/M23AnYaPmR
— Doug Mack (@douglasmack) January 8, 2020
- Would you believe that “people are furious” because Regal Cinemas is switching from Coke to Pepsi? This is where we’re at. (via Comicbook.com)
- Some fans have launched a petition asking that Geralt/Jaskier be a playable couple option in The Witcher‘s video-game world. (via Metro)
- Speaking of The Witcher, our friends at The Portalist have compiled a masterlist of 21 of the best fantasy series currently on Netflix. (via The Portalist)
- Important Central Park squirrel census: there are 2,373 squirrels in the park! This has been your crucial fact of the day. (via New York Times)
- Nominees are in for the 31st annual GLAAD media awards, and include properties like Rocketman, Batwoman, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and many more. Bumping up all the nominated comic books to my must-read list. (via GLAAD.org)
What did you see out there today?
Yarn: BOUGHT. Needles: OUT. https://t.co/PyAOtBdjoX
— Knives Out (@KnivesOut) January 8, 2020
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
A new profile of Jean-Luc Picard himself, Sir Patrick Stewart, provides us with juicy new information about CBS All-Access’s upcoming Star Trek: Picard as well as Stewart in a stunning red suit. What more could we ask for?
Although many of the finer details about Star Trek: Picard are still under wraps, the Variety cover story on Stewart fills in a lot more about the political situation an older Picard contends with. The retired Picard is living in semi-isolation, “estranged from Starfleet,” on a French vineyard (likely the Picard family chateau first seen on The Next Generation) when we meet him.
While this much we could divine from hints and previews, what’s fascinating here is the extent to which both Starfleet and the Federation as a whole have apparently shifted away from the “haunted” Picard’s ideals. It seems like Picard will be operating in this show without Starfleet sanction.
He’s haunted by a pair of catastrophes, one personal, the other societal — the death of his android colleague Lt. Cmdr. Data (as seen in “Nemesis”) and a refugee crisis spawned by the destruction of the planet Romulus (as seen in Abrams’ “Star Trek”). When those two seemingly disparate strands of his life cross, Picard returns to action, this time without the backing of a Starfleet whose moral center has shifted.
There seem to be real-world parallels happening in Picard, especially in terms of the Federation—and this stemmed from Stewart’s desire to explore echoes of our current international stage. Though the show will remain true to creator Gene Roddenberry’s more utopian dream of humanity’s future, that doesn’t mean it can’t explore the fallibility of human institutions.
“In a way, the world of ‘Next Generation’ had been too perfect and too protected,” [Stewart] says. “It was the Enterprise. It was a safe world of respect and communication and care and, sometimes, fun.” In “Picard,” the Federation — a union of planets bonded by shared democratic values — has taken an isolationist turn. The new show, Stewart says, “was me responding to the world of Brexit and Trump and feeling, ‘Why hasn’t the Federation changed? Why hasn’t Starfleet changed?’ Maybe they’re not as reliable and trustworthy as we all thought.”
Real-world politics and humanitarian crises aren’t far from Stewart’s mind, and Picard will reflect that; the themes are at least partially due to Stewart’s own interest and engagement. And, of course, the realities of what’s happening around the globe.
“I’m not sure which one of us is in the most trouble,” [Stewart] says of Britain and the United States. “I think it’s actually the U.K. I think we’re f—ed, completely f—ed.” He points to studies predicting decades-long economic damage inflicted by the country’s looming withdrawal from the European Union. Of the U.S., he says, “There is a time limit to your f—ed state, which is four years away.” He expresses hope that “the United States that has given us the Trump administration” can change, but adds, “He will likely get reelected.”
I can only hope that Sir Pat’s predictions about our own state of affairs don’t prove to be correct. The Variety profile is a great summation of Stewart’s past and his current pursuits, as well as further news from the show, so head on over there for even more Picard. The series starts on January 23, 2020.
These pics of Sir Patrick Stewart on @Variety magazine are just mind blowing!! 😍 #StarTrekPicard pic.twitter.com/NknDgxlIzM
— Rashid Uzzaman (@rashiduzzaman82) January 8, 2020
(via Variety, image: CBS All-Access)
- Required reading: “Top 10 books about toxic masculinity” (via The Guardian)
- Iranian Americans discuss what they think will happen next. (via CNN)
- “Elizabeth Wurtzel Took Up Space, Even When the Literary World Wouldn’t Have Her” (via Vulture)
- In a time of terrifying news, at least we have this quarter to look forward to. Some things are still good.
excuse me, i’m sorry, i need to yell this
NATIONAL PARK OF AMERICAN SAMOA **FRUIT BAT** QUARTERS ARE COMING NEXT MONTH https://t.co/M23AnYaPmR
— Doug Mack (@douglasmack) January 8, 2020
- Would you believe that “people are furious” because Regal Cinemas is switching from Coke to Pepsi? This is where we’re at. (via Comicbook.com)
- Some fans have launched a petition asking that Geralt/Jaskier be a playable couple option in The Witcher‘s video-game world. (via Metro)
- Speaking of The Witcher, our friends at The Portalist have compiled a masterlist of 21 of the best fantasy series currently on Netflix. (via The Portalist)
- Important Central Park squirrel census: there are 2,373 squirrels in the park! This has been your crucial fact of the day. (via New York Times)
- Nominees are in for the 31st annual GLAAD media awards, and include properties like Rocketman, Batwoman, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and many more. Bumping up all the nominated comic books to my must-read list. (via GLAAD.org)
What did you see out there today?
Yarn: BOUGHT. Needles: OUT. https://t.co/PyAOtBdjoX
— Knives Out (@KnivesOut) January 8, 2020
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
Writer: James Tynion IV / Artist:Tony S. Daniel, Guillem March, Tomeu Morey / DC Comics
Bruce Wayne has a design for this city.
It’s 2020 and after nearly four years of King steering the Dark Knight (to varying degrees of success), the mainline Batman title has a new writer at helm. James Tynion IV is no stranger to the DC Universe, having written arcs on Detective Comics, Batman and Robin Eternal, among others while also currently weaving the delightfully devious tale that is Justice League Dark. And it’s very clear from the start that Tynion IV loves Batman and has a different trajectory for this character post “City of Bane,” which I am inclined to welcome.
Batman #86 marks the start of “Their Dark Designs” and where as King started his arc with a meditation on what a good death for Batman would be, Tynion IV’s Batman finds himself asking what a Gotham without Batman would look like. Given all of the different struggles that Batman has found himself these last four years, this thought makes a lot of internal narrative sense. It’s a clean pivot in ideology and sets the tone for the arc asking questions that many fans and non-fans have been asking for years; namely, for all of his ever-abundant resources why does Batman decide to dress up and play vigilante. Batman #86 does not pretend to answer the question, but rather plants the seeds that will surely sprout in later issues.
Tynion IV knows Batman’s voice as well as the immediate supporting casting. He absolutely captures Lucius Fox’s tech insights and Selina Kyle’s lovable roguishness. His mastery of the featured villains of the week is equally commendable and drives the different levels of conflict well. It’s helped by both Daniel’s artwork in the main story, March’s artwork in the epilogue, and Morey’s color in both bridging the gap. Daniel in particular does a fantastic job with the action sequences in the back half of the book.
This is a start of a new chapter in Batman, and it’s very much a solid Batman story. We have a good contrast of the continued duality of Bruce and Batman. We have a supporting cast that’s there to support Batman in this time of mourning and transition. We have villains who are still going about their business and have no intention of giving him a break. But it is also just a start, and while the repeating of chorus of “Bruce Wayne has a design for this city” is a tantalizing one, we’re going to need see more of what these designs are to figure out if it’s more than just solid.
8.4 “Designs” out of 10
Reading Batman? Find BNP’s other reviews here.
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The post New Year, New Team, Same Hero – Batman #86 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
On day 7 of the ESSENCE Full Circle Festival, attendees participated in a Day of Service to the local Ghanaian community by spending the afternoon with various local non-profit organizations during five separately-themed experiences. Experience themes centered around youth empowerment, women’s health, education and empowerment for girls, entrepreneurship, the creative industry and leadership.
Among the experiences that came to life during the EFCF Day of Service was The Circle of Sisters.
Circle of Sisters Founder Chiedza Makonnen offers encouragement during the EFCF Day of Service in Ghana.Photo by Sean WellingtonThe Circle of Sisters is a Girls Leadership Initiative run by Chiedza Makonnen, a fashion designer and returnee who has lived in Ghana for more than ten years. Under her Revolutionary Underground Foundation, she supports young girls in the Korle Gonno area through education and after school activities to help them become leaders in their own worlds and realize their dreams. Miss Makonnen funds the initiative through proceeds from her fashion label, Afrodesiac Worldwide.
A young girl smiles while participating in a group activity during the EFCF Day of Service in Ghana. Photo by Sean WellingtonSeveral EFCF attendees whose careers have landed them in various fields including law, entertainment, health and education, joined some of the young women from The Circle of Sisters initiative for a day of mentorship and group exchange. After the group exchanged introductions and each of the young ladies shared their career aspirations, they were grouped according to their potential future career paths.
Girls United co-founder Sophia Dennis interacting with young girls during EFCF Day of Service in Ghana.Photo by Sean WellingtonAmong the EFCF attendees present for the Circle of Sisters was Sophia Dennis, co-founder of Girls United by ESSENCE, which aims to serve as a safe space for young women and girls of color to come into their own and help them find their life paths. An inspiring young leader herself, Ms. Dennis shared her experiences with girls whose aspirations were limited by a lack of access to technology.
EFCF attendees engage with young girls from the Circle of Sisters initiative in Accra, Ghana.Photo by Sean WellingtonThroughout the day, EFCF attendees rotated to have conversations with each group, sharing their own experiences as each group bonded and each of the girls got to know more about leading and owning their power as young women.
ESSENCE Full Circle Festival – Day of ServicePhoto by Sean Wellington—Scroll through For more of everything you missed at the first-ever ESSENCE Full Circle Festival, head back to ESSENCE.com
The post ESSENCE Full Circle Festival Teamed Up With Designer Chiedza Makonnen To Empower And Educate Young Girls In Ghana appeared first on Essence.
Locke & Key fans first thought they were going to see the beloved graphic novel come to life on screen back in 2011, after Fox had showed the series’ pilot at that year’s San Diego Comic-Con. But that was as far as that version ever went. After other possible adaptations, both for television and the big screen, had come and gone over the course of the decade, Locke & Key seemed destined to be stuck in the terrible dimension of developmental purgatory. But now the wait is finally over—Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s comic is set to debut as a new Netflix series. But after so long, is there anyway it can possibly live up to years of anticipation? The first trailer for the show certainly won’t lessen fan excitement. And it’s likely to generate plenty of interest from newcomers to the story.
“After their father is murdered under mysterious circumstances, the three Locke siblings and their mother move into their ancestral home, Keyhouse, which they discover is full of magical keys that may be connected to their father’s death. As the Locke children explore the different keys and their unique powers, a mysterious demon awakens—and will stop at nothing to steal them.”
Locke & Key is based on the popular IDW horror comic book series that ran from 2008 to 2013. The “coming-of-age mystery about love, loss, and the unshakable bonds that define family” spans centuries and multiple dimensions. It combines gore and the supernatural along with mind-bending imagery. Yet the story is also touching and heartbreaking, focusing on a family dealing with unimaginable grief. And as this trailer show, they are also dealing with forces (and keys to strange places) they don’t totally understand.
Netflix might prove to be the perfect home for Locke & Key, as the streaming site isn’t afraid to embrace prestige horror (The Haunting of House Hill), nor is it afraid to develop vast and potentially confusing source material (looking at you The Witcher). This initial trailer indicates that the show’s creators Carlton Cuse (Lost and Bates Motel) and Meredith Averill (The Haunting of Hill House) want to make something that truly captures the spirit of what made the comic special. The show will be a huge success if they can live up to Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork for the comic.
IDW
Locke & Key stars Darby Stanchfield (Scandal) as Nina Locke, Jackson Robert Scott (It) as Bode Locke, Connor Jessup (American Crime) as Tyler Locke, Emilia Jones (Horrible Histories) as Kinsey Locke, and Bill Heck (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) as Rendell Locke. The cast also features Laysla De Oliveira as Dodge, Thomas Mitchell Barnet as Sam Lesser, and Griffin Gluck (American Vandal) as Gabe.
Original author Joe Hill (The Fireman, Heart-Shaped Box) also serves as an executive producer on the show.
As good as this trailer looks though, ultimately we’ll have to wait to see if it lived up to our oversized expectations. Hopefully it does, and then we can all start complaining about waiting for the show to come back.
Season one of Locke & Key comes to Netflix on February 7, 2020.
Featured Image: Netflix
The post LOCKE & KEY Trailer Is Like a Psychedelic Horror Narnia appeared first on Nerdist.