About

Well, for those just randomly clicking around the internet at 2:00 in the morning, and for everyone else, welcome to “The Review Nebula”.

This blog was started on Blogger in March of 2013 as a project for one of my high school classes. I was to post a few assignments on it, yet was also allowed to post about anything that piqued my interest. It just so happened that I wanted to post, well, reviews. After the assignments were done, I decided to keep going with the blog and review shows for fun – albeit with a couple of name changes along the way.  In April 2017, I moved to the current URL, powered by WordPress.

According to Alexa, last time I checked, I am about the 20,000,000th most popular website on the web. Not too bad for a blog with rather humble origins.

I also run a Futurama retrospective blog on the side – called Blog of Wonton Burrito Meals. It’s not as big a priority, however, with updates being sporadic.

Preemptive FAQ

Who are you, anyway?
I’m some guy who has watched way too much pop culture and has taken to over-analyze some of his favorite TV shows.

So, what is it?
I’ve never seen one before. No one has. But, I’m guessing it’s a – hey!

Long story short – review blog. Mainly, but certainly not exclusively, sci-fi shows.

Where do you live?
I don’t want to get too specific, but I grew up on Long Island, New York. (I actually went to Stony Brook University here, as well!) I will be ambiguous concerning most other things, mainly because I generally like my privacy – a bit of a rarity on the internet. All I’ll say is that I have since relocated.

Are you being paid to do these reviews?
Nope. I am not affiliated with anybody involved with these reviews. Also, this blog is not monetized because I don’t want to risk a lawsuit. Even if it were monetized, it still falls under “Fair Use”.

What’s Your Grading System?
Right here.

Is there any bias in your reviews?

The long answer is that my reviews contain my analysis and opinions, naturally, so there is bound to be some bias. I do try and add some objective points in my reviews, but there are certainly objective-ish points that you might disagree with. If you happen to disagree, please comment respectfully.

That said, I am not affiliated with anybody or any company tied to the works that I cover.

Don’t you think you overanalyzed that particular aspect?

Maybe. Again, if you think I over-analyzed, please comment.

What about mistakes in spelling or facts?

I’m not perfect. Nobody is. Again, please feel free to comment. If these mistakes are small, I’ll edit them and might make a note at the bottom of the page. If on the other hand, they completely undermine the review, I’ll redo the thing.

Why are your early posts so terrible, in general?
First-year quirkiness, I guess. Even the better posts from early on, I think, are still weak. I was a slightly less mature person back then. Just assume every review posted before the spring of 2014 can be rewritten.

Why don’t you post on a schedule?
This blog is something of a secondary thing for me – a hobby, to be exact. I don’t intend to make money off of it, but honestly, that’s not the most valid excuse. The closest I got to having a formal schedule was when reviewing Red Dwarf X, I reviewed the episodes on the two-year anniversary of their airdates. Also, I like to review earlier episodes before watching new episodes.

So, what is it?

…

Only joking.

…

What’s your policy on spoiling?
Originally, it was on a case-by-case basis. I considered restraining from spoiling to be an effective way to get people to watch an episode, if only just an episode, of a TV show. However, as my reviews got somewhat more analytical (I think), I realized that to do a more “proper” review, sometimes, things had to be spoiled.

In short, expect a few spoilers. I have added breaks to newer reviews to provide something of a barrier for spoiler zones.

Tea?

English/Irish breakfast blend, milk, two spoons of sugar, in a mug, brewed four-five minutes. The water is boiled using an electric kettle because I’m not a caveman.

Are you going to review any other TV shows?

I have a list of shows that might come up to bat. These include Breaking Bad, Twin Peaks, Hilda, The Orville, Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation, and/or The Owl House.

How would you rank the shows you’ve reviewed or are reviewing?

On a personal level…

• 7. Scullyfied Simpsons (the episodes I’m covering)
• 6. Futurama
• 5. The Prisoner
• 4. Steven Universe
  
• 3. Red Dwarf
  
• 2. Gravity Falls
• 1. Infinity Train

Ironically, if you only count the first eight seasons of The Simpsons, the order becomes…

• 7. Futurama
• 6. The Prisoner
• 5. Steven Universe
  
• 4. Red Dwarf
  
• 3. Gravity Falls
• 2. Infinity Train
• 1. The Simpsons

Yes, the show was that good. I would go as far as to call the first eight seasons of The Simpsons my all-time favorite piece of pop culture entertainment.

(I should disclose, though, that The Simpsons did get demoted in 2012 and 2013. Not only did “Lisa Goes Gaga” drive me away from watching new episodes, but I would wind up discovering Gravity Falls and Red Dwarf within the same timeframe. It was in 2014 that I was truly able to comprehend the impact the show had on my life.)

So, what is it?

“I think we’ve experienced this period of time before!”

Any other TV shows you like?

Quite a few, and you’ll find my tastes somewhat eclectic. Some of these are on my list of possible review material above:

• The first three seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants are among the greatest pieces of comedy ever made. I still have a spot in my heart for Battle for Bikini Bottom – one of my all-time favorite PS2 games. In fact, after the doldrums of Seasons 4-8, the show seems to be entering a “silver age” as of late.
• DuckTales 2017 all but cemented itself as the gold standard of animated reboots.
• Hilda has established itself as the spiritual successor of Gravity Falls, and might be one of my favorite shows on Netflix, period.
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is somewhat unusual for my tastes in that every single character is odious and depraved. They still manage to have their own fascinating plotlines, ranging from the depths of Dennis’s degeneracy, through Mac’s deep-seated self-loathing, Dee’s delusions of grandeur, Frank’s descent into hedonism, and Charlie’s childish idiocy and the roots thereof. And it’s really quotable, as well.
• Breaking Bad has earned its reputation as one of the finest television shows in the history of the medium. “Ozymandias” could very well be the single best episode of television ever written and produced.
• South Park, a show I respect for its mockery and analysis of both the American political left and right. My personal favorite episodes are from Seasons 3-9 – an era that I felt struck the perfect balance between the social commentary of modern episodes and the goofier comedy of the early seasons.
• I consider season 2 of The West Wing to be among the greatest TV seasons of all time. Special credit goes to “Two Cathedrals”, which dared to mix in Latin in a rant to the heavens. Absolutely astonishing.
• The Owl House is yet another astonishing DTVA effort, with one of the most imaginative worlds that I’ve seen in recent television. Add into that a brilliant cast (with Wendie Malick and Mae Whitman delivering particularly outstanding performances) and one of the most charming romantic relationships on TV, and you have a show that is setting itself up to be another knockout. The first season did seem a bit “tried-and-true”, but Season 2 improved to make the series one of the all-time animated greats. It’s a travesty that the show’s upcoming third season was gutted into three specials.
• While I won’t go out of my way to watch it, I will certainly watch Bob’s Burgers if I see it while flicking through the TV. What a nice, quirky comedy.
• King of the Hill. I love how it doesn’t rely on silly plots, but rather, the small bits of loopiness found in our everyday life.
• Star Vs. The Forces of Evil impressed me with its second season, taking a quirky twist onto the fantasy genre. While I try not to let “shipping” swing how much I love a TV show, I must admit the discussions between the SVTFOE shippers were fascinating.
• Top Gear – the Clarkson/Hammond/May version. Say what you will about Jeremy Clarkson and his politics, but no trio has provided such a brilliantly stupid form of escapism as these three lunatics.

Favorite Music?

My music tastes are somewhat eclectic. I generally will listen to at least a tiny bit of almost everything. Generally, though, my preferences are based in retro pop, classic rock, 80s new wave/synthpop, disco, and occasional bits of modern alternative.

As far as bands and singers go, my favorites include Pet Shop Boys, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, New Order, Bruce Springsteen, ABBA, The Beatles, Elton John, The Smiths, and the Bee Gees. I also consider Rebecca Sugar a brilliant composer and performer in her own right, and I quite like the Aivi/Surrashu soundtrack.

What about Sports? You play any sports?

I was never athletic. So, no, I don’t play sports.

But I follow sports! I mean, this isn’t a sports blog, so don’t expect in-depth commentary, but I do love sports as a form of escapism. More specifically, I am a fan of (in rough order of precedence)…

• New York Giants – Been a fan since Eli Manning started as QB. I’ve seen joy, I’ve more recently felt pain, and I’m wedded for life… or until I can kick my addiction to NFL football (stupid Roger Goodell). Favorite sports team, period.
• Arsenal FC – A more recent discovery (I became a fan roughly around 2014 when I became a fan of the sport in general), but one that’s made the Gunners slide into the spot of my second favorite… if only by the amount of agony I can expose myself to.
• New York Yankees – Shoot me, I root for the “evil empire” (thanks, Jeter and Mo). To be fair, I don’t really dislike other baseball teams (save the Red Sox), so I guess I just really really like baseball and fell for one of my two local teams. I actually praised many aspects of the sport in one of my reviews.
• Orlando Magic – More like Orlando Tragic, heh? A copy of NBA Live 07 brought me in, and I haven’t looked back. Not even post-Dwightmare.
• Orlando City SC – Got into soccer around 2014, wanted to support an upstart MLS team, and instead of my local NYCFC (which launched the same year), went with Orlando. It should feel like more of a mistake to me than it does right now.
• No definitive hockey team, although I guess the Carolina Hurricanes have my allegiance due to family ties regarding North Carolina.

Dear Sir, I wish to complain in the strongest possible terms about your reviews which I feel have severe flaws. Is there any way I can do so in private?

Sure! If you want to contact me privately, email me at starbug1729@gmail.com. Or, better yet, use the contact form in the top menu.

As far as complaints go, I only ask that you respectfully raise them. I’ll try my best to respond.

So, what is it?

I’ve never seen one before, no one has, but I’m guessing it’s a white hole!

A white hole?

Every action has…