The renamed title for Epoc Enuma and its fellow Blogspot for opining on space, time, and the human condition. But still the place for a New Evolution, New Age, New Genesis, and a New Enlightenment!
This blog is about my epic sci-fi tale, The Talagxaon Particle. So I wanted to impress upon you some insight behind the story. Why did I create it? What inspired me? Where is it going?
Well, recently I decided to answer some of these questions in a video. Check it out and tell me if it answers some of those vital questions for you. Who knows, your replies may spark other videos on the subject!
And don't forget to check out my stories at Amazon.com. They are all available for digital and print purchase!
Having explored the major characters from Rogue One, now I want to dive in to the appearance of the menace that everyone was waiting for. That's right, Darth Vader himself. As before, there will be
Though Darth Vader's appearances in Rogue One are short, they are satisfying.
Now that the movie has been out for a bit, I think the chances of Disney throwing a blanket over the leaked Vader scenes is low. So I'll post the very satisfying ending where the dark lord shows up and cleans house. If you're a Vader fan, this was an ending not to be forgotten.
Much of what I have to say about Darth Vader and the rest of the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story movie is tied into my last review. It is here I will leave you with these concluding words: Rogue One was not a perfect movie. Indeed, my analysis gives it 3.25 stars out of 4. But this was much better, much improved over the abysmal Episode 7, The Force Awakens, and a well worthy inclusion to the Star Wars franchise as a whole. I will definitely be getting this movie's extended version on DVD when it comes out and, if I get the chance, I'll definitely go see it for a third and final time in the theater. So, that's my wrap-up on my review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I'm glad to have gone and watched it and would recommend it to any of you wanting to see a good Star Wars movie that gets back to its roots.
In our next blog, a meditation I've been waiting to pen based on the outcome of the legal battle. I refer to the conflict that began between the independent Star Trek fan film project Star Trek: Axanar and CBS/Paramount Pictures.
We delve into that odyssey in our next meditation.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Storypremiered last year, December 18, 2016 in theaters nationwide. It was the latest offering in the Star Wars franchise by the Disney-owned Lucasfilm entertainment group, and promised to give us a critical insight into how the events that preceded Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hopeunfolded. Specifically, it explored how the first Death Star's plans were smuggled to the Rebel Alliance by a band of undercover agents who gave their all to help bring liberty to the galaxy.
In this meditation on Rogue One, I will pen a review and analysis of the story that incorporates links to the YouTube videos I created which detail my thoughts on the movie. After seeing it twice, I will and can assuredly say with high confidence that I very much enjoyed this story, and enjoyed it with far more enthusiasm than I did Episode VII, The Force Awakens. That said, let's begin. As always I warn you that if you have not seen the movie and don't wish to continue, this review will have...
!MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
If you are ready to proceed anyway, then we drive onward, fellow Star Wars fans!
Let's start with an overview of the plot of Rogue One. And to do that I'll provide my first video on the story.
The Death Star
So, the Imperial Galactic Empire's greatest secret, the Death Star, is nearly complete and set to come online, and the Rebel Alliance must stop it. To achieve this, they recruit Jyn Erso, criminal renegade and former protege of terrorist Saw Gerrera. Erso is sent to find her father, Galen Erso, scientist and developer of the Death Star, to enlist his aid in stopping the colossal city in space/battlestation by stealing the plans that will allow the Rebel Alliance to ultimately destroy it. To accomplish her mission, Jyn brings along a band of Rebel spies, assassins, Imperial defectors, and monks who are Guardians of the ways of the Force. These are: Cassian Andor, K-2SO, Bodhi Rook, Chirrut Imwe, and Baze Malbus. Along the way, this hearty band of heroes encounters a very staunch resistance to their goals. That resistance comes in the form of the Imperial officer and Death Star project manager Orson Krennic and the charismatic but megalomaniacal Grand Moff Tarkin.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a prequel movie set between Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith and Episode 4, A New Hope. What it will be called as an in-between movie I'm not sure, but there it is.
The Characters in Relation to the Story
I'll start off by listing my chief complaint about this movie. While Rogue One is without doubt one of the better Star Wars films made in awhile, it is not a perfect specimen. It is not even a great one. It is, in my opinion, however, a very good movie ranking near the top of the recent films, and definitely scoring above the abysmal release, The Force Awakens (circa 2015).
Jyn Erso & Cassian Andor
Rogue One's primary issue is its lack of character development that leaves its audience unable to deeply connect with them. In the first 30 minutes or so of the story the audience is rushed through a list of worlds to quickly establish the foundation from whence we will spring forward into the galaxy and tell the rest of the narrative. But the establishment of the characters' backgrounds, motivations, and emotional attachment to each other is in a perpetual state of arrested development for the sake of "moving things along, quickly." They are hardly relatable to one another, save for a few like Cassian Andor's relationship to the snarky robot K-2SO and Guardian of the Whills monks Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus in their dedication to the will of the Force and one another. Of course, Jyn Erso's relationship to her father is given screen-time, but it, in this viewer's estimation, is so short that when they finally are reunited after more than sixteen years apart, he lives all of two minutes more after suffering a fatal injury, long enough to see that she is his daughter all grown up and has taken up his mission to destroy the Death Star.
The droid K-2SO
Galen Erso's death precipitates a conflict between Jyn and Cassian Andor in which his secret, undisclosed mission to assassinate her father comes to light. But this conflict is quickly resolved (as in less than one minute) and never spoken of again. This is one of the types of character development - in this case through conflict - that receives short shrift and never rises above a few lines in the movie. Of all the characters most significantly fleshed out among the protagonists, the droid K-2SO is the most revealed. His sardonic attitude combined with a quick and
sharp wit easily make him the most enjoyable of the beings that populate
this film. And of all the protagonists left behind in the story, Bodhi Rook is the least crafted in terms of his background and reasons for deciding to assume the dangers of the mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. While it is understandable from an intellectual point of view to realize why it is not possible in the short framework of Rogue One (2 hours, 13 minutes) to go into complete depth about every character, it is also disappointing because, since we cannot really connect with them at a base level, once these people all bite the bullet at the end of the story, do we really care? The answer, for me at least, is no.
And this was after actually trying to feel sad once each of them dies in turn at the end!
Death Star special weapons director, Orson Krennic
On the other hand, the main antagonist of the story, Director Orson Krennic, does offer us some intriguing insights into Imperial society and the hierarchy of social rank. Krennic is a long-time acquaintance of Galen Erso and has known his family for some time. He enlists a highly resistant Galen to help him complete the Death Star but in the process murders Galen's wife, Lyra. As a consequence, Galen is forcibly conscripted into the Empire's service and Jyn is left orphaned until Saw Gerrera rescues her. For the next 16-20 years, Krennic presses Galen Erso to complete the project and make him a very famous and respected man in the Imperial social structure. However, Krennic suffers from a gloomy arrogance that causes him to miss some critical matters, and, as a result, he is slapped down by the military commander, Grand Moff Tarkin. Ultimately, Krennic meets his end at the hands of the very family - or a member of it - that he separated and murdered all those years before. But Krennic's motivations are clear: he wants to be recognized as one of the Empire's elite, and he's continually failing to gain his aspiration in its fullest. He even meets with Darth Vader himself in an effort to gain an audience with the Emperor in order to try and explain why he's so important to the Death Star project. But Vader slaps him down. Krennic goes away brooding, but not before a powerful Force choke reminds him to "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director." :)))
And speaking of Darth Vader, let's take another part and draw out his appearances in this movie.
The dark lord of the Sith, and some other thoughts on Rogue One, in our next installment.
This is the second installment of our look into the new television adaptation of The Exorcist.
This time we'll be talking about the auxiliary characters and their
relationship to the overall story so far. At the end I will make a
special appeal for your help. If you wish to watch this awesome series
before checking out my blogs or videos on it, feel free to do so
because, as before, there will be...
There
are conspirators among us, devils in human form who scheme to undo all
that the Creator has done and to replace it with their own unholy
dominion. This is the plan of the Friars of Ascension in the new Exorcist television show. And they are a most determined bunch!
The Conspiracy of Darkness: The Friars of Ascension
Maria Walters, wife of millionaire George Walters, & devil worshipper
Evil never sleeps, thus the old saying goes. And, as another saying goes, sometimes evil wears a pleasant face. Maria Walters is the pleasant face of the dark side of The Exorcist.
She is the "slush mamma of the slush funds" according to one of our
other characters, and in her capacities as wife of the dying millionaire
George Walters, Maria is using her family's money to finance a
conspiracy to assassinate the pope of the Catholic Church and,
amazingly, to introduce demonic entities into this world via a satanic
ritual known as vocare pulvere, the Ceremony of Ash.
In
vocare pulvere, demons are summoned to earth to possess a willing host.
But in order to summon them a blood sacrifice must be offered. In this
highly ritualized ceremony the sacrifice(s) are other human beings whose
murder supplies the body parts necessary to assuage the demon(s) of
their human worshippers' devotion and bring them from the spirit world
to the material world. Maria Walters has used her money and considerable
social influence to procure those citizens who won't be missed by
society to become the victims of this ritual. Maria, bless her soul, is a
woman of great power but not great potential, at least not according to
the demon Pazuzu. And it is those who are full of such potential to be
of great use to the fallen angelic brotherhood whom the demons seek out
for possession. This is why, though she deeply desires it, Maria is
ultimately passed over for possession in the episode, "Star of the
Morning," and in fact not getting what she wants until the season
finale, "Three Rooms."
Brother Simon. Note the demonic right eye.
But within the Friars of Ascension cult there are
those already merged together as a union of human and demon - whom are
called the integrated - and Brother Simon is one such individual.
Brother Simon is a priest of the Catholic Church who has, long ago,
betrayed his vows in order to gain power in this world under Satan and
his host (we don't know how long ago but it has been at least six
years). Simon has used his position to infiltrate the Church and find
those priests disaffected enough by their present lot to want to serve
the Friars in their plot to murder Pope Sebastian.
Indeed, it is Brother Simon who reveals to Father Marcus that the
Friars have approached Sebastian before only to be turned down and sent
packing. Though Simon is integrated with a powerful demon he is not
among the most powerful, and is made to submit himself to the authority
of Pazuzu when confronted by him in Angela's body. Simon takes it upon
himself to assassinate Pope Sebastian but is killed by Marcus before
he's able to complete his mission.
There
is one other whom we know for sure is among the integrated within the
Friars of Ascension, Police Chief Jaffey. We have no other name for him.
However, he was assimilated into the demonic brotherhood in "Star of
the Morning" and has plotted alongside Simon and Maria since then to
undermine the Rance's efforts to find Casey when she goes missing in the
story. In fact he enters the Rance's home before his integration in the
service of the Friars in an effort to pretend to help them find their
missing relative while covertly gathering information on Casey's
whereabouts. He does it a second time once Angela is repossessed by
Pazuzu, by which time he too is possessed. The two demonic kinsmen
recognize each other and play off the Rances' ignorance of the fact. We
don't know what other purposes Jaffey may serve at this point. But we do
know he goes on to continue plotting with the now-integrated Maria
Walters at the end of the season finale and will, more than likely, be
back in season two.
The League of Light Aimed at the Friars' Conspiracy
Though
the wrong may appear to be very strong and have many great allies in
high authority to support its agenda, there is a league of light
standing up to oppose its malice. Of course Tomas, Marcus, and Bennett
form the nucleus of that league along with the Rance family as
quasi-honorary members. But there are those who are in more direct
combat against the forces of darkness in this story and whom deserve
recognition.
Mother Bernadette
One such intrepid soul is Mother Bernadette who is the mother superior of a convent of nuns located in Chicago
(incidentally where the series takes place in case you weren't aware).
Bernadette's methodology of dealing with the forces of Satan is somewhat
unique in the story. Where Marcus' actions are to compel and coerce the
demon from a human host, Bernadette's is to
demonstrate God's
love and forgiveness toward a fallen angel. It is a rather interesting
position for her to take as a professional exorcist, one I have never
really heard of as genuine, but in the TV show it actually does work as
revealed in "The Moveable Feast." In a way Bernadette becomes something
of a mentor to Marcus, teaching him another way rather than compulsion
to invoke a demon's cooperation in releasing a human being from its
control. Unfortunately Bernadette's ways are ineffective on the demon
inside Casey after she is found and brought to the nuns' priory, and in
the end, Bernadette decides to no longer participate in Marcus' effort
to exorcise Pazuzu from Casey. Instead, she decides to euthanize Casey
to stop the demon from continuing to torture Casey and destroy her body.
Marcus naturally disagrees with this position and at first refuses to
participate. But, just before they are about to carry out the action,
Casey is spared death when her mother enters the priory along with Henry
and Katherine after Tomas informs them that Casey is alive and tells
them where she is.
Sadly,
in a future string of events, Bernadette is killed by Pazuzu after he
reclaims control over Angela's body in "The Griefbearers" and seeks
revenge upon her and her nuns later in the followup episode "162" for
their role in what the demon regards as his own torture when they try to
exorcise him. She was a character who I believe died too soon in the
series, but one portrayed with strength and brilliance overall. She will
be missed.
Cherry and Lester Rego
The other dynamic duo in this league of light against the darkness is the married couple Lester and Cherry Rego.
We learn of the Regos' association with Father Marcus where their
knowledge of Catholic and occult lore becomes readily apparent. It is
they who turn Marcus (and later Bennett) on to the vocare pulvere ritual
and how Maria Walters is involved through the defunct company Tattersal
Landscaping, which her money finances, and how it is all connected to
the Friars of Ascension. Together, they help Marcus and Bennett flesh
out how deep the conspiracy against the Church goes and who some of the
key players are. Lester and Cherry are dogged in their investigations,
even when Marcus tells them to back off, and pursue their leads all the
way to finding out where Brother Simon and other members of the Friars
of Ascension are and when they're planning to carry out their
assassination attempt against Pope Sebastian. Unfortunately this gets
them killed before the first season ends.
In a way Lester and Cherry remind me of the Lone Gunmen from The X-Files.
Like that trio, Lester and Cherry are the backup for Marcus and
Bennett, supplying them with inside information and insight, just as
Frohike, Byers, and Langly were to Mulder and Scully during the life of
that series. And like Lester and Cherry, those three die before The X-Files reaches
its conclusive tenth season. But Lester and Cherry don't even make it
to the end of the first, so let's hope whoever replaces them in season
two of The Exorcist are just as cool as they were. The Regos, like Mother Bernadette, in my opinion, went way too soon.
An Appeal
The Exorcist has not yet been renewed for a second season as of its first-year finale. There are those of us who would without doubt love to see this show get another season! Personally, I have not found a program I enjoyed so much since... well probably since Star Wars: The Clone Wars
was on television. Admittedly I am not much of a TV watcher, so when I
do invest in a program it's because I really, really like it. And The Exorcist
has undoubtedly been worth such investment. It has a marvelous cast -
and I really, truly mean that! - great writing, and a vision of where it
wants to go and lead its viewing audience. This is the type of
storytelling modern television needs more of!
So how
can you help let the executives at Fox know you'd like to see more of
this series? Well, first be aware that they are in fact listening to
fans of the show who've already told Fox they want another season of The Exorcist.
Beyond that, though, what those who still want to have an impact can do
is use the influence of social media to show Fox that there is a
sizable and growing fan base out there who know quality TV when they see
it and are willing to invest their time, not simply to watch, but to
help garner notoriety by active participation in a series' growth.
So what can you do beyond watching The Exorcist?
Tweet
about it. Get on your twitter feeds and write positive comments about
how the show, the actors, the plot, etc, have made you feel. Has it
caused you to think more about religion? Increased your curiosity about
human psychology and interpersonal relationships? Has it caused you to
want to know more about demonic possession? Oooooh. Well, "you little
stink pot," let Fox know so they can see your devotion.
Second, become involved in the online community who support and love the show. #RenewTheExorcist and #theexorcistcongregation are two excellent twitter feeds of fans working to bring greater exposure and renewal of the story for another season.
Also, make your own videos to post to the Net be they on YouTube or some other platform. I've done so. In fact, The Exorcist
is the first show I decided to record regular video reviews on each
episode, some of them in multiple parts. Fox keeps tabs on these,
people! And they note the reactions the show is getting from these
individual reviews. Some of you may even be so inclined to make your own
spinoff movies for others to view on the Internet. Do so and let the
world see your interest!
Write
Fox to thank them for producing such a quality series and for having
the foresight to let the show's creators bring their vision to life in
their own way without a lot of obstacles standing in the way. And, if
you're so inclined, write an old-fashioned printed letter in the same
sentiment. Yes, those old handwritten (or typed) letters still carry
weight and significance! Perhaps you might even decide to join the Red Feather campaign.
Finally, jump on Fox's website and watch the series, post comments there, and share the show links with your friends.
Get creative and I, like you, have faith that we'll eventually see The Exorcist back for another stunning year!
A Bloody Good Show Indeed
I truly enjoyed watching The Exorcist
from beginning to end. It provoked thought, curiosity, and questions
about the role of religion and faith in my personal life and in the life
of society. It linked me up with others who had a similar interest in
the series and broadened my outreach. And it was quite refreshing to
watch a solid story on TV that did not insult my desire for deep,
considered material by substituting mindlessness and gratuitous dribble
that refused to tackle serious issues, particularly with respect to
religion, by sugarcoating them or shying away from them altogether. And
so I commend this story to you and hope you'll join me in helping to
renew and becoming a fan of The Exorcist.
I realize that this topic is not science fiction but horror. And, of
course, SF is, generally, what we discuss at this blogpost. But
I wanted to talk about The Exorcist TV series because of what a
wonderful drama I found it to be. And, should you decide to take a
chance on watching it, I'm hoping you will come to appreciate this bit
of quality television to the same or greater depths than I.
On
Friday, September 23, 2016 viewers began a ten-episode journey into the
realm of the supernatural with a reinvigoration of events springing
from the 1973 movie The Exorcist. Premiering on the Fox television network, the fresh, reimagined TV series
of the same name brought to life new characters in a new situation who
were forced into confrontation with a frightening demonic entity
hell-bent - and that is the correct word - to possess and destroy them
for its own tormented purposes.
At first I did not
think I would like the program. I started off with it from the very
beginning and found it a tad odd, slow, and (probably because I'm not
really a horror fan) not much to my taste. But I kept watching -
premiere episode, second episode - and by the time I'd reached the third
show, well let's just say I was enthralled. So I kept going...all the
way to the very end! And guess what, people?
I LOVED THIS FRIGGING SHOW!
The
characters were compelling, and surprisingly well-developed. They were
deep and able to relate to - to empathize with - because of the solid
portrayals delivered by an impeccable cast of quality thespians who
brought a magnificent A-game to each and every show week after week! And
the program's overall plot was mysterious and complex enough to keep
this guy on the edge of his seat waiting for the next twist to come
round the bend. And boy did they, deliciously! So I was hooked, and
ultimately didn't let the slow start discourage me from continuing to
watch until the season finale.
With that being that, in
this meditation on the TV series, I'm going to provide an overview of
the storyline that weaves in some of my videos on The Exorcist (they're all
conveniently available on YouTube), because during the first-season run
I did a near episode-by-episode review, delving into the plot points
and characters, and offering my takes and speculations on where the
series was going and what it was evolving into. I'd like to share that
with you now. So let's begin.
The Characters
Let's begin by highlighting the primary people that populate this new Exorcist
incarnation (no puns toward any religious use of the word intended
there) because this is where our foundation is and the launching point
from whence we'll understand the story.
The Rance Family
Henry Rance
To the right is Henry Rance,
patriarch of the Rance family, the man who tries to hold his fragile
family together once things begin to go wrong. We don't know it when
first introduced to him, but Henry is suffering from a brain injury that
transforms a normally sharp and intelligent architect of man into a
slow and dimwitted individual who is barely conscious of what is
happening around him, including to his daughters and wife. However, over
the course of the show, Henry begins to recover, and, as we come to
discover, the mishap that caused his brain trauma is not an accident,
but the calculation of deliberate provocation meant to confuse him and
distract his wife with his condition so that others may become the
target of the supernatural designs of the demonic entity at war with the
Rances.
Angela Rance
This is mom Angela Rance,
the feminine mystique of the program in whom is vested a number of
matters. Angela, as we come to know her, is a dedicated wife and mother,
in addition to having a thriving career in the hotel industry. She is a
devout Catholic, guiding her family in the ways of upright religious
discipline and ensuring their spirits are just as cherished as their
mortal existence by taking them to weekly Mass. But there is more to
Angela than meets the eye. And it is through the unfolding of the series
that we come to find that Angela Rance is in fact actually Regan
MacNeil - yes, thatRegan MacNeil - from the original 1973 Exorcist
movie, who was demonically possessed as a young 12 year-old girl. After
a series of strange events start to happen with her children and inside
her home, Angela/Regan begins to suspect that one of her girls is
demonically possessed, just as she was long ago. More on this later.
Katherine "Kat" Rance
This is one of the children of the Rance family, Katherine Rance.
Known as the graceful one, Kat - as she's also called by her parents
and sibling - is a ballet dancer. She's prone toward mild narcissism and
self-absorption, especially after the tragic accidental death of her
girlfriend and fellow dancer, another young woman we know only as Julia.
Yes, Katherine is revealed to be a closet lesbian, or, at the least,
experimenting in that direction. Upon Julia's death, Kat goes into a
deep depression from whence she withdraws from the family and isolates
herself in her room, also becoming very antagonistic, particularly
toward her parents. She especially resents her mother for not accepting
her sexual orientation and being unwilling to even speak the name of her
girlfriend, and is angry at her father for effectively being a
"potatohead" unable to care for himself or be wholly present in the
family's affairs. However, this will change as it becomes more apparent
that her sister's problems are actually greater than Kat's own.
Casey Rance
And this leads us to the younger sister of the family, Casey Rance.
She is the tomboy of the two girls and whom might also be considered
the wallflower. Where Katherine is elegant and beautiful, Casey is
rugged and cute by some estimations, but far from the glamor girl.
Because she's treated differently, and somewhat less, than her sister by
others (possibly including her parents too), Casey is resentful of Kat
and always searching for a way to distinguish herself from her superstar
sibling and be noticed of her own merit. Her emotional discontent leads
Casey on a journey toward demonic possession. Yes, you read it right.
Though it is Mother Angela's Rance's original contention that it is her
daughter Katherine who is demonically possessed, we come to learn (as
does Angela) that it is in fact Casey who has been taken over by
the seducing power of an evil spirit. The demon's segue into Casey's
life is the promise of self-actualization separate and distinct from her
sister's long shadow, and acceptance for her own innate beauty and
talents. The demon leads Casey down a primrose path until it has
burrowed deep enough into her psyche to take full control over her body
and mind.
"The Salesman," the demon, Pazuzu
This is that demon. Calling himself "The Salesman,"
this otherworldly entity is on a singular mission when we first meet
him to seduce Casey into his web and capture her soul for his own. He
grants to her preternatural powers she's incapable of summoning by
herself, such as superstrength, knowledge about others she can't
possibly know, even the ability to injure others without actual physical
contact - all classic signs of demonic infestation of a living human
being's body. However, there is more to the Salesman than meets the eye,
even for a demon, for we come to learn that this fallen angel is the
very same evil spirit that once possessed Casey's mother, Angela/Regan
MacNeil as a child! Yeah! Whoa! Later in the series he reveals himself
as Captain Howdy,
the exact same name he used when first contacting the young Regan in
her mother's basement in the '73 movie incarnation. It is here, and
through the revelation of Angela's real name as Regan, that The Exorcist
TV series is not shown to be merely some spinoff of the 1970s movie,
but an actual continuation, after a fashion, of those events! It is
demonstrated that the Salesman/Captain Howdy is in fact Pazuzu, the exact same demon confronted by Fathers Lankester Merrin and Damien Karras
in the film. It's also shown in the television story that this quite
clever demon is singularly responsible for all the travails that have
been happening to the Rance family over the life of the program - from
Henry's brain injury, to Kat's car accident, to Casey's emotional
problems - all in an effort to get revenge on Angela/Regan for beating
it forty years ago. Man, what a determined fallen angel this one is!
Even four decades don't stop it from wanting to reclaim Angela as its
own.
But there's another angle, a late-comer to the struggle against Captain Howdy/Pazuzu that the new Exorcist creators introduce into this hellish mix, one I did not expect, but was pleasantly surprised to welcome.
Angela's mother, Chris MacNeil
We are treated to the presence of Angela's mom, the former actress Chris MacNeil
herself, who shows up on the scene when she discovers that her
granddaughter Casey has gone missing thanks to news reports. When
Grandmother MacNeil appears she and her estranged daughter Angela,
expectedly, don't get along due to Angela's perception of how Chris
exploited her possession for greed and profit when she was a girl. This
causes some strong disagreements as to how to go about finding Casey,
and nearly scuttles said efforts when Angela asks Chris to leave when
she erroneously invites a reporter into Angela's home to interview her.
But, as time goes on, the two reconcile in part because of Henry's
insistence that Chris can help them find Casey. Mother (Chris) and
daughter (Angela/Regan) begin a slow climb toward mutual trust that is
promising, but, unfortunately, will be cut short by tragic events.
But there's more still, other personae who play pivotal roles alongside these main characters.
The Holy Fathers
Yes, yes, I know this is a title generally reserved for the
Holy Father, the Pontiff himself, the Vicar of Christ, the Pope.
However, I am using the title a bit tongue-n-cheek to reference the
three manly and courageous Church priests of the TV series - Fathers
Tomas Ortega, Marcus Keane, and Devon Bennett. Each is a standup,
righteous man in his own way, and each deserving of respect in the
story. Let's explore why.
Father Tomas
This is one of our good men of integrity, Father Tomas Ortega.
He is a modern priest just beginning his career as a man of the cloth.
His outlook parallels that of Father Damien Karras from the 70s movie in
that Tomas does not believe in demonic possession. As a man of modern
times, Tomas relegates such arcane thinking to the medieval Church where
he regards it to belong. Demons, he believes, are nothing more than
metaphors, projections for the internal dispositions and psychological
states of people, especially those who think themselves afflicted by the
presence of such beings. However, Tomas gets a rude awakening to the
reality of the intersection between the natural and supernatural when
he's confronted by a possessed Casey inside the Rance family home.
But there is another side to Tomas, his old girl-flame, Jessica,
whom he still exchanges occasional letters with and whom is still in
love with him despite her status as a married woman. This leads to an
inevitable affair (both emotional and physical) with the matrimonially
dissatisfied Jessica, and, consequently, to a weakness in Tomas that can
ultimately be exploited by the demon he will confront when he decides
to help the Rance family. Tomas is also going rogue against Church
orders by aiding Casey without the permission of his superiors. But
despite all this, Tomas is a man of deep and abiding love for those whom
he cares and a man striving in his heart to be the quality priest he
believes God wants him to be. This makes him altogether a decent human
being worthy of his position even considering his failures.
Father Marcus
Father Marcus Keane
is the exorcist of the show, mimicking the experience and knowledge of
Lankester Merrin in the original movie. But more, Marcus is a man of
power and awesomeness on his own. My nickname for Marcus is "The
Punisher" because he's proven himself willing to go toe-to-toe with the
forces of darkness be they natural or supernatural. And he knows how to
win when he does! Marcus' background has made him ideally suited to be a
Catholic exorcist. Early in life was confronted with the truth of human
ugliness when he witnessed his own father murder his mother at the
tender age of seven years old. He killed his dad in retaliation and
self-defense but was orphaned as a result. The Church took Marcus in as a
ward and, later, secretly trained him to become an exorcist when he
showed the capacity to do so by confronting a demonically possessed man
at only 12 years of age! For the last forty years since, Marcus has
plied his trade from place to place, helping those who must be freed
from the horrific devastation of demonic control. There's more to Marcus
too. It's revealed in the show that Marcus is known to the fallen
angelic brotherhood as a priest to be regarded, even feared. They in
fact want Marcus with them and, in the past, have tried to tempt him to
join them on the other side, against God's order. So far Marcus has
resisted their siren song of treason against the Heavenly Father's
celestial authority.
Father Devon Bennett
Father Devon Bennett is
also a most intriguing character. The Prefect of Papal Outreach and
Security, Devon is a politician of refinement and education. He's adept
in different languages, diplomacy, negotiation, and he is a skilled
fighter able to handle himself against Satan's mortal minions in combat.
Devon is a hard fighting soldier who's faced the possessed before and
beaten them. He is the first besides Father Marcus to realize there is a
vast conspiracy underway to assassinate the reigning pope and destroy
the faith of millions in the process. Devon goes undercover of his own
recognizance to find the would-be perpetrators behind the plot and bring
them to justice. In the process, he is captured by the enemy and
tortured. He is even given the choice to die or become one of the
demonically possessed and serve the satanic brotherhood. But he does not
give in and survives to fight another day, and help keep his brothers
Marcus and Tomas honest. He is a scholar-warrior and a superb addition
to this group of staunch truth-seekers.
In our next installment on the new Exorcist TV series, more characters and a deeper look into the major plot themes of the series.
The "Coda" series are a separate section of The Talagxaon Particle storyline designed to chronicle minor character arcs and subsets of the main plot. In Punishment of Godwe continue the story of one of our primary heroes, Nadukwe Amenaci, as he battles the Shroud of Shadows in their scheme to create a powerful narcotic capable of addicting countless species across the Galaxy of Light.
Join me in celebrating the release of Punishment of Godand the continuation of our great science fiction serial, The Talagxaon Particle as we explore the high drama and themes of human existence and the upward reach of our species!
I chose to judge TFA based on its merits as a standalone movie, not as the first portion of a sequence. I've also never read the novelization, so I cannot judge that as a tie-in. And based upon those judgments I found the storyline woefully lacking in originality, consistency, and development. Whatever excuses were made by Jeffrey Jacob Abrams are, woefully, wanting and no longer deserve patience.
In fact, to sum up my thoughts on TFA, let's start with him.
J.J. Apologist
Abrams doesn't deserve any more of our trust, period!
I'm not backing off what I said about this dude. He's disappointed me too often to let him off the hook. Once again, as he did in true apologist fashion with Star Trek: Into Darkness, J.J. Abrams has taken to the Net to try and explain his screw-up with The Force Awakens. And the fact that he's done this punk move of trying to justify himself demonstrates that his mind is stricken to the quick with personal knowledge that he messed up, again.
I know he will never admit to this or apologize directly but can we say: Guilty conscience much, Abrams?
The bollocks is strong with this man as he spews nonsense about how it was necessary to take a step back in order to go forward, and how George Lucas himself derived Star Wars from other primary sources older than his take on the classic hero tales. Confoundit, Abrams, we know that! And it is more than acceptable that you would want to use classic hero archetypes/ideals in TFA. These archetypes are as old as the human species and stories encompassing them have been thousands of years in the making.
The critical difference is that, though these stories tell the same tale of the human experience - fundamentally because human nature has not changed - they do so with difference scenarios and different situations, different takes on the same origin themes.
What you did, Abrams, was copy almost to an instance, the same storyline, the same plot points, the same characters from a tale that you saw as a kid!
YOU PLAGIARIZED!
YOU STOLE!
Do not try to feed us garbage about going back to go forward. And don't do it again with Episode VIII!
Last Thoughts on the Lead Characters
Finn the Renegade
Ya don't need a lightsaber to be a badass dude, just attitude
I've already delved into a long analysis of the fellow, so I won't repeat. But I am still hoping that Finn is Force sensitive. If he is, maybe he doesn't necessarily become a Jedi? Perhaps instead he pursues an awareness and connection to the Force in another way? There are after all other non-Jedi Force sensitives in the galaxy who develop a connection to its essence without the formalities of Jedi immersion or indoctrination. However, if he is Force sensitive, I think it essential that he become a Jedi for the prestige and merit it will bestow upon him in the fan community. If he does not become a new member of the Order, then it is of essence that he be a strong sensitive, profoundly developing his abilities in such a way that bestows upon him high honor, status, and position. He should not become some galactic witch doctor or ignorant mystic, but respected, powerful, perhaps even feared. Either way, as stated previously, this chap needs some serious redemption. And he's got the stuff to make it happen. He's good looking, charming, funny. And contrary to his display in TFA, Finn's got guts for real. I can only hope that some (more really) of what I suggested in my diatribe on him gets incorporated into the upcoming movie.
Killer Kylo
Will Killer Kylo come back hard? We'll see.
Though I still believe Darth Maul would make Swiss cheese outta the guy and Darth Sidious would be embarrassed by him, one question does arise: Is Kylo Ren actually a Sith? You see my previous observation was based on the idea that the guy is a Sith, and as such, represented one of the sorriest of the bunch ever known to exist! Sith are intensely, even brutally trained, and as such generally are bereft of the kind of emotionalism and weakness which Ren showed. Because of that I called b.s. on his character development and didn't like how this man came off. However, Supreme Leader Snoke did intimate that he needed to complete Ren's training. So maybe there's room for a meritorious comeback, like Finn, if he's pulled off right next time. I'll leave his redemption as a villain of weight for VIII.
And for God's sake, elevate the man's level of dialogue. They don't have to get all Lord of the Rings on us here, but worthy villains deserve to be seen and heard. Some Shakespeareanism would do us all good.
Rey
Choose your path, young padawan.
This gal actually does have potential, and I don't dislike her; Rey's actually quite an interesting character and very easy to like. She's easy on the eyes too. I do, however, dislike how she was used to fit a gynocentric, feminist agenda. That said, this person can be a very entertaining and inspiring individual if developed properly in the next story. Hopefully we'll see a more complete personality instead of one crafted for feminist howlers to jump, shout, and scream, "Yahoo!" at. But, femitards, if Rey gets your panties wet, so be it. There's more than enough about her we don't know to satisfy everyone, I'm sure. That said, I'd really like to watch this individual struggle in the next film and earn the props she was simply given in number 7. Give her some Dark Side temptations to overcome, a better backstory than the easy out of being a Skywalker or a Solo orphan. Skip the Kenobi descendant stuff too. In fact, make her a PALPATINE if she has to be someone's descendant! Rey being Darth Sidious' granddaughter would be a very fine plot twist to cover ground with!
A More Mature Focus
As with Revenge of the Sith back in 2004 - which I'd hopedwould deliver a more mature story with a darker theme that brought out the dangers of the fall of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Order, and the Galactic Republic itself - so too did I wish to see a The Force Awakens that revealed to us the fact that it's a dangerous universe out there and not everything is going to be safe or pleasant. And when one is immersed in high drama - where the fate of entire star systems, planets, and a galaxy is on the line - people will die, blood will be spilled, planets will fall. Instead, in my opinion, while RotS reached for this goal, and it was without question George Lucas' aspiration, I got it, but I didn't quite feel it - which, again, is essential in high drama. Whether this was because of Lucas' direction or some other matter, I don't know. Nonetheless, I wished for an emotional satisfaction in the critical moments and was left quite literally wanting until the final lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the rocky crests of Mustafar. It was all on the line here, and you knew it! I only wish the rest of the story was as assertive in building up to this point.
Likewise, TFA left me with no critical moment to savor and no feeling of real danger. And by the way, what was up with John Williams' score? Did anyone else get a letdown here? I can't recall one theme or melody that stood out to me, aside from Rey's! As a thought: Was Williams' score so low-key and unmemorable because they are planning to replace him? After all, he is 83 years old and may not want to keep in this for the long haul too much longer. Are they easing the maestro out of our minds for a younger, fresher composer? Or perhaps, as we've already ventured to speak, the lion's share of this movie was just so unworthy that Maestro Williams was that uninspired.
No, Star Wars is not Shakespeare, but it is high space drama. In that sense, we, the audience, need to be swept along on emotional crests that demonstrate the tension and verity of the reach the characters struggle for. To that end, high dialogue and melodramatic acting, properly balanced, are essential. George Lucas understood this and strove for it, particularly in the prequels.
The perennial movies which have repeatedly demonstrated this in the modern cinema remain The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and have been unmatched by any cheap imitations thus far. The Clone Wars is a hefty Star Wars example to model, and Abrams can take some lessons from it.
Here Endeth the Critique
I realize my opinions are going to be in the minority, at least until the hype and excitement wears off and logic begins to prevail among some of you. Regardless, my thoughts stand. Star Wars 7 lacked passion, imagination, inspiration, and depth. Whatever one thinks of George Lucas and the original trilogy or the prequels, that is not what he gave us starting in 1977-2004. Lucas attempted something new, fresh, and more mature each time he went into Star Wars, especially during the prequel era; it was not Transformers amusement for teens made to blow 'em up, shoot 'em up, and sex 'em up. It was fun, certainly, but it addressed the great ideas of human existence, reaching for truth above idiocy. That Lucas fell down, or failed miserably in some estimations, is beside the point. But if he'd done with Episode VII what Abrams has the beatdown would have struck back hard, and rightly so.
What J.J. (Jar Jar) Abrams has given us is by far and away an inferior specimen. And the fact that he makes up excuses masquerading as reasons, the fact that he's trying to subtly walk it all back, should tell you something about the thought processes going on in his mind. Further, his track record to date should serve as a warning for future manifestations to come. If he has screwed up Star Trek, twice, and now screwed up Star Wars, what investment of trust should you reward him with SW8 and beyond? Seriously.
I truly wanted to like this movie, but alas I cannot give it the super positive ratings nor enthusiasm I'd originally invested it with. I will not even be interested in rushing out to buy a DVD copy unless it is at a supremely discounted price. SW7 has also made me far less enthusiastic to see the next movie. The fact that J.J. Abrams is only producing it is beside the point. Under his direction (and that of Kathleen Kennedy) a tone has been set. Is it absurd to think that such a tone will not continue in SW8? This suspicion can even be extended to the spin-off story, Star Wars: Rogue One set to premiere this December 2016. Whatever the future of this franchise is to bring, it will be up to fans to ensure that it is not de-evolved into a cesspool of political agendas, poor storytelling, and nostalgic rehashing of what has already gone before it. The story should push forward, breaking new ground just as George Lucas did with the first trilogy and at least attempted to do with the second. The story owes him and its fans that much. If it cannot or will not do so under Disney's stewardship then perhaps it is time for fans to do what they've been up to for some time now -- creating their own original (and quite frankly, superior) stories independent of the big film houses. We've shown them we can make stuff that appeals to us, written, produced, and directed by us... and with our own money. If Star Wars continues along its current course, we may have no choice but to go exactly that route.
Meanwhile we'll just have to see what happens in Episode VIII. I know this much however: I will not be rushing out to see number 8 after what I saw in TFA and will read spoilers, reviews, and YouTube videos by fans before spending one red cent to get in. I'm just that displeased.
Of course, the Subspace Meditator will continue his thoughtful meditations on speculative fiction and the upward reach of man with articles speaking to these high ideals at this blogspot. I'm currently working on a few new articles and will publish them once complete.
