Do even the worst train wrecks have something good to take from them? We will find out as Chris, Oren, and returning guest Graham sort through a long list of awful stories looking for the slightest gems. Sometimes it’s a character that’s better than the story they’re in. Sometimes it’s one scene that feels like it was written by a completely different author. Sometimes it’s just a single joke that makes us laugh in the midst of a movie that’s putting us to sleep. Will we find something good in a story you hated? Listen to find out.
Show Notes
- A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth Book 1) by Piers Anthony
- Bleach
- Supernatural
- The Shannara Chronicles
- Lost
- Interstellar (2014)
- The Last Colony by John Scalzi
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An example I’d throw in is from Lost Girl, which gets a lot of stick round here. But two props it deserves are a truly bisexual protagonist (not gay enough to titilate, but straight when it counts) – and said protagonist’s best friend being as deep and important a love as any of her romantic pairings. (The best friend is also unfeasibly awesome).
I’m curious if you confused The Martian with Interstellar. You spoke about Matt Damon, but he wasn’t in Interstellar.
Also, The Last Colony did have the background political machinations as a central part of the story, but also it showed how “regular” folks got the better of the conniving human conglomerate wanting to play games with people’s lives. It appeared mischaracterized in your discussion.
There are a few flaws there in the logic, but the action and plot were consistent with the earlier books, including the alien who wanted to unite the races; he was undermined by some of his own people. Zoe’s Tale is just a retelling of the Last Colony from a different viewpoint. The books and stories after Lost Colony/Zoe’s Tale went downhill pretty quick as many of the premises broke down. A good example of a good idea going too far.
Matt Damon was actually in Interstellar; he played Dr. Mann (the scientist on the ice planet).