Well, it had to happen at some point: a dud in a season of pretty solid hits. I almost feel bad writing this, as I love the series so much that even a weak episode in the lot is still better than a lot of shows at their best, but I can’t say I enjoyed […]
Tag: Star Trek
Strange New Worlds – A Space Adventure Hour Review
Well that was a fun palette cleanser after a couple of rounds of heavier stuff. Although I suspect the burgeoning relationship between Spock and La’an will have some segments of the fanbase (namely, those who are full-on Spock-Chapel and/or La’an-Kirk shippers) up in arms. Personally, while I would rather have our main characters not dealing […]
Strange New Worlds – Shuttle to Kenfori Review
I didn’t love this episode. While it offered some key pieces of character development for three of our characters (despite still only being a guest star – or, perhaps a recurring character – Captain Batel is getting a heck of a lot of screen time), the episode felt a bit muddled at times in how […]
Strange New Worlds – Wedding Bell Blues Review
Everything can benefit from having Rhys Darby. And boy, did this outing from Strange New Worlds absolutely soar with his addition to the proceedings as Trelane, a trickster character from The Original Series that we now know – thanks to a delightful voice over appearance from John de Lancie – is officially a part of […]
Strange New Worlds – Hegemony Part Two Review
When you end a season on a cliffhanger and then wait so long to release the next season that the season after that one starts production, it becomes hard to hide whether or not certain characters make it through the resolution of said cliffhanger alive and mostly well. And when you release a trailer that […]
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season Three Review
After two years in stasis, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back for its third season. And, just to give you a taste of how long it’s been off the air, in that time the series has started filming its fourth season (several months ago, in fact) and been renewed for a fifth – and […]
It’s time for… some piracy!: Examining fictional pirates in animation
Earlier this month, there was news that a new spinoff sequel of Steven Universe was in production, entitled Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars. Animation Magazine described protagonist Lars Barriga as an “eternal teenager and space outlaw.” It said that the series will follow him “and his pirate crew” as they “smuggle contraband, evade the authorities, and […]
Star Trek: Section 31 Review
If you don’t know who Emperor Philipa Georgiou is and you never watched a minute of the pre-32nd century episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, then I can pretty confidently say that Section 31 is not the film for you. While the film does offer a pretty quick rehash on Georgiou’s history (as well as some […]
Top Ten TV Shows of 2023
It’s that time of year again. The temperature is dropping, the days are growing shorter, and 2023 is drawing to a close. Which can only mean one thing: It’s time for Pop Culture Maniacs’ annual TV Top Ten list! This year in television was a tumultuous one, as it was for all of Hollywood, with […]
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 Spoiler-Filled Review
Star Trek: Lower Decks is a mature animation which combines elements of the adventure, comedy, and sci-fi genres. Series creator Mike McMahan is known as a co-creator of Solar Opposites, a producer on Rick and Morty and as a consulting producer on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. This is the ninth series in the Star […]










