Disc Reviews

The first season without Peter Quinn. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I had planned to give the show up after Rupert Friend left, similar to how I gave up NCIS after DiNozzo’s exit. The Peter Quinn character has been an essentially part of the cast since the second season and filled the huge hole left behind by Damian Lewis’ exit. Not to mention the dynamic between Carrie and Peter was a driving force for the show, as well as realistic example of the division of love and duty. I just expected to find this season lacking, and though his presence is noted, Homeland continues to be one of the top shows of the spy genre. Homeland Season 7 delivers another thrilling experience .

This season picks up where the last season left off. Carrie has resigned her post at the White House. Now on the outside and without the vast resources she once possessed, she faces issues as she actively works to secure the release of the 200 intelligence community members under the orders of President Keane, while simultaneously trying to prove misconduct on the part of the President and her staff. Meanwhile Kean is calling for General McClendon (Robert Knepper)’s execution for his role in last season’s events and is disappointed when he receives life in prison instead.

By Chris Cook

For Baby Boomers, Saturdays in the 60’s and early 70’s meant a bowl of cereal, Saturday morning cartoons, and the Banana Splits. Hanna-Barbera Productions gave us these four silly creatures for fun and entertainment. They were an answer to the Monkees. The characters were developed for Hanna-Barbera by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft, who later became famous for H.R. Pufnstuf. Fleegle, Drooper, Bingo and Snorky were whimsical and fun, bordering on psychedelia. The Banana Splits Show lasted 31 episodes but went on to syndication until 1982. Every episode consisted of a “meeting” of the Banana Splits Club. Their brightly colored set was the clubhouse. They would frolic in their harmless, nonsensical fun at their crazy “clubhouse” in the studio as well as out in public. Along with the usual festivities were comedy skits and songs.

"This is going to hurt ... a lot!"

If you are at all familiar with the NCIS franchise, you know that the show tends to follow a bit of a formula. Each spinoff has some unique style aspects, but the episodes tend to be relatively self-contained. That means you can start with Season 5 of NCIS: New Orleans and still be able to appreciate most of what's going on. You'll get to know and understand the characters pretty quickly. The franchise has leaned more toward continuous story arcs of late, and NCIS: New Orleans does that more than the others. So while you could certainly enjoy this release on its own, I still recommend you go back and catch up on the first four seasons just to get caught up and maximize your enjoyment. The good news is that we can help you with that. You don't have to wade through 10 years of Jag, 17 years of NCIS and 9 years of NCIS: L.A., although that might be one heck of a fun binge. Just catch up on the first four seasons of this show and you'll be ready to go. You can check out those reviews here.

In case you missed it, ever since Disney acquired the Star Wars property they have been milking it for all it is worth.  For kids (and some adults), this has been something to be excited about.  I’ve seen some pros as well as cons since the acquisition took place, and really, I don’t know if I’ll fully make up my mind any time soon considering we still have another Star Wars film coming out in December as well as the live action series The Mandalorian coming to the Disney streaming service soon.  I want to be excited, but after seeing The Last Jedi, I’m a bit nervous.  It was a film I was excited about, one helmed by a writer and director I have a lot of respect for, but I hated that film, something I never thought I’d feel towards a franchise that is near and dear to my heart.  I bring all this up because the first season of Star Wars: Resistance is geared towards kids but also takes place during the events of The Last Jedi.  What I can happily say is that despite a shaky start, the first season of Star Wars: Resistance tickled the kid inside me who first fell in love with the series so many years ago.

When the series opens up we meet a young Resistance pilot, Kazuda “Kaz” Xiono (voiced by Christopher Sean) as he is helping pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) get out of a scrap.  Poe is impressed and decides to recruit Kaz to be a spy for the Resistance on the ocean planet Castilon. There Kaz will have to blend in as a mechanic on a refueling station known as the Colossus.  Basically the Colossus is somewhat of a neutral zone where pilots from all over the galaxy can fuel up and enjoy some races.  To be fair, a good portion of the first season is about the pilots and the mechanics on the Colossus; on this planet it seems everyone has the need for speed and claims to be the best pilot in the galaxy.  These storylines in the first portion of the series are hit-or-miss, and to be honest, I was worried where this show was going. After all, we already have seen a Star Wars show with mechanics; was there really a demand for another?

For nine years Blue Bloods has been a staple on CBS, giving Tom Selleck a chance to completely redefine his television career. The once cocky and carefree Magnum P.I. now has established himself as the wise patriarch. It's a transition that a 1970's audience would never have bought. But now he's become a new kind of airwaves icon. The show has also managed to make it through eight years with very little change in the cast, and most of that coming from additions. This season is the first for the show to lose one of the major players and a rather beloved character on the show. Instead of making the season weaker, I think this might well be one of the strongest yet for the series.

Each week there is the traditional case-of-the-week format. The cases get played out pretty much the way a normal cop show might play, and then there is the family dynamic. Cases may cause friction and stress between the family members. Here is where the performances and strong characters make this a very different show from the rest of the police dramas out there. There's just enough of the mythology arc to keep things interesting. The stories are usually standalone, and you will enjoy this slightly different take on the cop show.

When you guys try to destroy the world, it’s just an error in judgement. But when it’s one of us, it’s lock them up and throw away the key.”

For years now, the only thing my daughter has had to talk about is Descendants. I’ve had to endure the movies; I’ve had to buy the memorabilia. She has even had a Descendants-themed birthday party. So, we can go into this review knowing that good or bad, this film was going to have the Nalyce stamp of approval. Bias, I know, but fortunately we can depend on me to go into the film with my eyes open. Of the three films, this is quite possibly my favorite of the franchise, as it speaks real truth, especially the quote above. That line was spoken by one of the film’s newest addition, the King of the Underworld himself, Hades, who is also a significant character for one of the original cast. I also believe that this addition was the franchise’s most successful film, though that success is marred by the tragic demise of a member of the original cast, Cameron Boyce, who plays Carlos. With his passing, this may also mean the end of the franchise that has become a staple of the modern-day Disney Channel.