Avid Andrew - reviews

Sailing To Philadelphia

Avid Andrew — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 18:30:00 -0500

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Sailing to Philadelphia, let's look back on some of the stand out tracks from this classic Mark Knopfler album.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Far Beyond The Stars

Avid Andrew — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 18:50:00 -0500

Considered by many of the cast to be their favorite episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Far Beyond The Stars is a riveting story and masterpiece of science fiction. Let's explore the many different levels on which this episode works.

Star Trek: The Original Series - The City on the Edge of Forever

Avid Andrew — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:00:00 -0500

Profound and thought-provoking, above all else The City on the Edge of Forever is an exposé of the richness of James T. Kirk's character. Paradoxically, it also represents a great tragedy while at the same time Gene Roddenberry's optimistic vision of the future. Let's unpack this classic episode.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Inner Light

Avid Andrew — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 22:30:00 -0500

Arguably the best Star Trek episode of all time, The Inner Light is a masterpiece of science fiction, incorporating philosophical elements and a theme of inner growth. Let's dive into this brilliant story.

Doctor Who - The Hungry Earth and Cold Blooded

Avid Andrew — Fri, 30 May 2025 17:00:00 -0500

This two-parter from the Matt Smith era of Doctor Who features a compelling story, the return of the Silurians, and a call to bridge cultural divides and bring out the best in yourself and others.

The Orville - Twice in a Lifetime

Avid Andrew — Mon, 05 May 2025 19:00:00 -0500

Let's examine the Orville episode Twice in a Lifetime, a touching and emotional example of a Kobayashi Maru scenario.

Star Trek: Voyager - Tuvix

Avid Andrew — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:30:00 -0500

No matter which side of the great Tuvix debate you fall on, this season 2 episode of Star Trek: Voyager is a powerful, thought-provoking story.

Tracker

Avid Andrew — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 20:00:00 -0500

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of Tracker, Mark Knopfler's eight solo album, let's revisit some highlights from this complex, heartfelt record.

Star Trek: DS9 - Children of Time

Avid Andrew — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:30:00 -0600

DS9's Children of Time is a touching story of family, perseverance, growth, and sacrifice. Let's explore the core Star Trek principles it presents below.

In Defense of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Avid Andrew — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 08:45:00 -0600

There's been a lot of discussion online recently about the new Star Trek: Section 31 movie and re-assessing past Star Trek movies that weren't well-received in light of this latest addition to the franchise. Early reviews indicate that Section 31 fails to integrate the key ingredients of Star Trek, similar to the concerns I brought up about the Kelvinverse movies. Now, by comparison, past movies perceived as weak are actually pretty good. I'd like to focus specifically on Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and how it is, in fact, a good episode of Star Trek.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Series Review

Avid Andrew — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:00:00 -0600

Star Trek: Lower Decks concluded its 5-year run recently, cementing its place in Star Trek canon. Let's explore in more detail what made Lower Decks feel like top-tier Star Trek.

The Beauty in Star Trek: Unification

Avid Andrew — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:00:00 -0600

The beauty in Star Trek: Unification, a short film by The Roddenberry Archive, is not in the fancy de-aging CGI, but the exposition of a deep friendship that spans space, time, and the multiverse.

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac

Avid Andrew — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:30:00 -0500

I was blown away with the incredible authenticity, emotion, and energy that Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, a cover band officially endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself, brought to their performance. Not only did they deliver on the big hits, such as Go Your Own Way or Don't Stop, but they dug deep into Fleetwood Mac's rich catalog to perform some other less-well-known gems.

One Deep River

Avid Andrew — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0500

Filled with trains and deeply introspective, Mark Knopfler's new album, One Deep River, delivers another collection of songs in his wonderful, distinctive style. While there aren't as many stand-out tracks for me as Down The Road Whenever, the following highlights flow perfectly with his existing catalog.

The Unlikely Story of Michael Garibaldi

Avid Andrew — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:00:00 -0500

Against all odds, the story of Michael Garibaldi is one of hope and the possibility of happy endings. Although he may be most easily recognized for his role as Chief of Security, his friendship with Jeffrey Sinclair, or his great sense of humor (fasten-zip, peekaboo, etc), in fact his biggest lesson is to never give up trying for a better tomorrow. As we celebrate Babylon 5's 30th anniversary, let's explore what makes Mr. Garibaldi such a compelling character.

Star Trek: Picard Series Review

Avid Andrew — Mon, 08 May 2023 23:00:00 -0500

Star Trek: Picard ended its third and final season recently with a phenomenal conclusion that explored powerful themes and reaffirmed that the core values and ideas of Star Trek are once again present in modern Star Trek. Let's review each season and cover the major themes.

Return of the Dream Canteen

Avid Andrew — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 22:45:00 -0500

Fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers are graced with not one but two beautiful, rich albums in 2022 with the return of John Frusciante (and Rick Rubin). The overall theme I see in this new album is everyone performing at the top of their game. As is often the case with RHCP, the magic of these 4 musicians working together results in something incredible and greater than the sum of its parts. Read on for a full review of the album.

You Should Be Watching The Orville

Avid Andrew — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The Orville, Seth MacFarlane's homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation, is a phenomenal scifi show and I would highly recommend you check it out on Disney+. I'll outline some of the reasons why this show stands out below.

The Case For Q

Avid Andrew — Sat, 07 May 2022 23:00:00 -0500

With the season finale of Star Trek: Picard, we finally learn if Q is a friend or a foe. Let's review the case for Q as a friend of Jean Luc Picard, and reflect on John DeLancie's phenomenal performance in Farewell.

Unlimited Love

Avid Andrew — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0500

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album for quite awhile, and Unlimited Love thoroughly surpassed my expectations. Not only is this a new RHCP album, which is always exciting, but this one is imbued with extra quality, polish, and creativity. As Flea described it, "this is the best of us". Read on for a full review of the album.

And So It Begins... Again

Avid Andrew — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 22:15:00 -0500

JMS made a very surprising and exciting announcement yesterday (see the entire thread for additional details):

The original Babylon 5 was groundbreaking in many ways - the serialized 5-year story arc, the special effects, and the complex web of events and genres woven together. Moreover, JMS developed rich, 3-dimensional characters, many …

Q Returns

Avid Andrew — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 22:00:00 -0500

Watch on YouTube

In a stunning announcement yesterday, we learn that Q will be making a return in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard! This is certainly some good fortune! With this announcement, and the clear theme of time in the above trailer, I'd like to reflect on some possibilities …

Why I'm a Fan of Mark Knopfler's Music

Avid Andrew — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 23:00:00 -0600

There are many things I like about Mark Knopfler's work, both his solo albums as well as Dire Straits:

Personal Geography

The way he weaves memories from his own life (even seemingly mundane things) brings a personal connection to his music. For example, taking the train in Southbound Again, remembering …

Star Trek: Picard

Avid Andrew — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 23:20:00 -0500

Throughout the past decade, in 2013, 2015, and 2018, I've written about what I believe to be the core of Star Trek and how a new series should carry on this important legacy. I am thrilled to report that Star Trek: Picard has fulfilled and surpassed these expectations. Let's explore …

Down The Road Wherever

Avid Andrew — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 14:30:00 -0600

Mark Knopfler's latest solo album, Down The Road Wherever (YouTube), is perhaps his best work since Shangri-La. His other recent albums (even including Get Lucky, which I reviewed here), have felt too folky for my taste and lacked hints of Dire Straits rock. Down The Road Wherever reduces the folk …

A Successful New Star Trek Series - Updated

Avid Andrew — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 15:30:00 -0500

Here's his full statement:

Introduction

Sir Patrick Stewart's recent announcement at the Star Trek: Las Vegas Convention that Jean-Luc Picard will be returning in a new series is stunningly wonderful news. As I wrote back in 2015, there are several important qualities that I believe will make the next chapter …

A Royal Conclusion

Avid Andrew — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 23:00:00 -0500

I've really enjoyed watching Royal Pains over the last eight years, but it took seeing the finale to be able to really articulate why I like it so much: all of the characters give, and through their giving they receive what they need. For example, Hank helped so many people …

A Successful New Star Trek Series

Avid Andrew — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 22:45:00 -0600

Title image captured by NASA

Introduction

As you have probably heard, CBS announced that a new Star Trek series will premiere in January 2017! This is very exciting news for Star Trek fans, as Enterprise has been off the air for 10 years now. However, with this opportunity comes great …

The Fantastic Star Trek Lit Universe

Avid Andrew — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 20:15:00 -0500

Introduction

Ever since Star Trek Enterprise went off the air, there has been a void, a lack of new Star Trek TV or movies available to fans. The NuTrek films (the 2009 Star Trek reboot and subsequent movies set in an alternate universe) do not count, because although they are …

This Is What's Missing From JJ Abram's Star Trek

Avid Andrew — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 22:52:00 -0500

Watch this clip on YouTube

I'm thrilled that Star Trek has returned to the big screen and that JJ Abrams has helped increase its popularity amongst mainstream viewers. This is very important to the franchise in order to attract new fans and continue to grow and produce new Star Trek …

Star Trek Destiny

Avid Andrew — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:57:00 -0600

Image Source

Warning: this article contains spoilers from Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek: Voyager, and some minor spoilers from Star Trek Destiny.

I recently finished this 3-part Star Trek series by David Mack, which converges stories from Star Trek The Next Generation, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise. Macks' story blends these …

2011 - The Year of The Linux Desktop

Avid Andrew — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:41:00 -0600

Every year, members of the Linux community debate this question - will this be the year of the Linux desktop? Each passing year results in the same answer to this question - not yet. I think that 2011 is going to mark the end of this trend and see the beginning of a rise in use of Linux on the desktop because of several new and exciting projects.

Doctor Who - The Big Bang

Avid Andrew — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:08:00 -0500

It was definitely a heartfelt ending. I was skeptical to say the least of Matt Smith being able to fill David Tennant's shoes as The Doctor, but he has really done a superb job, especially with the 2nd half of the season. He brings a totally new element to The …

James Callis Moves to Eureka

Avid Andrew — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:31:00 -0500

I have to admit, I wasn't very excited about the return of Eureka this season. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great scifi show and really some of the best content on TV. I just wasn't in a rush or overly excited to start in on this …

Sanctuary - Sleepers

Avid Andrew — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:51:00 -0600

Another excellent episode of Sanctuary. I am continually impressed by the rich mythology of this show. After the exploration of the Ancients and their history in the Stargate franchise, I really began to appreciate how well those shows weaved their mythology together. However, I have been even more impressed with …

Sanctuary - Veritas

Avid Andrew — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:11:00 -0600

What a fantastic episode of scifi. This week on Sanctuary brought a suspenseful and fast paced thriller to this already great series.

WARNING: the following review contains spoilers for the season 2 episode Veritas. After the nice character development for Henry last week, this episode was a refreshing fast-paced mystery …

Get Lucky

Avid Andrew — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:57:00 -0500

Mark Knopfler's latest offering doesn't disappoint. Throughout both the Dire Straits years as well as his solo career, Mark has always shyed away from the pop sound in favor of rich imagery and sound. Get Lucky is no exception. Right from the title track, Mark's unique style of weaving a …