Doctor Who: "Kill the Moon" was really good

I think "Kill the Moon" is the best episode of season 8 so far and this is why:

(Beware spoilers.)

1. Twelve did what the Doctor does best: help people be better versions of themselves.
Courtney now has a reason to believe she is special, and it's not just because the Doctor says so. Clara saves the planet and that's to her credit, because the Doctor wasn't around to lead or influence her.

2. Clara is better when she actually has stuff to do.
I like Jenna Coleman (where did the Louise go?), but until the last few episodes, she was kind of stuck in a rut. Clara gets repetitive making and cancelling plans with Danny. She follows the Doctor and acts as his moral compass, again and again. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with any of that, but for a while Clara felt stagnant. But tonight? We got to see her comfort Courtney. She had to explain human things to the Doctor, like why a young girl would feel scared when there are monsters on the moon. Clara was scared. Clara was angry. And it was great to watch.

3. Twelve keeps saying he is an alien.
I love that he made humans decide what to do about the moon. He isn't human, so it wasn't his place to decide. Clara depends on the Doctor too much, and he made it clear that sometimes he shouldn't get involved. He distances himself and it feels very Doctory. None of this trying to blend in with humans and needing them to accept him.

4. The yo-yo.
Such a simple way to test the gravity on the moon, and it's so much better than some bogus gadget that might have been in a different space show. The Doctor makes use of what he has and makes it work. I like that Twelve doesn't over-complicate things.

What did you think of the episode? Let me know.

The right book exactly, at exactly the right time

Last week, I wrote this on my other blog:

Ever have a TV show, movie, or book come into your life at exactly the right time? You experience the thing exactly when you need to and you slip back into a groove (when you didn’t even realize you had slipped out), and everything flows. Pieces click into place and everything feels right.

I don’t know how, but this work happens all by itself.

I was talking about Haven, which I have been catching up on and obsessing over, thanks to Netflix and a talented group of actors, writers, and everyone else who works on the show. But that bit of writing was also a reaction to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, which found me at about the same time as Haven.

Tonight I finished Penumbra. Check out the final paragraph:

The final line?

I never skip ahead in books, so tonight was the first time I turned to that page.

Whoa.

The best of what I read this week: work culture, social media tips, and stealing knowledge

Save Yourself From Burnout By Putting Your Overachiever Tendencies On Hold (Fast Company)

Your Kid's Summer Job Didn't Put Them On The Path To Success Like You Planned (Fast Co.Exist)

A little known hack from Japan to get your notebook organized (HighFive, via Austin Kleon)

25 Tips to Become a More Productive Blogger (Blog Clarity)

26 Creative Ways to Publish Social Media Updates (Social Media Examiner)

5 Simple Office Policies That Make Danish Workers Way More Happy Than Americans (Fast Co.Exist)

If You Want To Be Successful, Learn How To Steal (Medium)

Image source: Bicycle races are coming your way by Khánh Hmoong is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Like this post? Tweet about it.

The scariest thing about Kate Argent

(Spoilers for 4.11 "A Promise to the Dead")
A few things are unsettling about Kate Argent this season—her were-jaguar abilities, the Berserkers she controls, whatever she did to Derek—but the scariest thing she has done so far is turn Scott into a Berserker.

The scary part isn't that Kate turns Scott into a monster. We could say that Scott was physically a monster already, even if he chose not to hurt people with his werewolf abilities. The scary part is that Kate turns Scott into the polar opposite of what he wants to be. She shatters the heroic part of him, everything he has worked for and fought for, and she is calm about it, calculating. That gave me chills.

Worse, earlier in this episode, one of Satomi's werewolves talks to Liam about how amazing Scott is for earning the power to be a True Alpha, for his leadership, for the way he protects his friends. So just in case anyone in the audience hasn't been paying attention, we have these reminders of everything good in Scott McCall. Over four seasons of the show, we have seen Scott:

• Choose to use his power for good, over and over, even when others try to force him into violent situations.
• Lead others into action and give them hope, even when the odds are against them
• Give everyone a choice in getting involved with the supernatural world, and not judge them for choosing safety

Kate inverts all of that.

She forces Scott to become a Berserker and she controls what the Berserkers do. It seems like she will force him to fight his friends in the finale, so she takes away his power to decide what he does with his power and his desire to protect his friends.

The scariest thing is that Kate is able to unmake Scott the Alpha, turn him against his friends, and use him however she wants.

The Greatest American Hero is getting a reboot

The Greatest American Hero is getting a reboot and while I can understand why some people think the concept won't do well in modern times, I think it can work if the reboot sticks to the basic concepts of the original series.

A suit they don't know how to use
The twist in original show was that Ralph lost the instruction book to the suit, so he figured out how to use it by trial and error and, well, accidents. That idea can still work in an updated version—it's not much different from a superhero gaining powers and having to learn how to use them. In the original series, not knowing how to use the suit led to many comedic moments (including the running gag that Ralph couldn't land after flying). The updated series can use that, but not knowing how to use the suit can also lead to dramatic moments where the hero fails.

A government handler and a civilian with the suit
Bill and Ralph were a great team in the original series because they approached problems differently. Bill worked for the FBI and so he wanted procedures and scenarios for every situation. Ralph, a civilian teacher, wanted to help people without it being a big deal. He was even reluctant to get involved in some cases because he wasn't sure he was up to the task. That tension worked really well, both for stories and for character development.

Helping out with everyday problems
One of my favorite parts of the original series was that the crime stopping stayed local (to Los Angeles). The characters didn't face threats against the entire world, and that helped the series stay light. Every day wasn't a doomsday event, and that left opportunities to see who the characters were outside of solving crimes and figuring out the suit.

The reboot could also explore ideas that weren't explored much in the original series, including:

• Should the hero have an alter ego/secret identity?
• Are the hero and the FBI agent tempted to use the suit for themselves?
• Do these characters live in a world with superhero comics (and movies, TV shows), and does that influence what they do with the suit?

I'm interested to see how the reboot develops. With the success of so many superhero movies, I expect people will tune in. Hopefully the cast, writing, and direction of the show will encourage us to stick with it.

Weekend Roundup - August 23

Some things I've been reading and enjoying lately:

The Public Library Wants to be Your Office (Fast Company)

All the rest are on Medium:

• Succeeding on your own. Nate Kontny of Draft
• A Map of the Introvert’s Heart 
• I’ve been blogging for 8 freaking years. 
• This is your brain on mobile

And I finished reading Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. 

Same blog, new domain

Quick note to let you know that the URL for this blog is changing to http://www.mythicaltype.com.

Please update bookmarks. The RSS feed will stay the same. Blog will stay the same. :)