Flashman85

Graph of TNG Season 4 episode scores. Average is 3.77. Asterisks (*) indicate an episode where diplomacy saves the day (at least in part). "The Best of Both Worlds II" 4 "Family" 5 "Brothers" 4 "Suddenly Human" 2 * "Remember Me" 4 "Legacy" 4 * "Reunion" 5 "Future Imperfect" 4 * "Final Mission" 3 "The Loss" 4 * "Data's Day" 5 * "The Wounded" 5 * "Devil's Due" 3 * "Clues" 3 * "First Contact" 4 * "Galaxy's Child" 3 "Night Terrors" 4 "Identity Crisis" 2 * "The Nth Degree" 3 "Qpid" 5 "The Drumhead" 3 * "Half a Life" 4 * "The Host" 4 * "The Mind's Eye" 4 "In Theory" 3 "Redemption I" 4 *

Thoughtful and creative stories abound in Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG).

It's tough to maintain any objectivity with my totally subjective scores at this point; ultimately, I'm just glad to spend more time with these characters. My mental pathways have become accustomed to them.

Screencap of Captain Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation, on the bridge, wearing his first-season uniform, seen from the chest up. Photo via Memory Alpha: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jean-Luc_Picard

As I rewatch Star Trek: The Next Generation, it's increasingly apparent how much of a role model Captain Picard has been to me.

He helped teach me how to embrace differences, stand up for what I believe in, change hearts and minds with words, be a good boss, be a good friend. And how to enjoy tea.

OH JOES! (A Proto Man Adventure): FULL GAME, No Damage, Kalinka on Difficult [Single Segment] YouTube video by Fox In Yellow Socks

I wanted to share a special treat: a no-damage playthrough of the Mega Man fangame I made, featuring the secret character. Be sure to read the video description, too!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-R5...

A ★★★★ review of Roy Wood Jr.: Lonely Flowers (2025) Why I watched: My wife and I enjoy stand-up comedy, and we liked what we'd seen from Roy Wood Jr. What I liked: I appreciate when my entertainment does more than just entertain, so I loved how the hum...

Need a laugh that also makes you think? Let me recommend Lonely Flowers, a comedy special from Roy Wood Jr.

Here's a short(-ish) review, for once!

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

Screenshot of the Wily Tower map in Mega Man 8, with a path drawn across the front of a mechanical tower floating over a sea of lava.

WOW. Amazing progress tonight on practicing MM8.

I'd been stuck for a couple weeks on merely *surviving* Wily 1 (you know, the SLEDDING stage). Then I decided to try *even harder* to show off.

Which somehow made the stage...almost easy?

I'm never playing it the normal way again.

Onto Wily 2!

Graph of TNG Season 3 episode scores. Average is 3.73. Asterisks (*) indicate an episode where diplomacy saves the day (at least in part). "Evolution" 4 * "The Ensigns of Command" 3 * "The Survivors" 3 * "Who Watches The Watchers" 3 * "The Bonding" 5 * "Booby Trap" 4 "The Enemy" 5 * "The Price" 3 * "The Vengeance Factor" 4 * "The Defector" 3 * "The Hunted" 3 * "The High Ground" 2 * "Deja Q" 4 * "A Matter of Perspective" 4 * "Yesterday's Enterprise" 5 * "The Offspring" 3 * "Sins of The Father" 5 * "Allegiance" 3 * "Captain's Holiday" 4 "Tin Man" 3 "Hollow Pursuits" 4 "The Most Toys" 3 "Sarek" 5 * "Ménage à Troi" 4 * "Transfigurations" 3 * "The Best of Both Worlds I" 5

It's official: Season 3 of The Next Generation (TNG) is now the highest-rated TV season of my Star Trek rewatch project. Cue the celebratory mariachi band.

This is where TNG hit its stride, refining its aesthetic, setting a new quality standard, and honoring old Trek without trying to replicate it.

A ★★ review of Scarlet (2025) Why I watched: Apparently, my wife and I thought that a Hamlet-inspired story about death and revenge was appropriate fare for Valentine's Day. But really, we get out as often as we can to watch anime...

One reason why I write Letterboxd reviews is to help people decide what to watch. My ratings only reflect my personal enjoyment; what matters is whether your (dis)likes align with mine.

Mamoru Hosoda's latest film, Scarlet, was not for me. But it might be for you!

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

A ★★ review of The Thursday Murder Club (2025) Why I watched: My wife and I enjoy murder mysteries, and the cast caught our attention. What I liked: The Knives Out meets A Man on the Inside premise. Certain elements of the mystery. The character d...

A funny murder mystery with a loaded cast and a director whose work I've enjoyed? Of *course* The Thursday Murder Club was going on my watchlist. Here's a review to dissuade you from putting it on yours:

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

Screenshot of Mega Man 8, Wily Stage 1. Mega Man is on a sled over a pit summoning meteors using Astro Crush.

No stream today after all, but hopefully soon. I'm still advancing some other Mega Man projects today, though...

No promises, but...I might try to livestream a couple Mega Man fangames this Sunday afternoon? Watch this space.

Graph of TNG Season 2 episode scores. Average is 3.18. Asterisks (*) indicate an episode where diplomacy saves the day (at least in part). "The Child" 1 "Where Silence Has Lease" 1 * "Elementary, Dear Data" 4 * "The Outrageous Okona" 3 * "Loud As A Whisper" 3 * "The Schizoid Man" 3 * "Unnatural Selection" 3 "A Matter Of Honor" 5 * "The Measure Of A Man" 5 * "The Dauphin" 3 * "Contagion" 3 "The Royale" 2 "Time Squared" 3 "The Icarus Factor" 4 "Pen Pals" 4 "Q Who" 4 * "Samaritan Snare" 4 "Up The Long Ladder" 2 * "Manhunt" 3 "The Emissary" 5 * "Peak Performance" 4 "Shades of Gray" 1

Season 2 of The Next Generation (TNG) replaces Crusher (one of my favorite main cast members) with Pulaski (my least favorite), and yet it still surpasses Season 1.

Average scores for this Star Trek project have been a LOT closer than expected, so we're using two decimal places now. We are smart.

logo

GOOD! MORNING! MEGA MAN! :D
—FAN-FARE—

is burnout over? am I ready to get back to regular morning streaming? with a guest, maybe?? let's find out as I get closer to that Make A Good Mega Man Level 3 100% completion!

drop on by and say hi, I missed y'all <3
www.twitch.tv/zandravandra

A ★ review of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) Why I watched: My dad wanted to see this when it first came out, and although I'd never had any interest in the Apes reboot movies before, I thought the trailer for this one looked interesting. We nev...

Over a year ago, I spent a few days catching up on the Planet of the Apes reboot movies specifically so that I could watch the latest one: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Wes Ball.

With this review, I am DONE with this series. What a wonderful day!

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

Title screen of Mega Man Relay, with the game name in the traditional Mega Man title style, with options below for GAME START, OPTIONS, CREDITS, and EXIT, with a starfield backdrop.

I'm excited to share the long-awaited release of Mega Man Relay!

Joining the ranks of Mega Man Endless, OH JOES!, and most of the MaGMML series is another fangame with levels perpetrated by yours truly.

Expect a livestream once it's had a couple weeks to breathe. :)

gamejolt.com/games/mega-m...

Graph of TNG Season 1 episode scores. Average is 3.04. Asterisks (*) indicate an episode where diplomacy saves the day (at least in part). "Encounter at Farpoint" 4 "The Naked Now" 3 "Code of Honor" 2 "The Last Outpost" 2 * "Where No One Has Gone Before" 3 "Lonely Among Us" 3 "Justice" 2 * "The Battle" 4 "Hide And Q" 3 * "Haven" 4 * "The Big Goodbye" 2 "Datalore" 2 "Angel One" 4 * "11001001" 5 "Too Short A Season" 1 * "When The Bough Breaks" 2 * "Home Soil" 4 * "Coming of Age" 4 "Heart of Glory" 3 * "The Arsenal of Freedom" 5 * "Symbiosis" 1 * "Skin Of Evil" 5 * "We'll Always Have Paris" 3 "Conspiracy" 4 "The Neutral Zone" 1 *

We've finally arrived in the 24th century, my favorite era of Star Trek.

People will tell you that Season 1 of The Next Generation (TNG) is not very good. Those people are ugly giant bags of mostly water.

Sure, there are rough edges. But it's reverent toward old Trek while boldly going new places.

One of my favorite things in video games is to discover something new on a replay. For the players who *didn't* notice the first time around, you've just saved them a little treat for later. :D

Slightly diminish a game

Kirby & the Pretty Nifty Mirror
Mega Man: The Wily Scuffles
Mario & Luigi: B-List Celebrity Saga
Preowned Super Mario Bros. Wii
LEGO Star Wars: The Video

A ★★ review of The Secret Agent (2025) Why I watched: The trailer looked interesting, I'm a sucker for '70s period pieces, and I'm always up for getting exposure to more international cinema. What I liked: Everything about the look and fee...

My first exposure to the work of director Kleber Mendonça Filho—and I think it's my first Brazilian film, too—was not the transformative experience everyone else seems to be reporting.

Here's a review of The Secret Agent, from one of the very few who didn't like it:

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

Mega Man goals for 2026:

1. Finally record that MM8 playthrough for YouTube
2. Add manual subtitles to my YouTube playthroughs
3. Finish the remaining MaGMML3 replay videos
4. Resume fangame livestreams

I'm done waiting for the stars to align. I'm setting aside time every week to do *something*.

3.00 is textbook "baseline for what I expect from Trek", which reinforces that my scoring system does what I want it to!

Number of episodes was the tiebreaker, but I'm finding a straight 3/5 is the more comfortable watch in the short term, and yo-yo scores are the seasons I remember more fondly.

Star Trek ratings, presented in the visual style of an LCARS display. A title bar says "STAR TREK RATINGS", and listed below are the average score, series/season, and number of episodes/movies. Each series is color-coded. 4.33 TOS Movies (6 movies) 3.48 ENT 4 (21 episodes) 3.24 ENT 1 (25 episodes) 3.10 TOS 1 (30 episodes) 3.00 TOS 2 (26 episodes) 3.00 ENT 3 (24 episodes) 3.00 TAS 2 (6 episodes) 2.79 TOS 3 (24 episodes) 2.75 TAS 1 (16 episodes) 2.73 ENT 2 (26 episodes)

Rewatching ALL of Star Trek in chronological in-universe order has been a fascinating treat so far.

Before I boldly go to the 24th century, let's look back at the scores so far. They're extremely close!

Reminder that I'm keeping the Discoverse separate, and this doesn't count the ENT finale yet.

Graph of TOS movie scores. Average is 4.3. Asterisks (*) indicate a movie where Earth is in danger. The Motion Picture 5 * The Wrath of Khan 4 The Search for Spock 4 The Voyage Home 5 * The Final Frontier 3 The Undiscovered Country 5

Now that all the reviews have been posted, how about a graph?

The six movies that followed off of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) were a high point of my franchise rewatch—collectively, they are far and away the highest-rated "season" yet.

Next up is my all-time favorite. Onto TNG!

Whoops, this was generated before my *actual* Last Watch was recorded. I figured that might happen, so here's what it looked like originally:

A ★★★★★ review of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Why I watched: This was part of a rewatch of the ENTIRE Star Trek franchise. What I liked: Everything I like about this era of Trek is at its peak here, and it's a fitting sendoff for this crew we've ...

For decades, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country has been my undisputed favorite Trek movie.

Pitting the theatrical cut against The Motion Picture in 4K Ultra HD, that title may now be in dispute. Versions are weird.

Either way, I still love this movie. A review:

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

GeminiLaser Hi, I'm Nathaniel Hoover, AKA GeminiLaser, AKA Flashman85. I record playthroughs of the official Mega Man games for this channel, and I occasionally record videos for other channels that end up in pla...

Have you checked out the other playlists on my channel? I know they're not exactly the same thing, but "Livestreams I've Done" and "Videos for Other Channels" alone have over 250 videos to watch, and there's a ton of Mega Man in there.

www.youtube.com/@GeminiLaser...

Flashman85’s 2025 Letterboxd Summary A short summary of Flashman85’s 2025 activity on Letterboxd.

Letterboxd just informed me that my 2025 Year in Review is ready, so I figured I'd share. I absolutely love the pairing of first and last watch.

letterboxd.com/flashman85/y...

I had every intention of using my holiday break to get some MM8 recording done. The break did not go as anticipated.

I'm working out a plan to make sure I actually get some recording done this year, and soon. Watch this space.

A ★★★ review of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Why I watched: This was part of a rewatch of the ENTIRE Star Trek franchise. What I liked: While the things I like about this era of Trek are present to some extent (the music being a major highlight)...

Each Trek fan hides a secret pain. It must be exposed and reckoned with. Share your pain... Share Star Trek V with me and gain strength from it.

The Final Frontier, directed by William Shatner, may not be the popular favorite, but it's an outing I enjoy. A review:

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

A ★★★★★ review of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Why I watched: This was part of a rewatch of the ENTIRE Star Trek franchise. What I liked: All the usual stuff that I love about this era of Trek, but especially the humor (I know whales aren't fish, ...

The fan-favorite fourth installment of Star Trek on the big screen delivers basically everything I want in a movie: whales, pizza, and Sulu flying a helicopter.

Here's a review of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home:

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...

A ★★★★ review of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) Why I watched: This was part of a rewatch of the ENTIRE Star Trek franchise. What I liked: Aside from everything I generally enjoy about this era of Star Trek? I love how this movie gets back in touch...

Rewatching Star Trek III: The Search for Spock made me appreciate just how much of The Original Series spirit director Leonard Nimoy brought to it.

This installment introduces so many things I love, from the Excelsior to Sulu's fashionable capelet. Here's a review!

letterboxd.com/flashman85/f...