"it's just Moses" (Weekly TV reviews)
Jan. 31st, 2026 08:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alchemicinkThis week: angsty yuri in Zeztz?! Also Eliza gets a visit from an old friend, and the Starfleet cadets argue about Klingons!
Title quote comes from the Miss Scarlet episode. It's a lovely little callback to season 1 that I was delighted to see in the episode!
Spoilers, as always, below:
Kamen Rider Zeztz (episode 19)
The plot thickens! We get some brief reveals in this episode about Baku and Nem. Baku's life had been manipulated into becoming an agent for CODE, and the Nightmares that torment people may be coming from Nem's subconscious.
It's heavy stuff for both of them, and they both have trouble accepting it at first. I'm intrigued by the twist because it adds another interesting layer of conflict. Things are as cut and dry as "us versus Nightmares" anymore. But I do think they both moved past it and got over it too quickly. (Or maybe it'll continue to quietly bug them in future episodes.)
The other thing I really enjoyed was Nasuka and Kureha (and not just for the angsty yuri potential currently happening). I really liked how the episode set up their friendship as something that was important in the past (and also within Kureha's dream) but going their separate ways fractured it. Now they're on two different paths heading in different directions. It's another plot thread the show has introduced that I am very interested in watching play out.
Almost 20 episodes into this series and I continue to enjoy it very much (and not just for the angsty yuri potential).
Miss Scarlet (season 6, episode 3)
The (temporary) return of my all-time favorite character in this show! Moses was introduced in episode one of the first season and remained until the end of season 3. He's one of Eliza's best allies, and is good at getting needed information and anything else she might need.
He's also the only person of color in the cast, so it was extra nice to see him on screen again in this episode.
This episode is different than the norm, as it's mostly told in flashback. And most of the action focuses on Moses and Clarence and Patrick Nash's "business associate" who is, of course, a con artist. The case centers around a giant diamond and was a bit predictable, except for the final reveal.
But, despite that, it was a fun episode. I especially enjoyed the interactions between Moses and Clarence. One who is always calm and collected working with someone who's always nervous about something. I liked the dynamic. After every setback, they kept pushing forward.
This episode even had a clearly defined theme: communication. Several parts of the plan around the diamond go awry thanks to some poor communicating. And, of course, in the end, Eliza was the only one who fully knew what was going on -- with Nash leaving Moses and Clarence in the dark. It's that last detail that sets up a bit of conflict we might see going forward: Inspector Blake is upset Eliza didn't tell him the truth about her trip.
It's a matter of trust. And this might be the thing that starts to put cracks in their relationship. Maybe... 🤔
Next week: Phelps is back for a guest appearance. He's no Moses, but I have sorta missed his crotchety old self.
Starfleet Academy (episode 4)
Favorite episode! It's gonna be hard for the rest of the season to top this one for me.
This is quintessential Star Trek to me. It's akin to episode 2 in that politics take center stage over heavy action. But this time it's Klingons instead of Betazoids as the focus. We learn more about what's happened to the Klingon Empire after The Burn. Essentially, they're dying out after the destruction of their planet. They withdrew from the Federation, and are now refusing help.
This would be interesting to me regardless, but I loved that this broader conflict was also reflected in what the cadets were doing in debate class. And Jay-Den is at the center of it all, giving him the spotlight to flesh out his character.
He is fascinating to me because he's so different from the usual Klingons, but still ultimately very Klingon. I'm glad we got to learn about his backstory here -- about his kind brother who understood him better than anyone, and his parents who set him free to become the person he wants to be. I got teary-eyed quite a few times.
But really, it was the framework of the episode -- the solving of problems through debate -- that made me the happiest. To me, that's what Star Trek's all about. Posing questions, posing potential solutions, and giving viewers much to think about long after the credits roll. I will be watching this one again as many times as I can!
On a sidenote: polyamorous Klingons?! This show is committed to giving me everything 💜
Title quote comes from the Miss Scarlet episode. It's a lovely little callback to season 1 that I was delighted to see in the episode!
Spoilers, as always, below:
Kamen Rider Zeztz (episode 19)
The plot thickens! We get some brief reveals in this episode about Baku and Nem. Baku's life had been manipulated into becoming an agent for CODE, and the Nightmares that torment people may be coming from Nem's subconscious.
It's heavy stuff for both of them, and they both have trouble accepting it at first. I'm intrigued by the twist because it adds another interesting layer of conflict. Things are as cut and dry as "us versus Nightmares" anymore. But I do think they both moved past it and got over it too quickly. (Or maybe it'll continue to quietly bug them in future episodes.)
The other thing I really enjoyed was Nasuka and Kureha (and not just for the angsty yuri potential currently happening). I really liked how the episode set up their friendship as something that was important in the past (and also within Kureha's dream) but going their separate ways fractured it. Now they're on two different paths heading in different directions. It's another plot thread the show has introduced that I am very interested in watching play out.
Almost 20 episodes into this series and I continue to enjoy it very much (and not just for the angsty yuri potential).
Miss Scarlet (season 6, episode 3)
The (temporary) return of my all-time favorite character in this show! Moses was introduced in episode one of the first season and remained until the end of season 3. He's one of Eliza's best allies, and is good at getting needed information and anything else she might need.
He's also the only person of color in the cast, so it was extra nice to see him on screen again in this episode.
This episode is different than the norm, as it's mostly told in flashback. And most of the action focuses on Moses and Clarence and Patrick Nash's "business associate" who is, of course, a con artist. The case centers around a giant diamond and was a bit predictable, except for the final reveal.
But, despite that, it was a fun episode. I especially enjoyed the interactions between Moses and Clarence. One who is always calm and collected working with someone who's always nervous about something. I liked the dynamic. After every setback, they kept pushing forward.
This episode even had a clearly defined theme: communication. Several parts of the plan around the diamond go awry thanks to some poor communicating. And, of course, in the end, Eliza was the only one who fully knew what was going on -- with Nash leaving Moses and Clarence in the dark. It's that last detail that sets up a bit of conflict we might see going forward: Inspector Blake is upset Eliza didn't tell him the truth about her trip.
It's a matter of trust. And this might be the thing that starts to put cracks in their relationship. Maybe... 🤔
Next week: Phelps is back for a guest appearance. He's no Moses, but I have sorta missed his crotchety old self.
Starfleet Academy (episode 4)
Favorite episode! It's gonna be hard for the rest of the season to top this one for me.
This is quintessential Star Trek to me. It's akin to episode 2 in that politics take center stage over heavy action. But this time it's Klingons instead of Betazoids as the focus. We learn more about what's happened to the Klingon Empire after The Burn. Essentially, they're dying out after the destruction of their planet. They withdrew from the Federation, and are now refusing help.
This would be interesting to me regardless, but I loved that this broader conflict was also reflected in what the cadets were doing in debate class. And Jay-Den is at the center of it all, giving him the spotlight to flesh out his character.
He is fascinating to me because he's so different from the usual Klingons, but still ultimately very Klingon. I'm glad we got to learn about his backstory here -- about his kind brother who understood him better than anyone, and his parents who set him free to become the person he wants to be. I got teary-eyed quite a few times.
But really, it was the framework of the episode -- the solving of problems through debate -- that made me the happiest. To me, that's what Star Trek's all about. Posing questions, posing potential solutions, and giving viewers much to think about long after the credits roll. I will be watching this one again as many times as I can!
On a sidenote: polyamorous Klingons?! This show is committed to giving me everything 💜
