The War Doctor Turns 74: Today In Science & Science Fiction
By virtue of playing the ill-fated Kane in Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi/horror classic Alien, actor John Hurt’s place in the sci-fi pantheon was assured. That’s hardly the only genre role he’s taken over the years, appearing in the 1984 movie adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984, Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs (parodying his infamous bit of indigestion in Alien), and in 2005’s V for Vendetta, to name a few. None of those later roles are nearly as iconic as his Alien bit, but last year he finally played a character that could give Kane a run for his money: a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor — called the War Doctor — who fought in, and decisively ended, the time war. He shared the 50th anniversary spotlight with the past two Doctors, David Tennant and Matt Smith, and in the process created a fascinating and sympathetic bit of lore that made the world of Doctor Who that much richer.
Today Hurt celebrates his 74th trip around the sun, and we here at GFR wish him a happy one. We never would have realized how much we wanted to see John Hurt mock David Tennant for saying “timey wimey,” but now we can’t imagine our lives without it. Here’s to you, sir, just stay clear of any weird-looking eggs.
Today on Television
Revolution (NBC, 8/7c) — “Captain Trips”
When Gene (Stephen Collins) decides to assist the town of Willoughby, Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) and Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) feel compelled to help too as Miles (Billy Burke) and Monroe (David Lyons) continue to join forces in order to survive.
The Tomorrow People (The CW, 9/8c) — “Rumble”
Stephen (Robbie Amell) and his fellow Ultra trainees are given a test by Jedikiah (Mark Pellegrino) to see who is worthy of becoming an Ultra agent, but not everyone is happy to work as a team. Cara (Peyton List) is faced with a mysterious visitor from her past. Russell (Aaron Yoo) is sent on a dangerous recon mission that could force a clash between Tomorrow People groups. Meanwhile, John (Luke Mitchell) works with a new break-out.
Today in Comics
Battlestar Galactica #7 (Dynamite Entertainment)
The beginning of a staggering – and terrifying — new story arc. The Galactica leads the fleet into an uncharted storm zone to escape the Cylons, but what dark secrets await them there? Are the dreams the Colonial crews start experiencing genuine dreams of the lost colony Earth, or nightmares of something very different?
Judge Dredd #15 (IDW Publishing)
‘Badges, part 2.’ With Judges being assassinated at an alarming rate, and chaos breaking out in various blocks, Dredd is more determined than ever to find the killer — a former Judge who went insane about being cloned and incarcerated.
But the case draws Dredd into the crosshairs of the Special Judicial Squad, who think he’s to blame for all the troubles of late.
If you think the Dredd plays rough, wait until you meet the skull-cracking sadists of the SJSÖ the Judges who judge the Judges!
Judge Dredd: Mega-City Two #1 (IDW Publishing)
In the year 2094, a secret mission puts Dredd behind the wheel of a Lawcruiser in Mega-City Two, the West Coast megalopolis that sprawls around what was once Los Angeles. And he’s about to discover that the rules — and the laws — are very different in a city where image is everything…
Mass Effect: Foundation #7 (Dark Horse)
When elite Cerberus agents are ordered to capture a powerful and dangerous rogue biotic, they are completely unprepared for the fury that is Subject Zero-better known as Jack!
Star Wars: Legacy #11 (Dark Horse)
Just who is Ania Solo? Is she a lowly salvage dealer from a backwater planet, as she says, or is she an escaped prisoner and the murderer of an Imperial Knight, as the authorities claim?
Walking Dead #120 (Image Comics)
‘ALL OUT WAR,’ PART 6 This war has taken a toll.
The X-Files Conspiracy: Ghostbusters #1 (IDW Publishing)
The Conspiracy continues! The Lone Gunmen investigate their first lead, the Ghostbusters.
Are they frauds and charlatans, bilking unwitting clients out of money? Or do they have special insight into the afterlife?
And how are they connected to the plague that’s poised to wipe out humanity?
