Zack Handlen

He’s more machine now than man. A Robo-D’oh, if you will.

it freaks me out that so many public figures and news broadcasts can only mourn the loss of American lives. it feels simultaneously jingoistic and condescending—as though they all think that’s the only thing we care about.

the most frustrating part about my brain is that I can’t seem to suffer quietly. when I get stressed and anxious, I keep reaching out for reassurance; and even knowing how tiresome that is doesn’t make the reaching easier to suppress. it always has to be a show, and I hate it.

Quantum Leap starts setting its boundaries—and viewer expectations Quantum Leap starts setting its boundaries—and viewer expectations

Strap in for another Quantum Leap (or two), as @zhandlen.bsky.social continues his TV Club Classic coverage of the Scott Bakula series.

This is a subscriber exclusive; to sign up for membership, click the link in the second skeet.

www.avclub.com/quantum-leap...

Sir, this is a family website.

I mean, not at all, I’m mostly just over-thinking it for fun.

I mean, it was mostly a joke riff on the classic “uptight dad/rebellious son” shtick, but yeah, it’s uncomfortable how certain kinds of liberalism seem to make people vulnerable to going full choad.

maybe FAMILY TIES was really about how the protests of the sixties were unable to deal effectively with gender fascism—Alex goes Reagan because he can’t recognize his father’s gentler, more butting approach as a legitimate masculine role model.

oh yeah just kicked in.

exhausted and my brain isn’t up to reading, so let’s take that second edible and see where things go.

When You're Feeling Low, Just Remember I'll Be Dead In About 15 Or 20 Years My friends, everybody has their down days, and during these long winter months it is especially easy to succumb to the doldrums and find yourself in a bit of a funk. But not to fear! I have a simple t...

This is from 2013. We're almost there, people. Hang tough.

theonion.com/when-youre-f...

Hello! I am a trans journalist looking to speak with trans kids and parents of trans kids across the US who have been impacted by the clinic closures---please get in touch or share!

Yeah so I don’t know if non-Mainers in here realize how much locals are in the tank for this guy? I tried to pushback on Facebook, and got accused of being privileged. (Not all the replies were bad, but the number of folks still doing the “it’s still good! It’s still good” routine freak me out.)

Man, I know it wouldn’t work for everyone, but Quantum Leap is such a balm for my soul. Nostalgia wrapped in nostalgia, and wrapped in a basic faith of kindness and decency that would be cloying without Bakula and Stockwell.

The show looks great, btw. Kind of amazing.

watching Quantum Leap’s third episode, which I’ve never gotten through before—Sam jumps into a male lit professor at a women’s college where he runs into Teri Hatcher as an old flame, and the awkwardness is off the charts.

i will not have you slandering Leon, the World's Bravest Himbo, on my timeline.

Babylon 5, "And The Sky Full Of Stars" | Season 1, Episode 8 | Zack Handlen Writes Get more from Zack Handlen Writes on Patreon

in other news, this week's Babylon 5 review is live for my patrons. we're talking about "And The Sky Full of Stars," which was both hokey and good--wild to watch a show where "world-building" is arguably a main character and it actually works:

i figured as much.

Trump

Grandpa from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (I think this is actually from one of the sequels, but I couldn't get a good picture from the original, and there's only so long I'm willing to search for a joke that no one will remember in five minutes.)

"we did this" "we're responsible" "we murdered children" yeah okay i think i need to spend some time away from this website. i get the intent, but, though i'm not a perfect person, i refuse to feel responsible for the actions of a criminal president and his fuckface regime.

Close-up of a very dangerous looking medical device.

all right, watching this week’s Babylon 5, “And the Sky Full of Stars;” this is a minor point, but why does the doctor’s scanner look like a glass knife?

I’m so fucking angry right now. That’s all.

woke up to learn that the assholes have found another way to murder people; then my cat lay on my chest for twenty minutes. Nothing has changed, but I feel better. Cats remain good.

other people can make inroads and find common ground with regretful trump voters, in my personal capacity as a private citizen i am committed to hating those dumb motherfuckers for the rest of my life

Yuuuuuuuuup

okay, there’s a reveal in first hour or so that jump scared me (in the fun way) better than I’ve been scared in a -long- time.

all right, Resident Evil: Requiem. Fuck me io.

No I mean the nonsense with Bryan Cranston and the Civil War and then Carter’s heir showing up. Clumsy as hell.

i just winced.

there's no real exploring, the combat is constant, and the first game has some of the most infuriating "platforming" i've ever played. they're good games, but they have very little in common with the modern adventure/action approach. and they are _very_ mean.