Mike’s Best Geeky/Nerdy Moments from 2019!

by Mike Lunsford, Editor-In-Chief of the Great Geek Refuge

Last week, Steve Monnich wrote up the Geek Sheets Superlatives for the year 2019. They were wonderful and a great topic of conversation on the podcast. However, I have my own highlights from the last year of the second decade of the 21st century. So now, without further ado, I present to you Mike’s Best Geeky/Nerdy Moments from 2019!

Best Performance

Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike on Star Trek: Discovery

There are two franchises that pretty much have me at the jump: Star Wars and Star Trek. I do not subscribe to the notion that any of the new interpretations of these franchises are so different from their predecessors that they are bad or wrong. They’re in the hands of new writers, directors, and actors and we’re getting to see their interpretations of these classics. In many cases, the new creative teams have added some incredible depth and impressive characterization. Case in point: the winner of best performance - Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike.

Pike was always a tragic character: we know that he is destined to end up horribly disfigured and crippled, his face scarred by radiation burns with his only means of communication a wheelchair/life support system that can beep out yes or no answers. Instead of dancing around this fact, Discovery dove head first into this fate and embraced it in an incredible way.

(Spoiler alert right now if you haven’t watched season 2 of Discovery. No spoilers version: Anson Mount did an incredible job as Pike. So amazing that I’m sure that season 3 or some other incarnation of Trek will find a way to include him. Skip to the next category to avoid spoilers).

In an episode that requires Captain Pike to retrieve a time crystal, the Captain is warned that the price to pay for this mystical gem is knowing his own future and that once he sees it, that fate is sealed. Pike knows that the mission depends on his retrieval of the crystal so he proceeds. He sees the accident that cripples him, that burns his body and face and puts him in a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. He falls to the ground, recoiling in horror. The keeper of the time crystal speaks to him, and what proceeds is the definition of what it means to be a Starfleet officer, a leader, and brave in the face of certain pain.

Tenavik: You may still choose to walk away from this future. But if you take the crystal, your fate will be sealed, forever. There will be no escaping it.
Pike: (to himself) You're a Starfleet captain. You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion… and love. (to Tenavik) No. I'm not going to abandon the things that made me what I am because of a future… that contains an ending I hadn't foreseen for myself. No. Give it to me.

This wasn’t just good writing, it was an incredibly acted scene. Mount didn’t go macho-action-star with it and show no emotion. This fate truly horrified him and he proceeded anyway. What a badass.

Throughout the entire season, Mount did a phenomenal job as the second captain of the USS Enterprise. His style of leadership explains why Spock was so loyal to him when the events of The Menagerie take place.

(If you’re looking for Mike’s full review of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, click right here)

Biggest Slam Dunk

Avengers: End Game

They could have screwed it up. They could have tripped all over this finale. It could have been a mess of unresolved plot points, shoddy motivations and inexplicable decisions by characters. It was none of those things. Avengers: End Game was like the #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament confidently destroying all the other teams they faced. There was no need to worry from the fans, they had this from the beginning. Cutting the nets down and hoisting that trophy was a lock from the outside observer, but this was no easy task. There were heavy expectations.

I have to applaud the direction the second part of the Infinity War took. The directing team of Anthony and Joseph Russo took some risks and, if they had played it safe, no one would have blamed them. The inclusion of and usage of Fat Thor, killing off major characters, and the direction they took Captain America’s character were all things that many criticized but only made this movie that much better. It was a wholly satisfying film from start to finish, a finale that left almost everyone walking away content.

Better Late Than Never

Into the Spider-Verse

There’s actually a really good reason why I didn’t see it on the big screen, my son wanted to go see Wreck-It Ralph 2 instead. In the grand scheme of things, Into the Spider-Verse would have been the better choice. He even admitted this after we watched this movie when it came to Netflix. No harm, no foul, kid.

It was amazing to me that such a wonderful movie was so criminally underappreciated. The movie was universally loved by critics and fans alike, but it only brought in $375 million both domestically and abroad. It was one of the best depictions I’ve seen of Spider-Man in any medium. We saw a plethora of wall-crawlers in this movie, from the traditional Peter Parker Spider-Man, to the Peter Porker Spider-Ham (a spider who was bitten by a radioactive pig), an alternate reality where Gwen Stacy was bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes Spider-Gwen and even the newest Spider-Man, Miles Morales. They all shared that same spirit, to quote my “What to Watch”

“Spider-Folks don’t give up. They’re scrappy, funny, smart, compassionate, and understand that their gifts mean they should be doing everything they can to help others. Even when things look the bleakest, they find a way. “

For the full review of Into The Spider-Verse click here

“Wait, That Was Actually Good?”

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Yes, it was. We’ve been here as adults: a kid’s property on the big screen is normally just a cash grab, however this was not the case at all. It was the perfect balance of callbacks to the cartoon and some real-life action. And, in an impressive bit of committing to a role, Isabela Moner learned the ancient Incan language of Quechua for her portrayal of Dora. As I said in my article about the show

It’s very much a glib, “cool parent” thing to do, to make fun of their kids favorite TV shows. In watching this movie with my son, I found myself singing along with Dora. I was watching him laugh when there were references to the show, just like I was laughing, too. It was a mini flashback as I remembered him being much smaller and instead of asking for help when he needed something he would say “ayudame.”

(for the full review, click here)

If you grew up on Dora the Explorer, it’s worth watching. If your kids grew up on it, it’s worth watching with them. Not everything has to be dark and gritty for you to enjoy it. But while we’re talking dark and gritty…

“DAMN, THAT WAS DARK!!!”

The Boys

This show is not for the faint of heart. The series is vulgar, bloody, gory, violent, contains nudity and there is plenty of sexual content as well. That being said, it has a great deal to say about our world and how we treat celebrities and the perils of absolute power corrupting anyone who is given it.

I’m anxiously awaiting a second season, I just really hope they have something more to say than “can we top ourselves and out-violent the last episode.” I’m not above a violent series but there’s got to be a point to it all. And truth be told, I’d rather my heroes give me some hope in the end instead of making me feel like I need to take a shower and watch some Joy of Painting to cleanse my palate. Our reality is already full of powerful jerks who are morally corrupt, my media doesn’t need to be like that, too. Is a little hope and moral fortitude too much to ask? Maybe this is why I like Superman more than I like Batman.

For the full review of The Boys click here.

“You Think That Was Dark? Hold My Beer”

Joker

Fu**ing Todd Philips, man. This movie could have been something amazing had it not been in the hands of a dude who complains about people being too easily offended and how it’s ruining comedy. That was the first issue. The second issue is this movie is completely tone deaf. It handles mental illness and our society’s lack of concern for the wellbeing of those suffering with the gentle caress of a runaway train . And the worst part about it? The movie still wasn’t awful! The film itself was decent, it’s the tone and message that was dark as hell and horribly mismanaged. Oh…and it wasn’t the Joker. I’m not sure who Joaquin Phoenix was playing, but it wasn’t the clown prince of crime.

“Why Was This Movie Speaking Directly To Me?”

Toy Story 4

I was not expecting Toy Story 4 to be good. I figured it would be a decent flick, something that would keep my family’s attention and make me feel like I didn’t waste my money on a Red Box rental. What I got instead was a movie that deals with finding purpose in life when all you lived for is taken from you. It also deals with finding sympathy and empathy for those who probably don’t deserve it. It was truly a moving film that was emotionally touching in a way I never expected it to be. People rave about how Toy Story 3 was so emotional for them when the toys had to move on from Andy, but this one was so much deeper.

(full review right here)

New Favorite Streaming Show

Struggle Meals

In recent years, I’ve found that I really enjoy cooking. I have no formal training and for the most part, I just kind of wing it when I’m making a meal. Sometimes this works out well, other times it’s a disaster. Like most folks, I want the best food possible, but I don’t have the budget to afford all the finer things. I needed some inspiration and instruction on how to make delicious food on a budget. In comes Frankie Celenza, star of Hulu’s Struggle Meals. I didn’t know anything about this dude before I started watching Struggle Meals but apparently, he’s no slouch! He’s won MULTIPLE Emmy awards for his shows that range from public television in New York to Tastemade and now Hulu.

Frankie shows you how to make meals that will impress any dinner guest or family member on a budget that anyone can afford. He uses everyday ingredients and shows you both how to cook the food but also how to stretch your leftovers to their maximum potential. On top of the insightful instruction, he is funny and charming, keeping his episodes short and to the point. He never uses ingredients that are difficult to find or would break the budget. He manages to find a way to make a complicated task seem easy after you’ve seen him do it. I suppose that’s why he’s so decorated as a television chef!

History Nerds Rejoice!

The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns, The West, & Turn – Washington’s Spies

I love history. It was always one of my favorite classes in high school or college. I suppose it helps growing up in one of the oldest states in the U.S., as everywhere I go, I’m surrounded by colonial towns, Civil War battlefields and the homes of founding fathers. This year, I found a ton of historical content on Netflix and Hulu to satiate my hunger for historical content.

I started with The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns (full review here) in April. I had never seen the documentary and was captivated. I loved how it filled in the gaps of what I didn’t know about the battles and overall big picture of what the war meant. I also loved how it made it very clear, by using historical documentation not opinion, that the war WAS ABOUT SLAVERY.

The West was another Ken Burns documentary, this time with Burns as the executive producer and Stephen Ives as the director. This one tells the whole story of the westward expansion of the United States. It starts off very hopeful as Lewis and Clark make their way across the new lands acquired by the Louisiana Purchase. The explorers reach the Pacific Ocean, shake hands with the Nez Perce tribe that helped them survive the expedition and stated that the United States will always be friends with the Native Americans. As the documentary unfolds, you see native lands taken by force, the US Army relocating tribes to land the government doesn’t want (until they change their mind), and treaty after treaty being broken until there is nothing left of the Native American way of life.

The West does cover more ground that just the war between the United States and the Native Americans. It showcases the story of the Mormons and their move to Utah in an attempt to find a home for their new religion. In addition, they show how Texas became it’s own republic first and then a state. We also see the California gold rush and how that changed the fate of the country; and that’s just some of the stories. There are stories of individuals who made their way in the west, stories of families fighting the harsh climate and overcoming the odds to carve out a life. It was a wonderful documentary that shows the striking beauty of the midwest and western parts of the United States but also a reminder of how we treated the first occupants of this country.

Turn: Washington’s Spies (full review here) was a different sort of historical series. Instead of a documentary, it was a historical drama based on the historical book Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring. Our characters are on both sides of the American Revolution and it gives depth to historical figures like George Washington, Benedict Arnold, John André and, the crux of the show, the members of the Culper Spy Ring. It’s mostly historically accurate (with some liberties taken to add drama) but more importantly, it is a captivating show. The acting is exemplary as every character comes to life and you find yourself googling their real life counterpart to see if what’s happening on screen is similar to what really happened to them (99% of the time, it is). And on a personally nerdy note, it was awesome to see someone depict George Washington so realistically. Ian Kahn portrayed him exactly as I imagined he would have sounded.

Apparently You CAN Fall In Love At First Sight

The Mandalorian

Everything about The Mandalorian has been enjoyable. We get some great western motifs, some amazing bounty hunter action, we learn a little bit more about the Mandalorian culture and there’s plenty of easter eggs for all you long-time Star Wars fans. And that’s it! Nothing else of importance or anything that might have made this show skyrocket in popularity has happened. Oh wait…there was this guy

The Mandalorian came out the gate with an amazing first episode. It was action-packed: there were gunfights, a dude getting chopped in half by a blast door, and then baby Yoda showed up (we here at GGR call him Okra the Yodling. Or Baby Okra, or any combination of those names). It added a whole different level to this series. I’m fairly confident that not a single person could have predicted, based on the trailers, that we would have seen a character become this beloved without wielding a blaster or lightsaber. The Mandalorian himself has become a fan favorite because he’s a badass with a conscience, but Okra stole the hearts of every single person on the internet. Heck, my wife, son and daughter all love him and they’ve never seen a minute of the show!

Things Are Looking Up For DC Sports

Nationals Win World Series

For years, the DC sports scene was a bleak one. The football team is an embarrassment, the Wizards are an afterthought when it comes to basketball, the Capitals were known as choke artists, and the Nationals were hot on the Caps heels when it came to choking on their own high hopes. Then 2018 happened and the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup. The following year the Washington Mystics won their first WNBA title. And the Nats…those darn Nats, they won the 2019 World Series!

I expressed this in my article reviewing this, but this was the most improbable World Series run. Their most popular player, possibly one of the most popular in all of MLB, Bryce Harper left the Nationals for their division rivals in Philadelphia. They were at one point 19-31. They struggled to turn their season around after a horribly rocky start that was compounded by a rash of injuries and an ineffective bullpen. However, they were able to defy logic and analytics. They made the Wild Card round and came back to beat the Milwaukee Brewers after being down most of the game. They next took on the defending National League Champion and owners of the 2nd best record in the league: the Los Angeles Dodgers. They had run into L.A. before and lost in a heartbreaking Game 5 several years ago. They responded by taking the Dodgers to a decisive Game 5 again but this time, came out on top with some extra inning heroics. They took out the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4 game sweep, exorcising another playoff ghost for them.

And then…they took on those darn Astros. The best-record-in-baseball-2017-World-Series-Champion Houston Astros. The Nationals managed to lose every home game they played against Houston…but also managed to win every road game, setting another record in winning the World Series (another one was being the biggest underdogs in decades to pull of a victory). This team had no quit in them and never got down on themselves if they were on the wrong end of the scoreboard. It made it even more satisfying when we found out that the Astros were most likely cheating for years AND THE NATIONALS STILL BEAT THEM!

Best Convention

Escape Velocity

Is there such a thing as comic con exhaustion? If there is, I have it. I’ve seen all of this before. I love comics, I love cosplay, I love hanging out with my friends while we experience all of these things, but…I’ve done a lot of them. Besides, MC Brooks loves going and is our Director of Comic Conventions Coverage so, he’s got me covered! All that being said, I was STOKED to go to Escape Velocity. (full review here). I was lucky enough to get an interview with one of the key components of Escape Velocity, Charles Hildebrandt on Mike on the Mic. He completely sold me on this convention and was nice enough to invite GGR to attend. It was such a great event.

Escape Velocity is an event run by the Museum of Science Fiction. They created this event as a way to support their belief in STEAM programs and show how dedicated the Museum is to furthering the growth of these programs. A Museum of Science Fiction in the DC Metro area would be committed to educational scientific ventures because “there is no science fiction without science,” as was said throughout the event by the Escape Velocity staff. When so many of these conventions are only focused on profit margins, it’s refreshing to go to an event that has a soul and a focus on education. I can’t wait to go back in 2020!

Redemption, Thy Name is Virginia

UVA wins the 2019 NCAA basketball Championship

After the debacle that was the 2017 NCAA Basketball Tournament, the University of Virginia would be a footnote in history. They were the only #1 seed to lose to a #16 seed. Now, people can defend them and state that they had a rash of injuries (which they did) and that helps put the historic loss into context, but that is still embarrassing none the less. On top of that, while UVA is not a “DC sports team,” there are plenty of DC sports fans who live in Virginia and root for UVA like idiot. It’s me, I’m idiots. Their historic collapse did fit with the DC narrative: a favored team losing in the first round. However, just like the Caps, Mystics and Nats have changed that narrative to one about never giving up and finding a way to win and bringing home the gold, the Virginia Cavaliers live by those standards, too.

How could you possibly come back from being the first #1 seed in NCAA March Madness history to lose to a #16 seed? Win the whole damn thing the next year, that’s how. I’m not a huge basketball fan, but boy was it satisfying seeing a college team that represents my home state bring home the ‘ship, finally cashing in on all that potential.

The Hype Is Real

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

This one will be short and sweet: Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World is so friggin’ cool! If you’re a Star Wars fan, you owe it to yourself to go and check this place out. We rode the Millennium Falcon (like actually flew it. It’s interactive!). We ate crazy, alien food. My son built his own remote-controlled droid that can talk. I built my own lightsaber. I met Chewbacca and members of the Resistance. Kylo Ren and First Order Stormtroopers were rude to me. Every single building, fixture, shop, all of it looks like it’s actually from a planet that was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. It was amazing.

Geeks Assemble!

The first annual GGR meet up with MC Brooks, Steve Monnich, Ulysses E Campbell and James Rambo

You’ve read our articles, you’ve listened to our podcasts and let me say this: we always appreciate that. Every single person pictured here is a part of the Great Geek Refuge. There are plenty more who are not pictured as well. One of the things that makes this sort of thing difficult and why a weekend of geekery and Metal concerts was so worthy of inclusion on this list is that all of us are adults now. We all have jobs, families, and various other commitments that keep us from being able to hang out in person like we did on this April weekend. I’m fortunate enough to have met all these guys in person prior to this but for many of the crew, this was their first time meeting each other. It was such a good time as we ate at a great restaurant, had geeky/nerdy conversations, then went and hung out at a comic book shop. It was so much fun.

There you have it folks: my best moments from 2019 that are GGR related. This website and it’s network of podcasts are my babies. When I’m not at work or doing things with my family, this is where my times goes. Whether it’s writing articles, editing podcasts, or just making sure the site looks good, I take a great deal of pride in our little refuge. Since we brought the site back, our message has become much clearer and we continue to add unique voices, whether they be written or spoken. I am so proud of what we’ve done in 2019 and hope you continue to stay with us for 2020 and beyond. Be nice to each other out there, and remember: don’t be a juicebag. Happy Holidays!