Huh? YOu don't want "supernatural crap" in fantasy shows about ghosts? I think you're setting yourself up for disappointment there. Here's the thing: every genre show does not have to feature "rational" explanations for supernatural plots. Just let ghosts be ghosts.

There was a Christmas story years ago, in which Superman took time out of saving the world to talk a suicidal man out of killing himself, which is still one of my favorite Superman stories.

Wait a second. You're objecting because there's magic and supernatural stuff in a fantasy show about fairy-tale monsters? This isn't supposed to be "realistic" hard sf!

And Lucian was whipped with silver whips during the flashback scene.

Besides watching the movies, might I suggest reading the novelizations to catch up? I could use the royalties . . . .

A minor correction: I believe the aborted 1970's Star Trek revival was known as "Phase II," not "Phase One." Since it was intended to be the second live-action Trek show.

People get (irrationally) passionate about it because generations of bright kids grew up memorizing all nine planets in the solar system, only to be told they had it wrong all these years. It's the astronomical version of "You raped my childhood!"

There was also a novelization of EVENT HORIZON by Steve McDonald (which, full disclosure, I edited way back when).

I think people weren't sure if it was a science fiction movie or a horror movie. The correct answer, of course, is both, but those aren't always the same audiences. I saw the movie with a friend who was expecting more of a scifi adventure flick—and was unhappy to discover that it was also a gory horror film.

You know, for a moment I thought this might involve Riverworld somehow . . ..

My work here is done.

I feel obliged to point out that STIR OF ECHOES is based on a novel by Richard Matheson.

You know, if I was a bad person, I would shamelessly use this article to plug another recent piece of official WH13 merchandise: my novel, WAREHOUSE 13: A TOUCH OF FEVER. Not that I would ever think of doing such a thing . . . .

Guessing I'm catching the train into Philly this December . . . .

I admit that I originally read that headline and wondered why liberals might have more trouble sleeping than conservatives . . . . .

Halloween alert: TCM and AMC are also running lots of classic horror movies over the next few two weeks. CAT PEOPLE, THE UNINVITED, various old Hammer films and Vincent Price flicks, etc. (I taped THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM and THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH this morning.)

Ghost Rider is a woman now? Boy, am I out of date!

That is correct.

Mine own take on it is that an episode can still be considered a standalone if it was self-contained at the time, and should not be disqualified just because later episodes picked up on elements from it. Take "Mirror, Mirror" for instance. I'd consider the orignal episode as a standalone even if later Trek series…

XENA had lots of good standalones, especially in its early season. I'd nominate "A Day in the Life" and "Callisto" as two good introductory eps. (True, Callisto eventually returned a zillion times, but her first appearance works as a good standalone even if you've never seen another ep.)