@avclub-6139121fbeb379a29f3152e2197d53fd:disqus  Another aspect of a visual medium is that the skin color issue is constantly in your face, it can't be mentally set aside as when reading a book.

Epameinondas and the Thebans liberation of the Helots from Sparta probably comes closest.

A slave city could have quite a diverse population ethnically, look at how well Spartacus did this with Roman slavery. It would have played both more accurately and less offensively with a diverse crowd, so that's one missed opportunity.

@samatict:disqus Given the astonishing rapidity with which the nanites do everything they do, I don't think conservation of energy is in their specs. They really are magical, in the worst "no rules apply" sense.

@Automocar:disqus  Not a reference, just a little light humor about the conveniently fluctuating heft of the denn'bok.

Given JMS's fondest for obscure tips of the hat to other works like "Third Age" I'm surprised he was this defensive about it.

Conservation of mass is for less enlightened species, apparently.

@avclub-945ba977c27d196cdeaf6cbe4ff682f4:disqus My impression is that jump-capable ships are big and expensive, so I'm with you on that. Therefore, any Grave Robbers on Markab at the time of the jump gate's destruction are either sentenced to death or ad hoc colonists, depending on how well they can make a go living…

Worst of all are midichlorians, nanites that turn people into wizards.

It would also account for nearly half of all homicides in the state of Wyoming (21 in 2012 for the whole state).

The writers of the this show should be forced to read Jack London's "To Build a Fire" 10 times before they are allowed to write another episode.

We see the softer side of Jonas Jr. when Sally and Ned Impossible are around, and he seems to have a good if not close relationship with Hank and Dean. Can't picture Jonas Sr. doing any of that.

It was nice of the Cult leader to announce that they had discovered the booby trap so that Nora knew that a) the booby trap didn't work and b) the Cult members were standing right by it, in case Nora or Rachel had another way to trigger it.

Usually if someone who can act is written out, I start to think the budget is being cut (talent costs money) but he's not a big name compared to several of the regular cast.

I like her best around the other Irathians, especially Sukar. When they start calling her "Little Wolf" she seems to regress and calm down, and that rings true for an adolescent trying to get back in touch with her original culture.

The nanites can repair bullet wounds in real time, but they can't give Sukar the words to explain what the f*ck he is doing and not get shot in the first place?

So ultimately the UN is at fault! Agenda 21 strikes again! :-)

The show appears to be using the fluid model of electricity.

90s wasn't just a bubble. There was some real innovation there. The worst thing to happen to tech was in the late 90s when Wall Street became aware and started throwing dumb money around. That's when the bubble started.

Good point. I don't know the rules, but possibly the fact that he was unpaid let's him get away with that?