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Sure, the panels are fun. Merch is great. But really, when you hit the convention floor, isn't the best part seeing and being seen? Cosplay is an essential part of every con-going experience. Whether you're dressing up as your favorite character or chasing down someone who's done the work for you, it's fun to find the best of the best, and that's our goal every time our photographers hit the show floor. Here's a little glimpse of what was to come from Thursday's shortened day. See what you think!

Saturday's the big day, and this year Fan Expo felt like it was bursting at the seams with people on the show floor, and we were excited to see it. Even though full to bursting floors mean it's harder to stop people to see their amazing costumes, it also means there's lots more people to catch, and we gave it the ol' college try in between panels and events to make sure you could see everyone in their nerdy finest. Enjoy, and stay tuned for Sunday's collection of cosplayers, fan catchups and maybe even some bonus content!

Friday was the first full day of Fan Expo Chicago 2023 and with that comes lots and lots of celebrity guest appearances in panels. This year, things are a little bit different in the panel rooms, with the SAG-AFTRA strike preventing celebs on site from talking about or performing struck work, but it doesn’t mean there’s nothing to discuss. Past work can be a topic of conversation within the actor’s discretion, and there’s plenty of fun to be had talking about being behind the scenes on any set, or discovering the origin stories of these actors and actresses. As doors opened on Friday a few cancellations were announced, too, with Brent Spiner, Chevy Chase and a few others bowing out due to illness, but the show must go on, and go on it did, beginning with Tara Strong’s panel on Friday morning. Tara Strong took to the Fan Expo stage Friday morning to a joyfully packed crowd of die hard fans. Taras’ IMDB lists a lifetime of incredible work dating back to the Care Bears back in 1988 on through her performance of several voices in World of Warcraft. Fans recounted some of her more notable works, specifically Raven of Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go as well as Harley Quinn in the Batman Arkham video games. Strong regaled the crowd with stories of her times with the Teen Titans Go team, as a tight knit family. She also told one particularly interesting story about how Kevin Conroy had once previously saved her life. Right when Twitter verification was introduced, Tara was talking to a “verified” Kevin Conroy in Twitter DM’s and had set a time to meet with the actor for lunch in the future. A few days later she was working with Kevin for the first time in person and had mentioned that she loved talking to him on Twitter, to which he responded “I don’t have Twitter.” As it turns out she had been talking to a complete stranger. This harrowing tale, along with some voice work as Harley Quinn, were big hits with the crowd, and we’re glad to have seen Strong grace the Fan Expo stage. Next up on our list was the “Out of this World CONversation with Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff and Emily Swallow.” This was one of the most anticipated events for the con, and once again the strike loomed large at first as a shadow over fan expectations, but with the steady hand of a great moderator in Victor Dandridge, fans got a great experience anyway. With the elephant in the room looming, Dandridge instead turned conversation into what inspired the actors and how they got started. Of the three, most had a passion for the stage early on, with Sackhoff saying that at only six years old it was her desire to “give people goosebumps” with her performances one day, and Swallow recalling her strong desire to get on Star Search. Giancarlos’ story was a bit different, though he did grow up in a household of performers with a family full of musicians – it just took him a little longer to find what he wanted to do. Esposito ended up stealing the show somewhat, as he often does with his performances, and spent some time talking about the importance of the SAG - AFTRA strike. “When one boat rises all boats rise, that’s the idea” he said. And while he has no fear about his bills or financial situation, that’s not true for everyone. Esposito mentioned that he’d had a desire just before the strike to take a break and work on other projects. The strike is affording him that time, he said, but also time to support his fellow actors who can’t make rent. Esposito also alluded to one of the union’s most salient points, AI avatar usage, saying “I don’t want you to get something that looks like me, I want you to get me.” before evolving the conversation into what turned out to also be an incredibly inspirational talk about being the most authentic version of you you can be. “Think today for tomorrow,” he implored. “This is about dreams. You can build it and if you build it, they will come.” Giancarlo went on to talk about how we’re all energy, and we forget to be children who have fun without limitations. All three of the actors spoke on their strengths and the things that made them the most happy in life as well, with Katee Sackhoff talking about the joys of motherhood and leaving California to spend more time with her daughter and Swallow sharing her love for conventions and meeting the folks who make it all happen - the audience who loves what the actors do so much and the stories they tell. When we walked into Peter Weller’s panel, it was something else entirely. The SAG-AFTRA strike is really taking its toll on the convention circuit. When we entered the Peter Weller panel, he was talking about the works of Caravaggio and how the artist best captured Christ and his disciples. This was unexpected, but it turns out the question was about who Weller would want to paint him. Caravaggio is a great choice, but considering that the conversation could be in the realm of his earlier works–like his legendary role as RoboCop–an impassioned conversation about art history was not at all what I was expecting. Weller did have some amusing stories about his 11 year old son though. Anytime either Weller or his wife swears he has to tally money which later goes to his son for what his son calls the “modern social version of allowance.” And based on Weller’s telling, that little kid is making bank. Well, that’s all for us for Friday’s lineup, but stay tuned for even more from Fan Expo Chicago 2023, including our fantastic cosplay galleries.

Everyone who's been to Fan Expo Chicago knows that Friday's the day things really kick off. Thursday this year was impressive, and set the tone for a bigger, better con altogether, but Friday's still the day that seems to really kick things off, with more people taking off work and taking their families out to Rosemont for all the fun. We were, of course, on site, and taking in all the amazing cosplay in between panels with our favorite celebs. Check all the awesome cosplay out and we'll see you on the floor for one more day!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back with its second season. While Star Trek: Discovery may have ushered in this new era of Trek it’s clear that Strange New Worlds will be Paramount’s flagship Trek going forward–and as a long term Trek fan, I’m okay with that. While shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did the overarching story thing well, most Trek has benefited with the “monster/problem of the week” format. And while Strange New Worlds season 2 seems to promise more of the same, it does continue the cliffhanger left at the end of the first season with Anson Mount’s Captain Pike running off in defense of Una Chin Riley (Rebecca Romijn) leaving Spock (Ethan Peck) in command of the Enterprise. Of course, Spock’s temporary assignment isn’t going to go without incident with Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) picking up a distress call from former crewmate Noonien Singh (played by Christina Chong). The only answer is for Spock and crew to steal the Enterprise, helped out by Carol Kane playing Trek’s latest revealed race, the long-lived Lanthanites. Spock and company successfully commandeer the Enterprise after some clever trickery, and go on to discover that Noonien-Singh has discovered a group of Klingons that want to reignite the war with the Federation. It’s a lot of story to pack into a single episode–especially one that is meant to reintroduce the series and its characters. And Strange New Worlds doesn’t shy from humor, and while that goes a long way to ensure its accessibility–and therefore, its legacy–some of the humor comes off as awkward. But it’s an endearing sort of awkward, especially when Spock has to come up with “his thing.” In other word: the phrase he will use to confirm a command on the bridge–especially one that gets the ship moving. Modern Trek writers seem obsessed with this, especially since it’s popped up on multiple shows. We’re really getting to know some of the characters in Strange New Worlds. But it was still a bit surprising to see Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Doctor M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) take some sort of stimulant to take on a dozen Klingons. That was a scene that requires some sort of in lore explanation, so I’m anticipating the return of the kick-ass hypo juice. And while I didn’t hate the scene, I couldn’t help but picture what Majel Roddenberry’s Nurse Chapel would have looked like running around and throwing punches. I have to say that I’m really appreciating the way Strange New Worlds depicts its alien worlds. These are leaps above away teams hanging out in caves among styrofoam rocks or traipsing among artificial foliage. Despite this, they still ended up in the corridors of a Federation Starship–well, in this case, a pseudo Federation Starship that was going to be used to launch a false flag attack. And from how flimsy that ship seemed to be, it was meant to be a suicide run against the massive (and impressive looking ) D7 cruiser. The appearance of the Klingons in this episode is of note, especially since they’ve shied away from the hairless depiction of Klingons from Discovery to one that is a little more conventional to Trek viewers. There were a great array of forehead ridges on display, and I swear there was even one Klingon that looked like he had Star Trek: The Motion Picture style Klingon ridges–which was either a coincidence, or a nod to the Klingons’ first ridged appearance. Perhaps the biggest standout characterization is Spock wrestling with his emotions. While I don’t think that Ethan Peck gives the same gravitas that Leonard Nimoy gave to the role, he does an excellent job showcasing Spock’s fragile emotional state coming into the second season. And of course, all Spock gets for stealing the Enterprise is a slap on the wrist and admonition from Admiral Robert April, highlighting this era of Trek and it’s “cowboy diplomacy” as Captain Janeway called it on Star Trek: Voyager. Stopping the false flag attack and rounding that out with Spock chugging bloodwine is probably the best example of this in Star Trek so far. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 is off to a good start. I have to admit that I’m not champing at the bit to see how Una Riley’s problems become resolved–or not. However, I am looking forward to more of Anson Mount’s hair, and am tentatively excited for Carol Kane’s Lanthanite engineer, though it’ll be hard to replace Hemmer, the Aenar Engineer who lost his life at the end of the first season.

Thursdays at Fan Expo Chicago are usually a bit low-key, with fewer guests on site and a lighter programming schedule given the shorter time frame, but this year Fan Expo really packed some things in, putting some heavy-hitters right at the front of the show. In case you missed the announcements, the current SAG-AFTRA strike has put cons in a unique situation in which struck work should not be mentioned, making panels less about the actors’ most recent roles and more about the actors themselves, and the strike itself. And while we’d love to hear more about the things we’ve been consuming and nerding out about recently, (especially when it comes to one of Thursday’s guests, Todd Stashwick) we’re also loving the more intimate look at the actors as people. Anyone who’s ever loved an air bison and his chosen family or a set of Lost Boys got there in time to see Dante Basco, who’s always a lively, sage and incredibly joyful person to see live. Basco’s had a long career as a voice actor and live actor, so there’s always plenty of fun stories to listen to him regale the audience with. Dante even dished out some favorite pizza places in the area, mentioning Pequods as a great place to get a slice. And while current work is off the table, Basco was able to discuss Avatar: The Last Airbender and reiterated his awe at the impact it had had on fans, something we’d heard the actor mention before at C2E2. Zuko’s role in particular is one of redemption and reflection and although Basco had previously mentioned a longing for a bit more comedy a la Sokka, he’s obviously deeply grateful to have played such a complex character with such an immense character arc. Next on our list for Thursday was Todd Stashwick’s panel. Unfortunately, his most recent and incredibly popular role was not up for discussion, but that didn’t stop audiences from welcoming this native son, the “dipshit from Chicago '' who so accurately represented usin that role. His candor, sarcasm and exhausted nihilism earned him a spot in our hearts as soon as he got to the chair, perfectly embodying the “smile through the pain” attitude we all adopt here every single winter (and through Lolla and construction season.) But it wasn’t just his character who hails from here - Stashwick is a native son, making the trip to Fan Expo Chicago a homecoming for him. In fact, prior to hitting the stage in Rosemont, Stashwick made a journey to one of our favorite places on earth, Galloping Ghost Arcade, to get a little arcade time in. We’re not sure what’s next for Todd, but we do know that we’d love to see him again – both in his most recent role if reprisal in any form is possible or in an altogether new project once the strike is over. As we well know, the show must go on, and go on it will! Stay tuned for Friday panel catchups to include Tara Strong, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sachkoff and Emily Swallow and Peter Weller, and plenty of cosplay in our daily galleries!

Get in, losers! It’s time for another convention! Lace up your comfiest shoes, get all hydrated and bring fat stacks of cash to Rosemont this weekend (and today!) for Fan Expo Chicago! Formerly Wizard World, this con boasts all the merch and plenty of fun activities for people who enjoy all manner of nerdy things from tabletop games to video games, anime, cosplay, movies, K-Pop, comics, TV and more. If we’re being honest the change from Wizard World to Fan Expo hasn’t seemed too drastic, with the format, basic setup and even quite a bit of the guest list being what we’ve come to expect for better or worse, but there’s never a year that goes by we don’t find something new to enjoy so let’s get straight to business and start getting ready to choose our own con adventure, shall we? Remember folks, this is just our curated look at events - make sure to peep the full panel schedule in case there's something truly delightful to you that might be lurking there. Thursday, August 10th Where Thursday was oftentimes wrestle-heavy and otherwise lackluster, they’ve packed in some real goodies to this not quite weekend kickoff. The show opens at 2 pm for VIPs and press with the floor opening to 4pm for everyone else, and here’s what you can expect. If you’re into anime, and want to ease yourself into a weekend of walking, eating, and buying merch, why not settle in to watch Bleach Episodes 1-3 in Rm 33-34 beginning at 3:45 pm. If you’re a fan of Avatar the Last Airbender, park your air bison outside Rm 21-23 at 5:00 pm for All About Honor: Meet Dante Basco to hear tales from the Fire Nation and beyond. OR If you prefer even more anime, head to Rm 33-34 for Discussing Deku! Meet My Hero Academia’s Justin Briner. If you were raised on the classics, it’s-a time to head over to Rm 21-23 at 6pm for Mario Party (the name of the panel, not the actual game) with the man himself, Charles Martinet and Kenny James. Meanwhile, if you’re a fellow Trekkie, you’ll need to make sure you’re in Rm 21-23 at 7pm to see some dipshit from Chicago, Todd Stashwick, as he takes the stage after his heart-capturing performances as Shaw on Picard’s final season. BUT If you’re an animation lover, you could also decide to head to Rm 4 for And Now a Word From our Sponsor: The Top Ten Animated Advertising Icons of All Time. If you really want to kick things off right, there’s some after dark events you can partake of that are particularly interesting this evening too, with an 8:30 pm Drink’ N Draw in Rm 4 OR The Rocky Horror Bingo Show (18+) in Rm 5-6 which combines karaoke, the entire cult classic film AND karaoke. OR If you like your nerdy with a heaping helping of sexy, try out Critical Strike Nerdlesque’s Variety Show in Rm 21-23. It’s a ticketed event ($20) but as anyone who’s seen nerdlesque knows, it’s likely well worth it. Friday August 11 Nothing like starting off with a bang, and though it’s technically not the first day of the convention, it’s the first full day,and Fan Expo is comin’ on strong right out of the gates. If you’re not a morning person, you might have to pose as one, and with the stacking of interests and celeb guests at 11 am, we recommend arriving earlier than you want to to ensure you get in, on the floor and out to the panel rooms if you’re hoping to catch any of these first 4 options. For anime fans, 11 am brings “It’s Too Early for an Anime Panel” in Theater 3 (Rm 33-34) OR For Pokemon enthusiasts who want to get in a healthy debate, there’s “Let’s Discuss the Best Pokemon of Fan Expo” on the Creator Stage OR For those who love animation and voice actors - try out Too Many to Count! All the Voices of Tara Strong in Theater 2 (Rm 21-23). OR EVEN Report to the Main Theater to rendezvous with Data himself for the Brent Spiner Spotlight. Then, whatever you chose, take some time to get a bite and walk the floor. At 1pm, voice actor fans and video game enthusiasts alike will enjoy The Man of Many Voices: Meet Dee Bradley Baker in Theater 2 BUT Anyone without a time machine will need to jump out just a bit early to get BACK TO IT with the Christopher Lloyd spotlight over in the Main Theater at 1:45 pm. 2:00 brings another packed block. Choose your adventure, noble friend! Anime fans will not want to miss From Aleks to Zenitsu: Demon Slayer Q and A in Theater Room 3 with Aleks Le, who plays Zenitsu OR Shop local for your fun with the Logan Theater’s Trivia at the HQ Red Carpet. OR If you’re into gaming and voice acting, go hang with David Hayter for A Conversation with David Hayter in Rm 21-23. Then at 4:45, get your bodies ready for an Out of this World CONversation with Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff and Emily Swallow in the Main Theater. OR Take yourself to see the Robocop himself with a Spotlight on Peter Weller at 5pm in Rm 21-23. If you love tabletop gaming or comedy, try out Improv Dungeons and Dragons in Fandom Panels Room 11 OR If you came to get down with some K-Pop, get down to the HQ Red Carpet at 6pm for K-Pop Karaoke. Saturday, August 12th You all know the drill about conventions on Saturdays. This is the marathon, and you’ve gotta pack your snacks, prep your footsies and charge your electronics to make it through everything Fan Expo has in store. Why? Let’s begin. Say ‘Eyyyyyyyy’ to one of TV’s legends, Henry Winkler, if you can get yourself up and at ‘em to be at Fan Expo by 10:45 and make your way to the Main Theater. OR Make your way under the sea for a Disney legend’s appearance as Jodi Benson takes the stage for Part of Your World: Meet Jodi Benson in Rm 21-23. Horror fans can delight in the presence of some true horror royalty with the A Family Affair: Spotlight on Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi in the Main Theater if they can stomach getting out before dark at 11:45 am and face the day star. BUT TV aficionados should not miss the 12:45pm Spotlight on Lou Diamond Philips and Dermot Mulroney in the Main Theater. OR If anime’s more your jam, hang out in Theater 3 at 1pm for the Fire, Ice… and Boom! My Hero Academia Q and A with Clifford Chapin and David Matranga. OR EVEN Get back in that time machine and head back to Talking with Tom Wilson at 1:00pm. At 1:45 pm, Tangled, Shazam and Chuck fans should make their way to the Main Theater for A Charming Conversation with Zachary Levi And at 2, anime fans will need to be in Theater 2 (Rm 21-23) for The One Piece is Real! Q and A with the Anime Voice Cast. Boldly go to Theater 2 at 3pm for a close encounter with Michelle Hurd AND Make sure not to miss The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Spotlight on Danny Trejo as he takes the stage in the main theater at 4:45 for a nice well-rounded panel day. If you’re a fan of Geek and Sundry, or just Felicia Day in general, it’ll be time to geek out with Geeking Out with Felicia Day in that same Main Theater at 5:45 pm OR If you can’t get enough Trek and you also love comedy, stop in to Theater 2 at 6pm for Starship Edsel, a hilarious Star Trek Improv show. One more day… Sunday, August 13th Here’s a clue for you - big stuff happens early Sundays, beginning with… Steve Burns: Our Childhood Hero in the Main Theater at 10:45 am. We expect this to pack out the con early, so do him proud and make sure you get there with plenty of time to get in the panel room. OR If TV action is more your thing, check out Kiefer Sutherland’s Spotlight in the Main Theater at 11:45 am. We’d say you can sleep a little longer but the Blue’s Clues crowd is gonna already be there in full force so it’s better if you don’t sleep on it. Mira Sorvino will have her spotlight in Theater 2 at 12:45pm. And just in case you thought Sundays were for nothin’, 1:45pm boasts one of the most heavily advertised events of the con, the Christmas Vacation reunion featuring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, Randy Quaid and Christie Brinkle in the Main Theater at 1:45 pm - get your seats early for that or you’ll be stuck outside looking in. OR IF you’re anime obsessed don’t miss Total Concentration Breathing! - The Demon Slayer Voice Actor Q&A in Theater 2 at 2pm. Then at 2:30pm, join us Whovians as we go see Laugh Hard, Run Fast, Be Kind: Life and Fandom Lessons from 60 Years of Doctor Who, put on by the amazing folks from Chicago TARDIS in the Fandom Panels Room, Room 11, at 2:30pm. OR If classic cult favorites are your thing, say, Dammit, Janet! Excuse me! And don’t miss the conversation of the con with Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick, Cult Classic Convos, which will happen in the Main Theater at 2:45pm. Then, let your spidey sense guide you to the awesome conclusion of Fan Expo panels with Into the Spiderverse with Shameik Moore on the Main Stage at 3:45 pm. Remember this is just a sampling of the programming available at Fan Expo, so bookmark this with some of your faves but make sure to consult the full panel schedule, too! Have fun out there, and keep coming back for panel catchups and cosplay galleries every day of Fan Expo!

There have been some fantastic puzzle games that force you to think spatially and/or use perspective for some very clever puzzle design. But Viewfinder is the first puzzle game since Portal that made me think "wow!" when I saw the main puzzle mechanic. What’s more, it’s the first puzzle mechanic in a long time that I spent some time actually playing with, as opposed to trying to just get through the game. Viewfinder is a first person puzzle game. While Portal had me thinking with portals, Viewfinder had me rethinking spaces as both gateways and even as objects that can help you bypass obstacles to get you to your next objective. In Viewfinder, the main puzzle mechanic is all about photographs. Each photograph acts as a sort of portal to the visible area of that photograph. Whatever was behind that photograph when you place it is completely obliterated (most of the time) and replaced with the objects in tha photo. The effect is seamless, and quite stunning–in fact, I’m still impressed by it even after playing through the game. If this sounds a little too powerful and game breaking, that’s because it is a little bit. However, Viewfinder allows you to rewind time to undo any damage you might do. In fact, you can unwind time to specific checkpoints in your timeline to undo any damage or redo picture placement. Photos in Viewfinder are acquired in different ways, depending on the puzzle. Sometimes you have to hunt for the photos – and some of the only times I was stumped in Viewfinder was when I couldn’t find a photo to proceed. Eventually you’re given a camera, but unlike acquiring the Portal Gun in Portal ,the camera isn’t something you wield all the time. And even then, the camera’s usefulness is limited to how much film you have. There are multiple zones, each with their own slight twist on the picture puzzle mechanic. As you progress through the game, the zones begin to restrict your ability to make wide changes to its world–which I found ironic, considering how clever its design had been up until that point. It really gives off the impression that Viewfinder was running out of ideas. However, when I looked back at my playtime I certainly didn’t feel like I spent 10 hours playing. It’s a game that had me so engrossed in its puzzle mechanics, I didn’t really pay attention to much else–including the lore that ties the world together. I got a passing glimpse, but I was too busy paying more attention to the gameplay itself. Viewfinder does have a story that ties it all together. Without too many spoilers: you’re on a mission to recover a weather device using a computer simulator. Most of the story is told through your companion outside of the simulation, as well as recorded audio you find inside. While Viewfinder has a great concept. It feels like one that has stretched its limits, but never exceeded them. It really didn’t have to. It was consistently surprising and mind bending. Despite any criticism I might have of Viewfinder, I ended up putting 10 hours into the game before I even knew it. I was so completely intrigued by its photo puzzle mechanic, I couldn't help but play with it instead of just trying to beat the game. I haven't done that in years, and it brought some joy to this old bitter gamer.

Remnant From The Ashes was a co-op third person shooter that brought teams of players together in dungeon style areas with dozens of randomly generated bosses. It was reminiscent of Diablo but with a mix of Dark Souls. Combat was randomly generated by a hidden AI director but required strict stamina and bullet damage. Characters also had roles such as tanks, healers or DPS, so players would work together to form the best teams. Now with Remnant II, we get the same formula, but expanded upon in a number of ways that make the first game seem like a proof of concept. The first thing that stuck out from Remnant II was the pronounced upgrade in visuals. Graphically, but also in design. There is so much added detail to characters, gear, enemies and the environments. Environments in the previous game felt a little generic but now they are wholly original. Along with the graphical upgrade is the number and variation of enemies. There is always the basic grunt fodder, but also randomly generated demon wizards or evil archers would appear to up the difficulty. This was truly a unique experience, as we were able to play the same area again after being wiped, only to find different enemy encounters or some of the tougher encounters missing entirely. It’s a cool feature that will make sure you will have some badass stories to tell. Remnant From the Ashes was in essence a looter shooter, but without much loot. The quest was for the experience of tough as nails bosses in a Souls-like shooter. That’s still the premise here but now loot is a higher priority. Previously, there was little loot to speak of, but after speaking to one of the developers, the loot table has been largely increased. They have somehow found a way to create a large cache of equipables that upgrade stats as well as change how you play. Even better still, found gear is shared amongst your party, making sure that everyone gets the spoils of war. The time we got to play Remnant was limited, but within a 30 minute time frame, we were sold. The Remnant fans were left excited for the upgrades presented, while the newbies were excited to jump into a new multiplayer co-op world that they had left since Destiny 2. Remnant II is nothing if not Remnant 1, but a wholesale improvement. We are excited for Remnant II and look forward to its release on July 25th.

It’s a beautiful day out, at least on paper. It’s just under 70, sunny and breezy on what should be a perfect June day in Chicago. But a thick haze has covered the city and suburbs, and driven Chicagoans off beaches, inside from rooftop bars, and into their homes. Its source? The wildfires in Canada’s most destructive wildfire season on record, are still burning strong, and now the toxic effects have descended upon the Midwest. Residents of Chicago, nearby suburbs, collar counties, and in some cases as far away as the Wisconsin border, started reporting “chemical and burning smells” on small town Facebook groups and apps yesterday. Today’s outlook on the same issue was easy to see, with a pea-soup thick haze hanging over the city skyline, making everything dystopic and almost dreamlike. Unfortunately, it’s a nightmare, as the air quality is not only the worst air quality we’ve ever seen, according to world renowned Chicago meteorologist Tom Skilling (via WGN weather producer Bill Synder), who’s served Chicago with some of the most reliable, in depth and interesting weather reports in the world, but the worst air quality in the world, today. It’s a dark superlative to be hanging over our heads, and the air poses serious threats to anyone with respiratory conditions and chronic medical conditions, but also, and importantly, to everyone, with mayors of small towns, as well as newly elected Brandon Johnson calling for residents to abandon plans for outdoor activities, avoid strenuous outdoor activities, and really, just stay inside. Though the threat is different it feels familiar after pandemic lockdowns, although some of the mitigation efforts are similar - masks and air filtration. "For additional precautions, all Chicagoans may also consider wearing masks, limiting their outdoor exposure, moving activities indoors, running air purifiers, and closing windows," Johnson said in a statement. "As these unsafe conditions continue, the City will continue to provide updates and take swift action to ensure that vulnerable individuals have the resources they need to protect themselves and their families." Officials advise that masks should be KN95, N95 quality, or better. Surgical and other DIY masks will not help filter the particulates from wildfires. People who have air purifiers or can afford to purchase them are encouraged to use them. People also may want to consider building a Corsi–Rosenthal Box, a DIY filtration system made from HVAC filters and box fans, developed by Richard Corsi, an environmental engineer and the incoming Dean of Engineering at the University of California, Davis. These are warnings and advice we should pay heed to. Though we’ve faced bad air quality days in the past here in Chicago, especially in the muggy warmth of summer, as Skilling so simply put it, it’s the worst he’s ever seen in his 45 years, and as the various weather app warnings are proclaiming on phones all around the area, the air is categorically unhealthy and should be avoided without proper filtrations. Dr. Ravi Kalhan, deputy division chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Northwestern Medicine, told NBC5 that the air quality in the area is the equivalent of smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day. As climate change worsens, wildfires like those still raging in Canada are likely to continue to cause widespread effects. Those same fires turned the skies in New York City orange earlier this month, and pollutants in the air reached ratings of between 300 and 400 in some cases. New Yorkers could see the same problem again this week, along with Philadelphia, Louisville, the Quad Cities, and several other locations in the Northeast and Midwest. People on the West Coast - long plagued by similar wildfires - have been offering up advice to those in the other parts of America who are more recently affected. It can be easy to ignore warnings like this, but we urge you to not only think of your own health and safety in this situation, but the actions we can take as individuals, towns and nations to help fight further environmental damage.

Court drama can make for some good TV, and Star Trek court drama can make for some really interesting (though a little on the nose) looks at societal issues through a specific lens or perspective. In the case of Strange New Worlds' fantastic courtroom centered episode this week, Ad Astra Per Aspera, it was a look at the Federation and its draconian laws around augments. It’s true that Earth had some bad experiences with augmented individuals during the Eugenics Wars of the 90’s. It’s curious, however, that the Federation as a whole and Starfleet still hold onto this stigma even though the Federation has to consist of dozens–if not hundreds–of worlds at this point. While this point isn’t brought up in the episode, Ad Astra Per Aspera does a good job taking a hard look at the “progressive” Federation’s dark side. For any episodic show that doesn’t rely on an overarching story, it’s hard to make the stakes feel real. Strange New Worlds doesn’t struggle with that, though. Ad Astra Per Aspera (which translates to “to the stars, through difficulty” does a great job making you feel like Captain Pike’s Number one–Una Chin Riley (Rebecca Romijn)--has a serious chance of getting locked up for lying about her augmentation status. Anson Mount as Captain Pike must suffer for his crew, and that’s no different in Ad Astra Per Aspera, as he visits an Illyrian world which is uninhabitable by humans, but completely comfortable for the Illyrians and their genetic modifications. Pike suffers embarrassment and even the threat of choking to death on an inhospitable atmosphere to get the help of Neera–a high powered Illyrian lawyer and old friend of Una Chin riley–in the help of his first officer’s defense. While she reluctantly agreed, it appears at first as though Neera, played by Yetide Badaki, is pushing her own agenda, and not looking out for Una Chin Riley–who gave up a sweet plea deal that would have allowed her to retain her freedom in exchange for losing her Starfleet career. Instead, she chooses to fight for her right to be an augment in Starfleet, and Starfleet tries to make an example of her by upping her potential sentence to 20 years in a penal colony. This new sentence is orchestrated by a prominently eyebrowed Vulcan by the name of ___. There is a particularly hilarious exchange that involved Spock’s meeting with this character, and Doctor M’Benga and pilot Ortega's discussing the intricacies of Vulcan body language. Strange New Worlds does an excellent job balancing tension with genuine levity. As an Illyrian, Una Chin Riley’s parents augmented her in what her species considers a traditional way. However, Riley and her parents were forced to hide her augmented status from the Federation, for fear of being imprisoned. Riley’s lawyer expertly uses this story and Riley’s other accounts of prejudice leveled against her to give Riley an exception, and she’s reinstated as a Starfleet officer–though, as a special case. My original thoughts about this episode was that Deep Space Nine did it better with “Doctor Bashir, I Presume.” However, Ad Astra Per Aspera hits on many points that the DS9 episode didn’t, and makes a compelling argument against the Federation’s status as a utopia. It’s a hard look at a society that harms even when it has the best intentions, and it’s done in a brilliant courtroom turnaround that I should have seen coming, but was delighted to have missed. Strange New Worlds continues to be the Trek that a lot of fans wanted–and I can’t think of any Star Trek fan that can hate it. And “Ad Astra Per Aspera “ is a great return to good old fashioned Star Trek philosophizing and soap boxing that I craved. And that isn’t even getting into the fantastic dress uniforms that were a great balance between new Trek and homage to the Original Series. This is the episode that has really driven home that great live action Trek is back.

The past few years have been ones of bounty for Trekkies like us. After DS9 and Enterprise's denouement, we hadn't had much to look forward to beyond the JJverse reboot, which was itself an extremely divisive return. Luckily for the fandom at large, we were just about to enter into a new, prosperous era of Trek on TV. Ushered in on the wings of Star Trek: Discovery, we found new places to boldly go and new crew to love and explore with. In fact, these past few years have seen the most new Trek on TV of any era of the beloved sci-fi series. It seemed there was something for everyone, from the shiny newness and badass mirrorverse adventures of the USS Discovery to the perfect balance of laughs, lore and heartfelt Trek that is Lower Decks and the high-gloss, mid-mod spectacle that is Strange New Worlds, we had it made. There was even a brand-new animated series geared at the little ones, Star Trek: Prodigy, that would help bring the next generation up to love Trek, too. Star Trek: Prodigy was the little show on the lineup that could. Backed up by the massive talent and charisma of Kate Mulgrew's Janeway herself, this loveable bunch managed a none too small feat -- get the interest of younger generations who didn't know much about Trek, and give longtime fans, especially those who loved Voyager and her crew, brand new tales worthy of any live-action Trek. So it's an equally massive shame that Paramount+ announced Prodigy's cancellation today, even with an almost fully completed Season 2 previously promised to air later this year. Prodigy's characters were vibrant, well-rounded, age appropriate and still had the mass appeal of a mainline Trek show. And while originally geared at children, Prodigy featured some of the darkest, most existential horrors to plague a crew, alongside some substantially scary and evil villains. This cast was a gang that could've come straight out of the island of misfit toys, and were thrown into a situation no kids should have to handle. Star Trek: Prodigy rightly taught kids about chosen family, belonging, and being true to who you are while also taking deep dives into Voyager lore and creating very real, very extensive threats for Starfleet as a whole. To put it mildly: it was better than it had any right to be, and we absolutely loved it. The cancellation is shocking, and a gut-punch for Trek fans, not just because of how unexpected it was, given the new season's trailers and news of renewal for later this year, but because Paramount+ also revealed that Season 1 would be pulled from its streaming service, and Season 2, which was almost through production, would not be aired. It feels like insult to injury for a show we were just as invested in as Picard Season 3, that felt almost as epic at times. According to the Hollywood Reporter, there is a final hope for fans of the show: Star Trek: Prodigy will finish its production and producers CBS Studios plan on shopping both seasons to a new buyer. Reactions to the news came quickly, with fans and the show's creators expressing a natural amount of shock, disappointment, and heartbreak: Julie Benson, a writer on Prodigy, said she was 'absolutely gutted' and hoped that "this beautiful show finds its way across the universe to another platform" Meanwhile, actress Bonnie Gordon, who voiced the USS Protostar's computer, shared her heartbreak with fans and other crew from the show, mentioning how much love everyone poured into the series. Aaron Waltke, the show's executive producer, took to Twitter to combat misleading headlines and remind fans that they will be completing production on the series on time and are actively looking for a new home. And even though we Trekkies can recognize that we're still in a pretty stellar era for Trek, fans are understandably outraged and saddened by the news. Here's just a few fan reactions to the news today: What are your thoughts on the cancellation and Paramount+' s decision to remove Season 1 from the streaming platform? Let us know in the comments. Here's hoping someone will help #SaveProdigy.