Dr. Wren Halvorsen had built a machine that could see into infinite alternate universes, and the only thing it had shown her all week was a version of Earth where everyone communicated exclusively through jazz flute. "Turn it off," she said to her lab assistant, Leo, who was recording everything on his phone. "Turn it … Continue reading The Interdimensional Complaints Department
Question of the Week #505
Welcome back to another Question of the Week here at The Confusing Middle! Gregory Stock's The Book of Questions keeps handing me these little gifts of dread dressed up as thought experiments, and this week's entry might be the most unsettling one I've sat with in a while. So pour some coffee, get comfortable, and … Continue reading Question of the Week #505
Same Name, Sixteen Different Games: How Final Fantasy Keeps Reinventing the RPG
I need to make a confession before we get into this one. For most of my life, I have treated "Final Fantasy" as a slightly misleading brand name, the way "Cool Ranch" doesn't really tell you much about the flavor profile you're getting into. There is nothing final about it. There have been sixteen mainline … Continue reading Same Name, Sixteen Different Games: How Final Fantasy Keeps Reinventing the RPG
Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances: Cosmic Guardians Unite
There's a very specific kind of thrill that only exists if you were buying comics off a spinner rack or out of a cardboard long box in the mid-90s. It's the thrill of the "special." Not an ongoing series, not an annual, but a one-shot event book with a cover that practically screamed at you … Continue reading Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances: Cosmic Guardians Unite
The Evolution of Walter White: From Mr. Chips to Scarface
When Vince Gilligan pitched Breaking Bad to AMC, he reportedly described the show's entire arc in one sentence: he wanted to take Mr. Chips and turn him into Scarface. It's a strange comparison on its face. Mr. Chips is the gentle, beloved schoolteacher from the 1934 novel Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Scarface is Tony Montana, a … Continue reading The Evolution of Walter White: From Mr. Chips to Scarface
Rewatching Smallville – Episode 115
Welcome back to Rewatching Smallville, my weekly dive into the iconic series that explores Clark Kent’s journey before becoming Superman. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the show, you’re invited to join in each Tuesday as I revisit episodes and share my thoughts and observations. Be sure to share your own memories and … Continue reading Rewatching Smallville – Episode 115
The Worst 11 – Left Behind: The Movie
Left Behind: The Movie 2000 Directed by Vic Sarin Same disclaimer as always, and I mean it more than usual this week: this list is built entirely off my Flickchart rankings, which means it reflects nothing but my own head-to-head preferences played out over thousands of matchups. It is not a measure of quality, cultural … Continue reading The Worst 11 – Left Behind: The Movie
The Locksmith
Renata Cole had watched four hundred hours of stolen memory, and none of it belonged to her. That was the job. As lead investigator for Halcyon Dynamics' Continuity Division, she spent her days inside other people's heads, sifting the backed-up minds of executives who'd paid a fortune to have their memories archived against death, dementia, … Continue reading The Locksmith
Question of the Week #504
Welcome back to another Question of the Week here at The Confusing Middle! We're picking up right where last week left off, so if you missed #503, go read it first. That one asked whether you'd trade your looks for a hundred extra years of life, and I answered yes almost immediately, then spent the … Continue reading Question of the Week #504
Happily Never After: How Disney Rewrote the Fairy Tales We Grew Up On
Back in July, Disney's live-action Moana opened in theaters, a full decade after the animated original and just two years after Moana 2 made over a billion dollars worldwide. Early reviews were not kind. One critic called it the most pointless of Disney's live-action remakes. That's saying something, considering last year's live-action Snow White lost … Continue reading Happily Never After: How Disney Rewrote the Fairy Tales We Grew Up On
