I got a little distracted this morning watching Starfleet Academy and completely forgot to write a post. It happens.
There’s not much exciting to report today, but I am seeing my new neurologist for the first time. I’ve been waiting nearly three years for the Headache Clinic to hire a new permanent neurologist, so this appointment has been a long time coming. I’m cautiously optimistic—and really hoping this one sticks around.
She seems fresh out of medical school—very Dr. Bashir energy—though I’m realistic enough to know she won’t be nearly as distractingly attractive.
And since I haven’t posted an Isabella Pic of the Week in a while, here’s one for this week. 🐾
Today is my usual Friday work-from-home day, and thank goodness for that, because our high today is expected to be 16 degrees. 🥶
I have absolutely no plans to leave my apartment. I’m staying curled up on my couch, staying warm, getting done what work I need to do, and then monitoring emails for the rest of the day.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy premiered yesterday, and as a Star Trek fan, I watched it as soon as I could—meaning right after I got home from work. It was better than I expected, though the jury is still out. I’ll definitely keep watching, and I’m hopeful it will find its footing. It seems to have real potential.
Every now and then, a book series grabs hold of me so completely that I find myself staying up far too late because I have to read just one more chapter. That’s exactly what happened when I picked up Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series—starting with the first two books, Game Changer and Heated Rivalry. I’ll be honest: hockey romances are not usually my favorite subgenre of m/m romance. But these books completely won me over. They’re steamy, full of heart, and emotionally rich in all the best ways. They’re the kind of novels that make you sigh one moment and fan yourself the next.
If you haven’t read Rachel Reid before, she’s a Canadian author widely loved for her blend of erotic heat and emotional tenderness. Her Game Changers novels focus on professional hockey players navigating fame, pressure, identity, and love—with characters so well developed that you can’t help falling for them. Reid has become one of the standout voices in contemporary LGBTQ+ romance, and it’s easy to see why.
It was actually the new television adaptation, Heated Rivalry, that convinced me to pick up the books. I checked out the series when it premiered and immediately fell for its production quality—and let’s be honest, the steaminess. The adaptation stays remarkably close to the novels, even lifting some dialogue straight from the page. Episode three, which adapts Game Changer, deviates more (condensing an entire book into 50 minutes will do that), but it still captures the heart of the story. And yes, the sex scenes absolutely live up to the hype.
After devouring the first two books, I’m now reading Tough Guy, book three. I’m enjoying it, even if it isn’t hooking me quite as deeply as the first two. I’m looking forward to continuing the series, especially books four and five (Common Goal and Role Model). But the book I’m especially eager to reach is the sixth, The Long Game, which returns to the couple from Heated Rivalry and continues their story. I’ve heard nothing but glowing praise.
One of the joys of the TV adaptation is its casting. Shane Hollander is played by Hudson William, and Ilya Rozanov is portrayed by Connor Storrie. Their chemistry is electric, and the show gives them the time and space to build a believable, aching, deeply sensual connection. François Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, is openly bisexual and has long been a visible voice for LGBTQ+ representation. And Robbie G.K., who plays the impossibly cute Kip Grady, steals nearly every scene he’s in. There isn’t much publicly available about his personal life aside from the fact that he appears to be single, but he brings a joyful, queer-coded energy to the role that fans immediately latch onto.
The show is also notable for its broader LGBTQ+ representation behind the scenes. Reporting from Out highlights that multiple queer actors and creators are involved in the project, helping shape a series that treats queer romance with sincerity, playfulness, respect, and heat. It’s refreshing to see a production that doesn’t shy away from the eroticism of the source material while still leaning into its emotional beats.
If you enjoy sports romances, queer love stories, or simply beautifully crafted television, I highly recommend picking up Game Changer, Heated Rivalry, and the rest of the Game Changers series—and definitely give the TV adaptation a try. Even if hockey isn’t normally your thing, this series might just charm you the way it did me.
And honestly? It’s just a whole lot of fun.
The series debuted on Crave with a two-episode premiere on November 28, 2025, followed by weekly episodes, with the finale airing on December 26. In advance of the program’s television premiere, the first episode received a preview screening at the 2025 Image+Nation festival on November 23, 2025. The series was released by HBO Max in the United States and Australia, Sky in New Zealand, and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.
November 10, 2025, marks a truly historic milestone—the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Founded in 1775 at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, the Marines have stood for courage, discipline, and an unshakable commitment to honor, duty, and brotherhood. Every year on this day, Marines around the world—past and present—celebrate their proud legacy. This year’s celebration carries even greater meaning as a quarter of a millennium of service is recognized.
In honor of that incredible legacy, I recently watched a new Netflix series that brings a very different but equally powerful perspective to the Marine Corps experience: Boots.
Based on the memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White, Boots tells the story of a young gay man who joins the Marines—though, unlike the memoir which is set in the 1970s, the Netflix adaptation takes place in the 1990s, just before the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” What unfolds is a deeply moving, funny, and inspiring story about resilience, identity, and belonging.
Max Parker as Sergeant Liam Robert Sullivan
The show stars Miles Heizer and Max Parker, two incredibly gorgeous gay men who both play gay men with honesty and heart. Their chemistry, vulnerability, and courage to portray queer characters in such a traditionally masculine military setting make the series truly special. Heizer brings his signature quiet intensity to the role, while Parker adds authenticity and depth to every scene.
Boots doesn’t just retell a coming-of-age story—it redefines what it means to serve, to find pride in oneself, and to carve out a space in a world that often tries to deny you one. For LGBTQ+ viewers, it’s especially meaningful to see this representation handled with respect, humor, and tenderness.
If you haven’t seen Boots yet, I highly recommend it. It’s beautifully written, well-acted, and emotionally resonant. And what better time to watch it than now—in honor of 250 years of the United States Marine Corps—a reminder that courage comes in many forms, and sometimes the bravest thing a Marine can do is to live truthfully.
Semper Fi—and happy birthday, Marines!
P.S. I have to admit—there’s just something undeniably sexy about Marines. And fun fact: every military man I’ve ever hooked up with has, coincidentally, been a Marine. Go figure.
Friday, Paramount+ released the first of their Star Trek movies, Section 31. In the Star Trek universe, Section 31 is a nefarious group introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when they tried to recruit Dr. Julian Bashir. Since its first introduction as an autonomous shadow organization tasked with protecting the Federation at all costs, the organization has appeared in Star Trek Into Darkness, Enterprise, and Star Trek: Discovery. The organization has always been portrayed as an evil organization that would stop at nothing to fulfill what it believes its mission to be. Some Star Trek fans hate the idea of Section 31 because they say it goes against Gene Roddenberry’s utopian ideals for Star Trek, but let’s face it, while the Star Trek universe gives us hope for a better future, the Federation has never been a perfect society. Even Gene Roddenberry understood that utopia would have its cracks in its foundation.
Since Michelle Yeoh departed Discovery there had been rumors of a Section 31 series. Then, Yeoh won an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once, I assumed the series development had been cancelled. I did not believe an Academy award winning actress would headline a Star Trek series. So, I was surprised when they announced that Paramount+ would be making what they called an “event movie” about Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh.
Every new version of Star Trek since the original series has had a love/hate relationship with Trekkies. Many Trekkies hate anything that is not the original series. Even Next Generation which has become a much beloved show was hated when it began. Deep Space Nine was basically hated through its entire seven seasons, Voyager always got a mixed reception, and Enterprise seemed to put a death knell in Star Trek spinoffs when it only lasted five season. Then, Discovery was released on CBS All Access, and the hatred truly began because it introduced an African American female as the lead character, had a gay couple, transgender and non-binary characters, and a host of other perceived faults. There are many Star Trek fans who never understood the social commentary that Roddenberry established in Star Trek back in the 1960s. It was always groundbreaking, but even Star Trek fans are not immune to the racist, the homophobic, and the ignorant, no matter how much those beliefs go against all Roddenberry’s utopian ideals for Star Trek.
So, it’s no surprise to see Section 31 get terrible reviews from some of the fans. Plus, internet trolls are everywhere including among Trekkies. They are going to be critical and hate everything and never give anything new a chance. I won’t claim that I thought Section 31 was a masterpiece. I believed that it would be a good movie because I really didn’t think at this point in her career Yeoh would be part of a project that she didn’t believe would be good. There were certain surprise elements to Section 31 that I enjoyed, but I knew from the beginning that this would be a darker version of the Star Trek universe. All in all, I was entertained by the movie. I always like seeing anything Star Trek. I even gave Prodigy a try, and it’s the only entry in the series that I could not watch. When it was on Paramount+, I watched it, but I never enjoyed it. That might have had to do more with it being a show for kids than with anything else. I certainly was not going to resubscribe to Netflix to watch it.
So while Section 31 was not my favorite of the Star Trek franchise, it wasn’t too bad. I was entertained, and that’s what really matters to me. So, if you are skeptical, I suggest you give it a try. If you have already seen it, what did you think?
I used to always write my posts the night before, but for the past several months, I’ve been writing them first thing in the morning. However, this post, I wrote last night. I knew I would probably not have time to write one this morning. Why you might ask? The series finale of Star Trek: Discovery was released today, and I’m going to watch it before I go to work.
I’ll admit that Star Trek: Discovery has not always been my favorite Star Trek series. However, it was what brought Star Trek back to television, even if it was on a streaming service. Because of Discovery, we got Picard, Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds. We also got Prodigy, but honestly, that one is really not worth mentioning. Discovery started the “New Trek” era. There have been ups and downs with this new era of Star Trek shows, but we got Star Trek back and it wasn’t through J. J. Abrams, who I think did Star Trek movies a major disservice.
I’ll hate to see Discovery end, and I’ll hate to see Lower Decks end with its next season, but we have at least two more seasons of Strange New Worlds to look forward to and the upcoming Section 31 movie with Michelle Yeoh and the recently announced Starfleet Academy series which will apparently have Holly Hunter as a lead actress. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but we’ll see how she does.
So, as one series ends, and another one about to end, Trekkies still have a lot to look forward to in the near future.
P.S. I hate to see the end of a series headed by Sonequa Martin-Green. As far as I know, she’s the only lead on a Star Trek series from Alabama, and she has a degree from the University of Alabama. Although Louise Fletcher, who played Kai Winn on Deep Space Nine, was also a fellow Alabamian, she was a recurring character, not a lead actress.
I watched Star Trek: Discovery this morning when I got up, and considering where I work, this was a very interesting episode. However, because I watched the episode, I didn’t have much time to write a post today. So, enjoy your Isabella pic of the week. I took this one the other day.
When I woke up this morning, I fed Isabella, made breakfast, and since it’s Thursday, I watched the new episode of Star Trek: Discovery. It’s a show I can’t multitask while watching, so I didn’t have much time to write a post. By the way, I think Discovery saved the best season for its last season. So far, I’ve enjoyed it more than any other season. I hope that continues.
Well, that’s it for today, have a great Thursday. Here’s your Isabella pic of the week:
In this picture, she’s staring at a robin. Of all the birds and wildlife around where I live, she only pays attention to one other animal: a robin. She’s obsessed with them. If I have a window open, and she hears a robin, she runs to the window as fast as possible. When I took this picture, she and a robin were having a staring contest. It seemed to go on forever until the robin got bored and flew away.
Star Trek: Discovery’s final season began being released today with episodes 1 and 2. I watched episode 1 as soon as I got up this morning. And it shows a lot of promise for the season. I’ll watch episode 2 tonight. This season already has certain ties to both TNG and DS9.
Although, I haven’t always loved Discovery, it is often fun to watch. It has also been the most LGBTQ+ progressive Star Trek series ever. It has included a married gay couple as main characters, a lesbian who was widowed during the Klingon War, and a transgender and a non-binary character. I’ve especially liked that the creators did not make a big deal out introducing LGBTQ+ characters. It’s been groundbreaking Star Trek series in many ways, and I’ll miss its progressiveness of the series.
If you’re curious about this post’s title, all Star Trek captains have phrase for telling their ship to move out: Picard’s was “Engage,” Captain Pike’s is “Hit it!,” and Captain Burnham (Discovery) is “Let’s fly!”
And here’s your weekly Isabella pic:
She enjoys keeping an eye on things from the top of the kitchen cabinets.
Joe
The Closet Professor 