Botanical Names Part II

People are so stupid about snakes. If there's a little black racer chilling outside just leave it alone, you don't have to kill it, it's probably dealing with all your pests for you, jesus christ

In light of James Earl Jones recent passing I thought it would be nice to celebrate his life and career by highlighting some of his major TV works.

Unfortunately most of these shows have not made the leap to online streaming and it’s possible they may have never even been released in any form of physical media. I hope one day we may see these shows available for viewing again but for now I’ll share what I could find of them.

Gabriel’s Fire (1990 - 1991)

“The main character, Gabriel Bird, was played by James Earl Jones. He was a former Chicago police officer who, over twenty years prior, had been wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a fellow police officer. In fact, he shot the officer to protect a defenseless mother and child whom the officer was about to murder in cold blood during a 1969 police raid. Unbeknownst to Bird, the raid had been merely a pretext for the police to attack the members of a militant black nationalist organization.

This incident in the character's background was inspired by the 1969 death of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton, who was shot and killed during a raid upon his residence conducted by Chicago police and other law enforcement personnel. On the show, the street on which the raid involving Bird had occurred was identified as "Hampton Street".

After serving about twenty years in prison, a human rights lawyer decides to work for his release as his testimony is needed in another case. At first, Bird opposes any attempts to release him, as he became accustomed to life in prison, but after his release takes place against his will, he begins to get used to life as a free person and uses his time away from prison to help other people who are wronged by society or the authorities.

When Bird is released, he starts working as a private detective, hired by the lawyer who had helped free him.” (Source)

James Earl Jones won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in this show.

While this show is unfortunately unavailable on streaming services I was able to find someone who had uploaded a recording of the first episode on YouTube (unfortunately I could not find the rest of the series at this time). There do not seem to be any DVD or physical media copies of this show.

Paris (1979)

“Los Angeles Police Captain Woody Paris (Jones) is the supervisor of a team of rookie detectives, led by Sergeant Stacy Erickson (Cecilia Hart) and including officers Charlie Bogart (Jake Mitchell), Ernesto Villas (Frank Ramirez), and Willie Miller (Michael Warren). Hank Garrett portrayed Deputy Chief Jerome Bench, Paris' superior, and, in an unusual turn for police dramas of that era, Paris' home and off-duty life was given considerable attention, with Lee Chamberlin portraying his wife Barbara. Paris additionally moonlighted as a professor of criminology at a local university.” (Source)

This show is also unavailable online and I could only find DVD listings on a few obscure sites so it’s unclear if any physical media of this show truly exists. However I did find a short clip of its theme (unfortunately it’s just a short clip of James Earl Jones in the intro sequence followed by the rest of the music over a blurry image of him).

Pros and Cons (1991 - 1992)

"Gabriel Bird is a former Chicago police officer, who, over twenty years prior, had been wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a fellow officer. He was exonerated and subsequently became a Chicago private detective (as seen on Gabriel's Fire). Bird then moves to Los Angeles, where he teams up with another private eye, Mitch O'Hannon. Bird also marries his love interest, Josephine, She had been the proprietress of a café where Bird had begun frequenting shortly after his release, at first for her good, homestyle cooking, but soon, primarily for her companionship." (Source)

Once again this show has not made the leap to streaming and there have seemingly been no DVD or physical media releases of it. However I did find a clip of a short promotional spotlight for the show.

Heat Wave (1990)

"Heat Wave is a 1990 American thriller-drama television film about the 1965 Los Angeles Watts Riots" (Source)

Heat Wave was a made for TV movie and also starred: Blair Underwood and Cicely Tyson.

James Earl Jones won the Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries for his role in this movie.

This movie is available for streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. And it looks like there are some DVD copies for purchase on Amazon, Ebay, and other sites.

Here is a promotional trailer for the movie.

CW: Police Brutality and Racism

I hope this has bean able to shine a light on a lesser acknowledged section of James Earl Jones extensive acting career and legacy. And I hope one day those shows of his that have been seemingly lost to time may yet see the light of day once again.

💙 USA 💙

national suicide prevention (edit: alternatives to 988)

national domestic violence hotline

national sexual abuse hotline

trans lifeline and resources

💙INTERNATIONAL💙

list of suicide hotlines by country

domestic violence hotlines and resources by country

sexual (+ domestic) abuse agencies by country

international trans resources

edit: taking this opportunity whilst this gets traction!

Palestine Children Relief Fund

Lebanon Red Cross

International Rescue Committee (Sudan, Lebanon, Gaza, Congo etc.)

Ukraine Red Cross

The Battle at Wolf 359

In the swirling chaos of the Battle of Wolf 359, where the Federation’s fleet clashed with the relentless Borg cube, hope was a scarce commodity. The starships, valiant as they were, found themselves outmatched by the Borg’s superior firepower and seemingly impenetrable defenses.

It was then that a peculiar blue box, the TARDIS, materialized amidst the debris of fallen ships. The Doctor stepped out, sonic screwdriver in hand, a determined glint in his eyes. He was no stranger to impossible odds, and the plight of the Federation moved him.

The Doctor quickly assessed the situation and devised a plan. He knew the Borg’s strength lay in their collective consciousness. If he could introduce a paradox, something the Borg couldn’t assimilate or understand, it could create a moment of vulnerability.

With the help of a small team of Starfleet officers who beamed aboard the TARDIS, The Doctor synchronized the ship’s time vortex manipulator with the Borg’s transwarp conduit. As the TARDIS’ engines whirred and the Borg cube began to assimilate the signal, The Doctor initiated the paradox—a message of individuality broadcasted on a frequency only the Borg could perceive.

The message spread like wildfire through the Borg’s collective mind, each drone suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of self. Confusion rippled through the cube as drones hesitated, their unified purpose faltering.

Seizing the moment, the Federation fleet unleashed all they had. The Borg, distracted by the existential crisis within, could not defend themselves effectively. The cube sustained critical damage and, in a blinding explosion, was destroyed.

The Doctor, having saved the Federation from certain defeat, received gratitude from admirals and ensigns alike. But he didn’t stay for the celebrations; his work there was done. With a smile and a wave, he disappeared into the TARDIS, off to his next adventure across time and space.

The Battle of Wolf 359 would be remembered not just as a close call with annihilation, but as the day The Doctor, a mysterious hero from another universe, came to the rescue of the United Federation of Planets.

(cont'd)

Emergency pocket Zwei

Weiss: Ruby, did you do your homework?

Ruby: POCKET ZWEI!

Weiss: (Zwei tossed in face) Oh, I just wuv so much! Ah, yes, I do! Ah, yes, I do~!

--------------------------------------------------

Blake: Ruby, can I please have my book back?

Ruby: POCKET ZWEI!

Blake: (Being chased by Zwei) No, no, no! Leave me alone! Leave me alone~!

--------------------------------------------------

Yang: Ruby, are you throwing Zwei at people again?

Ruby: POCKET ZWEI!

Yang: (Catches, Spins) COUNTER ZWEI~!

James Earl Jones

1931-2024