Premise: The series is set 97 years after a devastating nuclear war wiped out almost all life on Earth. The only known survivors are the residents of twelve space stations in Earth's orbit prior to the war. The space stations banded together to form a single massive station named "The Ark", where about 2,400 people live. Resources are scarce and all crimes no matter their nature or severity are punishable by death ("floating") unless the perpetrator is under 18 years of age. After the Ark's life support systems are found to be critically failing, one hundred juvenile prisoners are declared "expendable" and sent to the surface in a last ditch attempt to determine if Earth is habitable again. The teens arrive on a beautiful planet they have only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. However they discover that not all humanity was wiped out. There are people on Earth who survived the war, called "grounders" by the 100. The Ark consists of the space stations previously representing the nations of the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, India, Russia, Venezuela, France, Brazil, and Uganda.

In this episode: Murphy returns to the camp carrying a horrific virus created by the Grounders to weaken the camp. After learning the Grounders plan to attack the next day, Bellamy, Finn and Raven come up with a plan to delay them.

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In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss the film Life (2017).

In the film, a six-member crew of the International Space Station uncovers the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. When members of the crew conduct their research, the rapidly evolving life-form proves to be far more intelligent and dangerous than expected.

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In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss the novel Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir.

Premise:

Set in the near future, it centers on school-teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace, who wakes up from a coma afflicted with amnesia. He gradually remembers that he was sent to the Tau Ceti solar system, 12 light-years from Earth, to find a means of reversing a solar dimming event that could cause the extinction of humanity. The story follows two storylines, each told chronologically, starting with the story on board the spacecraft Hail Mary where Ryland Grace regains his memory in bursts. This story is frequently intercut with flashbacks revealing earlier events leading up to the launch of the Hail Mary

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Project Hail Mary Ratings:

• Relevance to Commission Recs: 4.5/5
• Scientific Accuracy: 4.5/5
• Scenario Development: 5/5
• Entertainment Value: 4.5/5
• Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 5/5
• Shock/Surprise Value: 4/5
• Government Policy: 3.5/5
• Portrayal by Actors: 4.5/5
• Direction: 4.5/5
• Production: 4/5
• Overall Average Score: 4.4/5

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, and Policy Principal Robert Bradley, discuss The West Wing S05E20: No Exit (2004).

Premise: After a black-tie dinner, the President and his staff are locked down inside the White House when a foreign substance is detected inside.

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The West Wing S05E20: No Exit Ratings:

• Relevance to Commission Recs: 4/5
• Scientific Accuracy: 3/5
• Scenario Development: 4.5/5
• Entertainment Value: 5/5
• Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 3.5/5
• Shock/Surprise Value: 2/5
• Government Policy: 4/5
• Portrayal by Actors: 5/5
• Direction: 5/5
• Production: 3.5/5
• Overall Average Score: 4.05/5

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss Alien: Romulus (2024).

Premise: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. Romulus takes place after the events of Alien (1979) and before the events of Aliens (1986). The film was written and directed by Fede Alvarez and produced by Ridley Scott.

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Alien: Romulus Ratings:

• Relevance to Commission Recs: 4/5
• Scientific Accuracy: 4/5
• Scenario Development: 5/5
• Entertainment Value: 5/5
• Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 4/5
• Shock/Surprise Value: 4/5
• Government Policy: 1/5
• Portrayal by Actors: 4/5
• Direction: 5/5
• Production: 5/5
• Overall Average Score: 4.1/5

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss the Alien film franchise.

The Alien franchise depicts a series of deadly encounters, predominantly spanning the 21st and 24th centuries, between humanity and the Aliens. Humanity is depicted as a space-faring species with an interstellar dominion; space journeys typically last months, even years, and require the use of cryosleep. Throughout the series, characters are repeatedly manipulated and endangered by the unscrupulous megacorporation Weyland-Yutani Corp, which seeks to profit from the Aliens.

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Alien Franchise Ratings:

• Relevance to Commission Recs: 3/5
• Scientific Accuracy: 4/5
• Scenario Development: 5/5
• Entertainment Value: 4/5
• Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 5/5
• Shock/Surprise Value: 3/5
• Government Policy: 1/5
• Portrayal by Actors: 5/5
• Direction: 4/5
• Production: 4/5
• Overall Average Score: 3.8/5

In this inaugural episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss the film Hidden (2015).

Hidden is a 2015 American psychological thriller film written and directed by the Duffer Brothers in their feature film debut. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Andrea Riseborough, and Emily Alyn Lind. In this film, an unknown strange outbreak has devastated the United States. A family of three, Ray, Claire, and their daughter Zoe, have taken refuge in an abandoned fallout shelter shortly after the catastrophe to hide from the monsters outside.

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Hidden (2015) Ratings:

• Relevance to Commission Recs: 3/5
• Scientific Accuracy: 3/5
• Scenario Development: 5/5
• Entertainment Value: 5/5
• Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 5/5
• Shock/Surprise Value: 5/5
• Government Policy: 2/5
• Portrayal by Actors: 4/5
• Direction: 4/5
• Production: 4/5
• Overall Average Score: 3.8/5