After a limited-edition version of the annual Fan Expo Canada in 2021, the con was back with a bang in 2022 with big names, big sessions, and big queues. Yes, I spent way too much time standing in line hoping to get a good seat at my sessions of choice than enjoying the event. Usually, at conventions, I try and attend some of the sessions held by local groups or indie creators, but at the 2022 Fan Expo Canada, held in Toronto from August 25-28, 2022, I had no such luck, because, again, I was waiting in line.
But at least the long lines were worth it. Here are some highlights of my Fan Expo Canada 2022 visit:
LeVar Burton – Geordi La Forge himself took to the
stage and he is an excellent speaker. The crowd was enraptured, especially when
he spoke about how he came to be involved with Reading Rainbow. I think
there were more Reading Rainbow fans in the audience than Star Trek:
The Next Generation ones. Burton also shared that his daughter Mica will be
playing one of La Forge’s daughters in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, which
delighted everyone, but the news that his podcast LeVar Burton Reads
will be coming to an end with Season 11 was a downer. Burton has a great sense
of humour, similar to that of his other TNG castmates, but he is also a measured
orator, who dropped several words of wisdom to the audience. One of the most
poignant moments of Burton’s session was when he explained that his experience
as a Black man in America was enough preparation for his role as Kunta Kinte.
Brent Spiner – Spiner, who played Data on Star
Trek: The Next Generation is hilarious. He came up on stage and took the
time to pose for all corners of the audience so we could get the photographs out
of the way. Spiner may come across as effervescent on stage, but apparently, he’s
quite subdued in real life, which made playing the emotionless Data easier for
him—as opposed to Leonard Nimoy’s experience of playing the emotionless Spock
on Star Trek. Spiner excitedly discussed his voice-acting roles and
talked about his mem-noir Fan-Fiction which he was commissioned to write
during the pandemic. There were fans who had already read it and others who bought
a copy during the session itself. The book is weird, I can tell you that. You
can read my review on Goodreads.
Katee Sackhoff – Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica
was a joy at her session. She’s so full of life and energy and seemed genuinely
excited to be at Fan Expo Canada. She was asked about her show Another Life,
and replied with insightful answers about how she would approach her character differently
if she were to play her now that she is a mother. Sackhoff didn’t talk about Battlestar
Galactica all that much, mostly because when asked if she’d met the
original Starbuck played by Dirk Benedict, Sackhoff shared that she had, but
then he wrote an article dismissing the gender-bent iteration. They haven’t
spoken since. I was saddened to hear that The Flash creators refuse to
bring Sackhoff back as Amunet—she’s convinced one of the cast dislikes her, but
it’s a pity we may not see the character again. Sackhoff was open about living
with chronic pain, especially how she’s not allowed to run anymore due to an
injury. It’s surprising how you can never tell what someone is going through,
but I’m glad she talked about it.
All About Grogu – Sackhoff was tight-lipped about anything
related to The Mandalorian Season 3 and her character Bo-Katan Kryze, despite
several fans’ probing questions. But obviously, since Sackhoff is part of the
show, fans wanted to learn about her connection to Baby Yoda/Grogu. Turns out
Sackhoff is a huge fan and has as much merchandise as she can get. Because
Grogu is animatronic and controlled by remote handlers who react to the
dialogue on set, Grogu can come across as a sentient being. So much so that
Sackhoff, at one point, was sitting with the Grogu puppet on set and ended up
having a full conversation with him, not realising that the handlers could hear
everything she was saying. Suffice to say, it’s easy to forget Grogu isn’t real.
Everyone was enchanted by her stories.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow – Caity Lotz and Jes
Macallan were part of a joint session discussing their CW show. Both actors seemed
to have enjoyed being on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and playing
their characters. They both wanted to ensure there was a level of authenticity to
their characters’ relationship, which is certainly one of the highlights of the
show. I didn’t realise Macallan changed her name for Hollywood, so that was an
interesting nugget. Lotz, who loves doing stunt work, also explained that they
often wouldn’t have time to do fight scenes themselves, given the gruelling
schedule on the CW, but that makes her uncomfortable. As she explained, she
wouldn’t ask someone to act in her place, so why should that be different for
fight scenes. They kept insisting the show was on hiatus and have hopes that it
will return, but I’m not sure if that will pan out.
The 2022 Fan Expo was a packed affair, a little too packed. Given
we’re still facing waves of the pandemic, I was downright uncomfortable by the immense
crowds and the lack of masking. I was double-masked throughout, but these
things shouldn’t have been left to individuals. The crowds made the venue stiflingly
hot, with no recourse for cooling down indoors. The queues for everything were
far too long, especially for food, and there was hardly any place to sit and
eat. I think there were fewer cosplayers than usual, but some people really
went to great lengths to create some amazing outfits.
I do feel there needs to be some variety in moderators on
the panels, and on panels like the Superman & Lois one, where there
are two guests (Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch), the moderator should ensure
he lets both guests answer the question and make certain that both guests feel
important. Tulloch got the short end with that moderator.
I wish I had had the opportunity to attend smaller sessions,
but aside from a session on making a successful podcast, I missed everything
else in an effort to get into sessions and grab good seats. I’m glad some of my
favourites attended this iteration though.
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