The Incomparable Mothership

Miyazaki Club returns to discuss 2010’s “The Secret World of Arrietty,” a Studio Ghibli production with a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki based on a series of children’s books. Why are we so unnerved by the linear storyline and lack of weirdness? Why does Jason have Bay Leaf head canon? And why is surface tension the true star of the show?

"The Secret World of Arrietty"

Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Moisés Chiullán, John Siracusa and Aleen Simms

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“Warner Brothers called and they’re demanding that we do The Matrix IV, with or without you?” So motivated, Lilly Wachowski made a movie that revisits “The Matrix” that’s about revisiting “The Matrix.” Could it be that this 19-years-later sequel… is better than the other sequels?

"The Matrix Resurrections"

Jason Snell with Chip Sudderth, Erika Ensign and Kelly Guimont

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The Matrix Trilogy ends with “The Matrix Revolutions.” There’s a big fight in Zion, a lot of stuff in the Matrix we didn’t actually remember, everyone becomes Agent Smith, Chip is devoured by thousands of mosquitos, and Kelly resists the bleakness.

"The Matrix Revolutions"

Jason Snell with Chip Sudderth, Erika Ensign, Kelly Guimont and Joe Rosensteel

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Whoa. Years later, we’re back in the Matrix as we cover the sequels to the mind-blowing 1999 original. First up is “The Matrix Reloaded,” which features thrills, spills, underground orgies, and long philosophical monologues. How well does it hold up? What surprised us? Were we excited, or terrified, to see Zion and all those mech suits? Take the appropriately colored pill and join us.

"The Matrix Reloaded"

Jason Snell with Joe Rosensteel, Erika Ensign and Chip Sudderth

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We’ve reconvened Mad Max Club to come up with some word burgers about “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the 2024 prequel to the iconic 2015 film “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Does the prequel match up to the original (aka the fourth) film in the franchise?

"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga"

Steven Schapansky with Erika Ensign, Kelly Guimont and Brian Warren

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Our Ape Club returns to cover 2024’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” Yes, it’s apes and humans again, but this is a new era with a lot to consider about how history is distorted to serve present-day politics, the value of saving or destroying past knowledge, and the best way to protect an eagle egg.

"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"

Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Brian Warren, David J. Loehr and John Moltz

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Our Book Club wraps up its 2024 walk through nine shortlisted SF/F novels with our overall rankings, some short fiction recommendations, and a quick dip into what we’ve read recently and really enjoyed.

2024 Shortlist Book Club: Rankings and Short Fiction

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Heather Berberet

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We discuss the recently concluded (first?) season of the Star Wars series “The Acolyte.” The show offers a mix of stuff we like about “Star Wars”, but the panel’s split on whether it managed to do a good job executing its ambitious agenda.

"The Acolyte"

Jason Snell with Tony Sindelar, Dan Moren, Moisés Chiullán and Chip Sudderth

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Have you been watching Prime Video’s “My Lady Jane?” Our panel is so sure you will like this alternate history show that there’s been a minor coup to take over the Mothership. Join us for a spoiler-free opening pitch to entice you into watching this show, then come for the full spoilery episode.

"My Lady Jane"

Annette Wierstra with Erika Ensign and Kirsten Goruk

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Our Book Club convenes for its final set of shortlisted novels, including “The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi,” “The Water Outlaws,” and the Nebula-winning “Saint of Bright Doors.” Plus: What are we reading?

2024 Awards Book Club, Part 3

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Heather Berberet

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Our Summer of the Planet of the Apes reaches its exciting conclusion with “War for the Planet of the Apes,” which starts out as a war movie but continues mutating into different genres as it goes. We really enjoyed our walk through this underrated trilogy of 2010s action movies, and we hope you did too!

"War for the Planet of the Apes"

Jason Snell with Brian Warren, John Moltz, Annette Wierstra and David J. Loehr

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The Summer of the Planet of the Apes continues with 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” It’s a sequel that’s superior in almost every way, but somehow seems a little less fun, since we can no longer root for the apes. Now there are bad guys on both sides, as Gary Oldman and a chimpanzee named Caesar act out a tragedy of Shakespearean levels.

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

Jason Snell with Brian Warren, Annette Wierstra, David J. Loehr and John Moltz

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You did it, you blew it all up! And now it’s… the Summer of the Planet of the Apes! Our own troop of hairless apes tackles the well-regarded modern “Apes” trilogy this month, beginning with 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” James Franco is a scientist? Brian Cox runs a sketchy ape facility? Tom Felton thinks his dates want to see caged primates? Just when you think this movie has it all backward, that’s when you realize: we’re actually all rooting for the apes.

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Brian Warren, John Moltz and David J. Loehr

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Boot up the Time Window and prepare your memory palace! A full season of the new, Disneyfied version of “Doctor Who” has gone by, and we’ve convened a panel of time experts to discuss the highs and lows, and where the series goes next.

Doctor Who Season 1 Wrap

Jason Snell with Steven Schapansky, Erika Ensign, Chip Sudderth and Annette Wierstra

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“Star Trek: Discovery” opened a new era in Star Trek TV, but now the series has reached its end. How did the new, slimmed-down season 5 storyline work? Were we happy with the series-ending payoff? How were the show’s many interesting characters served in their final go-round? We break it all down.

"Star Trek: Discovery" season 5/series wrap

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Jean MacDonald, Joe Rosensteel and Erika Ensign

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With “Furiosa: A Mad Max Story” in theaters, we thought we would dip back to the original (aka, the fourth) Mad Max movie, “Mad Max: Fury Road” from 2015. It’s a big car chase followed by a race, it’s two hours long, and it’s considered one of the greatest films of all time. Witness us!

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

Steven Schapansky with Erika Ensign, Merlin Mann, Brian Warren and Kelly Guimont

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Our 2024 book club shortlist read continues with “Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon”, “The Terraformers,” and “Some Desperate Glory.” We enjoyed them all, to varying degrees! Plus: What else are we reading?

2024 Awards Shortlist, part 2

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign and Heather Berberet

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It’s been 40 years since the release of 1984’s “The Last Starfighter,” so we finally give this visually groundbreaking film its due. Did we find the early CGI effects as charming as the plot of a small town kid becoming a galactic hero in the distant reaches of space?

"The Last Starfighter" (1984)

Steven Schapansky with Joe Rosensteel, Cicero Holmes, David J. Loehr and Erika Ensign

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You just can’t kill us, unless we’re wearing something on our necks that means you can. We’re back to cover 2018’s “Deadpool 2,” which bring you… more Deadpool. Not necessarily a bad thing, but should it have tried to elevate its game? Does its ending completely invalidate the story? And what’s the serious plot element at the center of the ridiculous meta superhero action?

"Deadpool 2"

Jason Snell with Kelly Guimont, Cicero Holmes and Dan Moren

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With a third movie on the way, it’s time for us to tackle an R-rated “X-Men” spinoff, everyone’s favorite glutton for punishment, 2016’s “Deadpool.” Did it pass the test of skeptical first-time viewers? Does its balance of humor and ultraviolence work? And why did we find this deeply unserious movie strangely affecting?

"Deadpool" (2016)

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Kelly Guimont and Dan Moren

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We begin our walk through the 2024 nominees for Best Novel from the Hugo and Nebula Awards. First up: “Starter Villain” by John Scalzi, “Translation State” by Ann Leckie, and “Witch King” by Martha Wells.

2024 Awards Book Club part 1

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms, Scott McNulty and Heather Berberet

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Put on your mouse ears and step into the TARDIS! We’re discussing the return (rebirth? regeneration?) of “Doctor Who” in 2024, this time on Disney+ (and the BBC). It’s a new era with an old showrunner. How did the 2023 specials hit us, where should curious viewers start watching, and what are our hopes for the coming season?

"Doctor Who" anticipation

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Steven Schapansky, Annette Wierstra and Kelly Guimont

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Why does discussing the overlooked 1991 classic “Dead Again” feel like we’re living a past life? Maybe it’s the shock of seeing young Sir Kenneth Branagh (attempting a weird American accent) and Dame Emma Thompson. Maybe it’s Sir Derek Jacobi making us wonder if that stutter is an “I, Claudius” reference. Maybe it’s the whole romantic fantasy thing, with a Hitchcockian past intruding on a 1990s present.

"Dead Again"

Jason Snell with Glenn Fleishman, Erika Ensign, Annette Wierstra, Dr. Drang and Shannon Sudderth

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It’s time to celebrate the music of the first decade of this century via our 2000s album draft! From opera to show tunes, we’ve got several musical styles covered—and those are just Andy’s picks! Why do James’s picks leave us cold? What is Erika’s favorite Beat Saber band? Why does Kelly use karaoke as therapy? How does Shelly tactically use remixes? And why did Brian insist on editing this episode?

2000s Album Draft

Jason Snell with Brian Hamilton, James Thomson, Shelly Brisbin, Erika Ensign, Kelly Guimont and Andy Ihnatko

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Our book club reconvenes to discuss the “Shades of Magic” series by V.E. Schwab, as well as the start of a second trilogy, “The Fragile Threads of Power.” Before the spoilers begin, we’ll explain the parallel fantasy world structure and explain why it’s such a great series. Then we’ll discuss the newest book in the series.

Plus: What are we reading?

"The Fragile Threads of Power"

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Heather Berberet

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Just when we thought we were out, they pulled us back in! Long after we recorded our first episodes about “The Godfather,” our panelists get back together to talk about the late-sequel “The Godfather Part III,” or is it “The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone” now? Only Francis knows for sure.

"The Godfather III/Coda"

Jason Snell with John Siracusa, John Gruber, Chip Sudderth and Moisés Chiullán

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Get on your sandworm and head south! It’s time to discuss “Dune Part 2,” a sequel with more sand, more Fremen, and more time spent at the super weird planet of the villainous Harkonnen family. Is Paul the hero, or… something else? Dust off the family atomics and join us, won’t you?

"Dune Part 2"

Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Kelly Guimont, Guy English and Brian Warren

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It’s the first-ever Reboot a Bad Movie draft! In which our stalwart panelists grab an intellectual-property loser off the shelf, dust it off, and re-envision it in a new way that could maybe, possibly be a hit with modern audiences.

Moisés Chiullán with Lisa Schmeiser, David J. Loehr, Cicero Holmes and Monty Ashley

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Nobody is more surprised than Antony Johnston to find he’s now a cozy crime author. Dan Moren sniffs out the secrets of his “Dog Sitter Detective” series.

Dan Moren with Antony Johnston

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We conclude our movie-by-movie review of the “Back to the Future” series with the western-themed third installment, which features less time travel shenanigans and more old-west shenanigans.

"Back to the Future Part III"

Jason Snell with Lex Friedman, John Siracusa, Brian Warren, Monty Ashley and Moisés Chiullán

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It’s time again. Time! To go forward in time, then backward—or is it sideways?—in time, then further back in time, and then maybe even further back in time. It’s time for the bland future of 2015, the apocalyptic alt-present of 1985, and a familiar 1955. But most of all, it’s time for a Crisis on Infinite Biffs. It’s “Back to the Future Part II.”

"Back to the Future Part II"

Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Dan Moren, Brian Warren and Shelly Brisbin

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Great Scott! No time to be a slacker, McFly, because we’ve gotta go back in time to 1985 so we can go back to 1955 so we can perfectly time a lightning strike. That’s right, it’s time to talk about “Back to the Future.”

"Back to the Future"

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, Chip Sudderth and Lex Friedman

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Jason’s favorite movie of 2023 was the gray flipside to “Barbie,” Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” And while none of us would exactly call ourselves Nolan fans, this one manages to grapple with a deep subject with great care. It’s got some spectacular scenes that will blow your mind—and a whole lot more scene of men in suits and hats standing around talking.

"Oppenheimer"

Jason Snell with Shelly Brisbin, Kathy Campbell and Cicero Holmes

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Two nations, two sitcoms, one premise: What if one of us could see ghosts? Infusing genre complications into the world of TV situation comedies, “Ghosts” has become a hit in both the UK and the U.S.! We recommend both, compare the different versions, and try to explain why the whole idea works so well.

"Ghosts"

Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Heather Berberet, Cicero Holmes and Erika Ensign

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KNEW THIS WAS ONE WAY TICKET
BUT YOU KNOW I HAD TO COME

At long last, it’s the episode Jason has waited 13 years to schedule. Up from the depths of the ocean comes a long-awaited 4K transfer! It’s time for all of you to join us in watching one of the great (and underrated) adventure films of all time, and perhaps James Cameron’s best film: “The Abyss.”

We watched the Special Edition of the film, and discuss the ways in which it’s superior to the original cut, and the ways it isn’t.

"The Abyss" (Special Edition)

Jason Snell with Todd Vaziri, John Siracusa, Annette Wierstra and Erika Ensign

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We reconvene Miyazaki Club to discuss the master animator’s latest final movie, “The Boy and the Heron.” We went in wondering, will this be lyrical and nostalgic magical realism, or will it be a barrage of super-weird fantastical imagery? The voluminous bird poop and the suit of frogs point the way.

"The Boy and the Heron"

Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Steve Lutz and Moisés Chiullán

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In 2023’s “Godzilla Minus One,” the classic monster doesn’t just represent nuclear disaster, but crushing guilt on personal and societal levels. What if someone built a deeply emotional human drama that was also a movie where Godzilla destroys a whole lot of stuff? We’ve got the answer!

"Godzilla Minus One"

Jason Snell with Monty Ashley and Moisés Chiullán

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Crack open your psychohistory textbooks and ready a new batch of imperial clones, because it’s time to discuss the Apple TV+ series “Foundation,” extremely loosely based on the classic works of Isaac Asimov. Before the spoiler horn, we talk about why this is a show worth catching up on—and also debate the merits of psychohistory. Then we discuss the first two seasons, which we really enjoyed.

"Foundation" TV series

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Heather Berberet and John Siracusa

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Happy new year! Some of our most prolific panelists pick some of their favorite media of the year gone by, and a few listeners send in some favorite clips from The Incomparable in this past year. Onward to 2024!

Best of 2023

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Chip Sudderth, Monty Ashley, Dan Moren, Shelly Brisbin, Annette Wierstra and David J. Loehr

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It’s Kilmas 2023, in which we continue our annual celebration of the films of Val Kilmer. This year’s selection is “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” written and directed by Shane Black. It’s a film noir-ish story that wants to have everything both ways. Val Kilmer’s the best thing in it, of course. The rest of the film feels unstuck in time.

Kilmas: "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"

Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Tiff Arment and Dan Moren

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In the spirit of coming downstairs and finding presents waiting under the tree, we offer the Incomparable Toy Draft. It’s not just a story about our favorite childhood toys—it’s also a story about the toys we desperately wanted and never got.

Toy Draft

Jason Snell with Shelly Brisbin, Lisa Schmeiser, Kelly Guimont, Moisés Chiullán, David J. Loehr, Chip Sudderth, Monty Ashley, Philip Michaels and Annette Wierstra

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50 years later, “Soylent Green” is still made of people—and its futuristic setting of 2022 is shockingly relevant! But having given this film a full viewing, we think it’s also a pretty good example of ’70s eco sci-fi with a little noir detective flavoring. (Not that kind of flavoring.)

"Soylent Green"

Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Monty Ashley, Annette Wierstra, Dr. Drang and Philip Michaels

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Almost 100 episodes later, we reconvene (most of) our original panel to discuss season two of “The Wheel of Time.” How does it fit into the current set of big fantasy TV shows? Team Didn’t-Read-the-Books seems to be in agreement with Lady Dragonmount that it helps when a fantasy saga’s book series is complete before it’s adapted for the screen.

"The Wheel of Time" season 2

Moisés Chiullán with Kathy Campbell and John Siracusa

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We don’t care what the box office says! We saw “The Marvels” and thought it was a lot of fun. And we worry that Marvel may take the wrong lessons from its box-office failure.

"The Marvels"

Jason Snell with Chip Sudderth, Shannon Sudderth, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, James Thomson and Kelly Guimont

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! For the holiday, we give you a turkey of a movie about a duck. It’s 1986’s “Howard the Duck.” (No way to conceal it.)

"Howard the Duck"

Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Moisés Chiullán, Monty Ashley, Steve Lutz and David J. Loehr

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Dan Moren’s new novel ‘All Souls Lost’ is a departure from his previously published work, but not as much as you might think. Antony talks to him about the book, how it came to be, and why it was a long time in the making.

Dan Moren's "All Souls Lost"

Antony Johnston and Dan Moren

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We have some suggestions for the next round of “Star Trek” TV series.

"Star Trek" pitch draft

Jason Snell with Monty Ashley, Moisés Chiullán, Joe Rosensteel, David J. Loehr and Heather Berberet

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A mother seeks help for her troubled daughter from a medical profession that’s unable to find an answer it can believe. A priest questions his faith, until he gets projectile vomited in the face by a 12-year-old girl with her head spinning around. It’s a horror classic. We celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Exorcist”!

"The Exorcist" (1973)

Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Tiff Arment, Brian Hamilton, Moisés Chiullán and Dr. Drang

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Grab some kindling and prepare to board up a window! Old Movie Club gets in the spirit of the spooky season with the 1969 movie that started it all—and by “all” we mean what we now think of as zombies—“Night of the Living Dead.” For a low-budget movie that features mostly amateur actors and fell out of copyright, it’s a certifiable classic. We’re certifying it right now. If you don’t like it, go back down to the basement, because we’re the boss of the upstairs.

"Night of the Living Dead"

Jason Snell with Tiff Arment, Steve Lutz, Philip Michaels and Erika Ensign

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The Book Club closes the door on this year’s awards shortlist with some lively book ranking and a tour of the nominated short fiction.

Awards novel wrap and Hugo short fiction!

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty and Heather Berberet

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You will believe a man can fly… a seaplane! We take on the curious 2006 film “Superman Returns,” which is a sequel (sort of) to “Superman” and “Superman II” but most definitely not other movies. There’s a new cast and a new boyfriend for Lois, but Lex Luthor’s still obsessed with real estate. Also, this may be the last movie to feature a fax being sent from a yacht as a key plot point.

"Superman Returns"

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Shelly Brisbin, Cicero Holmes, Moisés Chiullán and David J. Loehr

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You will believe a man can fly again! Super September continues with a discussion of “Superman II,” a troubled production that shows all the signs of being a superhero classic… but falls short of the mark more often than we expected.

"Superman II"

Jason Snell with Shelly Brisbin, Erika Ensign and David J. Loehr

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We entered our viewing of 1978’s “Superman” with nostalgia and a sense of childlike wonder. We exited questioning everything about our fond memories of childhood.

"Superman" (1978)

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Shelly Brisbin, Steve Lutz and Chip Sudderth

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Our Book Club concludes its reading of the Hugo and Nebula shortlist novels with “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and “The Spare Man” by Mary Robinette Kowal. One’s an homage to H.G. Wells (sort of?) and the other plays like “The Thin Man” in space. Plus: We debate the meaning of star-rating systems, and what else are we reading?

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Scott McNulty

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Perhaps the best expression of the DC Animated Universe was its swan song: Justice League Unlimited, which improved upon its predecessor (Justice League Unadorned) with snappier pacing, a conspiracy story arc that anticipated today’s morally ambiguous super-teams, and a jumbo variety pack of DC characters. YES, we’re going to talk about Shining Knight, Bat Lash, and the Question. YES, we’re going to talk about the best-but-most-misplaced epilogue to the DCAU. YES, we’re going to talk about what happens when a super genius and a super genius gorilla tangle in the workplace.

"Justice League Unlimited"

Chip Sudderth with Tony Sindelar, Cicero Holmes, Monty Ashley and Shannon Sudderth

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Arrange an assortment of home-cooked Vulcan appetizers and warm up your singing voices, because it’s time to discuss season two of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” This season took some big swings, and some of them didn’t quite connect—but a whole lot of them did.

"Strange New Worlds" season 2

Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Erika Ensign, Dan Moren and Joe Rosensteel

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Is there a movie everyone else thinks is bad, which you secretly love? Maybe more than one? Then this is the episode for you! Antony resurrects his old podcast and asks a panel of guests to draft and talk about movies which are… unjustly maligned.

Unjustly Maligned Movie Draft

Antony Johnston with Chip Sudderth, Jean MacDonald, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton and Monty Ashley

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We travel the highways and byways of space, from gross flesh space stations to the weird suburbs of Counter-Earth, all with one quest in mind: talk about Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3!”

"Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3"

Jason Snell with Brian Warren, Kelly Guimont and Chip Sudderth

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Our book club reads two Hugo nominees, “Nona the Ninth” and “The Kaiju Preservation Society.” One’s the third book in a series that’s a real departure from what has came before, and whether that’s good or bad depends on how you were feeling about the series! The other is a standalone novel that’s perfectly fine, from an author who we think could be a better student if only he applied himself. And as usual, we also recommend many more books for you to read!

Book Club: "Nona the Ninth" and "Kaiju Preservation Society"

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign and Aleen Simms

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When a movie is this pink and this popular, we can’t ignore it. Our panel came in with high expectations for “Barbie,” and somehow not one of them was disappointed. What is it about Barbie and Ken that made this movie the hit of Summer 2023?

"Barbie"

Annette Wierstra with Shelly Brisbin, Heather Berberet, Kathy Campbell, Brian Hamilton and Moisés Chiullán

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How can “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” live up to its predecessor? It seems like a tough one, but somehow this 2023 sequel manages it. Just don’t expect an ending—it was originally called “Part One” for a reason.

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"

Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Lisa Schmeiser, Shannon Sudderth and Chip Sudderth

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Our Indy Summer concludes with the new release, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Ticking clocks! Antonio Banderas! Short Round II! We had a good time at the movie and we break it all down.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"

Jason Snell with John McCoy, Annette Wierstra, Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

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Bad news for the haters: We watched “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and must inform you that our nerd rage of the 2000s has abated and we think it’s mostly okay now, actually. Even the refrigerator.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"

Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Annette Wierstra, Brian Warren and Erika Ensign

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Our revisiting of Indiana Jones movies continues with “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, a movie that may not achieve true greatness, but sure has a heck of a lot of fun, thanks to a solid job from Harrison Ford and everything Sean Connery says or does.

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"

Dan Moren with Aleen Simms, Kathy Campbell, Monty Ashley and Tony Sindelar

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As an adjunct to the Summer of Spielberg, we are revisiting the Indiana Jones movies we only glossed over the last time we covered them! We begin with “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” which gets credit for trying something different and demerit for failing at a lot of that.

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"

Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Steve Lutz, Moisés Chiullán and David J. Loehr

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“Barry” is the blackest of black comedies — if it’s even a comedy at all by season four. We knew Bill Hader was funny, but now we also know he’s an impressive actor and director, too. This spoiler-laden discussion of all four seasons dives deep into what’s real and not, what’s funny and not, and whether Barry was mostly a trippy homage to “Breaking Bad.”

"Barry" series wrap

Lex Friedman with Brian Warren and Brian Hamilton

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From the sleeper hit that everyone clung to during the COVID lockdowns to a third season with Premier League-levels of hype and scrutiny, Ted Lasso was more than a breakout hit for Apple TV+. We dive into the Good, the Bad, and the Zava and make our picks (“It’s not a draft!”) for what spinoffs we want to see!

Chip Sudderth with Aleen Simms, James Thomson, Kathy Campbell and Shannon Sudderth

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Our book club tackles two Nebula-nominated novels with ampersands in their titles! Is that all they have in common? It’s “Nettle & Bone” & “Legends & Lattes.” Plus: Is Scott the monster again this time? Maybe not!

"Legends & Lattes" and "Nettle & Bone"

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign and Kelly Guimont

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They made a better movie about Dungeons & Dragons! Can you really go wrong with Chris Pine and Hugh Grant? Two expert DMs and a roleplaying novice break it all down!

"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"

Jason Snell with Tony Sindelar, Scott McNulty and Moisés Chiullán

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We go 20 minutes into the future and 36 years into the past to discuss ABC’s cyberpunk drama “Max Headroom.” For a show with an 80s pop-culture icon as its title character, it’s actually a prescient satire about where our culture was (and still is?) headed. Even more than three decades later, its discussions of data security, the right to privacy in a technological age, artificial intelligence, and even deepfakes are still state of the art. (Non-American viewers who thought this was the show where Max Headroom introduced various music videos… uh, no.) Catch the wave and join us, won’t you?

"Max Headroom" (ABC)

Jason Snell with Cicero Holmes, Moisés Chiullán, Monty Ashley, Warren Frey and Austin Rich

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They said that “Star Trek: Picard” wasn’t just going to be a “Star Trek: The Next Generation” reunion show, and that turned out to be true, at least about the first two seasons. We review the show’s just-completed third season, which brought us the emotional and nostalgic moments we craved, introduced an assortment of new characters we liked (or didn’t), and introduced some plot elements that we puzzled over.

"Star Trek: Picard" season 3

Jason Snell with Joe Rosensteel, Moisés Chiullán, Cicero Holmes and David J. Loehr

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We gripe because we love! We break down the third season of “The Mandalorian.” Is burying part of the story in another show doing a disservice to this one? Why are there so may plot threads that seem to go nowhere, or get resolved in an anticlimactic fashion? And, despite all that, how did we all still have a good time?

"The Mandalorian" season 3

Dan Moren with Tony Sindelar, Houman Sadri, James Thomson and Kelly Guimont

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Our Book Club begins our walk through awards shortlist reading with two Nebula Awards nominees for best novel, “The Mountain in the Sea” by Ray Nayler and “Spear” by Nicola Griffith. One’s a near-future thriller about sentient octopi, the other’s an Arthurian fantasy with a few twists.

Next time we’ll be reading Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher and Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. If you’re on Goodreads, you can also join our Book Club there.

Book Club: "Spear" and "Mountain in the Sea"

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Deborah Stanish

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Everyone laughed at the title, and many laughed at the over-the-top violence, but 1987’s “RoboCop” turned into a sleeper hit that kickstarted a major franchise. We revisit Paul Verhoeven’s first and best big-budget sci-fi satire.

Antony Johnston with Erika Ensign, Steve Lutz and Moisés Chiullán

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Sure, she’s a human lie detector, but she’s also a murder magnet who’s running from a guy who seems to want her dead. We enter the world of Rian Johnson’s “Poker Face,” where Natasha Lyonne is both Columbo and The Fugitive.

"Poker Face"

Shelly Brisbin with Antony Johnston, Annette Wierstra, David J. Loehr and Ken Ray

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Old Movie Club throws itself into the turning wheels of justice with two legal films from 1957, “12 Angry Men” and “Witness for the Prosecution.”

"12 Angry Men" and "Witness for the Prosecution"

Jason Snell with Dr. Drang, Shelly Brisbin, Randy Dotinga and Philip Michaels

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Grab a backpack and get ready to siphon some gas—we’re setting out from the safe zone on a quest to find opinions about the first season of HBO’s video game adaptation, “The Last of Us.”

"The Last Of Us" (HBO)

Cicero Holmes with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign and Guy English

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Avoid stepping on butterflies, step into your time machine, and go kill your grandfather—it’s time for our Time Travel Movies Draft! We select favorite films from all corners of the time-travel genre, from time loops to historical shenanigans to nonsensical plot twists.

Time-Travel Movie Draft

Jason Snell with James Thomson, Glenn Fleishman, Erika Ensign, Moisés Chiullán, Annette Wierstra and Monty Ashley

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Our Book Club reads “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel, a beautifully written story set in multiple timelines that—like her earlier novel “Station Eleven”—frustrated some, but not all, of our panelists. We also recommend a lot of other books to read!

Book Club: "Sea of Tranquility"

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms, Deborah Stanish and Scott McNulty

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We wrap up our seven-year walkthough(!) of the seven seasons of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” The show is slowly grinding to a halt, but are there gems to be discovered? Buffy’s got a speech about that. Maybe the real Big Bad was the friends we made along the way!

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" season 7

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Jean MacDonald, Quinn Rose, Mattie Cox and Steve Lutz

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This week we’re drafting Disney Princesses! There are two simple rules: They must be Disney, and they must be princesses. How far will our intrepid panelists go to stretch those rules? Join us to find out.

Disney Princess Draft

Annette Wierstra and Kathy Campbell with James Thomson, Rosemary Orchard, Moisés Chiullán, Monty Ashley and Glenn Fleishman

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Wednesday Addams is not the girl of your dreams — she’s the stuff of your nightmares. Our group of outcasts gathers in our secret library to conjure our thoughts on the first season of “Wednesday”, streaming on Netflix. We discuss what we love about the show, while also trying to figure out, is it really meant for us?

"Wednesday"

Tiff Arment with Brian Hamilton, Glenn Fleishman and Kathy Campbell

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Put on your home-built Iron Man suit and whisper into some beads, because it’s time to discuss “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Our panel talks about how the movie leaves space to grieve Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa while also providing a platform for a bunch of black women to take the lead in a geopolitical battle involving the charismatic Namor, the U.S. government, and… the French? We drift into the shipping lanes for a moment, but it doesn’t generate any enthusiasm about the film’s big boat battle.

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Jason Snell with Cicero Holmes, Moisés Chiullán, Kelly Guimont and Lisa Schmeiser

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Our Book Club reconvenes to discuss R.F. Kuang’s “Babel.” It’s a story about magic and empire and revolution, and our feelings about it are similarly complicated. Plus: A whole bunch of book suggestions!

Our next Book Club selection: “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel.

Book Club: R.F. Kuang's "Babel"

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign and Scott McNulty

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Get in line to order a hero sandwich—not so fast, sidekick! We’re here to talk about 2005’s thoroughly delightful Disney movie “Sky High,” featuring superhero action and teen drama that are both full to the brim—but never quite over the top.

"Sky High"

Jason Snell with Glenn Fleishman, Jean MacDonald, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Dr. Drang

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This week, we’re drafting some spies, secret agents, and con artists. Con artists? Why not? They all use similar skills—sometimes, it’s impossible to tell the difference. From fiction to spoof to inspired by real life, we’ve got it all. Also, is that Cate Blanchett or Tilda Swinton? Good luck, Jim. This episode will self destruct in five seconds.

Secret Agent Draft

David J. Loehr with Tom McGrath, Chris Klimek and Nathan Alderman

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Put on your headset and get ready to jump into a polt, because we’re going to discuss “The Peripheral,” Prime Video’s adaptation of William Gibson’s novel. What makes its approach to certain famous sci-fi tropes unique? How interesting are the accents? Why is there an invisible car? We’ll answer those questions as soon as we flee to another stub.

"The Peripheral" (TV series)

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Erika Ensign, Lisa Schmeiser and Antony Johnston

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Store up some mana and watch out for maleficers and maw-mouths! We’re going to discuss Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy, which takes the familiar story of a school for teenage magicians and does some very different things with it! Before the Spoiler Horn, we talk generally about the books and why you should read them. Then we dig into some of the details of how the series changes as it comes to its end.

[Our next Book Club selection is “Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution” by R.F. Kuang.]

Naomi Novik's "Scholomance" trilogy

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Dan Moren, Erika Ensign and Glenn Fleishman

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Our favorites from 2022, plus a few clips.

Our 2022 Favorites

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, David J. Loehr, Dan Moren, Erika Ensign, Monty Ashley, Shelly Brisbin, Glenn Fleishman, Chip Sudderth, Tony Sindelar, Jean MacDonald, Cicero Holmes and Lisa Schmeiser

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The Knight before Christmas this year is David Lowery’s 2021 film “The Green Knight.” This year’s final Mothership episode is a game inside a gift inside a game, much like the movie. Is every episode featuring Glenn secretly (or not-so-secretly) about Zardoz? What secrets of the exotic West Midlands does Antony have to reveal? Find out as we champion diverging from the path as the most direct route to completing a quest.

"The Green Knight"

Moisés Chiullán with Antony Johnston and Glenn Fleishman

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Our annual Kilmas tradition leads us to watch the questionable 2000 sci-fi film “Red Planet,” in which Val Kimer is at his best, and several other actors are also present. Also, the main plot points of this film are so similar to “The Martian” that we’re now convinced Andy Weir must have seen this film and vowed to do it better. But if you’ve ever wanted to watch a dumber version of “The Martian,” have we found the movie for you.

Rocket Surgery: "Red Planet"

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign and David J. Loehr

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Star Wars gets serious with “Andor,” a show that gives us exactly what we needed (but didn’t know we wanted?) from the venerable franchise. We break down the plots, characters, and storytelling choices, live from John Siracusa’s living room!

"Andor"

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Tony Sindelar and John Siracusa

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At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the S. S. Poseidon, enroute from New York to Athens, met with disaster and was lost. A handful of podcasters follow the challenges faced by a handful of Oscar winners and other assorted stars from the 1970s to celebrate that 50th anniversary of this classic disaster flick. This is their story.

"The Poseidon Adventure"

Jean MacDonald with Steve Lutz, Shelly Brisbin and John Chidgey

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Are you calling us funny? Are we like a clown? Do we amuse you? More than thirty years later, “GoodFellas” still stands up. In honor of the late Ray Liotta, we break down Martin Scorsese’s classic film about street-level gangsters.

"GoodFellas"

Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Philip Michaels and Monty Ashley

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Put on a magic bangle and pick up your briefcase, because it’s time for us to discuss two Marvel Disney+ series that push the universe in some new and interesting directions, “Ms. Marvel” and “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.”

"She-Hulk" and "Ms. Marvel"

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Cicero Holmes, Moisés Chiullán and Chip Sudderth

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“Weird” is the direct-to-Roku movie that accurately chronicles every aspect of Al Yankovic’s life. This podcast accurately chronicles every aspect of the movie.

"Weird: The Al Yankovic Story"

Lex Friedman with Quinn Rose, Kelly Guimont and Brian Hamilton

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We watched “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and “House of the Dragon” and have thoughts.

"The Rings of Power" and "House of the Dragon"

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, John Siracusa, Joe Rosensteel and Erika Ensign

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Put on a jacket and charge up your flamethrower, because it’s almost halloween, and that means it’s time for Old Spooky Club to discuss 1982’s “The Thing.” It’s foul and drippy and gooey—the Thing, that is, and not the movie. The movie’s not foul. It’s the other two, though.

"The Thing" (1982)

Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Philip Michaels and Erika Ensign

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Our Old Movie Club sits down with a nice plate of fish and a large glass of water to watch 1972’s “Chinatown.” We discuss the merits of Jack Nicholson, the horror of John Huston’s character, and perhaps the perfect noir screenplay.

"Chinatown"

Jason Snell with David J. Loehr, Shelly Brisbin, Dr. Drang, Steve Lutz and Philip Michaels

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Mystery and mayhem are on the menu as we draft favorite TV detectives. Thomas Magnum is off the board, but everyone else is fair game. Who will our panelists choose to figure out whodunit? Will it be the usual suspects? Surely Jim Rockford will be on the list, unless he didn’t get his voicemail…

TV Detective Draft

David J. Loehr with Shelly Brisbin, Nathan Alderman, Tom McGrath, Katie Siegel and Chris Klimek

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It’s time to reconvene our Book Club, not to talk about an awards shortlist but to recommend books from arbitrarily selected categories. So many books! And not many rocks, we promise.

Antony's book list

Antony Johnston with Erika Ensign, James Thomson and Jason Snell

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Grab your helm, pouch, and ruby and watch out for dream vortexes! The classic Vertigo comic “The Sandman” has been adapted to a new Netflix show. What do we love about this modern retelling of the story—and what are we unsure about?

Netflix's "The Sandman"

Tony Sindelar with Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Chip Sudderth and Shannon Sudderth

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Russell Crowe! Christian Bale! Natalie Portman! Are they starring in a prestige film that we’re sure to hear about when Oscar time comes around? No, it’s “Thor: Love and Thunder!” But while this movie might not be able to live up to “Thor: Ragnarok,” there are a lot of things we appreciated about it. And also some things we didn’t. It’s all about tone.

"Thor: Love & Thunder"

Jason Snell with Kathy Campbell, Tony Sindelar and Chip Sudderth

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Mum, Dad, it’s evil, don’t touch it! The Summer of Time Travel reaches its end—or is it the beginning?—with 1981’s “Time Bandits,” a children’s fantasy written and directed and even featuring some Monty Pythons. Does it work for adults? Does the tone still work? We fall through a time hole and give our verdict.

"Time Bandits"

Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, David J. Loehr, Monty Ashley and Shelly Brisbin

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What if H.G. Wells used a time machine to chase Jack the Ripper into the present day (of 1979)? It would look an awful lot like 1979’s “Time After Time,” we’re guessing. David Warner and Malcolm McDowell match wits! Mary Steenburgen is a modern lady looking for an old-fashioned man! Also Jason observes the film’s (pretty good) depiction of San Francisco geography and Jean confronts her young moviegoing trauma.

"Time After Time"

Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Moisés Chiullán, Monty Ashley and David J. Loehr

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The Summer of Time Travel meets Rocket Surgery as we watch the very 90s, good-bad film “Timecop,” the movie that answers the question, “What would happen if you tried to kick time itself?”

"Timecop"

Jason Snell with Joe Rosensteel, Annette Wierstra and Monty Ashley

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We take a sideways break from the Summer of Time Travel by verse-jumping across realities to Everything Everywhere All At Once, the multiverse movie directed by The Daniels and starring Michelle Yeoh. Is empathy the superpower Doctor Strange needed all along? Too bad, because he isn’t in this movie!

"Everything Everywhere All At Once"

Moisés Chiullán with Brian Hamilton, Jean MacDonald and Sandra Wong

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The Summer of Time Travel begins/ends/continues (pick one) with 1989’s “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” in which two dumb guys collect some of history’s greatest figures and take them to the mall. Party on, dudes!

"Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"

Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Lisa Schmeiser, Kelly Guimont and Moisés Chiullán

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The days of appointment television are long gone, but what if you could create a streaming service broadcasting the best that TV had to offer in the 21st century? What shows would be on your marquee? We’ve got you covered, with our very first Peak TV draft (patent pending)! Will your favorite shows get drafted? Tune in to find out!

21st Century TV Draft

Cicero Holmes with David J. Loehr, Jean MacDonald, Monty Ashley, Shareef Jackson and Moisés Chiullán

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The release of the super-meta “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” with John Mulaney and Andy Samberg on Disney+ put us in mind of a movie from which it borrowed a hunk of its DNA: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. We first toon, er, tune our dial to that classic, groundbreaking 1988 Robert Zemeckis-directed film, then look at its 2022 chip off the old block. Forget it, Dale, it’s Toontown.

"Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers" and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"

Glenn Fleishman with David J. Loehr, Shelly Brisbin and Moisés Chiullán

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Thirty-three episodes of new live-action “Star Trek” have now concluded, and we’re going to talk about all of it. We bring some tough love for “Discovery” and “Picard”, which disappointed us. But all is not lost—there’s a lot of unabashed love for “Strange New Worlds.”

Star Trek three-series season wrap

Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Joe Rosensteel, Tony Sindelar and David J. Loehr

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On the occasion of the publication of “The Nova Incident,” Jason asks Dan a bunch of questions from readers (and listeners) about his writing career, techniques, tools, and more.

Dan Moren and "The Nova Incident"

Jason Snell with Dan Moren

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Hello there! We discuss “Obi-Wan Kenobi” on Disney+, including Ewan MacGregor’s delight in the role, the return of Hayden Christensen, and balancing the needs of superfans with movies-only fans.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi"

Dan Moren with Kathy Campbell, Chip Sudderth, Tony Sindelar and James Thomson

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Put on your flying cloak and load up on pizza balls, because we’re here to talk about “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” This is an interesting one, because most of us agree that the movie is fun and inventive in a lot of enjoyable ways—but also entirely mishandles its villain. Can you love a movie that also make you angry? We try! Some of us fail.

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"

Jason Snell with Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Erika Ensign, Lisa Schmeiser, Monty Ashley and Glenn Fleishman

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Let’s face it, there’s not a lot of evidence to support the cause of adapting video games for movies or TV. And yet we tried the “Halo” TV series from Paramount+ and… liked it? We discuss making the Master Chief a real character with a strong supporting cast, why the UNSC is not trustworthy, the origin of Cortana, and the show’s connections to Star Wars, Firefly, and… 2001?!

"Halo" season 1

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, James Thomson and Dan Moren

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2022 Awards Book Club concludes with three Hugo-nominated novels: Andy Weir’s deep-space problem-solver “Project Hail Mary”; Shelley Parker Chan’s historical epic “She Who Became the Sun”; and Ryka Aoki’s alien-and-demon-packed “Light from Uncommon Stars.” Also, Erika and Jason highlight some of their favorite short-fiction Hugo nominees.

2022 Awards Book Club, part 3

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms, Scott McNulty and Dan Moren

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From Duckman to Dicktown, this week we’re covering cartoons… for grown-ups. These animated series have an adult sensibility, and they don’t all feature obscenity, graphic violence, or sexual acts… though some do! Shows like The Legend of Vox Machina, Harley Quinn, Hit Monkey, and Invincible have an adult audience clearly or primarily in mind, while others, like Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law or The Tick require a deep well of cultural references that might leave children (and many adults) baffled. We discuss the overall trend, highlight shows past and present we love, and puzzle out how some shows (good and inexplicable) even came to be.

Cartoons for grown-ups

Glenn Fleishman with David J. Loehr, John McCoy, Lisa Schmeiser, Moisés Chiullán and Tony Sindelar

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Rocket Surgery takes a time machine back to 1930 for “Just Imagine,” a visionary view of the far future of 1980 that’s three movies in one—and feels like it. Then we jump to the real 1980 where, instead of evil martian twins, we find “Flash Gordon,” quarterback, New York Jets.

Rocket Surgery: 1930 to 1980

Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Moisés Chiullán, Shelly Brisbin, Monty Ashley and David J. Loehr

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Moon Knight—the butt of a thousand jokes on this very network who improbably made the Sweet Sixteen of our infamous Summer Superhero Spectacular—got his own limited series on Disney+. We talk about the Oscar Isaac of it all, the loving attention to modern Egypt, whether the show is well served by its near-total disconnection to the MCU, and how it might have held up as a ’90s syndicated actioner. (Think “Relic Hunter” production values. You can see it, can’t you?)

"Moon Knight"

Chip Sudderth with Dan Moren, Erika Ensign, Glenn Fleishman and Moisés Chiullán

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Our Book Club continues its walk through the Hugo and Nebula nominees for Best Novel with three books, “The Galaxy and the Ground Within” by Becky Chambers, “A Master of Djinn” by P. Djèlí Clark, and “The Unbroken” by C.L. Clark.

2022 awards book club, part 2

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty, Aleen Simms and Dan Moren

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What do you get when you blend historical fiction, pirates and Taika Waititi? You get “Our Flag Means Death,” an ensemble romantic comedy featuring both ship battles and biting insults.

"Our Flag Means Death"

Cicero Holmes with Annette Wierstra, Moisés Chiullán, Joe Rosensteel and David J. Loehr

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Step into this elevator and leave your personal biographical memories behind… Welcome, Listener I., you’re now part of Lumon, a Very Friendly Company that always has your best interests at heart. We discuss the Apple TV+ series “Severance,” and try to explain why you should watch it, what shows it resembles, and just how much we liked the twists and turns of its first season.

"Severance" season one

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Lex Friedman, Glenn Fleishman and Dr. Drang

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Put on your toque and be sure you’ve got your 4*Town tickets—we’re here to discuss Pixar’s “Turning Red,” a delightful coming-of-age movie about a Chinese-Canadian girl whose body is undergoing some telltale adolescent changes—you know, becoming interested in boys, rebelling against her parents, and transforming into a giant fuzzy red panda. The usual.

"Turning Red" (2022)

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Sandra Wong, Monty Ashley and Joy Piedmont

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Our panel of caped crusaders assemble to dissect 2022’s “The Batman.” The last thing we may have needed was another Batman movie, especially the grimmest, darkest, and longest one ever… but what if we actually liked it? We take apart the new approaches to classic batman stories, Robert Pattinson’s performance, souped-up batmobiles, and Gotham’s weather patterns.

"The Batman" (2022)

Tony Sindelar with Lisa Schmeiser, Guy English, Cicero Holmes and Dan Moren

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Our annual shortlist book club is back! We read two novels that were nominated for Best Novel in the Nebula Awards! SB Divya’s “Machinehood” is a near-future story of gig workers, weak AI servants, and rebellious space stations. Jason Sanford’s “Plague Birds” is a post-apocalyptic story about strong AIs and gene-altered people that’s so far in the future that it feels almost like fantasy. Plus: We recommend other books we’ve enjoyed recently!

2022 Awards Book Club, part 1

Jason Snell with Erika Ensign and Scott McNulty

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Cue the electric bass and the full brass section, we’re talking Bond, James Bond this week. We make time for “No Time to Die,” of course, and the rest of the Daniel Craig era. How does it hold up, where does it go from here, what would we like to see? How does the latest movie reset the table? Were we shaken, stirred, or something in between?

"No Time to Die" and the Craig Era of Bond

David J. Loehr with Kelly Guimont, Nathan Alderman and Tom McGrath

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Old Movie Club returns with two films that imagine attempts to disrupt the United States government. In 1954’s “Suddenly,” Frank Sinatra’s going to try to kill the President. In 1964’s “Seven Days In May,” Burt Lancaster is plotting a military coup. Both films are in black and white from more than 50 years ago, and yet for some reason Phil thinks their themes may resonate even today…

Old Movie Club violently overthrows the U.S. government!

Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Shelly Brisbin, Moisés Chiullán and David J. Loehr

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Fire up your Bernoulli Conversionator and check your trunk for stowaways, because we’re entering the Wachowski sisters’ candy-colored 2008 road rally through the Uncanny Valley, “Speed Racer.” It’s an eye-searing acid trip of a movie, with groundbreaking storytelling, an earnest heart, and a curious void at its center. (There is also a chimp.) We’ll discuss how this film fits into the Wachowskis’ canon, the supporting character whose story is way more interesting than the lead‚ and the only other big-budget film since that has dared to get this stylistically weird.

"Speed Racer" (2008)

Nathan Alderman with Lisa Schmeiser and Shelly Brisbin

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We’re back with our third Incomparable Film Festival! Nine of us are programming a day’s worth of films, all with secret themes which will be revealed as the podcast progresses! And while we are currently unable to pull off the Incomparable Film Festival in an actual movie theater, we encourage you to watch these great movies in the comfort of your own home.

2022 Film Festival Draft

Jason Snell with Monty Ashley, Moisés Chiullán, Shelly Brisbin, Erika Ensign, David J. Loehr, Cicero Holmes, Steven Schapansky and Dan Moren

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We’ve drafted many things on many episodes of this podcast, but we’ve never drafted podcasts! You get it: Panelists share (and draft!) their favorite podcasts, in categories like Comedy, Narrative, Fiction, Entertainment, and more.

Podcast draft

Lex Friedman with Brian Hamilton, Monty Ashley, Shelly Brisbin and David J. Loehr

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Get out your pocket knife and stick to the Wheel—we’re a traveling band of podcasters who move from town to town to re-enact conversations from before the apocalypse! Or at least that’s who we’d be in our version of the HBO Max miniseries, “Station Eleven.” We discuss the moving, optimistic post-apocalyptic tale that is told in a fractured time sequence and features lots of Shakespeare and a suspiciously powerful self-published graphic novel. And though there’s definitely no “Station Twelve” on the horizon, we can’t help but imagine what other stories are there just waiting to never be told.

"Station Eleven" (miniseries)

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Annette Wierstra, Jean MacDonald and John Siracusa

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Let’s hold hands and sneak through some eerie city ruins. Video game club is back in session to discuss “Little Nightmares II”, the creepy prequel to the beloved spooky platformer, Little Nightmares. We play as Mono, a bag-faced boy, as he and his companion navigate a world of puzzles and monsters lurking in the dark, only to be led to his own nightmare.

Little Nightmares 2

Tiff Arment with James Thomson and Brian Hamilton

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This episode features a book with fantasy zombies and a book with alien hive minds. Talk about range! Our Book Club reconvenes to discuss the fantasy mystery “Witness for the Dead,” a standalone book set in the world of “The Goblin Emperor”, and “A Desolation Called Peace,” the conclusion of the duology begun in the award-winning “A Memory Called Empire.” Plus: What are we reading?

Book Club: "A Desolation Called Peace" and "Witness for the Dead"

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Scott McNulty and Erika Ensign

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Remember that cool bounty hunter from The Empire Strikes Back? What happens when you give him his own show? “The Book of Boba Fett” is the answer—or is it? After all, parts of this show are really episodes of a different, arguably better show. Our panel discusses the seven-episode season and tries to figure out if this mess is hot or cold.

"The Book of Boba Fett"

Dan Moren with Erika Ensign, Chip Sudderth and Kathy Campbell

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In this episode we break down the final season of Prime Video’s “The Expanse.” Was it too abrupt? What was all that Laconia stuff? Then, after a brief intermission for TV viewers to depart, we discuss “Leviathan Falls” and the end of the Expanse book series. One story, so many endings!

"The Expanse" season 6 and "Leviathan Falls"

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Aleen Simms, Jen Burt and Chip Sudderth

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In this six-hundredth episode of The Incomparable, recorded across two separate sessions, we talk about a whole bunch of novels—namely, our picks for the best SF/F novels of the first decade of The Incomparable, the 2010s! For our purposes, we’re designating the “decade” as 2010-2019. Along the way, we may ponder the most important question a reader should ask: Are there Zeppelins?

2010s book draft

Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign and David J. Loehr

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It’s time to channel that Tired Dad Energy, because we’re going to discuss Marvel’s “Hawkeye,” bro. Kate Bishop! Yelena! Echo! Surprise cameos, including one by an owl! It’s a TV series nobody watching “The Avengers” would have ever wanted, yet a worn and exasperated Jeremy Renner as the mentor to a young woman with strong archery skills ends up being a delightful holiday adventure.

"Marvel's Hawkeye"

Jason Snell with Cicero Holmes, Dan Moren, Chip Sudderth and Lisa Schmeiser

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We’ve rounded up a posse and are saddling up to discuss the Netflix original film “The Harder They Fall,” a revisionist western starring Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, and Regina King. This movie is more ornery than a pole cat with a hangnail! We ride at noon!

"The Harder they Fall"

Cicero Holmes with Nathan Alderman and Shareef Jackson

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Get your college applications ready and prepare to gross out about organic web shooters—it’s time for us to discuss “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the conclusion of Tom Holland’s origin trilogy as the web-slinging hero… and a surprisingly substantial follow-up to five other Spider-Man movies, too. It’s “Spider-Man: Endgame,” and with great podcasts, there must also come great responsibility… to talk about Spider-Man.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home"

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Chip Sudderth and Kelly Guimont

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More than three decades since the Wheel of Time book series began, it’s arrived as a TV series on Prime Video. We discuss the first season with the help of our resident Wheel of Time book expert and three non-book-readers. How much is or isn’t it the “next Game of Thrones?” Why would it need to be be? And how does a book series that was wildly progressive for the 1990s approach a modern audience?

"The Wheel of Time" (season 1)

Moisés Chiullán with Glenn Fleishman, John Siracusa and Kathy Campbell

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