Podcast

502 – “The Good Listener”

Jim and A.Ron break down a very “boardwalky” episode of Boardwalk Empire, “The Good Listener”.  We talk about the Kennedy Family Empire, speculate on who Gillian is corresponding with, marvel at Stephen Graham’s performance as the coke/syphilis addled Capone, and ponder how Nucky’s childhood informs our understanding of Nucky the man.  All this, plus your…

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The Wire – Omar Comin’ – Commissioned Podcast

Hey there, A.Ron here with a very special commissioned podcast with a unique history and focus.  First, thanks to Andrew Stannard for using Subbable to make this all possible, and for working with us patiently on the format of the podcast.

Andrew wanted us to talk about The Wire.  The problem is, I’ve got massive plans for a Ultimate Badass Criterion Sapphire The Wire Podcast, and I didn’t want to take his money to release an inferior version.  So, we compromised.  We’d record a podcast about his favorite character, Omar Little, and we’d highlight two episodes that showcase a particular facet of the character, all without doing any major spoilers. I selected episode 206, “All Prologue”, and 306, “Homecoming”, to show off Omar at his best, and Omar at one of his lowest points.  Along the way Jim and I gush about The Wire, why we love it, why it can be hard at times to love, why Omar is such an important character for The Wire in general and pop culture at large, and talk about our favorite moments from these two episodes.  I also divulge some details about my upcoming The Wire podcast series, and why it’s taking so damn long.

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106 – Crazy Hand Full of Nothin’

Jim and A.Ron arrive at arguably the high water mark of season one, in the impressive and exciting “Crazy Hand Full of Nothin'”. The birth of Heisenberg, the introduction of the menacing Tuco, Jesse and Walt’s relationship evolving, more questionable ethical and moral compromises, the stakes just continue to rise. Join us as we discuss explosive chemistry, gauge the “likability” of Walt, Skyler, and Hank, keep track of Jr’s Breakfastometer, and much more including your thoughts and comments as well as a healthy spoiler section safely ensconced behind our outro music.

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501 – “Golden Days for Boys and Girls”

Boardwalk Empire is officially back, and we’re here to cover its swan song.  A.Ron is more than a little nervous about all the apparently pointless and redundant flashbacks when coming to grips with a shortened season that starts off with a huge time leap.  What happened to A.R.?!  Where the hell is Eli and Capone?!  CHAULKY’S…

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110 – The Prodigal Son Returns

Jim and A.Ron are extremely impressed with the season final of HBO’s The Leftovers, “The Prodigal Son Returns!”  We do an in-depth dive of the episode, considering all the great character moments, twists and turns, dream imagery, and general madness of Mapleton.  But that’s not all, we’ll be back next week for more as A.Ron…

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Season Five Preview

Jim and A.Ron embark on a new venture, as they open The Speakeasy, their podcast covering the final season of HBO’s fantastic Boardwalk Empire.  Join us as we discuss why BWE is so criminally underrated, how the show will deal with its Margaret problem, how Winter and company will deal with the 7 year flash forward,…

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213 – “We Have Manners. We’re Polite.”

A.Ron is joined this week by Pi’ilani to break down the final heavyweight episode of season two of Orange is the New Black, “We Have Manners. We’re Polite.”  At times hilarious (“RUN NUNS! RUN!”) and times heart breaking (Suzanne hugging her box of UNO), we have mixed feelings, although we agree the show ends on…

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Season One Finale Preview

Special thanks to the folks at HBO’s Digital & Social Media department, who have invited us to do a podcast for their blog, Watching the Leftovers.  In this special episode, previewing the final episode of The Leftovers for season one, “The Prodigal Son Returns”, Jim and A.Ron break down the preview trailer, discuss some popular internet…

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105 – Gray Matter

We’re five episodes into our season one re-watch of Breaking Bad, episode 105 “Gray Matter”. We juxtapose Walt at his most sympathetic as he explains his choice to refuse treatment for his cancer during the powerhouse “Family Meeting” scene, and yet we also see him seemingly throw away his chance to be treated and secure his family’s financial future to preserve his pride. How to reconcile Walt the every man with Walt the egomaniac? Join us as we discuss this and much more, including lots of quality feedback and a spoiler section where we ponder why the Villigan decided to play certain cards so close to his chest that we never actually got to see them on screen.

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Season Two Wrap Up

A belated wrap up for Season Two of Netflix’s House of Cards, ready for your perusal.  We discuss a metric ton of feedback, ponder how we want season three to go down, and talk about things we’ve learned from our marathon coverage and how that will inform our coverage of season three. Some links of interest:…

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