Episode 200! Listener Questions, Memorable Moments, and Who's Who in 'House of the Dragon'

[00:00:02] Hey everybody It's Taking It Down. This is the TV and streaming podcast For the Alabama Take you probably know this you clicked on this. I'm the host Blaine Duncan I'm also the editor-in-chief of that website the Alabama Take Website of fun and glorious writing and thoughts and

[00:00:26] You can get Your grandmother's tomato pie recipe on there So today taking it down to a very special episode Those of you of a certain age will recall the very special episode of like sitcoms another television That could be what we have here very similar

[00:00:45] So recording that took a lot out of our hearts and minds as Adam and I reckon with Donovan's gambling addiction Hey, plus it's our 200th episode. We made it this far. We did it We survived Hey folks social media has become nothing more than an algorithm. It's annoying

[00:01:08] It is rare you even see what you want to see If you're like me, you're there for friends or to see what's new with your favorite magazine See what's happening with your favorite podcast your following

[00:01:23] Instead you get suggestions on who to follow who you should add this group That dumbass real that's not even remotely funny or even worse bullshit Just straight bullshit Look kill the algorithm Kill the algorithm one step you can do is subscribe to the Alabama Takes newsletter

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[00:02:49] Scroll down a little bit past the podcasts that you can subscribe to and click on the form there All right Taking it down episode 200 Where do we come from? Why why are what have we done to deserve your listen?

[00:03:05] Let me start with this so the Alabama take the site itself started in 2008 2009 it was me TD Wood and Caleb Johnson who Caleb's moved on to much busier things with his own career as a rider If you follow the Alabama take anywhere on social media

[00:03:26] We tend to point out when he's up to something one of the founders so 2008 2009 that era there We the three of us we wrote about anything and everything Just whatever was on our mind that day along the line somewhere. I shut it down or we forgot about it

[00:03:43] Anyway, it disappeared into the ether. It doesn't exist anymore. The old stuff doesn't but Cory Hannah and I be friended one another in the meantime Cory was Was gonna start a Alabama oriented interview podcast which Was fantastic when it ran Cory. What year did we?

[00:04:06] Did we did you start that because when you began? Meticulating marinating on that I noticed you were you know, you were talking about it online is back in the Twitter days

[00:04:17] Back in the days of Twitter when I was on Twitter and I reached out to Cory said look hey, you know what you're starting this podcast I am Gonna go back to the Alabama take. I just want to ride again. I want to do things

[00:04:30] I want to I don't know create comment Think on paper so to speak, you know, let's combine it you be the Alabama take podcast I'll be the Alabama take riding and there it is he Got a little too busy for that podcast. Can you believe it?

[00:04:49] He runs to Podcast right now So the third one being an interview podcast to book guest to talk to guests to sit down with them Little too much, but you know the album takes to start rolling expanding TD

[00:05:03] Continued to write his taken on sports column that turned into a podcast. I'm really glad it did and that's who we are And where we're from we are Alabama based and in part of it part of my

[00:05:18] Reasoning to get back into it was to point out that Alabama is not a shit whole country To borrow a phrase. I think we're as smart as anyone. I think some of our stories are as relevant as Those you hear elsewhere

[00:05:37] Our insights are even deeper than others because of our experiences But I think that us at the Alabama take also do not mind admitting when we don't know and and that's part of wisdom, too This is a TV and streaming podcast. I'm really off base, but it's episode 200

[00:05:54] I'm kind of reflecting a little we got a good show We had a very great insightful fun listener questions if you sent one in we answered it That was the promise we read it. We answered it

[00:06:08] Also, we'll get into the show bodkin on Netflix a little Adam and I give it a little discussion And then Donovan and I talk about the Apple TV plus show dark matter

[00:06:18] The great thing about our podcast is before we start any kind of discussion where we will ruin the show or movie We talk about it very generally and then we tell you hey Spoilers coming will mark that in the show notes time stamp it for you

[00:06:34] That's our big thing these days. We do not want to ruin anything We want to see if we can help you with any recommendations because TV and streaming is a little out of hand. Where do you go? Where do you look for?

[00:06:44] Did we like it? Do you trust us? Yeah, some of you do I think some of you like our opinion. We kind of align we kind of g-haul with one another Thanks for listening 200 episodes. Oh and uh Got something special for you. We'll go ahead and drop episode 201

[00:07:04] This week too. How's that sound? We'll give you two in one week just to celebrate. All right Let's get into some listener questions. Thank y'all so much I love a take projection Joining me now

[00:07:20] Adam and Donovan it's like wedding day in funeralville here today as we celebrate 200 episodes This is it. We did it. I've been here for 199. How about y'all? Do you got your count going? Oh, man? I wish I could know I gotta be in second place, right?

[00:07:37] Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're definitely a lot. I wrote you in early You remember you remember the first episode Adam. What was the first episode on? Stranger things Makes sense I'm trying to remember what I think blaine did we do unbelievable for our first episode?

[00:07:55] The show about the lady who went to europe No, this was uh The girls from booksmart and it had tony collad she gets sexually assaulted. Yeah, maybe wow

[00:08:07] I think that might have been one of the one of that's one of the first ones good netflix show by the way That was good thumbs up either you have anything on your hearts and minds about this being 200

[00:08:18] I assume that when I am standing before the gates of heaven what you will be that st. Peter Is it gonna pull up? however many episodes i've been in here and he's gonna be like Do I have to watch them?

[00:08:33] You need to know why you're not getting in like can we just He's gonna unroll the whole The scroll and say I understand that you worked blue for a number of these episodes Donovan doing his best hitm robinson there if

[00:08:52] You really did if uh, if we don't have a lot to say here I do have a pressing matter We need to talk about donovans college football gambling here on special episode 200 since we're talking about

[00:09:04] Ways that he's not going to get into heaven. Yeah, this this definitely needs to come up Fits the fits the motion guys It's it's funny you bring this up because I just learned that the connecticut museum of culture and history Has a massive collection of connecticut football stuff

[00:09:19] So a it all sucks because connecticut football sucks and b i'm gonna gamble If any of those teams are left i'm putting money on massive. I just pictured one room about the size of a bathroom We do have listener questions. We asked listeners to join us

[00:09:35] By sending in questions and I promised them we would answer them as they wished And plus they're pretty good You know, we did not get any questions from famed anonymous listener 87 jeta, but I feel like he deserves a name drop here Yeah, absolutely early supporter

[00:09:53] He's he's also on episode. Yeah, if if you still listen by the way I almost called him by his real name if if you just still listen Let me know I haven't heard from you in forever If you still listen donald track jeta 87 Donald j

[00:10:08] Should give a give us a drop Give us a name drop out there the first question We get many people send in multiple questions. They're all pretty good. So let's use them the first one's from Uh kelly dunkin. That's my wife The

[00:10:26] He's gonna you want to do it Wait my wave Noted sopranos wife kelly dunkin. Yeah That's her So she says who are other podcasters or media writers or bloggers you make it a point not to miss

[00:10:42] So this one's kind of hard for me because I don't have like it used to be like And we'll see if think these things come back because I hear things might be

[00:10:50] Trending this way, but like there was a time where the av club was like can't mess. They've just got a murderer's row of of commentary Now it's actually kind of turned into me of like I like people I like from various places

[00:11:06] I'll tune into like elissa wilkinson who was at vox And she was weirdly Film editor not film editor. Sorry film critic for christianity today before that now. She's at the new york times I like her a lot shawnti collins. I'll follow him It's uh, it's honest matt solar

[00:11:27] That little mzs, you know who I'm trying to say my favorite It's it's almost easier for me If I can get like any kind of social media where like I'm gonna get the you're sharing the articles you wrote Not the site from that

[00:11:40] Although I do as as longtime listeners know they like that rogeriebert.com Collects as many voices as it does don't always agree with them Well, but they're they're well written and uh, so that's kind of like my my go-to, but I'm

[00:11:56] I'm kind of out of it man. No, I think if you hear any like kind of banging that's my cat hitting the door You know, I think it's interesting the the course of this podcast has has really seen a continued fracturing of

[00:12:11] The landscape that was like the framework for why this exists You know like we the three of us used to send yeah a lot of av club was definitely like the The must check on monday morning for you know an hbo prestige sunday night

[00:12:27] Or whenever uh, and I feel like Like y'all said it's it's kind of scattered to the wind and even like Following someone on twitter who works on a more freelance basis. Like I don't use twitter anymore

[00:12:41] So i'm kind of out to see yeah on a lot of this stuff more than I was when this started Wow, yeah one one of the things I have enjoyed Uh since since starting the show it's it not not so much for for for

[00:12:56] Movie uh, sorry tv but for movies letterbox has been great for me. Oh, it's not because there are Critics that all like oh, I generally like You're writing a lot of times they'll give either like a brief review or they'll link to their longer review

[00:13:10] Or it'll be something they're not being paid for but they're like hey I just watched you know the great silence again four out of five, you know, here's why you should check it out So I do think but yeah, I totally agree with adam where

[00:13:23] between like a lot of Like back room money choices companies getting acquired by You know like at av club that was 100 percent getting acquired Um or the need to put things behind a paywall Well, that's my answer. I honestly subscribe to vulture

[00:13:45] Because I disagree with them quite a bit. I do find they're writing in coverage to be More good than bad and definitely consistent and I kind of pay for that consistency Plus I get the new york magazine sent to my home

[00:13:59] And I love it a lot most of time That's where I found matt zuller sites through new york magazine or through the vulture tv podcast Honestly, I revere and respect him. I love the watch podcast A lot uh

[00:14:16] It's from the ringer. I don't read the ringer that much adam Yeah, I think you probably read the ringer the most of the three of us see even that I have completely fallen off with

[00:14:27] I don't know if maybe there's some like coveted exhaustion like not the disease coveted but the the era of coveted Uh just so much Changed and things are so fractured and not to like turn this into a cultural Conversation, but I even thought

[00:14:45] On friday, you know when I want to send someone music on a new music friday You kind of have to go through like well. What does that person use? You know like planes on apple music. Yeah, i'm still using spotify more or less

[00:14:59] Other friends use title whatever and like the the the coverage world for Music television film all of this stuff is is no longer It's funny that we did have a brief moment of monoculture and now it seems like it's Uh dissipated quite a bit

[00:15:19] Yeah, the feeling for that is is kind of the heart of the alabama take despite us having Only four or five regular routers. Where can we put our thoughts? We're not professional critics, but you know at this point. I've done it long enough

[00:15:33] Hey, I pay myself every time I do this. I give myself five dollars. I'm a professional. I give myself a kona ice cream I want to shout out taken on sports though because every monday almost every monday

[00:15:47] I just love td and greg's leg back approach just to recap the things i've missed in sports They're just so chill. There's no yelling. There's no screaming. I'm also a Guy who gets really sucked into a hobby And so I listen to in and around podcasting

[00:16:05] That's a podcast and I also like uh, let's start a podcast. They just give good little tips on What to do what to put in this little box in your website Uh, also from kelly. Let's get to the next question

[00:16:17] What's one tv show that you really like even though it's an unpopular opinion? See this was extremely hard for me because I have Really good taste I love that answer. You're just gonna leave it there. Well, you know, I think I have shows That

[00:16:37] Or like things that i'm like if I reveal this on the air it could be it could be dangerous Oh, like they're there shows that it's like I don't Like I like it and I I don't want to talk with anyone else who likes it because I

[00:16:51] Oh, yeah, you're talking about your favorite fox news shows, right? Exactly. Hannity, right? Is he still on? You know, honestly, it'll be like Yeah, give me an example It's it's a total kid thing Like bluey. I love the oh, no, that's not that's not unpopular though

[00:17:06] But but is that an example of something you don't want to talk about? Oh, no, I'll talk about bluey Oh, okay He aggressively attempts to Yeah, he kind of does insert bluey into every conversation and we're like shut the fuck up about bluey even

[00:17:19] You don't have kids. Where are you doing this? I like I like some giant robot shows, right? Like like cartoon like Japanese cartoon giant robot shows I think like most people would be I think there's some value to them. I could

[00:17:33] but most people it's like this is not high art and uh, most like you most people don't care and I understand why And uh, like I also don't want to talk to the people who like these things because I'd rather die. So

[00:17:49] That's my probably like my worst like cesspool Japanese robot shows. Yeah, I'm almost suit Gundam I mean, I'm do I do I go with the low hanging fruit here the obvious one? What is the what? What is it? I don't know. It's our indulgence that we

[00:18:05] attempt to elevate into high art or america's fifth sport the challenge No, that was going to be my answer. I'm surprised you said that yeah You know, I'll say this adam and let you then let you continue

[00:18:17] I don't think it's hated but our episodes our podcast episodes of the challenge aren't as popular as our other episodes I mean, I understand that they're For a few reasons one like if you're not into it, then why do you care about the ins and outs?

[00:18:31] Of it like if you're I mean that seems obvious, but like if you know that you're never going to Indulge that uh bag of potato chips then why do you care about hearing it described? Yeah

[00:18:43] You're not going to pull up a soccer podcast if you've never watched soccer. Yeah Yeah, this really was a tough one from kelly though because like I don't watch a lot of things I don't like

[00:18:54] And I think probably because i'm an asshole a lot of the stuff I like usually gets generally decent reviews so Like am I following the herd? Absolutely I've got a clear cut answer though It's the most hated show ever it's The Walking Dead

[00:19:12] There's some of those. Yeah, that's a good one. There are some of those I still spend offs. I still watch I'm not fully caught up on them and there's some I won't watch because I realized that it's just trash

[00:19:24] Uh, I thought of reservation dogs. It wasn't watched nearly enough, but that's not an unpopular opinion. That's a critical darling. Yeah Critic yeah, it's so critically But yeah, everybody makes it a point if I ever go read anything about The Walking Dead

[00:19:39] Let's say you can bet harder money and make millions that somebody's going to post People still watch this show every time That's what I think every time you bring it up. Yeah

[00:19:52] Oh, yeah, that's kind of still a thing. It's almost a nostalgia thing. I don't know why I watch it. It's not great It's it's pretty bad. I don't know Kind of just want to see what in the hell they could possibly do now with it

[00:20:05] But adam you said the challenge. Do you have any others? I mean jokes on me. I watched every episode of game of thrones Hey, I think you and a lot of america We we all send yeah there are shows that I just get sucked into for

[00:20:23] The comfort of them, you know, like i'm not going to turn the office off if it's on Comedy central or something but I mean doesn't everyone have a program like that or A few and it's the office. I think for a lot of people

[00:20:36] Yeah, I can't really think I mean I can name some films maybe that uh Get thoroughly enjoyed in the morrow house that wouldn't be far and wide Give me give me one. I'm disappointed that we're not going to do an in-depth discussion on under paris

[00:20:53] Let me let me set this up for you. This is a netflix film Or maybe no, I don't know if they paid to have a producer picked it up or whatever But uh, French at least on netflix. It is a french film Where a shark

[00:21:09] Has become a menace to the city of paris That's all i'll say Okay, fantastic You're joking right? No, no, that's real No, I mean that it's fantastic. Oh, we had an absolute blast watching it I've heard lots of good stuff about it. Is it camp? Yeah

[00:21:29] It's it's very silly and it does it yeah We're uh, we're suckers for those those sorts of films around here I think I think my Unpopular movie opinions are kind of like It's not that it's bad. It's just like should you really like it that much?

[00:21:47] Well, you got to name a title a pacific room love that movie. Yeah, okay. Yeah No, but I know that you like it. Yeah, so my this is neither here nor there, but this is my my friend joles

[00:22:00] Thing his movie for that is michael clayton. He just loves it. No, I've heard that's like a good movie, right? No, it is a good movie

[00:22:08] Okay, he's like he loves it so much so that he by have you seen those like yard signs that are like in this house We believe you know like black lives matter and So he bought a sign that goes like in this house

[00:22:19] We believe that the whatever year Felt show michael clayton was critically underappreciated and Had to do this right. One of his neighbors wrote him a scary handwritten letter about it assuming it was like a black lives matter sign

[00:22:35] By the way, hey joel joles listens doesn't he sometimes yeah, yeah, hey Uh last one from my wife. It's sorry. I'm so sorry It's a good question though. What has been your favorite thing to talk about on the podcast Kelly had really good

[00:22:51] Really good questions. She's a small because I looked at I looked at these all beforehand Right, I said Kelly if you if you hear this I had a couple days to think about this that you were stumping me not because

[00:23:05] I just feel like there's been a ton of stuff. I've really liked to talk about On this podcast like stuff that it's just enriched my viewing Experience I agree. I'm sure I'm gonna miss some but uh devs is an early one that sticks out

[00:23:21] Is enjoyable that was good severance. Yeah. Yep, and then this year shogan I think to me this show exists because of Of shows like devs and severance especially Uh shows that are richly detailed that

[00:23:39] Are entertaining it also have the ability to send you to reddit or to send me to reddit Sure or back in the day, you know when we talked about the av club and even

[00:23:49] You know up rocks used to have decent riding in places like that. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Let's go and back. Yeah, but that's I think of those Lockstep with like uh the first season of true detective when yes, the three of us were talking

[00:24:03] Maybe not collectively at that point, but like we are definitely You know that there there was must see tv there for a few years that was so Dense and you know madman is in that breaking that all of that

[00:24:17] Uh, yeah, yeah, and I wish that we had been around for some of those because I don't know that television has hit those heights again ever since but It's it's going more shotgun spray than precision

[00:24:29] These days which is it's good sometimes, but yeah those those three really stick out to me Yeah, re recents. This was my trying to think back and I was like this is absolutely recency bias

[00:24:41] The shogun. Yeah is the one that just just that just jumped out. Sure. That was so fun to talk about and and and it was just They just gave us so much to talk. Well, I think it's one of the better shows of the last few years

[00:24:55] It is Undoubtedly, you know, it's anything that allows us to get granular and and it has an intention behind what the showrunner wants to do Donovan you and I got a lot out of

[00:25:06] Chossing the ball back and forth about the last season of fargo more so than I would have just that was very fun More so than alone Barry was a good example of us getting a little bit more out of the sherry was also another

[00:25:19] Very fun one. You know what one of my favorite ones was and there's a there's a pattern here Is that they're they're not all dropped at the same time the episodes are weak to weakened

[00:25:28] But I think one of my favorites two of my favorites were uh, mayor of east town fantastic We had There was just a humanity to that one that I enjoyed talking about with you guys and the last of us

[00:25:41] Yeah, not that the show was on that level, but I enjoyed our conversations. I very much enjoyed that I think mayor of east town now thinking about it. That's that's one of the five best shows that's been on since we started this

[00:25:53] But you know, we've covered streaming movies too We don't we don't limit ourselves if the movie is streaming we allow it the power of the dog I feel like we got a lot out of that one. That was pretty good

[00:26:03] Oh, you know what? You know which one I just remembered that was pretty good And I should have thought of this go ahead watch men. I thought that one. Oh, yeah Watching smart. Yeah, that's a good there was a lot. There was a lot to chew on there

[00:26:14] And I thought I mean it was a good show Yeah, but there was a lot to chew on again week to week is week to week where we can get granular a little bit at a Time the Chloe jowl film nomad land

[00:26:26] Oh, man. Yeah, that was a good one one. Man. That's a good movie any time that A show or maybe allows us to also incorporate some music discussion and adam gives us some insight to that

[00:26:38] I love that. It's just like scratching me where I age every every week like the studio docs that kind of thing That's so fun. Or yeah, or like uh, no, I know you didn't watch

[00:26:50] The reading rainbow documentary, but the guy gets really step by step and how he created the theme song It's just stuff like that where I feel like you would have had Inside and always do and it's just like we piece it all together

[00:27:01] I hope that's what people get out of it too because it's the same thing. I'm getting out of just doing it Just uh, everybody gets it a couple days later than I did. Yeah, and this is gonna be this is Complete doesn't answer the question completely tangential

[00:27:15] And and a little self-indulgent because it's just me talking about how much I like this, but I've have loved Like talking with you all about something and like I'll meet someone that I'm not as Uh, like an acquaintance or whatever

[00:27:29] But I'll be I feel like I'll really like will I really be able to click because I've already talked about all this stuff With you, you know, so I love me. It's like it's like improving my social life

[00:27:41] Our next question comes from I think I know who this is but Goes by the name of Lola farts Yeah, what's y'all's favorite part about the podcast? I just like hanging out with my friends

[00:27:55] That's what I was gonna say. Just getting to see you too. It feels like a hang So I love I'll say number one number two like the hang like I feel like we always uh Have like hopefully this this may be me projecting but like if nothing else

[00:28:11] Like we're gonna get a laugh or two everyone Thinks about what we're talking about in such a different way and I guarantee adam and blaine will bring up something that i'm like

[00:28:22] Wow, I would have never noticed that. Yeah, that's such a great thing to tease out and that is so cool I love that Thanks And she also follows up with uh, when are y'all going to review ethal kane's preacher's daughter album And ever yeah, I guess not

[00:28:42] You know, we've narrowed our focus in these last 50 or 60 episodes to focus so lit on tv or streaming but I did go listen to some of the album Have you ever heard of it adam? Nope. You're you're the music guy

[00:28:55] Um, it seemed like the intent the albums show that how lifestyle or the world world view is certain world view scary I'd love to hear it talked about but uh It it didn't kind of sound like a lot of most indie pop

[00:29:09] It does have a very dawn of an resonant line that jesus helped me hold my liquor No, he does. Okay fair. Thank you jesus Corey hannah host to alabama slam and we are star war our buddy

[00:29:24] What's your favorite show the last few years and why is it the bear? You know, this is funny because while we were talking about uh things that have been fun to discuss on here

[00:29:34] I kept thinking while y'all talked. Isn't it funny how the bear is one of the best shows of the last few years? But not the greatest for discussion Why is that? I don't know. I don't know if it's because the What's happening on screen is what's happening

[00:29:52] Yeah, I think that's it and like it's it does so in a brilliant way, but there's not You know, i'm i'm definitely Looking in the background and trying to figure out, you know, what does it mean? What's it, you know all the dorky

[00:30:07] literary stuff and this is just like great investigation of being alive How you relate to others and like it plays out wonderfully on screen, but i'm not like how how do you it's like? Yeah, that was great. How do I talk about it?

[00:30:21] Yeah, it is it is kind of like and I hope nobody here knows what they're talking about because I certainly don't So i'm gonna say something that is probably extremely stupid But almost like watching like a realism or neo realism movie where it's like that's what it's

[00:30:36] Invested in right like it's invested in like hey these characters are doing this thing that they would really do Right in front of you and that's thar. That's the drama Yeah, although I do think I do think there's one exception to the uh

[00:30:50] It's hard to not awesome to talk about which is the feast of the seven fishes episode because if you've ever been in a family gathering like that Like you you talk about it for a month. I thought about that episode Anything involving cousin is good for a

[00:31:05] Discussion, I mean I definitely want to talk about cousin only wearing suits now You know, oh man. He looks so dapper. I wear a suit now in fact too. Yeah So I wear you know when he asked him for a screwdriver. They don't want to suit now

[00:31:18] I don't have that No, i'm just kidding your screwdriver for you It's a great show. I'm not Not uh, so you're to return. Yeah, so you're returning but they're dropping all the episodes at once which is disappointing I don't like that as much. Don't do that

[00:31:32] I do agree with something you said earlier blaine where like if you're gonna Reflect on something. It's very hard when you're when you're binging it like that It just gets lost in the shovel

[00:31:44] It does and it's sad. I mean you and you cannot remember and it helped uh, you have trouble distinguishing Yeah, what happened someone spent six to eight months on this and you Watched it one day and you forgot about it the next day. It's really sad exactly

[00:32:01] The only show I'll bring up that we haven't already brought up is euphoria Hmm. I really like you know, that's why I still have not seen although I saw a picture of sydney sweeney So maybe I'll naked Oh, it was hard to tell Then why yeah

[00:32:17] Also from cori did this is really an adam question Did they make the final challenge on the newest season of all-star so easy because they were afraid that veronica might die She had to use any form of actual physical abilities I mean, there's no possibly

[00:32:31] You could argue that maybe it's more interesting because I mean she she really could have had a shot had she stayed In maybe I don't know. I got I got a lot of problems with that final

[00:32:42] I don't know if we're ever gonna have a festivist to discuss it, but My thoughts are in the column. I did every weekend. I thought the same thing as y'all did you work blue? I always work Yeah

[00:32:59] From razz sometimes our co-host of the video version of this podcast. Yeah our guy Uh, what are some topics or issues that you have changed your mind on from earlier episodes? Oh, I had never changed one of my mind. I had to sign a week I

[00:33:14] Much like manerva springing full formed from jupiter's head My takes are always correct I think if anything I can be guilty of Uh, what's the the sunken cost?

[00:33:29] Fallacy of like yeah, like a good example and I don't know I'm trying to think of one that's more current but like Attempting to will season two of true detective to be as great as season one. Yeah

[00:33:42] Maybe I'm a little bright. I'd have like like donovan said earlier if I'm gonna watch something. I want it to be good adam Yeah Ray Valcorot is a great character I'm not saying that season two Was bad television, but season one it was not

[00:34:00] It was not it's not as bad as people at all It's not but the again the level of Like us texting like what what does it mean when this happened and like, you know the week to week Myth that built in season one

[00:34:15] I thought that I was signed up for that again on season two and it just wasn't there And so you except in LA. Yeah, and you kind of have to say

[00:34:24] That's okay. I am bringing a set of expectations to this. I need to take it on its own terms and so Unfortunately, usually I don't Watch things that I'm not interested in and that then like change my opinion on them

[00:34:39] Blaine you're much better at it saying I'm going to watch this Because of good reviews or because it's getting pushed or whatever and I'm like man I'd rather just go. Yeah sit quietly somewhere than like watch something that I made dislike Right. Yeah. Yeah

[00:34:55] Yeah, that's kind of just my thing. It's just work My real answer is actually probably very similar to Adams where it'll be like I'll start very hot on something And then it'll be like, oh, that was awful Uh, Lovecraft country jumps into my mind

[00:35:11] I was very high on the first couple episodes and then it just Didn't work One bit for me. How much of that do you think comes from? My racism That's what I was gonna what's changed on him and gotten a lot more racist Yeah, sadly

[00:35:33] But in series how do you think that people are like almost like a record like they front load The great writing and they they think like well if we can just get our numbers for episodes one Partially to a little bit three than like

[00:35:49] Does anybody really make it? You know the the dregs of the season the dregs of the record Don't matter as much Right. You're in the doldrum. I mean, I'll agree with that even with the show that I think did it well

[00:36:02] Uh shogun, but it's like they put a lot of the like Shocking big stuff there right like the baby getting executed Uh, the guy getting boiled alive like all that stuff and then it kind of

[00:36:14] And I think they did it well because they but they were like, yeah, we're gonna get you and then and then they kind of Hooked you in that way, you know, we're forced into this

[00:36:23] Uh being a diy podcast and website that we you know, we don't get any for Episodes we have to go week to week just like everyone else. So You know, we might be all in on this particular apple

[00:36:36] Usually it's apple or hbo where we watch something and we're like no these first two episodes are good And then it just drops it happens a lot with apple it seems. Yeah, they lose steam Have very good premise and and actors but then the writing drops

[00:36:51] I know for me my answer is that I just care a lot less about marvel and star wars related shows and movies That's part me. I think it's part of Their ubiquity and level of effort

[00:37:04] Yeah, I mean that's I think this is a I agree with you a societal thing, right? Like how far has their stock dropped since in game? In the general public tons

[00:37:16] Uh also from razz, what's your best episode or even top five of this podcast? So what was your best episode here? That it seems I remember any episode. Yeah, I had to go back and scroll the

[00:37:29] The feed i'm gonna cheat then and use something that I think blaine mentioned the power of the talk I thought that was a very strong Discussion that was fun. That was a fun one

[00:37:39] I think if you're a listener if you'll go back and listen to the band she's a venez shearn That is a perfect balance of us discussing something and unpacking it but still being Funny and lighthearted about what we're doing

[00:37:53] Oppenheimer was a good episode. I think it was just me and donovan That one was our most popular episode by the way See that's the kind of uh, the kind of thing with all the details and the the level of dorkdom to to engage with it

[00:38:08] I guess donovan. Do you remember the netflix movie the wonder with florin's pew? That was pretty good I think that was a solid episode from us. That was a solid episode. I think that was especially solid

[00:38:19] So what I think that was good fodder because it was a good movie But there were things and there were things that were like this is excellent And then there were things that are like this didn't work as well

[00:38:28] Right, so it was a real mix of like and there was some interpretive trying to really figure out like what's it saying? What's it's doing? How is you know, how is the the way it's made supporting it or not supporting it

[00:38:41] That was that was pretty good. You know, I'll watch anything with florin's pew at this point. Yeah Raz asked what did you get right? What have we gotten right or maybe you specifically? shogan Yeah

[00:38:53] Or you did no you sent after episode one you like we got to watch it and I was like not interested because I thought it was just another reboot What's the point? Yeah, you you got that one

[00:39:04] I think uh, not to this was gonna be my answer when I I read these So not to just steal from the answer before but I was out on marvel pretty quickly

[00:39:14] On the yes you were on the shows and just thought kudos the the timey whiminess of it is not working for me at all Yeah, me. I'm gonna I stand somebody somewhere on HBO. Oh, yeah I actually have an answer for you blaine. Go ahead

[00:39:34] Joe para joe perotox. Well, I stole that one from our uh, one of our contributors corey hensel She turned me up at joe para. She did great and you nailed it. She even wrote about it. I think it was really something special

[00:39:46] Yeah, so special in fact. I need to return to those now somebody somewhere. Let's not let's not glaze over that That was a great. Oh, let's not yeah. Yeah. Yeah, can't wait for that third season, right? Are they gonna top the toilet episode?

[00:39:59] Probably not put murray hill in a bus and let him drive folks around and take my money You know blaine. I was watching uh as I want to do Seinfeld was on television this week Yeah, and I I recognized, you know, there's so many like

[00:40:16] One episode actors just because there were literally so many of them that of course some ended up getting famous Uh, Joel's boyfriend from somebody somewhere Oh, yeah, the real he's he's semi-lame but also real sweet. Yeah. Oh

[00:40:31] I love that guy the middle school teacher. He's a history teacher. Mm-hmm history teacher. Yeah That is so sweet. He is that is Awesome. He's in a few things. He was in uh hacks this season as well

[00:40:44] He had he had a great monologue and had the third season. Yeah, yeah Okay, I just finished the second. Yeah, stick it out and he's he'll make a brief appearance But he's in Seinfeld you guys remember the episode where George gets fixated upon the fact that his fiance's

[00:41:01] Uncle owns a clothing store with a security guard who stands all day And george is like this guy deserves to sit down and he brings him a rocking chair and the guy sleeps through an armed robbery It's pretty funny. I don't remember the manager

[00:41:17] The manager of the store is joel's Eventual boyfriend, so that's what he was doing in the 90s managing a store in new york Probably still look the same. He looked exactly the same

[00:41:30] Yeah, brine cransons on there. There's like a bunch of dentists. Yes who converts. Uh, he doesn't get to tell That's his greatest episode Hello editor of the Alabama takes Samantha Simmons writes how do you personally define done up real good?

[00:41:46] Why I think it's like if blaine comes on and he's wearing like a Celtics t-shirt Done up real good old school Celtics one Yeah, what for me It's just a state of bliss I agree. You know, it's just fine

[00:42:02] It's like my I would the way I think of it is You know king of the hill when they're in the alley and they go, yeah Yeah Uh, that's it. Yep That's done up real good this the story. I've told multiple times

[00:42:20] It's my mom used to iron my clothes for me. Of course. I was a kid and she would If a shirt was particularly easy to iron and also came out looking real nice and crisp She would say oh, this is done up real good

[00:42:34] This shirt's done up real good And I just remember that and I told it to Caleb Johnson When he and I lived together in Tuscaloosa and he just cackled and I thought it was just a normal expression

[00:42:45] I was like, wait, is that not a normal expression? So no, I love it. I do too Uh last one. Oh lord. I'm sorry It's josh kavin off Old pal and host of this song sucks. He writes What's the best kind of bread for making a dookie sandwich?

[00:43:04] He said that he sourdough sourdough Absolutely. No, it's the kasha You think so see I always ask to hold the bread hold the bread sure Fakasha gets that that kind of like crust On both sides. Well, it doesn't let things go too soggy too quick

[00:43:23] Yeah, but I feel like sourdough like it hits that perfect mix where it's like it's a little in there, but it's still I'm with the on it's still it's not like it's just following. Yeah, we're not talking wonder bread here

[00:43:34] Yeah, fuck a wonder bread. Give me some sourdough. What I don't like what you know, you could actually well It'd be like an american pie sequel and with that Let's take a break for station identification

[00:43:56] Uh before we do any sort of spoilers, let's do what we normally do We'll see if we can recommend some television shows or movies on streaming for our audiences Maybe a little bit of why so let's oh actually, uh, I'm just gonna briefly talk about

[00:44:12] The acolyte I keep wanting to say the acoled Do you have accolades for the acolyte? That's what they wanted during me season. Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm only going to bring it up here briefly and we're not going to cover it I don't think because uh our fellow

[00:44:27] Podcasters we are a star war. I think they're going to take this one under their wing Under their x-wing Yeah, well done. Okay. Well done. Thank you. Thank you

[00:44:36] They'll get into the ins and outs and the lore that accompanies that and in fact, I think they uh, they beat us too I think they released yesterday But the acolyte It's newest piece of star wars canon eight episode weekly series disney plus

[00:44:49] It's headed up by leslie headlin who had a huge hand a co-writing man in russian doll on netflix Sadly this show is no russian doll Uh stars amanda steinberg charlie barnett from russian doll Lee jong jay from squid game and manny Jacinto from the good place

[00:45:10] Now here's my question to y'all y'all have not seen it. So i'm definitely not going to spool anything Do you like to spend time in the star wars universe? And are you forgiving if the sets of the tv show look like they were built

[00:45:23] By a high school production team for the king and I Are you okay with that then hey this is yours I mean, you know you kind of it is when they do that. It's like I get things are expensive

[00:45:35] But it's also like I looked up how much money disney made last year This show's reportedly cost, you know x number of dollars and I have no idea where it's going

[00:45:46] Like it the star wars attraction at hollywood studios at disney world feels more lived in than these set Is it entertaining? Little bit The best moment when it has like blood in its veins is the eight minutes or so of screen time manny jacinto has an episode two

[00:46:03] And he returns in the fourth episode There's promise You know because it's star wars. It's like there's so much to explore and think about but they don't do anything with it It's not bad because it's diverse. I know it's been reviewed bombed elsewhere by racist and sexist assholes

[00:46:19] But the truth is it's a high budget show that looks like a 70s dr Who episode it's inconsistent the dialogue is bad Uh parts of it kind of come off dumb

[00:46:30] There is a moment in episode four. Not us. I won't give you any details, but a character suddenly decides No, i'm going to be Good or bad. I won't tell you which now i'm just going to be good now And it's like there's no lead up

[00:46:47] And I was just shaking my head at it I feel like you pretty much summed up the stuff i've been frustrated about With the star wars that I haven't liked which is it's an amazing sandbox And you'll introduce an idea and it's like that's kind of cool

[00:47:03] But it's all just like window dressing, you know like at the end of the day the show fundamentally doesn't care And that's that's obnoxious if i'm sitting in an executive's Nice seat and he someone comes in and says

[00:47:16] Let's do a show 100 years before the phantom menace. I would be like, yeah Yeah, what you got? Not much apparently the answer Uh the the show could take a hint from house of the dragon which They drop a damn dime on some sets

[00:47:33] Yeah, did you see how I said way into that? That's pretty good. I like that. We're here pretty pretty good House of the house of the dragon. It's one of the shows we're going to discuss in this spoiler section

[00:47:43] What of the first episode where are you with it before we get into spoilers? What do you think real broadly and then we'll spoil Of the first episode Yes, sir House of the dragon season two episode one Quick poll around the room here. Did anyone

[00:48:00] Do a refresher course. I know we texted about this but Before watching blaine did Donovan did you you just came in cold? No, no, I I did some recaps because I was having trouble remembering all the family like I know the core family relations

[00:48:16] But there were a couple people that I'm like, I can't quite remember how you're involved like, uh Oh gosh, I'm gonna forget her name. She's married to the sea snake. I could I'm like why she's Starts with an arm but I don't remember The queen that never was

[00:48:31] Yeah her yes, yeah I thought it would be a fun test of the show itself to go in with with no recap It's tough, you know like because I could have gone From season one of game of thrones into season two quite confidently

[00:48:48] It's almost like when you when you have a song that you're like excited about and the demo is just okay And then as you Start pushing it through the process It just kind of starts breaking apart and you're like the parts of this song are not very good

[00:49:01] I thought that all these shiny objects were gonna fix it I think that this show Is fun and it's good But i'm not sure that it has a lot of uh Load bearing elements in its structure

[00:49:17] Is that a is just too long that since it aired it's been two years That's part of it. I'm sure and that it it's wild that it's been two years since it was On air, uh, I think there's The intense entanglement of families this time versus

[00:49:38] Both, uh, are you laughing is did I actually make an incest joke? Is that why you're laughing? No, I was just laughing that it's so hard to keep up with who's who's yeah

[00:49:48] There's so many people in the same family and there's just like a lot of blonde people now It makes it tough Even little things like natalie had to remind me that The ipatch Guy is amen amen is the second born despite looking

[00:50:06] I don't know 15 years older than the the king That's code for it. How much he sucks the king that is a gone. Yeah a gone the second A gone the magnanimous Yeah, like that

[00:50:20] For people who don't know this is the very modern and chic series based in new york about an artist's ability to create No, it's about dragons and tits So eloquently stated by ian mcshane years ago There were any tits in this episode. Hey, we're no tits Maryland

[00:50:38] I wasn't sure if I was even watching a game of thrones Uh, yeah, so let's get into spoilers. We're back in westeros This first episode is titled a son for a son another episode is aired by now

[00:50:49] But you may be a little behind that's cool or just want to know what we think A son for a son that's certainly biblical. I'm assuming I mean eye for an eye tooth for a tooth, right? I've never read the bible That's what we always say

[00:51:04] Exactly don't even give me your level of sadness for not seeing viscer viscer is chip away one piece of skin or organ at a time Oh, man. I I miss when stuff was falling off of him Finger would just hit the floor. He's dead Yeah He's dead now

[00:51:21] Just had this image of of tabias as uh It's his feather bottom. He's just like grabbing the nose and trying to put it back on Well, that was that was very much the king last season. Yeah, exactly

[00:51:35] No, he's dead. He's been dead since the end of last season on his deathbed He can kind of the precipitating event for this conflict. Of course He's he's named his daughter as air which is a little bit of a no-no on in westeros

[00:51:49] But on his deathbed, he confuses his wife allicent with his daughter. Yes, renera And and you know confusing your wife for your daughter. I think that's a Targaryen thing It's absolutely He doesn't get a chance to recite his death poem before

[00:52:06] He just says he recounts the prince that was promised legend. It makes allicent thinks He wants our son to be king our firstborn son. So boom explosive things are about to happen This episode picks up right after the first season namely old uh

[00:52:25] One eye aim and killing his cousin nephew both Well, I think his dragon killed him it to be fair is an accident As told by his expression from the last season. He wanted the boy to be hurt to lose an eye Just wanted to give joba scare

[00:52:40] Yeah, exactly Yeah, he wanted it. Wow. He wanted more than scare. He wanted to hurt him, but he didn't want to kill him And that's why you don't try and teach your cousin a lesson an idiot at night on a scooter Who else could

[00:52:58] Queen renera of the black faction so the factions have names the blacks and the greens And she's of the black faction of the Targaryen. She's at dragon stone Yes, she has sent her

[00:53:11] Kind of young son to gather forces for the coming war. This is the end of last season That's how aamon got him out in the open. He beat him to the castle got him Dragon got him So now we got the current king and kings landing

[00:53:25] How about his faculty meeting? Bring your child to work day and tylen lannister ain't having it No, lannisters just don't like kids. Yeah first off Yeah, I did he's really not up on current pedagogical theory, right? He has no idea how to engage a child

[00:53:41] He has no idea how to redirect that energy. He's just like give me the fucking ball Tylen wanted to scream this isn't a daycare But I think it you know, I think we were we were kind of talking about this I think it's broader systemic problems in westeros

[00:53:58] Adequate child care. Yeah. Yeah. Is there is there support for child care? It does fall back on lannister because he's the master of coin Yeah, you set aside the money and you know it

[00:54:09] I do think it speaks to a bigger issue, right? Because I also alluded to this the other day, right like like look at the runarounds they're doing With the f a to get those dragons in there and what happened this episode Dragon lost a wing

[00:54:23] That's not good. Where is the westeros bernie sanders? He was executed a long time ago Yes, that picture of burning getting arrested it did not go well from there We won't spend a ton of time on this episode, but I think a lot of the discussion can

[00:54:42] revolve around Sneaky matt smith who's he plays daemon love him He's the husband to queen renara. He's trying to get the war started and ended as fast as he can to win So he goes over to king's landing in secret dawns his usual

[00:54:57] You know he's using secret because he's got his hood on that's when she's about to go down He hires a gardener ret catcher to kill aemon, but there's this little uh

[00:55:06] Moment of interpretation where they say what if we can't find aemon and he kind of you know gives them a grin like Kill someone that's how I interpreted it. I didn't catch that initially which confused the shit out of me

[00:55:17] I was like, why are they killing a baby? That's obviously not a grown man These guys are awful at this job I do think yeah, I do think there needs to be a more rigorous screening process. No shit. Now you drug tested these assholes

[00:55:33] I think it's probably clearer in the book of course here we go It's clearer in the book that helena That's the king's wife She has these visions these dragon dreams And she kind of knows that something bad's coming. You know she mentions rats

[00:55:48] To her husband. She hints at Something like that So does she give up her young son in that sophies choice moment? Because she knows he's gonna die somehow anyway Or is she a bad mom? Is she crazy? What's happening right there? She's crazy

[00:56:06] But I don't know because she gave up one of her kids right. That was that that was really a sophies choice right there I mean, that's you know, that's expressions over used but that's a true. So no, but that was literally Sorry to spoil that movie for anyone

[00:56:20] Uh, I assume we will find out It will be confirmed next episode. Yeah, maybe but Either way one of the king's kids got their heads sought off. So And she bust in on allison having a little ride As they say in ireland

[00:56:39] She's uh, yeah, what a ride low ride She does not seem to twig to what's going on Very odd way of saying it too. She says they killed the boy not calling him by his name Things just seem weird Yeah

[00:56:56] mostly, I mean, obviously things are always a little weird in king's landing but the The setup of you have these two women who are Possibly using everyone else's pawns to fight each other Right like the central conflict is between The two women and not necessarily these two houses

[00:57:18] And they're they're drug into it. And so you have even somebody like the king's wife being like Like I don't really care. You know what I mean because everything is such a backseat to What what the two puppet masters are gonna do does that make sense? Yeah

[00:57:39] But I did find that an interesting Way to develop a show because they work childhood friends and now they still have a love for each other Maybe even like a lesbian kind of love if you wanted to Suss that out

[00:57:52] But they still like each other but at the same time they don't she married alice married her dad Yeah, I mean there's just I think that there are enough ins and outs of this to make it Nicely complex

[00:58:07] Keeping up with who who all everyone is which won't take long You only take a couple weeks and I'll be back in the set It's towing the line of that complexity being intriguing and being overwhelming. I think Oh, no, yeah For me

[00:58:20] Having a recap did a lot of good. It kind of just right. It did me. So I felt I felt prepared And and we'll see if this happens with the season as a whole

[00:58:29] Uh, but one thing I mean, I don't know what they were doing, but I wasn't crazy about it Is you know how like you you'd have episodes That were really stretched out because they're they're telling

[00:58:40] 20 years of story right in one season and this one felt much more focused Yeah, and I'm hoping that Because the because the events have sort of narrowed. I'm I'm hoping we're going to keep seeing that focus And and that also really worked for me

[00:58:55] It agreed and that's going to be the case with this season which was why I'm pretty excited about it The creators have gone on record saying that

[00:59:04] Half of season one was setting up a prologue which was the back half and now here's chapter one. So I think that's interesting Um, there are a little tiny Crumbs being dropped. What about the guy scraping the

[00:59:21] The ship? I mean we get a kind of a significant moment But at the same time it was a very banal conversation The conversation took up a lot of time It did that's why I I want to assume it's significant. Yeah, and the guy's disposition was

[00:59:39] Interesting Allen and his name is Allen. Yeah, you could read a nera and generous and listen and hey, I'm Alan Right if he were of nobility that reaction would be establishing. Oh look at look at this

[00:59:53] modest man, you know, look at just a dutiful guy on or bound whatever but It was uh, it's just a lot of him Allen Allen something going on well Again, we do appreciate a week to week conversation certainly

[01:00:13] We'll return to it at some point. Uh gotta find out what Allen's up to Gotta figure out what's up with Allen. I mean there's a lot we left on the table here For the second time, we'll keep it there and we'll pick it up

[01:00:25] Soon and we'll go from there. Thanks for joining us. Hey For Adam for Donovan. I'm blind here's 200 more. All right Episode 201 is just around the corner. I hope you enjoy it