The film, Spartacus, is an epic story released in 1960. Starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film boasts a star-studded cast and beautifully filmed scenes in Super Technirama 70, which recorded 6K of resolution and making it ideal for display on the modern Ultra High Definition (4K) TV’s that we have today. In this episode we discuss the details of the film. We talk about the preservation of the film as well as the skill of the shots and direction. We discuss the characters and their motivations and what we feel that they mean to us today. We also get into the themes of the movie and how we think that they resonate now as well as what they may have meant at the time. Along the way we also get into censorship in film, the legacy of the movie, and whether or not we think that this is worth watching by modern audiences.
Our five-minute controversy this week asks who you think Ben Affleck should play in the MCU.
This week Ashley, Michael, and Nate join the cast.
Like what you heard? Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/42cast. You can also find us on X as @42cast, Instagram/Threads as 42cast, or Blue Sky as 42cast.bsky.social. We can also be found on Pandora, Amazon Music, Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Please, leave us a review. Have a question for the Ultimate Answer? E-mail us at [email protected].
Fallout is a TV series on Amazon Prime based on the video game series of the same name. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic future, Fallout tells the story of the world after a nuclear war through the interactions of the characters left within the wasteland left behind, the cities that are left, and the residents of vaults, which protected certain people from the aftermath of the explosions. In this episode we review the Fallout series. We discuss the overall tone and lore of the series and how it is informed by and recontextualizes some aspects of the original game. We also talk about the plot for this series and how well it worked for us. We also opine on the various characters in that series and debate the quality of the performances as well as what we think their motivations are. 
Marvel’s Netflix series were extremely popular with the majority of the MCU fandom. Telling street level stories about characters more concerned with protecting everyday people they provided a window into a different angle of the MCU that other series were unable to provide. Due to the compound breakdown between Marvel and streamers due to the impending Disney+ service and Marvel Studios’ breakdown with Marvel TV those popular shows were canceled, and it seemed for a time that they would be swept under the table and never mentioned in the MCU again. Thankfully, that did not occur. Daredevil appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk, and Echo while the Kingpin appeared in Hawkeye and Echo. Once again, the street level side of the MCU was being shown. In this episode we talk about the fulfillment of that promise with the series, Daredevil: Born Again. Presented as if it were a fifth season of the Netflix series (allowing for a skipped fourth season) the series takes us back to familiar characters with a new scenario. Wilson Fisk becomes mayor of New York and the reality for Daredevil and other so-called vigilantes is forever changed. Our cast discusses the new scenario, the use of the characters and how they interact, pacing, the combat/special effects, and more. 
Mystery Science Theater 3000 was an experiment in entertainment that grew far beyond the wildest expectations of its creators. Featuring a host character and several puppeteered bots, the show purported to tell the story of an exiled spaceman forced to endure an experiment that tested the limits of the human mind subjected to the worst films of all time. The character endures by making fun of the films along with his robot companions. Growing quickly from local television program to featuring on a succession of cable channels the show’s popularity soared to extreme heights until it was cancelled ten years later. In recent years, the series was brought back on Netflix. In this episode we take a look at MST3K. We discuss the phenomenon of watching characters watch something else and why it appeals. We talk about our favorite episodes. We also debate who the greatest host of the series is. 
Man in the High Castle is a dark tale of an alternate Earth where the Axis powers won World War II. In this reality the United States has been occupied by both forces and split down the middle with Japanese states and Reich states. Hope seems lost for those who resist these powers until they start discovering films of what appears to be other Earths where things happened differently. In this episode we talk about Man in the High Castle. We discuss the various characters and how their various arcs progressed. We get into the concept and whether or not we found it entertaining or disturbing. We also debate the various plot lines and whether they worked or didn’t for us. 
The What If..? series was a surprise hit from Marvel. Distinguishing Marvel Animation in a way that the company had not managed previously, the series boasted high quality animation and intriguing storylines that pushed the boundaries of the MCU. In this episode we explore the third season of the series. We discuss the individual episodes and what each meant to us. We talk about the characters and how the various alternate scenarios influenced them. We also get into our overall sense of the story, whether we thought that the final two episodes were a worthy resolution, and and whether we’d like to see the What If concept make a comeback.
Travelers is a Netflix original series about time travelers from a bleak future coming back to improve our world. The series broke with several conventions of the time travel sub-genre while mixing together other elements from various time travel series to create a unique experience that resonated with many fans. In this episode we discuss this series. We talk about our favorite characters and why their arcs worked for us while others may not have. We discuss the the various plots of the series and what we liked and didn’t about each. We also delve deep into the concepts and themes to get into what resonated with each of us about this series. 
Avatar: The Last Airbender was a popular animated show on Nickolodeon in the mid-00’s. The series depicted a fantasy world based on a blend of European, Asian, and Native American influences inhabited by “benders” who could manipulate a single one of the four elements of earth, fire, water, and air. In every generation an Avatar is born who can bend all bend all four elements. In this episode we do a deep dive into this series. We talk about the characters and why we enjoy or don’t each of them. We discuss the world and the story and what things we really enjoyed and anything that we didn’t. Along the way we also get into discussions of cultural sensitivity, the live action film, and whether we think that a live-action adaptation can ever faithfully capture this series. 
The world was altered forever in 1987 when Star Trek: The Next Generation first hit the airwaves. Continuing the story of the original Star Trek, the show brought the series back for a new generation of viewers, updating the premises and effects and revitalizing Star Trek fandom into something that would last well into the 21st century. In this episode we discuss that series and how we feel its concepts stand up against the original Trek. We also talk about the cast and who our favorite characters are. We also get into our favorite episodes and how some of them may still be relevant today. 
Agatha Harkness took the MCU by storm with her debut in WandaVision. It wasn’t long before Marvel announced that there would be a series featuring the character in Marvel’s Phase Five. In this episode we talk about that series, Agatha All Along. We discuss the characters and themes and how well they are woven into the story. We opine on some of the creative choices in this series and how it connects to other parts of the MCU. We wrap up with our predictions for where Agatha may show up next. 
