Secret Invasion was part of the second wave of Disney+ shows after the popularity of the 2021 output. Announced with Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She Hulk, it was long assumed that this series would come out in 2022, but instead it came out in 2023. In this episode we take a look at Secret Invasion. We talk about the use of elements from the Captain Marvel film. We debate the use of AI generated images, the shapeshifter plotlines, and the advent of Super Skrulls. We also discuss the racial allegory and the acting talents on display within the series.
This week’s five-minute controversy discusses Tom Hank’s boycott of alterations made to works of literature, so as not to offend people’s sensibilities.
This week Nate, Keith, and Stephen join the cast.
Show Notes:
The Tom Hanks boycott
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It’s about the time that the show covered The Big G himself, The King of the Monsters, the legendary Godzilla. As Godzilla turns 70 we look at decades of films and many many takes on the basic concept. We discuss our favorite Kaiju. We debate whether Godzilla works best as a defender of the Earth or a an implaccable force of terror. We also talk about our favorite Godzilla films and eras. We also get into the modern eras with concurrent Legendary Pictures and Toho versions of Godzilla and why we feel like they work or don’t. 
Blue Beetle was one of the last of the DCEU releases. Originally intended as a straight to Max streaming movie, Warner Bros-Discovery was apparently impressed by what they saw and decided to release the movie to theaters. Sporting a modest $75K budget, the movie managed to look better than many, more expensive blockbusters. It also boasted a mostly latino cast, bringing representation to a community not often associated with superhero films. In this episode we discuss Blue Beetle. We talk about it’s plot, cast, and characters. We also get into the themes of the movie, use of real history to tell a story, representation in media, and the comic history of the Blue Beetle. 
The Karate Kid was a popular movie in the early 80’s that spawned several sequels and in 2018 a spinoff series called Cobra Kai. In this episode the cast discusses the latter series. They talk about origins of the legacy characters and how the new series views them through a different point of view. They debate the merits of the various younger characters and their storylines. They also get into the themes of the series, larger than life storytelling, and how important being the All Valley Champion really is. They also reveal what they want to see in the final season of the series. 
Superman and Lois season 4 has already premiered, so we have some catching up to do with our review of season 3! In this action-packed episode we discuss the introduction of Bruno Manheim and Intergang into the narrative. We also talk about the very real plotline around cancer and how Superman faces an enemy that he can’t defeat. We also debate the merits of a tougher, less intellectual Lex Luthor. Along the way we discuss teenagers with powers, family dynamics, dealing with physical illness and it’s effect on mental health, how scary a Superman at the end of his tether can be, and giving people their space. 
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the first attempt to do a comedy series within the MCU. In this episode we take a deep dive on the She Hulk series. We discuss how the show fits within the greater context of the MCU as well as how well it lives up to the various comic series that it’s adapting. We talk about the characters and how the story of Jennifer Walters may resonate with fans. We also address the many guest characters used by the series and how well we think that they were showcased in the series. We also get into the plotlines and what we think will matter later on. We end by discussing whether we’d like to see a season two of the series. 
It’s the end of an era as we come to the very last season of the very last Arrowverse series as we discuss the final season of The Flash. It’s ten years to the day that the series premiered, so it feels especially fitting that we do this topic. In this episode we talk about how this is the culmination of the entire Arrowverse. We discuss the many, many misses of Arrowverse story elements that should have been wrapped up. We review the various guest stars that appeared in the season and debate which worked and which didn’t. We confer on how the story elements worked, and we opine on whether this felt like a fitting culmination for Nine years of the Flash. We end by considering whether we’d want James Gunn to allow an Elseworlds anthology series or direct-to-streaming movie, so that the various plot threads can be tied up. 
In this episode we review the first three seasons of the popular Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy. We give our opinions on all aspects of this series. We discuss the characters and their unusual relationships and personality quirks for a superhero series. We talk about the plots and how they cleverly set up conflicts and resolutions that one may not expect. We also get a little into the comics and how they can provide some context for things that they do or don’t do in the TV series. It all ends with a conversation about how we’d want the show to end.
In this episode we discuss the final season of a show that was gone far far far too soon. That show is Stargirl. Although Stargirl aired on The CW it was originally conceptualized as a streaming series first for DC Universe and then HBO Max. Episodes were simultaneously released on both the CW and the corresponding streaming service. In this examination of the final season we discuss the plot and why it worked or didn’t for us. We talk about the characters and how we feel that they were served. We also debate how the series ended and whether we think it was fitting. We also give our opinion on whether James Gunn should try to incorporate any elements from this series into his new DCU. 
In this second part of our two-part extravaganza on The Rings of Power the cast jumps back into talking about Middle Earth. In this episode they ask “What’s in a name?” as they wonder why anyone included a Hobbit. The Stranger’s gray identity is mooted. The cast discusses the geometry of rings and why 15 minutes may not be enough time to devote to their creation. They also get into the trauma that creates the orcs and the idea of an “evil race”. Along the way they discuss tropish women who need fathers for their sons, vampire orcs, and the politics of Númenor.
