The 90’s was a time of great innovation in animation. The medium had been dominated by stand-alone episodes and simple storylines for decades. In the 90’s even the traditional networks’ programming pushed the envelope. More series with serialized storytelling were being told. An overall movement advanced to tell stories with more grown-up themes and utilizing plots and humor that would appeal across an entire family instead of just to kids. In this episode we discuss the cartoons of the 90’s. We talk about some of the themes and recurring elements throughout the decade. We also give out some of our favorite animated series of this era.
Due to time constraints there is no five-minute controversy this week.
This week Keith, Eric, and Miranda join the cast.
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The War of the Rohirrim was the first attempt by Warner Bros to extend the use of their Middle-Earth license to include stories beyond the written works of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Set 180 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, it tells the story of how Helm’s Deep got its name and showcases the daughter of Helm, Hera. Conceived as an anime, the script was written in English and animated by a Japanese studio with a Japanese director. In this episode we review the movie. We discuss it as an adaptation of very scant material from Tolkien’s written work. We talk about how well it fits into the narrative of Middle-Earth and Tolkien’s style. We opine on the characters, the plot, and the performances. We also debate the merits of the animation and the music. Along the way we’ll get into the fashions, tactics in personal combat and warfare, and the touchstones to other parts of the franchise. 
Rogue One has gained a cult following within Star Wars fandom and has a wide appreciation from a large swathe of the fandom. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was a desire within Lucasfilm to capitalize on that by creating a prequel series about one of the main protagonists of the film, Cassian Andor. The titular series follows Andor as he is slowly recruited into the rebellion against the galactic empire. Along the way he becomes embroiled in plots that tie into the very center of Imperial power. In this episode we discuss Andor. We talk about the plots of the series and how we appreciated or didn’t how they all weave together. We also tackle the idea of whether an actor should always play the same role within a franchise. We also talk about the various characters, their arcs, and whether we feel that it fits with what we know about those characters or about the situation that they’re in. 
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the first of the Marvel TV series to tie in with the MCU and it was almost the last to air before the collapse of Marvel’s TV division. In this episode we look back at the final season of the series. Along the way we discuss whether the time-travel McGuffin and callbacks to previous episodes created a satisfying conclusion to the series. We’ll talk about the inclusion of Souza, how well he worked on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and whether we felt that this was a fitting move for his character. Along the way we’ll talk about missed opportunities, the Fitz reveal, and what we all thought about the coda. 
In this episode we go to Chicago TARDIS 2024 to present you with an interview discussion with Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines, and Sophie Aldred who played Zoe, Jamie, and Ace respectively in Doctor Who. The trio discuss convention memories, what was special about their respective eras, writing asperations, Doctor Who characters they wish that they had worked with, and what they want young fans to appreciate about their characters in the show. 
With the release of the second part of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune there are now three live action adaptations of the story. In this episode we examine the Lynch, Harrison, and Villeneuve adaptations. We discuss what we like about each one and talk about the things that we felt do not work in each. We compare notes on the various portrayals of characters and debate what worked and what didn’t in terms of an adaptation and in terms of telling the narrative each version was trying to tell. We also get into production values, visual aesthetics, and musical choices. By the end we ensure that everyone responds to the question, “How You Dune?” 
85 years ago, L. Frank Baum’s classic tale was adapted into the first film that used technicolor. That movie was The Wizard of Oz. In this episode we discuss that epic film. We talk about the acting, characters, and the sheer spectacle that must have left crowd’s awestruck. We discuss the themes of the source material and how well this film works as an adaptation. We get into the Disney sequel made over forty years later and how it’s such a departure from the MGM take. we also give our opinions on how Hollywood has used the Oz material ever since. 
It was a title so good that we had to use it twice. In this episode we take a deep dive on Invincible. It’s a coming of age story about Mark Grayson, a teenager who has to navigate attaining super powers, his father’s secret, and getting into college. We discuss the phenomenal story and what makes it so unique at a time when we have so much superhero content. We also talk about the phenomenal voice work and the great care that goes into selecting each and every voice. Along the way we navigate the comic origins of the series and frantically try to stay away from spoilers. Those of us who haven’t read the comic give our hopes for what we’ll see in the future. We also get into the art style, animation, and depictions of superhero action and whether it works for us. 
Marvel’s Runaways adapted a relatively unknown but also fairly recent comic book concept for the small screen. The story followed the children of super villains who ran away from their parents and become heroes. In this episode we take a look at the final season of the series. We discuss the plotlines and how well this final season wrapped up the plot of the series. We talk about the depiction of the world and whether or not this all takes place within the MCU. We also get into the characters both established and new, such as the villain, Morgan le Fay, played by Elizabeth Hurley. We also debate whether we’d like to see these characters again.
The 42cast is proud to welcome Captain Power himself, 
