The NO NOTES Podcast

'The Last of Us' is BACK...but is it any good? Schmear is joined by Sena Adjei to break down the Pedro Pascal -led series, reflecting on the highs and lows of Season 1 before diving into the S2 premiere, "Future Days." They talk about new cast members like Kaitlyn Dever and Catherine O’Hara , why Sena’s underwhelmed so far, and whether they’re emotionally in for the long haul. Th...

'The Pitt,' which wrapped up last night, is one of the best shows of 2025, and joining the SchmearCast are two of its amazing stars, Gerran Howell (Dennis Whitaker) and Shabana Azeez (Victoria Javadi)!! First up, Jesse Aaronson returns to break down episodes 3 and 4 of 'The Studio.' Schmear and Jesse re-engineer their expectations for the sitcom before diving into "The Note&qu...

'White Lotus' S3 comes to an explosive, divisive close. Schmear and Alison Sivitz ( Bald Ann Dowd ) reunite one last time to break down the action-packed 90-minute finale, “Amor Fati.” Schmear defends the episode overall before the two dive into the twists and turns. Alison makes a bold 180 on Saxon Ratliff, while Schmear praises the fateful, artful Lachlan scene. They unpack the climactic ending...

In ' The White Lotus ’s' penultimate episode, “Killer Instincts,” this roller coaster season barrels ahead with a sharp focus on the nature of violence. Schmear and Alison Sivitz return to break it all down (2:05) —Rick’s cockamamie Bangkok scheme (10:39) , the ladies on the warpath (14:47) , and the monastery misadventure (17:50) . Schmear casts a wary eye on Mook, while Alison unpacks he...

New Seth Rogen Hollywood satire series ' The Studio ' is one of the best and funniest shows of the year. Joining Schmear to help break it down is Jesse Aaronson . The two give their top-line thoughts (3:19) , discuss some of the best and worst examples of the "Hollywood" subgenre on the small screen (10:17) , then assess the incredibly hysterical, smart, and stylish first episode...

Did “brotherly love” go a little too far in Thailand? Schmear and Alison Sivitz reunite to break down 'The White Lotus' S3 E6, “Denials.” They parse an awkward “next day” (11:03) for every character and debate the episode’s dream sequences. Schmear shares his own Thai Buddhist monastery experience (22:33) before unpacking how the Ratliffs are changed by their visit. After questioning wheth...

An ambitious, imaginative, cinematic finale to 'Severance' Season 2, fitting for a show and a season defined by those very qualities. Schmear and Sean Byrne share their big-picture thoughts on the jam-packed, 76-minute episode "Cold Harbor," (2:54) covering Adam Scott ’s remarkable performance (6:49) , bizarre Lumon shenanigans (16:13) , and the emotional journeys of each charact...

We were promised fireworks in “Full-Moon Party,” but did the latest ‘White Lotus’ episode deliver? Schmear and Alison Sivitz fiercely debate the success (or lack thereof) of ‘The White Lotus’ S3 E5 (2:01) . Schmear explains why he thinks the season feels “tired,” while Alison argues there's still some juice left. They break down the episode’s biggest moments, vent about Gaitok and Tim (16:24)...

Schmear and Sean Byrne break down ‘Severance’ S2 E9, "The After Hours" (2:16), discussing how it serves as a ramp-up to what should be a thrilling finale. They debate what worked and what didn’t within the episode, including tracking Milchick’s emotional journey, saying goodbye to Irving (22:49) , and the brewing Innie vs. Outtie battle (37:46) . Later, Isaac Feldberg , critic at RogerEb...

Bong Joon Ho ’s hotly anticipated follow-up to the Best Picture-winning ‘Parasite’ - ‘Mickey 17’ — is finally here. So how’s the movie? Schmear and Sena Adjei dig into the film landscape ‘Mickey 17’ arrives in (1:56) , debate their favorite Bong Joon Ho movies (7:55) , and talk about the allure of Robert Pattinson (13:26) before diving into the film’s merits and drawbacks (21:15) . They break down...

Revisiting conversations with three Oscar winners on this bonus episode of The SchmearCast. Lol Crawley , DP of ‘The Brutalist’ and winner of the Best Cinematography Oscar, discusses pulling off some of the film’s standout scenes, his working relationship with Brady Corbet , and what he thinks Laszlo Toth’s favorite movies might have been (3:42) . Gints Zilbalodis , director, writer, animator, and...

Finally catching up with Patricia Arquette 's "Harmony Kobel" in this week’s ' Severance ' episode, S2 E8, “Sweet Vitriol.” Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) discuss this unique bottle episode, how it recontextualizes aspects of the series, the efficacy of the storytelling, and debate if we’re set up for a thrilling end-of-season run or not. Host: Gabriel Frieberg Guests...

Between the Oscars and ' White Lotus ' S3E3, last night was a BIG night. Sena Adjei returns to the show as he and Schmear break down the Oscars telecast (1:57) —debating Timmy vs. Adrien Brody , discussing ' Anora ’s' big night (8:40) , and Demi Moore getting “Substanced” by Mikey Madison (12:32) . They wrap up by assessing the night’s miscellaneous winners and losers (30:59) and getting existenti...

"Enjoy this special edition episode, a collaboration with the amazing "That Final Scene" podcast!" - Schmear ------------------------------------------ I've never been so unprepared for an Oscar season. This year's race feels like someone threw all the conventional wisdom into a blender, hit puree, and walked away laughing. So in this episode, we are joined by The Schmear Hunter ’s Gabriel Frieber...

'Severance' cinematographer and director of the masterful Season 2, Episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo," Jessica Lee Gagné joins The SchmearCast! First, Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) break down this rich, dense, and emotionally devastating episode, starting with their big-picture impressions (2:44) before diving into the plot specifics. They discuss the beautiful, warm direction, Dichen Lachman ’s...

Checking back in on ' The White Lotus' to discuss S3 E2, “Special Treatments.” Schmear is rejoined by Alison Sivitz ( Bald Ann Dowd ). They open by discussing the reception to the first episode and their takeaways from a recent New Yorker profile on creator Mike White (2:15) before diving into the episode (10:45) —parsing the shifting relationship dynamics, the characters’ “wellness” sessi...

Schmear sits down with Matthew Rankin , the brilliant director of ‘ Universal Language ,’ Canada’s entry for Best International Feature and one of the year’s finest films. They discuss the film’s cozy yet expansive vision, its unique fusion of “Winnipeg and Tehran,” and why it feels so vital right now. Host: Gabriel Frieberg Guests: Matthew Rankin Producer: Samuel Eromo Music: Justin Friedman WATC...

Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) break down ' Severance' S2 E6 “Attila,” one of the show’s moodier episodes. They discuss how the "innies" are growing up, Irving and Burt’s bizarre dinner scene (19:34) , Mark and Helena’s equally odd rendezvous (28:15) , and the meaning of the episode’s mysterious final moments (36:18) . Host: Gabriel Frieberg Guests: Sean Byrne Producer: P...

‘The White Lotus ,’ one of the juiciest and best shows on TV, is back. Schmear is joined by Alison Sivitz (Bald Ann Dowd) to break down the genius of Mike White and what makes this upstairs-downstairs series so irresistible (3:57) . They dive into S3 E1 (16:18) , unpacking this season’s chaotic characters—including the Ratliff family, Walton Goggins on the verge of snapping, and the “cougars”—befo...

Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) return to recap ' Severance' S2E5, "Trojan's Horse," a reset episode for the season. They start by discussing some of the criticisms the show is facing before diving into the episode—breaking down Mark's poor behavior, the perceived softening of Seth Milchick, Britt Lower 's performance as Helly, and the lingering questions they...

The creators of the brilliant new adult animated conspiracy thriller ' Common Side Effects' join The SchmearCast ! First, Schmear is joined by Sena Adjei and Nate Bishop to take stock of the winter’s middling film options, discussing ' One of Them Days' with Keke Palmer and SZA (3:28) , the techno-thriller ' Companion' ( 12:10) , and the slasher comedy ' Heart Eyes' (17:35) . They then break down...

‘Severance’ S2E4, “Woe’s Hollow,” will go down as one of the show’s wildest, most ambitious, and most cinematic episodes yet. Schmear and Sean Byrne ( Modern Mythos ) break it all down, diving into their headline thoughts (2:08) , the significance of Irv’s dream (25:09) , the final standoff (31:50) , and what it all means moving forward (39:45) . Host: Gabriel Frieberg Guests: Sean Byrne Producer:...

Schmear runs through his thoughts on some Sundance 2025 titles, including the buzzy A24 pick-up ' Sorry, Baby' and two revelatory documentaries on crime and justice in America (1:15) . Then, Sean Byrne ( Modern Mythos ) returns to help break down ' Severance' S2E3, “Who’s Alive.” They discuss how the episode serves as an on-ramp for the rest of the season, what’s up with all the go...

Director RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) joins SchmearCast to discuss his bold, acclaimed new film ' Nickel Boys !' Schmear sits down with Ross to discuss his filmmaking process, the “epic banal” in his work, the meaning of Terrence Malick ’s 'The Tree of Life,' and his favorite NBA player to watch. Host: Gabriel Frieberg Guest: RaMell Ross Producer: Pavlo Meln...

Director RaMell Ross ( Hale County This Morning, This Evening ) joins SchmearCast to discuss his bold, acclaimed new film Nickel Boys ! First up, Sean Byrne ( Modern Mythos ) returns to break down Severance S2E2, “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig.” (2:19) He and Schmear unravel this incredible Outtie-centric episode and wrap up by dissecting some fascinating Reddit theories (31:36) . Nickel Boys is one of the...