Decoding TV

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season premiere of  Wonder Man  and the latest episode of  The Pitt . What makes  Wonder Man  so extremely good? Should Alex Honnold have gotten paid more for his ascension of Taipei 101? Is CBS News going to get better by hiring more podcasters and...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the latest episodes of  The Pitt  and  Fallout . What are our initial thoughts on  Wonder Man  and  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ? What’s going on with the FCC’s efforts to enforce equal time provisions? Will Netflix be the only entertainment comp...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the latest episodes of  The Pitt  and  Fallout . Are Tony Dokoupil’s CBS News ratings disastrous or merely bad? What’s the latest with Netflix’s attempted takeover of American culture? And what our big takeaways from George R. R. Martin’s recent interview with&nbs...

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David is joined by filmmaker and cinematographer Valentina Vee to discuss the first season of  Heated Rivalry  on HBO Max. Why has this show become a phenomenon?  Why are women “feral” for the show ?  And why is it significant to the LGBTQ+ community in Russia and around the world ? Listen to hear us discuss these questions and more. Check out...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season 2 premiere of The Pitt and season 2 episode 4 of Fallout . Was there a secret final episode of Stranger Things all along? How’s the new CBS Evening News broadcast going these days? And who do we think will win the very first Legacy Award Emmy? Listen to hear us discus...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss your reactions to season 1 of  Pluribus . Then, it’s time to catch up with  Fallout  Season 2. What would we ask the Hive if we had the chance? What are our predictions for season 2 of  Pluribus ? And how is  Fallout  handling major lore like the Brotherhood of Steel? Listen to hear us discuss all t...

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, Patrick Klepek and David Chen discuss the  Pluribus  season 1 finale. Was this a satisfying conclusion to this season of television? What are the biggest payoffs from the episode? And what are we looking forward to in season 2? We’ll be back next week with more thoughta on  Fallout  season 2, plus your reactions/theories/comments on the&nbs...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the eighth episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus and the season 2 premiere of Fallout . The Oscars are moving to YouTube! What does this mean, exactly? Why did our respect for David Zaslav go up this week? And Pluribus is the most-watched show on Apple TV, but please do not ask a...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the seventh episode of Vince Gilligan’s  Pluribus . What is our reaction to the big news that Netflix might acquire Warner Bros? Do we think Paramount can release 30 movies per year? Is David Ellison really just Kendall Roy? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the sixth episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus . Are we going to try to see the Stranger Things finale in theaters? What does the HBO Max/Mad Men debacle say about the world of streaming entertainment? Will Apple TV ever be able to stop pulling shows from its lineup? Listen to h...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss the fifth episode of Pluribus on Apple TV, ‘Got Milk.’ We hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving this week! This year, we are grateful for all your support and listenership. Homework for next week: Pluribus Episode 6 (Apple TV) Links: Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the fourth episode of Vince Gilligan’s  Pluribus . Will HBO save  Poker Face ? Are we excited about a new season of  The Chair Company ? How many seasons will  House of the Dragon  end up getting? Who’s the least terrible option to buy Warner Bros? Liste...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the third episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus . How do we feel about the imminent return of Alien: Earth , not to mention Shogun ? Can Poker Face survive with a new Charlie Cale? And why are we so excited about a new show based off Jimmy Olsen? Listen to hear us discuss all the...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season premiere of Vince Gilligan’s  Pluribus . How do we feel about Apple TV’s vibrant new brand identity? How do we feel about the brewing war between YouTube TV and Disney? And why will people be remembering the  Pluribus  season premiere for a long time to...

Dave and @joyonapping are back for another season of  Slow Horses ! In season 5, the focus is on Roddy Ho as he becomes ensnared in a vast terrorist conspiracy. What were the biggest differences between the books and the show? Is the format of the show inherently in tension with its plotlines? Who were our MVPs this season? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more! Links: Follow...

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David and Patrick discuss the season premiere of It: Welcome to Derry . What are the ways in which this show expands on the lore of the book? What did we make of the bold decisions at the end of the first episode? If this show starts at a 12, does it have anywhere to go? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Homework: Slow Horses season 5 (Apple...

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David and Patrick are joined by  Jessie Earl  to discuss the second season of  Gen V . Was this show able to overcome some of the clunkiness of the earlier episodes? What did we make of the show’s biggest twists this season? And can this show really survive and thrive in a future without  The Boys ? Listen to hear us discuss these questions an...

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David is joined by Kit Lazer to discuss the season finale of  Task. What made us love this show? Is it really too bleak for general audiences? What did the show do best? And what were some of its most memorable moments and characters? Listen to hear us discuss these questions and more. Links: Follow Kit on Tiktok Follow Kit on Instagram Follow Kit on YouTube...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season premiere of  The Chair Company . Does Tim Robinson find hidden comedy gold in the cushions of  The Chair Company ? Will video podcasts be a big thing on Netflix? Will the Apple TV rebrand make sense by the time you download this week’s podcast? Listen to hea...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season finale of Peacemaker . Is CBS News doomed or extra-doomed? How on earth are we going to cover the final season of Stranger Things ? And does the first trailer for Pluribus get us excited for Vince Gilligan’s newest show or not? Listen to hear us discuss all these ques...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the premiere of The Lowdown and the latest episode of Peacemaker . Where was the balance of power in the Jimmy Kimmel situation? What do we think of how Fallon handled the whole thing? And why is there a conservative campaign to cancel Netflix? Listen to hear us discuss all thes...

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David chats with Christie Bosch (AKA @ thatdocumentarygirl ) about the new Netflix documentary  aka Charlie Sheen . What were our biggest takeaways from this documentary? Why was the documentarian seemingly averse to experiencing human emotion? And is the documentary actually insightful or is it just a way for Charlie Sheen to rehab his personal image? Li...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season finale of  Alien: Earth.  Later  Dan Gvozden from the Amazing Spider-Talk podcast  joins us to talk  Peacemaker . Homework for next week: Peacemaker  Season 2 Episode 7 (HBO) Bonus Episode:  aka Charlie Sheen  (Netflix) Bonus Ep...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the latest episodes of Alien: Earth and Peacemaker . What do we make of the (probable) cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel? Is Peacemaker just spinning its wheels these days? Will Alien: Earth end up being the show that was promised at the beginning? Listen to hear us discuss all these...

In this bonus episode, David and Myles McNutt from the Episodic Medium newsletter discuss the 2025 Emmy Awards ( you can watch our live broadcast on YouTube here ). Which shows came away with some of the biggest wins? What were some of the night’s biggest upsets? And did the winners deserve their awards? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Links: Subscribe to Episodic Medium Fo...