Geek Between the Lines

This week, we discuss the powerful theme of compassion within The Hunger Games triolgy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. We take a look a look at Tigris' character, think about the role of alliances in the Games, ponder what it means to be compassionate when there are incredibly high stakes, and so much more! Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if...

This week, we explore the theme of ability in LOTR and have a great discussion on everything from the One Ring both giving and taking ability, to Eowyn being prohibited from using her abilities because of she is a woman, to Frodo experiencing intense trauma. We even delve into Gollum and DID representation and so much more! If you like this episode, please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a...

Here is Part II of our conversation about the theme of family within the Harry Potter books. We continue the discussion we started last week by talking about generational divides, orphans in HP vs. media narratives in general, ways that the Epilogue should have been better, and much more! Don't forget to check out the Harry Potter items by our amazing logo designer that make fantastic gifts (or ju...

There is so much to the theme of family in Harry Potter that we couldn't hope to cover it all, so we settled on covering at least a lot of interesting aspects with a two-parter! In Part I, we discuss Sirius Black's complicated family relationships, the generosity of the Weasleys welcoming Harry into their home, and which characters we think are most impacted by their families. The gifs I mentioned...

This is one of our favorite Star Wars episodes yet! We look at the theme of fear in the movies (while touching on a little expanded universe), discussing everything from Luke Skywalker's choices, to methods of control, to how childhood experiences affect what characters fear. If you like this episode, please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! Also, consider becomi...

This week, we have a ton of fun sorting Jyn, Cassian, K-2SO, Chirrut, Baze, and Bodhi into their respective Hogwarts Houses! Here are some great Hogwarts House and Harry Potter items by our amazing logo designer to check out: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Lacelit?section_id=28482624 Also, please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you enjoy our content, conside...

This week, we take a look at the theme of pride within ATLA and LOK. We have a fascinating discussion on positive and negetive aspects of pride in the series and also examine quite a few antagonists in both series (including the whole Fire Nation royal family)! If you haven't yet, please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you enjoy our content, consider be...

This week we discuss agency in The Hunger Games trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! From Katniss to Peeta to Finnick, there are so many powerful moments of agency even under crushing oppression and exploitation. We also discuss the jabberjays as an allegory and how fear and agency interact in Panem. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you...

This week, we explore the theme of friendship in LOTR, which we discover really is a strong theme in the series. We discuss everything from Sam and Frodo's unique relationship, to Saruman's lack of any real friends, to an amaingly honest Bilbo quote. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you enjoy our content, consider becoming one of our amazing patro...

This episode looks at the themes of bias and prejudice within Harry Potter, and wow, there are so many fascinating elements to discuss! We analyze everything from the views of the Weasley family, to the role of the slur 'mudblood', to the symbolism of the basilisk beneath Hogwarts. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you enjoy our content, consider b...

We're back this week with an episode analyzing gender in Star Wars. From Leia to Rose to Droids that should actually be nonbinary, there's a lot to talk about! Here is a link to the LA Times analysis of female characters' dialogue and the interactive function for matching up characters to see how often they say lines to each other: https://www.latimes.com/projects/star-wars-movies-female-character...

The Dragon Prince is such an awesome and delightful show, we just had to do a special episode covering the highs and lows of the first 3 seasons that are on Netflix thus far. We discuss what the series does really well, what they could do a bit better, and a little of what we hope to see in the coming seasons. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you...

This week, we discuss the theme of courage in ATLA and LOK! From Zuko standing up to the Fatherlord to Beifong protecting the last airbenders, there are so many powerful moments of courage that we love exploring in this episode. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you enjoy our content, consider becoming one of our amazing patrons and get even more o...

This week, we have a great conversation centering around the theme of beauty within The Hunger Games trilogy, and also touch on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Even in a series about violence, trauma, and toppling oppressive regimes, Suzanne Collins still wove so many poignant and powerful ideas of beauty throughout the books. From Stylists, to Finnick Odair, to Katniss' body hair, there is ju...

This week, we tackle the theme of greed in LOTR and the Hobbit and discover things we never realized about the series before! From Smaug, to Saruman, to industrialization, we find that Middle Earth is rife with ideas of greed and a countervailing force. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you enjoy our content, consider becoming one of our amazing pa...

This week, we look at the Harry Potter books through the theme of commitment. We discuss everything from the members of Order of the Phoenix, to McGonagall’s many commitments, to what Harry was committed to before Voldemort officially 'returned.' Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! And, if you enjoy our content, consider becoming one of our amazing patrons a...

This week, we explore the theme of ability within the Star Wars movies. We look at everything from Padme Amidala's abilities in a triolgy full of Jedi, to the possibilites the Star Wars universe provides, to the vulnerabilities that droids face. We even discuess what should have happened with Darth Vader between Episode III and IV. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your pod...

This week, we are back to our usual property rotation and are excited to dive into the theme of education and learning within the world of ATLA and LOK! We discuss everything from Katara fighting for her own education to culture being intertwined with learning. We also look at how some characters like Zuko, Iroh, and Korra are changed through learning from different types of bending. Please tell a...

After analyzing The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in our miniseries, we wanted to sort the characters we've spent the past 2.5 months with! Find out where we put eight characters - from Coriolanus, to Dr, Gaul, to Reaper. And, please leave us a review on your podcast app and tell a geeky friend about us! And, if you enjoy our content, consider becoming one of our amazing patrons and get even more...

This is the final episode of our Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes miniseries, and wow, there is so much to discuss! We don't only look specifically at Chapter 30 and the Epilogue, but also at the whole book and at its role as a companion to The Hunger Games trilogy. We analyze everything from character arcs, to mockingjays, to the message about the power of ideologies. We even somehow slip a Samwise...

This week, we dive into the intense chapters that cause Brittany to wallow in feelings for Sejanus and not share the angry PG-13 comments she wrote on her book margins, and cause Chris to accidentally make a ridiculous statement. We discuss how Snow remains a complex character even as he becomes a manipulative little monster and lies to everyone and even himself. We also talk about how differently...

This week, we have one of our most fun discussions yet as we take digs at Snow's false equivalencies and romanticization of himself and others (and even find an amusing way in which Chis and Snow are alike!). We also dive into a rich analysis of the function of the Victor's prize within the Hunger Games system and the differences between Lucy Gray's desire for freedom and creativity, Snow desires...

This week, we start "Part III: The Peacekeeper" of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. We have a great discussion about the Covey's songs, military conscription, Capitol attitudes on district poverty, and the US being little Capitols. We also wonder how Coriolanus' military service is going to take him further on the road to becoming President Snow, cringe at possible violent ends for Sejanus, and...

This week, we tackle Chapters 18-20 of Songbirds and Snakes, which close out the 10th Hunger Games. We analyze Reaper's actions and use of the Panem flag, look to the Kalbelia enthic group to understand Lucy Gray's dance in the arena, and think about how these Games are foundational for the type of Games we see in the original trilogy. We also look at the compelling ways Coriolanus, Lucy Gray, and...

This week, we have a lively discussion about Chapters 14-17 as the 10th Hunger Games begin. We think about Lucy Gray's handling of Jessup's death, get inspired by Sejanus' commitment to political dissent, and find meaningful connections to Peeta and mentors in the original trilogy. We also discover fascinating parallels between the book and our own world -from ancient Roman use of crucifixion to m...