A Podcast [ , ] For All Intents and Purposes

ALREADY OBSOLETE: This is a short episode––you could even call it a "shortcast", but why would you––because Dan had to have a little procedure that knocked him out a bit. However, they don't leave you hanging as they talk about things that have drawn their attention this week. D. Bethel is impressed with the first two episodes of David E. Kelley's new show, Big Sky , while Andrew dives deep in to...

To celebrate Andrew's birthday today, he and D. Bethel talk about thing they both love a lot: classic Doctor Who . SURVIVAL OF THE WHO-IEST: "Survival" is an interesting story for a variety of reasons in classic Doctor Who , not the least of which being that it was the last story to air before the show was cancelled in 1989. Beyond that, though, and beyond the questionable production design and sp...

THE SUICIDE SQUAD: With Warner Bros./DC Comics' release last week of James Gunn's new film, The Suicide Squad , we bring on our on-the-ground-DC-correspondent, Taylor Katcher, to discuss how this movie completely saves this DC franchise after its much less successful (critically) Suicide Squad from 2015. Even Andrew liked it! RELEVANT EPISODES: " Almost an Andrew Sandwich " (27 January 2017): Wher...

WEEK IN GEEK: This week, Andrew plays the first few games in Square Enix's nostalgia-trip, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster , while D. Bethel dives into nostalgia and music theory reading the newest book from Boss Fight Books, Final Fantasy VI by Sebastian Deken. RELEVANT EPISODES: " Premature Clapulation " (19 June 2014): In Episode 4, D. Bethel and Andrew discuss the positive qualities of Final Fant...

A BAD BLIZZARD: Our hosts take a quick look at the controversy (and lawsuits!) that came out of an investigation led by the state of California into the toxic and dangerous company culture of Activision Blizzard. I HAVE THE POWER: Having watched the first five episodes released for Netflix's Masters of the Universe: Revelation , Andrew and D. Bethel look at this playful and creative reimagining of...

A NEW CHALLENGER: Recently, Valve Corporation––owners of the PC gaming storefront and launcher, Steam––announced a new piece of hardware that excited a lot of gamers: the handheld Steam machine called the Steam Deck. D. Bethel and Andrew walk through the announcement and ponder what it could change in the industry, and how it could leave some gamers lacking. RELEVANT EPISODES: " Where the Hands To...

WHAT A NERD WANTS: With the Disney + original, Loki , coming to a close this week, it got our hosts thinking about nerd media universes, and the works that push those meta narratives forward. What's better––a standalone series showcasing the nuances of a single character? or a show that pushes that cinematic universe into the next stage of its overall narrative? Andrew and D. Bethel put on their t...

CAP PUNCHED FIRST: Another day, another attack on fictional characters as a cable news segment pilloried Marvel Comics for making Captain America "woke" in a recent issue, seemingly forgetting that Cap has been punching literal Nazis in his comics since his first issue. Andrew and D. Bethel explore this while also examining the variety of ways texts (movies, comics, books, music, tv shows, etc.) c...

TSR-U-KIDDING-ME: Tabletop Twitter got weird these last few weeks as debates exploded around the tweets made by Ernest G. Gygax, Jr.––son of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator, Gary Gygax––where he doubles down on strong, anti-SJW views in support of his new RPG, Giantlands. SLAPP FEST: Andrew also checks in with the current legal fight started by Chris Avellone––formerly of Black Isle and Obisidian En...

CONFIRMATION BIAS: Abandoned is an upcoming Playstation 5-exclusive game made by the small Netherlands-based team, Blue Box Game Studios. After the game's director made an enigmatic tweet, the internet exploded with conspiracy theories, asserting that the game and its trailers were nothing more than clues that this was not a stand-alone survival horror game but was actually a Silent Hill sequel. M...

WEEK IN GEEK: This week, Andrew dives into the strange patchwork origin of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers while D. Bethel is pleasantly surprised by the Netflix series, Sweet Tooth , an adaptation of Dan's favorite recent comic series by Jeff Lemire. RELEVANT EPISODES: " The Space Dog and Bacchus Show " (21 August 2014): Where Andrew interviews indie game developer, Kai Cambra. " It's Not Crude, It'...

ROUGH TEXTURES: Capcom gets sued for allegedly using textures from a reference book––Judy A. Juracek's Surfaces ––for many of its games in the early 2000s and the evidence is pretty compelling. Without dispensing professional legal advice, Andrew guides D. Bethel through the nuances and complexities of this interesting case. RELEVANT LINKS: Carpenter, Nicole. " Artist Says Capcom Stole Her Photos...

WEEK IN GEEK: It's a week all about television as Andrew watches the first few episodes of the CW reboot of Kung Fu while D. Bethel compares his experience watching the first few episodes of Amazon's Invincible and Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy . RELEVANT LINKS: Otterson, Joe. " Jupiter's Legacy Netflix Series Releases Cast as Streamer Orders 'Supercrooks' Live-Action Show. " Variety , Variety Media,...

A BAD MIX: This week, the Twitter account, @TerriblyBland, posted a thread calling out nerd industries' tendency to do networking at bars, especially during and after conventions. As ever with nerd discourse, the claim was met with a lot of support ...as well as some very staunch opposition . Andrew and D. Bethel look at the original claim and examine the overall conversation. RELEVANT LINKS: The...

WEEK IN GEEK: This week, Andrew dabbles in a few different ponds, first by playing a bit of Mass Effect Legendary Edition , then talks about his experience going through Subnautica: Below Zero , and testing his mettle with Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch. D. Bethel is very conflicted––but having a lot of fun––as he plays through Dragon's Crown Pro . RELEVANT EPISODES: " Shortcast 44 - T...

FREEDOM FOR APPS: Andrew and D. Bethel dedicate this week's episode to discussing and parsing and debating and understanding and reacting to the very, very strange lawsuits being fought between Apple and Epic Games. SPOILER: They have no answers. RELEVANT LINKS: Hackett, Robert. " The Apple and Epic Games Court Case is Literally Bananas. " Fortune , Fortune Media, 11 May 2021. Lopatto, Elizabeth....

WEEK IN GEEK: It's an animated kind of week this week as Andrew gets his specific Star Wars fandom ignited with the premiere of the new Disney+ animated series, Star Wars: The Bad Batch , and D. Bethel nerds out on all the ingenious choices and animation tech found in the new Sony/Netflix film, The Mitchells vs. The Machines . RELEVANT LINKS: Ross, Dalton. " Watch Dee Bradley Baker Voice All the S...

CAPTAINING AMERICA: With the next big Disney+ MCU series having come to a close, our hosts bring in our brand new on-the-ground-Marvel correspondent, Kyrun Silva (of Taurus Comics and the 4 Tales Podcast ), to talk about Falcon and the Winter Soldier (especially since Dan still doesn't have Disney+). " Episode 96 - Applejacks. Hot Dogs. Thursday. Fire Truck. " (13 May 2016): Where D. Bethel and An...

ELEMENTARY, DEAR WOHN JATSON: A brief look at an upcoming multi-platform release from Capcom that gathers two Ace Attorney games previously unavailable outside of Japan. The collection, called The Great Ace Attorney , features some interesting localization of characters names. While not unusual in itself, the fact that in Japan a character named "Sherlock Holmes" had to be changed––to "Herlock Sho...

WEEK IN GEEK: This week, Andrew finds progress in repetition as he plays the new indie video game hit, Loop Hero , by Four Quarters. D. Bethel, on the other hand, finds a lot of quirky charm––despite the somewhat very dark places the story goes––in the new SyFy show, Resident Alien , based on the Dark Horse comic series. RELEVANT LINKS: Hibberd, James. " First Look at Tig Notaro in Zack Snyder's A...

NFT? NO F*@#ING THANKS: Andrew and D. Bethel dive deep into the mechanics, the motivations, and the...schemes?...of the recent NFT explosion. Spoiler warning: they are not fans. RELEVANT LINKS: Allyn, Bobby. " What's an NFT? And Why Are People Paying Millions to Buy Them ." NPR . 05 March 2021. RELEVANT EPISODES: " All Those Words " (19 March 2021): Where D. Bethel first talked about playing and e...

THE TAYLOR CUT: With the Snyder cut of Justice League now upon us, co-host Andrew and friend-of-the-show, Taylor Katcher, approached the 4-hour opus with hesitation and excitement, respectively. With the Snyderverse fully complete (at this point), Andrew, D. Bethel, and Taylor gather 'round the microphones to talk about Zack Snyder's Justice League and all the fervor around it. Prepare for hot tak...

QUARANTINE YEAR ONE: We've crossed the year mark of a post-COVID world. Andrew and D. Bethel discuss how their tastes, behaviors, and expectations for nerdy stuff––and life––have changed in that year. RELEVANT EPISODES: " Makes a Taste " (13 March 2020): Where Andrew talks about playing the ttrpg, The Spectaculars . INFO: Visit our website at forallintents.net and leave your thoughts as comments o...

WEEK IN GEEK: This week, Andrew dives into the newest entry into the Arrowverse in the bold and interesting Superman & Lois while D. Bethel gets invested in the story and characters and world of Star Wars Jedi: The Fallen Order , but is a bit disappointed by some aspects of the game design. RELEVANT LINKS: Breznican, Anthony. " Zack Snyder Explains That Enigmatic Justice League Ending ." Vanity Fa...

TAYLORVISION: [SPOILER WARNING] With the divisive (but generally well-received) season of the Disney+ original, WandaVision , all wrapped up, D. Bethel brings friend-of-the-show and on-the-ground DC correspondent, Taylor Katcher, on to talk with Andrew about the twists and turns of this wonderfully unique entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spoilers about WandaVision are talked about consist...