Assume It Will Be Brilliant

In this episode, Portia and Nomsa say goodbye as Season Five of the podcast comes to an end. From the surprise success of "Paradise" to the gripping themes in "The Bear," in a lively discussion they reflect on the season's highlights and share their thoughts on all the shows they wish they could have discussed with you this year. These include HBO MAX 's riveting medica...

This week Nomsa and Portia make it a double feature! They discuss the third and final season of Hwang Dong-hyuk's mega hit Netflix show Squid Game alongside Apple TV's Jon Hamm led dark comedy Your Friends and Neighbors in order to tease out what both show have to say about the effects of capitalism society and the individual. They contrast and compare the different struggles of the charac...

In this episode, Nomsa and Portia delve into a Pod favorite - the fourth and fantastic season of FX's hit fine dining Chicago based dramedy - 'The Bear '. They explore the shows main characters' development and emotional self-actualization arcs, as well as the show's brilliant balance of humor and gravity. Nomsa and Portia also touch upon the importance of specificity in cultur...

In this episode, Nomsa and Portia discuss the sixth and final season of Hulu's TV adaptation of the classic text by Margaret Atwood eponymously named The Handmaid's Tale. In this conversations, as usual, they delve into the themes and character dynamics of the show, exploring it's relevant and dystopian world of Gilead where the roles of women are strictly and opressively prescribed, and where tho...

In this episode, Nomsa and Portia discuss the series finale, season 5 of Netflix's ' You '. They focus on the character of Joe Goldberg and the themes of trauma, wealth, power, and accountability, as well as the show's dark humor and societal commentary and reflections. They explore Joe's relationships, his relationship tp those relationships, and the delusions that both he and...

In this episode, Nomsa and Portia delight in disucssing the deeply moving and technical triumph that is Netflix's hit psychological crime drama Adolescence. They explore the shows themes of of masculinity, the impact of social media and technology on youth, the complexities of victimhood and accountability, and the societal judgments and implications of a narrative surrounding a young boy accu...

In this episode, Portia and Nomsa delve into the intricacies of Apple TV's ' Severance ', focusing on its second season while reflecting on the entire series. They explore the concept of severance, where employees have their memories split between work and home lives, leading to profound moral dilemmas. The hosts discuss character dynamics, the slow-burn narrative style, and the overar...

In this episode, the hosts discuss the Apple TV show 'Shrinking,' focusing on its themes of grief, therapy, and community. They explore character dynamics, particularly the relationships between the main character, Jimmy, and those around him, including his daughter, friends, and colleagues. The conversation highlights the show's blend of comedy and drama, emphasizing the importance of healing thr...

In this episode, we discuss the Hulu series 'Paradise,' exploring its plot, and delving into the show's commentary on class and power dynamics. We also chat about the role of music in setting the atmosphere, and as usual give our overall impressions of the writing and storytelling style. It’s safe to say we loved this one and can’t wait for future seasons. We hope you enjoy! Chapters: 00:00 Introd...

And we're back! In this episode, Nomsa and Portia reconnect and welcome you to the first episode of Season Five to reflect on their personal growth, life changes, the current state of the world and what's in store for the season. They discuss their experiences over the past months, including challenges in their careers and personal lives, while also sharing their thoughts on various tv shows they'...

We can't believe our season has already come to an end which is why to close us out we went big and chose to discuss HBO s House of the Dragon! Now it's second season, we express our appreciation of the talented ensemble cast; the hard work and high production value that clearly goes into the show; the storytelling related to power, politics, and patriarchy; and most importantly -the prese...

In this episode we discuss the AppleTV+ smash hit, Presumed Innocent starring the formidable Jake Gyllenhaal. With this being an adaptation of a book and reimagining of a movie of the same name, starring Harrison Ford, we of course talk about the differences and similarities between the two adaptations and which we preferred. We also delve into that surprising ending and let’s just say, we have th...

In this episode, we discuss the thought provoking critically acclaimed bio-drama film, Origin. This movie magic wonder is written and directed by Ava DuVernay and follows Author Isabel Wilkerson as she writes her book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" while also dealing with personal loss and devastating grief following the deaths of her husband, mother, and cousin. We discuss the...

This week we discuss season 3 of the critically acclaimed comedy drama The Bear ( FX and Hulu Original ). We pick up where we left off with this genre-bending storytelling masterpiece of a show and follow Carmy as he tries to get a Michelin star, avoids dealing with his mess up with Claire, and seems blind to the tension that threatens his partnership with Sydney. We cover the unique yet highly re...

This week we switch it up for you and discuss two of last years Oscar Nominated feature films Past Lives and American Fiction . Written and directed by Celine Song, Past Lives tells the story of Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) who contemplate the experience and nature of their bond when they reunite 24 years after their separation in South Korea when Nora's family immigrated to the US....

In this episode we go back to our origins and do one for the Day Ones. That’s right, we’re discussing Grey’s Anatomy Season 20. After 2 decades of watching, loving and honestly obsessing over this show and these characters, we were hoping to feel just as we did at the start. But alas, things have changed and we get into all of our thoughts on what is good and what needs to be done better because a...

In this episode we discuss the highly anticipated Season 3 of Netflix’s mega hit show, Bridgerton . As stans we love talking about Shondaland creations and this 3rd installment of Julia Quinn’s book series which focuses of the love story between Colin Bridgerton and Lady Whistledown herself, Penelope Featherington, is no different. We cover the friendships, the romance, the comedic moments, and of...

In this episode we dive deep into the dark and twisty world of the Netflix hit show Baby Reindeer. The show, which is written by and stars Richard Gaad, is a fictionalisation of a real time in his life when he was being harassed and stalked by an unstable woman while he was pursuing his dream of becoming a standup comedian. We discuss the intriguing story and outstanding performances by Gaad and J...

This week we discuss the stunning wonder that is FX and Hulu original, Shogun . This mega hit series is a historical fiction drama, based on a book of the same name and follows an English sailor, John Blackthorne as he crash lands himself in a deadly game of thrones where members of Japan’s royal council seek the ultimate position as leader and plot specifically to end the influence of the stronge...

We could not let a season a go without a dose of a reality tv dating show so we’re back with a episode discussing the Netflix hit, The Ultimatum South Africa. There’s so much to unpack so had to make sure our reality tv correspondent, Dona, joined us as we got into it. We cover our thoughts on the flavour & authenticity the South African cast brought to a show that was getting tired & all...

In this episode we delve deep into the political saga of the world ruled by the formidable and incomparable Kate Winslet in HBO’s The Regime. We follow a year in the life of Chancellor Elena Vernham in her authoritarian rule over an unnamed central European country as she becomes more paranoid and unhinged and begins to seek counsel from a violent and disgraced soldier known as “the butcher”. Ther...

In this episode we enter our sci-fi era as we discuss two recently released Sci-Fi shows, the space thriller Constellation (AppleTV) & the promised alien invasion hit, 3 Body Problem (Netflix). We explore the different themes in each, our “non-sciency” understanding of both, which admittedly is limited, and more importantly our views on whether they succeeded in achieving their goal of produci...

In this episode we discuss the documentary The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping (Netflix) in which protagonist and documentarian, Katherine Kubler, traces her own and others' journey of healing through enduring, living through, and eventually exposing the corrupt and abused 'troubled teen' industry. We reflect on the documentary and the experiences of the children who when to these programs an...

This week we cover Prime Video's reimagining of the 2005 hit comedy/action film Mr & Mrs Smith starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. This time the spies-turned-married-couple plot line comes to us as a sleek and simmering slow burn romantic dramedy thats lighter on the spy action of it all and heavy on the tension and relational dynamics where awkward comedic moments get to shine. We di...

We are back for another season and can't wait to get into our favorite emotional support TV shows (and we are throwing in some movies too this season!) for 2024! This week, in keeping with tradition, we catch you up on what we've been up to and how've we've grown since the end of season 3 and immediately get into what shows we've been watching (Shōgun , Silo, Slow Horses, Top Boy and the Power Uni...