Decoding TV

In this bonus episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss Dept. Q's first season on Netflix. What did we think of how this show handled its central mystery? Did any of the subplots work well for us? What about the red herrings? Was Matthew Goode, well, any good as the lead? How excited are we for the prospect of a second season of Dept. Q? Listen to hear us discuss all t...

In this bonus episode, David chats with director Dan Trachtenberg about how Predator: Killer of Killers (now streaming on Hulu) came together. Dan discusses why they chose the time periods they did, the challenges of putting together an anthology film based around the Predator in different time periods, and what his favorite action moments are from the film. Homework for next episode: Dept Q (Netf...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss the differences between the  Invincible  and  Game of Thrones  videogames (and why the former will probably be way more successful), muse on the plight of Warner Bros Discovery, and lament the loss of press freedom in the American media. Then, it’s time to dive into Dan Trachtenberg’s latest  Predator&nb...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss  Succession  creator Jesse Armstrong’s latest HBO original,  Mountainhead . Does it do a good job of satirizing the billionaire tech class? Will Nic Pizzolatto ever write a  True Detective  episode again? And why do we feel sympathy for the new kids cast as the main  Harry Potter  characters? L...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick are joined by  Christian Spicer  to dive into the latest episodes of  The Last of Us  and  The Rehearsal. Why was  The Last of Us  season finale such a disappointment? What were some of the most memorable moments? What two narrative crimes did the episode commit? And why was  The Rehearsal  s...

In this bonus episode, David and Patrick discuss some follow-ups to their podcast series about Andor season 2 . Why did Tony Gilroy feel the need to delineate the true nature of Kleya and Luthen’s relationship? What about Mon Mothma’s relationship with her husband and daughter? And what do we think of the possibility of Jyn Erso and Leia cameos in Andor season 2? Listen to hear us discuss all thes...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick dive into the latest episodes of  The Last of Us  and  The Rehearsal. Is Max’s rebrand back to HBO Max one of the worst instances of corporate brand destruction ever? Are we excited about the new  Alien: Earth  series launching this summer? And why does David hate the marketing for James Gunn’s  Superman&nb...

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David and Patrick Willems discuss the final three episodes of  Andor  Season 2: Ep 10 - Make It Stop Ep 11 - Who Else Knows? Ep 12 - Jedha, Kyber, Erso What did we think of how this show connected to the events of  Rogue One ? Were we happy with how the show wrapped up the stories of characters like Bix and Luthen? What are our closing thought o...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick dive into the latest episodes of  The Last of Us  and  The Rehearsal. It feels like there’s not gonna be enough time to tell a complete story in this season of  The Last of Us . Where does episode 5 leave our characters? Is there any possibility the  Harry Potter  PR tour is going to turn around? Are we exc...

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David and Patrick Willems discuss the next three episodes of  Andor  Season 2: Ep 7 - Messenger Ep 8 - Who Are You? Ep 9 - Welcome to the Rebellion? This batch probably has some of the most intense action in  Star Wars  ever put to film. We also got some actual  Star Wars  references to things like the Force and other iconography....

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick dive into the latest episodes of  The Last of Us  and  The Rehearsal. What do we think of  The Last of Us’s  depiction of Seattle? How did we feel about how this week’s episode moved Ellie and Dina’s relationship along? And was Nathan Fielder’s  The Rehearsal  this week an act of insanity of genius? Li...

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David and Patrick Willems discuss the next three episodes of Andor Season 2: Ep 4 - Ever Been to Ghorman? Ep 5 - I Have Friends Everywhere Ep 6 - What a Festive Evening We’ll be doing a podcast episode for each of the four Andor drops. This batch introduces us to the world of Ghorman. What parallels is the show trying to draw between the Ghormans and our world...

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s happening in the world of television, then dive into the latest episodes of  The Last of Us  and  The Rehearsal. Is Max a streaming service that is impossible to cancel? Why is Netflix so opposed to theatrical filmgoing? And what responsibility do actors have in accepting roles for shows with controversial...

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David and Patrick discuss what they thought of  The Pitt’s  debut season, what their favorite subplots were, and what they’d like to see in a second season of the show (which has already been renewed). Links: Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay Subscribe to this podcast on YouTube Follow this p...

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, Patrick Willems returns to the podcast to discuss the first three episodes of Andor Season 2. We’ll be doing an episode for each of the four Andor drops. This season has a much different feel than the first season. What are our thoughts on the structure of the show so far? What did we think of each of the separate plotlines? How do we feel about Disney’s relea...

Stay tuned for a spoiler-filled bonus episode later this week where we compare  The Last of Us  videogame with the show. David and Patrick discuss what’s happening in the world of television, then dive into the latest episodes of  The Last of Us  and  The Rehearsal. Does a  Pacific Rim  TV show sound like a good idea? Do we think Ryan Coogler will do a good job r...

In this bonus episode, David is joined by Jessie Earl to discuss the latest season of  Black Mirror  on Netflix. Did we think this season was a solid one? What were our favorite episodes? What were our least favorite? And does  Black Mirror  still have something new to say given how society’s views on technology have evolved? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and mo...

NOTE:  This episode contains massive  SPOILERS  for  The Last of Us Part II  videogame, which you should assume will also spoil the TV show. Listener beware. In this bonus episode, David, Patrick, and Christian Spicer discuss how the season 2 premiere of  The Last of Us  compares with  The Last of Us Part II  videogame. What were some of the biggest cha...

Stay tuned for a spoiler-filled bonus episode later this week where we compare  The Last of Us  videogame with the show. David and Patrick discuss what’s happening in the world of television, then Christian Spicer joins us for a dive into  The Last of Us  season 2 premiere. Are we excited about the possibility of another season of  Adolescence ? What do we think of how&nbs...

In this episode, Sarah Marrs (film critic and deputy editor at  LaineyGossip.com ) joins David to discuss episode 8 of  The White Lotus  season 3. How do we rank this season of  The White Lotus  compared to the others? What did we make of who ends up dying and who ends up making it all the way to the end? And which storylines this season were most satisfying? Listen to hea...

In this bonus episode, David and Patrick chat about Seth Rogen’s hilarious new show on Apple TV+,  The Studio.  Then, Matt Goldberg from  Commentary Track  joins to discuss Robert Altman’s 1992 films  The Player  and how it compares with how Hollywood sees itself today. Links: Check out Matt Goldberg’s newsletter,  Commentary Track Listen to Patrick’s videogame p...

In this episode, Sarah Marrs (film critic and deputy editor at LaineyGossip.com ) joins David to discuss episode 7 of The White Lotus season 3. Would we accept a $100,000 bribe to keep quiet about whatever the heck Gary/Greg did last season? Or would it need to have a couple more zeroes? Why didn’t Rick take improv classes or at least use IMDB before the events of this week’s episode? Who do we th...

David and Patrick discuss the Netflix series  Adolescence , then dive into your reactions and theories about  Severance  season 2. What did we make of the one-take filmmaking of  Adolescence ? Was the journey through the show worth the pain? And what about the end of  Severance  season 2? What did we think about the other possible endings there could have been? Did th...

In this episode, Sarah Marrs (film critic and deputy editor at  LaineyGossip.com ) joins David to discuss episode 6 of  The White Lotus  season 3. What do we think is going to happen to Timothy, anyway? Is Jaclyn really as bad as she seems? Does Chloe recognize how lucky she is to have Gary/Greg? And what are we looking forward to most in the final two episodes? Listen to hear us di...

David and Patrick discuss what’s happening in the world of television, discuss the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again , and dive into the Severance Season 2 finale. This season of Severance was probably one of the best seasons of television in recent memory. Did the finale stick the landing? What were some of the plotlines this season that really paid off? What could the show have spent more...