Mary & Blake Media

Keep Calm And Crown On Hosts Mary & Blake chat the season 5 premiere of The Crown - episode 5.01, "Queen Victoria Syndrome". We discuss the dramatic irony of watching these events with Prince Charles against reality of King Charles, why the casting is perfect, and why Tom Hanks is the closest thing to an American version of the Queen...

The Potterverse Hosts Mary & Blake discuss chapter 30 of Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire - The Pensieve. We chat why this chapter broadens the wizarding world in a very intentional way, how the pensieve actually works, and why Barty Crouch Jr. was always The Big Bad Wolf in plays at Azkaban...

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 10, “The Black Queen,” where Rhaenyra is crowned, tries to prevent war, loses her child, sends Luke to Storm’s End, and learns what peace costs. We discuss the use and abuse of theme, why this show is best interpreted as a family drama, and we get into some pretty heavy cereal talk...you don't want to miss the end of this episode :...

Mary & Blake discuss The Rings of Power, episode 1.08 - "Alloyed". In this episode, we chat if the show lies to us, why the emotional connection between Halbrand and Galadriel is the centerpiece of the show, and why Galadriel and Adar are going to need to form a calming circle...

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 9, “The Green Council,” where Alicent turns Viserys’ last words into a coup, Aegon is crowned, Rhaenys chooses mercy, and the Greens move before Rhaenyra can enter the room. We discuss why for characters to be believable, they must do everything in their power to achieve their wants, why Alicent is still in service to men, and why...

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 8, “The Lord Of The Tides,” where Viserys saves Rhaenyra, Daemon kills Vaemond, the family shares one last dinner, and one misunderstood prophecy dooms the peace. We discuss why the characters are finally starting to feel true to the story, the irony in King Viserys' final night, and why the dragon keepers need to invest in Shout s...

Mary & Blake discuss The Rings of Power, episode 1.07 - "The Eye". In this episode, we chat about who the show is writing for, the exquisite cinematography for the opening, and why Mary is totally Disa...

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 7, “Driftmark,” where Aemond claims Vhagar, Lucerys takes his eye, Alicent snaps, Laenor escapes, and the children pay in blood for their parents’ lies. We discuss the validity of the show holding the twist from you, why the night scenes look so...odd, and why Mary always gets her christmas shopping done BEFORE Halloween(!)...

Mary & Blake discuss The Rings of Power, episode 1.06 - "Udun". In this episode, we chat about light vs. dark, how this episode supplements and subverts core Tolkein ideology, and why Blake is never going to live near a mountain...

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 6, “The Princess And The Queen,” where the time jump turns Rhaenyra’s children into evidence, Alicent into open opposition, Laena into tragedy, and motherhood into war. We discuss the effectiveness of the time jump, how two characters go from 0 - 100 real quick, and why Viserys totally has dragon stick figures on the back of his ca...

Mary & Blake discuss The Rings of Power, episode 1.05 - "Partings". In this episode, we chat the blessing and burden of mythology, why the relationships are growing to form actual characters, and why Mary is a rabid anti elf-ite....

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 5, “We Light The Way,” where Alicent wears green, Criston snaps, Daemon murders Rhea Royce, Viserys collapses, and a royal wedding becomes a war cry. We discuss the need-for and burden-of chaos, rat imagery, and why Mary has put on a green dress and called her banner men to arms!

Mary & Blake discuss The Rings of Power, episode 1.04 - "The Great Wave". In this episode, we chat theme and the application of theme, why there are no hard and fast rules to writing but there are general templates, and why Isildur is absolutely doing a box step dance number with the Queen Regent to Idina Menzel...

Mary & Blake chat about House Of The Dragon Episode 1.04 - "King Of The Narrow Sea". Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 4, “King Of The Narrow Sea,” where Daemon returns, Rhaenyra claims desire, Criston crosses a line, Otto falls, and private choices become public evidence.

Mary & Blake chat about The Last Kingdom Episode 5.10. We discuss subverting expectations, why the battle for Bebbanburg was perfectly constructed, and why we Finan might have a competitor for Mary's heart...

Mary & Blake chat about The Last Kingdom Episode 5.09. We discuss the difficulty of turning characters into likable figures, why we're willing to look past some writerly convenience for the sake of emotionality, and why Mary was once told she looked like an M&M...

Mary & Blake discuss the series premiere of The Rings of Power, episode 1.03 - "Adar". In this episode, we chat foreshadowing with the score, why this show runs a tight line between running at a breakneck pace but also being a slow burn at the same time, and why Blake thinks Halbrand is basically Tupperware filled with old fish...

Mary & Blake discuss the series premiere of The Rings of Power, episode 1.02 - "Adrift". In this episode, we chat how editing tells a visual story of connection, why we can't trust 4 characters, and why Elrond's planner book is the most beautiful thing you will ever see... In this episode, we chat how the history behind Rings Of Power, why first episodes need to introduce pivotal characters in iro...

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 3, “Second Of His Name,” where Aegon’s name day pressures Rhaenyra’s claim, the white hart appears, Daemon becomes a myth, and Viserys’ legacy starts turning into a trap. We discuss the the theme of legacy for Daemon and Viserys, why the visual language of the open was vintage GOT, and who we think is the Lady Whistledown of the Ta...

Mary & Blake discuss the series premiere of The Rings of Power, episode 1.01 - "A Shadow Of The Past". In this episode, we chat how the history behind Rings Of Power, why first episodes need to introduce pivotal characters in ironic terms which define the series, the stability of visual language, and Mary has a CHERNOBYL sized hot take about the Harfoots... 

Mary & Blake chat about The Last Kingdom Episode 5.08. We discuss the "big breath in", why Aethelhelm is right (from a certain point of view), and why Finan is totally a Gilmore Girls fan...

Mary & Blake review Bridgerton Season 2 Episode 8, “The Viscount Who Loved Me,” as Anthony finally chooses love, Kate and Anthony get their emotional wedding, Penelope turns back toward Whistledown, and Season 2 closes with waterworks. In this episode, we chat why it's always important for a character to reject change at the last minute, the artistic choice to have Penelope's actual voice, and Bla...

Mary & Blake chat about The Last Kingdom Episode 5.07. We discuss the visual language of the final shot, why Edward has been a grey character all season, and why Mary is having a major existential crisis...

Mary & Blake recap and review House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 2, “The Rogue Prince,” where Daemon steals a dragon egg, Rhaenyra proves herself at Dragonstone, Viserys chooses Alicent, and the order of things starts creating the next war. In this episode, why we think there are such low stakes right now, how the kingdom has suffered because of "the order of things" and why Ser Cristan Cole is...

Mary & Blake chat about The Last Kingdom Episode 5.06. We discuss why this episode feels like it's moving chess pieces instead of having characters make real choices, why we don't care ONE OUNCE about Aelfwynn, and why Sylvester Stallone is getting divorced because of his dog.  Trust me, you don't want to miss the last 15 minutes of this episode...