Nerd Alert Girls

Marvel's Ironheart dares to grapple with a morally complex Black female protagonist and to meld magic and science in a way that shouldn't make as much sense as it does. We delve into how grief and trauma manifest in Riri's life and how N.A.T.A.L.I.E. leans into questions of humanity and AI. We discuss the Hood's backstory and his role as a villain who, alas, never breaks out into s...

It's the end of an era and the dawning of a new one. Fantastic Four: First Steps was phenomenal in ways that the Nerd Alert Girls cheer about. Johnny Storm gets to show off his emotional intelligence; Sue Storm gives major Mama Bear energy; Reed Richards is a precious, neurodivergent bean; and Ben Grimm is the best boi who deserves the world. From the superb casting to the emotionally evocativ...

Anti-heroes, assemble! How did this ragtag group of morally gray characters become the driving force of such an emotional storyline about mental health? From exploring the corruption of politics to extractive science experiments to cycles of trauma, Thunderbolts* does not pull any punches. Bridgette and Genn discuss Yelena bonding with Bob, Alexei’s Wheaties box dream, parallels to Megamind and th...

The distinguished competition that is DC finally gets scrutinized by Nerd Alert Girls' Genn and Caroline. Listen as they discuss the differences between Marvel and DC, what works and what doesn't, and why DC's heroes and villains are considered legendary and iconic.

Daredevil: Born Again... more like try again. Genn has a lot of Feelings about Born Again's debut and, unfortunately, most of them aren't positive. Marvel, Charlie Cox, and Brian Michael Bendis...we expected more. There's some good stuff... you just need to know what to do with it. Article mentioned found here:  https://screenrant.com/daredevil-born-again-karen-foggy-kingpin-op-ed/

Here comes the Spider-Maaaaaan. Season 1 is done, folks, and the Nerd Alert Girls have feelings to share! Listen as Genn gushes about Daredevil in between all the Spider-Man bias, while Bridgette keeps the conversation on track. We contrast Norman's emotional manipulation with Harry's emotional intelligence, delve into Nico's psyche and burgeoning powers, and discuss how Lonnie's "villain" era sub...

With his signature charm and deep-hearted compassion, Sam Wilson has come into his own as Captain America. Bridgette and Genn discuss how Sam navigates his mentorship role for Joaquin Torres, his heartwarming (and heart-wrenching) friendship with Isaiah Bradley, and his contentious relationship with Thaddeus Ross. Can flawed people really change? Does wanting to see the good in people make you nai...

Our favorite wallcrawler is back in an animated series. Listen as the Nerd Alert Girls pick apart "Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman." Although we lament the lack of using other Spider people, Genn and Bridgette could admit that this show has potential (and no, that's not just Genn's bias talking).

The home stretch ranges from a wild Western adventure to dark sci-fi to philosophical explorations on the very title of the What If...? series. Listen as Bridgette, Caroline, and Genn discuss the last four episodes of What If...? Season 3. Some ficus villains were redeemed, others remained jerkfaces, and all of our heroes made a splash! How dare Peggy Carter, with all her main character energy, BE...

An homage to kaiju movies and the power of friendship. A love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood and Agent Carter season 2. The Red Guardian and Winter Soldier taking a buddy cop road trip. Mr. and Mrs. The Duck doing a better version of Thor: Love and Thunder. Bridgette and Caroline are here to discuss (and sometimes gush) about the first half of the final season of Marvel’s What If…?

If you want a straight answer, ask a straight lady. The Nerd Alert Girls need that on a T-shirt yesterday. Agatha All Along is done and finished beautifully. Marvel crafted a spell-binding story that Caroline and Genn adored and proved that they can treat their audience well with solid characters, surprising twists, and strong emotional hits.

Alright, folks. This is a meaty one. After Agatha threw us for a loop, we Nerd Alert Girls had MUCH to say about motherhood, LGBTQ+ themes, gender roles, the history of witches, comic book context, and the intense FEELINGS we have about Agatha All Along. And then there's the realization that Marvel is our hot n' cold romantic partner that either treats us really fine or...not. Give us a moment to...

We're almost halfway through Agatha All Along, and we're off to a solid start. Listen as Genn and Caroline reunite to discuss episodes 3 and 4, dissecting make-up, queer representation, and possibilities for the remainder of the show. No plot sweaters here, just friendship bracelets~

We’re capping off our series with a bonus category: transgressive masculinity. How does “coming out of a bottle” disrupt the inherent contradictions of what makes the ideal man? How does “feminized” framing influence how male characters are perceived by other characters and the audience? We look at Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes to answer these questions. It's been a time with this masculinity seri...

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. The witching hour is upon us as Agatha All Along premieres on Disney+. Listen as Genn and Sorceress Supreme team up to analyze the first two episodes and express their hopes and fears...all while cooing over Joe Locke and tapping into their dark little hearts 

So far we’ve discussed male superheroes who get stuck in the rigid (and sometimes toxic) rules of the traditional masculine code. But what about the positive side of masculinity? How do other heroes embody the flexibility and fluidity inherent to healthy masculinity? How do family, race, and culture influence how they express their gender? Peter Parker, T’Challa, and Sam Wilson become our next thr...

The toxicity is at tolerable levels, folks, with our Middle Ground Men. These MCU boys have their moments of toxicity and their moments of being healthy humans. Listen as the Nerd Alert Girls explain the good, the bad, the ugly, and the complexity of three more Marvel heroes and how their evolving interpretations of masculinity affect themselves, their storylines, and even the multiverse itself! L...

What defines a man in the hypermasculine genre of superhero movies? Is it being a genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist? The Nerd Alert Girls aren’t so sure. We’re looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly side of masculinity in our heroes - starting with how they break free (or don’t) from their more toxic traits. From the tech bro archetypes to the slogan “boys don’t cry,” we’ve got a lot t...

How many cameos can you stuff into one movie? Deadpool & Wolverine’s answer is yes. As the Nerd Alert Girls dissect the film, we parse through the gratuitous violence, the jokes, and the nostalgia in search of the plot. While we certainly had fun, we couldn’t help but wonder how this movie reflects Marvel’s broader trends in romance, women, and deeper storylines. But hey, they brought back a c...

For Pride Month, Caroline takes a look at the queer characters in Marvel movies and television and asks whether or not the MCU is guilty of queerbaiting. Some may be wondering what that means while others might be having flashbacks to 2010s Tumblr discourse. To all of you: don’t worry, we are going to get through this and have a thoughtful discussion in good faith about queer representation in Mar...

From Deadpool & Wolverine in July 2024 through Vision Quest in 2026, the Nerd Alert Girls are discussing what’s next for Marvel movies, television, and animation. Could (or should) Agatha All Along be a musical? Is Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man just a nostalgia grab? Why are so many characters from The Incredible Hulk appearing in Captain America: Brave New World? Will (fingers crossed) Fan...

The Nerd Alert Girls are celebrating 5 years and 124 episodes (and counting) of podcasting! Bridgette, Caroline, and Genn discuss our superhero origin stories as Marvel fans, how the podcast first came to be, and our favorite podcast episodes. We've always been a character-driven podcast, and we're leaning into that more than ever with our anniversary episode! We share who we would invite...

Before Black Panther, there was Blade. For Black History Month, Caroline takes a look at the Blade film trilogy starring Wesley Snipes. While Blade was essential in paving the way for the MCU, the character hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves. Caroline unpacks the importance of Blade as a Black vampire hunter as she journeys through the complicated history of race in vampire fiction.

Deadpool is officially part of the MCU! Genn and Bridgette share their insight on the Deadpool and Wolverine trailer and laugh and speculate as we start the countdown to July. Our beloved Merc with the Mouth tangles with TVA (we Nerd Alert Girls EAGERLY await roasting the Loki series). He's also teaming up (or battling to the immortal, bloody death?) with Wolverine (yeah, we know...calm down)....

Howard Stark has played a supporting role in the stories of Iron Man, Captain America, and Agent Carter, but what is his story? Caroline and Bridgette argue that Howard is a more complex and ultimately tragic character than he’s initially made out to be - both by his son and by fandom. Cynical and heroic, secretly kind and not-so-secretly in love with Steve, Howard struggles with self-esteem and c...