Tales From the Rec Room

U of T cinematic studies PhD student Mynt Marsellus returns to the show to discuss one of their favourite directors, David Fincher. Bree and Mynt discuss how Fincher gets the most out of his actors, how he uses space, time and movement uniquely, his blind spots for female characters, whether or not it matters that he’s a “difficult” director and what his most overrated movies are. Also, what would...

Uh-oh! A Peak Show emergency has forced Bree to go back into the archives and bring back the best episode you never heard! Friend of the show Mike Stephens and Bree discuss the all-timer that is King of the Hill, from the inherent way in which comedy ages like milk to the tragedies that are Bill, Dale and Peggy. If nothing else, marvel at how far the show has come.

Bree returns for another month-end pop culture recap with friend Laura Alix (@lauraalix) to discuss March in terms of pop culture disc horse – Turning Red, Netflix prices, the CEO of Goldman-Sachs DJ-ing Lollapalooza and everything but the Oscars slap. And if you listen closely, our old friend Mike Stephens just might stop by to discuss Peggy Hill.

Bree and culture writer/podcast host Elamin Abdulmahmoud ( @elamin88 ) detail the chronology and evolutions of country/pop/everything in between queen Taylor Swift. They discuss everything from the Kanye controversy and Taylor’s victim/survivor image to how the discourse around her dating life has influenced her musical direction. Also, there’s a lot of gushing about bridges.

Bree is joined by the lovely Patrick Hamilton of the Kill By Kill podcast ( @killbykillpod ) to determine the peak of the formulaic but utterly fun Final Destination franchise. They compare box office receipts, analyze what happens when Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street influence meet a group of X-Files writers, gush about Tony Todd and one of the hosts reveals their dubious connection to noted s...

Bree chills out with travelling podcast bad boi Justin Case ( @ceJustinCase ) to discuss the rise, fall and subsequent flailing of semi-disgraced Hollywood wunderkind M. Night Shyamalan. After a good decade of stinkers, has Shyamalan really come back? Does anyone have any business comparing him to Spike Lee or Quentin Tarantino? Can he absolutely please cool it with the cameos? If you say The Happ...

In a surprise/experimental mini episode, Bree sits down with friend of the show and Owatanna News editor Annie Granlund ( @anniegranlund ) to discuss the various February pop culture discourse – from Wordle and Arthur to the Oscars and the Olympics – and discuss peaks and predictions for where these will go.

Bree is joined by We Hate Movies co-host Stephen Sajdak ( @stephensadjak ) to discuss the meteoric rise and rather confounding fall of Canadian wonder-boy, Mike Myers. As Bree and Steve explore his career from the humble beginnings of late-night CBC content to some of the most memorable characters and skits of SNL’s 90’s glory days and his frustrating descent into franchise town, they touch on key...

Bree and Real Gud Pros co-host Helen Marukh get together to gab about comedy and copaganda with Brooklyn 99. Can you still enjoy the show despite its unignorable propaganda? Just how badly did NBC screw up the show? Did the show engage with criticisms of policing properly? Is there anyone more deserving of a happy ending than Rosa Diaz? (The answer is no). Get ready for some uncomfortable discussi...

And just like that, Peak Show Season 1 has come to a conclusion! Bree and some of the guests from the past year reunite virtually to discuss the year that was, the highlights from their episodes, what their favourite media events of the year was and what they’re looking forward to next year. Plus, Sam wants Jarrod to be his dad and Bree to be his… stepmom?

Take a look at podcast, audience! Bree is joined by her two swell pals Liz ( @yanoforsure ) and Mike ( @bymikestephens ) to discuss the incredibly high peaks and unfortunately low and kind of depressing valleys of the millennial staple Arrested Development. Is the show harder to enjoy with the Tambor of it all? Did the show get away with punching down a lot ? How adorable and punchable is Michael...

Bree is joined by her friend, podcast hobbyist/sandwich lobbyist/author Kyle Martinak ( @kylemartinak) to discuss the portfolio of comedy juggernaut Judd Apatow. Did Katherine Heigl have a point about his movies and the gender of it all? Was working with the same actors over and over limiting, or did it create magic? Did he seriously not have anything to do with I Love You Man and we’re all just n...

Bree and Armchair Reactions co-host Gowsh (@ GowshiganS ) put on their bright white sneakers and take a trip back to NBC’s powerhouse Thursday nights in the 90’s with a look back at Seinfeld. There’s some clashing over their lasting impression of Season 4 and the NBC plot, discuss the meta-tragedy of Susan, reflect on how Michael Richards’ outright racism affects the Kramer character, unveil a sor...

Bree and her birthday twin, journalist and editor Annie Grandlund ( @anniegranlund ) outline their high school fave, America’s Next Top Model as they discuss Tyra’s personality, traumatizing contestants, the difference between a fun bitch and a tragic bitch, the gimmicks and more. We talk about what made the series go sour (was it the show, or the industry?) and what kind of legacy Top Model has l...

Bree and producer/photographer Sam Brooks ( @samuelgbrooks ) crack open a cold one around the (virtual) campfire to discuss known good dudes and uber-millennial Hamiltonian scamps, (the) Arkells. We dive into the band’s evolution from college rockers to stadium fillers, the odes to southern Ontario, the difference Tony made in the band and whether the band is in dad-rock territory. We also talk ex...

Bree chats with Twitter Canada head of comms Cam Gordon ( @cam_gordon ) about the prolific, influential and seemingly contemptuous toward their own fame, Radiohead. We discuss the musical influences of Radiohead, whether or not they evolved enough between In Rainbows and King of Limbs, the band’s relationship to the capitalist hellfire of the music industry and more. As a Gen X-er, Cam can verify...

Entertainment journalist and author Frederick Blichert ( @FABlichert ) joins Bree for the long-anticipated Scream takedown. The highly meta franchise re-ignited the teen slasher genre in the 90’s before being derailed by real late-90’s mass tragedies – and then kinda-sorta coming back. When could Scream have stopped? When should it have stopped? Which characters should have survived? What, as a so...

Bree and screenwriter/performer Kristy LaPointe ( @kristylapointe ) grab some JJ’s waffles and discuss the highs and lows of Parks and Recreation. Kristy brings her perspective as a comedy writer to discuss the places where Parks & Rec came up short, but also the ways that it comforted us throughout the years. We look at the positives – like the amazingly weird supporting characters – and the...

Bree and podcaster/hockey fan Kelsey Goldman ( @kelseyrebecca ) discuss the highs and lows of the Mighty Ducks trilogy and the recent live-action follow-up series. Does D2 undermine the underdogs premise? Would D3 have worked better as a Disney Channel movie? Has Aaron Lohr had the best post-Ducks life? Would Emilio Estivez have been Zdeno Chára’s snack? Plus, there’s a loooooot of naive, pre-draf...

Peak Show’s Simpsons   supermonth comes to a close with insight from return guest, YouTube pop culture and political essayist José! Bree and José put on their brave faces as they dissect the humour of the 20-something era of episodes, discuss the downfall of Itchy and Scratchy and get deep about Flanderization. Plus, there’s some singing.

The Simpsons super-month continues! Bree and Jason Edwards ( @somethingfell ) of Ruin My Life dive into the unpleasant turn of The Simpsons — the Scully years — and try to reconcile their fandom with the show while finding its peak.

The first of Bree's three-episode Simpsons supermonth is here! Bree and Ottawa-based digital journalist Ted Raymond ( @TedFriendlyGuy ) begin to break down the buildup and the tipping point of The Simpsons . They discuss the effects that different showrunners had on the characters, the Futurama brain-drain and how Frinkiak changed everything. Next episode, Bree digs a little deeper with Jason Edwa...

Bree chats with Toronto-based audio engineer and music industry professional Luke Leveille ( @lukeveille on Instagram) in this special episode devoted to finding the peak of Canadian indie rock and pop. We discuss the way Canadian broadcasters left musical acts hanging out to dry, how Spotify changed the game in all the wrong ways, the Junos’ tokenization of hip-hop and Black artists, venue closur...

Bree chats with Mynt Marsellus (@Myntaford on Twitter) on the peak of the up-its-own-ass horror series, Saw! The two break down the totally legitimate psychology of what made these films — and the whole torture porn genre — so popular, discuss Jigsaw’s weird fixation with putting kids in danger, fawn over Carlo Rota and ask the important question: have these writers ever actually known anyone who...

Noted millennials Bree and Maggie ( @maggiebolson on Twitter) dissect the perennially popular series The Office to determine the exact moment when the show could have (and should have) ended. Was keeping The Office alive purely a matter of economics? Did any beta couple on the show come close to recapturing Jim and Pam? Did the writers do Roy/David Denman dirty? Are office romances really all that...