The 42cast

For many Star Trek: Discovery was a welcome return to the Trek universe for fans who’d wanted a Star Trek TV series for years. However, the series remained divisive with many long-term fans refusing to watch the series. Enter Star Trek: Picard a series meant to catapult the Star Trek franchise forward but providing ample connections for established fans. In this episode we do a deep dive on the se...

Last year a new series took the Arrowverse by storm. That series was Superman and Lois. Although the character of Superman has been adapted numerous times in numerous media, this series broke the mold by focusing on Superman and Lois as parents of teenage children. Along the way superhuman threats emerge, but the heart of the show is about family. In this episode we talk about that family dynamic,...

Sixty years ago, a queen descended onto movie theaters and has been with us ever since. Mothra is unique among Toho’s Kaijuverse in that she’s depicted as both female and altruistic. In this episode we discuss Mothra’s various appearances and how she relates to other Kaiju. We also talk about the feminine perspective and other influences on how Mothra is depicted. We close up discussing Mothra’s r...

It’s time for us to make a jump to the left as Marvel has brought us a story featuring a different kind of character previously unknown in the MCU. In this episode we review Marvel’s Eternals. We talk about the concept and how it fits into the MCU. We also debate whether the movie works in what it was trying to do. We discuss the cast and our favorites. We also get into comic book origins, minor c...

Before Disney announced approximately 312 new Star Wars series that would debut at some point on Disney+, they gave us The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian ticked all of our boxes in season 1, providing compelling drama in fun innovative ways that only Star Wars can. In this season they built on the formula bringing back fan-favorites from the first season, characters from across the Star Wars univers...

Lost in Space is returning to Netflix, so The 42cast is bringing its discussion of season 2 to your ears. In this episode we discuss Penny growing up, Dr Smith’s ambiguity, party balance, and the potential of a chicken-eye-view episode. Along the way we discuss family drama, killer robots, and whether Bill Mummy will ever be found. We also talk about the end of the season and our predictions for s...

We’ve been podcasting for almost five years, but you’ve only had the opportunity to learn about a small fraction of our cast. We decided now is the time to rectify that situation. In this episode we sit down with three of our most prolific castmates. We ask each other geeky questions and give you some insight into our characters. It’s the same format as episode one, but it’s so much fun that we’ll...

We continue our discussion of the Star Trek Films with Star Treks IV – VI. In this episode we discuss killer whales and whether the move to lighten the franchise worked. We also discuss fan opinion of The Final Frontier and whether it’s as bad as people say. We’ll also talk about dark themes in the Undiscovered Country and how the passing of the torch happened years after the successor series was...

In 1977, Star Wars was released to movie theaters worldwide and created a smash hit phenomenon. Seeing the fervor for media content and merchandise many other sci-fi properties tried to horn in on the action. Star Trek had had a loyal fanbase since the 60’s and even had a new television series in the works, but with Star Wars blowing up the theaters it made sense that Star Trek could follow suit a...

Star Trek: Discovery season 3 brought the titular ship to the far future opening up a wide storytelling vista for the series. In this episode we discuss the changes to the setting. We examine the new characters, new situation, and the new tech and effects. We also debate the merits of the plotlines with the Emerald Chain and the cause of The Burn. Along the way we also talk about the awesomeness o...

The Flash returned to our screens post Covid to wrap up it’s lingering season six plotlines and tell two new stories this season. In this episode we take a deep dive on season 7. We focus on the fallout from the firing of Hartley Sawyer and the removal of Ralph Dibny from the series. We also discuss the new villains and how they stack up to what we’ve seen before. We also go deep into the relation...

We’ve all had the experience. We absolutely love a TV series and follow it faithfully, but then it’s canceled after one or two seasons. In this episode we take a look at all the contenders who got knocked out early in the fight. We air our grievances and talk about why we think these series should have kept going. We also discuss the difficulties in comparing series that lasted such a small amount...

Out of the pages of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Shang-Chi punches his way into the box office. In this episode we talk about how a character mired in the Kung Fu cinema culture of the 70’s got adapted for the 2020’s. We discuss the cast and what we thought of both the characters and performances. We also get into the greater Marvel story and how this film connects and what we think are the missed opp...

Major changes are afoot as we discuss season two of Batwoman. The CW made a controversial move this year by not only replacing the actress who played Batwoman, but changing the identity of the person who wears the cowl to a person-of-color. We discuss the change and whether or not we think it’s worked. We also talk about the changed storylines and what we think of what’s been done with new and est...

It’s not the episode we promised, but we wanted to make sure and get you another excellent episode of The 42cast. In this episode we talk about HBO Max’s Doom Patrol. Doom Patrol follows a group of super-powered “freaks” as they discover they develop their powers and confront their traumas. We examine the cast of characters and talk about our favorites. We get into the comic origins of the series...

We almost didn’t make it, but we couldn’t let you have a week go by without another episode of The 42cast. In this episode we discuss the MCU’s summer sensation, Black Widow. We discuss the film’s status as a prequel. We talk about the new characters and where we’d like to see them go from here. We also give our opinions on unpowered characters in super situations, visually awesome fights, and the...

Conventions are making a comeback, and we couldn’t be happier. In this episode we discuss conventions from big to small. What makes a small convention different from a larger convention? How does a fan run feel compared to a corporate con? Does the genre being covered change things significantly? What kinds of tips and tricks do we recommend for people fairly new to the con scene. We answer all th...

For four years Black Lightning graced our screens with a generational story about an older superhero and person of color. The series was notable for its grounded storytelling, depicting street level foes for the titular character and showcasing a realistic family dynamic for a series with so much fantasy in its conception. In this episode we talk about the final season of Black Lightning. We discu...

Titans was the flagship series for DC Universe’s new crop of live-action series based on the DC characters. Based on the popular Teen Titans franchise, the series highlighted darker themes and tones than most DC adaptations, which left many fans feeling ambivalent about the series after only the trailer dropped. In this episode we dive deep into the darkness of the series and discuss whether it wa...

The 42cast is proud to welcome one of the stars of the hit CW series, Superman & Lois with Alex Garfin . Alex plays Jordan Kent on the series, one of the children of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. In this episode Jordan sits down with us to discuss topics ranging from depictions of mental health in television to why the KFC image looks like a little man with a large head. He also talks about super...

We continue our series on Doctor Who, by discussing the third man to play the role of the title character, Jon Pertwee. In this episode we discuss what set Pertwee’s performance apart from the other Doctors. We talk about the rise of political commentary in the series. We also give our opinions on the differences between the Sherwin and Letts approaches to the series. We also list our favorite com...

Justice League was released to theaters in 2017. However, the result left many audience goers unhappy. As the culmination of plotlines that Zack Snyder had started in Man of Steel and Justice League it seemed to fall short. The more humorous tone that the studio wanted was at odds tonally with what had gone before leaving many fans of Snyder’s work unhappy. Since that time there have been calls to...

Star Trek is arguably the most influential science-fiction franchise of all time. The series that almost didn’t make it after a failed pilot got its second chance and rose to international success that has lasted for more than 50 years. In this episode we delve into the idea of what makes the concept of Star Trek so special. We also discuss what aspects of this show have stood up to the test of ti...

Marvel’s Netflix series were mostly released to great acclaim by fans and critics alike. Unfortunately, the one flop was Marvel’s Iron Fist. In this episode we discuss the second season of that series. We examine if the change in showrunners created a change for the better. We discuss the plot and how it fit into the interconnected storyline of the Marvel Netflix universe. We also discuss the char...

The 42cast is proud to welcome Hollywood Legend, Bill Duke for an interview. Bill wears many hats, and at various times works as an actor, director, producer, and writer. He also runs the Duke Media Foundation and Duke Media Entertainment. The former prepares youth for the future by exposing them to new media and financial literacy tools that will enable them to compete, survive and thrive in this...