The Arkham Sessions: Psychology of Batman & More

The Gargoyles' most persistent enemy, Xanatos, offers Elisa's brother, Derek, a position as his personal helicopter pilot and bodyguard, a role that comes with unimaginable perks. Elisa warns her brother that Xanatos only desires Derek's assistance because of some larger scheme, and that the offer will inevitably be too good to be true.    Follow us on Instagram! Dr. Drea Letamendi - @drdreapsycho...

When the Gargoyles' leader, Goliath, is seriously injured, his friend and former mentor, Hudson, must keep him alive until sunrise. To keep Goliath alert, Hudson reminisces about their days as warriors in medieval Scotland.   Follow us on Instagram! Dr. Drea Letamendi - @drdreapsychology Brian Ward - @b_ward028 The Arkham Sessions - @thearkhamsessions Join us on Patreon! Patreon.com/ArkhamSessions

While the rest of the Gargoyles do pretty well to adjust to their new home, their leader, Goliath, continues to struggle with persistent anger, hypervigilance, and isolation. His identified enemy, Xanatos, has attacked the Gargoyles multiple times. But, recently released from prison, Xanatos now offers safe refuge and housing in his castle, the very castle that Goliath and his friends called home...

In this episode, Macbeth, a mysterious new villain, uses Goliath and the Gargoyles as bait for a personal vendetta, and proves to be a formidable opponent. Meanwhile, in order to keep Goliath and his family safe, Elisa insists they move into the city's clocktower where their identities will be kept hidden. While the other Gargoyles seem willing to leave the castle, Goliath strongly opposes this pl...

The Lord of the Rings is an epic, high-fantasy tale that centers on fellowship, bravery, and good against evil. What does Aragorn's reluctance to become king say about him? Does the One Ring symbolize addiction? Does Gollum have multiple identities? How (and why) does fantasy storytelling improve mental health? Media psychologist  Drea Letamendi,  Ph. D. (The Arkham Sessions, UCLA),  Miranda  (hos...

David Dastmalchian joins hosts Dr. Drea and Brian to discuss his newly released book, Through . In this dark fantasy graphic novel, a young woman is caught between reality and a mysterious dream realm that sparks a perilous journey that only she must face. In this interview, David talks about his motivation for his new book, his own mental health journey, and a message he has for anyone struggling...

The Bride! (2026) is an anachronistic, theatrical reimagining of the story of Frankenstein's monster and his bride. Set in Chicago in the 1930's, the film depicts a young woman, Ida (Jessie Buckley), who begins experiencing strange auditory hallucinations, disorganized speech, impulsive outbursts, involuntary echolalia, and memory lapses. Due to an unfortunate accident, she meets an early death. M...

One of the most controversial episodes of the early 90's Disney's Gargoyles animated series, " Deadly   Force ", depicts the serious topics of criminal gangs, gun violence, and PTSD. Broadway becomes a fan of westerns, and often mimics the action heroes he sees on screen. While visiting Elisa, he excitedly re-enacts scenes from movie while playing with her unsecured firearm. In a moment of reckles...

Dracula: A Love Tale (2026) is a romantic reimagining of the original gothic horror novel by Bram Stoker. The film paints Dracula with a more sympathetic brush, introduced as a young prince with no interested in violence or war, deeply and obsessively in love with his new bride, Elizabeta. After losing Elizabeta in battle, Dracula damns himself into an eternity of psychological torture, an unendin...

Demona and Brooklyn exemplify different forms of social distrust: Functional and Dysfunctional. 

After more than 20 years since the film was released in theaters, LOVE ACTUALLY (2003) remains one of the most beloved Christmas movies out there. Some may consider the film at the top of the holiday movie list, while others have noted it did not age well. With a stellar cast line-up and interconnected storylines, LOVE ACTUALLY set the bar for early 2000's holiday rom-coms with catchy one-liners a...

Even as survivors of medieval wars, religious persecution, and a thousand-year cement coma, the Gargoyles are still not yet ready to face the perils of modern-day New York City. Their "fish out of water" story highlights many challenges they face as they encounter discrepancies  between their historical origins and their new home atop a towering skyscraper. The Gargoyles, despite their collective...

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025) is a visually stunning adaptation of the original novel by Mary Shelley. Del Toro turns the well known horror story of Frankenstein into a romantic, emotionally absorbing fairy tale. He softens the grotesqueness of The Creature by giving him tenderness and benevolence, angling the perspective to heighten audiences' sense of compassion and even relatability...

The beloved, darkly themed animated series, GARGOYLES (1994), features a supernatural species of nocturnal beasts who turn to stone during the day and confront dangers in the dark of night. Winged, fanged, and clawed, the Gargoyles stand out as monsters amidst people, but their intelligence, wit, charm, and value system humanize them.  Watch the reaction on YouTube! https://youtu.be/nuIt-9P1hbM Fo...

A crew of ambitious astronauts and scientists are sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying sun. Things are going well for the crew until they stumble upon the distress signal of Icarus I, the first mission to the sun that mysteriously failed. Members of the Icarus II crew become overwhelmed by their sense of wonder and awe toward the sun's growing presence, and as the ship travels nearer...

The story of Event Horizon (1997) is disturbing as a concept. The crew of space travelers face off with harrowing and grotesque interactions that they first interpret as hallucinations but come to learn that the ship itself has probed their psyche to produce personalized living nightmares. Upsetting flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and triggers can be seen as the ghosts or remnants of t...

Marty McFly, a typical teen living in the 1980's, accidentally travels 30 years into the past and inadvertently disrupts the timeline of his very existence! Luckily, he can depend on his genius friend and mentor, Doc Brown, to get back to his own timeline safely.  Follow us on Instagram! Dr. Drea Letamendi - @drdreapsychology Brian Ward - @b_ward028 The Arkham Sessions - @thearkhamsessions Join us...

In the science fiction film Solaris (1972), a psychologist is sent to a space station hovering a distant planet to evaluate a crew of scientists suffering from serious emotional disturbances. But when he arrives, he finds the station in disarray and the crew members seemingly disoriented, obstinate, and psychotic.   See the full watch along! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG0szTOgxKS4vRzOo...

This is not your typical space battle! Turbocharged with brain science and fun facts, this discussion will explore, explain, and celebrate the "psy" in sci-fi! Squaring off are pop culture psychologists Dr.  Drea Letamendi  (UCLA,  The Arkham Sessions ) and Dr.  Ali Mattu  (YouTube's Dr. Ali), who will team up with the persuasive viewpoints of guests  Ronald D. Moore  (writer,  Star Trek: The Next...

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is a cerebral, atmospheric, slow-paced and largely non-verbal spaceflight film thematically narrated by the musical backdrop of classical waltzes, creating strange sensations and uplifting novel psychological questions about human evolution, artificial intelligence, and alien interventions.    To see the full REACT video version of this episode, you can visit our YouTu...

In his wildest move yet, the Joker seizes control of Gotham City, militarizes the government, and holds Batman captive in his headquarters. Despite these achievements, Joker confesses that he still feels "bored," dissatisfied and anhedonic, amidst the chaos and violence that he created. 

Just when Harley begins to repair her relationship with BFF Poison Ivy, the city of Gotham is attacked by an army of murderous anthropomorphized trees. And Ivy can't control them! Or Harley's narcissim! 

Harley Quinn's chronic flightiness, selfishness, and impulsivity catch up with her when her best friend Poison Ivy is kidnapped by one of Batman's most sinister rogues: The Scarecrow.

Taking a minor step away from HARLEY QUINN to check out Marvel's THE THUNDERBOLTS*, which is in theatres now!  They're argumentative. Disorganized. Unhinged. But the group of superhero rejects known as the Thunderbolts prove to be more than mere moody assassins. 

Feeling abandoned by her friends, Harley Quinn decides to visit her parents in her hometown. Though Harley's mom and dad seem welcoming and loving, glimpses into her childhood memories reveal a highly stressful upbringing and a toxic home environment.