The Latecomers

Episode Notes Did you know that a magnet causes a brain earthquake? This and other scientific breakthroughs brought to you in this installment of Mr. Mercedes. We discuss the trauma of being directed topless by Robocop, the trauma of sweetness of Al, and the trauma of corporate overlords. We question, again, the roles of women within this show and where there are points of light. This season is re...

Episode Notes Hoping for and mostly getting an upswing coming into this season. Women continue to get short shrift, but we agree Sadie gets maybe the best option she had, which is quite the indictment. Brady’s making up visitors and Bill is teaching Holly how to stalk – legally. We’re still holding out hope for this season like Lou is holding out hope for Steph and Cora is holding out hope for a p...

Episode Notes CW Sexual assault   We set off on out exploration of season 2 of Mr. Mercedes. Lemuel doesn’t like the title character, which makes it a rough go. We seem to have switched genre from crime thriller to sci-fi medical thriller. We ask why the makers of this show hate masturbation so much. We ponder the existence of The Company in this iteration of the King-o-verse, we talk the hidden h...

Episode Notes The Kid is Henry! Henry is Henry! Henry was the Kid! We are all Henry! We get lost in time. It’s a whirlwind as we discuss the conclusion of Season 1 of Castle Rock. It’s getting timey-wimey whether Lemuel likes it or not. We discuss how portals work, how morals work, whose side we should be on, the rest of the Easter eggs, twists in narrative, and our final thoughts.   Recommendatio...

Episode Notes Apologies if there are speed issues with this episode (half was recorded in high speed – unclear how) but hopefully it’s not terrible to listen to – maybe shades of chipmunk? It’s because we talk about time non-linearly - Amity reads a poem she composed by simply writing the narrative of episode 7 - she tries to walk us through the plot of The Queen and trouble ensues as our story fo...

Episode Notes We talk a moment about the state of the nation prior to diving back in to the creamy center of this series. There’s a lot of cognitive testing and sound talk here, as well as some juicy goss from Jackie and heinous accusations from Molly. Henry follows himself into the woods while Alan follows the Kid’s breadcrumbs and Ruth follows her own. The roads are coming together and the inter...

Episode Notes This week Amity is joined by a “guest host” as we dive further into Castle Rock. What’s in Molly’s head? How many deaths are recorded regularly in this town? What is that woman doing to Molly’s hair? Can I get a gig at this cool alt theater? These are just some of the questions we ask as we continue to puzzle out the mystery of The Kid.   Recommendations:  Run (Hulu), Bridgerton (Net...

Episode Notes We end this year with a beginning as we start into the first season of Castle Rock. Excited to see the characters from Stephen King’s work and the actors from prior Stephen King Adaptations coming together to make an easter egg heavy series full of scares and surprises. We are introduced to Henry Deaver, our hero, the Kid, our antihero??? and a myriad of characters surrounding them t...

Episode Notes When you are working out and having lunch with the corpse of your mother, no matter how psychotic you are, it turns out it makes you realize your situation is untenable. It is that realization that leads us into the endgame for Brady and Bill. Brady has a plan or two, Bill thinks he’s at the center, and Josh has a fall from grace. Holly comes through in a way no one saw coming, and i...

Episode Notes Things really come to a head in these two episodes – our penultimate watch of the season. Car bombs, rat poison and capitalism all come after the women in the show. We have some bright lights with Holly and Jerome making the most adorable crime fighters since the power puff girls. We’ve got two more episodes to see if Bill can take down Brady or if things are going to keep coming up...

Episode Notes We talk incest – and why we don’t need to see it over again (like, we didn’t forget) and then discuss how bad a boss Brady really has. This town is populated by villains and we meet some more of them with go-bags full of sex toys and finally we get to meet a ray of light in this cess-pool with the entrance of Holly Gibney. There’s a lot to talk about in these two episodes – so join u...

Episode Notes CW: Incest   This week we discuss the women that surround our male protagonist and antagonist in Mr. Mercedes – how they fit into the story, how they are used, how they use, and how they fit into the King oeuvre of women generally. Some spectacular actresses in roles that run the gamut from tired and stereotypical to strong, nuanced and awesome. We also follow the guys in their journ...

Episode Notes This week we start on our next multi-episode project Mr. Mercedes. Once we tracked it down (on Peacock and purchasable on Amazon), we dive into the story of Ret Det Bill Hodges and his nemesis, weirdo Brady Hartsfield. We discuss how to show details in a visual medium rather than just monologuing exposition, the sexiness of Holland Taylor and the meaning of “presenting as a lesbian.”...

Episode Notes This week we marvel at the transformation of Thomas Jane in the 2017 Netflix film 1922. Sepia-toned and sad with many a reference to both King and beyond. And it’s our 150th episode!   Recommendations: The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) and His House (Netflix)   Next up: Mr. Mercedes Episode 1 and 2 (2017) (Available on Peacock or Amazon)   Email us at latecomers@gmail.com Twitter: @lateco...

Episode Notes Sex Weekend Shenanigans this week as we discuss Gerald’s Game in a very blunt NSFW episode. There almost isn’t a trigger warning not to include here – so join with caution. Jessie wants to indulge her husband and in doing so nearly causes her own demise. Join this wide ranging conversation that ranges from good BDSM practice to what a conversation with Kim Kardashian might be like.  ...

Episode Notes Recorded prior to the election - we tackle Chapter 1 of the most recent adaptation of the novel It from 2017. Even though there is no chapter designation this time, we take the cue from the sequel. We wax poetic about the talent of the kids bringing this story to life and the whole of the Skarsgård family and we rank horrors. This is a high of the season and we would love for you to...

Episode Notes Jake Chambers – a hero with the initials JC – is the only one who can save the tower, which serves as the foundation for the entire multiverse – a compelling set up to the astonishingly short Dark Tower from 2017. 4250 pages are distilled here into a tight 95 minutes that is entertaining and well acted but bears nearly no resemblance to the source material. We talk Dark Tower, fantas...

Episode Notes Jake comes to the end of his quest this week in the final episode of Hulu’s 11.22.63. Success proved to be failure and still we aren’t pleased with Jake’s actions or lack thereof. We make a comparison to the source material, lament the quick ending, and wonder who would have been better to remove the Franco-ness of it all. Then we discuss the upcoming schedule. Recommendations: Haunt...

Episode Notes It’s the heel turn episode this week as we watch episode 6: “Happy Birthday Lee Harvey Oswald” – is Bill messing things up? Yes. Is it Jake’s fault for checking out completely? Um, yeah, yes it is. So what do you do when you have a “brother” that is mucking up your plans? If it’s 1963 you have him committed. And with that, Amity takes her leave of Jake Epping entirely. Will we finish...

Episode Notes Join us for installment three of 11.22.63 wherein we take a Grey’s Anatomy detour thanks to the spectacular performance of TR Knight in these episodes. There’s a great deal of hurry up and wait in these middle episodes and Jake goes on an emotional roller coaster – in love! Fired! Murderous! It’s a whole vibe. Recommendations: The Outer Limits and The Vow (on HBO) Next up: 11.22.63 E...

Episode Notes Traveling back again to Holden Kentucky to watch Jake Amberson aka Epping aka James Franco just completely whiff any proof of self-preservation instinct as he repeatedly goes to a second location with a multiple murderer, though maybe Josh Duhamel is more charming than we are aware of. Then, once Jake finally puts the kibosh on Frank Dunning once and for all and makes the inexplicabl...

Episode Notes Firstly, we apologize because it sounds at time as though we are recording on an actual racetrack – we’re doing our best but the freeway is very very close to our house. Now, for the show itself – we watched episode 1 – The Rabbit Hole of 2016’s Hulu miniseries 11.22.63. We’ve got Stephen King (YAY). We’ve got time travel (YAY). We’ve got James Franco (Y…yeah). This week we get the l...

Episode Notes Skepticism and frustration abound this week as we discuss the Cusak/Jackson vehicle Cell that had everything going it and still ended up chaotic bad. We were rooting for the plethora of talent to tell us a good story but with indecision racking the ending, the film falls flat. Do quick edits a good action scene make? How gay is Sam Jackson’s character? Is Cusak’s girlfriend really an...

Episode Notes Buckle up because we’re going on a ride this week as we accompany Maria Bello on the worst road trip of her life (CW: Sexual Assault). We settle further into our belief that when you see Ann Dowd, you should run far and fast in the opposite direction. If you don’t take that hint, then I urge you to turn back at the “last chance to turn back” gas station. But if you find yourself in t...

Episode Notes This week we persevere through kitty co-hosting and losing almost all of one of a double record to bring you a heaping helping of adaptations of Stephen King’s “Gramma.” After an aperitif of Lovecraftian history, first up we discuss Barrett Oliver, who is abused by his parent and grandparent all in the span of 20 minutes in the 1986 episode of Twilight Zone. Then, we expand both them...