The Lorehounds

David and Jean return to dig into listener feedback on "Rhaenyra Triumphant," with voicemails and messages from community members and fellow podcasters. The conversation tackles lingering questions about the Tessarion and fake Daeron storyline, how the episode's score and sound design illuminate Rhaenyra's inner world, and the staggering weight of everything she is suddenly being a...

David returns from holiday to join Jean for a deep dive into "Rhaenyra Triumphant," the third episode of House of the Dragon Season 3. The conversation covers the Hightower capitulation at Oldtown, Ormond's treacherous gambit with a fake Daeron, and Daemon's spectacular failure of tactical judgment throughout. At the heart of the discussion is the show's richest ongoing theme:...

We're all experiencing an awakening of some kind in the latest episode of The Vampire Lestat . From ice cream scoops to vampire origin stories to reliving the losses of our pasts, this episode has it all. Elysia and John laugh and cry along to our favorite gremlins and their games. Stick around after the credits for a book spoiler Inside the Coffin segment and a Devil's Minion Corner . Con...

Mothers mourning, Black beach bonding, a new unlikely comic duo, and a whole bunch of dragons – there's a lot happening in House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2: "Queen's Landing" even before it reaches its game-changing climax. And Jean and Elysia are here to break it all down. Stick around after the outro music for additional book-spoiler discussion. Contact Us Questions or com...

Ask not for whom the bell of shame tolls, for it tolls for every vampire on this show. Elysia and John recap Lestat's taunting of Armand, Daniel's transformational trauma and blackout years, and the overall failure of these vampires to develop healthy coping mechanisms. Stick around after the credits for a book spoiler Inside the Coffin segment and a Devil's Minion Corner . Contact Us...

Jean and Elysia kick off the new season of "horrible people doing horrible things to each other" – aka House of the Dragon season 3, episode 1 – with a dive even deeper than a dragon's fall into the Gullet. They discuss character motivations, the meanings of new revelations, one misused quote, Green Men lore, our new favorite dragon, and arguably the most beautiful battle ever committe...

Elysia and John head to Toronto to watch Lestat troll Daniel into a feeding frenzy. They discuss media handling of trauma, the truth behind Lestat's dramatizations, and the empathy machine that is Anne Rice's world. Content Warning: This episode addresses sexual assault and abuse. Stick around after the credits for a book spoiler Inside the Coffin segment. Contact Us Questions or comments?...

Eight bells toll in the Widow's Bay season 1 finale – setting Elysia, Mark (Nevermind the Music), and Lisa (Into the West) off on an investigation to uncover what they mean. Sifting through the heart, horrors, and humor of the second half of the season, they piece together the emerging mythology of the island's many secrets through lore teases and key character moments. Links Discussed Sea...

John is joined by Marilyn R. Pukkila to discuss the second part of Of Túrin Turambar , the twenty-fifth portion of The Silmarillion . They discuss classical heroes, the grimdark present in Tolkien's writings, and how a character gets in their own way. Marilyn's Website Marilyn R. Pukkila, Research & Instruction Librarian Emerita, Colby College Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and...

David and Elysia work through their own and the community's mixed-but-leaning-positive feelings about Steven Spielberg's new alien-focused movie Disclosure Day (currently in theaters). They get into the greatest cinematic moments, the cast and performance(s) they loved best, and (yes) the lore holes nagging at them after the fact – and why this film is worth seeing in theaters, and even if...

Jean and Elysia talk the good, the great, and the even better of the recently released first season (of, they hope, more) of Spider-Noir on Amazon Prime. They talk about the multiversal source of this Film Noir flavor of Spider-Man, here going by the name Ben Reilly – one of the many decisions that diverge this version of the 1930's New York webslinger from his comics inspiration and appearanc...

Elysia and John follow Lestat through an Oedepiphany of epic proportions. They watch young Lestat grow up into a wolf killer before becoming a rock star who can troll his band into submission. They also discuss the implications of the Talamasca's involvement and the absence of Armand. Stick around after the credits for a book spoiler Inside the Coffin segment. Contact Us Questions or comments?...

David, Lisa, and Bryan conclude their Gene Hackman coverage with a deep dive into The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 psychological thriller and the film chosen by community vote. The trio explores Gene Hackman's portrayal of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert whose paranoia, guilt, and isolation unravel him as he becomes convinced his latest recording may lead to a murder. The co...

Interview with the Vampire is back - or maybe over. The story continues with Lestat beginning his journey as a rock star. Elysia and John are here to follow the tour and unveil the mysteries of Lestat's past. Stick around after the credits for a book spoiler Inside the Coffin segment. Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: askdan@thelorehounds.com Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discor...

David, Elysia, and Jean reunite to kick off their season three coverage of House of the Dragon, outlining what listeners can expect from the pod as the Dance of Dragons reaches its most explosive chapter yet. The team walks through their hosting lineup, with Elysia stepping in to lead episodes one and two while David is away and Jean on board as second chair for the full season, before David retur...

David and Elysia venture into the Horror Hounds to discuss Backrooms (2026), A24's creepypasta-turned-feature film directed by Kane Parsons and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. They trace the film's remarkable origin — from an anonymous 2019 post on 4chan to Kane Pixels' three-year YouTube web series — and unpack how a 19-year-old first-time director delivered a confident,...

Part spin-off series following a new voice and perspective, part season 3 of AMC's Interview with the Vampire , all The Vampire Lestat . John and Elysia get together to discuss their favorite fanged villains and antiheroes ahead of the new season – opening with a (mostly) spoiler-free discussion of why those who haven't should tune into the first two seasons, before launching into their di...

Elysia and John continue the journey of the galaxy's favorite father and son in The Mandalorian and Grogu . They catch up with the New Republic before meeting Hutts of various sizes, watching stop motion and puppetry showcases, and overall having a fun, standalone adventure. Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: starwars@thelorehounds.com Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the vo...

John drops in for cocktail hour before Mark, Lisa, and Elysia make a meal of all the lore-building and juicy character moments in the first five episode of Widow's Bay on Apple TV – also laying out what the many teases and blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments might mean for the rest of this season (and beyond?). This episode begins with spoiler-free reactions to the show so far before beginnin...

Jean, Luke, and Elysia check in on the good, the could-be-better, and the absolute Red-Band of the 2026 Marvel Special Presentation The Punisher: One Last Kill on Disney+. Their conversation is dotted with discussions of grief, target audiences, the comic-book inspiration, and the future of this character and the rest of the MCU (with important opinions about movie-theater seating thrown in for go...

John, Elysia, and Marilyn follow Ryan Gosling to the far reaches of space to save humankind from destruction. They discuss the impressive puppetry and visuals, the hopepunk core of the film, and the parallels to other sci-fi worlds. Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com . Any opinions stated are...

David is joined by Nichole from Nevermind the Music, John from the Dune Minute Podcast, and Ian from Captain's Pod: A Star Trek Companion for a full-spoiler season wrap-up of The Pitt Season 2. The panel works through the season's central argument: that Season 2 is a fifteen-hour indictment of what the American healthcare system does to the people inside it, told not through one catastroph...

Jean, Luke, and Elysia are back to wrap up their discussion of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 with an analysis of episodes 5 through 8, and plenty of speculation of where this story will go in season 3, not to mention the Punisher special presentation next week and everything else going on in the MCU this year or next. They're asking the important questions, from who is the least empathetic ch...

David sits down with Dr. Amy H. Sturgis, professor of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gothic literature at Signum University and a contributor to the Hugo Award-winning podcast StarShipSofa, for a wide-ranging conversation about Star Trek, Star Wars, and the stories we need. They explore why both franchises have retained such fierce cultural grip across generations, unpacking the co-creative traditi...

David, Jean, and Bryan close out the first season of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord with a finale that earns a standing ovation from the entire team. The conversation opens with reactions to a season they rank among the best Star Wars storytelling ever produced, animated or live action, before diving into full-spoiler discussion of both episodes. The team explores the shifting alliances and escalat...