Pop Culture Role Call

Welcome to season 5 episode 13, where lies abound and the truth hurts. Remember that little plot device of "Dawn showing up out of absolutely nowhere"? Turns out she isn't just a true-blue american teenager, she is also a key. An....energy key.. for a god? Or, something? That isn't all flushed out yet. What's important is that Buffy didn't jump the shark it just made a bold story choice. Thanks fo...

It's season 5 episode 12 and Buffy is here to take on her most formidable foe thus far. The horrifying, eternal, and nauseatingly powerful.... BUREAUCRACY! *Insert stock audio of a scream*. The Watchers are back and they come bearing red tape and pretentious assumptions. Stay safe out there, Buffy. Thanks for listening!

Season 5 episode 11 is here and we are back to our classic, minor petty aggression. What a relief! Sure, Joyce is still sick and Taad is still gone and Glory is still out there summoning buff snakes. BUT, for 50 minutes we just need to worry about Willow and Anya bickering and maybe the occasional Troll breaking someones wrist. Easy peasy. Thanks for listening!

Dear Taad (Riley), your departing is such sweet.... relief. I'm not quite sure I understand though. I'm not quite sure I understand you. Big muscles and a condescending tone is what you brought to the table and the table was worse for it. Now you are gone. Leaving at midnight in a helicopter surrounded by a gaggle of other boring boys. You left a broken heart behind. I would wish you all the best,...

Hello dear listeners! Another relatively split episode coming at you this week. The whole Summers family is still in the midst of dealing with the fact that Joyce has a brain tumor. Meanwhile, the rest of the Scooby gang is on some kind of X-Files inspired extraterrestrial romp in the woods. How is this all related to the anthropomorphic snake loving Big Bad lady? Not sure, but hopefully we find o...

Season 5 Episode 8 feels like the start of something sad... I can just feel it in my bones. Joyce (Buffy's mom) is in the hospital with a brain tumor and the big bad of the season is summoning buff snakes with a penchant for staring/screaming contests. How are we going to juggle the medical needs of a beloved family member and the horrifying presence of a snake summoning ancient evil? I just don't...

Season 5 Episode 7 is here for you and it's a doozy! This week, Xander and Willow take a back seat while Buffy and Spike work through a few personal/professional issues. To help us dig into the brain of our platinum haired wild-card we brought on special guest, Nick. It's an episode of clever imagery, flashbacks, and fashion. Thanks for listening! Nick owns and operates the nerd paradise, Alleycat...

This week we get the very first Tara focused episode which means we get the very first Tara guest! Madison, from the podcast The Equelizers, sat down with the Scooby gang to lend a soothing voice to our favorite wispy witchy woman. But is Tara more than meets the eye? Is she even human?! The blue-collar scumbags she calls family don't seem to think so. Thanks for listening. Web: equelizers.podbean...

Welcome to Season 5 episode 5 where we might just have met the big bad! Buffy has a run in with a woman in red. Her scarlet dress and whimsical disposition aside she definitely packs a punch, one that can crush stone pillars. But, we also have this orb. And if I know anything about orbs it's that they can't be trusted. Keep one eye on the women in red and one eye on this sketchy orb. Thanks for li...

Oh.....oh Taad(Riley). It's been a rough couple of seasons for you and, man, I wish we cared more. If a potential heart attack can't bring about our sympathies and support then I just don't know what will. I would say "It's not you, it's us" but, let's be real. Spike tries to kill us on the reg and I'm pretty sure we would all throw you in front of a speeding car to save his skin. I'm not saying t...

Buffy is back this week! Season 5 episode 3 is a Xander episode, well, it's actually a Xanders episode, plural. The show walks some familiar ground with the "evil clone" schtick but it also tosses us a fun little curve ball by casting Nicholas Brendon's (Xander) identical twin brother Kelly Donovan as said "evil clone". It's a cool idea and it works really well! Thanks for listening.

Happy Wednesday everyone! Stasia is still out on an archeological dig contributing to the relentless pursuit of knowledge, so this is officially week one of our multi-week break from Buffy. For this special episode Mike, Brian, and Collin dive into the pit of filth and hate that is "Green Room"! Punk music, killer dogs, heroin, and Nazi's getting their comeuppance. What a treat. Thanks for listeni...

Howdy! It's the second episode of season 5 and some big ch-ch-ch-changes are already rolling into our lives. On the big/good changes side of things, Giles bought a magic store from a mysteriously murdered old friend! On the big/weird side of things though, Buffy has a new sister who has a crush on Xander... Did Buffy jump the shark or is this season going to get weird? Both? Thanks for listening!

With season 4 in the rear-view mirror and season 5 stretching out in front of us, the gang dives back into the world of Buffy! And, who better to welcome us back to the vamp stabbing and the demon kicking than Count "The Dark Prince" Dracula himself? How exciting, we finally made it to the A-list. Thanks for listening!

It's our mid-season break week this week, which means we aren't returning to Sunnydale quite yet. But don't worry, we are keeping it in the Whedon family with Cabin in the Woods! Is this a slasher movie? An office culture dark comedy? A reality television show? That's for the elder Gods to know and us to find out. Thanks for listening!

With Buffy season 4 fading slowing into the distance, the scooby gang huddles around a beautiful new table to try and piece it all together. Topics for discussion: "Favorite episode?", "Predictions for season 5?", "How bad was Taad anyway and how much do we REALLY not want him in season 5?", etc. Thanks to everyone for listening and thank you double to our friends who sent in questions! Enjoy!

Whoa. Was that the finale? Or a dream of a finale? Or a dream in a dream in a finale? Join us as we fever dream our way through the last episode of the season!

Howdy folks! It's action time for this TV show that sometimes has action. The gang is hot to trot, strapped up, and heading in to show Adam what for! But who needs guns, stakes, knives, etc? That stuff is SOOooo boring. We take a page out of Captain Planet's playbook and show Adam what happens when he messes with the power of friendship. Thanks for listening!

Considering that Buffy went to LA last episode to emotionally complicate Angel's life, it's only fair he does the same for us. How does the calm, cool, and suave Angel get along with the regular, plain, and average Taad (Riley)? Meanwhile, while Buffy is getting her boys in line, the very foundation of the Scooby Gang is being shaken by misinformation. Thanks for listening!

We take a break from the rigmarole of Sunnydale this week to check in with our resident LA bad boy, Angel! Brian Batmans onto the podcast opposite Stas to discuss the ins and outs of a relationship we all thought was dead. It starts with Angel shirtless on a bed with Faith and ends with some classic Taad (Riley) bashing. Thanks for listening!

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a werewolf! Oz is back and ready to shake things up. Season 4 episode 19 is the episode for lovers, past and present. Love triangles, being basic, and reused plot points abound. Thanks for listening!

Well listeners, time to turn on some Marvin Gaye and slip into something a little more comfortable. Season 4 episode 18 is the sexiest episode of Buffy yet! Well, Buffy and Taad (Riley) have a sexy episode, the rest of us are dealing with a child abuse poltergeist haunting a frat house. This show is kinda weird, huh?

Hey fans! Jonathan here, thank you all for tuning into Season 4 Episode 17 of the world's most popular podcast, Pop Culture Role Call. It was hard to fit in a recording session between filming Star Wars and doing press for my new platinum single "Jonathan II: Electric Boogaloo", but you're worth it! Big shout out to the Dalai Lama for producing, as always

Well hey there, Julia! Faith....er "Buffy(?)"...er..."Fluffy(?)".. hmm.. anyway, Julia is back in this episode to give us the full rundown you were all clamoring for. It's a long one, but there is a lot to unpack and not everyone at the table agrees on the effectiveness of the episode's intended emotional plot devices. But hey, what fun would it be if we always agreed? Time to get a little bit wei...

One of those classic "setup episodes" coming at you this week! A whole lot of talking and a whole lot of chilling in Xander's basement. Joss also took one of his plot device chacters out of cryogenic fugue as Faith punches her way back into our lives. What does this mean for the Scooby gang, and does it have anything to do with The Initiative or Adam? Who knows. Maybe we will find out next week. T...