In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the season (series?) finale of The Sympathizer (Max).

What do we think about Jeffrey Wright being cast in the same role in the TV version of The Last of Us season 2? What’s the difference between Marvel Television and Marvel Spotlight? And are we psyched for a Damon Lindelof show about Green Lantern? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• The Acolyte Eps 1-2 (Disney+)

Shownotes:

• 00:03:05 - Jeffrey Wright cast as Isaac in Last of Us Season 2
• 00:13:38 - Marvel’s rebranding of its TV Shows
• 00:38:10 - Damon Lindelof is on board the Green Lantern TV show
• 00:49:30 - The Sympathizer
• Episode 7 - Endings Are Hard, Aren’t They?

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

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In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the sixth episode of The Sympathizer (Max) and the first season of X-Men ‘97 (Disney+).

Why should you definitely watch Scavengers Reign when it hits Netflix in late May? Like really? (Seriously). What do we make of Netflix’s weird announcement for more episodes of 3-Body Problem? And what is it that X-Men ‘97 gets so right about the Marvel universe and about the X-Men themselves? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• The Sympathizer Ep 7 (Max)

Shownotes:

• 00:01:30 - Comcast’s Streamsaver bundle is $15/month
• 00:06:50 - Scavengers Reign is cancelled at Max but not on Netflix
• 00:18:24 - Shogun seasons 2 and 3 are in development
• 00:26:30 - More episodes of 3-Body Problem are happening under mysterious circumstances
• 00:38:30 - The Sympathizer
• Episode 6 - The Oriental Mode of Destruction
• 01:04:15 - X-Men ‘97 Season 1

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the fifth episode of The Sympathizer (Max) and the final three episodes of Baby Reindeer (Netflix).

How do we feel about Netflix’s latest efforts to get into live programming? Which streaming bundle are we looking forward to the most? Why can’t Paramount+ get any love? Is there still life left in The Office as a franchise? Are we excited about another season of Mr. and Mrs. Smith? And what about season 2 of Shogun for that matter? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• The Sympathizer Ep 6 (Max)
• X-Men ‘97 Season 1 (Disney+)

Shownotes:

• 00:01:30 - Netflix’s big moves into live TV
• NFL gets Christmas day football
• 00:17:00 - Begun, the streaming bundle wars have
• Max bundling with Disney+/Hulu
• Peacock bundling with Netflix/Apple TV+
• 00:26:00 - The Office Reboot
• 00:33:30 - Mr and Mrs Smith Season 2 and The Boys season 5
• 00:36:15 - Shogun Season 2 is in development
• 00:43:00 - The Sympathizer
• Episode 5 - All For One
• 01:00:00 - Baby Reindeer
• Episode 5
• Episode 6
• Episode 7

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the fourth episode of The Sympathizer (Max) and the first four episodes of Baby Reindeer (Netflix).

How are studios navigating tricky situations when beloved cast members pass on? Does Cobra Kai really need to be split into three separate parts? What’s the best way to advertise to kids these days anyways? Is there such thing as an anti-war film in the world of The Sympathizer? And why is Baby Reindeer so damn good at unraveling its story? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• Baby Reindeer Eps 5-7 (Netflix)
• The Sympathizer Ep 5 (Max)
• X-Men '97 Season 1 (Disney+)
• Bonus Ep: Sugar Season 1 (Apple TV+)

Shownotes:

• 00:06:00 - Gen V will not recast Chance Perdomo
• 00:13:00 - Cobra Kai’s release schedule
• 00:28:30 - The Sympathizer
• Episode 4 - Give Us Some Good Lines
• 00:56:00 - Baby Reindeer
• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the third episode of The Sympathizer (Max) and the rest of season 1 of Fallout (Prime Video).

Is 65 million viewers actually a lot when it comes to a streaming service? How embarrassed does the OG Emily Stone feel about taking Emma Stone’s SAG name? What other famous people just aren’t being clear about their real names and pronunciations? What do we think The Sympathizer is trying to say about being an American? And what did we think of the rest of season 1 of Fallout on Prime Video? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• Baby Reindeer Eps 1-4 (Netflix)
• The Sympathizer Ep 4 (Max)
• Bonus Ep: Invincible Season 2 Part 2 (Prime Video)

Shownotes:

• 00:01:30 - Fallout gets 65 million viewers
• 00:08:33 - THR’s cover story about The Curse
• 00:26:45 - The Sympathizer
• Episode 3 - Love It Or Leave It
• 51:15 - Fallout Season 1
• Episode 4 - The Ghouls
• Episode 5 - The Past
• Episode 6 - The Trap
• Episode 7 - The Radio
• Episode 8 - The Beginning

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the season 2 premiere of ‘The Jinx,’ the first two episodes of The Sympathizer (Max) and the season 1 finale of Shogun (Hulu/FX).

How big of a deal is Fallout these days? Why do people keep trying to remake Oldboy? Is it worth watching The Jinx: Season 2 even if you haven’t seen The Jinx: Season 1? What did we make of the mishmash of tones in The Sympathizer? And does Shogun season 1 stick the landing in its finale? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• Fallout Season 1 (Prime Video)
• The Sympathizer Ep 3 (Max)

Shownotes:

• 00:01:30 - Fallout renewed for season 2
• 00:07:33 - Oldboy TV series
• 00:12:50 - There was more Bluey after all
• 00:18:00 - The Jinx: Season 2
• Episode 2 - Why Are You Still Here?
• 00:41:30 - The Sympathizer
• Episode 1 - Death Wish
• Episode 2 - Good Little Asian
• 1:03:30 - Shogun
• Episode 10 - A Dream of a Dream
• A list of callbacks
• Shogun vs. Real Life

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the first three episodes of Fallout (Prime Video) and the ninth episode of Shogun (Hulu/FX).

Are we excited about more Monarch: Legacy of Monsters? Will we ever see a Heroes reboot that people care about? What did we make of Bluey’s season finale, “The Sign”? Is Fallout the greatest videogame adaptation ever made? And what did we think of Mariko’s fateful decisions on this week’s episode of Shogun? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• Shogun Ep 10 (Hulu/FX)
• The Sympathizer Eps 1-2 (Max)
• The Jinx Season 2 premiere (Max)

Shownotes:

• 00:01:30 -More seasons/spin-offs for Monarch
• 00:06:33 - Tim Kring wants to reboot Heroes
• 00:13:33 - Bluey’s season 3 finale, The Sign
• BBC: Producer confirms series return
• 00:33:00 - Fallout
• Episode 1 - The End
• Episode 2 - The Target
• Episode 3 - The Head
• 1:14:00 - Shogun
• Episode 9 - Crimson Sky

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

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In this bonus episode preview, David and Patrick discuss the final episodes of season 1 of 3 Body Problem on Netflix.

To hear the rest of the episode, become a paid subscriber at decodingtv.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Patrick Klepek run down what’s going on in the world of TV and discuss the eighth episode of Shogun (Hulu/FX).

Why was Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm a middle finger to TV watchers? Is it possible we will actually get more Westworld in the future? Why is it such a difficult time to be a TV writer right now? And why can’t people finish Ripley, anyway? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!

Homework for next week:

• Shogun Ep 9 (Hulu/FX)
• Fallout Eps 1-3 (Prime Video)
• Bonus Ep: 3 Body Problem Season 1 (Netflix)

Shownotes:

• 00:07:40 - Fallout News
• Fallout Season 2 seems likely
• Westworld is still alive?
• 00:22:45 - Why it’s a brutal time to be a TV writer
• 00:33:46 - Why people can’t finish Ripley
• 00:43:15 - The Curb Your Enthusiasm Series Finale
• 00:56:15 - Shogun
• Episode 8 - Abyss of Life

Links:

• Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio
• Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay
• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

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In this bonus episode, David and @joyonapping continue their conversation about the royal family by discussing Netflix’s new film, Scoop, which chronicles the events surrounding Prince Andrew’s disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview.

Is this film interesting to people who don’t care about the royal family? What did we think about who the film chose as its main characters? Does Rufus Sewell make for a convincing Prince Andrew? And what did we make of the film’s depiction of the interview itself? Listen to hear us discuss all this and more!

Also: Should we cover A Very Royal Scandal, an upcoming 3-part Prime Video series that covers these same events? Let us know at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Links:

• Follow this podcast on Instagram
• Follow this podcast on Tiktok
• Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything
• Follow David on Instagram
• Follow David on Tiktok

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