Preston & Todd review the first three episodes of "Pluribus," one of their favorite shows of the previous season. The world is hit with an alien virus that turns humanity into a hive mind. Fantasy romance author Carol Sturka is one of very few humans, barely over a dozen, in the whole world unaffected and still maintaining individuality and free thought.

Episode 1, "We Is Us," is about the horror show that occurs when the virus first hits, including the death of Carol's wife Helen, and Carol's discovery of what is going on and why (vaguely) she is somehow unique.

Episode 2, "Pirate Lady," is about the aftermath of the virus being unleashed, the hive assigning a beautiful "chaperone" named Zosia for the rebellious & stubborn Carol, and Carol's insistence in meeting others unaffected by the virus. The meeting takes place in Spain, only includes others who speak English, and reveals that Carol is the only one who seems to have a problem with the results of the virus.

Episode 3, "Grenade," shows a flashback of Carol and her wife visiting an ice hotel after Carol had her eggs frozen. In the present, Carol tests the hive with certain demands & requests to see just how far the hive is willing to go to try to please her.

Listen now as Preston & Todd explore the motivations & methods of the hive mind, the distribution of the virus, the show's religious allegories & numerology, the relevance of Carol Sturka as LGBT, the "families" of the remaining unaffected being hive but still pretending to be family members, the similarities between Zosia and Helen, the virus's comparison to AI, an unexpected Winston-Salem reference in a throwaway line of dialogue, and much, much more.

Note: There is a spoiler section at the end for discussion about references to the remaining six "Pluribus" episodes. Preston & Todd plan to review those episodes as well.

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes on the Spotify and GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is [email protected].

Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

Preston & Todd are back to review great TV shows of 2026. Which shows are we recommending to each other and to you, the audience? Which shows are we both watching? Are they all great, or are there any disappointments so far? And, what are we looking forward to in the near future?

In this episode, we cover the following packed list of shows...

 - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (season 1) 

 - Alton Brown’s YouTube Show

 - Atypical (season 4)

 - Dark Winds (season 4)

 - Death Clock (movie)

 - Doc (season 2)

 - Fallout (season 2)

- For All Mankind (5th/penultimate season)

 - Found (season 2)

 - Game of Thrones (via reaction videos on three YouTube channels: Popcorn In Ben, Reel Rejects, and the Kristian Harloff channel)

 - Ghosts (season 5)

- Hacks (5th/final season)

 - High Potential (season 2)

 - Hijack (season 2)

- House of the Dragon (season 3; just started)

 - Horror & animation on YouTube

 - Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (season 5)

 - King of the Hill (season 14; season 15 coming soon)

- Mindhunter (Preston's rewatch; two seasons)

 - Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (seasons 1 & 2)

 - Monsters (serial killer documentaries)

 - National Geographic documentaries

 - Outlander (8th/final season)

 - Paradise (2nd/penultimate season)

 - Pluribus (season 1)

 - Predator Badlands (movie, not TV)

- Reckless Ben YouTube Channel

- Regular Show: The Lost Tapes (season 1)

 - Scrubs (season 10)

 - South Park (specials)

 - Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (season 1)

- The Ark (season 3 coming soon)

- The Burroughs (season 1; cancelled on the day we recorded the update)

 - The Following (Preston’s binge watch)

 - The Hunting Wives (season 1)

 - The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (7th/final season)

- The Mandalorian & Grogu (theatrical movie probably coming to Disney+ soon due to disappointing box office numbers)

 - The Mentalist (Preston’s rewatch)

 - The Muppet Show (pilot)

 - The Pitt (season 2)

 - The Rookie (season 8)

 - The Way Home (first 3 seasons; 4th/final season coming to Netflix…sometime)

 - Tulsa King (season 3)

 - Wolfwalkers (animated TV movie)

 - Wonder Man (season 1)

- X-Men '97 (season 2 coming soon)

 - Young Sherlock (season 1)

Note: The first hour and 40 minutes were recorded a while back. The last hour was recorded a week ago as an update. The update includes further discussion on shows previously mentioned, plus a few new shows, some movies, and TV seasons coming soon.

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on episodes via certain apps, like Spotify and GoodPods. Our e-mail address is [email protected].

Royalty-free music used in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

This week we take a discerning look at "Project Hail Mary," a pleasant & uplifting story of a human and an alien working together to save their worlds.

- Which Geek pointed out believability & humor as two of the main strengths of the movie?

- Which Geek sited a charismatic & likable main character as a major positive of the movie?

- Which Geek really enjoyed the German scientist character that is spearheading the program for saving Earth's sun?

- Which Geek also really enjoyed the security officer Carl character?

- What are some of the great things about Rocky, the five-limbed rock-like alien character, that befriends Ryan Gosling's character? How well is their friendship & alliance portrayed?

- Did the Geeks love one or both ships in the move? What aspects of Rocky's ship make it unique & intriguing?

- While a great movie (and both Geeks feel that way, in general), no movie is perfect. What were some of the nitpicks the Geeks had?

- Which Geek felt like the movie could have explored a little bit more about Rocky's planet, people, and culture?

- Which Geek had mixed feelings about the flashback structure and felt some parts of the movie were too slow or too fast?

- Which Geek didn't read the novel the movie is based on but could "feel" sections of the movie that either glossed over or completely omitted things that were probably more thoroughly explained in the book?

- Which Geek felt like "The Martian" took one song that would have been more fitting as a music choice in "Project Hail Mary"?

- Which Geek had mixed feelings about the structure & functionality of the earth ship called "Hail Mary"?

- Despite the minor nitpicks, how high were the Geeks' final ratings for the movie?

- Which good and/or bad things did the Geeks cover in the spoiler zone at the end?

- When talking about Ryan Gosling's character, Ryland Grace, as a great teacher (during a tangent in the spoiler zone section), which high school teachers did the Geeks site as being great? Which senior year English teacher did Preston point out? Which junior-year English teacher wrote Todd a recommendation letter for college that he & his parents read (even though they weren't supposed to) and threw it out because she gave Todd a mixed review? Which chemistry teacher inspired Todd to go to college on scholarship to become a teacher, even though he sucked at it and only taught for one year? Which teacher did Preston have for history at least once, that Todd had for just Geography & International Relations, and that Dave & Dave idolized? Which history teacher did Todd have for U.S. History & World History that he really respected even though he wasn't great at history? Which teacher did Todd have for German 1 & 2 that Preston apparently also had for either German or math? Which year did Todd have a long-term substitute English teacher for a month or two who was even better than the actual teacher who came in after recovering from an injury. Who was Todd's 2nd-favorite teacher that he had for Pre-Calculus and Computer Science that he mentioned a few minutes after talking about other teachers?

- Which "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" episode tried to do a "buddy" story similar to "Project Hail Mary" and "Enemy Mine"? Did Todd feel SNW did it better or worse than those two movies?

Listen now for the answers to these and other astronomical questions, as the Geeks explore..."Project Hail Mary"?

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify & GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is [email protected].

Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

...And, speaking of humans & aliens working together, check out Todd's other podcast, Alienating Ourselves, where he and another friend are reviewing the theatrical movie, one season, and five TV movies of "Alien Nation," a story about a human detective assigned to work with an alien partner.

Welcome, Discerning Listeners, to our 200th episode! :) In this episode, Preston and Todd take a look back at some of the best of the previous 99 episodes. This podcast was started in the year 2000 as a way for friends to stay in touch during the pandemic. The pandemic is over, and after 200 episodes, we're still going. Along the way, enjoy clips from some of those best episodes.

- Preston and Todd agreed on ranking their respective top 10 episodes among numbers 101 to 199, but could one or both of them refrain from a list of honorable mentions as well?

- Did Preston and Todd agree on some of the best episodes that have come out since June 2022? How many times did one of the Geeks have to put an episode pick "in stasis" (pushing discussion of an episode out to later because the other person ranked it higher)?

- How many of the ranked "episodes" were technically two-parters, meaning the Geeks really ranked more than 10 episodes each?

- Which episode (technically two episodes as one of the two-parters) did both Preston and Todd give the same rank, and how high was that two-parter ranked?

- What did Preston and Todd rank the highest, and were they the same episodes?

- And, what do Preston and Todd have planned for the future?

Listen now for the answers to these and other gargantuan questions, as Preston and Todd reminisce about the last four years in what is now the podcast's longest single episode (less than a minute short of 3 hours).

Thank you for listening and for sticking with us after almost six years of podcasting. :) There's more to come. To get a sampling of what we did in the first 99 episodes, check out episode 100, which is also a retrospective full of clips of some of the best moments from the early days of Discerning Geeks Portal.

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify or Goodpods apps. Our e-mail address is [email protected].

Note From The Editor: I'm an editor but not exactly a sound engineer, and my settings for EQ, compressors, and other filters have changed over time, making the sound quality of some episodes better than others -- and some episodes just plain louder than others. Since this episode contains clips from various episodes from the last four years, I tried to account for varying volume levels. But, if you notice any uncomfortably wild swings in volume levels, feel free to let us know at [email protected], and I'll try to fix it and re-upload.

Royalty-free music used in this episode came from Pixabay.com.

We return to "The Simpsons" with a review of "Treehouse of Horror" installments 09 to 12. Themes in these special Halloween stories include a cursed toupée, cartoons brought to life, alien parentage determinations on "The Jerry Springer Show," murder cover-ups, "Xena: Warrior Princess," Y2K, Homer as a ghost, Grimm's fairy tales, ticked-off dolphins, a leprechaun, a demonic smart house, and a school of magic.

A few weeks ago, Preston introduced Todd to his first big screen anime film, "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle," a movie about warriors trained in magical martial arts taking on demons in a hell-adjacent lair known as the Infinity Castle.

Note: The official name of the movie is "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle," but that's a mouthful, so we refer to it by a shorter name.

- Just how little did Todd know about the TV show before Preston got Todd to go to the big-screen movie spinoff? In his usual rundown, how much did Todd get wrong?

- This movie is divided into three stories. Which ones did the Geeks think were the best, middle, and worst / least good? And, did Preston & Todd agree on that?

- Which story of the three was the longest, and was that a good thing or part of the problem?

- What storytelling techniques were used in this movie, quite a bit, and was it too much or just enough?

- What enthused Preston enough about this movie to go to the movie theater to see it?

- With Todd not having seen all the of the TV show and even Preston himself not seeing all of it, was this a satisfying continuation of the TV show?

- Was one or more flashbacks having their own flashbacks a step too far for Todd?

- What are the motivations of the heroes & villains in this world?

- Why are the different elemental & animalistic powers of the demon slayers called "breathing" techniques?

- Which character from the TV show did Preston really miss when that character did not appear in the movie?

- Which character death surprised & bothered both Geeks?

- What redemption arc worked for Preston but not for Todd?

- What was Todd's biggest complaint about the movie?

- What aspect of the movie involved more utility abilities, rather than fighting, and was it intriguing?

Listen now for the answers to these and other breath-taking questions, as Preston & Todd fight their was through the..."Infinity Castle."

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on episodes via the Spotify or GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is [email protected].

Royalty-free music used in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

It took a little while for both guys to see it and then to record about it, but Preston & Todd finally review the new "Superman" movie.

- Did the Geeks think this movie got the tone for Superman correct, especially when compared to the Superman interpretation in the DCEU?

- Do the Geeks feel like Perry White & Jimmy Olsen know that Clark Kent is Superman, or is the hint in the movie only about them knowing Lois Lane has a thing with Superman, or is it left ambiguous either way?

- Did the Geeks like the portrayals of Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and all the support characters?

- In what ways did Lois Lane remind Todd of women he's worked with before?

- What were the Geeks' favorite things plus nitpicks about the scene where Lois interviews Clark on the record as Superman?

- What possible connections was Todd able to make between Clark's abilities as a reporter, his relationship with Lois, and the possibility that Perry knew he's Superman?

- Did Preston feel this movie's version of Lex Luthor was authentic to the comics, and what comparisons did Preston make between Lex and real-life people today?

- What similar complaint about Lex Luthor in this movie did talk have about the villain in "Fantastic Four: First Steps"?

- Did the Geeks like the Justice Gang?

- What were the Geeks' favorite things & nitpicks about Krypto the dog?

- Were Clark's parents portrayed as "too country" or "bumpkiny," or were they just right?

- What did the Geeks feel about the twist with Clark's Kryptonian parents, and what comparisons did Preston make to Omniman from the "Invincible" comics & cartoon?

- Was Jimmy Olsen successful as comic relief, or was his treatment of women problematic, or are both true simultaneously?

- Does it seem like Eve Teschmacher is in another movie, and is it left too ambiguous whether she was smart all along or only smart when it really mattered?

- Was the classic "Superman" theme used the right amount in this movie?

- How important was it to the Geeks that this movie is bright & colorful?

- How much of a prude is Todd for feeling like there's too much profanity in this movie?

- Was this a good start to the DCU, and is James Gunn the right person to be leading the franchise?

- And, what direction do the Geeks want the next DCU movies to go next?

Listen now for the answers to these and other super questions as we fly high with "Superman."

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify and Goodpods apps. Our e-mail is [email protected].

Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.

Preston & Todd review one of the most anticipated movies of the 2025 summer season, "Fantastic Four: First Steps."

Was F4:FS a hit for dynamic duo of movie reviews? Did they both love it? Did one Geek like it more? Was Galactus done well? Did the Fantastic Four themselves have satisfying family chemistry? Were the visuals amazing? Listen now to find out.

You can e-mail us at [email protected]. Please review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave reviews or comments on individual episodes via Spotify or the Goodpods app.

Royalty-free music used in this episode came from Pixabay.com.

Todd & Preston conclude their mid-year review focusing on the following TV shows from the 2nd half of 2025.

 - 9-1-1  (ABC / Hulu)

 - Am I the A-Hole (Smosh YouTube Channel)

 - Andor  (Disney+)

 - Common Side Effects  (Cartoon Network - Adult Swim)

 - Daredevil: Born Again  (Disney+)

 - Doc  (Fox / Hulu)

 - Doctor Who  (Disney+)

 - Ghosts  (CBS / Paramount+)

 - Hacks  (HBO / Max)

 - Harper’s Island

 - High Potential  (ABC / Hulu)

 - Ironheart  (Disney+)

 - Paradise  (Hulu)

 - Pulse  (Netflix)

 - Sister Wives  (TLC / Hulu / Max)

 - Snowflake Mountain  (Netflix)

 - The Last Of Us  (HBO / Max)

 - The Pitt  (Max)

 - The Residence  (Netflix)

 - The Righteous Gemstones  (HBO / Max)

 - The Rookie  (ABC / Hulu)

 - WWE

Listen now to find out which 2025 shows (and a handful of older shows just now seen by one of the Geeks in 2025) were amazing, disappointing, or somewhere in between.

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also leave comments on the Spotify or GoodPods apps. Our e-mail is [email protected].

Intro & outro songs for this episode were created by AI at tad.ai.

Join Preston & Todd as they recap the first half of 2025. In Part 1 of this two-parter, they cover movies they've seen from January to June of 2025. Granted, they didn't see a lot of new 2025 movies, so some of their picks are older movies that they just saw for the first time this year.

In this episode, the Geeks cover...

 - Captain America: Brave New World

 - Minecraft

 - Thunderbolts*

 - In a Violent Nature

 - Dark Match

 - Mister Majestic

 - In the Land of Saints and Sinners

 - Absolution

 - A Whisker Away

 - Zootopia

 - Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3

Near the end, Preston gives a shout out to Ozzy Osborne upon the music star's final concert, and the Geeks talk about summer movies they were looking forward to. Full disclosure, this episode was recorded a while back, so it was just a few weeks before Ozzy Osborne passed away and before Preston and/or Todd actually got to see some of the summer movies they talked about here.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this discussion where the Geeks focus on TV shows from the first half of 2025. The episode after that will be a review of "Fantastic Four: First Steps," which Preston & Todd saw together. And, in that same episode, Todd will also have spoiler-free mini-reviews of "Superman" and "Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning."

You can send us a message at [email protected] or leave a comment on individual episodes at Spotify or the GoodPods app. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Royalty-free music used in this episode came from Pixabay.com.

And, Todd tried something new with the intro & outro. Custom AI-generated jingles were created for free (trial points), at https://tad.ai/ai-music-generator.