Discerning Geeks Portal

This week, we review the 1990s period piece, "Captain Marvel."  It is the 21st movie released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but the 2nd one chronologically in terms of story, since it takes place in 1995.  It is the MCU's first female superhero solo movie and the 2nd MCU movie overall to have a heroine in the title ("Ant-Man & the Wasp" being the first).

We discuss this movie’s balance of action and character moments, the development of characters, the movie’s inspirational moments, chemistry between Carol and other characters including Nick Fury, how good or disappointing this movie is compared to the rest of the MCU, and of course…the flerken.

The overall opinions on this movie were spread out quite a bit.  Who loved it?  Who liked it?  Who hated it?  Who just thought it was okay?  And, who partially changed their mind halfway through?  Listen now to find out.

Grab your eye patch, your tesseract, your Blockbuster membership card, and your deceptively feline-looking tentacle alien as we explore the powerful origin of…Captain Marvel.

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This week, we have a full house with the welcome return of Dave, as we review "Stardust," the 2007 fantasy romance film about a teenage boy on a quest to retrieve a fallen star from a magical land...or to find the mother he never knew...or maybe both.  The motivations end up…kind of overlapping a little bit.

Anyway, the boy jumps over a magic wall, you see, and then...stuff happens, more than the boy could have expected.  There are witches, prince ghosts, an airship, a unicorn...  We'll explain.  No, there is too much.  We will sum up.

Is "Stardust" a whimsical, romantic tale about young love?  Is it a grim adventure against the dark forces of witchcraft and a corrupt monarchy?  Or, is it a little of both?  Is the nature of one of the protagonists a debate over metaphysics or astrophysics?  Is this a good date movie for the ladies, or is it a little strange that one female character is tied up with the intention of being a birthday gift to another woman?

Are fairy tales about magical lands not to be taken too seriously, or should the rules still be clarified for the audience on just how different & magical the setting really is?  Is capturing lightning bad for the environment?  Did this movie make one of our co-host’s heart flutter or just elevate his blood pressure?  And, just what kind of pirate is Robert De Niro's character anyway?

Listen now for the discussion on these and many more questions.  Grab your magic chain and Babylon candle and board our airship as we go on an adventure in search of…Stardust.

You can contact us at...

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week we conclude our topic of TV series finales with the...downside of the discussion.  We cover the series finales that left us disappointed or annoyed in some way.

Which TV series finales ended on a bad moment, which ones were frustrating all throughout, and which ones forever affected our feelings about the series overall?  Which TV series finales were the lackluster ends to lackluster shows, which ones contained bad decision making by their own writers, and which ones were the victims of interference from the studio?

We also cover Andruw’s special side-topic…  Which TV shows still on the air now needed a series finale several seasons ago?  And, for shows that did finally end, which ones needed that series finale sooner?

With over a dozen shows left to discuss or at least mention, we have some “hot takes” along the way.  Which co-host is the only sentient being in this sector of the galaxy to have issues with the Star Trek: The Next Generation series finale?  (Hint:  Admittedly, that already got answered in the previous episode but is explained further here.)  How many co-hosts actually like the opening credits & theme song to Star Trek: Enterprise?  Which co-host prefers Peter Capaldi’s Doctor over David Tenant’s Doctor?  And, which co-host apparently watches a lot of shows on CBS even though we’re all under 55 years old?

Listen now to find out the answers to these burning and possibly bizarre questions as we analyze, agonize, criticize, categorize, polarize, penalize, summarize, and scrutinize…our least favorite TV series finales.

And, just so we don’t sound like total grumps, please remember that Part 1 of this discussion, Episode #044, is all about our *most* favorite TV series finales.  Give that a listen, if you haven't already.  ...Or, listen again; that's okay too.  ;)

Do you agree or disagree with most of our picks?  Which are your most or least favorite TV series finales?  You can contact us about this or any other topic at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week we dive so deep into a TV topic that we had to split it into two episodes...TV series finales.  :)

Here in Part 1, we discuss our most favorite TV series finales.  Next week, in Part 2, we cover our least favorite TV series finales and a special topic suggested by Andruw, TV shows that need a series finale soon/now/already (or needed one sooner than it happened if it was a show that did already end).

Among the good, the bad, and the ugly, we discuss or at least mention finales from over two dozen shows.  Here's the list of over 30 shows that get at least a mention or more between Parts 1 & 2.

 - Babylon 5

 - Battlestar Galactica

 - Big Bang Theory

 - The Blacklist

 - Chuck

 - Criminal Minds

 - Dark Matter

 - Doctor Who

 - Dollhouse

 - Eureka

 - Falling Skies

 - Family Guy

 - Firefly

 - Fringe

 - Futurama

 - Game of Thrones

 - The Good Place

 - Jericho

 - Lost

 - NCIS

 - No Tomorrow

 - The Office

 - Parks & Recreation

 - Quantum Leap

 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

 - Star Trek: Enterprise

 - Star Trek: The Next Generation

 - Stargate SG-1

 - Stargate Universe

 - Supernatural

 - Travelers

 - WandaVision

But, which of those shows had great finales?  Which ones had bad finales?  Which ones did we have mixed feelings about?  Which ones need a finale now if they're still around or needed one sooner if they went on too long before finally ending?  Which ones did we agree on, and which ones did we not?  Were there any "hot takes" among our opinions?  (Spoiler: Yes, there were.)  But, we're all different and all discerning fans, so can we all still get along despite our differences?  (Spoiler: Yes, we can.)  Also, what characteristics make up a good finale, and what makes a bad one?

Listen now (and next week) to find out the answers to these questions and more as we discuss expectations, obligations, destinations, frustrations, revelations, and recommendations of...TV series finales.

And, stay tuned for next week's installment that concludes the conversation.

Note:  Yes, we say "season finale" by accident several times during both episodes, but we really do mean "series finale" every time.  Even if we slip up on the wording occasionally, we're talking about the final wrap-ups to whole shows, not just single years of shows.

What makes a great TV series finale, and what are some of your personal favorites?  You can let us know by contacting us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

In our latest "Whatcha' Doin'?" episode, we discuss a wide variety of movies & TV shows we've watched recently.  We cover...

 - The 4-hour movie, "Zack Snyder's Justice League"  (HBO Max)

- The series premiere of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier"  (Disney+)

 - The 2004 Denzel Washington thriller, "The Manchurian Candidate"  (Hulu)

 - The 2004 Nicole Kidman sci-fi dark comedy, "The Stepford Wives"  (Hulu)

 - Season 1 of "Superman & Lois"  (The CW)

 - Season 7 (!?!) of "The Flash"  (The CW)

 - Season 2 of "Batwoman"  (The CW)

 - Season 2 of the alt-history sci-fi show, "For All Mankind"  (Apple TV+)

 - Season 2 of the mildly-SF/fantasy, musical comedy-drama, "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist"  (NBC)

 - The family TV classic, "Little House on the Prairie"  (Amazon Prime with ads; Peacock)

 - The animated Australian kids' show, "Bluey"  (Disney+)

 - And,...brace yourselves...the Jean-Claude Van Damme sci-fi thriller, "Timecop" (?!?!?)  (Tubi TV)

And, because we're geeks and go off on tangents, the following are at least briefly mentioned along the way too.

 - "Wonder Woman 1984"

 - "Black Lightning"

 - "DC's Legends of Tomorrow"

 - "Doctor Who"

 - "Firefly"

 - "Guardians of the Galaxy"

 - "WandaVision"

 - "Short Circuit"

 - "I Love Lucy"

Grab your Lasso of Truth & vibranium shield, put on your robotic wings, prepare your playlist, load up the wagon, choose your preferred version of the Flash, and be ready to travel to the 1800s, the 1980s, 1994, 2004, 2017, 2024, and this past week, as we take a discerning look at movies & TV shows both new & old in our "Whatcha' Doin'?" episode for March 2021.

Timecop.  Seriously.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we review the last three episodes of WandaVision.  We discuss the advantages of the MCU venturing more into television, the weekly episodic format of the show, the hype & discussion generated by the show, the reveal of the show's "big bad," the explanation about Pietro, the question of whether Wanda redeemed herself, the episode titles, the outstanding performances, memorable & emotional quotes, and the possible meaning of the final end credit sequence.

Put on your most comfy jogging suit, pour an oversized bowl of cereal, and prepare your magical runes as we discuss being charmed, enchanted, entranced, mystified, mesmerized, and bewitched by the conclusion of...WandaVision.

What did you think of WandaVision?  Were you as enchanted with it as we were, did it evoke mixed emotions, or did the conclusion make you want to abjure the MCU?  Did you divine who Agnes was or see past the illusion of Pietro?  Do you have an opinion about the necromancy behind new-old-Vision?  If the answer to any of these questions is yes...

 - Then, you can conjure up an e-mail message for us at [email protected]

 - Or, you can transmute your message into a tweet @DiscerningGeeks or into a comment on our Discerning Geeks Portal Facebook page.

(And, yes, for fun, my awkward wording above was inspired by the 8 schools of magic from the Wizard Class section of the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Player's Handbook:  Enchantment, Evocation, Abjuration, Divination, Illusion, Necromancy, Conjuration, and Transmutation.  Folks, we're not playing around when we call ourselves geeks.)

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week we review the Marvel-but-not-MCU(yet?), not-a-superhero movie, self-proclaimed-love-story...Deadpool.  We discuss the movie's wit, style of humor, creativity, non-linear storytelling, meta-references, and mature content.  (That's a lot of hyphens there, Francis.)

Is this a comic book movie or a love story (or both)?  Did the amount of profanity & violence hit the bullseye, or did the movie's mature content totally miss the mark?  Did the romantic element elevate the movie to the heights of a working helicarrier, or was it just as cheap & crude as Wade Wilson's living accommodations?

Don't forget your red suit, Hugh Jackman mask, cab fare, and ammo bag as we contemplate, deliberate, adjudicate, advocate, and assassinate...Deadpool.  (That's a lot big words there, Francis.)

Maximum Effort!!!  ;)

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

You're still here?!?  The episode description is over.  Go.  Go, listen to the episode.  Oh, you're expecting a teaser for a Deadpool 2 review?  We don't plan that far ahead.  Go...

(That last line was a spoof of Deadpool's mid-credit scene, which was itself a spoof of Ferris Bueller's Day Off's end-credit scene, in case you didn't catch it.  But, seriously, go.  Go, listen to the episode.)

(Or, more accurately, you don't actually have to go anywhere.  You're already there.  Just put in your earbuds and click play.  Click play.  Click play now.)

Well…it had to happen eventually… Our most contentious, surprising, and explosive review yet was not about a book, a divisive Star Wars installment, or even a superhero movie but…“The Space Between Us.”  It is a semi-recent, semi-low-budget sci-fi teen romance film about a 16-year-old boy born on Mars and visiting Earth for the first time to seek out a girl he communicates with online and to find out who is father is.

We discuss the story, cinematography, pacing, clashes between logic & romance in the script, scientific & technical inaccuracies, and the story’s conclusion.

Could the script have used another pass for scientific accuracy?  Could the story have done better with the teen drama/romance?  Did anyone see the twists coming a mile away?

Did the cinematography, performances, and story conclusion save the movie for any co-hosts?  Did the scientific & technical issues ruin the movie for other co-hosts?  Did the co-hosts have technical difficulties of their own while recording?  (Spoiler: Of course, we did.)

Was the movie’s destination worth the journey?  Did this movie make one or more co-hosts as red with anger as the planet Mars?  Have any of the co-hosts been replaced with pod people or life model decoys?  Is this review itself…a sign of the apocalypse?  Listen now to find out the answers to these and other burning questions.

Get out your yard sticks & tape measures to gauge the distance between our opinions as we investigate, articulate, eviscerate, appreciate, incinerate, and circumnavigate...“The Space Between Us.”

You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  [email protected]

 - Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

 - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

After a brief detour into the world of WandaVision last week, we now conclude our discussion of Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters with Part 2.  Our 2nd installment picks up with a segment on Babylon 5 characters, and then we dive into two Top 5 lists and an expanded array of honorable mentions.

Between our top picks and further honorable mentions, this episode alone contains discussion (or at least mentions) of 19 characters and 3 ensemble casts from 14 shows.

Who ranked the highest, and who just got a mention?  Did we agree with any overlapping picks?  Did we pick anyone you would pick?  Did a movie character somehow make it into the discussion of TV characters -- and can it really be considered...a character?  Listen now for answers to these burning questions and more.  And, check out Part 1 of this discussion (episode #037) if you haven't already, where we cover initial honorable mentions, female characters, Star Trek, Stargate, and a debate on Spock vs. Data.

Do you agree with our lists?  Who was ranked too high or too low?  Who did we leave out?  Please visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or by e-mail, and let us know who your favorite sci-fi TV characters are.

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Note:  We recorded this discussion on the early evening of January 21, 2021.  In that discussion we included the Babylon 5 character of Ambassador Delenn, played by Mira Furlan, who also played Danielle Rousseau on Lost.  Just 2 or 3 hours later, news hit the internet that, sadly, Mira Furlan had passed away the day before on January 20.  Our condolences go out to family, friends, colleagues, and fans of Mira Furlan.

This week, we catch up on reviewing the new entertainment phenomenon, WandaVision, the first Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series to debut exclusively on Disney+.  We're a little late to the game compared to some reviewers, so we unpack the first six episodes of WandaVision in one giant-sized episode of Discerning Geeks Portal.  We discuss the format, the production quality, the pacing, the in-universe commercial breaks, and of course, all the many mysteries.  How much is Wanda in control, who else might be in control, is Vision dead or alive or something...else, who is Agnes, are the twins real or a product of an imaginary world, why was Pietro "re-cast," and why is the make-believe life of Wanda & Vision being broadcast as sitcom episodes anyway?  We ask these questions and many more, and we may even have some theories for some of them along the way.

Grab your time-period-appropriate clothing & technology and prepare to immerse yourself in...WandaVision, episodes 1.01 to 10.6.

Note (1):  If you were looking for Part 2 of our Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters discussion, don't worry.  It'll be out soon.  It will probably be next after this episode, but the WandaVision discussion needed to come as soon as possible due its timely nature.  Which leads to Note #2...

Note (2):  We recorded this on Tuesday and thanks to workload (gotta pay the bills), there wasn't time to finish editing before the Friday premiere of WandaVision episode 1.07.  So, yeah, we know some of our questions (including one mentioned above) may already be answered now.

Please visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or by e-mail, and let us know what you think of WandaVision or if you have any theories on what's to come for it or the MCU as a whole.

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.