Estradiol Illusions

Episode four takes us back to Nevarro, the pile of rocks not named Tatooine or Jakku. While Baby Yoda munches on space macarons, Mando, Greef, and Cara Dune seek to blow up the Imperial Remnant's lava base. Prequel fan favorite midichlorians return, evoking nostalgia for Jar Jar Binks.

Join ITM as she breaks down an uneven episode that pulled itself together right as the action started. Halfway through the season already! Time flies when you're using the force to steal cookies. 

Today we are joined by Dr. Mark Nelson, one of the eight original scientists who lived inside Biosphere 2 for two years in the early 90s. The events of Biosphere 2 were chronicled in the excellent documentary Spaceship Earth (available on Hulu), one of Ian's favorites from Sundance. Dr. Nelson talks at length about his experiences inside Biosphere 2, as well as many of the discoveries they made along their journey.

Dr. Nelson has a new book out called Life Under Glass: Crucial Lessons in Planetary Stewardship from Two Years Inside Biosphere 2. You can purchase it here: https://www.synergeticpress.com/shop/life-under-glass/

Dr. Nelson's other books include Pushing our Limits: Insights from Biosphere 2  (https://www.amazon.com/Pushing-Our-Limits-Insights-Biosphere/dp/0816537321) & The Wastewater Gardener: Preserving the Planet One Flush at a Time (https://www.synergeticpress.com/shop/the-wastewater-gardener/)

We're back in Westeros! Delighted to welcome Professor Colm Connaughton from the University of Warwick to discuss a paper he worked on, alongside a team from several universities in the UK & Ireland.

The paper "Narrative structure of A Song of Ice and Fire creates a fictional world with realistic measure of social complexity" dives into the ways George R.R. Martin has crafted such an intricate universe that mirrors our own society while remaining accessible to readers.

Colm presents many of his findings in a fascinating conversation that touches subjects including Barristan Selmy, House Frey, the Meereenese Knot, & podcast favorite Stannis Baratheon among many others. Join us for a delightful dive into Westeros lore.

The full paper can be read here (recommended reading before or during the episode): https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/10/27/2006465117

You can follow Colm on Twitter @CPConnaughton

Big character reveals! Baby Yoda stops eating the last of Frog Lady's eggs! What could be better?

Join ITM for a discussion of a vast improvement over last episode. Three episodes in, the plot is finally moving forward! Cozy up with a bowl of octopus chowder and tune in for some Star Wars analysis. 

Ian's episode 3 recap: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2020/11/the-mandalorian-season-two-recap-chapter-eleven/

We are delighted to welcome actor & musician Sidney Flanigan to the show. Sidney made her acting debut in the spectacular film Never Rarely Sometimes Always at Sundance, one of Ian’s favorites from the festival. Sidney’s band Starjuice just released a new EP “Reminders,” which can be heard of Spotify. Sidney talks about her experiences making Never Rarely as well as the challenges of recording music in the covid era.

Be sure to check out Starjuice on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3b4yx9xGEgYJW3Kp9kwZLO

Ian’s Sundance review of Never Rarely Sometimes Always: https://fansided.com/2020/01/25/never-rarely-sometimes-always-sundance-review/

Cover art courtesy of Starjuice. Headshot by Victoria Stevens. 

Today we are delighted to host Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt & Amos Mac, co-directors and co-writers of the fascinating new documentary No Ordinary Man to the show. The film chronicles the life and legacy of jazz musician Billy Tipton, whose death sparked a media firestorm after it was revealed that he was a transgender man. Aisling, Chase, and Amos share plenty of insights from their experience making the doc, an important piece of LGBTQ cinema.    

No Ordinary Man is part of DOC NYC’s exciting slate. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.docnyc.net/

Ian’s review of the film: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2020/10/no-ordinary-man/

Film poster courtesy of Parabola Films

Chapter 10, "The Passengers" was a bit of a mixed bag. The stellar action sequences were hindered by some pretty abysmal plotting and narrative choices. 

Are we supposed to care that Baby Yoda is casually eating the last of Frog Lady's eggs? Join host ITM as she breaks down this peculiar episode. 

Baby Yoda show is back! Join host ITM for an exciting recap of The Mandalorian's second season premiere, full of Tusken Raiders, Deadwood, and the return of fan favorite R5-D4.

Is Boba Fett going to be pissed that Raylan Givens borrowed his duds? Did Baby Yoda get enough blue milk? Do Krayt dragons dream of electric sandworms? Make yourself a nice bowl of spice melange and tune in to find out! 

Ian's episode one review: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2020/10/the-mandalorian-season-two-review-chapter-9/

Looking at you, unenthusiastic voters. Joe Biden is not a great candidate. This "decent" man has decades worth of indecent votes to his name, a shameful legacy that we shouldn't have to revisit in 2020. Alas, here we are.

Trump is infinitely worse. It's not even close. LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, healthcare, and the very future of our nation is at stake. Voting doesn't need to be fun, but you need to vote. Trump may never end if we don't put a stop to this American Carnage. 

Ian also dives into the state of the 2020 Senate race and why it's way closer than the mainstream media thinks. Please, please, please vote. We can't pack the courts without senators who will do the packing. 

Fuck Trump. Vote Biden. 

We are delighted to welcome Michael Hurst to the show for a wide-ranging discussion of his illustrious career. Michael is best remembered for playing Iolaus on Hercules: The Legendary Journey's & Xena: Warrior Princess, and for his directorial work on shows like Spartacus and Ash vs. Evil Dead. Ian & Michael talk at length about the influence that Hercules has had on the fantasy genre, opening the door for dozens of shows that followed.

Michael recently appeared in the New Zealand production Dead, a hilarious and tender buddy cop comedy. Dead premieres on virtual cinemas on September 25th, with a VOD release on October 6th. Full of LGBTQ themes and making great use of the beautiful New Zealand landscape, Dead is a perfect choice for pandemic viewing.

Ian's review of Dead: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2020/09/dead-is-a-hilarious-buddy-cop-comedy-with-a-ton-of-heart/

Headshot courtesy of Michael Hurst. Film poster courtesy of 1091 Pictures.