Gobbledygeek

Ladies and gentlemen, we are through the tweeting glass. First-time guest Sarah Kosheff joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Charlie Brooker's sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror in general, and the new fourth season in particular. The gang discusses how the series explores the intersection of technology and society, if the "what if phones but too much" line of criticism is reductive, if the idea of a Black Mirror "shared universe" is in any way appealing, and more. Plus, Paul meets The Greatest Showman, Arlo and Sarah marvel at The Shape of Water, and Arlo finally puts Paul in his mouth.

Next: famed Briton Wesley "Wezzo" Mead stops by once again to discuss Chris Carter's seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time, they'll discuss season 7.

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 18:24)
• Main Topic (18:24 - 2:19:14)
• Outro / Next Week (2:19:14 - 2:25:00)

Yorick's gang (there's gotta be a snappier name, right?) inch closer to destiny in Y: The Last Man - Vol. 9: Motherland, as Paul and Arlo near the end of their Four-Color Flashback discussion of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's beloved comics series. The boys once again rehash their frustrations with putting this series under the occasional monthly microscope, leading Arlo to posit that maybe different books are different kinds of great. Then Paul hashes out the most plausible explanations Vaughan has presented for the manpocalypse, and whether any of them catch the boys' fancy. Plus, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is more fun than it has any right to be, and it looks like Red Sparrow may be the Black Widow movie Marvel has denied us.

Next: the boys go through the looking glass with season 4 of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror, joined by first-time guest Sarah Kosheff.

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 21:33)
• Main Topic (21:33 - 1:34:56)
• Outro / Next Week (1:34:56 - 1:38:02)

This is not going to go the way you think. Indeed, in a rare occurrence, the stars (and their wars) have aligned to allow Paul, Arlo, and their Avatar Returns co-host Eric Sipple to agree that Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is one of the best blockbusters in years. The gang discusses why that is, including the surprising directions in which writer-director Rian Johnson takes the story, its iconic imagery, another rousing John Williams score, how it strengthens the weaknesses of past Star Wars films, and one hell of a performance from Mark Hamill. And, yes, they tackle the fandom's baffling response to the film.

Next: Gobbledygeek returns in 2018 with a continuation of Paul and Arlo's Four-Color Flashback discussion of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's Y: The Last Man. This time, they'll tackle the penultimate collection, Vol. 9: The Motherland.

THE BREAKDOWN

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 04:05)
• Main Topic (04:05 - 20:55)
• SPOILERS (20:55 - 2:34:18)
• Outro / Next Week (2:34:18 - 2:38:51)

That venerated institution, the Geek Challenge, takes to the bright blue sky with a pair of retro '90s flicks. First up, Paul challenges Arlo to Joe Johnston's 1991 Billy Campbell-starring adventure The Rocketeer, a proto-First Avenger that mixes pulp fiction with '30s Hollywood. Then, Arlo challenges Paul to Gary Ross' 1998 directorial debut Pleasantville, which finds Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon zapped inside the black-and-white world of a hunky dory '50s sitcom. These films look backward to say something about the present, and while one admittedly has a lot more on its mind than the other, the boys find both to be unsettlingly timely. From populist demagoguery to villains that no longer feel like an historical artifact, Paul and Arlo mine a lot from these goofy, decades-old movies. Plus, Arlo remembers that comics exist.

Next: after a week off, the boys return to discuss experimental arthouse feature Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, which will be of interest to only the most devout cineaste.

THE BREAKDOWN

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 27:00)
• Main Topic (27:00 - 1:49:50)
• Outro / Next Week (1:49:50 - 1:53:05)

This week, Paul and Arlo return to their Four-Color Flashback exploration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's Y: The Last Man with Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons. Joining them for the first time in a while is once and future 90 700 Club host Chance Mazzia. Frustrated by some of the detours this Japanese misadventure takes, the gang gets around to asking the question that's hung over this entire FCF series: nearly a decade removed from publication, is Y: The Last Man still as great as they thought it was? To find the answer, they discuss Vaughan's writing style, how each volume reads compared to the whole, and what if anything Y contributed to the evolution of the comics medium. Plus, Justice League arrives in theaters (leading to a breakthrough in Paul and Arlo's relationship), the Avengers assemble for the Infinity War trailer, and Arlo is delighted by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Next: the Geek Challenge rides again, with a retro kick. Paul will force Arlo to watch Joe Johnston's 1991 superhero cult classic The Rocketeer, and Arlo will force Paul to watch Gary Ross' colorful 1998 film Pleasantville.

THE BREAKDOWN

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 31:52)
• Main Topic (31:52 - 1:40:03)
• Outro / Next Week (1:40:03 - 1:45:30)

For a return to our regularly scheduled pop culture chatter, Paul and Arlo ride their hammers to the faraway world of Asgard, which is in a spot of trouble. Avenger and heir to the throne Thor Odinson must defend his people from the villainous Hela; along the way, he gets imprisoned by an eccentric weirdo named the Grandmaster and is forced to do battle with the Hulk, his infamous "friend from work." The boys discuss why Thor: Ragnarok is among the very best the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer, what perspective New Zealander Taika Waititi brings to the franchise, what the film says about immigrants (besides cueing up the perfect Robert Plant wail), and if we'll ever see Bruce Banner again. Plus, they discuss the pop culture they enjoyed during the show's hiatus.

Next: in two weeks' time, Paul and Arlo pick up their Four-Color Flashback exploration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's Y: The Last Man with Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons.

So, what's new? We miss anything? Gobbledygeek returns with a Very Special Episode wherein Paul and Arlo attempt to explain why the show went away for a couple months and how exactly it's coming back. They made almost no attempt to prepare for this discussion, so it's a little awkward, a little uncomfortable, and we're not gonna lie, there's some tension between our co-hosts. But the minions are back. And that's what matters, right?

Next: a return to our regularly scheduled programming with a discussion of Thor: Ragnarok.

Six years in, how is The X-Files handling Mulder and Scully's relentless quest for the truth? To investigate this particular mystery, Paul and Arlo have once again abducted Wesley "Wezzo" Mead from the U.K. The gang discusses how the sixth season of Chris Carter's seminal sci-fi series handles the movie's revelations; how the production move from Vancouver to L.A has affected the tone; if this season is a touch goofier than previous years; and what the radical changes to the series' mythology means for the future, if anything. Plus, they talk politics. Of course they do. And it's depressing. Of course it is.

Come and listen to my story about a guy named Dan; a poor prospector, a self-made man. And then one day, to California he drew, and up from the ground come a-bubblin' crude. Blood, that is. Capitalist blood. For the third in our Ten Years Later series (we're in the market for a snappier name), Paul and Arlo turn to Paul Thomas Anderson's study of American monster/oilman Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood. Joining them is The Debatable Podcast's Greg Sahadachny, who makes his triumphant return to Gobbledygeek after nearly two years. The boys discuss how the film explores the intersection between religion and capitalism; whether or not Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano give into overacting; if Daniel Plainview could be considered a villain; and how the "I drink your milkshake!" scene holds up after a decade of memeification.

Next: we've abducted Wesley "Wezzo" Mead once again to discuss Chris Carter's seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time, we investigate the L.A.-bound season 6.

Appropriately, this month's Four-Color Flashback entry is riddled with flashbacks, as Y: The Last Man - Vol. 7: Paper Dolls takes a look at Agent 355 and Ampersand's pasts to give us a taste of what must be going through their heads in the present. Ensley F. Guffey, co-author of Wanna Cook? The Complete, Unauthorized Guide to Breaking Bad, joins Paul and Arlo to continue their exploration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's acclaimed Vertigo series. The gang discusses how this volume shows society's evolution post-gendercide, puzzles over Yorick's motivations (what else is new?), and asks Ensley to be smart for them. Plus, Paul got his ass kicked by Atomic Blonde, and Ensley has a few choice words about Nazi Captain America.

Next: Greg Sahadachny of The Debatable Podcast returns to Gobbledygeek to discuss Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood ten years on.