Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now, and it’s our 100th episode! We celebrate by finally playing a board game together, the 1975 game 221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game. With a board similar to Clue, we read a mystery card at the start (in this instance, “The Adventure of the Unholy Man”) and then roll the die to travel throughout London’s different locations and pick up clues. We did encounter some expected challenges turning a board game into an audio medium (we recorded this in person! All together! In a large room!), so please allow us some grace in departing from our normal superb audio quality. We did try to cover up the person reading their clue to the listener without the other three hearing by humming songs, and it mostly worked. Katy is statistically significant, Carrie tries and fails to be sincere, Maddy knows about Hamlet exclusively through The Lion King, and Mack needs to look out for Enrique Iglesias. We do not believe in the honor system among siblings, stress we don’t cheat at Clue and are just very observant, think that Mom likes us all equally but for different reasons, and have a minor argument about who actually won. We also dig into our musical history by humming Vivaldi, Muppet songs, Chappell Roan, Star Wars, Beethoven, CCR, The Phantom of the Opera, and more. We do recommend listening with headphones as the audio quality is not our usual standard, but our goal was more to celebrate together and enjoy each other's company (ew). Have fun listening and being a fly on the wall at an O’Brien game night! 

Show Notes:

New episode out now! We delve into the strange dreamscape of David Lynch’s 1986 film Blue Velvet. We discuss how the movie was conceived mostly through thoughts and feelings, and while it feels like a somewhat creepy nostalgia-tinted stream of consciousness, it has a fairly straightforward mystery plot after it all plays out. We reaffirm that Lynch is “still weird” and has his subversive way of examining the world, wonder which drugs were involved in making the movie, enjoy the nebulous pocket universe of a 1950s/1980s time period, and really understand how it received a polarized reception from critics and movie fans alike. We were emotionally unprepared for the film but had a good discussion debating the themes of “traumatized innocence”, misogyny, perversion, generational trauma, and men being creeps. Katy tells a story about the first time she saw Top Gun, Carrie shares a fact about a pickled ear in a jar, Maddy is a connoisseur of cute butts, and Mack gives some important tips to keep in mind when visiting Bunker Hill. We also talk about weird de-aging CGI, speculate on a Lynchian Return of the Jedi, try impressions of a famous bird, and share our favorite cheap beers. We would like to give a special thank you to Jason Henson, a friend of Carrie’s, for his dossier of great information on the movie! Thank you Jason! Enjoy the episode listeners!

TW: Sexual assault, domestic abuse, rape, drug use, voyeurism, coerced sex work, trafficking, misogyny, stalking, body mutilation, bullying, police corruption 

Show Notes and Sources:

New episode out now! We cover the season two episode of Elementary “Dead Clade Walking”, starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as a modern-day Holmes and Watson living in New York City. We talk about this version of the duo compared to the books, and how the characters and their dynamic were adapted to become a CBS procedural. We appreciate the show’s treatment of addiction and how it affects the characters in short and long term ways, and discuss how in this particular episode the mystery was almost secondary to Sherlock’s struggles and growth as a sponsor. We enjoy the realistic and thought-out mannerisms imbued into the characters, think the wardrobe choices are excellent, are relieved by the lack of romance, and love that Sherlock remains a drama queen. Katy brags again about her single semester of geology, Carrie thinks paleontologists can’t be attractive or it’s suspicious, Maddy makes a great Lord of the Rings joke no one catches, and Mack shares his fossilization grift. We also reveal our family’s version of the Irish Goodbye, discuss the nonsense within but occasional necessity for academia, learn about dinosaurs and their relative time within the geological world, and get judgemental about shallot cutting techniques. Listen for more about learning languages, Sue the T. rex, trepanation as a metaphor, John Noble’s filmography, cyclops myths, and the legacy of Styrofoam. Enjoy!

TW: Drug addiction and recovery, autism spectrum, early taxidermy

Show Notes:

New episode out now! It’s an epic one - we all played the entirety of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, a 2021 update of the popular 2019 game where you play an amnesiac detective coming off a three-day bender trying to solve a murder in war-ravaged Revachol. We cover the gameplay and how you essentially had to embrace failure, and how the choices you make in the dialogue weave a tapestry of interactions and side quests that made us question our politics, morals, and even our existential existence. We talk about how all the characters were shades of gray and were not all morally bad or good, discuss the division between plot and story and the journey you went on as Harry, and thought that Kim Kitsuragi was the absolute best. We also compare our individual play strategies and what stats and trophies we ended up with, get surprised that our emotions could lie to us, and were ultimately frustrated with the eventual reveal of the killer even though that was also somewhat the point. Katy questioned her own reality, Carrie gets sad about a car, Maddy sings a number of times, and Mack doesn’t want to live an examined life. We also play around with some voice acting, get excited about teleportation, question governmental power, and learn the class war is never over. Listen to hear more about smelling gum wrappers, cryptids, Maddy testing Tim, communism, cool swords, and doing drugs. HARDCORE!

TW: Racism, homophobia, drug use, child abuse, fatphobia, rape, nuclear war, slurs, suicide, termination of pregnancy, communism, fascism, classism, alcoholism

Zoinks! There's a new episode out now! We revisit Mystery Inc. with the 2002 live-action film, Scooby-Doo. We learn about the original script and story and how much it differed from the final product, wonder if Scooby wasn't depicted well or just had bad CGI, love the real sets and production design, and again discuss the queer subtext of the gang. We get into the extreme 2000s of it all, including the push for hetero-normative relationships and capital F Feminism, the generic racism, the extreme gelled hair, and Sugar Ray. We commend the actors/casting and think they did an excellent job with a sub-par script, making the cartoon characters feel real but not too real, and again praise Matthew Lillard in particular. Katy shares a Bob’s Burgers theory, Carrie adds a movie to her “Never” list, Maddy thought the music was banging, and Mack is confident he could make a disco skull. We also recover some repressed memories, try not to (and fail) to bring up Buffy, test out some impressions, and discuss the odd attention to wig and hair choices. Listen to hear more about Hot Dog Water, Canada’s 2002 music charts, Greek mythology, Barbie, and Bones. Jinkies!

TW: Homophobia, casual racism, generalized depiction of both “tiki” and voodoo culture

SHOW NOTES:
Canada's Top 200 Alternative Albums of 2002 from Jamshobiz

New episode out now! We delve into the world of Monk with the season 4 episode “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut”. We discuss the character of Adrian Monk, propose the idea that the show exists in a slightly different reality, debate how it balances representation vs accuracy vs commercialism, and believe the long-term success hinged on the incredible talents of Tony Shalhoub (and an excellent theme song). We get into how the show portrays living with OCD and the situational depiction of the disorder; we cover varied opinions from people who live with it and wonder at the intentions of the writers and the studio along with the acting and directing choices. We appreciate that Monk goes to therapy and like that we see him react and then reflect, think the villain Wagner has horrible taste in cocktails but a pretty great alibi, love Captain Stottlemeyer (and all his roles), and are unenthused by the character of Natalie. Katy coins a new word, Carrie dusts off her psychology degree, Maddy believes children are evil beasts, and Mack is a Spy Kids franchise connoisseur. We also wonder if we would recognize an astronaut out and about in the street, cannot imagine owning a house, get mad at the inaccurate use of barbiturates, and reflect on the majesty of 2000s children’s movies. Give it a listen to hear about laser pointers, Daddy Captain, YouTube compilations, garage doors, and men failing upward. Enjoy!

TW: Pop culture/ incomplete depictions of obsessive-compulsive disorder/OCD, mental health issues, suicide, domestic abuse, slave catching as the foundation for modern American policing, Henry Kissinger, 2008 economic crisis

Show Notes:

New episode out now! We cover the first episode of Prime Suspect 1973 (or Prime Suspect: Tennison if you’re American), a 2017 prequel series about the early days of Jane Tennison’s law enforcement career. We enjoyed the more nuanced take it had regarding many things, including how the detectives treated drug users, how they presented the autopsy scene, and the time the show spent on the grief of the family. We discuss the differences in how the women of the police force are treated versus the men, talk about how they establish “good cop” Len Bradfield and the “bad cops” of the other detectives, love the character of Morgan and how competent she is, and continue to not understand London police organization. We love the 1970s setting and think it really adds a whole other level to the show; the costumes, set decoration, and especially the excellent music selection really enhanced the vibe. Katy points out multiple obvious things, Carrie was not impressed by the wigs, Maddy leads a moment of silence, and Mack thought there were too many greasy white boys. We also discuss the trope of a quirky medical examiner and how shows try to deal with the reality of a dead body, get excited about radios and ticker tape, learn Carrie was right about London buildings being cleaner, and do not approve of puking on screen. Listen to hear more about bleached Henry Cavill, British accents, Scone Palace, Night Court, and more! Plus, try to figure out which one of us had Covid while recording, which one was hungover, and which one had a few audio dropouts fixed in post! Enjoy!

TW: Drug addiction, sex work, sex work of a minor, murder of a sex worker, police abuse, misogyny, quality of low income housing, Grenfell Tower fire

Show Notes:

New episode out now! We watched the pilot episode of the 1980’s dramedy Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. We enjoy the chemistry and visual comedy work of the two leads and think they were both excellent, discuss the prevalence of the banter and how it dominates the dialogue of the show, learn a little bit about the production struggles, and call out the many recognizable guest stars who make an appearance. We talk about how this was “appointment TV” for so many people and how it remains a top show on many “Best Of” lists, absolutely love the ‘80s lifestyles and hair, and wonder if Bruce Willis’ contemporary charm helped David seem not as creepy in his initial stalker-ish and pushy behavior. We also cover the somewhat confusing mystery plot, make guesses at what 1980s computers can do, and realize we cannot compare everything to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Katy misinterprets an apparently common phrase, Carrie tries to be cool with new lingo, Maddy fixates on the butts, and Mack finds certain driving practices unforgivable. We also discuss proper diamond storage, make many Friends and Murder She Wrote references, learn about Orson Welles’ last role, and believe we should protect furries to save the internet. Listen to hear more about misunderstanding tax write-offs, barefoot running, ladder physics, confusing “Maddy” for “Maddy”, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Enjoy!

TW: Nazis, Holocaust diamonds, Woody Allen, misogyny

Show Notes:

New episode out now! We discuss the first episode of the Australian show Mystery Road, titled “Gone”. We talk about the familiar concept of “big city detective in small town” and how this show handled it, compare the town vibes and the inhabitants to others we are familiar with, and really enjoy how the cinematography highlights the vast otherness of the landscape. We admire the detective skills of Jay Swan, although we have reservations on how he gets his information and wonder if he is justified in withholding said information from the local police force. We also realize we are not that familiar with Australian media in general, and make a number of guesses regarding slang, geography, and how colonialism and racism shaped modern Australia differently than it shaped America. Katy is not familiar with meth, Carrie loses her breath over her own joke, Maddy is revisiting 2004 via an important historical record, and Mack calls out Minnesota in a harsh way. We also question why people live in harsh places, give suggestions on smooth brain content, learn how lucrative cattle rustling is, and wonder why How I Met Your Mother did not hold up as much as older sitcom shows. We touch on things like cowboy hats, Irish foreheads, adults watching children’s programming, and Red Dead Redemption 2 yet again. Give it a listen! 

TW: Colonialism, racism, pedophilia, drug use and addiction, cattle for food, brief mention of teen pregnancy and rape

Show Notes:

The animated children’s shows Jason Mantzoukas recommended on TV, I Say w Ashley Ray were Hilda and City of Ghosts, both on Netflix

New episode out now! We are finally covering the original literary Sherlock Holmes, after reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book "The Valley of Fear". We discuss the textual characters of Holmes and Watson, and realize they are both very dramatic characters in their own ways. We analyze the way Sherlock investigates and how he shows his work, debate his ethical judgment and how his need to show off may have led to more death, and discuss the obsession with Moriarty compared to his presence in the books. We also talk about the contextual history of these stories concerning Victorian attitudes towards male relationships and how they were - or were not- allowed to bond, lament the way women are written about by Doyle and debate Holmes’ attitude towards them, and wonder at the patriarchal male need to create opportunities to feel powerful and earn status. Katy pronounces denouement wrong yet again, Carrie gives some eyebrow waggles, Maddy deserves a large amount of credit and grace, and Mack does not care about being rude to us. We also cover the exceptional Knowledge of London cabbies and how it changes their brain, make guesses about what is in an almanac, and one of us even wrote a mysterious haiku. Listen to hear more about men-only clubs, “rubber ducking”, old shady banks, mob pensions, and sawed-off shotguns in Red Dead Redemption 2. And ONE of us quotes Brennan Lee Mulligan - but it’s not Mack! Enjoy! 

PS. Thank you to Maddy for completing the assignment on time - she deserves all the credit and the other three are horrible procrastinators.  

TW: Misogyny, Victorian views on homosexuality, shotgun wounds, indigenous trauma concerning forced removal, union gangs