Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now! We watched “The Orpheus Syndrome”, a season one episode of Poker Face which was created by Rian Johnson and stars Natasha Lyonne as human lie detector Charlie Cale. We talk about the obvious influence of Columbo; not only with the title design but in how the episodes are structured, how it is so character-driven that the guest stars are really the stars, and how Charlie is kind of just there talking to people until they are confronted with their actions. We compare this to other Rian Johnson productions and like that it pushes forward his themes of exploring the unseen people within our world and how everyone matters. We also talk about how Charlie has no authority and cannot arrest anyone, get into the motivations and manipulative behavior of the murderer, enjoyed the vocal volleying of Natasha Lyonne and Nick Nolte, and confront that this episode concerning guilt and loss was just also very sad. Katy mixes up The Lord of the Rings and Shakespeare, Carrie took a photography class, Maddy loves a little scurry, and Mack has a point of order. We loved the excellent production design and artistry of the episode (especially the very cool stop-motion props and footage), discuss the often uncredited women behind the films of auteur men, learn the term “fair play” in regards to mystery stories, and really just love a horse. Listen to hear more about Quantum Leap, the snail question, Phil Tippett, VHS extras, internalized misogyny, Macbeth, shaving heads, and Star Trek. Enjoy!

TW: Misogyny, child trafficking, suicide

Show Notes:

• Marcia Lucas (née Griffin) edited Star Wars (1977) and Return of the Jedi (1983), as well as THX 1138 (1971) and American Graffiti (1973).
• Emma Thomas has produced all of the feature films directed by Christopher Nolan.

New episode out now! We take a semi-detour to a galaxy far, far away with the season three episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “Sphere of Influence”. We debate the role of the Jedi within the Republic and talk about how they serve as diplomats, law enforcement, security, advisors, monks, or investigators whenever the need arises. We discuss how this show is for children and therefore the “mystery” is highly simplified, think the tone can swing wildly between Saturday Morning Cartoon and complicated political intrigue, pick apart the sequel trilogy at length, and are mildly amused by the George Lucas self-insert character. We also talk about bonkers Star Wars nomenclature, think it is interesting that this episode dealt with the blocking of trade routes and frustration with a slow democratic process, and lament the oversaturation and corporatization of Star Wars media as a whole. Katy forgot about LEGOs, Carrie is haunted by images of dismemberment, Maddy has a skeleton friend, and Mack does a lot of explaining (and justifying). We also are very confused by the abundance of mismatched accents, touch on the topic of gender in a galaxy full of different alien species, discuss how sci-fi / fantasy mysteries are harder to judge as they have different rules, and Mack runs a mini-game where we try to differentiate between real and fake character names. Listen to hear more about familiar props, weird animation, The Fast and the Furious, cool stunt doubles, Arthurian knights, beach towels, and the mouths of Rodians. We also want to give a shout out to voice actors – within this episode you will hear our attempted impressions of various Star Wars characters as well as John Wayne, the Green Goblin, stun lasers, goats, and more! Enjoy!

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars – it’s good sometimes.” - Mack

TW: Current global politics, John Wayne Gacy, Catholic priest scandals, racism, slavery. There is also an audible burp at 00:03:52.

Show Notes:

• A few excellent Tumblr posts: 

• George Lucas Star Wars v Disney Star Wars

• Obi-Wan in the cantina

• Trilogy concepts and execution comparison

• Katy was wrong about Dr. Mandible being a character in Futurama. She was thinking about Dr. Zoidberg.

• Greedo in heels

• The music used under the game intro is “The Path of the Force” by Luis Humanoide; YouTube link here
  

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of Deadloch, an Australian dark comedy mystery where two very different detectives are thrown together to solve a baffling serial murder case. We really liked how atmospheric it was, setting a very different tone which was then offset by the excellent and sharply hilarious writing. We discuss the two main characters and how they felt refreshingly unique in the mystery show landscape, loved the wacky small-town antics, think that female creators really know how to write nuanced and fleshed out relationships, and talk about how you can stereotype with love. Katy was clocked by her bird app, Carrie loves an adult choir, Maddy comes up with a great nickname, and Mack does not have anger triggers. We also talk about tropes of ‘90s feminism, get caught by rage bait, learn Australian slang, rant about hotel bathroom doors, and learn so much about seagull copulation. Listen to hear more about the murder cascade (or snowball), equal opportunity nudity, Columbo, speakerphone etiquette, lesbians, Taskmaster, and even more seagull sex facts. Enjoy!

TW: Nudity, mutilation of a body, suicide

Show Notes:

• Taskmaster New Zealand Series 1 playlist with Madeleine Sami
• Taskmaster Australia Series 1 playlist with Nina Oyama (not Nina Okama, apologies) 
• Recent CNN article about Neal the Seal
• Some Australians call a minor car accident a “bingle” or “prang” as illustrated in this Tumblr post (image here on Reddit)
• The app Katy uses for her (casual) bird identification and logging is Merlin Bird ID from Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University
• If you want to tell your elected officials that you do not want data centers, we recommend using 5 Calls which can connect you to your specific officials and offer many scripts and options to contact them about many issues, including anti-data center concerns

New episode out now! We read the 2018 novel The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, described by many reviewers as a mixture of Agatha Christie, Quantum Leap, and Groundhog Day. We talk about how the book was very confusing and at times frustrating, taking us through twists and turns and paths and timelines and ultimately snowballing until all the threads pulled together at the very end. We comment on how the book gave us a lot to keep track of yet we could not trust anything we knew, thought that all of the characters were interesting but not good people, discuss how there are in reality three separate mysteries, and are very grateful for book club Reddit. We also really get into the wordbuilding and what it means for their society, delve into the meaning of personhood, compare the experience of reading to RPG, and praise the editors for keeping everything straight. Katy had 18 pages of notes, Carrie proofread a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, Maddy forgot what blancmange is, and Mack completed a lot of collector missions in Red Dead Redemption 2. We also investigate how our comprehension is affected (or not affected) when reading a physical book versus an eBook versus an audiobook, share the crafts and busywork we do with our hands when reading or watching things, discuss what we would do in a Groundhog Day situation, and talk about The Good Place a lot. Listen to hear more about Justin McElroy, Star Trek, Jeremy Bearimy, fainting, Disco Elysium, autism, and a lot of audible note shuffling. And please remember to support your local library! Enjoy!

Spoiler Warning: In addition to spoiling this whole book, we also spoil The Good Place and The Outer Worlds video game.

TW: Fatphobia, sexual assault, British Imperialism, Margaret Thatcher, vomiting

Show Notes:

• The Times review
• The Guardian Review
• The Seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Summary By Med Kharbach, PhD
• The last summary post of JesusAndTequila on Reddit

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the Netflix show How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, a story about three women investigating the sudden death of their estranged childhood friend who held a mysterious secret. We discuss how this is a very vibes-heavy show, loved the Northern Irish setting and appreciated that it was in modern day, and got excited about the fact that we don’t have a clue what is happening and how we all had different theories. We also loved the specificity of the early 2000s music and cyclical fashion choices, really enjoyed the cinematography, and have deeper discussions surrounding personhood and friendship and memory and who we are when we return to those who knew us long ago. Katy felt like a boomer, Carrie critiques flashlight use, Maddy reveals her car’s name, and Mack shares anchoring techniques. We also talk about our deep psychological need to prove we’re right, have a lengthy tangent about digital preservation and the transient nature of modern digital culture, learn not to drive in Ohio at night, and believe that Europe has just as many trash people as the US. Listen to hear more about mudlarking, Avril Lavigne, Community, MBTA closures, The Lord of the Rings, wearing dresses over jeans, age gap relationships, and Zune’s. Enjoy!

TW: Existentialism about death, age difference relationship, gaslighting, Fred and Rose West

Show Notes and Links:

• The Deep Dive Academy, Podcast

• Aisling Bea on QI: Aisling Bea’s Irish Version of Twinkle Twinkle

• When Your Digital Life Vanishes by Julian Lucas, New Yorker Article

• NETFLIX HAD ANOTHER BAD IDEA : AGE OF ATTRACTION | KennieJD

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the Netflix show The Law According to Lidia Poët, about the first female lawyer in Italy. We discuss the character of Lidia and how she is portrayed, and how we massively share her frustrations with the opinions and limitations put upon her by the misogynistic patriarchal society. We compare this to other mysteries set in the same era in different countries, try to decide what level of feminist rage bait the show attempts, and enjoy how Lidia had to use her cleverness to get around the limitations put upon her to solve the crime. We also really loved the production design; the locations and sets were beautiful (if occasionally anachronistic) and we especially loved Lidia’s costumes and her very specific and fun jewelry. Katy loves her some historical scaffolding, Carrie shares a fun fact about adapting buildings for acoustics, Maddy does an incredible impression, and Mack tells a story about someone finding a cool pencil. We also learn that France and Italy are not the same, make guesses on how court cases are supposed to share information, disagree about the use of rock music, and talk at length about seeing a penis. Listen to hear more about Count Orlok, scientific women in history, Severance, butts, childbirth inventions, and family dynamics. Enjoy!

TW: Misogyny, traumatic childbirth, violence to women specifically

New episode out now! We try to go viral with the 2001 partially-animated comedy Osmosis Jones. We delve into how the live action and animation feel so disconnected tonally, discuss how we did enjoy the worldbuilding and the sheer amount of puns and visual jokes, thought the music choices were not appropriate, and share how we were also just really, really, really grossed out. We talk about why children would watch this in school, despair at the racist shorthand so common in children’s media of this time, lament the parentification of Shane and wish her dad was better, and ultimately feel this was an interesting idea that was just not executed well. Katy brings up Buffy again, Carrie auditions for The Pitt, Maddy gives an interesting review of B-Dubs, and Mack has an apology to prepare for the afterlife. We also reiterate that farts are funny, learn about species-typical behavior, get excited about a hive mind, and are semi-confident in our knowledge of the human body. Listen to hear more about symptom management, Disney sequels, Laurence Fishburne, mente de gorila, the hypothalamus, mayoneggs, and scheming little brothers. And eat more fiber! Enjoy!

TW: Statutory rape, racism, fatphobia, puking, virology, cancer

Show Notes:

If you want to watch a different version of the “immune system response as shown by law enforcement fighting germs” we recommend Cells at Work! which exists as a manga, anime show, and a live-action movie on Netflix.

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the atmospheric 2017 miniseries The Loch, or Loch Ness in the US. We talk about trying to keep track of the multitude of characters and their connections in this small tourist town, discuss the many subplots and possible red herrings, wonder just how many secrets are hidden within the community, and enjoyed the working relationship between the DCI and the local DS. We loved the setting on Loch Ness and really enjoyed the vibes, thought the tourist town setting was interesting as it is a place people pass through, debate how to handle releasing info about a possible serial killer to the public, and discuss how it can be difficult to judge a miniseries based on the infodump of a first episode. Katy’s daily newspaper is Tumblr, Carrie climbed a mountain and only fell down once, Maddy shares an interesting story about something she encountered at work, and Mack wants to get into HEMA fighting. We also discuss lobotomy techniques, learn fun facts about curling stones, talk a lot about various viscera, and share tips on what media to consume to keep the howling void away. Listen to hear more about Colin Mochrie, thalassophobia, rivalries, Hamnet, geology, news bloopers, duck boat tours, and hot Scots. Enjoy!

TW: Lobotomy, homophobia, pedophilia, animal dissection, organ removal, viscera

SHOW NOTES:

• News Reporter Mountain Climber

• The Loch was renamed Loch Ness in the US.

New episode out now! We take another trip to Victorian London with the season one episode of Granada Television’s Sherlock Holmes, “The Blue Carbuncle”. We discuss how this adaptation tried to be very faithful to the source material, loved the lived-in depiction of the Victorian era, and enjoyed the lighthearted mystery of following a Christmas goose—backwards. We get into the almost-too-obsessive, somewhat manic, but ultimately great performance of Jeremy Brett as Holmes, and how paired with David Burke’s Watson they felt like actual friends who enjoy solving mysteries together and just have fun. We also learn some sad behind-the-scenes stories about the production of the show. Katy recognized a man’s eyebrows, Carrie spent a summer waiting for a woman to get out of a hole, Maddy does a great Werner Herzog impression, and Mack pitches an interesting experiment. We also talk about supply chain management, break down buying poultry at the market, object to some of Mack’s specific verbiage, and learn the other definitions of “carbuncle”. Listen to hear more about goose fights, Passions, big Gollum energy, penguins, hot water, backlot tours, and more. Enjoy!

TW: Racism, colonialism, imperialism, drug use, descriptions of poultry processing, mental health issues, heart problems, medical abscess descriptions

Show Notes:

• When this episode first aired the series was called The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; each of the four series of Holmes stories produced by Granada Television had different titles but were ultimately collected into one “show” with the overall title of Sherlock Holmes. Wiki

• Penguin, Depressed…

• The Adventures Of Prince Achmed (1926)

• If you are curious, Holmes shows up in some capacity in 11 other episodes of our podcast:

• 6. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) (September 2019)

• 12. Gravity Falls, “Headhunters” (December 2019)

• 24. Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Elementary, Dear Data” and “Ship in a Bottle” (June 2020)

• Bonus: Enola Holmes (2020) (October 2020)

• 32. Sherlock Holmes (2009) (October 2020)

• 55. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) (November 2021)

• Bonus: Enola Holmes 2 (2022) (November 2022)

• 73. The Great Mouse Detective (1986) (January 2023)

• 91. The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (March 2024)

• 98. Elementary, “Dead Clade Walking” (July 2024)

• 100. 221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game (September 2024)

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, a quirky scifi show about a “holistic detective”. We discuss the fact that, due to the nature of the holistic premise, Dirk Gently is not actually that great of a detective; things just keep happening around him enough that he eventually figures stuff out without pursuing any clues specifically. We learn about the addition of Todd to the original premise and enjoyed his realistic reactions to the wild situations, get into the mystery box storytelling device utilized in shows like this, speculate about unreliable narration and what holistic interconnectedness actually means, and do agree it felt very Douglas Adams does Doctor Who - because it kind of is. Katy is face-blind to white brunette women, Carrie will always stop for dogs, Maddy cannot stop thinking about X2, and Mack misses boredom. We also learn about great t-shirts to wear with your partner, understand that interesting does not mean good, have questions about Seattle real estate, and would not turn down $10,000. Listen to hear more about sucking life forces, LOST, weird brain stuff, learning languages, bus procedures, shapeshifting, and more. Enjoy!

TW: Drug use, hallucinations