Nerd Legion

By Last Free Nation

What's Nerd Legion about?

Nerd Legion is a weekly podcast exploring science fiction and fantasy TV shows and films as well as other aspects of nerd culture. Featuring long-time esports casting duo Erik "DoA" Lonnquist and Christopher "MonteCristo" Mykles, the show highlights their years of established synergy and banter to lend humor and insight into the latest pop culture trends.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Nerd Legion episodes:

06.23.2024
Star Wars Acolyte: How did they mess up so bad?!
Star Wars is back with The Acolyte and the franchise may have finally hit rock bottom. The new show on Disney+ is a nonsensical mess that backfires in its thematic choices and leaves viewers bored and with virtually no characters...
06.14.2024
FURIOSA: The prequel nobody wanted from the Mad Max Universe
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga debuted to critical acclaim, but weak box office sales. Monte and DoA discuss George Miller's latest effort and whether it lives up to the Mad Max legacy. With compelling performances from Chris Hemsworth and Anya...
06.07.2024
X-MEN '97: Nostalgia bait or is it actually good?
Disney+ has revived the late '90's X-Men animated series with a sequel set in the same era, X-Men '97. Resurrected by pop-culture necromancer Beau Demayo, this series may appeal to millennials desperate for any form of nostaligia, but for the...
06.03.2024
DUNE (1984): Hilariously bad... but it's good? | Lynch's Dune 40th anniversary
40 years after its release, Nerd Legion revisits David Lynch's version of Dune from 1984, which stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides. DoA and Monte discuss the differences between this first attempt to put Dune on film with the recent...
05.20.2024
SHŌGUN: FINAL REVIEW of the intrigue thriller | A wonderful period drama
We return to Shogun on Nerd Legion to give our final review and to discuss the second half of the series, which concludes Toranaga's ambitious character arc. The latter half of the show focuses on the deep political intrigue of...
05.11.2024
REBEL MOON 2: Reviewing Snyder's DIASTROUS sequel | Why is it SO BAD?
Not simply content with making one terrible Rebel Moon movie, Zack Snyder delivers another via Netflix called Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver. Almost nothing happens in this film as it decides to dedicate its running time to slow motion...
05.04.2024
FALLOUT: A GOOD video game adaptation?! | Jonathan Nolan's suspense and humor
Amazon Prime tapped Jonathan Nolan to create an adaptation of the video game property Fallout, which largely succeeds in providing and entertaining expansion of the games' world. Originally created by Bioware and followed-up with titles from Bethesda, Fallout portrays a...
04.28.2024
NINJA KAMUI: TERRIBLE flashback storytelling & old tropes | NOTHING new
Made for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, Sunghoo Park's Ninja Kamui breaks no new ground for anime or film/TV shows in general, instead preferring to lean on every trope imaginable. The show uses flashbacks to tell the story in the worst...
04.22.2024
3 BODY PROBLEM: Brains in space, an alien invasion & the Cultural Revolution
Netflix's adaptation of The Three Body Problem, originally a novel in Chinese by Liu Cixin, provides audiences with a fun, if flawed, hard science-fiction show. Created by D. B. Weiss and David Benioff of Game of Thrones fame, many actors...
03.31.2024
SHŌGUN: Political intrigue and murderous plots in feudal Japan
Nerd Legion returns to review the new FX television miniseries Shogun, which can be found streaming on Hulu. Based on James' Clavell's 1975 novel and previously filmed in 1980, the new version by creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo provides...
03.17.2024
DUNE 2: The pinnacle of modern sci-fi cinema | Fremen, faith and false prophets
Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part Two burst onto the screen in 2024 to an excellent reception, and Nerd Legion also gives plaudits to this wonderful film. Monte and DoA have an in-depth discussion on changes from the books, the success of...
03.03.2024
AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER: Successes and failures of the live-action adaptation
Netflix's live-action adaptation of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender has drawn criticism from fans of the original, but still retains much of the magic and excellent world-building that made it great. The wonderous aesthetics and fantastical bending magic...
02.18.2024
BLUE EYE SAMURAI: A thousand old tropes remixed into a new, beautiful whole
Blue Eye Samurai dropped on Netflix in 2023 and became one of our favorites shows of 2023, if not the best show on Nerd Legion thus far. While chock-full of tropes from Tarantino, Zatoichi, Kurosawa, Mulan, and more, the show...
01.22.2024
REBEL MOON: The TERRIBLE version of everything you've seen before
Netflix released Zack Snyder's unique terrible Rebel Moon in 2023, and Monte and DoA are here to tell you exactly how bad it is. The film is derivative of a litany of other science-fiction and fantasy film as well as...
01.02.2024
MONARCH: Why are there NO MONSTERS in the MONSTERVERSE? / What is MONARCH?
DoA and MonteCristo review the first five episodes of the new AppleTV+ show set in the MonsterVerse, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Starring Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt, who plays the younger version of Kurt, and set in both the...
12.19.2023
SCAVENGERS REIGN: the BEST sci-fi of 2023? Adventures on a truly alien world
Scavengers Reign is quietly one of the best TV shows of 2023 and offers a totally unique science-fiction experiences set on the truly alien world of Vesta. Created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner and based on an animated short...
12.08.2023
LOKI: Final review on Marvel's time-skipping, multi-versal banger
Nerd Legion wraps up the second half of Loki's season two, which certainly doesn't disappoint. Monte and DoA discuss the success of the show, particularly the strength of the core cast, the satisfying conclusion of the Loki character arc, and...
11.22.2023
SURF NINJAS: The BEST 90's ninja movie? Unintentionally hilarious
DoA forces Monte to watch a forgotten kids' movie from 1993, the terrible and hilarious Surf Ninjas. Clearly attempting to capitalize on the martial arts craze arising from Karate Kid and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the film contains notable actors...
10.30.2023
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER: A gruesomely fun and heavy-handed Poe tribute
Mike Flanagan's latest horror effort, The Fall of the House of Usher, has arrived on Netflix just in time for Halloween! Serving as a modernized tribute and anthology to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, it weaves together a variety...
10.23.2023
LOKI: Zany time travel, witty banter, and McDonald's product placement
Nerd Legion is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this week with the start of Loki Season 2, which, unlike the tragic Secret Invasion, appears to be well-crafted and entertaining. The three primary actors in this season, Tom Hiddleston, Owen...
10.13.2023
AHSOKA: Thrawn is an IDIOT, deus ex machina writing, giant plot holes
Ahsoka's first season wraps up with the reveal of Grand Admiral Thrawn, long-anticipated by fans of the Star Wars extended universe. Unfortunately, his characterization as a complete buffoon leaves Monte in shock, since he bears little resemblance to his portrayal...
09.27.2023
AHSOKA: The return of Anakin, stylish Jedi battles, and Kurosawa's influence
Nerd Legions dives further into Ahsoka as the show fleshes out her character with the return of Anakin Skywalker and flashbacks to her past. The show includes incredibly impressive visuals, well-choreographed lightsaber battles, and an admirable commitment to the Star...
08.30.2023
AHSOKA: REVIEW of Star Wars' newest show / Is it a RETCON of the sequel trilogy
New Star Wars content arrives in the form of the first two episodes of Ahsoka, with Nerd Legion here to provide an initial impression and review as the Disney+ series kicks off. DoA and MonteCristo discuss where this show fits...
08.25.2023
STRANGE NEW WORLDS: the best episode yet, boy band Klingons, and a cliffhanger
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wraps up its second season this week with three strong episodes. The dreaded musical episode was actually executed well and in a manner consistent with the tone of the franchise and, even better, we were...
08.19.2023
WILLOW: does it still hold up 35 years later? / Reviewing a childhood classic
Conceived by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard in 1988, Willow has reached its 35th anniversary and Nerd Legion reviews this childhood classic. Upon release, it was a landmark in special effects and enchanted a generation with its simple...
08.10.2023
THE WITCHER: crippled Cavill, wizard battles, and inexplicable unicorns
In spite of the compelling build-up for the Battle of Thanedd, the second half of Netflix's The Witcher Season 3 massively drops the ball in terms of pacing and execution to close out Henry Cavill's tenure on the show. The...
08.02.2023
SECRET INVASION: the WORST Marvel film/show EVER?! / SNW x Lower Decks crossover
Secret Invasion faceplants at the end of the series, not only ruining its own story arc, but creating unavoidable problems for the entire Marvel universe moving forward. How can they reconcile the power level of G'iah as she assumes the...
07.27.2023
THE WITCHER: A good story badly told / Wizards, intrigue, and horny wine
Monte and DoA tackle the first five episodes of The Witcher Season 3, which continues Geralt's saga as political intrigue builds among the mages and Ciri eludes her many pursuers. They touch on the success of the first two seasons...
07.20.2023
Secret Invasion's MARVEL FATIGUE problem / SNW becomes REAL Star Trek!
This week, Nerd Legion returns to Marvel's Secret Invasion and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. While Secret Invasion drags on with ridiculous situations and boring action, there are a few good scenes and performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Don...
07.11.2023
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny REVIEW / Nostalgia bomb to end the series
In the first episode of Nerd Legion to examine a feature film, Monte and DoA discuss their (mostly) fond impressions of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. They explain some of the historical details the movie build upon, including...
07.05.2023
Secret Invasion: Is Marvel's spy show a SUCCESS? / Strange New Worlds: Kirk date
DoA and Monte return their attention to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds this week as they discuss whether the time-travel episode with Kirk was actually worse than season two's opener. These two episodes are chock-full of ridiculous moments, including an...
06.20.2023
Strange New Worlds: a good intro to STAR TREK? / DISAPPOINTING start to Season 2
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has resumed, so Monte and DoA discuss their impressions and review the first season as well as the disappointing start of season two. Is the show an adequate intro for Trek newbies, despite constantly pilfering...

What's Nerd Legion about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Nerd Legion episodes:

Star Wars Acolyte: How did they mess up so bad?!

FURIOSA: The prequel nobody wanted from the Mad Max Universe

X-MEN '97: Nostalgia bait or is it actually good?

DUNE (1984): Hilariously bad... but it's good? | Lynch's Dune 40th anniversary

SHŌGUN: FINAL REVIEW of the intrigue thriller | A wonderful period drama

REBEL MOON 2: Reviewing Snyder's DIASTROUS sequel | Why is it SO BAD?

FALLOUT: A GOOD video game adaptation?! | Jonathan Nolan's suspense and humor

NINJA KAMUI: TERRIBLE flashback storytelling & old tropes | NOTHING new

3 BODY PROBLEM: Brains in space, an alien invasion & the Cultural Revolution

SHŌGUN: Political intrigue and murderous plots in feudal Japan

DUNE 2: The pinnacle of modern sci-fi cinema | Fremen, faith and false prophets

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER: Successes and failures of the live-action adaptation

BLUE EYE SAMURAI: A thousand old tropes remixed into a new, beautiful whole

REBEL MOON: The TERRIBLE version of everything you've seen before

MONARCH: Why are there NO MONSTERS in the MONSTERVERSE? / What is MONARCH?

SCAVENGERS REIGN: the BEST sci-fi of 2023? Adventures on a truly alien world

LOKI: Final review on Marvel's time-skipping, multi-versal banger

SURF NINJAS: The BEST 90's ninja movie? Unintentionally hilarious

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER: A gruesomely fun and heavy-handed Poe tribute

LOKI: Zany time travel, witty banter, and McDonald's product placement

AHSOKA: Thrawn is an IDIOT, deus ex machina writing, giant plot holes

AHSOKA: The return of Anakin, stylish Jedi battles, and Kurosawa's influence

AHSOKA: REVIEW of Star Wars' newest show / Is it a RETCON of the sequel trilogy

STRANGE NEW WORLDS: the best episode yet, boy band Klingons, and a cliffhanger

WILLOW: does it still hold up 35 years later? / Reviewing a childhood classic

THE WITCHER: crippled Cavill, wizard battles, and inexplicable unicorns

SECRET INVASION: the WORST Marvel film/show EVER?! / SNW x Lower Decks crossover

THE WITCHER: A good story badly told / Wizards, intrigue, and horny wine

Secret Invasion's MARVEL FATIGUE problem / SNW becomes REAL Star Trek!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny REVIEW / Nostalgia bomb to end the series

Secret Invasion: Is Marvel's spy show a SUCCESS? / Strange New Worlds: Kirk date

Strange New Worlds: a good intro to STAR TREK? / DISAPPOINTING start to Season 2