Not Playing with Lex and Dan

We’re back, tracking down a techie McGuffin in the seventh installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise, the concisely named Furious 7.

Hot topics include the rat-a-tat nature of stunt sequences, whether this series would be better with supernatural elements, how far we can push miraculous healing, and the continued lack of development of female characters.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Furious 7

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

To London we go in this, the sixth installment of The Fast and the Furious series, 2013’s Fast & Furious 6.

Hot topics include when a twist is not a twist, the increasingly comic book superhero nature of these films, too long runways, and why some characters just have to die.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Fast & Furious 6

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We’re back, and it’s off to Brazil we go as we go from car racing to out-and-out robbery in the fifth installment of The Fast and Furious franchise, 2011’s Fast Five.

Hot topics include whether The Rock can redeem this franchise, the trouble with rooting for bad guys, giving as good as you get in a fight, and, of course, massive amounts of collateral damage.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Fast Five

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We may not be fast, but we’re definitely a little angry as we slog through the desert on the way to the fourth installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise, Fast & Furious.

Hot topics include twists that nobody cared about, an ever-so-marginally better treatment of women, bizarre chronology rearrangement, and why they keep making the same movie.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Fast & Furious

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Hop the plane to Japan, because we’re drifting right into the third installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Hot topics include the inexcusable objectification of women right off the bat, unfortunate accents, why everybody inexplicably wants to give the main character things, and, of course…the drift.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Hit the NOS and jump that bridge! We’re back with the second installment of our trip through The Fast and the Furious franchise, 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Hot topics include going all-in on sequel names right away, cookie-cutter villains, literally removing the voice of female characters, and are we having fun yet?

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

2 Fast 2 Furious

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We’re kicking off Season 5 of Not Playing by getting all speed and irascible with the first installment of the the storied automotive action franchise, 2001’s The Fast and the Furious.

Hot topics include how bad a cop Brian O’Conner is, the disappointing treatment of female characters circa 2001, and why exactly this movie spawned an action franchise.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

The Fast and the Furious

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We’ve got a good feeling about this. It’s member season around these parts, and Lex and Dan are back to their old Star Wars tricks, especially for you. Join daredevil pilot Dan Moren and charming gambler Lex Friedman as they steal away with 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Hot topics include whoever the hell Laredo is, speaking the Wookiee language, the somewhat mystifying fate of Qi’ra, and why Woody Harrelson playing a Woody Harrelson character is always a good thing.

Plus, we quickly deliver some angry news about the upcoming Not Playing Season 5.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

"Solo: A Star Wars Story"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Season 4 of Not Playing draws to a close with a dealer’s choice: 2012’s Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig, and released on the 50th anniversary of the franchise. A fitting end.

Hot topics include salt and pepper beards, Bond age, throwbacks to the beginning of the franchise, and what might be in store for season 5.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Skyfall

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

James Bond is a hard man to catch up to, but Dan and Lex have done just that as they sit down to watch the role’s current (as of this recording) portrayer, Daniel Craig, in his debut outing: 2006’s Casino Royale.

Hot topics include why blondes have more fun, Lex’s infuriation about onscreen poker protocol, and the secret origins of 007.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Casino Royale (2006)

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.