Tom and Alberto visit the barnyard to check out the Disney Cash Cow. Our culture warriors tackle the socioeconomic side of the Marvel Universe, wonder why there are so many unnecessary remakes of popular films, and wonder if the Star Wars trilogy will ever start without an orphan, on a desert planet, with a cute droid friend.

What was the colour of the carpet in the Dursley home? Where were the stones used to build Hogwarts sourced from? How does the global wizarding economy function? More than a decade on from the publication of the 7th and "final" Harry Potter book, fans of the series just can't stop asking these sorts of questions - and JK Rowling continues to appease them by adding constant retcons (retroactive continuities, aka embellishing the original books). Join Tom and Alberto as they go through why so many of these questions actually take away from the enjoyment of the original work of art - and how the spinoff film series ("Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them") represents little more than a cash grab rooted in a lack of creativity. Is this what the Crucio curse feels like? 

Tom and Alberto dive into Korean cultural exports, discussing the brilliance of the film Parasite (seriously, have you seen it?!) and the Korean K-Pop machine, which is successful at exporting Korean music - but has questionable ethics. Our intrepid hosts also note how Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi’s voices got them where they are today… but perhaps not their looks. Sorry, lads.

It's All Things Scottish as Tom and Alberto discuss Burns Night, rugby, curling, and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus (okay, this last one might not actually be Scottish).

Tom and Alberto explore the "democratising" power of the Internet and compare how the US and UK choose their most powerful leaders. Guess which one is far more bizarre! As the US Democratic nomination officially kicks off tomorrow with the Iowa caucuses, be sure to listen in and realise just how mad - and unrepresentative - the whole process really is. 

Tom and Alberto present an epic first episode of a totally-well-planned, definitely-structured-ahead-of-time podcast. Drawing on Tom's Britishness and Alberto's American upbringing, listen as they chat about: what it's like to buy a home in Edinburgh, Scotland; the structure of the British versus Continental European legal systems; and the miscarriage of justice known as the Central Park Five case. Also, haggis.