This week's episode of "Westworld" sure seemed like it sucked. But was it because it was a bad episode? Or was it because the episode seemed like a step backwards after the soft reboot of the season premiere? Or maybe was it because of the blink-and-you-might-miss-it cameo by Benioff and Weiss, which reminded us all over again what a complete, utter travesty the final season of "Game of Thrones" was? These are the big questions chewed over in the latest instalment of PCDD.

So "Westworld" returned for its third season, with an episode that felt like something between a hard and a soft reboot for the show. After most of the hosts had been sent to robot heaven at the end of season 2, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy decided to expand the universe of the show, bringing us to a lightly touched-up Singapore that's now meant to stand in for LA and introducing new characters. But has "Westworld" changed its mystery box ways? And is it taking a hard turn to a different set of thematic concerns? We ponder these and other questions this week.

In the dying days of 2019, Netflix dropped "The Witcher", its first foray into big-budget fantasy (although there's an argument to be made that Netflix has yet to produce anything as fantastical and divorced from reality as "House of Cards"). In amidst comparisons to "Game of Thrones" and "Xena: Warrior Princess", the actual merits of the show have been somewhat overlooked. The Pop Culture Double Daters are here to remedy that and to try to convince you that there might actually be a bit more depth to "The Witcher" than its video game history might suggest.

Almost two weeks after its release, controversy still rages over the latest instalment of the Skywalker Saga. Is this movie a giant middle finger to Rian Johnson? And if so, does Rian Johnson deserve it? Or does this most recent Star Wars epic finally confirm that JJ Abrams is no more than a not untalented hack? And what does this all mean for the health of the whole Star Wars brand? Listen in as Daz gets some feelings off his chest, with some assistance from his fellow double daters.

The premise was interesting: giving Elizabeth Banks and her pitch perfect (see what we did there?) eye for what's fun on screen a chance to helm a moribund franchise, while letting Kristen Stewart show us her well-hidden, never-before-seen talent for comedy. Did it work? Was the result a subversive action movie shot from a feminist point of view or a bland, low-energy misfire that wasted the talent of all involved? We ponder this very big question in the latest Pop Culture Double Date.

When "Joker" debuted in Venice, the word was that Todd Phillips had sneakily remade "Taxi Driver" as a comic book movie. Then just weeks later, the film was condemned as boring, nihilistic and provocative for its own sake. So who's right here? Does "Joker" transcend its comic book origins? Has Joaquin Phoenix delivered a performance to dethrone Heath Ledger's iconic turn as the Crown Prince of Crime? Is this movie dangerous? Does the transformation of Arthur Fleck into the Joker ring true? Join us as we chew over these and other big questions about one of the year's most strangely controversial films.

"Ad Astra". Is it "Apocalypse Now" in space or just a ponderous movie about the emotional journey of a man who's so dead inside that he's more robot than human being? Is the film ruined by the most heavy-handed voice-over since the theatrical cut of "Blade Runner" or is it saved by one of the most nuanced performances that Brad Pitt has ever given? These are just some of the big questions chewed over in this episode of Pop Culture Double Date.

Timed perfectly to distract the English from their recent struggles with Brexit, "Downton Abbey" may just be the most pleasant cash grab masquerading as fan service we've seen all year. Behold the Crawleys readying themselves for a visit by the King and Queen. Watch as Tom Branson tries to strike a balance between being an Irish republican and living a pretty sweet life as someone who married into English aristocracy. Gasp as Mary wonders whether being rich is all a bit too hard. All this, and more, in this week's episode of Pop Culture Double Date.

In a sign that we've reached peak universe-building in Hollywood, the most improbably successful action film franchise of them all has now got a spin-off. But it is any good? Does this movie work as an odd-couple comedy? We know that the Rock and Jason Statham have comedy chops, but does the script give them anything to work with? Does the undeniable charisma and presence of these two men make up for the absence of the main Fast and Furious crew? And will Deckard Shaw ever pay for the unforgivable murder of Han? All these questions, and more, in the latest pop culture double date.

Is Jon Favreau's photorealistic version of "The Lion King" a visionary re-imagining of a beloved tale or the latest in a series of increasingly cynical, nostalgia-soaked cash grabs by our entertainment overlords at Disney? What, if anything, does this latest retelling of the story of Simba and his slow acceptance of his destiny add to versions we've seen and loved before? Both these questions, and more, are grist for the mill in this week's pop culture double date.