Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

Surprise! Cam's brand new audio drama / novel Lemon Tarts in Space! is available right now, right here!

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Diablo IV's sixth season is a mixed bag. The gameplay is great, the underlying systems are better than they've ever been - it's just that there's not that much to actually do beyond the standard endgame grind. Is this even a problem? How could things have been different? And how does the new Spiritborn class evolve through the paragon boards? Let's dive in!

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When in doubt, don't leave a paper trail. Sansa's treasonous letters are the latest in a long line of smoking gun documents that have incriminated and condemned our favorite characters. This chapter is all about books and songs and letters – and the stories we tell ourselves. Is Sansa's idealism a naïve delusion or an aspirational faith in humanity? Is her self-interest par for the course in Westeros or uniquely treasonous? Can we condemn her? Can we forgive her? And what do we learn from this moral stalemate?

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Cam had a lightbulb moment after our latest rewatch of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Franklin is Leatherface. This episode charts Cam's new theory from that initial germ of an idea through a series of Franklin's most conspicuous and recurring resentments before building to a brand new, revelatory reframing of the entire Sawyer family. Eureka!

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Can we ever escape our narrative expectations? Can a hero's defeat ever feel satisfying? This chapter foreshadows an eight-season / seven-book arc for Arya Stark that cannot come to pass. We are forced to challenge our conception of heroes and unshakeable desire for happy endings. At the same time, this story's central binary of life and death is transgressed and complicated half a dozen times. All of our big ideas and theories just got thrown into the blender. Let's see what the smoothie tastes like!

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Cam and Tristan go deep on one of the greatest love stories and television miniseries of our time, Normal People. Topics include: narrative two-handers, literary depth, onscreen masculinity, epic structure, viewing habits, the language of color, and the uncertain prospect of a sequel.

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The king is dead, long live the king. Joffrey's ascension surprises us by eerily mirroring Jon Snow's induction into the Night's Watch. Maggie tracks some color theory to reveal the power dynamics of the throne room coup. We stop to consider Ned Stark and all of his various principles, shortcomings, and tragedies. When does he lose? Why does he lose? And more importantly, why do the Lannisters allow him to survive past this pivotal chapter?

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The Venom movies are not good or bad, they are fun -- and that's something worth celebrating / discussing. Topics include: Tom Hardy's indelible chemistry with Tom Hardy, comic book pacing, Woody Harrelson's commitment, the ongoing misuse of Reid Scott, and Eddie / Venom shippers. Oh and somewhere in there we take a look at Venom: The Last Dance, which is very not good.

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Oh look, even more evidence that Jon is the Prince That Was Promised. Maggie's got a blockbuster theory that unites all of our outstanding prophecies around Jon Snow in an avalanche of fire and blood imagery. Cam examines this chapter as a complex restaging of the Prologue that elevates the series' preoccupation with death to new heights.

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The apt comparison when discussing the first expansion of Diablo IV has to be the first expansion for Diablo III, and let's just say this -- Vessel of Hatred is no Reaper of Souls. In this episode, we'll break down this comparison in terms of aesthetic and plot before diving into the new class offered by each expansion. We also discuss some unfortunate technical bugs, the game's sudden hostility to couch co-op, and the more general state of the game in October 2024. Finally, we close with a meditation on the 'fun factor' of this disappointing release, and consider the future of Diablo IV.

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00:00 Introduction / Outline

01:20 The Shadow of Reaper of Souls

02:42 Aesthetic (VOH / ROS)

10:21 Plots (VOH / ROS)

17:36 New Class (VOH / ROS)

25:03 Theory: Choice Paralysis

30:43 Is Spiritborn a New Experience?

35:42 Updated Class Ranking

37:17 Technical Bugs

42:38 State of the Game

46:34 Fun Factor / Closing Thoughts