Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

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What is Star Wars? This question lies at the heart of our discussion, and we think at the heart of every Star Wars project in any medium. Cam has a novel (and possible stupid) new answer to this question, and this episode tracks the cascade of epiphanies about the Star Wars franchise that were sparked by his recent playthrough of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. We're talking about identity crises and some light color theory, and westerns and space fantasy, but more importantly, there's a character in the game named Turgle who kinda looks like Maggie. Look it up.

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The friendship between Tyrion and Bronn is a fan favorite. In this episode we explore the roots of this relationship: Cam points to the transactional nature of every plot point in this chapter, exposing the bitter corruption and self-interest that plagues Westeros (and especially Bronn and Tyrion); while Maggie returns to her "court fool" theory from a few chapters back, arguing that Tyrion may not be the only fool in this story. Tolkien and Sapkowski come into the mix here, as do shadowcats, the problem of evil, and curious choices of meat.

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Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Final Fantasy XVI gave us something that we've been missing from modern fantasy -- sweeping, romantic, breathtaking heroism. In this episode, we start by introducing the Final Fantasy series and our history with fantasy games before drilling down on the elusive, magical parts of this world that really spoke to us. Topics include: a la carte storytelling, heroic scale, aspirational heroism, role playing, flow states, difficulty modifiers, and our evolving relationship with the fantasy genre.

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After just five chapters, Jon Snow has left a profound impression on us. His story is told differently than any other POV character, and in this episode we make the case that GRRM's sporadic, snapshot rendering of Jon gives him a heroic theatricality. Cam revisits the previous Jon chapters to analyze the character's escalating, revolving door of roles and companions. Is Jon meant to be a character we can believe in, or just another cautionary tale? Maggie elevates the discussion with some pointed Tolkien echoes and we work together to make sense of the relationship between Jon and Ghost as veiled hunters.

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Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Diablo IV is officially great. Last season overhauled the core systems and solidified the game's fun factor, but this season makes some equally vital investments in endgame content and class balancing. Barbarian is finally good! The art direction continues to be top tier! Gold finally matters! Discussion segments include: state of the game, campaign impressions, class update, wrap-up questions, and a reflective, bittersweet post-mortem of Destiny 2.

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Here it is, the long-awaited trial by combat chapter! The fight itself inspires a conversation about whether or not 'justice' exists in the world of Westeros. Maggie also dives into the many mysteries of the Weeping Woman (or is there more than one?) Cam reframes our despised Robert Arryn as a kaleidoscopic political cartoon of the monarchy, and we examine the glorious, destabilizing suspicion that GRRM creates as he unravels his inciting incident halfway through the book!

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The best movies are the ones that surprise you. Strange Darling was not at all what we expected, and we couldn't be happier about it. Our spoiler-filled discussion dives deep into everything that made this movie fantastic, from stylized imagery and playful structure to deliciously subverted expectations and wonderfully robust characters. And the parallels to classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre were delectable cherries on top. This movie feels like a watershed moment for arthouse horror, one whose influence will be felt for decades. Let's get into it!

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In six ruthlessly efficient pages, George R. R. Martin epitomizes his distinct brand of medieval fantasy. Ned Stark's turning point becomes a breaking point as the ghosts of his past and horrors of his present force him to confront his bleak future. We break down this purgatorial distillation echo to make the case that Ned has become one of the ghosts in his dreams. We close by reviewing four more Wizard of Ozstyle man-behind-the-curtain reveals that see the author shattering the romantic archetypes of fantasy.

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Sing Sing dramatizes the real life story of a theater troupe in a maximum security prison. Not only did the movie absolutely floor us, but it evoked one of the most formative, powerful, life changing movies we've ever seen: Dead Poets Society. This episode explores those remixes and archetypes. We also reflect on the film's powerful, universal message about the power of art. This is a celebration of the best movie of the year.

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Tyrion's treacherous journey through the Eyrie pulls us in wildly different directions. Maggie is inspired to do a deep dive on court jesters and fools, the overlooked and underestimated wild cards of royal life. Cam base jumps into Greek mythology and the myth of Sisyphus, where he finds an eerie number of tragic parallels, not just to Tyrion, but to all the Lannisters. Together, we work to question and decode these theories and better understand the future Hand of the King.

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