Episode Summary

Frank and Jonathan are officially back for 2026 after a hectic but fun holiday break, including the Geek Freaks Network Christmas party and a little self-awareness about how often podcasters say "you know." From there, they hand out their personal "best of 2025" picks across movies, TV, superhero projects, and games, plus run through the community poll winners.

Then it's full speed into 2026 hype: a family-friendly movie calendar, the big "adult list" blockbusters (including the absolute chaos of Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3 landing the same day), and the TV slate they're most excited to keep on the radar. They close with a spoiler-heavy talk on the Stranger Things finale and what the show stuck the landing on, especially character growth, the goodbye energy, and how cinematic the final battles felt.

Timestamps and Topics

• 00:00 Welcome back, holiday break recap, and the Geek Freaks Network Christmas party
• 01:45 "Best of 2025" picks: movies, TV, and what surprised them
• 04:26 Superhero movie and superhero show poll results (plus some spicy takes)
• 10:16 Game of the year voting and falling back on comfort games
• 11:38 Best villain debate and why Pennywise took over the conversation
• 14:50 2026 family movie calendar (kid-friendly theater picks)
• 20:22 2026 blockbuster calendar: 28 Years Later, Project Hail Mary, Ready or Not 2, and more
• 26:43 The "event day" problem: Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3 on the same date
• 28:22 2026 TV hype: The Boys, Game of Thrones spin-offs, Star Trek, One Piece, Lanterns, and more
• 38:46 Stranger Things finale review: the goodbye, the battle, and what hit hardest
• 47:15 Dungeons and Dragons sidebar and why they need binders like Stranger Things
• 50:01 "Most cinematic finale" talk and the Abyss/Dimension X discussion

Key Takeaways

• Sinners was Frank's clear movie of 2025, with major praise for the craft and the left-turn genre surprise.

• Superman won the community superhero movie vote, but Thunderbolts got real respect for performances and exceeding expectations.

• Andor is still the "tell your friends they're missing out" show, even if Stranger Things owned the bigger pop culture moment.

• The superhero show vote was tight, and the conversation around Daredevil: Born Again came with real critiques about structure and payoff.

• 2026 is stacked across both "take your kid to the movies" picks and big-ticket IMAX events.

• Stranger Things earned its goodbye, especially by bringing the focus back to friendship, growing up, and the reality that life moves on.

Memorable Quotes

• "You realize how much you say 'you know' when you're podcasting."

• "It felt like a finale divided in two."

• "This is about friends and not just this big brand fight."

• "Don't let Disney brush it off. Watch it and enjoy this fresh idea from Marvel."

• "As much as they're saying bye to each other, they're saying bye to us as well."

Poll and Discussion Highlights Mentioned

• Best superhero movie vote: Superman took the top spot (with Thunderbolts close behind in their personal debate).

• Best superhero show vote: Daredevil: Born Again edged out Peacemaker in a near tie.

• Game of the year vote: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came out on top.

• Best villain talk: Pennywise (Welcome to Derry) dominated the conversation, with shout-outs to other standouts.

Call to Action

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Links and Resources

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Listener Questions

Got a take on the Stranger Things finale, or a most-hyped 2026 movie pick you're already planning your opening weekend around? Send it in, and we'll read and react on a future episode.

Apple Podcast Tags: Geek culture, Pop culture news, Stranger Things, Stranger Things finale, Movies 2026, TV 2026, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Andor, Superman, Thunderbolts, Avengers Doomsday, Dune 3, Gaming news, One Piece, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Boys