Taking It Down

In this episode, Blaine and Donovan discuss the recent change in the video schedule for Taking It Down On Video (1:22) before they then delve into the setting of Alaska in True Detective: Night Country to answer the question: is it attempting too much (3:06)? To end, the two discuss various topics, including Apple TV+ originals, and other TV shows that could play a role for the podcast going forward (28:30), such as Manhunt, Constellation, Sugar, The Big Door Prize, Dark Matter, and The Lady in the Lake.

Look at TV from a different angle: Taking It Down is the The Alabama Take's TV and streaming podcast from irrelevant Southern thinkers. Audio podcast is out every Tuesday morning and can be streamed above or with the links at the bottom of the page. The video component of the podcast airs on Wednesday evenings at 5:00 p.m. CST.

Takeaways

• The change in the video schedule for Taking It Down on Video has been made to align better with the coverage of the challenge and to provide a separate entity for challenge discussion.
• The setting of Alaska in True Detective allows for an exploration of mental illness in a dark environment.
• The supernatural element in the show could benefit from a more subtle approach, with hints and glimpses rather than jump scares.
• The engaging endings of the episodes create anticipation for the next one and keep viewers hooked.
• The characters' mental states, such as Navarro's bleeding ears, add to the mystery and intrigue of the show.
• The unresolved storylines and the introduction of new characters, like Otis Heiss, leave viewers wanting more.
• Other TV shows, such as those on Apple TV, offer potential for exciting and compelling storytelling. The search for John Wilkes Booth after he kills Lincoln is a fascinating historical drama.
• Apple TV+ has a variety of original shows, including Constellation, Sugar, The Big Door Prize, Dark Matter, and The Lady in the Lake.
• Ash Wednesday is a significant day for Elvis Perkins fans.

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.

To begin, it's a quick question on the Expats on Amazon Prime (1:27), before shifting into Masters of the Air on Apple TV+ to land on how it holds up thus far against its predecessors from HBO (4:02). The hosts ask Donovan why he watches Bluey (20:38) before Donovan and Blaine break down "Part Three" of True Detective: Night Country to uncover just how good it is at its halfway point and to question if it leans to heavily into one particular aspect the first season may have avoided (24:07).

At 5:00 p.m. CST on Tuesdays, you can watch the the weekly YouTube video segment, which has the group discussing how bad this season is of The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion as well as the dominating performance of the elimination winner.

Takeaways

• The TV show Masters of the Air has received mixed reviews, with some praising its portrayal of World War II and others finding it lacking compared to previous war-themed series.
• The animated children's show Bluey has garnered a following among both kids and adults, with its relatable characters and heartwarming stories.
• The hosts express their opinions on various TV shows and highlight the importance of personal preferences when it comes to entertainment.
• The discussion of True Detective: Night Country "Part 3: provides insights and analysis of the episode, showcasing the hosts' engagement with the series.
• The show could potentially continue as an anthology series, exploring different themes and characters in each season.
• The portrayal of women in the series is complex and highlights their strength and resilience.
• Flashbacks provide insight into characters' pasts and relationships.
• Living in darkness for extended periods can have a significant impact on mental health.
• Unresolved threads, such as the trailer and effigy, leave room for further exploration in future episodes.
• The destruction of nature by human activities may be connected to the emergence of ancient horror.

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.

Find the other podcasts in The Alabama Take network in any podcast app. Not only that, but all podcasts now appear in the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take. For Taking It Down, that includes both the audio version of the episode and the bonus footage from that week.

Look at TV from a different angle: Taking It Down is the The Alabama Take's TV and streaming podcast from irrelevant Southern thinkers. Audio podcast is out every Tuesday morning and can be streamed above or with the links at the bottom of the page. The video component of the podcast airs on Tuesday evenings at 5:00 p.m. CST.

For this week, it takes a full episode to dig into the mysteries of "Part Two" of the captivating True Detective: North Country. After a brief discussion on some co-hosts' whereabouts and a quick story about Bob Dylan (2:33), Donovan and Blaine begin to unravel the second episode of the HBO series (3:23).

This week! Big finishes and strong beginnings. WTF happened at the end of The Curse (1:58)? And some questions as well as praises for the end of Fargo (26:16). Lastly, True Detective: Night Country was as strong as ever for a first episode and we explain why (39:33).

Taking It Down is the The Alabama Take's TV and streaming podcast for listeners who have time for the TV, but not time for much else. From us, you'll get the mundane and absurd, the complex and the simple, the easy and the hard all with zero Hollywood b.s.

For extra footage, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take has even more from Taking It Down. 

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.

Find the other podcasts in The Alabama Take network in any podcast app or here on the site. Not only that, but all podcasts now appear in the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take. For Taking It Down, that includes both the audio version of the episode and the bonus footage from that week.

For the episode this week, the entire crew gathers to determine just what to make of the Amazon Prime film Saltburn (1:46) and Donovan and Blaine break down the direction of the two most recent episodes of Fargo, "Linda" and "Blanket" (22:20).

For extra footage, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take has even more from Taking It Down. This week, the extra YouTube video has the crew returning to their weekly coverage of The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion and some focused griping as well as thoughts on how the show could improve.

Summary This week, the first segment is all about Saltburn from Amazon Prime. It covers various themes, comparisons to other films, opinions on the movie, debate on the controversial scenes, unscripted moments, nostalgic music, age and experience, critiques of it, class argument, implications, analysis of a scene, domino effect in the movie, and the performance of the actors. The second segment has a deep dive into "Blankets," the recent episode of Fargo.

Takeaways

• The controversial scenes in the movie sparked a debate among the participants.
• The movie was compared to other films, with a focus on the cast and performances.
• Opinions on the movie varied, with some participants enjoying it despite the controversial scenes.
• The class argument in the movie was discussed, with differing views on its effectiveness.
• The movie had moments of unscripted improvisation, which added to the overall experience.
• The plot and believability of certain aspects of the movie were critiqued.
• The performance of the actors, particularly Jacob Elordi, was praised.
• Different interpretations of the movie's themes and messages were explored.
• The use of nostalgic music and its impact on the viewing experience was discussed.
• The conversation concluded with mixed feelings about the movie and its overall quality.
• The two recent episodes of Fargo. 

This week, staffer and movie buff Ty Edmondson is back on the podcast to talk about his favorite things of the year that was as well as give a glimpse into what could be worth our time in 2024.

Blaine and Ty discuss their favorite movies (1:25), including Past Lives and Beau Is Afraid. They also talk about the Wes Anderson collection on Netflix (10:25) and Ridley Scott's Napoleon (11:38). The conversation then shifts to books and TV shows, with recommendations such as The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and Miss Jane by Brad Watson (13:08). They also discuss their favorite concerts and music, including the artist underscores and the album Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMafia and Danny Brown (20:38). The conversation covers various topics including music, social media, upcoming movies and TV shows, and a mention of the Mean Girls reboot (40:30). The hosts discuss their favorite artists and albums, their transition to using alternative social media platforms, and their anticipation for new releases coming in 2024 (46:08).

Summary In this conversation, Blaine and Ty Edmondson discuss their favorite movies, including 'Past Lives' and 'Bo Is Afraid.' They also talk about the Wes Anderson collection on Netflix and Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon.' The conversation then shifts to books and TV shows, with recommendations such as 'The Creative Act' by Rick Rubin and 'Miss Jane' by Brad Watson. They also discuss their favorite concerts and music, including the artist underscores and the album 'Scaring the Hose' by JPEG mafia and Danny Brown. The conversation covers various topics including music, social media, upcoming movies and TV shows, and a mention of the Mean Girls reboot. The hosts discuss their favorite artists and albums, their transition to using alternative social media platforms, their anticipation for new releases in the entertainment industry, and their thoughts on the Mean Girls reboot. Overall, the conversation provides insights into their personal interests and opinions on popular culture.

Takeaways The hosts share their favorite artists and albums in the music genre. They discuss their transition to using alternative social media platforms. They express their excitement for upcoming movies and TV shows. They mention the Mean Girls reboot and discuss the cultural significance of the original movie.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Recap 01:25 - Favorite Movies 06:03 - Barbie and Oppenheimer 10:25 - Wes Anderson Collection 11:38 - Ridley Scott's Napoleon 13:08 - Books and TV Shows 20:38 - Concerts and Music 36:50 - Discussion about music and artists 40:30 - Transition to talking about social media 41:57 - Speculation about the future of Twitter 46:08 - Anticipation for upcoming movies and TV shows 52:19 - Mention of Mean Girls reboot 54:59 - Closing remarks and goodbye to Twitter

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.

Find the other podcasts in The Alabama Take network in any podcast app. Not only that, but all podcasts now appear in the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take. For Taking It Down, that includes both the audio version of the episode and the bonus footage from that week.

The sole focus of the audio this week is the new Netflix film Leave the World Behind. One of the crew loved it, one hated it, and another believes he comes to like it.

Summary The conversation revolves around the movie 'Leave the World Behind' on Netflix. The hosts discuss various aspects of the film, including the similarity between actors, the dizzying camera work, cinematography preferences, expectations from the director, and a comparison with the TV show 'Mr. Robot'. They conclude with closing remarks and announcements for future episodes.

Main Points The similarity between actors can be distracting for viewers. Dizzying camera work can be a polarizing aspect the movie. Knowing the director's style and expectations can influence one's perception of a film. Comparisons with other works can provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of Leave the World Behind.

Episode 182 Chapters 3:23 - The cinematography of Leave the World Behind 6:41 - The plot of the film with no spoilers 7:54 - Spoilers begin for Leave the World Behind 8:47 - Why the editing does work more than the camera work 16:54 - The final scene of the movie 27:44 - Next week on the podcast and beyond

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.

Find the other podcasts in The Alabama Take network in any podcast app or on the site. 

For this week's episode, the crew start with some quick Substack shoutouts that are worthy of your time (1:24) before looking back on Loki without any spoilers now that the second season has ended (3:06). After that, it's a debate on if The Curse from Nathan Fielder and Showtime is funny or any good at all (5:33). The final segment after the break has Donovan and Blaine breaking down the specifics of the third episode of this fifth season of Fargo on FX and Hulu (22:01).

If you're a fan of video podcasts, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take has extra footage different from the audio episode. 

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.

Find the other podcasts in The Alabama Take network in any podcast app. Not only that, but all podcasts now appear in the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take.

This week, we get right to the point: is Napoleon a good movie? It sure could've been with some of these fixes (2:03). After the break, we discuss how Fargo returns, checks some boxes, but gets back to form (21:18).

If you're a fan of video podcasts, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take has extra footage different from the audio episode, found below, but we need a name. Chime in! Win prizes!

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.

Find the other podcasts in The Alabama Take network in any podcast app. Not only that, but all podcasts now appear in the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take.

In this week's audio version of the podcast, the entire crew is here to first dive into the current season of MTV's The Challenge: we'll unpack why it has a different vibe and who annoys us most (1:20). After a break, Donovan talks himself into possibly loving the new David Fincher movie on Netflix The Killer (14:05) before we spoil the movie (23:04).

If you're a fan of video podcasts, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take has extra footage different from the audio episode, found below, with takes on the new trailer for the upcoming film Napoleon as well as leftover thoughts on The Beatles and the bad reviews of The Marvels.