Taking It Down

After nearly the entire month of August on a break, the entire crew of Taking It Down is back to reflect on the passing of Bob Barker first, as well as offer thoughts on celebrity deaths of late (2:16). After that, the major segments begin with a breakdown of how the HBO series How To With John Wilson has dipped in quality. After a break, the crew discuss how The Challenge: USA on CBS became as good as its predecessor on MTV and why everyone should be watching it (15:17).

If you're a fan of video podcasts, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take has an extended version the episode, found below as well, with bonus discussions on who's the Listener of the Week for the final time this year, why he deserves it, and how Ahsoka on Disney+ does a balancing act that many people need it to do. And we pepper in just a touch of dumb college football talk when it comes to jet lag, as a TV and streaming podcast should.

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.

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For this week's episode, the crew at Taking It Down go spoiler free for all of the discussions. The talks begin with an explanation of the upcoming August break for the podcast and a call to action from listeners (1:37). From there, it's a dive into the online backlash on Secret Invasion, particularly its recent finale (3:37). After that, Donovan makes a recommendation of the Max star-studded series Full Circle from writer and director Steven Soderbergh (12:15). The Max show reminds them that How To With John Wilson has returned; it's easy to talk about its brilliance (23:45).

After a break, it's an unpacking of Oppenheimer without spoilers, which leads to a big complaint of podcasts such as Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR and beyond (29:28). The podcast ends with some news on social media as well as what to do during the August break (45:36).

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. Plus, all podcasts now stream in the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take. For Taking It Down, that includes an audio-only version and a video version with bonus content!

Guest host Ty Edmondson is back on Taking It Down this week to help explain how Knock At The Cabin, now streaming on Peacock, is two-thirds good. They begin with a brief talk about the one that got away: Succession on HBO (1:38) before talking some generalities of Knock At The Cabin (4:24). After the break, they discuss the movie and book in depth with spoilers (15:02).

For the YouTube version of this week's show, found below, the bonuses include a talk with Ty on what makes a movie great as well as the Listener Of The Week!

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 an audio-only version and a video version with bonus content!

In this week's episode, we dissect how It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia keeps being funny and why it's a television classic (1:35). After the break, it's a deep dive into the mysteries of the Apple TV+ sci-fi drama Silo, which is worth a look (18:28).

For a transcript of this week's episode, see the website.

For the YouTube version of this week's show, found in The Alabama Take's YouTube channel, the bonus material includes a trip to IKEA to begin, how it's the 165th episode of this podcast, and spoiler-free analysis the FX/Hulu series What We Do in the Shadows. For the last segment, Natalie and Blaine dissect some microscopic moments of "Beloved," the fourth episode of Secret Invasion. Hint: it's better than critics think!

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. 

Apple TV+ has some quality shows, and we have recommendations almost solely from that streaming app, including Hijack (1:37), City On Fire (3:04), and Silo (5:04) all with spoiler-free discussions. Then it's a brief note on the current season of The Righteous Gemstones and why it's not quite as good, yet, as previous seasons (8:11). After the break, it's a short discussion on the details that Secret Invasion is adding to its show that make it a little better than other Disney+ and MCU shows have been (11:32).

For a transcript of this week's episode, see the website. For bonus footage, watch the video in YouTube for The Alabama Take. 

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. 

For this week's Taking It Down, it's a brief thought on the 4th of July (1:36) before talking about Juvenile's Tiny Desk Concert on NPR (2:23). Then the rest of the episode is dedicated to the back half of the current season of The Bear, particularly what the characters' actions tell us about the series (4:15).

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 an audio-only version and a video version with bonus content!

In Episode 162 of Taking It Down, the crew begin with the secret recipe of the second season of The Bear as they discus the first three episodes of the new season on Hulu (1:37). After the break, it's a talk on how there are potentials within the first episode of the Disney+ series Secret Invasion (18:21).

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

This week, the hosts of Taking It Down begin with thoughts on the death of Cormac McCarthy, his work as both a Southerner and a Southwesterner, and an adaptation request on one of his novels (2:07). The hosts then give brief expectations on the upcoming Marvel and Disney+ series Secret Invasion (9:18). After the break, everyone explains how the new season of Black Mirror, with its first episode, "Joan Is Awful," does not live up to the show's standard (13:41). To end the weekly analysis, they explain how Smartless: On The Road works as well as if not better than the podcast itself (28:05).

Find any of the podcasts in The Alabama Take family of podcasts by visiting the site or searching them out in your favorite app!

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.

Taking It Down begins with a fan review (1:49) before discussing how the HBO show Barry comes to an end: somehow it subverts expectations without veering from the story it was always telling (3:24). After a break, we answer how good the new season of the Netflix series I Think You Should Leave is as well as what makes it great comedy (25:25).

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.

What does the new documentary Bama Rush on Max -- formerly HBO Max -- have to say about Greek life, specifically rushing at the University of Alabama? And is the film a letdown? This week, we talk Bama Rush from director Rachel Fleit (2:10).

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.