Talking in Circles

Chuck, Dan, and Greg launch their "Biggest Badass" bracket tournament, inspired by March Madness. In this first episode, they pit pop culture characters from movies, TV, comics, and real life against each other in 32 first-round matchups to determine who deserves the title. The hosts debate iconic figures like Bruce Lee vs. Stewie Griffin, Michonne vs. the Green Ranger, Indiana Jones vs. Xena, Batman vs. Rambo, and many more, with plenty of disagreement and detailed arguments about what makes someone truly badass. The second half of the bracket concludes next week.

The hosts play "The Power of Names," a new game testing whether obscure superhero names are real characters or made up, and guessing their powers. Before diving in, they catch up on their weeks: Greg recovered from chiropractor visits, Dan got pulled over by a friendly Baltimore cop with a broken taillight, and Chuck discussed recent movies including the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, "Nights of Badass them" (a LARP comedy), and "The Core" (a disaster film about Earth's spinning core stopping). They also discuss favorite sci-fi and disaster movies like Armageddon, Twister, and The Blob.

The hosts play a new game called "Sequel, Reboot, or Destroy" where they decide what should happen to various franchises and shows. They debate whether to reboot, sequel, or destroy: Die Hard, Saved by the Bell, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rocky, Police Academy, and Power Rangers. Before diving into the game, they share personal stories from their week—including stomach bugs, burnt pizza boxes, awkward Ash Wednesday encounters, movies they've been watching (Son of God, Monument Men, best picture nominees, Thor one-shot), and attending AMC's Best Picture Showcase.

Chuck, Greg, and Dan count down their top five favorite animated television series. The hosts discuss cartoons spanning from '90s classics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs, and X-Men: The Animated Series, to more recent shows like The Venture Brothers and South Park. They share personal memories tied to these shows, debate their merits as both childhood favorites and rewatchable adult content, and explore what makes great cartoon writing, voice acting, and cultural impact.

Chuck, Greg, and Dan count down their personal top five favorite TV shows and movies. They discuss their picks ranging from 24 and Home Improvement to Breaking Bad and Doctor Who, then move into films with selections like Tombstone, The Sandlot, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Top Gun, Goodfellas, and Harry Potter. Along the way, they share memories of watching these shows and films growing up, what makes them meaningful, and memorable scenes and quotes.

Chuck, Dan, and Greg reflect on their favorite Comic Con experiences, from getting stuck in an elevator at New York Comic Con to meeting comic creators like Jim Starlin at Baltimore Comic Con. They discuss what they've been watching and reading recently—including the film Lone Survivor, the TV show Arrow, and graphic novels like Super Crooks—before diving into a game of Fact or Fiction covering topics like James Bond actors, Marvel villains, Batman portrayals, and more.

The hosts examine whether geek culture and the internet are taking their criticism and praise of superhero films too far. They discuss Man of Steel's controversial portrayal of Superman and Jonathan Kent, debate the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman, analyze the look of Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and discuss the redesigned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Throughout, they weigh whether fan backlash is justified or if audiences should give these adaptations more of a chance.

Greg, Chuck, and Dan record live in Scranton to discuss what they've been reading and watching. They dive into DC's Kingdom Come and Batman: The Killing Joke, share early impressions of HBO's True Detective starring Matthew McConaughey, and preview TV shows and movies coming in 2014, including Game of Thrones, Arrow, The Flash spinoff, Gotham, and Godzilla.

Chuck, Dan, and Greg break down their top five Super Bowl snacks, from crack crackers and buffalo wing stromboli to pizza and hot wings. They also dive into Super Bowl betting props—including coin toss outcomes, Gatorade color, and Richard Sherman-related bets—before making their own predictions for the game. Plus, Greg reads a letter to Tom Brady about quarterback popularity polls.

The pilot episode introduces hosts Dan, Chuck, and Greg as they launch Talking in Circles, a new podcast about geek culture. The hosts share their backgrounds, explain the show's name (rooted in their tradition of parking lot conversations back in Pennsylvania), and dive into what they've been watching and reading lately—including Arrow, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Drew Struzan documentaries. They play a fact-or-fiction game covering topics from Superman to Tombstone, and end with Greg's open letter to Brian Michael Bendis about his work on X-Men events and Marvel comics.