Last week, Amazon debuted their most ambitious non-football-related streaming project to date in the form of Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power. The quasi-prequel takes places long before the events of both The Hobbit and the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Ryan Phillips and Liam McKeone teamed up to discuss their initial impressions of the first two episodes, whether the show accurately captures the grandiose LOTR feeling, and how the early plotlines are developing.  

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The battle for the Iron Throne is starting to heat up. We think? It's hard to tell with all the time passing. Liam McKeone and Stephen Douglas took time out of their holiday weekend to zero in on House Of The Dragon Episode 3 and discussed it on Monday. Topics include the (few) pros and (many) cons of aggressively utilizing time jumps between episodes to accelerate plot development, how this week's big hunt compared to the first way back in Season 1 of GoT, and who Rhaenyra could end up marrying to strengthen her claim to the throne. Also, we need more seafood-based enemies. In everything. 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

There's a lot of quality content out there right now, so Liam McKeone and Stephen Douglas get together to make the most of your time. The two review the second season of Only Murders In The Building, the brilliant mystery comedy show from Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Then Liam and Stephen dive into Day Shift, the Jamie Foxx-led vampire hunting movie from Netflix. Two very different viewing experiences, rolled into one podcast.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Liam McKeone and Ryan Phillips get together to discuss the thickening plot of House Of The Dragon after Episode 2. They explore just how different the show has been so far compared to its predecessor after two episodes, from pacing to characters. Additional topics include breaking down the finer aspects of the developing storylines, the introduction of an other-worldly villain by the name of Crabfeeder, praise for Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, and the new opening sequence of the show that didn't stray far from its roots.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The final episode of The Rehearsal was unexpectedly one of the most affecting pictures of parenting you'll see on television, but was not without its fair share of awkward moments. This grand experiment flew close to the sun — sometimes too close — and exits as a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. The Big Lead's Kyle Koster and Stephen Douglas try to unpack some of the mysteries and come up with a plan to tackle the post-Rehearsal world, forever changed by the experience.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

HBO premiered House of the Dragon on Sunday night. The first Game of Thrones spin-off show arrived with some fanfare and the first episode was viewed with much scrutiny. Liam McKeone and Stephen Douglas both begrudgingly watched it and got together to talk about the foundation laid in the series premiere, the return of classic GoT violence, seeing Matt Smith with shocking blonde hair, how measuring memes is a good indicator of audience engagement, and whether the show will ever be able to stand on its own two (four?) legs without constant comparisons to its predecessor. 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Manti Te'o scandal remains one of the most shocking sports stories of the century, even as the real details have remained a bit of a mystery. All of those questions are answered in Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist, a two-hour Netflix documentary featuring interviews with all of the primaries. It pains a complete and heartbreaking picture of the impossible situation the star linebacker found himself in and is cause for reflection on what the media ecosystem can do to human beings at the center of a story.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal featured a penultimate episode full of loss, hope, and standing up for one's values. Plus a lot of controversy and the funniest favorite movie anyone's ever had. The Big Lead's Kyle Koster and Stephen Douglas continue to pour over the details. Then, Black Bird is stylish and driven by two massive and memorable performances. So why then did it have trouble sticking the landing? And finally, do we actually miss the old-school television schedule?

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When one lives long enough, they see some incredible things. Like a Predator movie that receives critical acclaim. Only this one is set way back in time. That's right, we're talking analog Predator. The Big Lead's Liam McKeone and Ryan Phillips share their thoughts on the film, which is currently streaming on Hulu. 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal is dependent on scores of actors who must tailor their performances to the show's specifications. So how does he get all of those people ready? By establishing his own acting discipline, which he humbly named the Nathan Fielder method. Episode four of HBO's incredibly weird, challenging, and totally unique show is up for inspection as The Big Lead's Kyle Koster and Stephen Douglas try to make sense of it. 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy