This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl honor the legendary Robert Duvall, break down the latest Warner Bros. Discovery and Skydance merger talks, and review the penultimate episode of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Corporate power plays and Westerosi lances collide.

Intro: 0:07

Robert Duvall was one of the defining American actors of the modern era. A founding member of the American Film Theatre movement and a classmate of Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Duvall built a career on discipline, restraint, and volcanic presence.

Career Highlights:

Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974) – The calm consigliere in a world of chaos. Controlled, intellectual menace.

Duvall’s strength was subtle authority. He never chased flash. He built characters from the inside out. In an industry obsessed with volume, he mastered quiet.

Hollywood didn’t just lose a legend. It lost a craftsman.

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/paramount-skydance-response-warner-bros-discovery-deal-talks-1236665757/

Warner Bros. Discovery has reportedly reopened acquisition discussions with Skydance and Paramount, injecting fresh volatility into an already chaotic media landscape. Paramount previously floated a $30 per share offer, potentially rising to $31. Meanwhile, shareholder votes and competing interests continue to complicate the picture.

Season 1, Episode 5 (Penultimate Episode)

Summary:

The trial of seven begins. In the first charge, Aerion knocks Dunk off his horse. In a series of flashbacks to Dunk’s childhood, he and his friend Rafe scavenge from a battlefield. They return to Flea Bottom in King’s Landing and pickpocket from Alester, a City Watchman. Dunk and Rafe attempt to buy passage to the Free Cities in Essos, but cannot afford it. Alester corners them and takes their money. Rafe steals Alester’s dagger, but he notices and slits her throat. Arlan emerges from a tavern and kills Alester, saving Dunk, who then follows Arlan on his travels. In the present, Dunk duels Aerion on foot until both men collapse from injury. After Dunk falls unconscious, Aerion declares him dead. Egg begs Dunk to get up, and the crowd chants for Dunk as he stands. Dunk and Aerion resume their duel until Dunk gets the upper hand. Aerion yields and withdraws his accusation. In the aftermath,

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl review the latest two episodes of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Season 1, Episodes 3 and 4), plus the full first season of Marvel Television’s Wonder Man on Disney+. RIP James Van Der Beek.

Intro: 0:07

James Van Der Beek, the actor who became a defining face of late-1990s television as Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek, has died at age 48 after a short battle with an aggressive colorectal cancer. He passed peacefully on February 11, 2026, with his wife, Kimberly, and their six children by his side.

Van Der Beek’s breakout role on Dawson’s Creek helped shape a generation of teen storytelling on television, and the show’s honest exploration of adolescence made him a familiar presence to millions of viewers. After the series ran from 1998 to 2003, he continued working across television and film in a wide range of roles, from the high school football drama Varsity Blues to camera-savvy self-parody on Don’t Trust the B–– in Apartment 23 and crime procedurals like CSI: Cyber.

His candid sharing of his cancer journey in recent years also raised awareness of early-onset colorectal cancer. Friends, fans, and colleagues paid tribute to his warmth, humor, and impact both on and off screen. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children, whose privacy the family has asked the public to respect during this time of mourning.

We celebrate James’s work, his openness, and the joy his performances brought to so many.

S1E3: “The Squire” (Released Feb 1, 2026) 

Main cast (key players in the series): Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall), Dexter Sol Ansell (Aegon “Egg” Targaryen), Finn Bennett (Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen), Daniel Ings (Ser Lyonel Baratheon), Bertie Carvel (Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen), Sam Spruell (Prince Maekar Targaryen), Tanzyn Crawford (Tanselle).

Production notes: Directed by Sarah Adina Smith. Written by Hiram Martinez, Annie Julia Wyman, and Ira Parker. Series created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin, and adapts the “Dunk and Egg” novellas beginning with The Hedge Knight.

Rating Out of 5 The Kingdom’s Most Dangerous Puppet Show

S1E4: “Seven” (Released Feb 6, 2026) 

Main cast (key players in the series): Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Sam Spruell, Daniel Ings, Henry Ashton (Prince Daeron Targaryen), Edward Ashley (Ser Steffon Fossoway), Youssef Kerkour (Steely Pate).

Production notes: Directed by Sarah Adina Smith. Written by Aziza Barnes, Annie Julia Wyman, and Ira Parker. The season premiered Jan 18, 2026, on HBO and is planned as a six-episode season adapting The Hedge Knight.

Rating Out of 5 Seven Knights for Seven Gods

Premise (season-level): In the MCU’s version of Hollywood, the “Doorman Clause” bans superpowered people from working in entertainment. Struggling actor Simon Willi

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl are talking about the new GOT spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. And Wonderman Episode 1. All this and… some Brandon Sanderson news.

Intro: 0:07

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/brandon-sandersons-mistborn-stormlight-archive-movie-tv-1236487271/

Episode 1 – “Matinee” (Premiere)

Episode 1 introduces us to Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling actor and stuntman whose career is in a tailspin. After being fired from a TV role and dumped by his girlfriend, Simon is at a crossroads. When he runs into Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), a fellow actor with an eccentric reputation, he learns Slattery is auditioning for a remake of the classic superhero film Wonder Man — a movie Simon loved as a kid and which inspired him to pursue acting in the first place.

Simon pushes for a shot at the role, but his agent refuses. Undeterred, he somehow lands an audition alongside Slattery anyway. Slattery gives him advice that helps him make an impression. Meanwhile, Department of Damage Control agent P. Cleary secretly contacts Slattery with instructions to watch Simon closely because he might have actual superpowers, tying Simon’s acting ambitions to real-world MCU stakes.

This episode sets up two parallel arcs:

Tone-wise, Episode 1 blends industry satire, comedy, and superhero setup, spotlighting the absurdities of Hollywood while weaving in classic MCU connective tissue.

Ratings: Out of 5 Here’s a Note For You… Get Out

Episode 1 – “The Hedge Knight”

This premiere introduces Dunk (Ser Duncan the Tall) and Egg (the boy who becomes his squire), setting up the tone and stakes for the series. It takes place about 100 years before Game of Thrones and focuses on a smaller-scale story full of character and humor rather than sweeping war and politics.

Here’s what happens:

Tone note: it’s lighter and more character-focused than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, blending heartfelt moments with gritty, grounded humor.

Episode 2 – “Hard Salt Beef”

In the second episode, Dunk’s quest to enter the Ashford tourney continues and the story expands slightly into the world’s wider politics and personality.

Key beats:

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl look ahead in 2026 for upcoming movies and TV shows that could be worth watching.

Intro: 0:07

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (1/16/26)

HBO MAX

Netflix

Apple TV

Paramount+

Amazon Prime Video

Peacock

Hulu/FX/Disney+

The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don’t be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings.

@infamouspodcast

Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl share their #CertifiedInfamous tv shows of 2025!

Intro: 0:07

My Hero Academia s8 (9.3/1)

The Bondsman (7.5/10)

Alien: Earth (5.1/10)

Untamed (Netflix)

Dexter Original Sin (Paramount+)

Wednesday (Netflix)

The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don’t be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings.

@infamouspodcast

Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com.

The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Brian Tudor and Darryl Jasper, is recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor.

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl share their favorite movies of 2025!

Intro: 0:07

Sinners (8.75/10)

The Gorge (6.7/10)

Nobody 2 (3.25/10)

F1 (8.5/10)

HIM (5.7/10)

The Accountant 2 (5.75/10)

The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don’t be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings.

@infamouspodcast

Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com.

The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Brian Tudor and Darryl Jasper, is recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor.

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl talk about a couple movies the saw this week in individual mini-reviews (Avatar: Fire & Ash and The Housemaid). Then breakdown season 2 episode 1 of Fallout. Then give a review of HIM.

Intro: 0:07

Rating Out 10 It’s the Third Movie and It’s Fine… it’s Fine

Summary

As tensions rise between Na’vi factions and the ever-encroaching human presence, the film shifts from a clear-cut nature-vs-invaders narrative into something far more morally complex. Fire and Ash explores how trauma, rage, and vengeance can fracture even the most deeply spiritual societies, forcing characters to confront uncomfortable truths about leadership, legacy, and the cost of endless war.

Visually, the film leans hard into contrast. Lush blues and greens give way to scorched landscapes, molten rock, and smoke-filled skies, creating a harsher, angrier version of Pandora that mirrors the emotional state of its characters. At its core, Fire and Ash is about consequence. Not just for humanity’s actions, but for the choices the Na’vi themselves make when survival demands brutality.

This entry reframes the Avatar saga as less of a mythic adventure and more of a generational reckoning, setting the stage for a future where Pandora’s greatest threat may no longer come from the stars, but from within.

Rating Out of 10 The Dad Who Rocks the Cradle

Summary

But behind the manicured lawns and spacious rooms, the Winchesters’ life is anything but perfect. Millie soon discovers that Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) is temperamental and volatile, her daughter Cecilia is cold and disrespectful, and unsettling secrets lurk beneath the surface of this elite household. As Millie becomes more entangled in their lives, the film steadily shifts from domestic drama to a gripping, twist-heavy thriller where trust is scarce and danger hides in plain sight.

The tension escalates when Millie realizes that the family dynamics are far darker than she suspected, leading to shocking betrayals and a violent confrontation that upends everything the audience thought they knew. The Housemaid blends suspense, psychological games, and interpersonal manipulation in a holiday season release that delivers both unpredictable twists and intense character play.

Season 2 Episode 1

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl say goodbye to Johnathon Felix Anthony Cena Jr. from West Newberry Massachusetts. The last five fingers have been shuffled, the attitude was finally adjusted, and his jorts were left in the middle of the ring.

Intro: 0:07

The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don’t be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings.

@infamouspodcast

Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com.

The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Brian Tudor and Darryl Jasper, is recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor.

Subscribe today!

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl celebrate the Infamous Podcast’s most Infamous Milestone yet… 500 Episodes. Here, they will discuss how the pop culture landscape has changed since July 2015.

Intro: 0:07

Five hundred episodes in, Brian and Darryl have seen some things. Chief among them: the slow realization that Hollywood learned absolutely the wrong lessons from its biggest successes.

Take Marvel. Once upon a time, this was the gold standard. The MCU built toward Avengers: Endgame like it mattered, because it did. When nostalgia showed up, it was earned. Even the contentious stuff, like Captain Marvel or the very “look around, ladies” A-Force moment, happened inside a franchise people still trusted. Then the Disney+ floodgates opened. Too many shows, too little focus, and suddenly big ideas like Doomsday didn’t feel epic. They felt panicked. The machine kept pumping content, but the soul quietly clocked out.

Spider-Man: No Way Home briefly reminded everyone how this is supposed to work. Nostalgia wasn’t the point. Story was. Seeing multiple Spider-Men together actually meant something, and for a minute, Marvel felt dangerous again. Then everyone immediately tried to copy the trick without understanding why it worked.

Star Wars didn’t even get that far. Somehow, with the original cast alive and willing, the sequel trilogy never once put Luke, Leia, and Han on screen together. Not once. It’s arguably the biggest fumble in modern blockbuster history. Nostalgia wasn’t used to unite fans. It was used like window dressing, leaving audiences staring at the screen thinking, “How did you miss that?”

Indiana Jones followed the same road into the ditch. Instead of honoring what Indy stood for, the franchise tried to modernize the wrong things, misunderstand its own appeal, and slowly sand down the character until nothing recognizable was left. The so-called “Phoebe Waller effect” isn’t about one person. It’s about Hollywood confusing quippy cynicism and tonal shifts with actual evolution and then acting shocked when audiences check out.

And that’s the real takeaway here. Nostalgia can’t save a floundering global box office. Audiences aren’t idiots. They know when they’re being sold a memory instead of a story. Recognition has replaced risk, and comfort IP has replaced creativity. The result is a lot of familiar logos and a shocking lack of excitement.

And then there’s Dexter, quietly walking into the room and embarrassing half of Hollywood.

Instead of screaming “remember this?” every five minutes, Dexter did something radical. It changed the setting, brought in new characters, raised the stakes, and kept the core of the character intact. Same morally broken serial killer, new problems. No endless callbacks. No cosplay storytelling. Just character, consequence, and actual intent.

Which is wild, because Dexter figured out the thing billion-dollar franchises still can’t. If the only thing your revival has is memories, you don’t have a revival. You have a reunion tour. Dexter wasn’t trying to recreate Miami or trick audiences into nostalgia dopamine. It trusted that people missed the character, not the wallpaper.

So while Marvel is throwing multiverses at the wall, Star Wars forgot to put its Trinity in the same room, Indiana Jones got power-washed into irrelevance, and DC is still arguing with itself, Dexter just showed up, changed the scenery, and reminded everyone how this is actually done.

Same Dexter. New playground. No panic. No apology tour.

Five hundred episodes later, Brian and Darryl aren’t mad that pop culture changed. They’re annoyed that it changed this lazily. Because if there’s one thing a decade of podcasting proves, it’s this: people don’t stop loving franchises. Franchi

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl are reviewing two very different family movies… one where the whole family works to fight the “King of the North”. The other was an all-out brawl with Mom and Dad for all the flowers.

Intro: 0:07

Rating

Summary

Main Cast – The Family Plan 2

Rating

Summary

Main Cast

The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don’t be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings.

@infamouspodcast