The Lorehounds

David and Nichole examine an episode bookended by Manusos's journey from Panama to the border, while Carol navigates the blurring lines of manipulation with Zosia and the joined community. The conversation explores the show's masterful use of pacing—allowing scenes to breathe and characters to simply exist together—including a shot-for-shot homage to David Lynch's Mulholland Drive in the diner scene.

They dive deep into mirror neurons and empathy science, discussing how our brains require the physical presence of other people to activate crucial neural pathways, and how this connects to both Carol's 40-day isolation and the plurbs' electromagnetic communication. Rich feedback explores AI parallels, with the community drawing connections between different ways people interact with technology and how characters respond to the joined consciousness.

Special Note: Episode 9 Coverage The season finale (Episode 9) airs early on Tuesday, December 23rd at 9 PM ET—two days ahead of the normal schedule. We'll record a reaction episode during the holidays, then return after the New Year with our full analytical season wrap-up.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David, John, and Elysia spread some Holiday Cheer and Fear in the start of their action-packed Christmas Elevenses coverage. They discuss David Harbour's entry into the Santa canon with Violent Night. Subscribe in the linktree below to hear their upcoming coverage of Die Hard.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

The witches are back! Meaning, of course, Marilyn, Nichole, and Elysia – the trio returns, one year later, to talk about the second and final (?) Wicked musical adaptation: How does it compare to the first? To the second act of the musical? And the books it's based on? And, most importantly, what does it mean to be changed for the better...for good?

They begin with a quick spoiler-free comparison with the first movie before their full spoiler breakdown. Stick around after the outro music for an even more spoiler-filled comparison with the Gregory Maguire book.

Recommended: Catch up first on Wicked: Part I (2024) – incl. musical & book comparisons

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Elysia and John return to the Ann Rice Immortals Universe to discuss the spy-thriller spinoff that left us whelmed.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Elysia, John, and Mark wade through the timey-wimey twists of a wintry season finale.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David and Nichole unpack an episode that mirrors Carol and Manusos through parallel solitary journeys of survival and loss. The conversation begins with thoughtful community feedback about microaggressions and the importance of names, then explores Carol's emotional progression during her 12-day montage of attempting normalcy in an empty world. They examine the profound loneliness of experiences without other people present, the layered symbolism in her choices—from the Georgia O'Keeffe painting to "I Will Survive" on the player piano—and how the episode's rich visual storytelling reveals the gap between togetherness and isolation at the show's core.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Elysia, John, and Mark watch the Augury unfold in this shocking episode of horror.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David and Loremaster Bryan8063 are joined by Marilyn R. Pukkila for a comprehensive wrap-up of the PBS Ken Burns miniseries The American Revolution. Marilyn brings her background as a retired research librarian with an MA in medieval Welsh history, while Brian discusses his work in presidential oral history at UVA's Miller Center and previous experience at Monticello's Jefferson Library. The conversation explores the series as more civil war than revolutionary war, drawing on Colin Woodard's American Nations to understand distinct regional cultures that shaped the conflict. The discussion examines Burns' decade-long crafting process, the sobering parallels to contemporary America, and his explicit inclusion of voices from tribal nations, women, and Black Americans.

Themes include the mythology versus reality of national founding, the challenges of oral history and reconstructive memory, the importance of uncertainty over absolutism, and how communities find common ground across differences through shared inquiry into history and myth.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Today, voting for the 2026 Oscar shortlists began, lasting all week – these 20 (or, er, 26) Oscar-qualified live-action and animated shorts are all eligible. Whether or not they make the shortlist (some of them will), here's why you might want to watch – from mermaid folk horror or brutal griffin hunts to gentle tales of the lists we make in life, or coming of age as an immigrant.

Letterboxd lists

Eligible live-action shorts – category analysis

Eligible animated shorts – category analysis

Eligible documentary shorts

The Rankings

1. TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA – trailer – info – full film*
2. MERCY – interview – info
3. JANE AUSTEN'S PERIOD DRAMA – interview – info
4. JUST THE USUAL – trailer – info
5. THE PEARL COMB – trailer – info
6. PORELESS – trailer – info – full film*
7. THE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS – trailer – info
8. DALY CITY – trailer – info – full film*
9. HURIKÁN – trailer – info
10. RETIREMENT PLAN– trailer – info – full film*
11. TRAPPED – review – info
12. GIGI – trailer – info – full film* (French or German subtitles only)
13. ONE LAST ROUND – trailer – info
14. KOVARTY – trailer – info – full film*
15. SCARS WE LOVE – trailer – info – full film* (French subtitles only)
16. EM & SELMA GO GRIFFIN HUNTING – VFX panel – info
17. THE SECOND TIME AROUND – trailer – info – full film* (UK only)
18. MARCIA AND THE SHARK – trailer – info – full film*
19. THE SINGERS – trailer – info
20. LES BÊTES – trailer – info – full film*
21. BEYOND SILENCE – trailer – info – full film* (Dutch subtitles only)
22. HOLY CURSE – trailer – info – full film*
23. MERCENAIRE – trailer – info
24. ONE DAY, THIS KID – trailer – info – on Kanopy & Criterion
25. PLAYING GOD – trailer – info
26. MUSHROOM DAD – review – info

*May disappear when shortlists / nominations are announced (or sooner).

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David and Nichole unpack the most impactful episode yet, examining the major revelations delivered through Carol's two conversations with Diatabé that fundamentally reframe the show's central mystery. The discussion explores the extraordinary filmmaking craft on display—from the intricate details scattered throughout every scene to the mirroring between Carol and Manusos—while grappling with Nichole's reservations about pacing versus David's appreciation for the show's visual storytelling and minimal dialogue.

They delve into profound questions about the biological imperatives driving the joined, the ethics of consumption and privilege in our viewing community, and whether this signal from space represents a virus-like species propagating across the galaxy to survive.

David's Blog Post

Read David's companion essay: Pluribus Episode 6: The Pragmatism of 'HDP' and the Privilege of Grief

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.