Chris and Andy open up the mailbag to take stock of our TV landscape as we reach the midpoint of summer. They talk about the ‘House of the Dragon’ trailer (1:00), some of their favorite performances of the year (23:54), and whether we’re trending back to a more traditional delineation between TV and movies (30:36).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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The Mid-Summer Mailbag

Every week, The Ringer's Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan -- longtime friends and pop culture addicts -- break down the latest in TV, movies, and music.

TV & Film

Chris and Andy talk about the news that Apple TV will be making a ‘For All Mankind’ spinoff called ‘Star City,’ and adapting another one of Mick Herron’s novels (author of ‘Slow Horses’) for a show starring Emma Thompson (1:00). Then, they talk about an article in Harper’s that looks at the role private equity firms have played in the TV industry over the past decade (13:38), before discussing the penultimate episode of ‘Shogun’ (29:07) and episodes 4 and 5 of ‘Ripley’ (59:09).

Read the Harper’s piece here.

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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Apple Gets Into the Franchise Business, the Penultimate Episode of ‘Shogun,’ and ‘Ripley’ Episodes 4 and 5

Chris and Andy talk about some of the things they watched over the weekend, including a supersized episode of ‘Bluey’ (1:00) and 'Saturday Night Live' hosted by Ryan Gosling (15:51). Then, they talk about the first episode of ‘The Sympathizer’ and whether shows are helped or hurt by having a famous director like Park Chan-wook direct the first few episodes (22:16). Finally, they discuss ‘Fallout’ and where it ranks among other video game adaptations, such as ‘The Last of Us’ (42:12).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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Weekend Watches, ‘The Sympathizer,’ and ‘Fallout’

Chris and Andy talk about some news from the week, including the trailer for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ and the announcement that the John le Carré adaptation ‘The Night Manager’ will be returning for two more seasons (1:00). Then they talk about the latest episode of ‘Shogun’ (16:49) and Episode 3 of ‘Ripley’ (41:14) before discussing how they are liking this season of ‘Top Chef’ so far (53:04).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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‘Shogun’ Episode 8, ‘Ripley’ Episode 3, and ‘Top Chef’ Episode 4

Chris and Andy talk about the series finale of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and how the show has evolved over its 12-season run (1:00). Then, they talk about the first two episodes of ‘Ripley’ and how it may be the best thing on Netflix since ‘Mindhunter’ (15:06). Finally, they get into the first two episodes of the Colin Farrell show ‘Sugar’ and how it’s hard to judge the show when they know an extreme twist is coming (41:53).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen 
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The ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Series Finale, ‘Ripley,’ and ‘Sugar’

Chris and Andy talk about the news that Julia Garner was cast as a version of Silver Surfer in the upcoming ‘Fantastic Four’ movie (1:00) and give some love to the second season of ‘Tokyo Vice’ (10:46). Then they break down the seventh episode of ‘Shogun’ and talk about how the show’s long production road helped deepen the characters (17:18). Finally, they talk about Episodes 6-8 of ‘3 Body Problem’ and whether there will be a second season of the show (36:18).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Mid-Summer Mailbag

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