Mark and Devin are joined by Alex Patel, who has been on the podcast before whether he remembers it or not, to unpack why the first season of The Pitt captivated them, and why they're looking forward to the second season.

(Note: This episode was recorded in July 2025, before the show won five Emmy awards including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Actor in aDrama Series, and before the second season premiere date was announced. New episodes of The Pitt debut Thursday nights on HBO Max.)

Mark and Devin return with a (slightly delayed) look back at the presidency of Joe Biden, its intersections with popular culture, and what it may have foreshadowed about our nation's current, uh, predicament.

Mark and Devin convene for the 12th year in a row to recap the Oscars telecast they just watched -- this time, the 97th annual.

Taylor Swift has, since the pandemic began, ascended from precedent-shattering pop superstardom to something even grander.

She's released four full-fledged (and long) new albums; re-recorded and expanded the tracklists for four of her previous albums; captivated global audiences with the massive-scale Eras Tour and accompanying blockbuster film; picked up two more Album of the Year Grammys; weathered a breakup from a rebound; rebounded from the previous rebound; gained a new appreciation for Football Culture ("seemingly ranch," anyone?); played a supporting role in the film Amsterdam (lol); and announced her intention to write and direct a full-length feature film.

If you're exhausted just reading that list of accomplishments, imagine how she must feel pulling them off. The Tortured Poets Department, her latest album, gave Mark and Devin an opportunity to imagine just that, and to ponder how they feel about Taylor Swift's stratospheric omnipresence. They're joined by Erin Vail, a beloved returning guest and self-proclamed "medium- to high-level Swiftie."

Further Listening:

Swiftology (Podcast hosted by Erin Vail and her friend Alexa)

Pop Pantheon Live! Tortured Poets & the State of Taylor Mania (with Brittany Spanos, Nora Princiotti & Hunter Harris) (hosted by DJ Louie XIV)

Further Reading:

Why Taylor Swift Is the Reigning Queen of Pop (Jody Rosen, New York Magazine, 2013!!!)

Taylor Swift: Folklore review – bombastic pop makes way for emotional acuity (Laura Snapes, The Guardian, 2020)

Taylor Swift, 30-Something, Is Revising Her Own Love Stories (Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 2022)

Movie Review: Look What We Made Her Do (Wesley Morris, New York Times, 2023)

Person of the Year: Taylor Swift (Sam Lansky, Time, 2023)

How Taylor Swift Won Back the Public (Nate Jones, Vulture, 2024)

Devin and Mark convene for the 11th year in a row to recap the Oscars telecast they just watched -- this time, the 96th annual. Plus, Mark reveals a surprise for Devin live on mic.

Devin and Mark run through some of the most notable movie releases of 2023 before sharing some personal favorites. Come for Discourse Corner and stay for an attempt to read a funny tweet that goes horribly, delightfully awry.

2:15 - 6:30 : Barbenheimer

6:30 - 23:00: Barbie Discourse Corner

23:00 - 39:45: Oppenheimer

39:45 - 1:01:40: Killers of the Flower Moon/Mark hits back at "Movies should be short" people

1:01:40 - 1:10:30: American Fiction

1:10:30 - 1:19:15: The Holdovers

1:19:15 - 1:26:00: Past Lives

1:26:00 - 1:29:00: Poor Things

1:29:00 - 1:36:45: Anatomy of a Fall

1:36:45 - End: May December / a Good (?) Tweet

Music: Dua Lipa, "Dance the Night" (editorial note from Mark: still goes)

Here's The Tweet: https://twitter.com/aherman2006/status/1749924312260481474

We (finally) reconvene several months after the series finale of Succession to discuss the final two episodes, "Church and State" and "With Open Eyes"; our broader feelings about how the story wrapped up; what changed in our reactions on second viewing; and the continued relevance of the show. How does Shiv's big decision sit now that some time has passed? And is this podcast just a thinly-veiled exercise in getting to repeat our favorite lines back to each other? (no comment)

Devin and Mark reflect (at length!) on the incredible four-season run of Succession in anticipation of the HBO show's final two episodes.

Why do we care so much about characters who are hellbent on ruining the world? What distinguishes this show from others on similar subject matter? How has the show approached wrapping up its story earlier than even some members of the cast expected? And why did Cousin Greg betray us so?

(Part two will look back on the series as a whole after the final episode airs. The penultimate episode, "Church and State," aired the night after they recorded.)

Devin and Mark convene for the 10th year in a row to recap the Oscars immediately after the telecast finished airing on ABC.

Mark and Devin are back to share their thoughts on some of the most notable and buzzed-about pop culture experiences of the year...after a brief check-in on the aftermath of The Slap. (Please do check out Will Smith's apology video in full if you haven't already.)

Nope: 6:00-20:30

The Rehearsal: 20:30-30:20

Severance: 30:20-40:00

Movie theaters: 40:00-

Rothaniel: 45:15-52:50

The White Lotus: 52:50-1:01:00

Abbott Elementary: 1:01:00-1:08:40

Top Gun Maverick: 1:08:40-End