The Mothership

It's a skeleton crew this week as we're all working from home to avoid the Coronavirus. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY's TV critic chats with Bill Keveney, USAToday's TV Reporter out of LA as he review the newest season of "WestWorld".

Our Film Critic Brian Truitt reviews Disney and Pixar's new release "Onward" and ranks it among the many Pixar films. Brian and Tech Reporter Brett Molina discuss their top picks for Pixar and explain why they love or (in Brian's case) loathe them. Make sure you have tissues and prepare yourself for some emotion as this episode might evoke a little nostalgia.

This week the crew reviews some of the hottest movies, TV shows and apps that you may or may not know about. Our hosts get punchy and chat about their favorite things, and make their case for why you should consume a piece of content.

Harrison Ford: we can’t say enough about him. But we try, in this week’s tribute episode. Listen to each crew member gush over their favorite Harrison Ford movie and speculate on the future of his adventure series, "Indiana Jones". Brian and Kelly predict whether Ford will win an Oscar and everyone gets distracted by a pesky owl.

Rob McElhenney phones into the studio to discuss his new show on Apple TV Plus. "Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet" debuted February 7th and features what our TV Critic Kelly Lawler describes as an all-star cast. Rob walks us through the process of choosing the right cast members, the hardship of pegging comedy for different audiences and compares the new show to "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia".

The crew delivers a spoiler-free review of "Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn". Kelly Lawler and Brian Truitt zero in on accent issues, disappointing villains and underutilized characters. And Brett Molina makes a hysterical comparison of Harley Quinn as Mary Tyler Moore running around Gotham with an egg salad sandwich and "making it after all."

Osgood Perkins visits the studio this week. Perkins gives us spoiler-free insight into his upcoming film “Gretel & Hansel” and discusses the beauty of the horror genre. He also describes what it was like to play 12-year-old Norman Bates and tells us what he really thinks about his father’s acting legacy.

The Oscars are coming and the crew wants you to be prepared. So this week we talk Oscar history including Best Picture nominees past and present, Oscar snubs that were a downright shame and whether the Academy is out of touch. And Brett challenges Brian to make a case for movies he feels should have won the Oscar for Best Picture category in the past.

This week the crew pays homage to the second person to ever pull off a blue, animated genie: Will Smith! Or depending on your generation, the Fresh Prince. With a career that has spanned music, television and film Will Smith has stood out as one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. Join us as we celebrate his legacy and break down exactly what makes his personality so endearing.

This week Nate Scott, Managing Editor of “For The Win,” joins the Mothership and speaks with Tech Reporter Brett Molina and Film Critic Brian Truitt about what they are most looking forward to in 2020. Nate Scott also discusses his new true crime podcast “The Sneak” and compares the first season, a theatrical bank heist (including multiple inner tubes) to the upcoming second season which focused on a murderer.