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Finally catching up with Patricia Arquette's "Harmony Kobel" in this week’s 'Severance ' episode, S2 E8, “Sweet Vitriol.”
Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) discuss this unique bottle episode, how it recontextualizes aspects of the series, the efficacy of the storytelling, and debate if we’re set up for a thrilling end-of-season run or not.
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Sean Byrne
Producer: Pavlo Melnyk
Music: Justin Friedman
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Between the Oscars and 'White Lotus ' S3E3, last night was a BIG night.
Sena Adjei returns to the show as he and Schmear break down the Oscars telecast (1:57)—debating Timmy vs. Adrien Brody, discussing 'Anora’s' big night (8:40), and Demi Moore getting “Substanced” by Mikey Madison (12:32). They wrap up by assessing the night’s miscellaneous winners and losers (30:59) and getting existential about the state of movies.
Speaking of existentialism, 'White Lotus' S3E3 was a surreal, twisted affair, and Alison Sivitz (Bald Ann Dowd) returns to analyze the episode (47:56). She and Schmear discuss how dreams factor into the story, Walton Goggins and the snakes (1:10:38), politics (!), and how the episode sets up the rest of the season.
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Sena Adjei, Alison Sivitz
Producer: Pavle Gajic
Music: Justin Friedman
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"Enjoy this special edition episode, a collaboration with the amazing "That Final Scene" podcast!" - Schmear
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I've never been so unprepared for an Oscar season. This year's race feels like someone threw all the conventional wisdom into a blender, hit puree, and walked away laughing.
So in this episode, we are joined by The Schmear Hunter’s Gabriel Frieberg—whose Berlinale stories alone are worth the price of admission—to walk us through his film and TV journey and quickly descend into our annual tradition of pretending we have any idea what'll happen on Hollywood's favorite night of self-congratulation: The Academy Awards.
Gabriel turned out to be the perfect antidote to my cynicism, bringing actual insights from the festival circuit while Ben chugged tea and ranted about why "Furiosa" deserved more recognition. We dove into the genuine surprise of Ariana Grande's performance in "Wicked" (who knew?) and debated whether Demi Moore will finally get her flowers in the Best Actress category.
The real fun came when we compared our predictions against what YOU, the TFS community, voted for in our Substack ballot. Your "will win" picks are surprisingly industry-savvy, but your "want to win" choices? Pure chaos in the best possible way.
Sean Baker vs. Brady Corbet for Best Director created our most heated exchange (sorry for the sound spike), and none of us could agree whether "Conclave" deserves its Best Picture nomination. But there's unanimous support for "Anora" in both our panel and community picks—which probably means something else will win because the Oscars love nothing more than making us all look foolish.
Make sure you listen to our take on the Bond franchise's uncertain future and stay for Gabriel’s passionate defense of the films that got completely overlooked this awards season. As always, I promise to eat my words publicly when my predictions turn out wrong.
Catch up on Gabriel’s work at:
schmearhunter.com
Also subscribe to his podcast, The SchmearCast, on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts 🎧
And follow him on Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd.
instagram.com/schmearhunter_
tiktok.com/@schmearhunter
https://letterboxd.com/SchmearHunter/
Loved what you heard? Let's keep the conversation going at the That Final Scene chat on Substack:
https://substack.com/chat/3141096
Follow That Final Scene at:
Substack: thatfinalscene.com
Instagram: @thatfinalscene
TikTok: @thatfinalscene
YouTube: @ThatFinalScene
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
00:51 Gabriel's Journey in Film and TV
03:24 The Importance of Unique Voices in Film Critique
05:49 Experiences at the Berlinale Film Festival
07:58 Discussion on 'Mickey 17' and Director Bong Joon-ho
09:39 The Future of Big Budget Films and Auteur Directors
11:48 Concerns Over the Bond Franchise and Amazon's Influence
20:02 Oscar Predictions and the Best Actor Category
29:17 The Rise of Timothée Chalamet
30:39 Best Actress Predictions
32:36 Best Supporting Actor Insights
35:08 Best Supporting Actress Discussion
40:00 Best Adapted Screenplay Contenders
44:35 Best Director Showdown
55:04 Fan Favorites and Cult Classics
56:56 Cinematography Predictions
01:00:07 Film Editing Insights
01:03:21 Best Picture Predictions
01:10:30 Oscar Snubs and Underrated Films
Get full access to That Final Scene at www.thatfinalscene.com/subscribe
'Severance' cinematographer and director of the masterful Season 2, Episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo," Jessica Lee Gagné joins The SchmearCast!
First, Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) break down this rich, dense, and emotionally devastating episode, starting with their big-picture impressions (2:44) before diving into the plot specifics. They discuss the beautiful, warm direction, Dichen Lachman’s performance as Gemma, the horrors of Lumon (25:08), and what the hell they think is actually happening in the export hall.
After the recap, they’re joined by director and cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné to discuss the making of "Chikhai Bardo" (42:31)—how she pulled off some of its best shots, the episode’s unique use of music (56:47), and so much more.
Finally, Schmear wraps up Berlinale 2025 coverage with Euronews critic David Mouriquand (1:02:07), counting down the festival’s five best films and analyzing the awards handed out.
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Sean Byrne, David Mouriquand, Jessica Lee Gagné
Producer: Pavlo Melnyk
Music: Justin Friedman
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Checking back in on 'The White Lotus' to discuss S3 E2, “Special Treatments.”
Schmear is rejoined by Alison Sivitz (Bald Ann Dowd). They open by discussing the reception to the first episode and their takeaways from a recent New Yorker profile on creator Mike White(2:15) before diving into the episode (10:45)—parsing the shifting relationship dynamics, the characters’ “wellness” sessions, and speculating on who might be behind the robbery (24:31).
After that, it’s Part 1 of a Berlinale recap with SchmearCast favorite David Mouriquand of Euronews Culture (39:54). Schmear and David share their on-the-ground thoughts from the festival’s 75th edition and its swirling politics, talk through some lowlights (48:55), give their impressions of Mickey 17 (58:03), and begin their countdown of the Top 5 films they saw (1:03:48).
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Alison Sivitz, David Mouriquand
Producer: Pavlo Melnyk
Music: Justin Friedman
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Schmear sits down with Matthew Rankin, the brilliant director of ‘Universal Language,’ Canada’s entry for Best International Feature and one of the year’s finest films. They discuss the film’s cozy yet expansive vision, its unique fusion of “Winnipeg and Tehran,” and why it feels so vital right now.
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Matthew Rankin
Producer: Samuel Eromo
Music: Justin Friedman
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Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) break down 'Severance' S2 E6 “Attila,” one of the show’s moodier episodes.
They discuss how the "innies" are growing up, Irving and Burt’s bizarre dinner scene (19:34), Mark and Helena’s equally odd rendezvous (28:15), and the meaning of the episode’s mysterious final moments (36:18).
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Sean Byrne
Producer: Pavle G
Music: Justin Friedman
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‘The White Lotus,’ one of the juiciest and best shows on TV, is back.
Schmear is joined by Alison Sivitz (Bald Ann Dowd) to break down the genius of Mike White and what makes this upstairs-downstairs series so irresistible (3:57). They dive into S3 E1 (16:18), unpacking this season’s chaotic characters—including the Ratliff family, Walton Goggins on the verge of snapping, and the “cougars”—before highlighting standout moments from the episode (36:03).
Later, Schmear sits down with Matthew Rankin, the brilliant director of ‘Universal Language,’ Canada’s entry for Best International Feature and one of the year’s finest films (50:34). They discuss the film’s cozy yet expansive vision, its unique fusion of “Winnipeg and Tehran,” and why it feels so vital right now.
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Alison Sivitz, Matthew Rankin
Producer: Samuel Eromo
Music: Justin Friedman
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Schmear and Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) return to recap 'Severance' S2E5, "Trojan's Horse," a reset episode for the season.
They start by discussing some of the criticisms the show is facing before diving into the episode—breaking down Mark's poor behavior, the perceived softening of Seth Milchick, Britt Lower's performance as Helly, and the lingering questions they want answered in the back half of the season.
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Sean Byrne
Producer: Pavlo Melnyk
Music: Justin Friedman
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The creators of the brilliant new adult animated conspiracy thriller 'Common Side Effects'joinThe SchmearCast!
First, Schmear is joined bySena Adjei and Nate Bishop to take stock of the winter’s middling film options, discussing 'One of Them Days' with Keke Palmer and SZA (3:28), the techno-thriller 'Companion' (12:10), and the slasher comedy 'Heart Eyes' (17:35).
They then break down what makes 'Common Side Effects' so successful ( 21:30)—including its thrilling plot and droll sense of humor—before Sena and Schmear are joined by the show's creators, Steve Hely and Joe Bennett (38:53).
Together, they discuss the origins of the series, the state of animation today (52:52), why conspiracy thrillers went out of style (56:39), and which conspiracies intrigue them most.
Host: Gabriel Frieberg
Guests: Sena Adjei, Nate Bishop, Steve Hely, Joe Bennett
Producer: Pavlo Melnyk
Music: Justin Friedman
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