The Pop Break

Welcome to Blerd Watchers! ThePopBreak.com's monthly podcast about TV shows with a Blerdy twist! Come hang out with Courtney & Marshall, two married Blerds, as they navigate all the dopeness on TV and share insights and opinions on the monthly show topics!

In this month's edition, Marshall and Courtney dive into season finales, including Daredevil: Born Again, Reacher, Solo Leveling, Invincible Season 3, and Severance Season 2. They discuss the intricacies of each show, character developments, and share their thoughts on recent news, like John Bernthal's returning to the role of The Punisher for an upcoming Disney Plus special. The episode wraps up with a preview of the highly anticipated Last of Us Season 2.

• 00:00 Intro

• 03:23 John Bernthal's The Punisher Returns

• 11:51 Reacher Season 3 Review

• 24:51 Solo Leveling Season 2 Recap

• 43:40 Invincible Season 3 Deep Dive

• 59:22 Invincible Season 4 Speculations and Character Deaths

• 01:06:47 Final Thoughts on Invincible Season 3

• 01:10:33 The Boys and Gen V Anticipation

• 01:13:58 Severance Season 2 Deep Dive

• 01:32:17 Severance Season 3 Expectations and Predictions

• 01:40:47 Daredevil: Born Again - First Impressions

• 02:06:17 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Shows

Follow Courtney on⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Marshall on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitch⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Merch⁠⁠⁠⁠ now available!

Make sure to check out their other podcast,⁠⁠⁠ Blerd Life with My Wife⁠⁠⁠ on your favorite podcasting app and on⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠Blerd Life with My Wife Archives!⁠⁠⁠

And head on over to their⁠⁠⁠ Patreon page⁠⁠⁠ for extra content.

Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

In this episode, Allie and Tyler veer into the world of nonsense with the 2018 “romantic” drama “Life Itself” starring… way too many people. Join them as they break down the sheer absurd volume of tragedies that befall the characters of this movie, mock what passes for romance within it and, of course, lust over Oscar Isaac and Antonio Banderas. Is there such a thing as a reliable narrator? Not up in here.

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on social media:

Allie Nelson: Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and BlueSky

Tyler McCarthy: Threads and BlueSky

 And check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade!

This is Pod of Doom, a podcast dedicated to the British band Black Sabbath! The hosts of Every Pod You Cast return to discuss all things Sabbath: Justin Mancini of TheCineMaverick.com & Cinema Joes, Chris Mancini, and Randy Allain of Media/Lit will be covering the Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio eras of the metal pioneers.

In the seventh official episode of the season, Chris, Justin, and Randy talk about the band’s divisive 1976 album. They discuss crossdressing presidents, reveal when piano and strings don’t suit their tastes, and admit to their occasional sadboy tendencies. And of course, they recommend other artists they’ve been enjoying for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

We Know That It Is Good (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like)

Chris – Dirty Women

Justin – Dirty Women

Randy – It’s Alright

Nobody Wants Him (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Chris – It’s Alright

Justin – She’s Gone

Randy – Rock ‘n’ Roll Doctor

Words That Glow (A Favorite Lyric)

Chris – You Won’t Change Me

Justin – All Moving Parts (Stand Still)

Randy – Gypsy

Occupy My Brain (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Chris – Gypsy

Justin – Back Street Kids

Randy – All Moving Parts (Stand Still)

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Chris – Naxatras

Justin – Sumi Jo

Randy – Rilo Kiley

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered all of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, the first four seasons of ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, and all 14 films in Fox’s X-Verse.

Now they are diving into their Marvel Zombies Era, where they run down some of Marvel Entertainment’s most notable and notorious films featuring characters the MCU would later reclaim! 

In this special emergency episode, Bill & Alex dive into the unexpected release of the cast for the upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday' film during Marvel's ambitious marketing stunt revealed the cast through a live stream showing the backs of chairs, reaching over 10 million viewers. 

The episode discusses the excitement surrounding notable cast returns, including Anthony Mackie, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, and Letitia Wright. The surprise announcement features not only the Avengers but also the Thunderbolts, the Fantastic Four, and returning X-Men characters like Kelsey Grammer's Beast and Patrick Stewart's Professor X. The hosts delve into their experiences of this reveal, speculate on plot directions, and highlight missing characters and potential future announcements. Amid the speculation, they express cautious optimism for Marvel's future projects.

Come back next month for their installment of their Marvel’s Zombie Era, featuring reviews of 2004’s The Punisher (available on VOD), and 2009’s Punisher: War Zone (available on PlutoTV or VOD)!

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are back talking about Season 29 of The Bachelor!

It's the finale for Grant's season of The Bachelor. Michelle and DJ recap the ending that had everyone surprised, and how Grant handled the situation. They look forward to Bachelor in Paradise along with its new twist, and wrap up with Ru Paul's Drag Race.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman.  No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender.  With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank!  This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters.

Join hosts Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor, and Kris Ingersoll, co-host of the Media/Lit podcast, as they bring on several guests every month to share their passion for the one and only Dark Knight.  From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned.  Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening.

It’s time to break out the crystals this month for a SUPERMAN BY THE NUMBERS podcast!  That’s right, pack your parkas, because we’re going to the Fortress of Solitude.  As we all know, DC’s other big superhero has a big movie coming out this summer.  As this is the year of World’s Finest, it’s time to ramp up our coverage, and what better way to do our first ever Superman centric episode then by ranking the actors who have played the iconic Man of Steel.

With Superman, we couldn’t relegate this to just film.  While Superman has some big movies for sure, his presence in live action television is just as prevalent, as these shows span multiple decades, and cover different periods of Kal-El’s life.  Don’t worry – all the big TV appearances are covered!  From the 1950s, to this decade, and all across film and television, this is the Superman rankings you need to hear!

Making their return for this epic ranking episode is the co-host of the Anniversary Brothers Podcast and Anime X Pop, Josh Sarnecky, and podcasting director of the pop break, Alex Marcus.  And per usual, Alex has his obligatory General Zod moment against Dan.  Find out which ranking got Dan’s blood boiling this time.  If you’re a Superman fan, this is a spectacular trip down memory lane, and all divisive Superman takes are spiritedly debated, including what is one of the most epic ranking ties in the history of this podcast. You’ll have to listen to find out why!

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered all of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, the first four seasons of ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, and all 14 films in Fox’s X-Verse.

Now they are diving into their Marvel Zombies Era, where they run down some of Marvel Entertainment’s most notable and notorious films featuring characters the MCU would later reclaim! 

This month, they break out they Nu Metal mp3s and cork open some major daddy issues in time to review Hulk (2003), Daredevil (2003), and Elektra (2005), three films with less than stellar reputations. In a moment when Hollywood couldn’t get enough Marvel heroes, following the tremendous success of X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002), why did these three films completely miss the mark with audiences, and how did Fiege and company at Marvel Studios redeem these iconic characters years later? Bill and Alex will get into that and so much more during this wild trip back to the mid 2000s.

Come back next month for their installment of their Marvel’s Zombie Era, featuring reviews of 2004’s The Punisher (available on VOD), and 2009’s Punisher: War Zone (available on PlutoTV or VOD)!

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are back talking about Season 29 of The Bachelor & Season 8 of Love is Blind!

It's Fantasy Suites Week, or overnights or whatever your preferred term. Michelle and DJ discuss a trio of very underwhelming dates, while spending most of this episode discussing predictions. They also briefly cover some Bachelor news and finish off with some Ru Paul's Drag Race.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

There’s never a dull moment in the world of anime and Pop Break is diving right into the action! Join anime enthusiasts Amanda Rivas and Josh Sarnecky as they geek out monthly with dedicated experts and special guests on exciting anime news, trending anime in TV and/or movies, and anime recommendations spanning different genres that everyone should be watching. If you are a lifelong anime lover or taking the initial leap into the genre that has something for everyone, this is the podcast for you!

This month, Amanda and Josh shake things up and introduce Anime x Pop's first annual Anime Draft! 

Marshall Stevenson of Blerd Watchers, Michelle Chapman of Roses and Rejections, Aaron Sarnecky of The Anniversary Brothers podcast, and the Fla-Emo King Branden Vice all make triumphant returns to Anime x Pop to join our hosts to draft the most OP anime teams of their dreams and try to convince their fellow drafters why their team is the best (while unable to vote for their own team of course!) Join us as we assemble our shadow clones, straw hats, hashira, and cursed spirits to go Ultra Instinct (or Ultra Ego in Amanda's case) and build the best anime team! 

Stay tuned next month as Anime x Pop will step into the chaos at the portal between the human and demon realms as they cover the highly anticipated return of Dante in Netflix's upcoming Devil May Cry animated series. 

Conspicuously absent on last month’s Better Call Saul podcast, Josh Sarnecky returns to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Avatar: The Last Airbender with his brother Aaron.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is an animated action-adventure series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series premiered on Nickelodeon on February 21, 2005. It ran for three seasons and 61 episodes, finishing on July 19, 2008.

The series takes place in a fantasy world where “benders” can manipulate the elements of water, earth, fire, and air.  The world fell out of balance when the Fire Nation invaded its neighbors. Protagonist Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen) is the last surviving Airbender and the Avatar, who can control all four elements. He must defeat the Fire Lord (Mark Hamill) to end the war. Aiding Aang are his Water Tribe friends Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack DeSena), as well as Earthbender Toph (Michaela Jill Murphy).

Other characters include the Fire Lord’s banished son Zuko (Dante Basco), Zuko’s ruthless sister Azula (Grey DeLisle), and their Uncle Iroh (Mako, Greg Baldwin).

Many critics regard Avatar: The Last Airbender as one of the greatest animated series of all time, praising it for its blend of lighthearted comedy, deep themes, character growth, mythology, and martial arts-based action. The series won one Primetime Emmy for Individual Achievement in Animation and was nominated for another for Outstanding Animated Program.

The cartoon spawned a sequel series, The Legend of Korra, as well as multiple comics and books. More shows and movies are in the works, including a movie following Aang and a sequel to The Legend of Korra called Avatar: Seven Havens.

Aaron and Josh talk about their history with Avatar: The Last Airbender before going into the show’s plot, characters, animation, and legacy. They also discuss the show’s live-action adaptations and the new projects coming from Avatar Studios.

For more Nicktoons, you can listen Josh and Aaron’s podcasts on SpongeBob SquarePants and Rugrats.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is streaming on Netflix and Paramount+