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Returning guest Norman Mitchell joins Joe to discuss Freiren from the anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. The series is an adaptation of a manga series and explores what life is like for Frieren, an elf who had a decades-long adventure with two humans and a dwarf. Now, 50 years later, Frieren is unchanged, but her friends are much older and on death’s door. Freiren reassesses her life, and regrets not gaining a better understanding of her friends or forming closer bonds with them. 

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Frieren – Wikipedia

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Returning guest Christopher “Mav” Maverick joins Joe to discuss a classic Marvel Comics story, “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” Written by J.M. DeMatteis with pencils by Mike Zeck and inks by Bob McLeod, this storyline tells about Kraven’s final hunt (for the time) to capture Spider-Man. We are discussing the classic comic book storyline involving Kraven the Hunter, not the recent film featuring the character that…exists.

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First-time guest David Bloomberg joins returning guest Kate Darowski and Joe to discuss the best seasons of Survivor. We’re each building a Mount Rushmore of Survivor Seasons, so at the end of the podcast you have 12 seasons of Survivor you could go check out if you’re wanted to explore Survivor. David Bloomberg has been writing about (or eventually podcasting about) Survivor since the first season, and is one of the experts on the show. Kate and Joe have a new book, Survivor: A Cultural History, coming out this week.

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Returning guest Rachel Armstron joins Joe to discuss the film Arrival. Starring Amy Adams as Louise Banks, Arrival is an adaption of Ted Chiang’s short story “Story of Your Life.” The contemplative film explores issues of language, aliens, and a surprise twist that flips the story on its head. 

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Returning guest Virginia McAlister joins Joe to discuss William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. We talk about the play’s history (it’s wild), it’s place in our culture (it’s everywhere), and, of course, dig into the characters themselves (they’re super-interesting).

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Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Joe to discuss the long-running tv show Grey’s Anatomy. We’re discussing the pilot, “A Hard Day’s Night,” which aired in 2005. We discuss the characters we meet in this episode and the long-term success of the franchise. We also touch on the medical show genre as a tv staple. 

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First-time guest Ryan North to discuss a comic book he wrote, Fantastic Four #19, “The Perfect Storm.” Ryan North is known for the webcomic Dinosaur Comics, as well as writing for Marvel Comics and other comic companies. In his this issue, Alicia Masters is the protagonist in a noir-adventure. We talk about the history of Alicia Masters in Marvel Comics, her role in North’s current run on Fantastic Four, and North’s collaboration with penciler Carlos Gomez and colorist Jesus Aburtov.

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Returning guest Kevin Anthony joins Joe to discuss the value of silliness, absurdity, and comedy. We talk about shows like Taskmaster and comedians like James Acaster as we have an open-ended conversation about what makes us laugh and why it matters.

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Returning guest Kjerste Christensen joins Joe to discuss the 2022 film Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Starring Lesley Manville as Ada Harris, the film is an adaptation of a 1958 novel. It tells the story of a war-widow, Mrs. Harris, deciding to go to Paris to purchase a haute couture Christian Dior dress.

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He’s back! Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Joe to discuss the Jorge Luis Borges’ short story “La Biblioteca de Babel.” This is more of a thought experiment masquerading as a short story, but we find plenty to discuss.

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