Todd and Joe talk about Jonas from the Lois Lowry novel The Giver. They talk about what doesn’t work for them plot-wise, but what resonates thematically.

This week, Joe and Todd look back at some of their favorite movies and tv shows from 2016 and then take a look ahead at what Hollywood has in store for us in 2017. They play a game they’re calling Fantasy Box Office, and try to pick the movies that will make the most money AND have the highest Rotten Tomatoes score this year.

This week we’re joined by special guest Cassandra Fredrickson from the Lord of the Rings Minute Podcast to discuss the 2001 film Fellowship of the Ring. We talk about character motivations, the filmmaking skill on display, and the art of adaptation.

Joe and Todd are joined by special guest Alana Howlett to discuss the novel Life of Pi. They talk about belief and contradictions, display how much and how little they know about the number pi, and debate what makes the best story.

Christmas Special 2016! Todd and Joe make up plots based on the titles of Christmas movies they’ve never seen, and it’s a mix of “I could see that being produced” to “Uh…how much egg nog were you drinking before you thought of that?” Give it a listen and let us know if you have any favorite fake Christmas shows or have any pitches of your own.

Todd and Joe are joined by special guest Zach Glassett to discuss the novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. They talk about character evolution, a bad red herring for a mystery, and the awesomeness of Riddle’s diary.

This week, Todd and Joe tackle a classic holiday film: White Christmas. Listen as they discuss Irving Berlin’s surprising personal history, speculate about the small-town economics of Pine Tree, Vermont, and heap some deserving praise on the singing and dancing in this movie.

This week, Joe and Todd talk about Herobear and the Kid, a charming comic book written and drawn by Mike Kunkel. We discuss issues of belief, the surprisingly complex art and story, and the seasonal twist at the end.

In this episode Todd and Joe discuss the town of Cicely Alaska in the hit TV series Northern Exposure.

This week, Todd, Joe, and Andrew reveal the most popular episodes they’ve released, look at some of what may be coming in the future, and respond to listener feedback.