Chris is joined by Sean Fennessey to talk about the poor box office numbers for Michael Bay’s ‘Ambulance’ and what it means for action movies (1:03). Then they talk about the imminent return of ‘Better Call Saul’ after a two-year hiatus (11:08), the ‘Severance’ season finale and what it means for Season 2 (18:43), and the season finale of ‘The Dropout’ (37:01).

Host: Chris Ryan
Guest: Sean Fennessey
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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The Return of ‘Better Call Saul’ and the Season Finales of ‘Severance’ and ‘The Dropout’

Every week, The Ringer's Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan -- longtime friends and pop culture addicts -- break down the latest in TV, movies, and music.

TV & Film

Andy is joined by Joanna Robinson to discuss a New York Times article published last week declaring that we’re in the midst of an era of “mid TV” with shows like ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ and ‘Hijack’ (11:42). Then, they talk about the new Netflix hit ‘Baby Reindeer’ in relation to that article (39:36), before discussing episodes 2-5 of ‘Sugar’ and why it should have worked when unfortunately it doesn't (50:44).

Read the New York Times piece here.

Host: Andy Greenwald
Guest: Joanna Robinson
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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‘Baby Reindeer,’ ‘Sugar,’ and This Maybe Era of “Mid TV”

Chris and Andy discuss the success of ‘Shogun,’ then dig into the latest news, including Tina Fey and Steve Carell teaming up for a new Netflix comedy series, as well as the latest casting news for the new ‘Office’ spinoff (04:45). Then, they discuss Episode 2 of ‘The Sympathizer’ and whether the show's flair is both a benefit and detriment (27:47). They end with a recap of ‘Top Chef’ Episode 6 and decide if the show is delivering an undercooked product (50:13).
Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producers: Eduardo Ocampo and Kaya McMullen
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‘The Office’ Spinoff, ‘Sympathizer’ Episode 2, and ‘Top Chef’ Episode 6.

Chris and Andy do a quick culture catch-up, featuring Sunday’s surprise ‘Bluey’ episode, "Surprise!," and Taylor Swift’s new double album, before getting into their unfiltered thoughts on the ‘Shogun’ finale (9:30). Then, they speak with ‘Shogun’ creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks about how they approached writing the show, casting Cosmo Jarvis, the finale, and more (25:40).
Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Guests: Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks
Producers: Sasha Ashall and Kaya McMullen
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‘Shogun’ Finale With Creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks

Chris and Andy talk about the news that Apple TV will be making a ‘For All Mankind’ spinoff called ‘Star City,’ and adapting another one of Mick Herron’s novels (author of ‘Slow Horses’) for a show starring Emma Thompson (1:00). Then, they talk about an article in Harper’s that looks at the role private equity firms have played in the TV industry over the past decade (13:38), before discussing the penultimate episode of ‘Shogun’ (29:07) and episodes 4 and 5 of ‘Ripley’ (59:09).

Read the Harper’s piece here.

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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Apple Gets Into the Franchise Business, the Penultimate Episode of ‘Shogun,’ and ‘Ripley’ Episodes 4 and 5

Chris and Andy talk about some of the things they watched over the weekend, including a supersized episode of ‘Bluey’ (1:00) and 'Saturday Night Live' hosted by Ryan Gosling (15:51). Then, they talk about the first episode of ‘The Sympathizer’ and whether shows are helped or hurt by having a famous director like Park Chan-wook direct the first few episodes (22:16). Finally, they discuss ‘Fallout’ and where it ranks among other video game adaptations, such as ‘The Last of Us’ (42:12).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen
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The Return of ‘Better Call Saul’ and the Season Finales of ‘Severance’ and ‘The Dropout’

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