The Review Show

Episode 217. Melissa is on vacation visiting Kyle for our first episode recorded in person! We're discussing a classic road trip story, 1979's The Muppet Movie. Kermit the Frog leaves behind his swamp with just a banjo and a dream to make it big in Hollywood. He gathers friends along the way, who will help him escape from a frog leg restauranteur who wants to turn him into a new mascot.

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Episode 216. We're continuing our monthly discussion on Fringe, talking about the penultimate fourth season! The Observers have erased Peter from the timeline, but that isn't enough to remove Walter and Olivia's subconscious memories of him. Peter finds his way back to existence and struggles with rekindling his relationships with these alternate versions of his loved ones, as the team also faces the return of familiar old threats we thought were defeated.

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Episode 215. We watched a German drama series on Netflix called The Billion Dollar Code, based on true events. In 1990s Berlin, a programmer and a digital media artist create software to virtually fly the user around the world and let them zoom in to see anywhere they want. They think they can make this program a success -- until Google Earth debuts. Years later, the team takes Google to court to prove the massive company infringed on their patent for this revolutionary software.

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Episode 214. We read the 2015 Starfire miniseries from DC Comics, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Starfire is an alien princess, a superhero, and now a citizen of Key West, Florida. She goes to the vacation town to try to live a normal life and better understand human customs and relationships. She's still called into action to fight monsters and save people from hurricanes, while she struggles with everyday problems like flirtatious suitors, job hunts, and grocery shopping.

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Episode 213. We watched the 1968 Japanese kaiju movie Destroy All Monsters! Godzilla and other infamous monsters are living in the protected habitat of Monster Island, until they escape and begin attacking world monuments. The scientists trace this disaster back to mind-controlling aliens who want to distract the world so they can start their takeover in Japan. The scientists may be able to bring the monsters back to their side, but can they also defeat the aliens' secret monster weapon, King Gidorah?

The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!

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Episode 212. It's 4th of July weekend and we promised ourselves a Nicolas Cage movie at some point this year -- of course we're watching the National Treasure movies. Ben Gates's family has been mocked for generations for their belief in a hidden Freemason treasure trove, and he's determined to solve the clues to bring those treasures to the world, and bring a good name back to his ancestors. He has to face the unthinkable, stealing the Declaration of Independence to access its hidden puzzles, and save it from careless thieves. Then he has to face the unthinkable again, kidnapping the President to gain his knowledge of the arcane Book of Secrets.

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Episode 211. We're continuing our discussion on Fringe this month, talking about season three! Olivia fights her way back home from the alternate universe, as "Fauxlivia" secretly takes her place, infiltrating the team and continuing Olivia's blossoming romance with Peter. Walter struggles to keep up with "Walternate" and his plans for revenge, while Peter deals with a mysterious machine that responds only to him and his unique role to play in both of these universes.

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Episode 210. This week we watched the 2022 blockbuster action film from India, RRR! In a tumultuous time of colonialism and revolt, two strangers team up to save a community from a freak accident and become instant friends. One is on a secret mission to rescue a young girl who was abducted by the British general, and another is one of the general's top soldiers, sworn to find the man who is rumored to attack the manor. As the two men learn of each other's pasts, they find that their friendship may be stronger than any conflict between them.

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Episode 209. We watched the 2003 HBO miniseries Angels in America, based off the Broadway play. It's the mid-1980s in New York City, the height of the AIDS crisis. A young man is dealing with his illness and a breakup with his boyfriend when a terrifying ethereal angel comes to him in a vision and proclaims him to be a prophet. As he struggles with his path forward, and how he can even survive to follow that path, his journey intertwines with other New Yorkers experiencing their own illnesses, secrets, and dreams.

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Episode 208. We read the first five volumes of the manga That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime by Taiki Kawakami, based on the light novel by Fuse and illustrator Mitz Vah. A bored 37-year-old salaryman dies and finds himself reincarnated as a slime orb in a magical realm. He can absorb creatures to gain their powers, and he soon amasses a library of skills he barely understands. As he adjusts to his new life, he forges friendships and a community of loyal allies who see him as the hero he never was on Earth.

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