'Andor' ascends to thrilling new heights with its latest batch of episodes.

Schmear is joined by Dan Monaghan of Reel Takes to dive into Season 2, Episodes 7–9: they discuss the slow start and debate the odd inclusion of the force as a theme in episode 7 (08:25), unpack the chilling real-world political echoes in the masterfully tense episode 8 (21:27), and celebrate the pure excitement of episode 9 (36:46) — spotlighting Genevieve O’Reilly’s tremendous speech as Mon Mothma and the show’s smooth, confident storytelling.

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Dan Monaghan

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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Schmear returns to the post-apocalyptic world of 'The Last of Us,' joined once again by Sena Adjei to break down episodes 2 through 4 of S2 (1:52). They unpack that massive E2 shocker, explore why episode 3 left them disappointed, and assess whether the show is back on track after a much-improved episode 4 packed with visceral set pieces and Jeffrey Wright's compelling new character.

Later, Schmear and Sena pivot to the new Marvel film 'Thunderbolts*', diving into the performances, debating whether the film worked for them, and sharing what they’re excited about next in the world of superheroes (26:02).

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Sena Adjei

Producer: Gabriel Frieberg

Music: Justin Friedman

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Episodes 4–6 of 'Andor' S2 deliver masterfully thrilling television, pushing the Tony Gilroy-created series to soaring new heights.

Schmear is joined by Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) and Dan Monaghan (Reel Takes) to break it all down: they unpack the fan reactions to the season’s first batch, dig into the Ghorman-centered arc, and spotlight the standout performances, shifting motivations, and intricate webs of deception. They wrap with three things they’re most excited to see in the back half of the season.

Episode 4 Recap and Review (16:11)
Episode 5 Recap and Review (36:47)
Episode 6 Recap and Review (56:35)

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Sean Byrne, Dan Monaghan

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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The thrilling, deeply layered 'Andor' — arguably the best Star Wars byproduct — returns for a spectacular Season 2.

Schmear is joined by Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) to break down what makes this Tony Gilroy-created series so exceptional (3:06). After touching on the show's development and its ties to 'Rogue One' (11:04) they dive into the first three episodes: “One Year Later,” (18:04) “Sagrona Teema,” (35:28) and “Harvest.” (44:33)

Sean and Schmear parse the stellar, across-the-board performances — spotlighting Diego Luna and Stellan Skarsgård — while assessing the action-packed storytelling, analyzing the timely political undercurrents, and unpacking how the Empire evokes Nazi Germany.

They wrap by speculating on where the season might head (1:02:58) and Sean lets loose on the stunted Star Wars fan base’s baffling response to the series (1:06:53).

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Sean Byrne

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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Ryan Coogler’s 'Sinners' is one of the best, boldest movies of the year.

Schmear and Sena Adjei dive in rapturously, starting with their big-picture impressions and in-theater experiences. They break down Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s creative partnership, the film’s development, and then go deep on the filmmaking, performances, standout scenes, and major themes.

They wrap with thoughts on the film’s reception and box office, the current state of Black horror, what’s next for Coogler—and three films each to watch if you’re craving more of 'Sinners.'

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Sena Adjei

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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'The Last of Us' is BACK...but is it any good?

Schmear is joined by Sena Adjei to break down the Pedro Pascal-led series, reflecting on the highs and lows of Season 1 before diving into the S2 premiere, "Future Days." They talk about new cast members like Kaitlyn Dever and Catherine O’Hara, why Sena’s underwhelmed so far, and whether they’re emotionally in for the long haul.

Then, Schmear links up with Dan Monaghan of Reel Takes to dissect 'Warfare'—Alex Garland’s explosive, hotly debated follow-up to 'Civil War,' co-directed with Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. They unpack the film’s big ideas, the discourse it’s sparked, and why 'Warfare' stands out as a raw, boots-on-the-ground war story—before sharing their top picks from the “war is hell” canon.

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Sena Adjei, Dan Monaghan

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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'The Pitt,' which wrapped up last night, is one of the best shows of 2025, and joining the SchmearCast are two of its amazing stars, Gerran Howell (Dennis Whitaker) and Shabana Azeez (Victoria Javadi)!!

First up, Jesse Aaronson returns to break down episodes 3 and 4 of 'The Studio.' Schmear and Jesse re-engineer their expectations for the sitcom before diving into "The Note" and "The Missing Reel" and discussing the guest cameos from Anthony Mackie, Zac Efron, and Olivia Wilde.

Then Gerran Howell (Whitaker) unpacks that powerful scene with Dr. Robby in Episode 14 and how Noah Wyle served as an amazing mentor. Howell talks the importance of great sneakers on set and what Day 1 living with Trinity Santos (Isa Briones) looks like.

After that, Schmear and Shabana Azeez discuss the background of her brilliant, precocious character "Victoria Javadi" and what drives her. Azeez also answers who cracked her up most on set, the biggest differences in healthcare in the USA vs. Australia, and her favorite 'The Pitt' moment.

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Jesse Aaronson, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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'White Lotus' S3 comes to an explosive, divisive close.

Schmear and Alison Sivitz (Bald Ann Dowd) reunite one last time to break down the action-packed 90-minute finale, “Amor Fati.” Schmear defends the episode overall before the two dive into the twists and turns. Alison makes a bold 180 on Saxon Ratliff, while Schmear praises the fateful, artful Lachlan scene. They unpack the climactic ending and the moments that fell short.

The episode wraps with final thoughts on the season, theory-brained fandom, and predictions for White Lotus S4—both thematic and literal.

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Alison Sivitz

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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In 'The White Lotus’s' penultimate episode, “Killer Instincts,” this roller coaster season barrels ahead with a sharp focus on the nature of violence.

Schmear and Alison Sivitz return to break it all down (2:05)—Rick’s cockamamie Bangkok scheme (10:39), the ladies on the warpath (14:47), and the monastery misadventure (17:50). Schmear casts a wary eye on Mook, while Alison unpacks her complicated feelings about Saxon and Chelsea (25:20). After analyzing the eventful nights for multiple characters, they wrap with bold predictions for the finale (41:10).

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Alison Sivitz

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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New Seth Rogen Hollywood satire series 'The Studio' is one of the best and funniest shows of the year.

Joining Schmear to help break it down is Jesse Aaronson. The two give their top-line thoughts (3:19), discuss some of the best and worst examples of the "Hollywood" subgenre on the small screen (10:17), then assess the incredibly hysterical, smart, and stylish first episode "The Promotion" (15:09) and talk about the farcical comedy of episode two, "The Oner" (34:27).

They walk through which characters they're enjoying most (38:47) before projecting what they want to see in the rest of the season for it to remain successful (42:12).

They wrap up by drafting a starting five of their favorite "Hollywood" movies against each other (46:16), where Jesse makes a bold, brilliant pick that undercuts Schmear's top-heavy strategy.

Host: Gabriel Frieberg

Guest: Jesse Aaronson

Producer: Pavlo Melnyk

Music: Justin Friedman

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