The Watchers

As we get closer to the premiere of Yellowjackets season three, Jodie and Andrea are checking out some shows our listeners have recommended we watch in the off-season. This week, we’re diving into “Genesis 1,” the pilot episode of Evil, a show that’s part supernatural thriller, part procedural drama. Evil follows forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard, played by Katja Herbers, who teams up with David Acosta, a Catholic Church assessor played by Mike Colter, and tech expert Ben Shakir, played by Aasif Mandvi. Often compared to X-Files and Law & Order, we think it also shares some DNA with House and Angel. It’s fun and a little hokey, and there’s no surprise that Jodie has deemed it an Andrea Show. 

Next week, we’ll be watching the first episode of From. Join us for the ride and let us know what else we should add to our list!

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

It’s officially 2025, folks. Happy New Year and all that. Naturally, we’re wrapping up 2024 with a year-in-review episode. Jodie and Andrea are sharing their favorite movies, shows, books, and more from the past year. Plus, we’re so excited to be  joined by writer and pop culture enthusiast Tara Giancaspro to talk about her fantastic Substack, xoxo Gossip Giancaspro–especially her essay, ”What You Can Learn From Your Muppet Big 3,” which Jodie and Andrea loved so much this year. Tara also shares her 2024 highlights, and we cap things off with a look at what we’re excited about in 2025!

Next week, per our listeners’ recommendations, we’re watching the first episode of Evil, which follows a skeptic, a priest-in-training, and a tech expert as they investigate the line between science and the supernatural while confronting the true nature of evil. Also Michael Emerson is in it, so we’ve got high hopes for this one.

Follow Tara on: Instagram (@sweatylamarr) Twitter (@sweatylamarr)

Tara Recommends:

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara

Babygirl

Andrea Recommends:

LaRoy, Texas

Rush of Energy - Bike Routes

There's Always This Year - Hanif Abdurraqib

Jodie Recommends:

Somebody Somewhere

Ripley

Game Changer on Dropout

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, we sit down with filmmaker Carina Mia Wong and Wayfinder Experience camp director Judson Packard to talk about the powerful new documentary We Can Be Heroes. The film explores the transformative magic of Wayfinder, a camp where young people build confidence, emotional resilience, and community through immersive role-playing games.

Carina, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist, shares what drew her to tell this story, while Jud gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how the camp creates such a safe and encouraging space for growth. We dive into everything from the challenges of making a film about such a vulnerable and unique environment to the incredible impact the camp has on its campers. (Also we talk about Jersey because of course we do. Make sure you're following us on Instagram for a cameo from our patron saint, the Jersey Devil.)

We Can Be Heroes has already earned incredible (and well-deserved) recognition, winning the Special Jury Award for Bravery and Empathy at SXSW, the Audience Award for Best Feature Doc at the Woodstock Film Festival, and the Best Feature Documentary Award at the Nevada City Film Festival. If you’re into stories about healing, connection, and hitting people with big foam swords, this one’s for you.

Learn more about The Wayfinder Experience: https://wayfinderexperience.com/

Follow:

We Can Be Heroes: @wecanbeheroesdoc

The Wayfinder Experience: @wayfinderexp

Carina Mia Wong: @carina.mia

Judson Packard: @larp_kween

The Watchers: @WatchersPodNJ

Andrea: @AQAndreaQ

Jodie: @jodie_mim

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Andrea and Jodie sit down with filmmaker Chris Wilcha to talk about his beautiful documentary, Flipside. In the film, Chris revisits the New Jersey record store he worked at as a teenager—a quirky, once-thriving music haven that’s now struggling to survive. But Flipside is so much more than just a nostalgic look back. We dive into the making of the film, Chris’s journey with archives, and the challenges of pursuing a creative career. We get into everything from New Jersey nostalgia to the surprising connections between Ira Glass, jazz photographer Herman Leonard, writer David Milch, David Bowie’s tribute to a Jersey cable TV icon (pardon–THE Jersey Cable TV icon), and more along the way. It’s a lovely and thoughtful conversation about legacy, memory, and the inevitable passage of time.

Keep up with Chris Wilcha on Instagram: @chriswilcha

If you haven’t watched Flipside, what are you waiting for?

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Jodie and Andrea dive into the new LOST documentary, Getting LOST. We share our thoughts on how well it captures the show’s legacy, LOST’s profound and lasting impact on fandom culture, what makes the show resonate years later, and–most important–why it’s not friggin’ purgatory.

Next week, we’ll be watching the documentary Flipside and chatting with its director, Chris WIlcha. Watch on AppleTV or Amazon Prime.

Check out Cancer Gets LOST at cancergetslost.org

Getting LOST is still available to watch until December 18th. Check it out.

And be sure to catch the digital premiere of Chasing Chasing Amy on December 15th (featuring a special introduction by Kevin Smith and Q&A with Sav and  Riley Rodgers). Tickets!

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Can you believe it? We’re finally here. The long-ish promised review of the Dawson’s Creek finale. But first! We kick things off with exciting news: Yellowjackets season 3 is premiering on February 14 with a double-episode release! That’s like, nine or ten Watchers episodes away! Then, we dive into the finale of Dawson’s Creek—the two episodes aptly titled “All Good Things” and “Must Come to an End.” Join us as we unpack the return of Kevin Williamson, Dawson’s obsession with remaking his childhood over and over again, Pacey’s inability to sleep with someone who isn’t already married, why whatever Jen’s suffering from seems to have finally fixed her hair, and every other little thing that goes down when (in order of importance) Pacey, Jen, Joey and Dawson return to the creek. Plus, we share some fun theories about Pacey’s new show Doctor Odyssey.

Programming Note: We’re taking next week off as our fearless co-leader Jodie recovers from shoulder surgery (send her all the good vibes!). We’ll be back the week after to review the Getting LOST documentary, which is premiering December 7 with a live Q&A. (Looks like ticket holders will have a week to watch.)

Watch the trailer and get your tickets for Getting Lost

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

It’s time to pack your saxophone! The Watchers are hitting the road with Will Ferrell and his longtime friend, writer Harper Steele, for their documentary Will & Harper. The film follows the two friends as they embark on a friendship-defining road trip. Jodie and Andrea discuss the emotional journey of Harper's transition, Will's growing understanding of allyship, and the evolution of their friendship. We also explore how Will & Harper adds to the long tradition of American road trip narratives, its take on big themes like change and connection, and the film's potential entry point for broader discussions of trans experiences.

Next week, we're taking a little detour back to Capeside. Jodie finished Dawson's Creek, so we're sharing a series wrap-up. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming the following week with a documentary we can't wait to tell you all about!

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Chasing Chasing Amy is a heartfelt, funny, and deeply personal documentary that explores identity, queer representation, cinematic influence, and our evolving relationship with pop culture—everything we love to dive into here at The Watchers. In this episode, Sav Rodgers shares how the film started as a quest to understand Chasing Amy's complicated connection to the LGBTQ+ community but grew into something much more meaningful. We dig into the behind-the-scenes process, from shooting interviews in people’s homes and on windy rooftops to how key editing choices helped shape the narrative, all guided by Sav’s strict “No Bullsh*t” policy. Along the way, we discuss Kevin Smith’s magnetic presence, the impact of queer narratives, and the importance of authentic storytelling. It’s an engaging, thoughtful conversation that celebrates film’s transformative power and the necessity of hope in art.

Keep up with Sav Rodgers and Chasing Chasing Amy on Instagram.

Here’s where you can see Chasing Chasing Amy in theaters: It's really very good

Watch Sav’s TedTalk - Sav Rodgers: The Rom-Com That Saved My Life

Next week, we’re watching Will & Harper, Josh Greenbaum’s 2024 documentary that follows friends Will Ferrell and Harper Steele on a cross country road trip.

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week, Jodie and Andrea dig into the good, the bad, and the baffling of Kim’s Video, a 2023 documentary that explores what happened to one of the world’s greatest VHS collections when it moved from New York City to Sicily. We talk 90s nostalgia, genre conventions, what it means to be a creative person, and how and why stories get told. Plus we reminisce about our own days working in video stores and marvel at the way Jersey always shows up for us.

Next week, we are SO excited to be talking with Sav Rodgers, the filmmaker behind Chasing Chasing Amy. It’s not streaming yet, but it is showing in a bunch of cities. Here they are.

Referenced in this episode:

The Strange Fate of Kim’s Video - Karina Longworth

Chloë Sevigny Visits the Kim's Video Collection - Alamo Drafthouse

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

It’s our final Halloween episode of 2024, and you shouldn’t be surprised by our choice. We couldn’t wrap up the season without revisiting Wellsville for one of the greatest Halloween episodes in television history, “Halloweenie” from The Adventures of Pete & Pete. It’s quintessentially Pete & Pete, which means it’s quintessentially 90s and quintessentially Jersey, all while remaining totally weird and wholly unique. We talk Mischief-Devil’s-Cabbage-Goosey Night, neighborhood bullies, breaking records, and that moment of being right on the edge of too old for something you used to love.

Next week, we’re sticking with the 90s theme but moving to a new genre, as we watch Kim’s Video, a 2023 documentary that explores what happened to one of the world’s greatest VHS collections when it moved from New York City to Sicily.

Follow:

The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."