Thumb War

Welcome to Derry Episode 5 finally gives us what everyone’s been begging for:

In this Thumb War recap, we break down everything from the genuinely awesome parts — Bill Skarsgård’s terrifying Pennywise reveal, the triple-decker teeth, the contortions, the hallucinatory sewer sequences — to the parts that made us feel like we were taking crazy pills.

Including:

This is a spoiler-filled, chaotic, honest recap of Episode 5 — the good, the bad, and the “why is everyone in this show so dumb?”

Full transcript moments include Pennywise illusions, failed plans, secret shards, hallucinations, and multiple “are you serious?” plot beats.

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Welcome to our Patreon-only T-Giving episode, where the vibes are loose, the thumbs are down, and the opinions are turgid (yes, we go there). In this clip, we bounce between:

Jason’s birthday Korean BBQ adventure

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Thumb War is back and slightly annoyed for a new Welcome to Derry Episode 4 Review! We’re forced to ask a serious question: Is this the worst episode yet? The Stephen King Universe lore is being dumped like it's an end-of-season yard sale, and frankly, we're tired of them explaining everything. On this episode of Thumb War, Jason, Rachel, and special guest Jeshua Kidd wade through the Derry, Maine mud to discuss the highly questionable writing and deeply confusing plot points. We break down the absolutely cringe-worthy dialogue, the heavy-handed Pennywise connections and whether the excessive Stephen King Easter Eggs are just fan service covering up a weak script.

In this train wreck, we discuss: The truly unbelievable "How do you move a piano?" scene that made us question everything. Is the 'friendly one' from Juniper Hill trustworthy, or just another convenient plot device? Why the show is struggling to move beyond exposition and actually tell a story.

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Predator Badlands should’ve been the ninth-installment cash-grab we all politely ignore… but somehow Dan Trachtenberg cooked. In this week’s Thumb War, Rachel and Jason dive into the surprisingly emotional new Predator movie that mixes Klingon-like family drama, Alien-universe corporate stupidity, exploding caterpillars, razor grass, and the most adorable digital murder-gremlin since Grogu.

We get into:

This one is shockingly heartfelt, visually bonkers, and absolutely primed for a sequel.

Huge thumbs up. Go see it in a theater.

Full Spoilers.

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Spoilers for Welcome to Derry Episode 3!

Thumb War returns to Derry, Maine, where the sewers are wet, the ghost children look like Spirit Halloween interns, and the cemetery scene feels one jump scare away from a discount haunted house behind a Home Depot.

After two strong episodes, Episode 3 might be our first real stumble of the season. We break down:

Did the show blow its horror budget in Episodes 1 & 2?

We still love the show, but we also reserve the right to yell at it.

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This week on Thumb War we dive headfirst into “Shame”, the Steve McQueen film that proves even the hottest people alive can be absolutely miserable.

We unpack Michael Fassbender’s Olympic-level libido, Carey Mulligan’s emotional demolition derby performance, the subway eye-sex, the hotel disaster, the threesome-from-hell, and the sibling dynamic that made us both yell “No thank you.”

Jason is weirdly unimpressed. Rachel is weirdly invested. Fassbender is weirdly… relentless.

If you like art-house chaos, trauma bonds, and movies that make you question your entire browser history, this episode is for you.

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We’re recapping Episodes 1 & 2 of Welcome To Derry, a show that proves Stephen King will never run out of nightmare fuel.

In this episode, Jason and Rachel break down the pacifier trauma, the demon-baby joyride, the womb-from-hell sequence, the pickle-factory disaster, the theater bloodbath, and the government bros who genuinely think they can team-up with Pennywise like he’s the sixth Avenger.

Thankfully, Hazel drops in to provide the emotional support HBO clearly refuses to.

If you love horror, chaos, or watching Derry do Derry things, this one’s for you.

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Welcome to the Thumb War Patreon lounge — where the mics are hot, the Eight Ball’s filthy, and no one’s editing out the weird stuff. JD and Rachel dive into the doomed Soderbergh-Driver Star Wars script, questionable grooming updates, deer encounters, thrift-store T-shirt giveaways, and a heartfelt thank-you to the listeners literally keeping the lights on.

If you’re hearing this in the free feed, you’re missing the good parts. Join the Patreon and unlock every unhinged moment: http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU

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This week on Thumb War, Jason and Rachel ring up The Black Phone 2 (2025) — a sequel that swaps its creepy basement for a haunted dreamscape — and then revisit An American Werewolf in London (1981), one of the funniest, horniest, and most existential horror movies ever made.

Featuring:

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Jason and Rachel are joined by resident Jedi Jeshua Kidd to tackle Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. From Obi-Wan’s noir detective subplot on Kamino to Anakin and Padmé’s galaxy-wide red-flag romance, we break down the highs, lows, and sand-covered cringe of George Lucas’s most ambitious prequel.

Topics include: the infamous “I don’t like sand” scene, Yoda’s lightsaber duel, Ewan McGregor keeping this whole thing afloat, and whether Attack of the Clones deserves its spot near the bottom of most Star Wars rankings.

New to Thumb War? We watch way too much stuff… so you don’t have to.

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