Tread Perilously

Tread Perilously's WandaVision month concludes with an episode of Modern Family called "New Kids on the Block."

While Alex deals with the reality of doing research in Antarctica, Hayley, Claire, and Phil contend with the reality of Hayley's twins -- who will not go to sleep. Jay needs to cut a new commercial, which Manny uses as a chance to get a director credit. But when Jay reveals his lead voice actor is Manny's ex, will Gloria teach her son the way to win his lost love back? Meanwhile, Cameron's plan to bond with some at-risk youths from the high school goes horribly wrong.

Erik and Justin face their first episode of Modern Family. The cast gets high marks with Sofia Vergara and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons as standouts. Ed O'Neil remains a national treasure. Ty Burrell's Phil also proves to be a strong character. Andor and Doctor Who dominate the weeds as the pair need to talk about revelations in recent episodes of both shows. Erik determines the real end of The Office. Justin offers a few thoughts on the Eurovision finals. Parenting mores are also discussed. The joke regarding how collections start leads to a talk about collecting. Erik fears watching The Bear and Justin pitches a new show for Sarah Hyland.

Tread Perilously's WandaVision month continues with an episode of Malcolm in the Middle called "Living Will."

Hal's inability to make a decision comes to the fore when he is given power of attorney for a neighbor currently in a vegetative state. With doctors, family, and other neighbors encouraging him to make a choice, will Hal be able to decide if the man lives or dies? Meanwhile, Craig reaches out to the boys about learning to fight dirty so he can take on a long-term bully. But when the bully turns out to be family with an offer to run a chain of gymnasiums, will Craig fold?

Erik tries to recall why his younger self didn't want to watch Malcolm in the Middle. Justin remembers his time with the show. WandaVision matters more than it has in previous weeks. Bryan Cranston proves, once again, that he is a great actor. Jane Kaczmarek also gets her flowers. Justin offers some of the Malcolm lore. Erik determines movies that are worse than Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. David Anthony Higgins' origin is revealed. The Robert Loggia commercial reappears. Jack LaLane emerges from the mists of forgotten TV history. The mystery of Dwayne Johnson's feet is solved and Scott Lang turns out to be the most important superhero.

Tread Perilously's WandaVision month enters Quality Time territory with an episode of Family Ties called "Suzanne Takes You Down."

When Elyse's friend, Suzanne, admits to feeling unfulfilled now that the kids have left for college, she hires the forlorn friend to do some clerical work. But almost immediately, Suzanne begins offering opinions about architectural features of an upcoming project. Soon, Elyse is doing double the work while convincing clients that much of her friend's suggestions are not feasible or against building code. And just when she has had enough, Suzanne's husband announces he wants a divorce. Will Elyse find the courage to fire Suzanne?

Erik and Justin immediately credit frequent guest Paul Pakler's former podcast, Quality Time with Family Ties, for covering the episode first. Erik's bias against Ethan Hawke makes an appearance. The initial premise of Family Ties gets examined as the episode has very little to do with the kids. Justin appraises the talents of Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter. Architecture remains the fakest TV job. Elyse and Steven's history as hippies leads to a tangent -- and the reason why Erik always connects the show with Airplane! The pair try to figure out if Jennifer ever gets a character and the "mild chuckle" philosophy returns.

Tread Perilously's WandaVision month continues with an episode The Brady Bunch called "The Winner."

When Cindy comes home with a trophy for winning a jacks tournament at the park, Bobby laments that he is the only member of the family to lack an award. Talking it over with Mike and Carol, he resolves to win at something. Anything. It soon leads to strife with the other kids as he becomes an increasingly sore loser. But will the Kartoon King offer him the chance to be the right sort of winner? And will Bobby learn the true value of competition without Mike lecturing on the topic?

Justin finally watches his first true episode of The Brady Bunch and is amazed to see Mike without a perm. He also determines the series' premise. Jackie Coogan's Disease gets a new awareness advocate. Ann B. Davis is honored, even if she is mistaken for another actor. Gary Cole is celebrated for his contributions to Brady lore. Geography Corner somehow summons 7th Heaven. The pair recast Thomas Magnum for some reason. Robert Reed's feelings about the show are discussed. Carol's hatred of a certain word becomes a centerpiece of the story and Greg gets drafted into a company of notable TV veterans. Also: the "wholesomeness" of The Brady Bunch leads in strange directions.

Tread Perilously settles in for a month of shows that inspired WandaVision with an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show called "Racy Tracy Rattigan".

With Alan Brady out on vacation, Rob and the others must write the next two shows for guest host "Racy" Tracy Rattigan. The British actor proves to be funny and charming, but his immediate interest in Laura leaves Rob a little unnerved. It becomes full-tilt unnerved when Rattigan comes to their home under the guise of working on sketches, but ends up coming on to Laura. Will Rob's response sink Rattigan's commitment to the show?

Erik returns from his own vacation with some rusty podcast skills and the wrong microphone. He and Justin get back into the swing of things via a chat about Jack Quaid and the current Marvel Cinematic Universe. The pair also fall in love with Mary Tyler Moore all over again. Justin learns the Morey Amsterdam joke and immediately warms to Rose Marie. Guest star Richard Dawson gets some flowers even as Erik tries to determine if Rattigan is supposed to be Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore, or both. Though not on screen, Carl Reiner proves to be the MVP. But will a 1963 episode of the show turn out surprisingly modern?

Tread Perilously concludes its month of celebrating the new series Doctor Who with "Listen."

As Clara goes on a somewhat uncomfortable date, The Doctor realizes he is talking to himself and supposes there might be a more sinister reason for it. Soon, he picks up Clara for a trip to the past, the future, and an impossible era to learn the truth behind the perfect hider and the monster under your bed. All the while, Clara's date, Danny Pink, seems to be at the center of the investigation. But is that to do with Clara? And who is the boy Clara finds in a barn somewhere far from England?

Justin and Erik discuss Steven Moffat as a writer and his seeming resistance to platonic friendships. Actor Samuel Anderson gets praise for his performance in this episode ... but not as Danny Pink. "Listen" is unavoidably compared to "Blink," which leads to some surprising analysis of both. Does modern Doctor Who work best when Moffat and Russell T. Davies are involved at the same time? Erik once again suggests Matt Smith left earlier than originally planned. Justin praises a key sequence in the episode. Peter Capaldi's performance as The Doctor is reviewed anew and Justin identifies the only true romantic Doctor/companion pairing of the Classic series.

Tread Perilously's Doctor Who month continues with a new series episode called "Midnight."

While Donna relaxes in a spa on the planet Midnight, The Doctor decides to take an excursion to the so-called Sapphire Falls. It is an eight-hour trip, but a couple of hours in, the transport stops and the mechanic in the flight deck spots movement where no living thing is supposed to be. Soon, something makes its way into the passenger compartment and it wants nothing more than to inhabit The Doctor.

The dry air in Erik's hotel room leads to a lot of throat clearing. A brief discussion of classic Who and X-Men comics breaks out. Justin turns out to have the same reaction Erik had to the episode when it first aired. They delve into that appraisal. The presence of actor David Troughton also gets examined. The Tenth Doctor's flaws are on display even as he proves to be right in a compartment full of panicky humans. Erik continues to be surprised by the lack of Rutans in the new series. The issue of continuity with Big Finish Audio is explained. Dorothy Zbornak gets pitched as a companion and Barack Obama turns out to be the reason no man can have a secret second family anymore.

Tread Perilously celebration of Doctor Who's second 20 years on the air continues with "73 Yards."

When The Doctor and Ruby Sunday land on the Welsh coastline, he breaks a fairy circle and immediately disappears. Ruby's key will not work in the TARDIS and she is forced to fend for herself in the nearby Welsh town. Making her way home to London, she also discovers a mysterious woman is hovering 73 yards away. Whenever anyone tries to talk to the woman, she inspires fear in them and a contempt for Ruby. With The Doctor still missing, Ruby gets on with her life, but will a chance reference to something he told her reveal her true purpose?

Justin and Erik discuss the personalities of the 14th and 15th Doctors. They also get lost in the Welsh countryside for a time. Erik gets into the trouble of modern Doctor Who discourse. Millie Gibson proves to be a capable lead as she takes point in this episode. Erik outlines the true mystery of faith. The ambiguity of the episode leads to differing opinions. Erik's critical English accents re-appears while Justin considers some of his family's past with the British Empire.

Tread Perilously's annual Doctor Who month celebrates 20 years of the new series, starting with the Jodie Whittaker era episode "Eve of the Daleks."

New Year's Eve 2021. Sarah, the owner of Elf Storage in Manchester, must keep the lights on because a certain client always turns up just before midnight on 31 December to deposit items in his storage space. He turns up, naturally enough, but so do The Doctor, Yaz, and Dan. And, soon, Daleks arrive, too. When they exterminate everyone in the building, a time loop occurs ... but all quickly becomes aware of it. Can they figure out the secret behind the loop and stop the Dalek?

Erik gets into the weeds about the use of the term "reboot" in media. He also makes the case against Dan. Justin comes to his own appraisal about the character. While some gripes about then-showrunner Chris Chibnall get aired, the pair praise him for various choices in this episode. Guest stars Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon also prove to be MVPs. Guesses are made about cuisine in Middle-earth. Despite a number of tropes, the story ends up feeling fresh. The problem with The Doctor/Yaz relationship is discussed and Dalek voices abound.

Tread Perilously's Movies on TV month concludes with an episode of Teen Wolf called "Lunatic."

Following the incident at school, Scott and Allison are on the outs ... and it seems to be having a profound effect on his wolfy nature. Allison, meanwhile, is starting to notice how strange people are behaving -- particularly her father and aunt. Derek is on the run as he is the prime suspect in the school incident and Scott can't decide if he or the Alpha is making him go feral. Jackson sees an opportunity to get closer to Allison and Stiles proves to be too good of a friend.

Erik and Justin get into the weeds with the original Teen Wolf film. The Twilight and Vampire Diaries vibes are unavoidable as well. Erik cannot deny he is a Crystal Reed fan. Stiles turns out to be the surprising favorite in this version of the tale. The problem of high school shows is addressed. The pair find a new role for Bruce Campbell. Justin tries to figure out why the show bothered to use the Teen Wolf branding. Geography Corner leads to a surprising filming location. It is unclear if star Tyler Posey is a lead and the difficulties of depicting werewolves in live action are explored.