Zach & Tavie's Marvelous Adventure

Zach & Tavie dive back into the seedy underbelly of the Netflix side of the MCU’s New York City as they check out the darkest, most mature project to date, the first season of Jessica Jones.  Be warned now that some serious content is discussed in this one, details of which are mentioned early on.

In this show, we follow the super-strong private investigator, Jessica Jones, as wonderfully brought to life by Krysten Ritter, previously of Breaking Bad & Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 fame.  She is doing what she can to get by while also dealing with PTSD imposed upon her by the truly awful Kilgrave, as brilliantly portrayed by David Tenant, as one of the truly worst of the worst super-villains in the MCU so far, even if lacking his comic-accurate purple skin.

It’s got a strong female lead, tackling sensitive subjects, a same-sex relationship that’s not a cliché or stereotype, and of course some superheroic action along the way.  Unfortunately, it’s also got some fat-shaming and supporting characters that can come off as cartoonish caricatures, but nothing’s perfect.

Beyond that, you’ll get more of Tavie’s NYC-based observations and fact-checking, spotting Broadway stars, not one but two connections to a non-Marvel piece of superhero TV that recently ended its run, Jessica stretching her voice acting skills, a truly AWFUL euphemism, that blah expression in slo-motion over and over, continued attempts to not directly refer to more prominent MCU superheroes, and maybe even a stray camera guy in there at a point.

We also explore questions such as “How many terrible things can you remember Kilgrave making people do?”, “How awful is Hogarth?”, “Did they sound like Alvin & The Chipmunks?”, “Who is the best Scrooge McDuck?”, “Could Kilgrave defeat Thanos?”, and plenty of others.

All of that, plus our usual SPOT THE STAN and MARVEL TRIVIA segments.  Of course, there’s no PENNY’S CORNER this time around, as the content of the show required a 100% no-Penny zone.  Maybe she can check it out when she ‘s older.  You, however, can tune in right now!  So, please do!

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

Dedicated in loving memory of Fred Phillips

Zach & Tavie welcome their very special FIRST EVER GUEST, the host of The Best Show and national best-selling author, TOM SCHARPLING, to the show to discuss 2015’s Ant-Man starring Paul Rudd and directed by Peyton Reed.  Without Tom, our two hosts would likely have never met.

In an incredibly fun and funny installment, Tom discusses his friendship with Reed, how his visit to the set turned into filming a scene, and how that scene was unfortunately left on the cutting room floor.  Tom also shares his history with Marvel comics and media, as well as insights from his perspective as a pro in the industry on choices made on the film, directors who probably influenced certain scenes in the movie, and just how accurate to the comics these films should be.

Also explored are questions such as “What other Marvel property was Peyton set to direct at a point?”, “When was the Bronze Age of comics?”, “Why all the alliterative character names?”, “How did directing Bring It On prepare Peyton for making this film?”, “Why is HE in this?”, “What’s Weird Al got to do with anything?”, “How long does it take for Zach to read a book?”, “How do Slurpee cups figure in?” and plenty of others.

All of this plus the usual segments of SPOT THE STAN, MARVEL TRIVIA, and PENNY’S CORNER, as well as revisiting Zach & Tavie’s “secret origin”, Tom’s views on Marvel vs DC, Corey Stoll’s villain vibes, Zach’s chance encounter with Paul Rudd himself, how handsome and ageless Paul is, if he should have been a redhead in the film, tangents about Muppets, Star Wars, and Street Fighter, wrapping everything up with a sort of  mini-Best Show featuring an embarrassing story from Zach’s Comic-Con past, and SO MUCH MORE!

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

In this episode, Zach and Tavie discuss the second (and quite possibly least popular) Avengers film, Avengers: Age Of Ultron.  Yes, the whole family is back together, facing off against James Spader’s Tony Stark-modeled evil robot, at least initially joined by the Maximoff twins previously teased in the Winter Soldier mid-credits tease, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver (though he is definitely never referred to as such within the film).

Joss Whedon returns to direct this, bringing along his typical overly quippy dialogue, some other lines that are incredibly cringe-worthy, and a few obnoxious teases/fake-outs.  We’ve got plenty of setup for the MCU’s future, maybe to the film’s detriment, a family reveal as a substitute for genuine character development, more character origins tied to Tony Stark, the return of “Stellar Skateboard”, some eerie foreshadowing of Jeremy Renner’s real life injuries and treatment, another example of fish being put in danger, even while human lives are saved, a line teasing a future Avengers movie’s subtitle, a confusing mid-credits scene with Thanos, and plenty more!

We explore the answers to such questions as “Exactly how long is an age?”, “Who’s Rebecca?”, “What were the sleeping arrangements at the farm?”, “Why all the extraneous lines in some character designs?”, “Why did they switch which arm is missing?”, “What happened to Betty Ross?”, “Is Steve Rogers getting progressively less blonde?”, and a plethora of others.

All this, plus the usual segments of SPOT THE STAN (potentially Tavie’s favorite spotting yet), MARVEL TRIVIA, and PENNY’S CORNER, plus a whole lot more.  Join us as we tackle this team-up, heading into the finishing line of Phase 2.

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

Zach and Tavie stay television-focused in this one, as they enter the Netflix era of the street-level superheroes of New York City, starting off with Daredevil.  Join Matt Murdock, lawyer by day and costumed vigilante by night, as he works alongside Foggy Nelson and Karen page to bring down the criminal empire of The Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, and his various associates.  This is different, however, in that they tackle A FULL SEASON of 13 episodes.  Brace yourselves, as this is a big one.

It’s a darker, grittier side of the MCU, and until recently, its canon status to the larger established world was debatable.  There’s violence and adult language and material aplenty in this one, hyper-focused on the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen.  Still, there was plenty to discuss.

Join our hosts as questions arise such as “How do they come up with these supervillain names?”, “Is scotch whiskey?”, “Is he using echo-location?”, “What non-Marvel comic characters does Daredevil share an origin with?”, “Is this show an example of a Surf Dracula situation?”, “Just what is a Black Sky?”,  “What does an MSNBC anchor have to do with all of this?”, “What’s the Police Academy connection?”, “What made Tavie’s jaw drop?”, “What made Zach look exasperated?”, “Which death got to Tavie the most?”, “Which character can’t Zach’s wife stand?”, “How DO you spell the name of the Jewish festival of lights?”, “Is that that same buoy sound effect AGAIN?”, and plenty of others.

Plus, there is a SPOT THE STAN segment, albeit one a bit unusual compared to the average ones, as well as MARVEL TRIVIA that Zach specifically came up with, due to the lack of cards in his game.  However, there is no PENNY’S CORNER for this one, due to both the more mature material covered in the show, as well as her lack of real interest in seeing the whole season through.  All of that and so much more in this super-sized episode, so tune in!

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

We make our way back to the small screen and join Agent Peggy Carter in her continuing adventures since her well received One-Shot, which we previously discussed.  Hayley Atwell is back, once more showing that even a lady in 1946 can kick butt and take names, joined by names and faces old and new.

Speaking of which, we learn a little more about the back-story of Howard Stark and his similarities to his future son.  Plus we get the all-too-spooky introduction of a character who is familiar yet new, Edwin Jarvis.  This episode covers so much, including Peggy’s multiple disguises, more fighting sexism, Tavie’s fondness for automats, massive ice cubes, orbs galore, Zach’s story of “meeting” Hayley at a convention, discussion of the early days of the internet, The Captain America Adventure Program, Chad Michael Murray, A BIG MUPPET TANGENT, and so much else.

Plus looking into questions like “What is Leviathan?”, “How does this fit in the timeline in regards to the One-Shot?”, “How does that typewriter work?”, “How does that lipstick work?”, “What made Tavie go all Leo meme?”, “Where have I heard that sound before?”, “Is that Sarah’s profession or just a judgment of her lifestyle?”, “Won’t someone think of the fish?”, and several others.

Additionally, though we are lacking in a SPOT THE STAN segment (as well as MARVEL TRIVIA), we do spot character actors aplenty, including James Urbaniak.  That and we do have a PENNY’S CORNER, so one out of three isn’t so bad.  Tune in and take a trip back in time with Zach and Tavie and see what they thought of the first two episodes of this action-adventure spy thriller.

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

In this exciting installment, we go full sci-fi travel to various worlds (complete with matching title cards) across the galaxy and meet its new guardians.  That’s right, it’s Guardians Of The Galaxy!  We meet the unlikely team of heroes in James Gunn’s entry point into the MCU, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and the immensely marketable pair of Rocket Raccoon and Groot, as they deal with the threat of Ronan and the new Infinity Stone that we’re introduced to.  Of course, on that note, we get to get more of Thanos ever before, as the MCU begins to truly establish him as the big bad he is.

It’s a film seemingly MADE for Tavie, combining her fondness for sci-fi and her upbringing in the same era that young Peter grew up in while still on Earth.  It’s got a killer soundtrack, an early dual role in the MCU from an actor, Quill giving out Starkesque nicknames, a couple of “strong, butt-kicking women”, a moment ripped from Dragon Ball Z, unusual accent choices (in Tavie’s opinion), and the least likable Chris (who should definitely not have voiced Mario or Garfield, let alone both).

Plus we dive into questions such as “Is there such a thing as a ‘nepo brother’ (also known as being ‘Clint Howarded’)? “, “What name did Tavie think was dumb?”, “What else was in the Collector’s cases?”, “What made Tavie tear up?”, “What made Tavie burst out laughing?”, “What’s Zach’s favorite type of Milano cookie?”, “Can you say ‘What a waste of Lee Pace’s face’ three times fast?”, “Do these characters have phone numbers?”, and plenty of others.

All of this, our usual segments of SPOT THE STAN, MARVEL TRIVIA, and PENNY’S CORNER, and SO MUCH MORE!  Come and join us for an interstellar adventure to remember with this found family of misfits and other colorful characters from outer space!

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

It’s finally here!  The whole reason for this podcast’s existence!  To celebrate, Zach and Tavie recorded a special check-in before and after they each saw Pedro Pascal’s Marvel debut, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.  It’s Tavie’s very first Marvel Studios theatrical viewing experience!  How exciting!

While a shorter installment than usual, lacking the regular segments of SPOT THE STAN, MARVEL TRIVIA, and PENNY’S CORNER, it’s still a very fun one, going over anticipation levels, cast, style, overall enjoyment, ties to the greater multiverse, as well as comparisons to the source material and prior live-action attempts at bringing Marvel’s First Family to life.

What did Tavie think?  How was Pedro in the role?  Should it have been an origin story?  Was that cartoon real?  What was The Thing’s catch-phrase, again?  How will they tie in to the bigger picture of the MCU?  Has the Silver Surfer always been a lady?  Who’s Dr. Doom?  What was the name of the launch bay?

All of this and plenty more in this culmination of our reason for being (until we actually do a full proper episode of it, down the line), being posted just days from the anniversary of learning Pedro would be in it, kicking off the chain of events that led us here.

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

It’s the second entry in the Captain America film series and one of the most highly-regarded films of the entire MCU, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  The Russo brothers’ inaugural installment within this shared universe brings some great espionage thriller vibes, not to mention some great shield action (as well as plenty of SHIELD action).

We join a post-Avengers Steve Rogers as he continues to find his way in the modern world as a man out of time, now working alongside Nick Fury and SHIELD, Natasha Romanoff (aka The Black Widow), and new friend and partner, Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon).  Cap doesn’t always toe the line, however, questioning some of Fury’s methods, as they all soon become confronted with the Hydra rot from within and face off against the deadly and mysterious titular Winter Soldier.

Join Zach & Tavie in their longest episode yet, with some fun discussion on this well-regarded superhero action film, including noting the male and female leads paired without forced romantic interest, the return of Bucky (as spoiled by Tavie’s co-workers), a betrayal from a character we were getting to know and live, not one, but two female characters in disguise, a new appearance from Senator Garry Schandling (as Tavie calls him), and perhaps the dumbest trivia card ever, and not just from within the podcast itself.

All of this and exploring questions like “Is it called The River Potomac?”, “What does the J in Fury’s name stand for?”,  “Is that Gary Sinise?”, “Did Tavie spoil herself?”, “Could someone really shoot their arm through two straps on a shield as it shop up in mid-air?”, “What film criticism phrase does Zach hate?”, “Does anyone stay dead?”, “How could Zora’s algorithm ever predict that character’s life path?”, “Would Tavie’s dad be a threat to Hydra?”, “How did he know to stand right there in the road?”, “How did he get the shield back?”, and plenty of others.

Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without the standard segments of SPOT THE STAN, MARVEL TRIVIA, and PENNY’S CORNER.  For all of that and a whole lot more to this exciting episode!

*Yes, I know Spider-Man is a male character and that it’s Ezekiel 25:17.  Slip-ups happen.

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

We are back with our VERY SPECIAL MILESTONE TENTH EPISODE!  Aside from just hitting that number, it’s also special in that this is not about a movie nor a television series, but a selection of the MARVEL ONE-SHOTS!  For those not in the know, these were short films included as home video bonus features to flesh out some of the gaps in the MCU continuity that wouldn’t fit into another media format.

We’ve got The Consultant, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thor’s Hammer, Item 47, Agent Carter (not to be confused with her later series which this was clearly a test run for), and All Hail The King.  We’ll see a whole bunch of agents throughout the majority of it, between Carter and her strong female empowerment, plenty of Coulson and Sitwell and their antics, as well as a few others.  Of course, it’s not complete without an out-of-work actor/former villain fakeout.  Plus, there are fun cameos and even a few of Marvel’s trademark post-credit scenes!

We explore questions such as “Who was the consultant, again?”, “Just how good of a patsy IS Sitwell?”, “What’s Sondheim got to do with this?”,  “How could the robbers be so dumb?”,  “Should Tavie check out Billy Madison?”, “Who or what is Zodiac?”,  “Exactly when were bikinis invented?”, “Should you really ever trust the AI overview?” (Spoiler Alert: NO), “Where do we know these actors from?” “What’s all this Mike Post stuff about?”, “What major 1980’s franchises for boys did Zach not get into as a kid?”, and plenty of others.

Of course, with these not being the traditional TV or film productions, we have neither our usual SPOT THE STAN nor MARVEL TRIVIA segments.  However, we make up for it with not one, two, three, or even four, but FIVE INDIVIDUAL PENNY’S CORNERS!  Yes, our go-to girl was able to pick up on some fun little tidbits for each and every one, regardless of their (quite varying) run-times.  All this, a song from The Cars, and so much more!

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips

We are back with an all-new episode covering the first character to get a solo film sequel since Iron Man with Thor: The Dark World!  In this new entry of the thunder god’s (but not really, as the film makes sure to hammer in) saga, we see him coming up against Malekith and the Dark Elves from the titular Dark World (seemingly the same place as Svartalfeim, accompanied by that truly cursed Algrim.

During the course of events, Thor even teams up with Loki at a point, much to the dismay of The Warriors Three, as well as Lady Sif, who ever-so-briefly seems to be part of a potential love triangle, but other than that doesn’t get much to do.  Meanwhile, Frigga gets MORE to do than before, even getting in on the action.

This film also properly introduces us to the Infinity Stones, the MacGuffins that a decade plus of films was built around, including the not-really-a-stone Aether (or “Creepy Dark Energy”) that drives this movie, infecting Jane but also somehow empowering Malekith.  There’s also more of Darcy doing her whole Darcy thing and a new direction for Dr. Erik Selvig.

We also try to answer questions such as “Has Tavie’s opinion changed on Chris Hemsworth at all?”, “How DO you pronounce Thor’s mother’s name?”, “Are The Warriors Three part of the original mythology?”, “What’s Zachary Levi doing here?”, Where was Thor before he showed up mid-battle?”,  “How’d that phone still have a signal?”, “Did nobody proofread these trivia cards?”, “Where are the other Avengers?” and plenty of others.

All of that plus SPOT THE STAN, MARVEL TRIVIA, PENNY’S CORNER and SO MUCH MORE!  Tune in to find out where we feel this one falls on the MCU film quality spectrum!

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips