14. A Grand Theory of Taste

Danielle and John take a break from episode-by-episode reviews to indulge some metanarrative about their respective (and surprisingly divergent) tastes in TV and film. Taking off from John’s proposed grand unifying theory, they explore aesthetic excess, escapism in film and TV, spectacle, fandom, IP, “prestige TV,” and beautiful terror. Along the way, they touch on a number of shows/universes: in order, Devs, Severance, The Terror, The Young Pope, The Americans and spy fiction, Station Eleven, the MCU, Star Wars, Atlanta, and A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. 

Links to items we discuss: 

• Cut to Black, a podcast by Gretchen Felker-Martin and Sean T. Collins and John’s primary referent for TV criticism and aesthetics
• “Black Panther Is Not the Movie We Deserve,” by Christopher Lebron

 

Music by Lesfm from Pixabay