Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast
When you spend the bulk of your life reading, writing, and building lesson plans, sometimes your brain needs a break. Join two of your favorite political theory professors - Danielle Hanley and John McMahon - as they switch gears from the world’s so-called great books to break down some of your favorite TV shows. The twist? Only one of your hosts has seen the show before. First up? The Americans.
Listen on:
Episodes
Thursday May 05, 2022
Thursday May 05, 2022
Still buzzing from the Hanley Sororal Conspiracy from our last episode, John and Danielle are on their own this week to tackle Season 1 Episode 9 of The Americans, “Safe House”. They ask whether any of the houses are really safe as they dig into the show’s display of bro culture, suffering, and violence. We get our first ‘Danielle Dossier’ case closed - tune in to find out if Danielle’s (conspiracy) theory was right on the money, or just misplaced anxiety! Not to mention, a Cave segment that makes John extremely uncomfortable.
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Apr 28, 2022
Thursday Apr 28, 2022
This week, John and Danielle are joined by some very special guests - plural - Danielle’s sisters: Kaitlin, Becky, and Tori. Our hosts manage to squeeze in some insightful discussion about The Americans S1E8, “Mutually Assured Discussion” with the help of the two-thirds of the Hanley sisters that watched the episode! Tori helps us understand how effective Philip’s wigs actually are, and Kaitlin joins John in silently judging Danielle Dossier. We replace the Cave with Sororal Conspiracy, and hear a ton of embarrassing stories about Danielle from childhood!
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Apr 21, 2022
Thursday Apr 21, 2022
On their own again this week, Danielle and John dig into The Americans Season 1 Episode 7, “Duty and Honor”. As both Philip and Stan explore extramarital dalliances, our hosts consider what duty and honor mean in a world defined by spying, murky loyalties, and double agents. Don’t worry, they also have travel agent takes for days, and end the episode with a sprinkling of everyone’s favorite Renaissance prince, Niccolo Machiavelli. Plus, a mid-season check-in with some minor concern (or concern-trolling, as the case may be). The podcast equivalent of the travel agent convention of our dreams!
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Apr 14, 2022
Thursday Apr 14, 2022
John and Danielle are back with their first special guest of the season, their friend Amy Schiller! Together, they dive into The Americans Season 1 Episode 6, “Trust Me”. They take a moment to address the experience of engaging with this show against the contemporary backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine before shifting to talk about the episode’s major themes: trust, violence, and family life. Amy pitches John and Danielle on watching Billions on NQGB’s own version of Shark Tank for TV takes.
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Apr 07, 2022
Thursday Apr 07, 2022
This week, John and Danielle tackle The Americans Season 1 Episode 5, “COMINT”. They marvel at how Elizabeth slithers between cars and get into questions of patriarchy, violence, and of course, all the relationship dynamics on display. The return of Dirtbag Philip inaugurates another round of wig talk, which is never boring!
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Who is “In Control” this week? Your hosts, John and Danielle, of course, as they return to discuss Season 1 Episode 4 of The Americans. After a check-in on how this episode plays with scale in the series, they discuss the overwhelming presence of Reagan, cool spycraft moments, and reflect on the anxiety of scenes in the woods. Come for John’s takes on Russian translation, stay for this week’s trip into The Cave.
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Danielle and John dive into The Americans Season 1 Episode 3, “Gregory”. They discuss the episode’s treatment of secrets and lies, consider the racial dynamics at play, marvel at some great camerawork, and offer their first impressions of Gregory and Claudia. Don’t worry, they make time to check in about bangs and 80s pop culture too! They also tap into their own lived experiences to evaluate how New York stands in for "Philadelphia".
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
John and Danielle continue their exploration of The Americans with a rousing discussion of Season 1 Episode 2, “The Clock.” They generate a wide-ranging discussion that examines the role of the nuclear family and racial dynamics in the episode, while still making sure to carve out some time to gush about the 80’s nostalgia brought on by headphones and wigs in “The Clock”. “Minor Character of the Week” and “The Cave” also return!
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
In their first (!) episode, John and Danielle start by laying out the motivations behind this podcast before diving into a lively discussion of the pilot episode of The Americans. Come for their careful consideration of nationalism, lies, and spycraft; stay for the segments on Soviet aesthetics, needle drops, and the award for ‘Minor Character of the Week’.
Join Danielle and John as they use their analytical skills to deep dive into The Americans this season on Not Quite Great Books: A TV Podcast.
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Danielle and John banter about the origins, schticks, plans and more for Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast, which kicks of with a episode-by-episode review of The Americans.
First episode coming soon!