Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

72. Saltburn, with Regan Levitte

It’s a Christmas miracle of abundance and debauchery! Danielle joins John and Regan Levitte (of NQGB Young Pope podcasting fame) to dig into the aesthetic feast contained in Emerald Fennel’s Saltburn. In this spoiler-filled episode, your three hosts traverse the labyrinth-like film in all of its absurdity, nostalgia-bombs, and bathtub antics. They contemplate what this movie is about, consider the beautiful cinematography and the tremendous acting, and of course, rank the most sicko mode scenes before recommending some double features. They cap off their discussion with a trip into the Cave, where it is still PLATO SZN, and a few banger TheoryShips before heading out. This episode is equal parts Danielle finally embracing her inner hater, John waxing poetically about aesthetic choices, and Regan basking in the millennial nostalgia that is this film. 
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Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
 

71.The Americans 4x2, ”Pastor Tim”

Uh-oh. An entire episode named after Pastor Tim? Is this Danielle’s literal nightmare? Maybe. Oh well, back at it, Danielle (begrudgingly) and John dig into The Americans Season 4 Episode 2, “Pastor Tim.” Framing their discussion around truth-telling, they consider Nina’s arc, Paige’s honesty, and Philip’s own moments of clarity. In the Dossier, Danielle introduces her conspiracy theory about Glanders, which John (as usual) ‘no-comments’ - stay tuned for Glanders check-ins in later episodes. We are treated to our second weird dream sequence of the season, and it’s the return of PLATO SZN in the Cave, with the added bonus of some creative TheoryShips too. Don’t worry, it’s not ALL business - this ep has an extensive digression about the ‘Tainted Love’ needle drop (spoilers for the movie Coneheads - a classic!), among (many) other rabbit holes. Enjoy!
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Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

70. The Americans 4x1, ”Glanders”

Back from Athens and Pope-cast respectively, Danielle and John dive into Season 4 of The Americans! They tackle Season 4 Episode 1, “Glanders,” by asking about the emotional and narrative choices that structure the episode. Together, they consider what it means to pick up right after the events of Season 3, the introduction of biological weapons, and of course Philip’s EST-situation and the confrontation with Stan. Their antics have also returned, alongside these cutting analyses: Danielle doubles down on her Martha-theorizing, and likens Pastor Tim to a Victorian ghost, while John attempts a joke about an all-Plato all-the-time Cave that is subsequently taken way too seriously.
Don’t worry, there’s also plenty of chat about spycraft, bad 80s fits, and Philip’s general mental state. Come for the fit-checks, stay for the deep-dive into Philip and Elizabeth’s relationship!
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This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn’t exist. 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

69. The Young Pope, Episode Ten

Hot Confessor Summer comes to a close as Regan joins John for her final (or not final, Lenny willing?) popely appearance on NQGB. Not only do they discuss the plot and character apotheoses in the finale, they also ask the divine questions of the series as a whole. Did Lenny experience character growth? Is this show a melodrama? What is Paolo Sorrentino doing with the final flourish of the show? What is the show saying about its characters and our relationship to them? What is the show's perspective on Cathlolicism? Did Regan make a good life decision when agreeing to embark on YP podcasting this summer?! 
There is still plenty (seriously, a lot) of time for commending the acting of Diane Keaton and Javier Camarra, bonus saint names and trivia, the Popes of Xmas Past, Andrew Bird (and, oddly, The Fray), Regan's The New Pope predictions, Papal underwear, and a Proustian-Aquinas blowout in The Cave. 
*podcast app slowly zooms out to encompass the whole earth, fin*
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This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn’t exist. 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
 

68. The Young Pope, Episode Nine

Regan and John return for a truly remarkable episode of TV, The Young Pope episode nine. A long conversation about Gutierrez and Kurtweil discusses how the show is using but reworking conventional TV genres and tropes, Gutierrez's ministry, how the superb one-episode characters of David, Rose (the fan 'kiss'!), Freddy, and Pete shed light on Bernardo and on the show as a whole. There's much more to think and feel (so many feelings about this ep) through: the Spencer-Lenny abortion debate, Young Lenny's literal miracle, beautiful camerawork in the final Lenny-Spencer scene, and, of course, the revelation of Young Lenny's love letters. The show's ability to pull all these together and run tried and oft-melodramtic tropes through its weirdness gives us Regan and John a chance to talk about their emotional responses to the show and praise its abilities. 
Phew. Still plenty of time for multiple confirmation name proffers, bonus Hot Priest Rating, discussion of the music in the episode, Regan's finale predictions, and some extra-shipping of multiple forms!
CW for this episode for discussions of abuse. 
This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn’t exist. 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

67. The Young Pope, Episode Eight

Is Episode Eight of The Young Pope indulging in or satirizing colonialism? Your trusty shepherds Regan and John think it is (way more) the former and explain why as they discuss this extra-strange episode. They also talk through Lenny's grief-filled ennui jag -- complete with submerged pool prayer -- and smiting down of Sister Antonia in one of the show's most affecting scenes. There is still plenty of time to cover FEMEN, the looming Kurtwell investigation, kangaroos (RIP), nude mom visions, and yet another apex of Lenny's hot priest rating.
Sex and death, eros and thanatos, name a more iconic duo (you can't). 
This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn’t exist. 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

66. The Young Pope, Episode Seven

Regan and John continue #HotConfessorSummer with episode 7 of The Young Pope. [Important character's] death leads the show and this podcast to consider how the show engages both the finitude and fragility of human existence, from Andrew's guilt to Lenny's Parent Quest to the scheming of Mary and the wannabe Lenny replacements. We also have football jerseys, spicy saints, a new pinnacle in Hot Priest Rating, 
Did Regan also manage to lead us to consider the mysteries of Faygo and John also manage to shoehorn yet another Vertigo reference? Listeners, they did. All this and more when you give this ol' podcast a listen. 
This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn’t exist. 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

65. The Young Pope, Episode Six, with Lucia Manzi

Gird yourself for miracles as John and Regan are joined by their colleague (and Italian politics expert, among many other skills) Lucia Manzi to discuss The Young Pope, Episode Six. Lucia's knowledge illumines the (Holy or not) spirit of the pod by putting Lenny's meeting with the Italian Prime Minister in the context of the Church's relationship to Italian politics and culture. Is Lenny an effective political actor and what is the show expressing through Lenny's political machinations? 
Lucia also joins to discuss Saints and Hot Priests, while Regan and John cover Andrew's dalliances, the tragedy of Angelo, and oh yeah a miracle immaculate birth? 
Don't drop the baby, listen to this podcast instead. 
This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn’t exist. 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

64. The Young Pope, Episode Five

Put on your finest tiara and reddest gloves and join Regan and John as they discuss The Young Pope Episode Five. They rightfully focus on what one of your hosts (guess who) calls one of the greatest TV scenes ever with Lenny's address to the cardinals, as Lenny would have it no other way. Can the audience both identify with Lenny's existential sadness and despise his speech? How do Esther and Voiello draw out different emotional registers of the show? 
Also covered: the weirdest and saddest seduction, visual flourishes and visual gags, papal athleisure, and feet talk. If fanaticism is love as Pope Pius XIII insists, show yours by listening to this NQGB ep. 
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

63. Billions 4x1, ”Chuck Rhoades’s Greatest Game”

Amy and John are back with the next installment of The One Percent series here on the NQGB, covering Billions Season 4, Episode 1. After dispensing with the villain origin story of this episode, they figure out whether this shallow show has anything interesting to say about capitalism, power, and gender. From the favors money can't buy to the worst dialogue written to an inexplicable John Malkovich performance to the NYC 1% core of the show, this episode has it all. 
Is Chuck Rhoades the Carrie Bradshaw of finance bros? Is he basically Amy Schiller? Tune in and find out.
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay