Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

79. The Americans 4x8, ”The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears”

Buckle up, folks! This week, John and Danielle dig into The Americans S4E8, “The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears.” Through the lens of consolidation, they consider the beautiful, silent opening scene of the episode, Martha’s departure, and the ensuing inner turmoil for Philip, challenges for Elizabeth (including an EST visit), and the clash with Paige. They also tackle Gabriel’s course-correct, TV magic, and EST as an MLM. With Martha gone, it’s time to turn to a new subject in the Dossier: Oleg and Tatiana! In Borrowed Nostalgia, your hosts call out the beer bottles, needle drops, and movie theater antics. Back to PLATO SZN in the Cave, but this time with a new dialogue: Plato’s Euthyphro (otherwise known as Danielle’s least favorite dialogue even though she suggested it!). Come for their serious look at the aftermath of the Martha mission, but stay for their chatter about fashion, movies, and of course, the FBI’s favorite sad boi, Stan and his beer run.
-- 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

78. The Americans 4x7, ”Travel Agents”

In their discussion of The Americans 4x7, “Travel Agents,” John and Danielle come face-to-face with the age-old question (at least for this show…) is the FBI good or bad at its job? And, on top of that, what about the KGB? They marvel at the parallel searches for Martha following her escape, happenings at the respective home bases, as well as the tensions between Philip and his two (?) leading ladies. Danielle reveals a new suspicion and a new worry in the Dossier, and in Borrowed Nostalgia, your hosts shut up and play the hits when they remark on phone booths and how this wouldn’t be possible today (if it ain’t broke and whatnot). They don’t miss the opportunity to chat about the freezer rat or Borscht, and they crown Joan their Minor Character of the Week. PLATO SZN is in full swing in the Cave, including a bonus Theataetus TheoryShip from Danielle. Come for the deep dive into this missing persons search, stay for the demands to show Hans onscreen!
-- 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

77. The Americans 4x6, "The Rat"

Ohhh wow. Things finally come to a head as Danielle and John discuss The Americans S4E6, “The Rat.” They follow the arc of the episode, remarking on Martha’s farewell to her apartment, the tension at the safe house, the FBI discovery, the literal rat, and Martha’s escape. Don’t worry, your hosts don’t miss a chance to draw parallels between the sex scenes between Martha and Philip and Philip and Elizabeth, nor does Danielle miss a chance to lament the continued survival of Martha. They express some Borrowed Nostalgia for the TODAY show, tofu, broaches, and sexism at the FBI. They crown the titular Rat this ep’s Minor Character of the Week before another installment of PLATO SZN. There is some intense rat theorizing, questions about Elizabeth’s cooking, the inspired development of a new NQGB business idea, and even a reappraisal of William in light of recent developments.
--
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
 

76. The Americans 4x5, ”Clark’s Place”, with Lilly Goren

John and Danielle are joined once again by the incomparable Lilly Goren to dig into The Americans 4x5, “Clark’s Place.” Together, they talk about the table-setting that happens throughout this episode, considering the emotional turmoil of Paige, Martha, and Philip. They take stock of Martha’s pill-popping, Philip’s conversation with Stan, and of course, the “priest” they bring to Pastor Tim. Don’t worry, your hosts also dissect the intense sex scene that closes the ep before heading into the segments. In the Dossier, Danielle voices some skepticism about Elizabeth’s promise to Philip, and in Glas, your hosts gush over Noah Emmerich’s directing and Gabriel’s weird behavior, among other juicy tidbits. Lilly joins in for a rousing rendition of PLATO SZN, and all three offer some TheoryShips to close out the ep. Enjoy!
-- 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

75. The Hepta-Pod: Arrival and "Story of Your Life," with Desiree Weber and Sid Simpson

We're receiving a transmission [static] The Americans podcasting interrupted [static] some heptapods have arrived for this hepta-pod(cast) [static] our favorite political-science-fiction enthusiasts Desiree Weber and Sid Simpson join John to break down this developing story. 
Join us as we discuss the 1998 novella "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang and the 2016 film Arrival (dir. Denis Villeneuve) that is based on the novella. After a genre-defining consideration of sci fi and politics, we turn to the novella and film to consider their engagement with language, the impossibility of storytelling, tragedy, free will and determinism, causality, teleology, time, the adaptation choices from novella to film, and much more. Many of our usual segments return, replete with Christopher Nolan gags, jokes about being very on brand, cinematic shout-outs, and the most literal Cave we have yet encountered. 
Spoilers for both the novella and the film in this episode. 
-- 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
 

74. The Americans 4x4, ”Chloramphenicol”

Reeling from the Glanders exposure, your hosts are quarantined and tackle The Americans 4x4, “Chloramphenicol.” Together, after addressing Nina’s shocking demise, John and Danielle question what happens when Philip and Elizabeth are stuck - physically and emotionally -  in quarantine. They take on Elizabeth’s hallucinatory dreams, the conversations between Philip and William, and then turn to consider what happens to others, like Paige and Martha, when they are absent. Danielle contemplates Paige’s loose lips and Martha’s always already impending death in the Dossier. It’s not all heavy - William’s got jokes, Philip’s got scruff, and there is some serious 80s nostalgia with answering machines, pay phones, and office romances. It’s still PLATO SZN here, and no ep of NQGB is complete without some solid TheoryShips: Berlant, Agamben and Honig all make an appearance before the episode comes to a close. Come for the quarantine, stay for the theory connections!
-- 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

73. The Americans 4x3, ”Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow”

Back for another unhinged journey into the world of The Americans, John and Danielle take on Season 4 Episode 3, “Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow,” which Danielle only just now learned is what the acronym EPCOT stands for - oof. Your hosts consider the link between spying and MLMs (multi-level marketing schemes), with a few (just a few) digressions for good measure. John offers a Galaxy-brain EPCOT take that is sure to make your head spin while Danielle reverse-laments the non-death of Pastor Tim, who has evolved from Victorian ghost to Victorian ghost cockroach. There is yet another weird dream sequence in this episode, and not only is Claudia back, but so is Mail Robot! Your hosts leave no proverbial stone unturned with this one. They return to the Cave for the next installment of PLATO SZN as well as a surprise TheoryShip from John. 
-- 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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. 
-- 
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!
-- 
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!
--
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