Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

49. The Americans 3x7, ”Walter Taffet”

WOW. There’s a lot to unpack in The Americans Season 3 Episode 7, “Walter Taffet,” but your hosts are up for the challenge. After she gets over her shock, John helps Danielle contemplate the implications of the bug, its discovery, and everything it puts into circulation. They chat Martha, marveling over the acting choices and story beats, from the bathroom scene to the sweep to the exchange with Clark. In the Cave, they pick up on the significance of the bug itself, with John offering a gloss of Bruno Latour’s work on actants to think differently about the objects in the show. They also tackle Stan’s racism, which is prominently on display in his frustration about Aderholt. Don’t worry, it’s not all heavy. Danielle calls out her fav music cue to date - Fleetwood Mac! - and has big feelings about leaving pizza crust on the plate. John caps it all off with a TheoryShip for Henry.
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
 

48. The Americans 3x6, ”Born Again”

Oh boy, lots of baptism/bible/church talk in this episode - for Season 3 Episode 6 of The Americans, “Born Again,” Danielle and John are back on their own, and focused on the theme of new beginnings and rebirth as it weaves its way through this intense episode of TV. After unpacking the baptism scene (including Danielle’s questions about Buddy Christ), your hosts consider the parallel conversations and situations between Elizabeth and Paige alongside Philip as Jim and Kimmy. They laugh at Philip’s use of prayer to placate Kimmy, but also consider the intimacy of the interaction at the same time. After they debate the speed at which the stoner giggles descended on our main characters, they consider Gabriel’s role as chief manipulator, and contemplate the ellipses left by Hans/Elizabeth’s discovery. After a quick check-in on Martha and Tori in the Dossier, John and Danielle tackle Stan and Nina in Glas. They reward ‘KGB Woman’ Minor Character of the Week, a silent but solid performance, before taking up Pastor Tim’s invitation to consider the consequences of action in the Cave with none other than Hannah Arendt. Don’t worry, John has a great TheoryShip, and your hosts don’t miss a chance to highlight Sandi and Matthew’s impeccable 80s fashion sense. 

47. The Americans 3x5, ”Salang Pass,” with Mike Rensink

For The Americans Season 3 Episode 5, “Salang Pass,” your hosts John and Danielle are joined by faithful Listener Mike, author of the much-beloved and incredibly useful Dossier excel sheet. Together, these three tackle the myriad and complicated questions of children that animate this episode, from Martha’s adoption-obsession, to Philip’s moral quandary over Kimmy and the questionable parallels to Paige, and the rising tensions between Philip and Elizabeth on that matter. Both John and Mike plead the fifth as Danielle questions reality in the Dossier, with Mike adding his own questions about Zinaida to the mix. Your hosts have a blast unremembering the 80s in Borrowed Nostalgia, highlighting the nostalgic snacks, Oleg’s fashion sense, and Kimmy’s stellar music taste. In the Cave, Danielle offers a rendition of Rousseau’s Emile to think about the conditioning of children alongside the episode’s main themes. Mike also dazzles with his deep production and historical knowledge of all things Americans - enjoy!
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

46. The Americans 3x4, ”Dimebag”

Danielle and John talk about The Americans Season 3 Episode 4, ‘Dimebag’. Together, they consider the role of truth and deception, and how these shape the dynamics in this week’s episode. They highlight the role of manipulation - of others and of oneself - across multiple characters, focusing on the rising tensions between Philip, Elizabeth and Paige, as well as Stan, Nina, and even Kimmy. Don’t worry - John and Danielle do not miss the chance to celebrate all the awesome 80s nods in this ep, from Yaz to boomboxes to Julia Garner’s hair, Borrowed Nostalgia is chock-full this week. This episode also features the return of the Random Theorist Generator, which lands on Machiavelli for this week’s Cave segment. Come for Danielle’s countdown to Martha’s demise, stay for the analysis of parallels between Nina and Elizabeth!
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

45. The Americans 3x3, ”Open House”

Well, this is a first for NQGB - due to technical issues, a chaotically fun episode with some returning favs, Emily Crandall and Producer Amy Schiller, has been lost to the technology gods. But don’t fret fair listeners, your hosts John and Danielle thread their discussion of The Americans Season 3 Episode 3, “Open House,” with insights from their now-absent friends. They debate the sexiness factor of basement dentistry, track the rising tension over Paige, and consider the curious entry of Zinaida while marveling over the spycraft of the car scene. Of course, they can’t ignore the academic backstory of Hans, and not to out-nerd themselves, in Glas, your hosts challenge Gabriel’s Scrabble choices.  In the Dossier, Danielle muses over Martha’s potential demise and contemplates Chekhov’s bad spy. They use Elizabeth’s casual mention of Marx to animate their descent into the Cave. There’s a lot to unpack - enjoy!
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

44. The Americans 3x2, ”Baggage”

Back together to discuss ‘Baggage’, Season 3 Episode 2 of The Americans, John and Danielle tackle all the different forms of baggage that are in play in this season and series. Bodies arrive and depart in various bags and containers, and Nina gets a new cellmate. They consider emotional, physical, and psychic baggage that comes along with Annelise’s body for all involved. Your hosts track how tensions rise between Philip and Elizabeth over Paige and Philip’s new lead with Youssef before Danielle adds some new entries to the Dossier, always suspicious. Danielle brings J. Peter Euben’s reading of Euripides’ Bacchae into the Cave which allows her and John to think about how dismemberment threads through this ep.
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

43. The Americans 3x1, ”EST Men”

After a lengthy hiatus, John and Danielle are back with The Americans Season 3 Episode 1: "EST Men". They are coming at you from a car in Troy, New York - of course, on their way back from location scouting the Jennings’ impromptu upstate NY vacation from the end of Season 2! In this ep, your hosts consider Elizabeth’s encounters with both Charlotte and the Gaad and Aderholt, the brewing conflict over Paige, and contemplate once again whether Stan is good at his job. Of course, they can’t pass up an opportunity to chat about the Nina aftermath or EST. In the Cave, John gives a rousing rendition of Simone de Beauvoir’s phenomenology to help think through some of the central themes of the episode. All in all, your hosts are happy to be back with the Jennings, and more importantly, on the pod together.
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

42. Artistic Choices, VFX, and Capitalism

Before diving into Season 3 of The Americans, and after a summer of some high highs (The Americans Season 2) and lower highs (their MCU jaunts), John and Danielle take a moment to reflect on the kinds of artistic choices that draw them into TV shows. In particular, they consider the recent controversies over Marvel and Netflix's uses of VFX artists and studios, and use it as a broader jumping off point to discuss visual effects in other shows (and the recent Jordan Peele film Nope), as well as how these choices impact their ability to enjoy shows. No Cave this week, but they make up for it with a fun chat about technology, television, capitalism, and unions.(Light spoilers for The Terror season 1, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon through two episodes, and Nope) 

41. The Americans, Season 2 in review

Now that they’ve made it through two full seasons of The Americans, Danielle and John take a chance to step back and consider their reactions to different characters, relationship development, and really, the show overall. They compare season 1 to season 2, and dig into the new characters that this season introduced. They use an amazing spreadsheet developed by listener Mike to induct some predictions into the Danielle Dossier Hall of Fame. The journey is just beginning!

40. Art v. Content, Horkheimer v. MCU

We’ve got a treat for you this week - surprising no one, John’s Horkheimer deep dive in the final Moon Knight Cave went on a bit longer than we let on, and we’re serving you the entire debate in this bonus episode of NQGB. Listen in as John obliterates Marvel by thinking with Horkheimer himself. Don’t worry, Danielle doesn’t let them off scot-free, and gives her own analysis of the cultural production of the MCU and Marvel alike. Both your hosts are throwing heat in this bonus ep. Enjoy!