Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

35. Moon Knight 1x5, ”Asylum”, with Nick Carnes

Buckle up, NQGB fans - John and Danielle are joined by the brilliant Dr. Nick Carnes. Nick is the co-editor of The Politics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with former repeat-guest of the podcast, Dr. Lilly Goren. Together, they consider how the show helps us think about the hero/antihero divide before diving deep into how the show represents trauma, violence, and DID, and how the Egyptian setting/cosmology impacts the choices and representations. The discussion is wide-ranging and flush with takes, both on Moon Knight, but also on the broader MCU. Nick offers his favorite Marvel easter egg from this ep, and your three co-hosts chat about weird Marvel, marvel over Oscar Isaac (again, because why not?), and Nick shouts out the origin of Steven’s name. Then, John and Danielle clear the floor for Nick to lay out his grand-theory of the MCU before plugging the upcoming academic volume. And don’t worry, in this episode where some VERY traumatic stuff happens in a cave, your hosts seize the opportunity to find Plato in the Cave. It’s a jam-packed episode - enjoy!

34. The Americans 2x10, ”Yousaf”

This week, John and Danielle consider the fall-out of multiple series’ events as it unfolds in The Americans Season 2 Episode 10, “Yousef.” In this ep, the past is rearing back with a vengeance, resulting in some pretty serious consequences. Within this framework, they also think together about the relationship between sex and death, both in this ep and throughout the series, and especially how this manifests in the scenes with Annalise, Yousef, and Javid. John asks Danielle for some S2 predictions in the Dossier, and shouts out a few memorable Russian phrases, making his past Russian teachers proud! This ep celebrates the return of Wig Talk, with a lengthy detour into 80s fashion choices and hair in Borrowed Nostalgia. John rounds out their discussion with a stellar gloss of Rosa Luxemburg in the Cave. Come for the stories about waffles in the Hanley house, stay for the way your hosts weave together many threads in this loaded episode!

33. Moon Knight 1x4, ”The Tomb”

Back for another installment of their Moon Knight deep dive, John and Danielle go it alone this week. Together, starting at the end, they ask what is real, and contemplate what to make of the sanitarium scene. John offers some surprise entries for his own Dossier, and Danielle offers some Marvelsplaining about the god statues in the pyramid. Your hosts agree to disagree about the level of ridiculousness regarding the Alexander the Great reveal, and Danielle delights in bringing some JL Austin in the Cave. Of course, they can’t resist the opportunity to watch and react to Oscar Isaac singing his Hippopotamus song - though only tangentially related to the ep, a fun time all around in any case!

32. The Americans 2x9, ”Martial Eagle,” with Lilly Goren

This week, John and Danielle are joined by their first MCU/Americans crossover guest, Lilly Goren! You last heard Lilly on Loki Episode 5 “Journey into Mystery” - now she’s back with your hosts for The Americans Season 2 Episode 9, “Martial Eagle.” This episode has so much going on, so John and Danielle are thrilled to have Lilly help untangle the different plot points. Together, they consider the role of deception throughout the episode - from the opening mission to the base, Paige’s continued obsession with church, and even between Sandi and Stan. They ask about Philip’s own personal journey throughout the series thus far, and contemplate Philip’s comment that this is easier for Elizabeth. In Glas, Lilly points out some powerful classical music cues, and together they consider the interaction between Stan and Gaad. We learn that Oliver North himself helped write this episode, and in the Cave, we get a powerful two-fer: Lilly offers some Nietzsche while John sneaks in some ‘Wages for Housework’. Don’t miss this one!
 
(Sorry about the audio quality and barking dogs in this one!)
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

31. Moon Knight 1x3, ”The Friendly Type,” with Regan Levitte

Danielle and John are joined by their first Moon Knight guest host, Regan Levitte, John’s colleague and friend! Together, they consider the potential contribution of the MCU to contemporary culture, and they declare NQGB a Layla stan podcast. John asks some solid question in Marvelsplaining, and Regan regales everyone with a fascinating discussion of fanfiction, remixing, and the generative potential of a feminist entry point into MCU properties. In the Cave, Regan, John and Danielle dig deeper and link their broader discussion to questions of the monomyth (a la Joseph Campbell) and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ colonialist thinking. Come for the quips about a shirtless Oscar Isaac, stay for the queer feminist thoughtfulness that weaves its way throughout this episode!
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
 
Show notes:
"A Girl and Her Taser" and "How to Win Friends, Crash Cymbals, and Fail at Asking Her Out" at AO3
Transformative Works and Cultures journal
The Winterowd references are to Chapter 1, "The Classical Tradition in Composition/Rhetoric," in The Contemporary Writer (1975/1981)
"DID System Reacts to Moon Knight | Episodes 1&2" by braiDIDbunch
"The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't Art" by Patrick Marlborough, at VICE

30. The Americans 2x8, ”New Car”

Back on their own again this week, John and Danielle tackle The Americans S2E8, “New Car.” They structure their discussion around the way each major plot thread poses a question about the relationship between pure ideology and lived experience. They explore this tension through Philip’s flashy new purchase, relationships to capitalism, the conflict with Larrick, and even around the challenges with Henry. John has some pressing questions for Danielle in the Dossier, and in the Cave, your hosts meet Mark Fisher to discuss the link between this ep’s questions and capitalist realism. There’s also a healthy does of 80s (anti?) nostalgia around Martha’s questionable breakfast choices and Reagan’s CPAC speech. The tensions are rising in The Americans but your podcast hosts keep it cool (cooler than they would be as spies)!

29. Moon Knight 1x2, ”Summon the Suit”

For the second installment of their Moon Knight deep dive, John and Danielle think together about what the MCU is trying to do with this episode, since the series seems much less connected to other MCU properties than Loki. John and Danielle diverge on their level of enjoyment, but can both get on board with exclusively calling each other ‘Bruv’ from now until the end of time. Your hosts meet Layla for the first time (!), react to the utopian community and the view of the police the episode offers, and John asks some solid questions in Marvelsplaining. To cap it off, John offers a stellar gloss of NK Jemisin and Ursula Le Guin in The Cave.
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

28. The Americans 2x7, ”ARPANET,” with Emily Crandall

John and Danielle are joined by their friend, feminist theorist, professor, and co-host of the Stuck in Stoneybrook podcast Emily Crandall to discuss The Americans Season 2 Episode 7, “ARPANET.” Together, they organize their main discussion around the question of human attempts to exert control over technology, using this frame to tackle polygraphs, bugging the internet (um, what?), and even the Lucia/Elizabeth/Nicaragua plotline, not to mention giving Henry more attention than his parents or the show. It’s a very active Danielle Dossier, when Emily adds her own theories and John asks whether Katie or Claudia is more sus. In the Cave, Emily offers an expert gloss of Donna Haraway, and then provides a breakdown of where The Americans and The Baby-Sitters Club most readily overlap (with a little help from Danielle). Enjoy!
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

27. Moon Knight 1x1, ”The Goldfish Problem”

Fresh off their Loki bonus run, John and Danielle tackle a new MCU series, Moon Knight. Danielle is still (sort-of) in the MCU driver’s seat, with John bringing his more "critical" eye to the project. Together, they consider Steven Grant’s role as storyteller, Egyptian cosmology and the broader colonialist vibes of the property, and whether this is a successful first ep of a series (read: will John enjoy this more of less than Loki?). They bring back some of their regular MCU segments, change up the Easter Egg hunt a bit, and hang with Deleuze and Guattari in the Cave. Of course, there’s some Oscar Isaac/Ethan Hawke talk, and some bonus theory-chat sprinkled in too.
 
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

26. The Americans 2x6, ”The Red Door”

In this week’s episode, John and Danielle ask how desire impacts the characters and the plot in The Americans Season 2 Episode 6, “The Red Door.” They tackle the ~interesting~ dynamics between Elizabeth and Philip, the complicated question of desire when it comes to missions, and they meet Larrick, who they suspect will be with us for a few more episodes. But it’s not just desire this week: Claudia makes another appearance in Danielle Dossier, and Gaad tells Stan he’s bad at his job (just like we’ve been saying this whole time!). And in the Cave, John and Danielle return to the ur-thinker of their friendship when they consider the emotional economy and circulation of desire with Sara Ahmed, with a bit of the Frankfurt school and Marx sprinkled in!