Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

25. Loki 1x6, ”For All Time, Always”

They did it (or, rather, John made it!). Back together for the season finale of Loki, “For All Time, Always”, and ready to ask some big questions. They consider the stakes of the decisions that Loki and Sylvie face, and how Kang’s (ok, ok, He Who Remains) entry into the series impacts time, space, and the Politics of the MCU. Danielle asks John what he would change in order to enjoy this more, and John even completes his first Marvelsplain to date! Like Kang looming over the series from the start, your hosts meet Hobbes in the Cave, who has been lurking in the shadows for most of their discussions from the get-go. Come for the banter, but stay to find out if John ends the season with a winning record in the Easter Egg Hunt!
 
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24. The Americans 2x5, ”The Deal”

This week, John and Danielle dig into Season 2 Episode 5 of The Americans, “The Deal” by considering the different deals that confront our characters in the episode. They tackle the geopolitical and interpersonal stakes of the deals between the USSR and Israel, Yossi and Philip, and even Martha and Elizabeth’s wig-happy Jennifer. They ask how these different deals ultimately impact Philip and Elizabeth’s relationship before a trip into the 80s nostalgia fueled by cigarettes and Kenny Rogers refs. Your hosts take a page out of Baklanov’s book by meeting Hannah Arendt in the Cave to think about her work on Eichmann and the broader questions of judgment such a dig raises. Don’t worry, this episode also has a lot of Danielle yelling in Hebrew to balance some of the more serious conversations and weighty topics!
 
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23.Loki 1x5, ”Journey Into Mystery,” with Lilly Goren

John and Danielle are joined by the incomparable Lilly Goren to discuss Episode 5, “Journey into Mystery”. Together they offer a power ranking of Loki variants, revisit the query of what makes a Loki a Loki, and dig into the chaos of the Loki gang and Alioth alike. Lilly offers an eye-opening parallel with the Wizard of Oz, and then dazzles our hosts with a description of her forthcoming co-edited volume Politics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the segment with a similar name!
 
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22. The Americans 2x4, ”A Little Night Music”

Back on their own this week, Danielle and John wade into Season 2 Episode 4 of The Americans, “A Little Night Music.” This episode is full of religious imagery, and John makes sure to exploit Danielle’s discomfort at this at every turn (in good fun!). Together, they wade through the youth group, Paige’s lying, Stan and Philip’s relationship, and of course, the return of Claudia (much to Danielle’s chagrin). There’s a lot of nostalgia for the unremembered 80s this week, and Danielle’s Dossier is overflowing. Your hosts are joined by Augustine in the Cave to help them parse the overwhelming presence of religion. Come for their takes on Philip’s academic disguise, stay for the deeper discussion on Elizabeth’s difficult mission.
 
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21. Loki 1x4, ”The Nexus Event”

Loki the character and the show are both agents of chaos! John and Danielle tackle Episode 4, “The Nexus Event,” thinking together about timeline stability & the TVA, the meaning of home, and the role of friendship in the show. Danielle asks John how he feels about the episode’s variant reveal, and she drops a new meta-theory to help capture what accounts for her enthusiasm and John’s lack thereof for this show. They dig into the carceral-state status of the TVA and John continues his winning streak in the Easter Egg Hunt. They meet Aristotle in the cave to think more about friendship together.
 
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20. The Americans 2x3, ”The Walk-In”, with Amy Schiller

John and Danielle welcome Producer Amy back on mic again for Season 2 Episode 3 of The Americans, “The Walk-In.” After responding to some listener mail (!), they dig into some of the major events of this ep: Paige’s visit to Aunt Helen, Elizabeth’s visit to Jared and the complicated feels this raises, and of course, Stan’s laundry-driven breakthrough. They have some fun amidst the darker themes of the episode, moving from discussions of loneliness to the unremembered 60s fashion and Kelli’s phenomenal hair. Amy helps John and Danielle welcome Simone Weil in the cave, and of course, they can’t wrap up without Amy teaching your hosts about the Gossip Girl extended universe.
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19. Loki 1x3, ”Lamentis”

After many (!) episodes, John and Danielle finally record from the same room together! Recorded live from the Innovation Garage, your hosts discuss Episode 3 of Loki, “Lamentis.” They consider what makes a Loki a Loki, take the episode and themselves a little too seriously, and also wonder if Sylvie is ACAB. Danielle Marvelsplains and John triumphs in this week’s Easter Egg Hunt. Plato makes his second appearance in the Cave, and Danielle smuggles in some bonus Cave-adjacent content through Euripides’ Trojan Women and what it might take to survive an apocalypse.
 
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18. The Americans 2x2, ”Cardinal”

Still reeling from the big swings of last week’s episode, Danielle and John take on Season 2 Episode 2 of The Americans, “Cardinal”. They discuss the various relationships they encounter in this episode - from Philip and Fred, to Nina and Arkadii, and of course, Elizabeth and her kids - thinking together about the episode’s role after last week’s intensity. They are joined by Foucault in the cave for a deeper dive into Elizabeth’s paranoia. But don’t worry, it’s not all serious: there is also a lot of 80s love this week!
 
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17. Loki 1x2, ”The Variant”

John and Danielle are back for Episode 2 of Loki, “The Variant.” Danielle Marvelsplains what it means to hide in an apocalypse, and your hosts debate what counts as a joke and how/whether goats are funny, while also thinking a little about gender, temporality, and company towns. John offers an impressive gloss of Agamben in the Cave, and takes on a new round of Easter Egg Hunt. If The Americans is a show made for both of your hosts, Loki shows us where they diverge from one another, but that is part of the fun!
 
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16. The Americans 2x1, ”Comrades”

John and Danielle are back with a new set of takes on The Americans Season 2 Episode 1, “Comrades”. They confront the episode’s swing to brutality, the swift entry and exit of some friends from work, plus Paige’s heightened suspicions. They also dig into spycraft, deer imagery, and Philip’s glow-up. Season 2 quite literally kicks off with a bang.
 
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