In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the latest episodes of Alien: Earth and Peacemaker . Homework for next week: Alien: Earth Episode 5 (Hulu/FX) Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 (HBO) Shownotes: 03:05 - TV News Duffer Brothers Deal at Paramount Streaming Access News: Amazon, NBCU Make Peacock Available Via Prime Video Sign-Up Apple TV+ Price Hike Harry Potter News New ‘Harry Potter’ Child Actors Should Stay Off So...
Aug 30, 2025•1 hr 43 min
In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David and Patrick discuss the season 2 premiere of Peacemaker , “The Ties that Grind.” The first season of Peacemaker emerged in a totally different era of the DCU. This new season straddles the line between them. How well does it pull this off? How do the themes of the episode mirror what’s going on in the DCU? And do we think you should watch Peacemaker with your children? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Links: Listen to Patrick’s vide...
Aug 23, 2025•51 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the third episode of Alien: Earth . What do we think of MSNBC’s rebrand to MS Now? Is it a bad sign that Ben Stiller won’t be directing season 3 of Severance ? Can YouTubers like Mark Rober successfully make the move to Netflix? And how is Alien: Earth shaping up as a series? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Homework for next week: Alien: Earth Episode 4...
Aug 20, 2025•1 hr 25 min
Watch the video version of this podcast. This podcast contains SPOILERS for The Rehearsal Season 2 on HBO. The Rehearsal Season 2 chronicles Nathan Fielder’s attempts to understand why aviation accidents happen. According to Fielder, one major factor is that pilots are unwilling to communicate candidly with each other, especially when they disagree or have bad news to deliver. To test this theory, Fielder used his resources from The Rehearsal to create a fictional(?) aviation-themed singing comp...
Aug 14, 2025•56 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Matt Goldberg discuss what we think of the Alien franchise is at this point in popular culture. Then, we review and recap the first two episodes of Alien: Earth on FX/Hulu. What did we think of the bold new premise for the show? Does it look like they spent $250 million to bring this to life? (Yes). What did we make of the fact that the show splits its attention between two major plotlines? And what about all the information that’s revealed a...
Aug 13, 2025•1 hr
In this bonus episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss Untamed’s first season on Netflix. What did we think of how this show handled its central mystery? Were we captivated by any of the characters’ side plots? How did the show take advantage of its unique setting? And where do we think the second season of Untamed should be set ? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next episode: Alien: Earth season premiere (Hulu) Links: Follow Sara...
Aug 06, 2025•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the first few episodes of Twisted Metal Season 2 on Peacock. What did we think of South Park’s provocative season 27 premiere? How excited are we for the possibility of a Wolfenstein TV show? And what do we make of the details about Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus that have dropped so far? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Homework for next week: Untamed Season...
Jul 31, 2025•1 hr 21 min
n this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the first five episodes of Smoke on Apple TV+. Was the cancellation of the Late Show financially motivated or were political considerations involved? Are the price hikes at Peacock reasonable or out of control? And what do we think about how The Last of Us might wrap up? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: Twisted Metal Season 2 Premi...
Jul 24, 2025•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the fourth season of The Bear . What is behind the President’s hatred of Rosie O’Donnell? Is Squid Game: The Challenge as abominable as it sounds? What were the biggest streaming shows in the first half of 2025? And did The Bear season 4 improve upon what we saw in season 3? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: Smoke Season 1 eps 1-5 ...
Jul 17, 2025•1 hr 29 min
In this bonus episode, David and Myles McNutt from the Episodic Medium newsletter discuss the 2025 Emmy nominations ( you can watch our live broadcast on YouTube here). Which shows came away with some of the biggest nominations? Why do the “Guest Actor” categories continue to be a travesty? What were the biggest snubs? And was this overall a shameful year for the Emmys or did we experience less shame? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Links: Subscribe to Episodic Medium Fol...
Jul 15, 2025•54 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the final season of Squid Game . How is Squid Game Season 3 performing on Netflix? What did we make of the fact that Neil Druckmann has left The Last of Us ? What’s going on with the creators of South Park and Paramount/Skydance? And are we excited about another season of The Bear ? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: The Bear Season...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 35 min
In this bonus episode, Dan Gvozden joins the podcast to review and discuss the final three episodes of Ironheart on Disney+: Episode 4 - Bad Magic Episode 5 - Karma’s a Glitch Episode 6 - The Past is the Past How did the show handle the arc of Riri Williams? What did we make of that big cameo at the end? And what do we think is coming next for the MCU? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: Squid Game Season 3 (Netflix) Links: Check out Dan’s podcast, Ama...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the first three episodes of Ironheart on Disney+. Does the Showtime name still have any meaning in our current streaming environment? Did Andor season 2 get more viewers than season 1? And why did The Last of Us season 2 have fewer viewers? Listen to us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: Ironheart Eps 4-6 (Disney+) Shownotes: 07:30 - TV News Paramoun...
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 22 min
In this bonus episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss Dept. Q's first season on Netflix. What did we think of how this show handled its central mystery? Did any of the subplots work well for us? What about the red herrings? Was Matthew Goode, well, any good as the lead? How excited are we for the prospect of a second season of Dept. Q? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next episode: Ironheart season premiere (Disney+) Links: Follo...
Jun 19, 2025•54 min
In this bonus episode, David chats with director Dan Trachtenberg about how Predator: Killer of Killers (now streaming on Hulu) came together. Dan discusses why they chose the time periods they did, the challenges of putting together an anthology film based around the Predator in different time periods, and what his favorite action moments are from the film. Homework for next episode: Dept Q (Netflix) Links: Follow Dan Trachtenberg on Instagram Subscribe to this podcast on YouTube Follow this po...
Jun 16, 2025•39 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss the differences between the Invincible and Game of Thrones videogames (and why the former will probably be way more successful), muse on the plight of Warner Bros Discovery, and lament the loss of press freedom in the American media. Then, it’s time to dive into Dan Trachtenberg’s latest Predator entry, Killer of Killers , now streaming on Hulu. Be sure to stay tuned for a bonus interview with Dan Trachtenberg coming in the ne...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 24 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s latest HBO original, Mountainhead . Does it do a good job of satirizing the billionaire tech class? Will Nic Pizzolatto ever write a True Detective episode again? And why do we feel sympathy for the new kids cast as the main Harry Potter characters? Listen to us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: Predator: Killer of Killers (Hulu) Shownotes: 03:40 - TV News ‘Harry...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick are joined by Christian Spicer to dive into the latest episodes of The Last of Us and The Rehearsal. Why was The Last of Us season finale such a disappointment? What were some of the most memorable moments? What two narrative crimes did the episode commit? And why was The Rehearsal so exhilarating by comparison? Listen to us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: Mountainhead (HBO) Shownotes: 03:00 - The Last of...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 26 min
In this bonus episode, David and Patrick discuss some follow-ups to their podcast series about Andor season 2 . Why did Tony Gilroy feel the need to delineate the true nature of Kleya and Luthen’s relationship? What about Mon Mothma’s relationship with her husband and daughter? And what do we think of the possibility of Jyn Erso and Leia cameos in Andor season 2? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Links: Subscribe to Patrick’s YouTube channel Read Dan Gvozden’s recap of thes...
May 25, 2025•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick dive into the latest episodes of The Last of Us and The Rehearsal. Is Max’s rebrand back to HBO Max one of the worst instances of corporate brand destruction ever? Are we excited about the new Alien: Earth series launching this summer? And why does David hate the marketing for James Gunn’s Superman so much? Listen to us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: The Last of Us Season 2 episode 7 (HBO) The Rehearsal ...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 33 min
In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David and Patrick Willems discuss the final three episodes of Andor Season 2: Ep 10 - Make It Stop Ep 11 - Who Else Knows? Ep 12 - Jedha, Kyber, Erso What did we think of how this show connected to the events of Rogue One ? Were we happy with how the show wrapped up the stories of characters like Bix and Luthen? What are our closing thought on the series as a whole? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. You can also watch our convo on YouTu...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 34 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick dive into the latest episodes of The Last of Us and The Rehearsal. It feels like there’s not gonna be enough time to tell a complete story in this season of The Last of Us . Where does episode 5 leave our characters? Is there any possibility the Harry Potter PR tour is going to turn around? Are we excited about a revamp of the Netflix homepage? And did we really need to launch a Max app in the first place? Listen to us discuss all the...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 29 min
In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David and Patrick Willems discuss the next three episodes of Andor Season 2: Ep 7 - Messenger Ep 8 - Who Are You? Ep 9 - Welcome to the Rebellion? This batch probably has some of the most intense action in Star Wars ever put to film. We also got some actual Star Wars references to things like the Force and other iconography. What did we think of Syril Karn’s arc this season? How did we feel about Mon Mothma’s big moment? Have stormtroopers and droids ever lo...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 23 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick dive into the latest episodes of The Last of Us and The Rehearsal. What do we think of The Last of Us’s depiction of Seattle? How did we feel about how this week’s episode moved Ellie and Dina’s relationship along? And was Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal this week an act of insanity of genius? Listen to us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: The Last of Us Season 2 episode 5 (HBO) The Rehearsal Season 2 episod...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 17 min
In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David and Patrick Willems discuss the next three episodes of Andor Season 2: Ep 4 - Ever Been to Ghorman? Ep 5 - I Have Friends Everywhere Ep 6 - What a Festive Evening We’ll be doing a podcast episode for each of the four Andor drops. This batch introduces us to the world of Ghorman. What parallels is the show trying to draw between the Ghormans and our world? Have we ever seen Luthen more light-hearted than in these episodes? And how do we feel about the s...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 17 min
In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s happening in the world of television, then dive into the latest episodes of The Last of Us and The Rehearsal. Is Max a streaming service that is impossible to cancel? Why is Netflix so opposed to theatrical filmgoing? And what responsibility do actors have in accepting roles for shows with controversial figures involved? Listen to us discuss all these questions and more! Homework for next week: The Last of Us Season 2 e...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 26 min
In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David and Patrick discuss what they thought of The Pitt’s debut season, what their favorite subplots were, and what they’d like to see in a second season of the show (which has already been renewed). Links: Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap Radio Subscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, Crossplay Subscribe to this podcast on YouTube Follow this podcast on Instagram Follow this podcast on Tiktok Subscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything Foll...
Apr 26, 2025•42 min
In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, Patrick Willems returns to the podcast to discuss the first three episodes of Andor Season 2. We’ll be doing an episode for each of the four Andor drops. This season has a much different feel than the first season. What are our thoughts on the structure of the show so far? What did we think of each of the separate plotlines? How do we feel about Disney’s release strategy for the season? And most importantly: Is the Karntent this season any good? Listen to he...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Stay tuned for a spoiler-filled bonus episode later this week where we compare The Last of Us videogame with the show. David and Patrick discuss what’s happening in the world of television, then dive into the latest episodes of The Last of Us and The Rehearsal. Does a Pacific Rim TV show sound like a good idea?Do we think Ryan Coogler will do a good job rebooting The X-Files ? And what do we make of the unfolding situation with Harry Potter casting? Listen to us discuss all these questions and m...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 30 min
In this bonus episode, David is joined by Jessie Earl to discuss the latest season of Black Mirror on Netflix. Did we think this season was a solid one? What were our favorite episodes? What were our least favorite? And does Black Mirror still have something new to say given how society’s views on technology have evolved? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more. Links: Subscribe to Jessie’s YouTube channel Subscribe to Jessie’s second YouTube channel Subscribe to this podcast on Y...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 9 min
