A fight over the throne of Wakanda represents two opposing ideas of justice. Revenge can be sweet but effective leadership requires more substance.
Mar 21, 2021•17 min•Ep. 16
Clarice Starling doesn't have experience, but she has instinct and determination. She's going to need both to catch a killer even with help from a cannibal psychopath in this analysis of Silence of the Lambs .
Feb 22, 2021•19 min•Ep. 15
Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained touches on the harsh realities of human nature and the difficulties of going undercover.
Jan 31, 2021•20 min•Ep. 14
Sometimes taking one's "place" in society requires breaking with tradition. In this adaption of an ancient Chinese tale, Mulan carves a place for herself but sets her aims low. Still, she serves as an example of courage in the struggle to be one's self.
Jan 03, 2021•16 min•Ep. 13
Can a woman in ancient Greece win an argument and remain living? Sophocles has us pondering the ambiguity of right and wrong as the gods remain silent over human disputes.
Dec 12, 2020•17 min•Ep. 12
Ancient Roman author, Apuleius, makes his heroine in Cupid and Psyche the butt of a joke, but is Psyche as pathetic as she seems?
Nov 14, 2020•15 min•Ep. 11
The hero's journey can be used for villains, too, and it may have you rooting for the bad guy.
Oct 11, 2020•18 min•Ep. 10
Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda makes strategic storytelling choices to keep viewers entertained as opposed to well-informed.
Sep 09, 2020•18 min•Ep. 9
Before George Washington and King Arthur, Theseus created a democracy and pulled a sword out a stone. He also made the Labyrinth famous.
Aug 24, 2020•12 min•Ep. 8
You think you know someone until you do a background check... A look at Hercules's punishment after killing his wife and young children using Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey.
Aug 03, 2020•15 min•Ep. 7
J.K. Rowling harnesses ancient myth for her Hero: Harry Potter, and psychologists explain why the hero's journey is so relatable.
Jul 21, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Techniques from ancient myth help create Lana and Lilly Wachowski's hero: Neo. Another look at fate versus free will considers the role of society on individual thought.
Jul 08, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Sophocles's legendary hero, Oedipus, and his struggles with fate as he unwittingly marries his own mother. Discover why this tragic character has endured for thousands of years.
Jul 08, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Rey's character, written by Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt, has her controversies. This episode compares the hero with her predecessors through plot structures and character archetypes found in ancient mythology.
Jul 05, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 3
The trouble behind George Lucas's legendary hero: Anakin Skywalker. This episode compares the successes of A New Hope with The Phantom Menace through the findings of Joseph Campbell, Vladimir Propp, and Otto Rank from their research of ancient myths.
Jul 05, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The secrets behind George Lucas's legendary hero: Luke Skywalker. This "hero's journey" analyzed through the research of Joseph Campbell, Vladimir Propp, and Otto Rank compares to plot structures and character archetypes found in ancient myth.
Jul 05, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1
