In space, all warriors are cold warriors! An ecological disaster leads to the breakup of an enemy empire, but in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” it’s the Klingon moon Praxis subbing in for the Soviet power station Chernobyl. Kirk and company struggle with their animosity toward the Klingons, but we are more concerned with what graduate school Gorkon’s daughter went to, the Klingon guard who carries a box, the one Klingon who laughed at McCoy’s joke, the importance of gaseous anomalies t...
Apr 04, 2021•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 560
Six episodes ago, Jason made Phil mad by suggesting that “Chariots of Fire” and “Amadeus” might not be worthy of their Academy Awards for Best Picture. This episode is Phil’s revenge, as we watch two acclaimed early-80s films and see how well they hold up. They’re both period pieces, but one is set to the electronic sounds of Vangelis and the other to the classical masterpieces of Mozart. Running in slow motion has never looked better, and there’s never been more braying laughter in a film! Jaso...
Mar 27, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 559
Shakespeare Club returns! “The Taming of the Shrew” is a Shakespeare play that’s crying out to be adapted for modern audiences, which is why it keeps being adapted—with varying degrees of success. We discuss the play, the unpleasant Franco Zeffirelli 1967 film starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, the film and TV versions of Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate,” the teen rom-com “10 Things I Hate About You,” and even the 1980s TV adaptation on “Moonlighting,” which might be the best of the bunc...
Mar 20, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 558
It’s a classic sitcom! It’s a Marvel movie! It’s both! It’s the first Disney+ MCU show, “WandaVision.” And it managed to be a walk through television history while simultaneously being an exploration of the stages of grief. Plus, an android in a turtleneck! We break it all down, from where Wanda and Vision go from here to what Monica Rambeau, Darcy Lewis, and Jimmy Woo should be doing next. Tune in, won’t you? Jason Snell with Kelly Guimont, Dan Moren, Chip Sudderth and Nathan Alderman....
Mar 13, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 557
Is this the end of Miyazaki Club? Probably not, but we’ve reached the end of our survey of all the feature films he’s directed with “Porco Rosso,” the story of a pig man, the airplane he loves, the woman he doesn’t feel worthy to love, and the seaplane pirates who terrorize the Adriatic after World War I. There are lots of clouds and planes and boats, as you might expect. Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Moisés Chiullán, Steve Lutz and John Siracusa.
Mar 07, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 556
The sixth season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” features dark and unpleasant themes, a painful magic-as-heroin allegory, and creative decisions that manage to be cruel to both the show’s characters and its audience. But there’s also a musical! Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Quinn Rose, Aleen Simms and Jean MacDonald.
Feb 27, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 555
We discuss the latest season of Amazon’s “The Expanse,” which separates its main characters for storylines all across the solar system. How well does that approach work? How do Amos and Peaches differ? Why should Alex never be a detective? And do we hate Marco Inaros the appropriate amount? Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Aleen Simms, Chip Sudderth, Jen Burt and Will Wagner.
Feb 21, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 554
We’re using our powers over space and time to capriciously right wrongs throughout movie history. That’s right, it’s the Bad Best Picture Draft, in which our panelists will select a Best Picture Oscar winner, take its statuette away, and hand it to a more deserving winner. Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Lisa Schmeiser, David J. Loehr, Shelly Brisbin, Steven Schapansky, Philip Michaels, Monty Ashley and Brian Hamilton.
Feb 14, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 553
Miyazaki Club gets weird with “Ponyo,” a story of a fish who gets the taste of human blood, lives in a bucket, can cure all diseases with a lick, and just wants to be human. Also there’s a plot for the sea to sweep away humanity, and the Moon comes perilously close to Earth. But cute! Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Steve Lutz, Aleen Simms and Jean MacDonald.
Feb 07, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 552
After a long gap, our Book Club reconvenes, and if they can remember Micaiah Johnson’s “The Space Between Worlds,” they’ll recommend it to you. It’s a story about identity and society set across parallel worlds that are even more similar than they initially appear to be. Also, what else have we read lately? Curl up with a good book and keep an eye out for parallel-universe warlords! Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty and David J. Loehr.
Jan 30, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 551
From Canada comes “Letterkenny,” an unlikely comedy series about rural hicks, burnouts, and hockey players that’s hyper-verbal, charmingly prone to a donnybrook, and one of the funniest things we’ve watched recently. Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Lisa Schmeiser, Casey Liss and Don Schaffner .
Jan 25, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 550
Let’s fly! Our panel discusses the just-completed third season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” including new characters, future technologies, turbolifts that are bigger on the inside, and how Saru is very much like Poochie. Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Anže Tomić, Erika Ensign, David J. Loehr and James Thomson.
Jan 17, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 549
This week we’re discussing Pixar’s “Soul,” a film about the meaning of life, but also occasionally a wacky comedy about a talking cat or a dream pirate! But mostly the meaning of life. Watch out for the great Bug Zapper in the sky! Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Chip Sudderth and Jean MacDonald.
Jan 10, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 548
It’s time for our annual look back at the year gone by, and what a year it was! Still, we managed to watch, read, and listen to some great stuff this year. As is our custom, our panelists and listeners pick favorite Incomparable episodes and moments. This year, a panelist gets stuck inside a clip, and then Jason has to explain the Skeletor Clip Loop to a first-time Clip Show panelist who is not sure it really exists. It does—and 2021 is the year we fight back. Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Eri...
Jan 01, 2021•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 547
Is this the way? We break down the second season of “The Mandalorian,” which sees our title character struggling with his own identity as a Mandalorian as well as coming to grips with the important task of protecting the child that he’s been caring for. What’s the difference between good and bad fan service? How many different spin-off shows were being set up this season? And we workshop a Baby Yoda sitcom. Jason Snell with Antony Johnston, Dan Moren, James Thomson, Helene Wecker and Kelly Guimo...
Dec 27, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 546
The Kilmas season reaches its peak with a fantasy film about a fellowship of people small and large who must journey far at the behest of a wizard, carrying something that may lead to the complete destruction of a kingdom. Except the thing isn’t a ring, it’s a baby. It’s 1988’s “Willow,” a charming movie with swords, sorcery, brownies (the bad kind), love potions, cartoonish snowballs, magic acorns, dangerous dragons, and even a magic trick or two. Merry Kilmas, one and all! Jason Snell with Eri...
Dec 20, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 545
Kilmas rolls on with Val Kilmer’s first screen role, as the Elvis-like Nick Rivers—who is sent to East Germany and falls into a plot to destroy NATO submarines. But don’t sweat it, this is “Top Secret!”, from the same people who made “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun,” so it’s really all about the jokes. So many jokes. We rave about some, and remain extremely perplexed about others. But you know who makes the whole thing work? Yep, Val Kilmer, that’s who. Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Lisa Schm...
Dec 13, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 544
Merry Kilmas! We begin our seasonal celebration of actor Val Kilmer with one of his most mysterious works, 1996’s “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” You’ll go in wanting to see Marlon Brando and David Thewlis, but you’ll exit talking about Goat Man and Dog Butler and why the last half hour of the film makes no sense at all. It’s a legendary disaster of a movie, and maybe that’s what Kilmas is all about! Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Jean MacDonald, Steve Lutz, Tony Sindelar and David J. Loehr....
Dec 05, 2020•54 min•Ep. 543
Pick up a baseball bat and climb into the Woodie car that’s bigger on the inside, because it’s time to discuss HBO’s “Lovecraft Country.” This is a breathtakingly ambitious multi-genre anthology series with recurring characters. It’s about race and sex and society and love and hideous supernatural monsters. It’s set in the Jim Crow era, but also the past and the future and other planes of existence. And if you like the genres that we cover on The Incomparable, it’s worth your time. Jason Snell w...
Nov 28, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 542
Happy Life Day! To celebrate this important occasion, The Incomparable hereby presents a commentary track, to be viewed alongside The Star Wars Holiday Special. You’ll need to find the Holiday Special via the usual rebel channels. We watched the version with ads in it, so if you find a different version, pause the show during the ads. Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Dan Moren, David J. Loehr, John Siracusa, Kelly Guimont, Steve Lutz and Chip Sudderth.
Nov 17, 2020•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 541
It’s silly draft time! In this episode we’re drafting TV series that only lasted a single season. No, miniseries and unaired pilots and shows that got a second season don’t count! Also, everyone gets “Firefly.” Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Monty Ashley, Philip Michaels, Glenn Fleishman, Dan Moren, Quinn Rose, James Thomson, Erika Ensign, David J. Loehr and Cicero Holmes.
Nov 14, 2020•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 540
Game over, man, game over! We return to the world of xenomorphs and Weyland-Yutani Corp. as we discuss 1986’s “Aliens,” James Cameron’s fascinating follow-up to the Ridley Scott original. We discuss space marines, alien-friendly elevators, white milky blood, and subsequent Alien movies that are very much uncanonical. Jason Snell with Antony Johnston, James Thomson, Sandra Wong, Kelly Guimont and Monty Ashley.
Nov 07, 2020•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 539
It’s one of the best things on television right now. It’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” a show that honors vampire lore while placing them in ridiculous mundane situations. A mockumentary sitcom featuring vampires might seem like an entry from TV Mad Libs, but this show (based on an indie feature film also by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi) uses its stellar cast and sharp writing to create a bizarre world of energy vampires, complaining familiars, new-age witches, and—the horror—local politics...
Oct 31, 2020•55 min•Ep. 538
Football is life! But even if you don’t care about sports, you should still watch “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+. It’s a very funny show that’s also full of empathy and respect for its characters, which never goes for the cheap joke, and takes the tropes of every sports movie you’ve seen and uses them in ways you’re not expecting. And we’ve left plenty of space before the Spoiler Horn for our cross-Atlantic panel to explain why you should watch it and why we love this fusion of American and English se...
Oct 24, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 537
Duck into the prone position and aim your bow, because it’s time for us to talk about “The Last of Us Part II”, the sequel to a beloved apocalyptic video game. We follow the characters on their pursuit of cross-country revenge, filled with flashbacks and the infected. But on this journey, as we trade our adrenaline for tears, we learn that we were the last of us all along. Tiff Arment with John Siracusa and Brian Hamilton.
Oct 17, 2020•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 536
It’s time to play the music It’s time to light the lights It’s time to draft the Muppets On the Incomparable tonight Jason Snell with David J. Loehr, Kelly Guimont, Moisés Chiullán, Philip Michaels, Monty Ashley, Nathan Alderman, Shelly Brisbin and Quinn Rose.
Oct 10, 2020•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 535
Once more unto the breach, dear friends! This episode kicks off a new recurring feature, Shakespeare Club. Our first subject is “Henry V.” We watch Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 film and discuss Shakespeare’s Expanded Henry Universe, tennis balls, d’elbow, and what a jerk young Harry actually is. Jason Snell with David J. Loehr, Philip Michaels, Scott McNulty and Moisés Chiullán.
Oct 03, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 534
Our Old Movie Club takes on two Billy Wilder comedies from 1939 and 1959, to see if they still hold up 81 and 61 years later. Erika Ensign’s selection is “Midnight,” starring Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche, and Philip Michaels counters with “Some Like It Hot,” starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe. Both films are about people pretending to be something they aren’t. And then the fun begins… hopefully! Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Philip Michaels, Tiff Arment and Steve Lutz....
Sep 26, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 533
Launch the Photon Torpedoes! In this episode we’re drafting mostly obscure characters from all of Star Trek lore, and creating our own TV series pitches with the results. If you think our drafts have gone off the rails before, you haven’t seen anything yet! Jason Snell with Jim Metzendorf, David J. Loehr, Moisés Chiullán, Cicero Holmes, Jean MacDonald, Brianna Wu and Scott McNulty.
Sep 19, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 532
Grab a shotgun, climb on a stolen motorcycle, and get out your 90s slang phrasebook, because it’s time to watch one of the definitive summer blockbusters, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” We marvel at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s perfectly robotic demeanor, Robert Patrick’s steely stare and creepy walk, and Linda Hamilton’s—well, pretty much everything. Hasta la vista, baby. Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Annette Wierstra, Brian Hamilton and Kelly Guimont.
Sep 12, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 531
