Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the best movies of the 21st century in an episode based on The New York Times list of The Best Movies of the 21 Century . Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O' Connell evaluate the quality of the list and also offer their picks for the ten best films of the last 25 years, a decade and a half brimming with brilliant filmmaking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 05, 2025•42 min
Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the fourth season of the comedy-drama television series The Bear which premiered with all 10 episodes on June 25, 2025, on FX on Hulu. Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo return as showrunners for the season, and Jeremy Allen White reprises his role as Carmy Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother's sandwich shop. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas,...
Jul 16, 2025•42 min
Welcome To The Party Pal examines the timely satirical comedy-drama television film Mountainhead , written and directed by Jesse Armstrong in his directorial debut, and starring Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef. The film follows four billionaire friends on a secluded weekend retreat as the world goes through major turmoil. In this episode co-hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell dig into Jesse Armstrong's unique brand of satire, how Mountainhead distressin...
Jul 11, 2025•43 min
Welcome To The Party Pal delves into the the second season of the post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us, the HBO series based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog. The season is set twenty-five years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. The season stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, and Young Mazino. In this episode hosts Michael Shield...
May 30, 2025•52 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the second season of Andror , the American science fiction political spy thriller drama television series created by Tony Gilroy for Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to the film Rogue One (2016), which itself is a prequel to the original Star Wars film (1977). The series follows thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor during the five years that lead to the events of the two films, exploring how he becomes radicalized ag...
May 22, 2025•51 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the final season, and in particular the concluding episode, of The Righteous Gemstones , the comedy-drama television series created by Danny McBride. The series follows a famous and dysfunctional family of televangelists. McBride also stars in the series, alongside Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson, and John Goodman. The series concluded on May 4, 2025, after airing four seasons and 36 episodes, and we here at Welcome To The Party Pal contest that McB...
May 15, 2025•52 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the long awaited-second season of the science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance , created by Dan Erickson and executive produced and primarily directed by Ben Stiller. It stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquette. The series follows employees at the biotechnology corporation Lumon Industries that have undergone "severance" — a medical procedure ...
Apr 09, 2025•55 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Sean Baker, Anora . It stars Mikey Madison as Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a stripper from New York who marries the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch. The film led at the 97th Academy Awards, winning five Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Madison), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell dissect exactly why ...
Mar 19, 2025•47 min
In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan examine the hype surrounding Paradise , the political thriller television series created by Dan Fogelman and starring Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, and James Marsden. Set in a city-sized underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event, the series follows United States Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Sterling L. Brown) as he seeks to discover the truth behind the killing of the Presi...
Mar 14, 2025•36 min
In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan dissect The Brutalist , the 2024 epic period drama film directed and produced by Brady Corbet. It stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the United States, where he struggles to achieve the American Dream until a wealthy client changes his life. The cast also features Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, and Alessa...
Feb 25, 2025•37 min
In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant break down American Primeval, the American Western miniseries created and written by Mark L. Smith and directed by Peter Berg. Starring Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin, the series is set in 1857 during the Utah War and examines the fight to gain control of the American West and the violent clash between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and cultures in the Utah Territory, centering on th...
Feb 20, 2025•32 min
In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’ Connell share their choices for the best television shows of 2024. Join in as they take you to feudal Japan, the coast of Italy in the 1960s, the gritty streets of Gotham amid a burgeoning gang war, to Northern Ireland during The Troubles, and beyond— in a celebration of the television shows that entertained and enlivened our lives in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 09, 2025•56 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates Say Nothing , the historical drama limited series created by Josh Zetumer for Disney+, produced by FX Productions. Detailing four generations in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, it is an adaptation of the 2018 book by Patrick Radden Keefe. The series follows the lives of people growing up in Belfast in the 1970s, 80s and 90s during The Troubles, as well as their involvement in the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and inquiries into the D...
Dec 09, 2024•45 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates The Penguin, the crime drama television miniseries developed by Lauren LeFranc for HBO. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, it is a spin-off from 2022's The Batman that explores Oz Cobb's rise to power in Gotham City's criminal underworld after the events of that film. LeFranc serves as the showrunner of the series and the series stars Colin Farrell as Oz, reprising his role from The Batman , alongside Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Fel...
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 3 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal features a deep dive into HBO's The Sympathizer , the historical black comedy drama miniseries based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The series was created by co-showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, with Park directing the first three episodes. The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army. He is forced to flee to the United States with his general n...
Oct 03, 2024•34 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal once again celebrates the second season of House of The Dragon , the television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019), House of the Dragon is based on parts of Martin’s 2018 book Fire & Blood where the series begins about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones , and 172 years before the birth of Daen...
Aug 14, 2024•50 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the second season of House of The Dragon , the television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019), House of the Dragon is based on parts of Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood where the series begins about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones , and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targar...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal journeys through the multiverse in a celebration of Dark Matter, the science fiction Apple-TV series created by Blake Crouch, based on his 2016 novel of the same name. In it, a man is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could've lived, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from a most terrifying foe: himself. Dark Matter stars Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly,...
Jul 18, 2024•46 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal journeys to Italy to celebrate Netflix's Ripley , the neo-noir psychological thriller television series created, written, and directed by Steven Zaillian, based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley . Starring Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, with Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood and Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf, the eight-episode limited series is the first adaptation of Highsmith's novel to a series. Join in as hosts Michael Sh...
Jun 17, 2024•36 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal breaks from its normal singular-focused episodes and dives deeply into not one, but two films. First up (6:06) is the action-comedy blockbuster Fall Guy , directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, loosely based on the 1980s TV series. The plot follows a stuntman (Ryan Gosling) working on his ex-girlfriend's (Emily Blunt) directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film's lead actor (Aaron Taylor-...
May 31, 2024•33 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal pays tribute to one of the most enigmatic actors in the history of cinema, Nicolas Cage, through an interview with the author of How Coppola Became Cage , Zach Schonfeld. In this episode, a simulcast production with our sister podcast Across The Margin : The Podcast, the genius of one of the most misunderstood and gifted actors of all time is explored in-depth. Zach Schonfeld is a freelance writer, journalist, and critic based in New York. He contributes ...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 7 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal once again celebrates Shōgun, the historical drama television miniseries created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. It is based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, which was previously adapted into a 1980 miniseries. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant examine how faithful FX's adaption was to James Clavell's books while digging into the overall appeal of the show which has blossomed into a massive hit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...
May 07, 2024•37 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates Shōgun, the historical drama television miniseries created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. It is based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, which was previously adapted into a 1980 miniseries. Shōgun's ensemble cast is tremendous, and the series has received praise from critics and fans alike. Shōgun follows the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds, John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan...
May 02, 2024•42 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal breaks down the The 96th Academy Awards ceremony, which was presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and took place on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan exclaim over Oppenheimer's dominance, Poor Thing's impressive showing, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph's intoxication spirit while recounting the most heartwarming and hilarious moments of this year's extreme...
Mar 12, 2024•29 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal, in the lead up to The 96th Academy Awards, takes stock of the cinematic offerings of 2023 and celebrates another outstanding year of movies. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan tip their hats to prestige movies such as Killers of The Flower Moon , Oppenheimer , The Holdovers , Poor Things , Past Lives , and American Fiction — while also lauding exciting popcorn-adventure films such as Guardians of The Galaxy 3 , Indiana Jones and the Dial o...
Mar 08, 2024•48 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal delves deeply into True Detective :Night Country, the fourth season of True Detective , the anthology crime drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto. The season is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, and follows the investigation behind the disappearance of eight men from a research station. The season stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro. Night Country was created by Issa López, who serves as ...
Feb 29, 2024•39 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the fifth season of Fargo , the anthology dark comedy–crime drama television series created by Noah Hawley. The enthralling season is set in Minnesota and North Dakota in the fall of 2019. It stars Juno Temple as Dorothy "Dot" Lyon, a seemingly typical Midwestern housewife living in Scandia, Minnesota, whose mysterious past comes back to haunt her after she lands in hot water with the authorities. Jon Hamm also stars as menacing North Dakota Sh...
Feb 07, 2024•52 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates Maestro , the biographical romantic drama film that centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. It was directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he wrote with Josh Singer. Maestro was produced by Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Fred Berner and Amy Durning. The film stars Carey Mulligan as Felicia alongside Cooper as Bernstein; Matt Bomer, Maya ...
Jan 31, 2024•33 min
This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal looks forward to the year ahead and previews a slew of the captivating television shows set to air in 2024. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’ Connell discuss heralded television shows returning for their latest season — those highly anticipated, beloved programs such as True Detective , Stranger Things , The Bear , and House of the Dragon . Then, they dig into a bevy of television shows premiering this year, ones such as The Veil , Fallout , Th...
Jan 24, 2024•49 min
In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’ Connell share their choices for the best television shows of 2023. Join in as they take you inside gourmet kitchens in Chicago, private jets taking off from New York City, acting studios in Los Angeles, evangelical churches in South Carolina, and beyond — in a celebration of the television shows that entertained and enlivened our lives in 2023! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 13 min
