The FX on Hulu series The Bear understands how intense working in a restaurant can be. The dramedy stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, a fine dining chef who takes over his family's beloved but troubled Italian beef sandwich shop following the death of his brother. The second season premieres later this week so we thought it would be a good time to revisit our conversation about the first season. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 20, 2023•21 min•Ep 1653•Transcript available on Metacast The new superhero movie The Flash has had a rocky trip to theaters. It's faced rewrites, studio turnover, and COVID delays. Plus it's star Ezra Miller is surrounded by controversy and legal troubles. The film was always intended as a hard reset of the DC cinematic universe, which has had a rough past few years. In that context, what are audiences to make of The Flash ? We talk about the film's troubled production, then get review the film itself. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcast...
Jun 16, 2023•22 min•Ep 1652•Transcript available on Metacast In the fantastic new film The Blackening , a group of college friends reunite at a house in the woods to celebrate a Juneteenth holiday weekend. For decades it's been a cliché to kill off the sole black character first in horror movies. But The Blackening turns that hackneyed trope on its head by asking: What happens when all the main characters are Black? It's silly, smart, and even a little bit deep. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 15, 2023•16 min•Ep 1651•Transcript available on Metacast Bravo's hit reality show Vanderpump Rules has become infamous due to a much-discussed affair between two members of its cast. The whole thing has been nicknamed "Scandoval" and has led to record-breaking ratings, countless memes, and even a joke at the White House Correspondents Dinner. In a world were reality television is synonymous with secret affairs and drama, why is "Scandoval" such a big deal? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 14, 2023•27 min•Ep 1650•Transcript available on Metacast In Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts , good space-robots and evil space-robots battle for the fate of the universe. Led by Optimus Prime, the Autobots return to do battle with the forces of the villainous Unicron, and our heroes enlist new helpers along the way. Directed by Steven Caple Jr., the movie stars Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Pete Davidson, Michelle Yeoh and more. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 13, 2023•13 min•Ep 1649•Transcript available on Metacast In the Netflix comedy series Never Have I Ever , Maitreyi Ramakrishnan plays Devi, an overachieving high schooler, who will go to extreme lengths to climb the social ladder. In the show's final season, Devi's dealing with raging hormones and doing whatever she can to get into her dream college, stumbling a lot along the way. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 09, 2023•25 min•Ep 1648•Transcript available on Metacast It's summer, and if you've maybe thought about taking a road trip, you're gonna need road-trip music. You might need a pick-me-up, a sing-along, or something for when you need a break from podcasts. Today we're recommending three songs to blast on your next road trip. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Jun 08, 2023•7 min•Ep 1647•Transcript available on Metacast The new film Past Lives follows Nora (Greta Lee), a writer who lives in New York with her husband, and meets up again with a man she knew long ago as a girl in South Korea. Written and directed by Celine Song, the movie is an emotional study of how Nora tries to understand both the path she took and the many paths she didn't. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 07, 2023•23 min•Ep 1646•Transcript available on Metacast Love stories are close to many of our hearts. We want to swoon, maybe laugh and cry, we want that romance. Today we're recommending great books for people who love love stories . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 06, 2023•8 min•Ep 1645•Transcript available on Metacast The new animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the sequel to the Oscar-winning Into The Spider-Verse. It continues the story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), as he battles a new villain, The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). The stakes grow as Miles and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) face greater conflicts as they traverse the multiverse. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 02, 2023•28 min•Ep 1644•Transcript available on Metacast You Hurt My Feelings is the latest film from the writer and director Nicole Holofcener. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a writer who discovers that her husband (Tobias Menzies) doesn't like her new book. She's rattled so hard that it threatens her marriage. The supporting cast also includes Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, and Owen Teague. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 01, 2023•15 min•Ep 1643•Transcript available on Metacast The HBO series Barry ended on Sunday. Throughout its run, the dark comedy brought a delicate tonal balance to Bill Hader's hitman-turned-actor. Its sharp take on Hollywood was funny, but it never let us forget that Barry was a violent sociopath. Barry 's final season made choices so surprising and emotionally brutal that everything that came before it looked almost light and frothy. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 31, 2023•21 min•Ep 1642•Transcript available on Metacast The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the latest, and fastest-selling game in Nintendo's beloved franchise. Many critics and gamers are declaring it not only the best game of the year, but maybe the best game, period. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
May 30, 2023•21 min•Ep 1641•Transcript available on Metacast The series finale of HBO's Succession was truly a meal fit for a king. Backs were stabbed, alliances were realigned, and a new CEO of the media conglomerate Waystar Royco was crowned. How did the squabbling Roy siblings shake out in the fight to control their family's dynasty? Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 29, 2023•25 min•Ep 1640•Transcript available on Metacast The Little Mermaid is Disney's latest property to receive the live-action remake treatment. While some scenes match the original film, there are changes. Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote several new songs for the film. And it stars Halle Bailey as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. The film is directed by Rob Marshall and is in theaters now. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 26, 2023•22 min•Ep 1639•Transcript available on Metacast The word "icon" is thrown around a lot these days, but Tina Turner was the epitome of that and more. The legendary pop star died today at the age of 83, leaving behind an indelible legacy that spanned decades across the music world, the stage, and the screen. We talk about her life and career, including her hits "River Deep, Mountain High," "Proud Mary," and "What's Love Got To Do With It." Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choice...
May 25, 2023•21 min•Ep 1638•Transcript available on Metacast In the Disney+ show American Born Chinese, Jin is an insecure Chinese-American kid just trying to get through high school when he befriends the new kid in town, Wei-Chen. Wei-Chen is actually a god on a divine quest, and he drags Jin along with him. And the two come to realize they're more alike than they ever imagined. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 24, 2023•25 min•Ep 1637•Transcript available on Metacast The Netflix series XO, Kitty is a spinoff of the hit YA book and movie franchise, To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Anna Cathcart returns as Kitty Song Covey, a teenager with a penchant for matchmaking. The show is a mash-up of genres, including rom-coms, Korean dramas, and coming-of-age tales. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 23, 2023•17 min•Ep 1636•Transcript available on Metacast More than 20 years into the Fast & Furious franchise, the saga keeps roaring on with the latest installment, Fast X . With a star-studded cast including Vin Diesel and Jason Momoa and many more, the film has plenty of absurd action sequences and logic-defying stunts that have become a trademark. But after all this time, does the magic of fast cars, backyard BBQs and family persist? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 19, 2023•27 min•Ep 1635•Transcript available on Metacast In the charming Amazon Freevee sitcom Primo , Rafa is a typical 16-year-old kid navigating life with the help of his enterprising mom and five very colorful uncles. The show was created by journalist and podcaster Shea Serrano and is executive produced by Mike Schur ( The Good Plac e, Parks & Recreation ). So unsurprisingly, there's no shortage of pop culture references, silly situations, and a heartfelt moment or two. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more...
May 18, 2023•20 min•Ep 1634•Transcript available on Metacast The Fast & The Furious debuted as a scruffy car-culture movie, and it was a hit. The franchise, fronted by Vin Diesel, has become a blockbuster machine. In anticipation of Fast X , we're encoring our episode about the legacy of the Fast & Furious franchise. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 17, 2023•21 min•Ep 1633•Transcript available on Metacast Book Club: The Next Chapter is a sequel that reunites four legendary actresses: Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen. In this iteration, the ladies jet-set to Italy. It's a light-hearted, very silly romp with a meet-cute, an old paramour, lost luggage, and multiple jokes about meatballs. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 16, 2023•14 min•Ep 1632•Transcript available on Metacast Today we offer up a guide to some of the most exciting movies, TV, and music you can check out this summer. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
May 12, 2023•29 min•Ep 1631•Transcript available on Metacast Books can take you anywhere. Across oceans, across borders, to places you may have never seen. And those books are some of the ones that we treasure the most. Today we're recommending great books that take you around the world. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
May 11, 2023•7 min•Ep 1630•Transcript available on Metacast The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , Barry , and Succession will conclude this month, and it's not easy to end a TV series. So we decided to debate: what is the greatest TV finale of all time? Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 10, 2023•25 min•Ep 1629•Transcript available on Metacast After two seasons of Bridgerton , Netflix is ready for a spin-off. The new series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story dives into the past as it explores the monarch's long marriage to King George III, the way her racial identity affects her experience and her country, and her early relationship with her dear friend Lady Agatha Danbury. It both is and is not like the Bridgerton we know. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 09, 2023•24 min•Ep 1628•Transcript available on Metacast In Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 , our heroes are attacked by a new mysterious villain, and must embark on a dangerous mission to save the life of Rocket Raccoon. Written and directed by James Gunn, the movie brings back Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as our ever-expanding Guardians team. It's in theaters now. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 05, 2023•23 min•Ep 1627•Transcript available on Metacast A nun, an all-knowing AI, the Holy Grail, a secret society of women, and a falafel shop. These are just some of the many elements that collide in the messy, delightful, joyfully silly Mrs. Davis . Starring Betty Gilpin, and co-created by talent from Lost , The Leftovers , and The Big Bang Theory , the Peacock series lives up to all the chaotic promise of that lineup. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 04, 2023•19 min•Ep 1626•Transcript available on Metacast Judy Blume's 1970 novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. was a staple of countless childhoods. But until now, it's never been adapted into a film. Like the book, the movie tells the story of a preteen girl who moves to New Jersey, makes new friends, and waits for the arrival of her period. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 03, 2023•20 min•Ep 1625•Transcript available on Metacast John Mulaney wants to talk about drugs. In his latest Netflix comedy special, Baby J , he recounts the intervention in late 2020 that sent him to rehab. He talks about his resistance to giving up cocaine, his schemes to avoid sobriety, and how it feels to have your star-studded friends tell you how worried they are over Zoom. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 02, 2023•21 min•Ep 1624•Transcript available on Metacast 
