Sci Fi Fidelity

Given what's been going on with Sarge in Agents of SHIELD season 6, we had to find out from Clark Gregg what he thinks of his new character after playing fan favorite Agent Phillip J. Coulson for ten years, both on TV and in the MCU. When did he know that his beloved role would be coming to an end? What would Coulson think of what's been going on in his absence? These questions and more are answered in this interview, coming on the heels of Agents of SHIELD's presence at San Diego Comic Con this weekend.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's like we never left the town of Winden! Dark season 2 builds on the remarkably complex, intricately woven story of the first season in which four families' lives are wrapped up in the twists and turns of time travel and a disaster that has befallen their town and will likely visit it again. Our podcast discussion tackles the first two episodes only, but spoiler-free impressions of the overall season are also shared. Dark season 2 returned to Netflix on June 21, 2019, which for those who have seen the series is no coincidental premiere date.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Black Mirror season 5 has been available on Netflix for awhile now, and opinions have certainly been mixed. With anthology shows, there are always going to be some episodes that are better than others, but we make the argument on this edition of the Sci Fi Fidelity podcast that all three episodes of this latest offering were better, and specifically more thematically rich, than most critics give them credit for. We each picked our own representative episode to discuss, talking about the many philosophical questions about love, cheating, and personal identity posed by the central conflict of "Striking Vipers and honing in on the teenage perspective in "Rachel, Jack, and Ashely Too" and how the story must be seen through younger eyes to appreciate.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Although we wouldn't necessarily want to live in some of the worlds imagined by some of our favorite science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural television shows, there are certain settings that amaze us with how deeply cultural they are. On the latest Sci Fi Fidelity podcast, we bring up six exemplary worlds, three from Mike and three from Dave, that contain details such as language, religion, and history that really make watching an immersive experience. We also share the listener contributions from our Facebook group.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Good Omens will go down in history as one of the most faithful novel adaptations ever to grace the small screen (in some cases, maybe a little TOO faithful). David Tennant and Michael Sheen are brilliant as the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale respectively, and the two characters anchor the show even more than they did the story in the book. We break down the first two episodes in the spoiler-free first half of the podcast, and then we do a deep dive with overall impressions in the spoiler zone. Good Omens is a one-and-done six-episode miniseries that dropped on Amazon Prime Video on May 31, 2019.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Before we knew about the cancellation of Happy!, we had a chance to talk to executive producer of the madcap Syfy series, Patrick Macmanus. Although we mourn the loss of this unique series, which was adapted from a Grant Morrison comic in the same humorous-but-violent style as Preacher, we're happy to report that Macmanus has signed an overall deal with UCP to produce more shows to shop around. He spoke to us about two upcoming adaptations he has in the works: one for Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and another for the true crime podcast, Dr. Death.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lucifer is one of those rare shows that saw itself resurrected from cancellation as it made the move from FOX to Netflix for season 4. We talk a little bit about the changes we noticed resulting from its new home, and then we break down the major storylines of the recently concluded season. With plenty of story left surrounding the prophecy, the angel baby, and Chloe's new knowledge, we're left wondering -- will there be a season 5?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Just before the Agents of SHIELD season 6 premiere, we spoke with executive producers Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, and Jeff Bell about the story to come. By now, a few episodes have aired, so we know that the show, like much of Marvel TV, has severed its ties with the MCU. The showrunners explain why that's the case and also foreshadow some of the storylines to come, including Mack's stint as director of SHIELD, Clark Gregg's new character, and the adventures in deep space. We also spend some time discussing Agents of SHIELD outside of the interview.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When we decided to discuss Game of Thrones before season 8 began, we thought we would be talking about its grand exit, but as it turns out, we find ourselves having to defend the series against an onslaught of fan backlash. Where does the controversy come from, which aspects do we agree with, and which do we feel are unjustified? Join us as we parse the highs and the lows of the epic final season of HBO's juggernaut flagship fantasy series, Game of Thrones.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are absolutely loving the vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows on FX based on the award-winning New Zealand film of the same name, and we couldn't wait to break down the different characters and story arcs at the start of the season. With four vampires living in a Staten Island home together trying to navigate the modern world with a new mandate to conquer America, there is a wealth of episodic content as well as underlying mythology to discuss. And yes, the show has been renewed for season 2, which is welcome news that hadn't broken when we recorded this episode.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Deborah Ann Woll actually came on the podcast at Sony's behest to promote the home entertainment release of her horror movie, Escape Room, but this is a genre television podcast! So we snuck in a few questions about her time as Karen Page in Marvel's Daredevil and about the topic we really wanted to discuss with her: her D&D campaign show for Geek & Sundry, Relics and Rarities. We think that, like us, you'll find her enthusiasm for tabletop gaming infectious, and since it ties in nicely with the cooperative gaming aspect of an escape room, it works as a cohesive discussion.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In genre television, dead isn't always dead. We took an article from the Den of Geek website and turned it into a discussion topic for our podcast, but it turns out that a lot of TV shows over the years have resurrrected characters who viewers thought had shuffled off this mortal coil. In addition to the six choices we make, we share the multitude of equally valid examples from the portion of our listening audience that belongs to our Facebook group. Thanks to everyone who participated!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Having come to The OA too late to discuss it on the podcast for season 1, we knew we wanted to talk about Part II as soon as it became available, and the second season did not disappoint. As usual with our new formula, we stick to the first couple of episodes before diving into the spoiler zone to talk about yet another cryptic ending for the series. Do you agree with our interpretation of what's really going on? Join us for our in-depth discussion of the metaphysical journey that is The OA.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jordan Peele had a daunting task in rebooting the classic anthology series, The Twilight Zone. In a follow-up to our discussion last week of the original Rod Serling series and other genre anthologies it inspired, we talk about the successes and shortcomings of the episodes of the newest incarnation on CBS All Access. There was lots to love, but also plenty to criticize.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Genre anthology series have experienced a resurgence since Black Mirror, and with The Twilight Zone getting a reboot, it's time to recognize our favorites from the past. After giving Love, Death, and Robots a quick nod, we dive in with anthology shows from the 60s, 90s, and modern day. Sometimes we're surprised at how well some of the reboots do, including not only The Twilight Zone but The Outer Limits and even Apple's upcoming Amazing Stories revival. Favorites from the listeners who participated on our Facebook group also get a mention.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The premise of The Order sounds a bit crazy: a secret society of witches and warlocks on a college campus finds itself at odds with a pack of werewolves tasked with fighting the abuse of magic. Huh? But once you get past the iffy pilot, The Order has plenty of humor, adventure, and romance to satisfy just about any audience. Give this one a try on Netflix! NOTE: we recorded this podcast before the recent season 2 renewal announcement.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brittany Curran has taken the character of Fen from a minor character to a pivotal player in season 4 of The Magicians on Syfy. We spoke to her about the journey in the role as the show's only Fillorian series regular, her life as an actor from a very young age, and her favorite parts about filming in Vancouver, among other things. WARNING: Spoilers for season 4 of The Magicians within!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We explore the origin stories of Doom Patrol on DC Universe and share our growing admiration for darkly comic superhero shows of late. For those who have not seen the show, we have a spoiler-free discussion leading up to the clearly delineated spoiler zone to help you decide if you want to check out the series. Let's be honest, though, anything with Alan Tudyk attached is worth checking out!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a follow-up to our Subtitled Sci Fi discussion, we decided to tackle one of Netflix's latest international offerings, Colombia's Siempre Bruja, or Always a Witch in English. This supernatural time travel tale brings a slave from the time of the Inquisition forward to 2019 where she must defeat a powerful evil in order to return to her own time and her true love. This episode of Sci Fi Fidelity introduces our spoiler zone so that people who haven't seen the show can still listen to the beginning while those who have can enjoy a more in-depth discussion.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Netflix has been killing it with bringing international genre shows to an American audience, and after discussing Dark and The Rain on earlier editions of the podcast, we felt it was time to acknowledge a wider field of programming from around the world. In fact, the selections on our "super six" list each come from a different country! Plus we share our listener selections from our Facebook group.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.