Entertainment Geekly

In the first show of 2014, Jeff and Darren talk about HBO's new detective series and the latest installment of the Ryan Murphy Acid Camp Horror Fest.

Jeff and Darren dig deep the series finale of AMC's meth opera. They liked some things. Other things -- hello, Schwartzes! -- they're not so sure about. Other topics include: A new theory about what makes a good series finale, how the idea of the 'Bad Fan' affected the collective perspective of the final season, and why nobody (not even Hank) was a hero on Breaking Bad.

Jeff and Darren look ahead at the geekiest movies of the fall and rate their excitement, using a system based around the X-Men movie franchise. Said rating system is brilliant, highly accurate, and utterly confusing. (Put it this way: 'The Hobbit' isn't quite 'X2' but it also isn't 'X3,' which makes it just about 'The Wolverine.' See? Accurate!) They also dig into the current season of 'Big Brother' and try to parse out the good (Helen!) from the bad (Andy!) and the ugly (Aryan Aaryn!)

On a very special episode of 'Entertainment Geekly,' Jeff and Darren dig deep into their annual summer obsession. Is this the most evil cast of contestants ever in 'Big Brother'? Can the show actually launch a serious conversation about racism? What is the nature of power? Who has the worst hair? Also discussed: 'Under the Dome,' a show that started good and has gotten very bad very quickly.

Jeff and Darren talk about the end of the sixth season of 'Mad Men' and read the tea leaves to figure out whether CBS' 'Under the Dome' will pull a 'Lost' or a 'FlashForward.'

Jeff and Darren have seen the new Superman movie, and they have a profound debate in one of the feistiest 'Entertainment Geekly' episodes ever. Topics include: Whether the filmmakers betrayed the legacy of Superman, why you should never use the word 'should' when you're critiquing a movie, the state of superhero movies, an inquisition into the nature of Nolanism, and more!

Jeff and Darren take a look at the geekiest movies of summer and measure their excitement on a scale of 'Wrath of Khan' to 'Final Frontier.' Topics discussed include: Post-apocalypse fatigue; the possible redemption of Zack Snyder; the probably non-redemption of M. Night Shyamalan; Hugh Jackman; Edgar Wright; and the crucial importance of 'Fast & Furious 6.'

A couple days ago, Jeff broke the news that 'Veronica Mars' was staging a comeback from the TV graveyard, with creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell raising 2 million on Kickstarter for a movie. They reached that fundraising goal in about three seconds. Jeff is excited; Darren is skeptical. In the new episode, they talk about the positives and negatives of bringing dead shows back to life. They also continue a feud they started on Twitter about franchise movies, as Jeff tries to stage an intervention to halt Darren's onrushing cynicism.

In the last week, two wacked-out genre fantasies came to an end. 'Fringe' aired its two-hour series finale, a bipolar (and low-budget) episode that ended with a heart-tugging sacrifice and questions left hanging. Meanwhile, the 13-episode saga that was 'American Horror Story: Asylum' ended with a decade-spanning bang. We dig deep into both endings. We compare the 'Fringe' finale to 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica' -- is ambiguity better than specificity? And we really dive into 'Asylum'. Comparisons to Stanley Kubrick and Alan Moore are openly insinuated, and feminism is discussed.

After five seasons of hopping between alternate universes, various timelines, and assorted states of drug-assisted transcendence, 'Fringe' comes to an end this Friday with a two-hour finale. This week on the show, Jeff and Darren look back at the long, curious, regularly-rebooted history of the show. Topics include: The curious fact that 'Fringe' was built out of cliches to be a hit, but wound up being an eccentric low-rated oddball; a sneak peek at Jeff's list of the Top 19 Fringe episodes; and an critical examination of how 'Fringe' straddled the line between procedural and serialized.

Jeff and Darren talk about what left the biggest impact on them in 2012, and what they're looking forward to in 2013. Topics discussed include a state of the union about the Superhero Movie genre, the surprising similarities between Brian K. Vaughan's 'Saga' and NBC's 'Community,' why everyone should be excited about 'Pacific Rim.' Also: The Entertainment Geekly Book Club has its first meeting!

Jeff and Darren very carefully tiptoe into the world of 'Twilight,' before discussing the new season of 'American Horror Story.' Topics discussed include: The youth of America, the fall of the white male patriarchy, and the possibility that Satan is going to have an epic showdown with aliens and Nazis.

Darren is joined by special guest star Adam B. Vary for a debate about 'Looper,' the time-traveling drama. They both enjoyed the movie...right up until a twist at the one-hour mark that radically alters the course of the movie. Adam liked that twist; Darren isn't so sure. You know what that means: NERDFIGHT!!!

Jeff and Darren are joined by author Sean Howe, whose new book 'Marvel Comics: The Untold Story' covers the complete history of the company that invented Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and all the other superheroes currently tearing up multiplexes. Topics include: The Stan Lee/Jack Kirby debate; the underrated brilliance of '70s comic books, and the influence of LSD on same; an attempt to figure out just what the heck was happening to comics in the '90s; and Jim Shooter. Comic book fans, this is the episode for you!

Jeff and Darren are reeling from the 'Big Brother' finale, the betrayal-soaked epic climax to one of the best seasons in reality TV history. But first, they take a good hard look at the upcoming season of videogames, and try to figure out just what the kids will say about Nintendo's Wii U. Then they look at the pilot of 'Last Resort,' ABC's new Tony Scott-does-Lord-of-the-Flies serialized drama. Speedman is invoked!

Jeff and Darren look ahead to the shows they're most excited about in the new season. They're intrigued by 'Last Resort' and 'Revolution.' They're hopeful that 'Walking Dead' can maintain its season finale momentum. And they're utterly perplexed by (yet fascinated with) 'American Horror Story: Asylum.' Also: Religion is discussed!

On this week's preview episode, Jeff and Darren take a long look at the films coming out between now and Christmas. Topics discussed include: The possibility that the new 'Judge Dredd' will be really good, the hope that 'Frankenweenie' will mark a return to form for Tim Burton, the curious backstory of 'Argo,' the social implications of 'Wreck-It Ralph,' and the suspiciously expanding 'Hobbit' mini-franchise.

On a far-reaching episode, Jeff and Darren talk about the burgeoning romance between Superman and Wonder Woman, which leads to a discussion about the potential 'Justice League' movie. Other topics include: Jim Starlin, the Marvel/DC arms race, the strange names in the new 'Mad Max' movie, the possibility of James Gunn directing 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' and more!

The big movies have all been released. The big TV shows are still a month away. What better time to take a look back at the stuff we were obsessed with this summer? Jeff's been rereading 'The Sandman,' Neil Gaiman's comic book masterpiece. Darren's been watching 'Big Brother,' which is some sort of masterpiece, maybe.

This month, Entertainment Weekly is hosting a March Madness-style bracket game, letting readers vote to decide the identity of the greatest superhero ever. On today's show, Jeff and Darren offer their personal picks in all the Round One showdowns. Daredevil or Spider-Man? Wonder Woman or Black Panther? Can anyone beat Batman? Prepare yourself: This is, by a wide margin, the nerdiest podcast yet.