Decoding Westworld

If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid member at decodingtv.com.We’re trying something new this week! Patrick and David are experimenting with a shorter episode format for a show that we still want to check in with but maybe don’t want to do full blown recaps for. In this podcast episode, David and Patrick discuss the latest two episodes of Ahsoka:Episode 3 - Time To FlyEpisode 4 - Fallen JediAre we still enjoying the show? How well does it handle its “Star Wars moments” vs. everything else? Is the dialogue still glacially paced? What do we think about the character of Ahsoka as opposed to Sabine? And how satisfying is the sound that’s made when the spherical map is placed in someone’s gloved hand? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Email us and let us know what you think at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comListen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap RadioSubscribe to Patrick’s newsletter, CrossplayFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe

This Week In Streaming is a show on the Decoding TV podcast feed that covers the most interesting shows available on streaming each week. This week, David Chen and Patrick Klepek discuss the docuseries How To with John Wilson, which is streaming right now on Max.In each episode of How To, documentarian John Wilson ostensibly sets out to answer a basic question: how to find a public restroom, how to clean your ears, how to watch the game, etc. But in reality, the show is an intimate portrait of life's beautiful mundanity, with Wilson taking the episode's original premise and frequently pivoting in new, unexpected, and always interesting directions.What did we think of the show’s third and final season? What did we feel about the various ways in which John Wilson played around with his formula? What were some of the most memorable moments from this season and beyond? And what do we think this show is ultimately trying to say? Listen to hear us discuss all this and more!Next week, Patrick and David wil

In this Decoding TV bonus episode about Justified: City Primeval, Sarah Marrs and David Chen discuss all the things we didn’t get to in our season final recap. This includes topics such as:Did the finale drop the ball this season?Listener reactions to the season as a wholeWas it really a big mistake to bring back [REDACTED]?The biggest differences between the book and the showWhat happened during the time jump in the finale?And much more!Thanks for a great season of TV recapping. Decoding TV will be back in the near future to cover How To with John Wilson, The Continental, and much much more, so be sure to keep subscribed to get all our latest episodes.Links:Email us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comRead more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in

Support this podcast by becoming a paid member at DecodingTV.com.This Week In Streaming is a show on the Decoding TV podcast feed that covers the most interesting shows available on streaming each week. This week, David Chen and Patrick Klepek discuss the three-part HBO docuseries Telemarketers, which is streaming right now on Max.Telemarketers is about two former telemarketers who witness the corruption and exploitation of one telemarketing firm in particular, Civic Development Group (CDG), and make it their life’s mission to try and take the company—and the industry—down. Its sprawling narrative eventually becomes about the making of the documentary itself. Its appeal is largely driven by the two personalities at its center. But did this format work for us? What does Telemarketers have to say about the telemarketing industry and about our society’s ability to change it? And how does it fit in with the current documentary environment overall? Listen to us discuss all this and more!Next week, Patrick and

In this edition of Decoding TV, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss the eighth and final episode of Justified: City Primeval, “The Question.”In the season (series?) finale, characters make baffling decisions left and right. What happened to the deadly Albanians? How did we feel about the ultimate fate of Clement Mansell? Did Raylan’s arc prove to be a worthwhile one? And what did we make of the shocking cameo at the end of the episode? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Thanks to Sarah Marrs for joining us for this season of coverage! We’ll be doing one additional bonus episode to discuss City Primeval so send us your questions/thoughts/responses at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Thanks for listening!Links:Email us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comRead more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Deco

If you enjoy this podcast, consider supporting us by becoming a paid subscriber at DecodingTV.comThis Week In Streaming is a show on the Decoding TV podcast feed that covers the most interesting shows available on streaming each week. This week, David Chen and Patrick Klepek discuss the first two episodes of Ahsoka on Disney+:Episode 1 - Master and ApprenticeEpisode 2 - Toil and TroubleWe begin by discussing our relationship to Star Wars at this point, plus our overall thoughts on Ahsoka. Then we dive into full spoilers starting at around 25:50 into the podcast. How did the show manage the task of catching people up with the history of the animated shows while also welcoming in new viewers? Does Ahsoka do a good job of capturing the “feeling” of Star Wars? Shouldn’t catching a light saber through the torso be enough to kill someone? And is it just David, or does everyone in this show talk extremely slowly? Listen to us discuss all this and more!Next week,

If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber at DecodingTV.com. Thanks!In this edition of Decoding TV, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss the seventh episode of Justified: City Primeval, “The Smoking Gun”In the penultimate episode of the season, plotlines start colliding left and right and a major character is revealed to have ulterior motives. How did we feel about that reveal? Will we ever see Willa again? Taking into account the original Justified, what is the grand arc of Raylan Givens character? What are our predictions for how this season will wrap up? And why are sex scenes important for storytelling? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Email us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comRead more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv

Today we're launching a new series of bonus episodes where Patrick Klepek and I talk about a topic that’s in the news or something that’s caught our attention recently. Assuming folks enjoy these (if you do, let us know via email at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)com!), we’ll keep doing them. The first few of these will be free but eventually they will be exclusive to paid Decoding TV subscribers. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to get the best Decoding TV experience.Today we welcome Myles McNutt from the Episodic Medium Substack who joins me and Patrick Klepek to discuss this article in The New York Times about MovieTok (and David Chen’s Tiktok response). What are the differences between traditional critics and MovieTok content creators? How have these differences informed each of our career paths? And what did The New York Times get right and wrong about how it framed this issue? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Email us and let us know what you think at decodingtv(AT)gmail(D

Thanks to our paid subscribers at DecodingTV.com for making this podcast possible.This Week In Streaming is a show on the Decoding TV podcast feed that covers the most interesting shows available on streaming each week.This week, David Chen and Patrick Klepek discuss the final five episodes of Twisted Metal, now streaming on Peacock.Episode 6 - DRVTHRUEpisode 7 - NUTH0UZEpisode 8 - EV3L1NEpisode 9 - R04DK11Episode 10 - SHNGRLAWe begin by discussing our overall thoughts, then dive into full spoilers starting at around 16:07 into the podcast. What did we make of how this show handled lore (and what lore did we miss in our last recap episodes)? Did we really need backstories for Officer Stone, Quiet, and Sweet Tooth? What exactly was Raven trying to accomplish in the final episode of the show? Did this season end where it should’ve began? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Next week, Patrick and David will discuss the first two episodes of Ahsoka, the new Star Wars series on Disney+. When pos

If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber at DecodingTV.com. Thanks!In this edition of Decoding TV, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss the sixth episode of Justified: City Primeval, “Adios.”This episode brings one major character’s arc to a startling conclusion. How did we feel about how that character’s storyline resolved? Is there really a mole tipping off Clement Mansell? Is Willa really gone from this show until the final episode? Does Clement do a good cover of “Seven Nation Army” or is it only okay? And how much better would society be if all mediocre dudes got a chance to go into the arts? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Email us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comRead more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeEmail us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything

This Week In Streaming is a show on the Decoding TV podcast feed that covers the most interesting shows available on streaming each week. This week, David Chen and Patrick Klepek discuss the first five episodes of Twisted Metal, which is streaming right now on Peacock:Episode 1 - WLUDRVEpisode 2 - 3RNCRCSEpisode 3 - NTHLAW1Episode 4 - WHZDAREEpisode 5 - CRZSRDSWe begin by discussing our overall thoughts, then dive into full spoilers starting at around 22:00 into the podcast. What makes Anthony Mackie so compelling in this show? Does Will Arnett doing a good job of voicing a killer clown (whose body is played by Samoa Joe)? Why did they make Quiet someone who’s not, well, quiet? And why can’t videogames about tournaments spawn TV/movies that are about tournaments? Listen to hear us discuss all this and more!Next week, Patrick and David will discuss the rest of the season of Twisted Metal. When possible, we will broadcast the episode live on YouTube, so be sure to follow us there. Thanks for being a paid subscr

If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid supporter at Decodingtv.com. Thanks!In this edition of Decoding TV, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss the fifth episode of Justified: City Primeval, “You Good?”This episode puts the focus on Carolyn, played by Aunjanue Ellis. How well did this show build up the backstory of Carolyn? What do we make of her decisionmaking this episode? Are Clement Mansell’s machinations getting more or less compelling over time? And are we ever going to see the character of Willa return in a significant way? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Email us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comRead more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeEmail us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber at Decodingtv.com. Thanks!In this edition of Decoding TV, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss the fourth episode of Justified: City Primeval, “Kokomo.”This episode raises the stakes as multiple blood feuds set us up for the end game of this season. What do we think is going on between Raylan and Carolyn? Is Sandy going to make it through this thing mentally intact? Is Clement Mansell smart or just wily? Will things end well for anyone whatsoever? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Email us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comRead more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeEmail us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast exists because of the paid subscribers at Decodingtv.com. Consider becoming a paid subscriber and support the show!Programming note: Our Justified recap will be a day or two late this week due to scheduling issues. Sorry about that! This Week In Streaming is a show on the Decoding TV podcast feed that will cover the most interesting shows available on streaming each week. This week, David Chen and Patrick Klepek discuss Steven Soderbergh’s six-episode miniseries Full Circle, which is streaming right now on Max.We begin by discussing our overall thoughts on Full Circle, then dive into full spoilers starting at around 11:30 into the podcast. What did we make of the show’s sprawling, labyrinthine plot? Which storylines resonated with us the most? What were the stand-out performances from this show? Not many people seem to be talking about Full Circle; should they be? And what did we make of the show’s decision to be filmed almost entirely using a wide-angle lens? Listen to hear us discuss all this a

In this episode of Decoding TV, Patrick Klepek and David Chen discuss the final two episodes of Secret Invasion:Episode 5 - HarvestEpisode 6 - HomeIs the Secret Invasion finale really the worth the title of worst-reviewed MCU work of all time? Was this show worth spending $200MM on? What ideas and themes linger afterwards? Do some of these plot points actively ruin other parts of the MCU (spoilers: yes)? What parts of this do we expect to still be relevant for The Marvels, which is coming out in November 2023? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Decoding TV will be covering Steven Soderbergh’s Full Circle next. When possible, we will broadcast the episode live on YouTube, so be sure to follow us there. Links:Does Secret Invasion invoke anti-semitic tropes?Listen to Patrick’s podcast, Remap RadioSubscribe to Patrick’s SubstackSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeEmail us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free n

In this edition of Decoding TV, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss the third episode of Justified: City Primeval, “Backstabber.”How is this show handling Willa’s arc? Will she actually be able to stay away from all the action in Detroit? What’s this show’s take on law enforcement and justice going to be? Is Norbert one of the worst cops ever? Is the Albanian going to survive this week’s events? Will Raylan Givens make beef stew out of some guy’s insides before the season is over?Also: Sarah Marrs makes a bunch of predictions for how the season will end. Will she be right on every single count? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Read more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeEmail us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Decoding TV, David Chen and Sarah Marrs discuss the first two episodes of Justified: City Primeval:Episode 1 - City PrimevalEpisode 2 - The Oklahoma WildmanRaylan Givens returns, but this story finds him as a fish out of water in Detroit. How have the years changed Givens and what is Timothy Olyphant bringing that’s new to the role? How dangerous is this season’s big bad? Does Vivian Olyphant acquit herself well as Raylan Givens’ daughter? And what about all the other characters we meet? How does the show handle the issue of police brutality? And where do we think this season is heading? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Links:Read more of Sarah’s work at Lainey GossipFollow Sarah on TwitterFollow David Chen on ThreadsSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeEmail us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Everything Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati

Hey Decoding TV,David Chen here. Justified is a show that’s dear to my heart, so when I heard that they were going to be rebooting it for the streaming era, I was…apprehensive? Justified was one of the few shows that was not only enjoyable throughout its entire run, but also stuck the landing after six seasons. With the first two episodes of Justified: City Primeval hitting Hulu and FX this week, will the reboot bring the show into the modern era, or just become proof that with some great shows, you should leave well enough alone? I’m not sure, but we’re going to find out together!Joining me for weekly recaps and reviews of Justified: City Primeval is Sarah Marrs. Sarah is the deputy editor of Lainey Gossip and her work has appeared at Decider and Pajiba. But she’s also one of the biggest Justified fans I’m aware of, having watched the entire run of the show many times. I’m so thrilled she’ll be joining us to share her love and expertise of Justified!In t

In this episode of Decoding TV, Patrick Klepek and David Chen join discuss the middle two episodes of Secret Invasion:Episode 3 - BetrayedEpisode 4 - BelovedHow do we think the Secret Invasion is going so far? What interesting plot threads does the show tantalizingly dangle that we wish it would delve more into? How many terrorist plot does Gravik have exactly? And does he really have to kill someone at the end of every episode? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!Decoding TV will be releasing a new recap for every two episodes of this six-episode season. When possible, we will broadcast the episode live on YouTube on Thursday mornings. You can watch this episode on YouTube here. Links:Does Secret Invasion invoke anti-semitic tropes?Listen to Patrick’s podcast, Remap RadioSubscribe to Patrick’s SubstackSubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeEmail us at decodingtv(AT)gmail(DOT)comFollow this podcast on InstagramFollow this podcast on TiktokSubscribe to David’s free newsletter, Decoding Eve

The 2023 Emmy nominees were announced this morning and David Chen and Myles McNutt from Episodic Medium have some thoughts! In this bonus podcast episode, we discuss:Which nominees were we thrilled by?Which nominees were snubbed?Should we even use the word “snub” to describe what’s going on here?Why recent rule changes haven’t been effective in expanding the number of shows nominatedShocking developments in this year’s nominee listWill this year’s nominations be a turning point for the awards?Listen to hear us discuss all this and more! You can also watch our conversation on our YouTube channel (Subscribe to make sure you don't miss future broadcaasts!)You can view a complete list of nominees here.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.