Grounded Geeks

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode for both the comic series and TV show called Paper Girls. What would your 12-year-old self think of you right now in your life? This is one of the questions we answer for ourselves in this episode as we compare and talk about Paper Girls, the comics and the new TV show now streaming on Amazon Prime. We also cover wibbly wobbly stuff like time travel too, so don’t worry. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

Welcome to Part 2 of our discussion of Love, Death & Robots Volume 3. This time we discuss three different episodes titled, "Bad Travelling," "The Very Pulse of the Machine," and "Mason's Rats." All of these episodes had us thinking about life as we DON'T know it. And by life, we mean what constitutes a living thing? Can artificial intelligence be living? What kind of creatures live in the deep ocean that wouldn't necessarily meet the definition of life? In the future, how will animals evolve in ways that we can barely imagine? So many questions and not nearly enough answers, but join us for the conversation anyway. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

SPOILERS for the Netflix show, The Umbrella Academy season 3. Naturally on this episode we had to discuss the unraveling of spacetime, what is real or not, whether a bad deed is worth it if it's for the greater good, and...you get to hear Lena's cat, Raya, meowing in the background. We hope you find it more endearing than Aman did. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

SPOILERS in this episode for Marvel's latest movie, Thor: Love and Thunder. Alright buckle up, fellow geeks because on this episode we talk about Greek gods, witches, vampires (briefly), grief, our purpose in life, and how Marvel villains continue to be right. And never forget: Don't meet your heroes. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

We're taking a small break this week (mostly because we're human and we're tired), HOWEVER, in light of the recent news about Wakanda Forever at San Diego Comic Con, we're diving into the Grounded Geeks vault to bring you an episode we did in 2016 about Black Panther. Since Black Panther, the MCU movie did not exist at the time of this recording, this episode focuses specifically on the comic book character that Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote and developed. Hope you enjoy it and we'll be back with new episodes next week!

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode for Ms. Marvel, streaming on Disney+. It finally happened. Our absolute favorite comic book series got turned into a LIVE ACTION TV SERIES. Welcome to the world of Ms. Marvel, folks! This show honestly means everything to us as Pakistani/Muslim Americans who grew up as the children of immigrants. Not only did we get to see a character who looked like us, talked like us, said Bismillah like us, but the show also took time to look at family traditions and the history of the formation of Pakistan in 1947. The fact that a Brown girl from New Jersey made us feel so many things is just…a marvel. She made us feel at home. ❤️ SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

SPOILERS in this episode for season 3 of The Boys, streaming on Amazon Prime. So in addition to having daddy issues, the Boys also have a whole lot of toxic masculinity issues, superiority complexes, inferiority complexes, and unrequited love. We also talked a ton about corporations and corruption, celebrities and their tone-deafness, and January 6. Oh and the patriarchy still sucks. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode about Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2, which did not disappoint! There were many outcomes we didn't agree with, but as per usual, the show gave us plenty to discuss, including but not limited to: untimely deaths, the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the importance of teaching your kids empathy, and breaking the cycle of abuse. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode for the Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. A lot has happened recently. Obi-Wan and Darth Vader had another epic light saber duel, little Leia proved that she was born to be a commander at the age of 10, and the fight for good over evil never seems to end. This episode naturally had us also talking about the extremist Empire, which reminded us of the Supreme Court of the United States and its recent ruling concerning abortion rights. Besides that, we also touched on Shakespeare, the Odyssey, and balance in the universe. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

We did an episode on Fleabag! Lena essentially forced Aman to watch it and then he binged it and we had a wonderful conversation about feminism, spirituality, Deadpool, the bloody partriarchy, and the horrors of adulting. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

SPOILERS in this episode for Our Flag Means Death, a fairly new show streaming on HBO Max. If you watched Our Flag Means Death thinking you'd just be getting a comedy about a bunch of wannabe pirates, you would be wrong—but also not alone. Not only is Stede Bonnet (the main character) based on a real life person, but he actually sailed and plundered with the infamous pirate Blackbeard. This show has comedy, romance, and even some truth about pirates. And at some point we also talk about the Iran Hostage Crisis. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode for Stranger Things (Season 4, Volume 1). We talked about the lack of racism on the show, that line about the Internet, bullying (and how we got triggered by it), the multifaceted personalities of the Stranger Things kids, and (once again) the ongoing struggle against the patriarchy. It is truly neverending! Oh and we maybe have a possible theory for how the show might end? Who knows. (And you should especially tune in to hear Aman's kid making adorable baby noises in the beginning). SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

Love, Death & Robots is back with Volume 3! So naturally, we have SPOILERS, but only for three of the episodes titled, "Three Robots: Exit Strategies," "Night of the Mini Dead," and "Swarm." All of these episodes reminded us that the end is nigh and the only ones in the entire universe who can save us from ourselves...is us. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Alright folks, on this episode we talk about time travel, we talk multiverses, dimensions, Elon Musk, the future of Marvel's business model, and the very gendered terms of sorcery vs. witchcraft. So what are you waiting for? Enjoy! SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode for the movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once. This movie was quite frankly bonkers and we could not love it more. Not only did it give us an excuse to gush over Michelle Yeoh (truly a goddess) but we also got to talk about the multiverse, chaos theory, family relationships, bagels, and motherhood. We can't wait to rewatch this one. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

MAJOR SPOILERS in this episode for the Disney+ series, Moon Knight. Once again Marvel has given us a million things to talk about, from mental health issues to the importance of representation to Egyptian mythology to why the hell aren't they planning more Moon Knight?! Oh and we talked a lot about the brilliance of Oscar Isaac, May Calamawy, and Ethan Hawke. Lots to discuss. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

Ramadan Mubarak! This week we have a very special episode that we did in collaboration with the Quarantined Comics podcast. We discuss a new graphic novel titled "Squire" by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh. If you're into girls with swords, commentary about racism, empires (both past and present), and oppression, then this is the book for you! And go follow Quarantined Comics if you don't already: https://www.qtdcomics.com SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

SPOILERS in this episode for the Oscar-nominated (Best International Feature, Best Documentary, Best Animated) movie called "Flee." This isn't a film about robots or superheroes flying around in capes. It's not science fiction or fantasy. It's actually much bigger than that. It's about one man, his family, and his memories of how they were forced to navigate the world as refugees—told through his voice and using mostly animation. Naturally we talked about the current refugee crises around the world, police brutality, a brief history of the Soviets in Afghanistan, and identity. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

On this episode we discuss mass inequality, labor movements, Cossacks, revolutions across Ukraine and Russia, and…Jeff Bezos. All thanks to a graphic novel titled “Makhno: Ukrainian Freedom Fighter” by Philippe Thirault and illustrated by Roberto Zaghi. SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com

What is a soul? What is the truth? Does the truth even matter if you can't tell the difference between that and a lie? On this episode we talk about the Apple TV+ movie, Swan Song (which includes LOTS of spoilers) and honestly we have a lot more questions than answers on this episode. Sorry....but also you try tackling some of the biggest philosophical questions in human history! SHOW NOTES: groundedgeeks.medium.com