October 31, 2025 • 36 mins
In this weeks episode of GROUP CHAT! Jason and Rosie are talking season 3 of Star Wars Visions on Disney+, then they are joined by Alan Sepinwall to talk The Chair Company and the upcoming series from Vince Gilligan “Pluribus”. Finally, producer Ian joins at the end to talk weekend plans in the TGIF segment. See you tomorrow for news!
Follow Rosie: IG & Letterboxd
Follow X-Ray Vision on Instagram
Join the X-Ray Vision Discord
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Warning. Today's episode canad spoilers for the ongoing series The
Chair Company on HBO sort of as much as you
can possibly spoil that banana show, and spoilers for the
latest season, season three of Star Wars Visions on Disney
Plue be warned. Hello by Day is Jesu Ceepsi and
(00:35):
I'm Rosie Night and welcome to Group Chat, a weekly
roundtable with our producers and special guests talk about all
the things we're excited about in TV, comics of pop cult.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
In today's episode, me and Jason will be talking about
Star Wars Vision season three offa episodes and should they
keep doing sequels or just make a whole spin off
series for those stories. Guys, we're going to talk about it.
Then we are bringing in a very special guest, television
critic and all round movie and TV lover Alan Sepamore
(01:03):
joins us to talk Tim Robinson's Chair Company on HBO
and a little tease of the upcoming Apple Plus series
plur of Us. And then thank golect this it's Friday, Me,
Jason and Ian will be jumping in to tell you
what we're excited about this weekend.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Okay, Season three of the anthology Star Wars series Star
Wars Visions that pairs the iconic Star Wars IP with
some of the most cutting edge anime studios in Japan
is back. Although season two, as you pointed out to
me in our pre pro did not have purely Japanese studios.
(01:42):
In season three, we're back to the kind of past
set by season one. And let's talk about it. It's
all out now. They all came out to we're recording
this Wednesday, October twenty ninth. They are all out today,
and I quite enjoyed it, although and bring it out
tell me I have a slight note of annoyance. Well, I,
(02:05):
first of all, what's cool, what I really loved about
this season is several of the episodes and I've only
watched episode five. Several of the episodes and all the ones,
and this is including the ones i've seen, are sequels.
There is The Duel, which is the Dual Payback, which
is a sequel to season one's The Duel. There is
(02:25):
The Ninth Jedi Child of Hope, which is a sequel
to The Ninth Jedi. And there is The Lost Ones,
which is a sequel to the Village Bride. And as
I'm watching these, my one note of annoyance is like, man,
just make the season of this. I want to check
in every year for one more, possibly one more, like
(02:51):
twenty two minute episode, like just give me the season.
The Dual Payback. I think Visually might be my favorite one,
just because it really hearkens back to that seventies and
eighties quite consciously, like grainy, a little bit jumpy, drawn,
(03:11):
kind of look of like you know, like Robotech or
something like that, and it's just the action is amazing,
but there is something in here Visually for everybody. But
I think if I had to pick my favorites with
that note of just make a season aside, I think
it would be the Dual Payback. You Goes Treasure, Yes,
(03:34):
you goes Treasure, No surprise.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
High up that me, High.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Up you Go.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Extremely cute, kind of like giant bed droid with a
microwave in its stomach who is helping a kid called
Yuko who it seems to kind of be raising almost Isley.
It's so cute.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Produced by Kinema Citrus and directed by Masaki Tachibana. Definitely
giving very Saturday morning TV vibes. This was the one
where I was like, yeah, just make a shirt, just
make that just mass for a movie like It's Found Family,
It's the best of Star Wars. Yeah, I love that one.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So those are my two favorites. But what about you?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I love you Goo's Treasure. Also, I was reading interestingly
the Ninth Child was so popular that they actually do
have a Star Wars Visions Presents I believe movie or
special coming out in twenty twenty six, So I think
it's very interesting that they continued the Child of Hope.
I really loved this song of four Wings. Oftentimes, I
(04:39):
know that for old school anime heads it can be
weird to see the kind of CGI anime mix, but
this one, which I just thought was so good. Project
Studio Q, directed by Hiriyasu Kobayashi, is about a princess,
a redhead princess who is devoted to the cause, and
(05:00):
he basically finds this very cute creature called who Pass,
who is a baby Gigoran, and the pair of them
end up flying against imperial kind of attack. But the
twist is that her droid transforms into kind of a
(05:20):
personal X wing mech. So I thought that was really
really fun and I loved Woopass definitely got the Ewok energy.
I also really loved the animation. I mean, no surprise
because triggers one of the best. But the Hidden Fortress episode,
which well call it's called The Smuggler, but it's very
Hidden Fortress coded. It's very coded to this stuff that
(05:43):
originally influenced Star Wars. Which is why I loved about
the first season of Visions. It is it's recognizing how
much influenced people like Kurasaua and Japanese filmmakers and Japanese
folkloric stories shaped these tales that George Lucas told. So yeah,
I really liked that one, The Smuggler. I feel like
(06:05):
that's a great example of what you can do in
these twenty two minutes that doesn't necessarily need an expansion.
It's just like tights, like you just got to get
them off the planet, Like it's a simple Star Wars one.
Also Judith Light as a Jedi who doesn't want that. Yeah,
the thing I love the most about this is to me,
(06:26):
Star Wars Visions is a fantastic way for Disney to
continue their tradition of groundbreaking animation, like that is what
Disney is known for and X Men ninety seven did
that in house, and I think that it's pretty incredible
that Lucasfilm has managed to get such a fantastic array
of directors. Now, I will say I also did love.
(06:48):
I loved season two, like I loved seeing Cartoon Saloon.
I really enjoyed the one that was directed by Ardman.
Probably my favorite, maybe of all the visions is the
one about the kid you can sing to the Kaiber crystals,
because I just love the lore of that. So but
that doesn't mean you're not going to enjoy the new season.
It's just more focused on hand animation and back to
(07:10):
that you know, Japanese influence that was such a key part.
But yeah, definitely, I think Uko's Treasure is up there
is one of the best episodes. Now. I loved Song
of four Wings, and yeah, the Smuggler was super fun.
Excited to go in the discord and find out what
everyone else has been loving.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You mentioned something that I thought was interesting because I
do personally I like the old kind of the nostalgic
anime style paired with modern technology as you saw with
you know the I mean, the Duel is definitely one
of these A Uko's treasure is kind of like this.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, definitely that kind of wings.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know, this kind of like Thunderbirds twenty eighty six
meets like, yeah, I love that that kind of thing.
But for me, it's a taste thing. I think it is.
I think it adds a texture to kind of modern
animation that is both nostalgic and is and is kind
of there's something new about creating grain and other kinds
(08:23):
of visual limitations in a context where they don't normally live.
So I find that interesting. But I didn't know that
it was kind of divisive that some people don't like it.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
I know, I agree. I think it's actually really interesting
that some of the stuff that appeals most to us,
like that dual animation that I did just think was
so fantastic that opens the episode to some people that
are like, why does this look so scratchy? They're like, what,
this doesn't look nice? You know, this isn't something that
I deem to enjoy. A lot of people want that
(08:58):
most high quality animation. The thing I think is most
interesting though, is kids, especially kids under the age of
kind of fifteen sixteen, they love a bad animation. They
love a nineties looking animation. So I want to know
they love kind of like a made on MS kind of.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
I mean, you goes treasure is kind he goes treasure.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I feel like that is the big If you're not sure,
if you've got a Star Wars fan, show them that
one and see if they like it. Because it's about
the family, it's about the cuteness, it's about the space adventures.
But it's really about what it would be like to
live in the world of Star Wars if you're not
you know, the main Jedi, if you're not the main character.
And I think that's always a really interesting inroad to
(09:43):
these kinds of stories. But yeah, I mean, just another
great season. I think this is really the stuff that
Disney should be spending their money on.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And I think that makes the season.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Make these listen to a season or a movie. Why
don't we have a movie like this? Like we know,
animated movies can make money, guys, lots of money. Kids
love them. I know for years people have been asking
why isn't there a Pixar Droids movie, Why isn't there
and Ewok's animated movie, but animated, you know, in the
(10:13):
style of like a Spider Verse or wish even like
any kind of experimental stuff. You have the quantity and
quality of animators at Disney to make this happen, make
a series of.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
I would also say, you know, with your you saying
you can make lots of money, I think that that's
I think that's true. But I would also say something
like K Pop Demon Hunters was not predictable, like in retrospect, everybody, Oh, yeah,
(10:46):
that makes sense because it's like original music plus k
pop plus animate. Like in retrospect, you're like, oh, but
if you don't take the shot, then you don't have
the opportunity to maybe find out what resonates. And I
think that some of these projects deserve a larger telling,
(11:08):
and in that larger telling, you might find something that
really resonates on a scale that you were not prepared for.
And I just think these little these little kind of
like appetizers are awesome. They're really great.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
But.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
It leaves me wanting more. Yeah, and so why not
make more?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Just command pick one and make and blow it out
and let's see what happens. Especially because these places like
Studio Trigga, like these these are huge animation studios that.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Also have the capacity to make something like that. If
they are paid for it. They've made TV series before,
they've made movies before, so let's just do it. I agree,
three seasons in. Let's commit let's make a Jewel movie.
Let's make a Uko's Treasure TV series. Like I agree, Jason,
it's time to expand this out. But still a great
season and I think something everyone and a great time.
(12:02):
If you haven't checked out Star Wars Visions, which, by
the way, we were recalling I believe to be the
first ever episode of X ray Vision was Jason and
Zig talking about the first Star Wars Visions. So this
has been something we've talked about through the whole life
about podcasts. Go and check it out because it's really
really fun.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
We're gonna take a quick break and then we'll we
write back with our interview with Alan sepn Work. TV
(12:41):
critic Alan Sepinwall spent fourteen years as a columnist with
The New York Star Ledger. He then began blogging about
television and is among the most influential TV critics out
there with his work at Hit Fix and then up
Rocks and then from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty five
is the chief TV critic for Rolling Stone. His blog
(13:02):
What's Alan Watching is available wherever you get your blogs.
Alan Steppenwall, thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
It's my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Alan.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
We have been here at Extra Vision watching with much
glee and some confusion. The Chair Company, the new HBO
show by Tim Robinson, which we absolutely love. You've been
following The Chair Company as well. Talk to us about
this show, which is so deranged that it almost defies description.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
I mean, I loved Robinson's first show that he did
was zat Canaan Detroitter's I thought that was great, saying
I love love.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I think you should leave, of course masterpiece.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
The genius if I think you should leave is all
the sketches are really short, so you get the idea,
you get out quick, like if a sketchy's five minutes,
that's an epic. And Detroiter's was also kind of sketchy,
like it's just sort of like here's a bit, yes,
and there's kind of an ongoing story, but it's really
like here him and Sam doing something, here's them doing
something else. So this is his first time really doing
(14:05):
something narrative, and I was a little worried, like can
he sustain this? Can he do it as a mystery,
and it's so good, like.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
It's just right.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
It's actually scary at times when he goes to terrifying
the guy in the closet, like that's inchery, Like it
should not be able to be that good, and it's ridiculous.
And I've seen the whole thing, and I will not
spoil anything to come by. Ok No, i'ven't seen the finale,
but I've seen the first six episodes, I think, and
it just keeps building and building and really holding my
attention and making me laugh.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yeah. I love that you brought up this scariness because
something I was watching the third episode, which just came out,
and I was thinking a lot about how it's not
just him doing kind of you know, severance or like
a workplace conspiracy kind of his version. It's also like
there are very twin peaksy David Lynchy moments like when
he makes it into the company and finds the giant
(14:57):
red ball that's just there, you know, and the guy
in the closet. So I love that you brought up
the kind of aeriness. What's your what's your log line?
Pitch to somebody who hasn't watched the show, because That's
what we were saying is it's really hard to actually
explain it without.
Speaker 6 (15:15):
I think I would say, like, imagine a David Fincher
movie as directed by Geez trying to think like the best,
like it's directed by Paul Fieg or something like I
love scary and silly.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
That's really great. What other shows have you been loving
at the moment? Like what are your other big TV
kind of passions right now?
Speaker 6 (15:38):
All right, well, Slow Horses about to wrap up. I
think that's they're having one of their best seasons so far.
And the low down in terms of things that are
on right okay, is just so yes, yeah, Sterlinarjoe, Ethan Hawk.
It just basically feels like micro targeted to me because
it's like dirt bag reporter played by Ethan Hawk, funny, scary,
(15:59):
you know, dealing with you know, American history, but you know,
through a skewed perspective. And again it's like it's ridiculous,
but it's also a very good mystery. So I like
things that can do a lot of different layers at once.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Can we talk about it? It feels like we're in
a transitional period in TV. All the kind of huge
monoculture shows. We're between huge monoculture shows. You know, the
last one I think you could say is maybe succession. Uh,
you know, Task being an anthology is not going to
get there. And so what is this period that we're
(16:33):
in now? You know, I'm seeing some trends. It's interesting
to me. For instance, we're going to talk about pluribus.
I think Apple has made a huge bet on sci fi.
All the interesting sci fi shows are on Apple TV,
even the ones that nobody has heard of that are
currently and therefore or fifth season. Amazon made this bet
(16:54):
on like outsidery superhero story, like weird, gross superhero stories. Yeah,
you're kind of subversive. And it seems now with the
Chair Company that you know, HBO is kind of going
for this somewhat scary, obsessive, weird comedy in the vein
(17:16):
of Nathan Fielder and now with the mind of Tim Robinson.
But what other what other trends are you seeing in
TV right now?
Speaker 6 (17:22):
I mean, I do think that there's like a lot
of regrouping going on. It's you know, we're still like
dealing with the aftermath of the strike, We're dealing with consolidation.
So suddenly new people are in charge, and you know,
people are jumping from place to place. It is kind
of cool though, that you're seeing I'm not really allowed
to talk about Pluribus, but like.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I was gonna say, I've watched a little bit too,
Jason hasn't. Could you? Could you kind of tease a
little bit why people need to be have that one
on the list, because we've talked about it already, but
now you've seen it because it's.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
Vince Gilligan, one of the best to ever do it
doing an original idea, like a lot of those shows
you allude to, Jason, like Severance is an original idea,
but so many of the other things that are out
right now are adaptations of something.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
It's just ip ip.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
So Apple gave Vince a blank check to make this
ridiculous thing that shoots internationally.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
Does not have a big star attached, although.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
I love Racy Horn from Better Cass, but she's there
and they're hiding with the premises, so they're selling this
show entirely on from the guy who created Breaking Bad, which.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Is crazy because the show is not like Breaking Bad.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
Yeah, well, I mean, and the thing is, most people
who love Breaking Bad have no idea that Vince started
out on The X Files. But I guess my point is,
if you're going to have a show that costs this much,
we're the only selling point is this guy, this is
the guy to do that with. And so I'm not
really allowed to say if I liked it, you might
be able to read between the lines on that.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
But what is you pitch us? What can you pitch
us about the show other than from the mind of
the guy who gave you Walter White.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
And I saw Goodman, I would say it's it's being
made by someone who is really good at what he
does and is very confident in what he does, or
at least appears to be confident when you're watching it
on television. He will tell me stories all the time
about how he had no idea what he was doing
and backed into the thing that worked, but you would
never know that from watching it. And just again, I
(19:23):
don't know how much I'm embargoed. I don't know how
much Apple will yell at me for this. But you
watch it and it's like, this is a guy who
knows exactly what he's doing, exactly what mood he wants
to set, exactly he wants it to look and he's
working with a world class actor who hopefully will become
a big star out of this, you know, because she
didn't even win a friggin' Emmy for Saul exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
So I think, like from what we I think what
we kind of can say about it is just simply
a wild where everybody's happy and the world needs to
be saved by the most unhappy person. That's like the
single like allowed to say portline, but it does not
showcase at all just how unhinged and brilliant this show is.
(20:09):
I was talking earlier this year, we were trying to define,
you know what era of TV, Erey and everyone else.
My feeling is really like stressed TV, where it's prestige,
but everything is incredibly stressful all the time. We have
task I think Pluribus kind of fits into this definitely. Obviously,
most of the boys GenB all that kind of stuff.
(20:31):
If you were gonna put a name on your twenty
twenty five kind of vibe of TV and film and
this kind of chaotic era that we've been in, what
what stands out to you?
Speaker 5 (20:42):
I mean, I think that's that's not necessarily ad a
bad phrase for it, because my favorite show of the
year so far as the pit, which is like two
or three times.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Yess se shows that was one of usinspos Yeah, it's.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
It's sort of like it's feel good and yet like
you're watching you know, an eighteen year old kid die
of a fentonel overdose and a girl drowned in a pool, right,
and like a woman gets pushed in front of a
you know, a train car and you know, your.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Foot gets de gloved and there's a mass shooting.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
And yet it's also like the most inspiring kind of
cinnamon roll thing. Like again, I like stuff that's a
lot of things at once. Yeah, you know, if something
is straightforward and executed, well that's great too. But if
you can do like five different ideas and tones and
make them all fit together, that's my jam.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
With that in mind and knowing that you are one
of the great, one of the great champions of forgotten TV. Yeah,
what are some shows that you know people didn't have
a chance to watch it? Maybe it only ran a
season and a half or two seasons. What give us
your list of forgotten TV shows that people need to
(21:51):
give a chance if they have a long weekend at
home and the streaming services to do it? What should
they want? That kind of got buried under the peak
TV era.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
Hang on, I'm just calling up Just Watch to make
sure I've got all of the streaming services right. One
the one I always name when I'm given this question
is Terriers, which is a show from Where She Is
fifteen years ago.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Fifteen years so.
Speaker 6 (22:21):
Yes. So it's a private detective show. It was on
FX now it's on Hulu. It's a buddy buddy comedy. Basically,
Donna Loge and Michael Raymond James are like two low rent,
unlicensed private eyes in a beach town near San Diego,
and they're trying to unravel a conspiracy. And it's just
the chemistry is off the charts, you know. I was
(22:41):
watching what do you call it? One battle after another
and I got kind of Terriers vibes out of seeing
Leo and Benicio in the car together. It's just it's
really well done and the and it tells a complete
story over the course of those thirteen episodes. There's kind
of a cliffhanger, but not really so if you watch those,
that's great. Another one that I think is really good
is Halt and Catch Fire, which was a show that
(23:04):
really got dismissed at the time, including by me when
it debuted. I I was as guilty as anyone. I'm like,
oh god, it's another one of those mad Men rip
offs about like the period drama about the charismatic genius
Lee Pace as a guy who looks really good in
a suit, and it starts off in the early eighties
and it's the dawn of the personal computer era. But
then it really evolves into something beautiful about the ways
(23:25):
that we all communicated. By the time you get to
the end of the four season, like, I'm just kind
of sobbing in a corner and smiling and feeling joyful
about it. That one you got to go to a
MC plus four. But that is definitely worth it. And
that's four relatively short seasons.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
And let me ask you this about Halt and Catch
for I really quickly best time jump ever in TV.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
Oh god, I mean the Battlestar Galactica one is really.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
An incredible Gary legendary and.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
That came pretty early in the idea of doing time jump,
so I always give that credit. But like Halt did
a bunch of those and they always worked really really well.
And if you're if you are subscribing to a MC plus,
although you can get it at other places like Pluto
or Hoopla if you're a library type user. Is Rectify,
which was a show on Sundance also ran four seasons.
(24:15):
It's about a man who, as a teenager, he is
convicted of a murder that it turns out he probably
didn't commit. He is released as a guy in his thirties,
you know, when DNA evidence turns up and he has
to just go back to his life and figure out
and it's basically like what if an alien arrived on
planet Earth? Because he just does not understand anything about
civilization anymore, and his family is trying to deal with that,
(24:37):
and there's some crime stuff going on in terms of
who actually may or may not have committed the murder,
but it's really just this beautiful, humanistic story.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
And that is where j Smith Cameron, That's the first
thing I really noticed before killing in that show.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
She's so Abigail Spencer. Everyone in that show is is great.
So I've I've just given you three different like your
two year are going to cry a lot and one
you're gonna have a whole lot of fun with. So
hopefully those will get you through a few slow weekends.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I love that you picked out something from sun Dance,
because I do think they've made some of the best,
like humanistic, underseen shows. I got to do a set
visit once to a show that they did called This
Close that was a deaf scene and it is so good,
so funny, and again like barely anyone's seen it. So guys,
(25:28):
Sun Dance, that's a great streamer. Well AMC plus right,
you can just access it on then, But.
Speaker 6 (25:33):
That one's also on Pluto and on Hoopla and can
I can I name one more please? Okay, this one
is more high profile because it was on HBO and
it's from a big creator, But nonetheless, I still feel
it is not appreciated enough, especially because people watched the
first season who did watch the first season kind of
ran screaming. And that is The Leftovers, which is one
of my favorite shows come on all time. It's said,
(25:56):
in a world where the Rapture, something like the Rapture happened,
but not exactly two percent of the world's population disappears.
There is no explanation whatsoever, and it's about like what
everyone else has to do to move on from that.
Speaker 5 (26:08):
It has one of the single.
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Best performances ever put on screen anywhere by Carry Coon.
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Oh, really heavy, and then after that it gets crazy. Yeah,
like carry.
Speaker 6 (26:18):
Coon as good as she is on the Gilded Age,
as good as she isn't white Lotus and the other things,
like your jaw will be on the floor watching her
in this. And it starts out really heavy, and then
it gets crazy and silly and ridiculous and beautiful, and
it's Yeah, it's one of the best things I have
ever seen them.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Agree, You're absolutely right. One more question regarding The Leftovers
and Halted catch Fire, those two best one season turnaround
from a show that was kind of like to a
show that was like, Wow, I've never seen anything like
The Leftovers go from an utterly depressing season one they
(26:56):
are like I can't go on to something truly transcendent.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, it's transcendent. Great word.
Speaker 6 (27:03):
The second season opens like with Cave Women. You know,
it's just I can't believe that this is happening. Those
two are way up there. I would say, also Parks
and rec I mean, that's a short first season, but
like that goes from like.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
A bad office rip off to one.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Of the all time greats so yeah, though, but those
two are excellent candidates.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And what do you kind of have you heard a
lot of There's this conversation constantly going on right now.
I have a little comic shop on the weekend, so
I speak to a lot of kids. What would you
recommend to a kind of person who doesn't necessarily watch
as I've heard, they're calling it narrative based content. There
(27:43):
is a kind of move towards kids watching you know,
short content, other people talking about content which they love.
What is just one of the great all time accessible
TV shows that you would say to someone like, hey,
this is why TV is great, this is why it's
watching these stories.
Speaker 6 (28:02):
Well, let me think, because I've had a lot of
experience with this. I've got a teenager and a young
adult at home, and I did this with both of them,
and we you know, they've seen you know, like Colombo
and Cheers and various Star treks. I'm trying to think
of like the best entry point. I think it kind
of depends on the age. But like I think a
lot of the time you maybe want to go for
(28:24):
something older because you're going to get some self contained
episodes and they're like, you know, my son I showed
him two star treks. I showed him the Trouble with
Tribles for Comedy, and I showed him the first one
with the Romulans, and you kind of get two different flavors,
and it was like, Okay, he was all in, but
if he wasn't, we could have moved on.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
And I think that helps.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
You don't necessarily want to throw somebody into something super
serialized on top of the fact that most of that
stuff made in this century is not really, you know,
kid friendly to begin with. So find something twentieth century
that still that feels modern in some way and go
from there.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Love that.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Are you worried about that? Are you were about the
the kids not reading, the kids not watching TV, the
kids not liking stories. I'm less worried about it than many.
But then I have many friends who are involved in
tech and like c metrics, and they're like, it's all
over to forget. Narrative is over, books are over TV
(29:19):
is I'm like, I don't truly believe that, but how
do Yeah, I don't. I mean I don't believe that.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
I'm someone who both writes about television and has written books,
and so yes, if it's over. I'm in trouble, so
I'm invested in the idea that it's not. I do
feel though, like I mean, you look at something like
that suits phenomenon from a couple of years ago, Like
that's people on TikTok watching a super mid show, you know,
from like a basic cable network that was ten years old,
(29:48):
and getting really into it and eventually going to watch
in other places. I think it's going to be harder,
but clearly things break through, and I think that's still
going to be the case. And I think you get
something at a narrative that you're just not getting out
of TikTok and.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Reels or you know whatever.
Speaker 6 (30:02):
You know, those vertical videos that I've watched that kind
of horrify me.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
So yeah, I also think that kids they find their
own ways too narrative, like something like Five Nights at Freddy's,
which you know, was a video game that then became
a YouTube phenomenon that then became a fan story phenomenon
that then eventually became a film that took a lot
of the stuff from there. It's a long route, but
(30:27):
my nephew, for example, he's loved Five Nights that Freddy
since he was four, and he was first in line
to see the movie when he was eleven. Even though
generally he's a YouTube lover somebody he likes to watch
other people explain content to him. So I think, yeah,
they'll find their way. It's just not necessarily a bunch
of people who are gonna sit in front of a
TV and just watch stuff and flick through the way
(30:49):
that we did.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
No, I was gonna say, my son, who's a teenager,
like he's watching Dexter right now because all of his
friends are into Dexter, being like that Edward James almost season.
I'm kind of like, buddy, it's okay. I'm glad you
saw the good stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah, yeah, don't get to that final season.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Better things for you.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
You know, you only get one with so many trips
around the sun, Like just what is right there?
Speaker 5 (31:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Do you know how cool you'll be as a teenager?
Jug breaking bad, my guy? Like, that's the show. But
it's funny that everyone's into dex though. That's hilarious.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Alan, this has been a delight. Where could folks find
your stuff right now? Plugs plugs, plugs plug us.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
Yes, all right, so right now I'm writing my own
newsletter What's Alan Watching. You can find it very simply
at What's Alan Watching dot com. I'm recapping a bunch
of shows, including At the Moment, Slow Horses, The Lowdown,
and The Chair Company. I'm going to be recapping Pluribus
every week, and again I'm not allowed to say if
I liked it, but I'm going to be writing about
every episode, so you might want to read. I'm reviewing
(31:54):
lots of stuff. I'm doing essays, I'm doing interviews, all
kinds of things. So you know, it's basically taking all
the stuff I was doing at Rolling Stone in some
of my other homes and doing it by myself straight
to you. You know, there's no middleman, So that's right there.
And I've and I've written books on breaking Bad, Better
call Saul, The Sopranos, the best shows of all time,
(32:16):
that's called TV. The book so and Terriers is in there,
by the way. That's the hundredth show out of one hundred.
So there's lots of different content from me out there.
And I'm not hard to find because there's only twelve
people in the world named Stepenwall and I'm the only
one who's writing.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
So kay love Yay, thank you so much, Alan, so much.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Alan.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
It's absolute pleasure, guys, thank you.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
For having me.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And now it's think Galactus. It's Friday. Let's wrap up
our episode by talking about the one thing we're excited
to read, play, watch, or listen to this weekend.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Ian We're bringing them in.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
I'm excited to do a little Predator series rewatch this weekend.
Bad Lands is coming out next week, so I'm gonna
rewatch the mainline movies. I'm not doing a VP, but
I'm gonna do Predator, Predator to pray for sure, and
then maybe maybe Predators the one with oh Man with
(33:24):
uh Tofa Grace. So yeah, I think I'm gonna watch
watch those this weekend and get hyped for Prey or
for bad Lands next week.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Ooh, I love that Tofa Grace reveal in that one.
That was so good. Look, I'm just saying past a
VP sign and let that maybe you'll rewatch it. Maybe
it's it's good Man, it's good. It's not as bad
as people say. Jason, what are you most excited for
this weekend?
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Wow? I have to I have to turn in a
manuscript for my book on December first. Wow. Edited So
I'm looking forward to just making progress on that this weekend.
It's been a really process. As anyone who's ever written
anything will know, the first part of writing, which is
(34:07):
when you sit down and just write. The first draft
is the worst, and it's the worst and it is
so bad. It's hard sometimes to do it because it's
so terrible. But the editing process is kind of fun
because now I'm like, oh, what, you know what? That
part does suck, but like, here's good. Here, this was good.
(34:28):
That was pretty good. You forget what you wrote and
you're like, oh wait, this is that actually pretty good?
So I'm at the stage where I'm like, you know, revising, rewriting,
applying editors notes to stuff that I've written, and that
part has been kind of fun and I'm eager to
continue doing that. Rosie, what about you.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
I'm gonna follow you with that because I love that
you chose that. And also we got to say, what's
the book called, Jason, so people can pre order if
they did not bad working sad androids. It's really good, guys.
I am also going to be finishing a a draft
of my next book, which has not yet been announced,
(35:05):
but is in the realm of things that you guys
already know that I like, so I too will be
working on that this weekend. Well, also probably just you know,
watching some fun Halloween stuff. Oh and if you're listening
to this on Friday you're in the LA area, we
are going to be doing free trick or treating all
day save no ice in the you can come into
(35:29):
the inside of Craft Market at the Port of La
Crafted at the Port of La and your kids can
trickle treat from eleven am till six pm. So I
will be doing that too. So it's going to be
a fun Halloween weekend and me and Jason will both
be working working, working to finish these drafts so that
people can read them and enjoy them.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Well that's it for this episode. Thanks for listening. Back
tomorrow with the biggest news of the week. Bye x
Ray Vision is hosted by Jason Young and Rosie Knight
and is a production of iHeart Podcast.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Our executive producers are Joel Monique and Aaron Kaufman.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Our supervising producer is Abu Zafar.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Our producers are Common Laurent Dean Jonathan, and Faye wag.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Our theme song is by Brian Vasquez. With alternate theme
songs by Aaron Kaufman.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Special thanks to Soul Rubin, Chris Lord, Kenny Goodman, and Heidi,
our discord moderator,
Warning. Today's episode canad spoilers for the ongoing series The
Chair Company on HBO sort of as much as you
can possibly spoil that banana show, and spoilers for the
latest season, season three of Star Wars Visions on Disney
Plue be warned. Hello by Day is Jesu Ceepsi and
(00:35):
I'm Rosie Night and welcome to Group Chat, a weekly
roundtable with our producers and special guests talk about all
the things we're excited about in TV, comics of pop cult.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
In today's episode, me and Jason will be talking about
Star Wars Vision season three offa episodes and should they
keep doing sequels or just make a whole spin off
series for those stories. Guys, we're going to talk about it.
Then we are bringing in a very special guest, television
critic and all round movie and TV lover Alan Sepamore
(01:03):
joins us to talk Tim Robinson's Chair Company on HBO
and a little tease of the upcoming Apple Plus series
plur of Us. And then thank golect this it's Friday, Me,
Jason and Ian will be jumping in to tell you
what we're excited about this weekend.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Okay, Season three of the anthology Star Wars series Star
Wars Visions that pairs the iconic Star Wars IP with
some of the most cutting edge anime studios in Japan
is back. Although season two, as you pointed out to
me in our pre pro did not have purely Japanese studios.
(01:42):
In season three, we're back to the kind of past
set by season one. And let's talk about it. It's
all out now. They all came out to we're recording
this Wednesday, October twenty ninth. They are all out today,
and I quite enjoyed it, although and bring it out
tell me I have a slight note of annoyance. Well, I,
(02:05):
first of all, what's cool, what I really loved about
this season is several of the episodes and I've only
watched episode five. Several of the episodes and all the ones,
and this is including the ones i've seen, are sequels.
There is The Duel, which is the Dual Payback, which
is a sequel to season one's The Duel. There is
(02:25):
The Ninth Jedi Child of Hope, which is a sequel
to The Ninth Jedi. And there is The Lost Ones,
which is a sequel to the Village Bride. And as
I'm watching these, my one note of annoyance is like, man,
just make the season of this. I want to check
in every year for one more, possibly one more, like
(02:51):
twenty two minute episode, like just give me the season.
The Dual Payback. I think Visually might be my favorite one,
just because it really hearkens back to that seventies and
eighties quite consciously, like grainy, a little bit jumpy, drawn,
(03:11):
kind of look of like you know, like Robotech or
something like that, and it's just the action is amazing,
but there is something in here Visually for everybody. But
I think if I had to pick my favorites with
that note of just make a season aside, I think
it would be the Dual Payback. You Goes Treasure, Yes,
(03:34):
you goes Treasure, No surprise.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
High up that me, High.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Up you Go.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Extremely cute, kind of like giant bed droid with a
microwave in its stomach who is helping a kid called
Yuko who it seems to kind of be raising almost Isley.
It's so cute.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Produced by Kinema Citrus and directed by Masaki Tachibana. Definitely
giving very Saturday morning TV vibes. This was the one
where I was like, yeah, just make a shirt, just
make that just mass for a movie like It's Found Family,
It's the best of Star Wars. Yeah, I love that one.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So those are my two favorites. But what about you?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I love you Goo's Treasure. Also, I was reading interestingly
the Ninth Child was so popular that they actually do
have a Star Wars Visions Presents I believe movie or
special coming out in twenty twenty six, So I think
it's very interesting that they continued the Child of Hope.
I really loved this song of four Wings. Oftentimes, I
(04:39):
know that for old school anime heads it can be
weird to see the kind of CGI anime mix, but
this one, which I just thought was so good. Project
Studio Q, directed by Hiriyasu Kobayashi, is about a princess,
a redhead princess who is devoted to the cause, and
(05:00):
he basically finds this very cute creature called who Pass,
who is a baby Gigoran, and the pair of them
end up flying against imperial kind of attack. But the
twist is that her droid transforms into kind of a
(05:20):
personal X wing mech. So I thought that was really
really fun and I loved Woopass definitely got the Ewok energy.
I also really loved the animation. I mean, no surprise
because triggers one of the best. But the Hidden Fortress episode,
which well call it's called The Smuggler, but it's very
Hidden Fortress coded. It's very coded to this stuff that
(05:43):
originally influenced Star Wars. Which is why I loved about
the first season of Visions. It is it's recognizing how
much influenced people like Kurasaua and Japanese filmmakers and Japanese
folkloric stories shaped these tales that George Lucas told. So yeah,
I really liked that one, The Smuggler. I feel like
(06:05):
that's a great example of what you can do in
these twenty two minutes that doesn't necessarily need an expansion.
It's just like tights, like you just got to get
them off the planet, Like it's a simple Star Wars one.
Also Judith Light as a Jedi who doesn't want that. Yeah,
the thing I love the most about this is to me,
(06:26):
Star Wars Visions is a fantastic way for Disney to
continue their tradition of groundbreaking animation, like that is what
Disney is known for and X Men ninety seven did
that in house, and I think that it's pretty incredible
that Lucasfilm has managed to get such a fantastic array
of directors. Now, I will say I also did love.
(06:48):
I loved season two, like I loved seeing Cartoon Saloon.
I really enjoyed the one that was directed by Ardman.
Probably my favorite, maybe of all the visions is the
one about the kid you can sing to the Kaiber crystals,
because I just love the lore of that. So but
that doesn't mean you're not going to enjoy the new season.
It's just more focused on hand animation and back to
(07:10):
that you know, Japanese influence that was such a key part.
But yeah, definitely, I think Uko's Treasure is up there
is one of the best episodes. Now. I loved Song
of four Wings, and yeah, the Smuggler was super fun.
Excited to go in the discord and find out what
everyone else has been loving.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You mentioned something that I thought was interesting because I
do personally I like the old kind of the nostalgic
anime style paired with modern technology as you saw with
you know the I mean, the Duel is definitely one
of these A Uko's treasure is kind of like this.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, definitely that kind of wings.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know, this kind of like Thunderbirds twenty eighty six
meets like, yeah, I love that that kind of thing.
But for me, it's a taste thing. I think it is.
I think it adds a texture to kind of modern
animation that is both nostalgic and is and is kind
of there's something new about creating grain and other kinds
(08:23):
of visual limitations in a context where they don't normally live.
So I find that interesting. But I didn't know that
it was kind of divisive that some people don't like it.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
I know, I agree. I think it's actually really interesting
that some of the stuff that appeals most to us,
like that dual animation that I did just think was
so fantastic that opens the episode to some people that
are like, why does this look so scratchy? They're like, what,
this doesn't look nice? You know, this isn't something that
I deem to enjoy. A lot of people want that
(08:58):
most high quality animation. The thing I think is most
interesting though, is kids, especially kids under the age of
kind of fifteen sixteen, they love a bad animation. They
love a nineties looking animation. So I want to know
they love kind of like a made on MS kind of.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
I mean, you goes treasure is kind he goes treasure.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I feel like that is the big If you're not sure,
if you've got a Star Wars fan, show them that
one and see if they like it. Because it's about
the family, it's about the cuteness, it's about the space adventures.
But it's really about what it would be like to
live in the world of Star Wars if you're not
you know, the main Jedi, if you're not the main character.
And I think that's always a really interesting inroad to
(09:43):
these kinds of stories. But yeah, I mean, just another
great season. I think this is really the stuff that
Disney should be spending their money on.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And I think that makes the season.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Make these listen to a season or a movie. Why
don't we have a movie like this? Like we know,
animated movies can make money, guys, lots of money. Kids
love them. I know for years people have been asking
why isn't there a Pixar Droids movie, Why isn't there
and Ewok's animated movie, but animated, you know, in the
(10:13):
style of like a Spider Verse or wish even like
any kind of experimental stuff. You have the quantity and
quality of animators at Disney to make this happen, make
a series of.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
I would also say, you know, with your you saying
you can make lots of money, I think that that's
I think that's true. But I would also say something
like K Pop Demon Hunters was not predictable, like in retrospect, everybody, Oh, yeah,
(10:46):
that makes sense because it's like original music plus k
pop plus animate. Like in retrospect, you're like, oh, but
if you don't take the shot, then you don't have
the opportunity to maybe find out what resonates. And I
think that some of these projects deserve a larger telling,
(11:08):
and in that larger telling, you might find something that
really resonates on a scale that you were not prepared for.
And I just think these little these little kind of
like appetizers are awesome. They're really great.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
But.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
It leaves me wanting more. Yeah, and so why not
make more?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Just command pick one and make and blow it out
and let's see what happens. Especially because these places like
Studio Trigga, like these these are huge animation studios that.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Also have the capacity to make something like that. If
they are paid for it. They've made TV series before,
they've made movies before, so let's just do it. I agree,
three seasons in. Let's commit let's make a Jewel movie.
Let's make a Uko's Treasure TV series. Like I agree, Jason,
it's time to expand this out. But still a great
season and I think something everyone and a great time.
(12:02):
If you haven't checked out Star Wars Visions, which, by
the way, we were recalling I believe to be the
first ever episode of X ray Vision was Jason and
Zig talking about the first Star Wars Visions. So this
has been something we've talked about through the whole life
about podcasts. Go and check it out because it's really
really fun.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
We're gonna take a quick break and then we'll we
write back with our interview with Alan sepn Work. TV
(12:41):
critic Alan Sepinwall spent fourteen years as a columnist with
The New York Star Ledger. He then began blogging about
television and is among the most influential TV critics out
there with his work at Hit Fix and then up
Rocks and then from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty five
is the chief TV critic for Rolling Stone. His blog
(13:02):
What's Alan Watching is available wherever you get your blogs.
Alan Steppenwall, thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
It's my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Alan.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
We have been here at Extra Vision watching with much
glee and some confusion. The Chair Company, the new HBO
show by Tim Robinson, which we absolutely love. You've been
following The Chair Company as well. Talk to us about
this show, which is so deranged that it almost defies description.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
I mean, I loved Robinson's first show that he did
was zat Canaan Detroitter's I thought that was great, saying
I love love.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I think you should leave, of course masterpiece.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
The genius if I think you should leave is all
the sketches are really short, so you get the idea,
you get out quick, like if a sketchy's five minutes,
that's an epic. And Detroiter's was also kind of sketchy,
like it's just sort of like here's a bit, yes,
and there's kind of an ongoing story, but it's really
like here him and Sam doing something, here's them doing
something else. So this is his first time really doing
(14:05):
something narrative, and I was a little worried, like can
he sustain this? Can he do it as a mystery,
and it's so good, like.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
It's just right.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
It's actually scary at times when he goes to terrifying
the guy in the closet, like that's inchery, Like it
should not be able to be that good, and it's ridiculous.
And I've seen the whole thing, and I will not
spoil anything to come by. Ok No, i'ven't seen the finale,
but I've seen the first six episodes, I think, and
it just keeps building and building and really holding my
attention and making me laugh.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yeah. I love that you brought up this scariness because
something I was watching the third episode, which just came out,
and I was thinking a lot about how it's not
just him doing kind of you know, severance or like
a workplace conspiracy kind of his version. It's also like
there are very twin peaksy David Lynchy moments like when
he makes it into the company and finds the giant
(14:57):
red ball that's just there, you know, and the guy
in the closet. So I love that you brought up
the kind of aeriness. What's your what's your log line?
Pitch to somebody who hasn't watched the show, because That's
what we were saying is it's really hard to actually
explain it without.
Speaker 6 (15:15):
I think I would say, like, imagine a David Fincher
movie as directed by Geez trying to think like the best,
like it's directed by Paul Fieg or something like I
love scary and silly.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
That's really great. What other shows have you been loving
at the moment? Like what are your other big TV
kind of passions right now?
Speaker 6 (15:38):
All right, well, Slow Horses about to wrap up. I
think that's they're having one of their best seasons so far.
And the low down in terms of things that are
on right okay, is just so yes, yeah, Sterlinarjoe, Ethan Hawk.
It just basically feels like micro targeted to me because
it's like dirt bag reporter played by Ethan Hawk, funny, scary,
(15:59):
you know, dealing with you know, American history, but you know,
through a skewed perspective. And again it's like it's ridiculous,
but it's also a very good mystery. So I like
things that can do a lot of different layers at once.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Can we talk about it? It feels like we're in
a transitional period in TV. All the kind of huge
monoculture shows. We're between huge monoculture shows. You know, the
last one I think you could say is maybe succession. Uh,
you know, Task being an anthology is not going to
get there. And so what is this period that we're
(16:33):
in now? You know, I'm seeing some trends. It's interesting
to me. For instance, we're going to talk about pluribus.
I think Apple has made a huge bet on sci fi.
All the interesting sci fi shows are on Apple TV,
even the ones that nobody has heard of that are
currently and therefore or fifth season. Amazon made this bet
(16:54):
on like outsidery superhero story, like weird, gross superhero stories. Yeah,
you're kind of subversive. And it seems now with the
Chair Company that you know, HBO is kind of going
for this somewhat scary, obsessive, weird comedy in the vein
(17:16):
of Nathan Fielder and now with the mind of Tim Robinson.
But what other what other trends are you seeing in
TV right now?
Speaker 6 (17:22):
I mean, I do think that there's like a lot
of regrouping going on. It's you know, we're still like
dealing with the aftermath of the strike, We're dealing with consolidation.
So suddenly new people are in charge, and you know,
people are jumping from place to place. It is kind
of cool though, that you're seeing I'm not really allowed
to talk about Pluribus, but like.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I was gonna say, I've watched a little bit too,
Jason hasn't. Could you? Could you kind of tease a
little bit why people need to be have that one
on the list, because we've talked about it already, but
now you've seen it because it's.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
Vince Gilligan, one of the best to ever do it
doing an original idea, like a lot of those shows
you allude to, Jason, like Severance is an original idea,
but so many of the other things that are out
right now are adaptations of something.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
It's just ip ip.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
So Apple gave Vince a blank check to make this
ridiculous thing that shoots internationally.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
Does not have a big star attached, although.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
I love Racy Horn from Better Cass, but she's there
and they're hiding with the premises, so they're selling this
show entirely on from the guy who created Breaking Bad, which.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Is crazy because the show is not like Breaking Bad.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
Yeah, well, I mean, and the thing is, most people
who love Breaking Bad have no idea that Vince started
out on The X Files. But I guess my point is,
if you're going to have a show that costs this much,
we're the only selling point is this guy, this is
the guy to do that with. And so I'm not
really allowed to say if I liked it, you might
be able to read between the lines on that.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
But what is you pitch us? What can you pitch
us about the show other than from the mind of
the guy who gave you Walter White.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
And I saw Goodman, I would say it's it's being
made by someone who is really good at what he
does and is very confident in what he does, or
at least appears to be confident when you're watching it
on television. He will tell me stories all the time
about how he had no idea what he was doing
and backed into the thing that worked, but you would
never know that from watching it. And just again, I
(19:23):
don't know how much I'm embargoed. I don't know how
much Apple will yell at me for this. But you
watch it and it's like, this is a guy who
knows exactly what he's doing, exactly what mood he wants
to set, exactly he wants it to look and he's
working with a world class actor who hopefully will become
a big star out of this, you know, because she
didn't even win a friggin' Emmy for Saul exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
So I think, like from what we I think what
we kind of can say about it is just simply
a wild where everybody's happy and the world needs to
be saved by the most unhappy person. That's like the
single like allowed to say portline, but it does not
showcase at all just how unhinged and brilliant this show is.
(20:09):
I was talking earlier this year, we were trying to define,
you know what era of TV, Erey and everyone else.
My feeling is really like stressed TV, where it's prestige,
but everything is incredibly stressful all the time. We have
task I think Pluribus kind of fits into this definitely. Obviously,
most of the boys GenB all that kind of stuff.
(20:31):
If you were gonna put a name on your twenty
twenty five kind of vibe of TV and film and
this kind of chaotic era that we've been in, what
what stands out to you?
Speaker 5 (20:42):
I mean, I think that's that's not necessarily ad a
bad phrase for it, because my favorite show of the
year so far as the pit, which is like two
or three times.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Yess se shows that was one of usinspos Yeah, it's.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
It's sort of like it's feel good and yet like
you're watching you know, an eighteen year old kid die
of a fentonel overdose and a girl drowned in a pool, right,
and like a woman gets pushed in front of a
you know, a train car and you know, your.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Foot gets de gloved and there's a mass shooting.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
And yet it's also like the most inspiring kind of
cinnamon roll thing. Like again, I like stuff that's a
lot of things at once. Yeah, you know, if something
is straightforward and executed, well that's great too. But if
you can do like five different ideas and tones and
make them all fit together, that's my jam.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
With that in mind and knowing that you are one
of the great, one of the great champions of forgotten TV. Yeah,
what are some shows that you know people didn't have
a chance to watch it? Maybe it only ran a
season and a half or two seasons. What give us
your list of forgotten TV shows that people need to
(21:51):
give a chance if they have a long weekend at
home and the streaming services to do it? What should
they want? That kind of got buried under the peak
TV era.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
Hang on, I'm just calling up Just Watch to make
sure I've got all of the streaming services right. One
the one I always name when I'm given this question
is Terriers, which is a show from Where She Is
fifteen years ago.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Fifteen years so.
Speaker 6 (22:21):
Yes. So it's a private detective show. It was on
FX now it's on Hulu. It's a buddy buddy comedy. Basically,
Donna Loge and Michael Raymond James are like two low rent,
unlicensed private eyes in a beach town near San Diego,
and they're trying to unravel a conspiracy. And it's just
the chemistry is off the charts, you know. I was
(22:41):
watching what do you call it? One battle after another
and I got kind of Terriers vibes out of seeing
Leo and Benicio in the car together. It's just it's
really well done and the and it tells a complete
story over the course of those thirteen episodes. There's kind
of a cliffhanger, but not really so if you watch those,
that's great. Another one that I think is really good
is Halt and Catch Fire, which was a show that
(23:04):
really got dismissed at the time, including by me when
it debuted. I I was as guilty as anyone. I'm like,
oh god, it's another one of those mad Men rip
offs about like the period drama about the charismatic genius
Lee Pace as a guy who looks really good in
a suit, and it starts off in the early eighties
and it's the dawn of the personal computer era. But
then it really evolves into something beautiful about the ways
(23:25):
that we all communicated. By the time you get to
the end of the four season, like, I'm just kind
of sobbing in a corner and smiling and feeling joyful
about it. That one you got to go to a
MC plus four. But that is definitely worth it. And
that's four relatively short seasons.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
And let me ask you this about Halt and Catch
for I really quickly best time jump ever in TV.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
Oh god, I mean the Battlestar Galactica one is really.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
An incredible Gary legendary and.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
That came pretty early in the idea of doing time jump,
so I always give that credit. But like Halt did
a bunch of those and they always worked really really well.
And if you're if you are subscribing to a MC plus,
although you can get it at other places like Pluto
or Hoopla if you're a library type user. Is Rectify,
which was a show on Sundance also ran four seasons.
(24:15):
It's about a man who, as a teenager, he is
convicted of a murder that it turns out he probably
didn't commit. He is released as a guy in his thirties,
you know, when DNA evidence turns up and he has
to just go back to his life and figure out
and it's basically like what if an alien arrived on
planet Earth? Because he just does not understand anything about
civilization anymore, and his family is trying to deal with that,
(24:37):
and there's some crime stuff going on in terms of
who actually may or may not have committed the murder,
but it's really just this beautiful, humanistic story.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
And that is where j Smith Cameron, That's the first
thing I really noticed before killing in that show.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
She's so Abigail Spencer. Everyone in that show is is great.
So I've I've just given you three different like your
two year are going to cry a lot and one
you're gonna have a whole lot of fun with. So
hopefully those will get you through a few slow weekends.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I love that you picked out something from sun Dance,
because I do think they've made some of the best,
like humanistic, underseen shows. I got to do a set
visit once to a show that they did called This
Close that was a deaf scene and it is so good,
so funny, and again like barely anyone's seen it. So guys,
(25:28):
Sun Dance, that's a great streamer. Well AMC plus right,
you can just access it on then, But.
Speaker 6 (25:33):
That one's also on Pluto and on Hoopla and can
I can I name one more please? Okay, this one
is more high profile because it was on HBO and
it's from a big creator, But nonetheless, I still feel
it is not appreciated enough, especially because people watched the
first season who did watch the first season kind of
ran screaming. And that is The Leftovers, which is one
of my favorite shows come on all time. It's said,
(25:56):
in a world where the Rapture, something like the Rapture happened,
but not exactly two percent of the world's population disappears.
There is no explanation whatsoever, and it's about like what
everyone else has to do to move on from that.
Speaker 5 (26:08):
It has one of the single.
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Best performances ever put on screen anywhere by Carry Coon.
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Oh, really heavy, and then after that it gets crazy. Yeah,
like carry.
Speaker 6 (26:18):
Coon as good as she is on the Gilded Age,
as good as she isn't white Lotus and the other things,
like your jaw will be on the floor watching her
in this. And it starts out really heavy, and then
it gets crazy and silly and ridiculous and beautiful, and
it's Yeah, it's one of the best things I have
ever seen them.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Agree, You're absolutely right. One more question regarding The Leftovers
and Halted catch Fire, those two best one season turnaround
from a show that was kind of like to a
show that was like, Wow, I've never seen anything like
The Leftovers go from an utterly depressing season one they
(26:56):
are like I can't go on to something truly transcendent.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, it's transcendent. Great word.
Speaker 6 (27:03):
The second season opens like with Cave Women. You know,
it's just I can't believe that this is happening. Those
two are way up there. I would say, also Parks
and rec I mean, that's a short first season, but
like that goes from like.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
A bad office rip off to one.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Of the all time greats so yeah, though, but those
two are excellent candidates.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And what do you kind of have you heard a
lot of There's this conversation constantly going on right now.
I have a little comic shop on the weekend, so
I speak to a lot of kids. What would you
recommend to a kind of person who doesn't necessarily watch
as I've heard, they're calling it narrative based content. There
(27:43):
is a kind of move towards kids watching you know,
short content, other people talking about content which they love.
What is just one of the great all time accessible
TV shows that you would say to someone like, hey,
this is why TV is great, this is why it's
watching these stories.
Speaker 6 (28:02):
Well, let me think, because I've had a lot of
experience with this. I've got a teenager and a young
adult at home, and I did this with both of them,
and we you know, they've seen you know, like Colombo
and Cheers and various Star treks. I'm trying to think
of like the best entry point. I think it kind
of depends on the age. But like I think a
lot of the time you maybe want to go for
(28:24):
something older because you're going to get some self contained
episodes and they're like, you know, my son I showed
him two star treks. I showed him the Trouble with
Tribles for Comedy, and I showed him the first one
with the Romulans, and you kind of get two different flavors,
and it was like, Okay, he was all in, but
if he wasn't, we could have moved on.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
And I think that helps.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
You don't necessarily want to throw somebody into something super
serialized on top of the fact that most of that
stuff made in this century is not really, you know,
kid friendly to begin with. So find something twentieth century
that still that feels modern in some way and go
from there.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Love that.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Are you worried about that? Are you were about the
the kids not reading, the kids not watching TV, the
kids not liking stories. I'm less worried about it than many.
But then I have many friends who are involved in
tech and like c metrics, and they're like, it's all
over to forget. Narrative is over, books are over TV
(29:19):
is I'm like, I don't truly believe that, but how
do Yeah, I don't. I mean I don't believe that.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
I'm someone who both writes about television and has written books,
and so yes, if it's over. I'm in trouble, so
I'm invested in the idea that it's not. I do
feel though, like I mean, you look at something like
that suits phenomenon from a couple of years ago, Like
that's people on TikTok watching a super mid show, you know,
from like a basic cable network that was ten years old,
(29:48):
and getting really into it and eventually going to watch
in other places. I think it's going to be harder,
but clearly things break through, and I think that's still
going to be the case. And I think you get
something at a narrative that you're just not getting out
of TikTok and.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Reels or you know whatever.
Speaker 6 (30:02):
You know, those vertical videos that I've watched that kind
of horrify me.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
So yeah, I also think that kids they find their
own ways too narrative, like something like Five Nights at Freddy's,
which you know, was a video game that then became
a YouTube phenomenon that then became a fan story phenomenon
that then eventually became a film that took a lot
of the stuff from there. It's a long route, but
(30:27):
my nephew, for example, he's loved Five Nights that Freddy
since he was four, and he was first in line
to see the movie when he was eleven. Even though
generally he's a YouTube lover somebody he likes to watch
other people explain content to him. So I think, yeah,
they'll find their way. It's just not necessarily a bunch
of people who are gonna sit in front of a
TV and just watch stuff and flick through the way
(30:49):
that we did.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
No, I was gonna say, my son, who's a teenager,
like he's watching Dexter right now because all of his
friends are into Dexter, being like that Edward James almost season.
I'm kind of like, buddy, it's okay. I'm glad you
saw the good stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah, yeah, don't get to that final season.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Better things for you.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
You know, you only get one with so many trips
around the sun, Like just what is right there?
Speaker 5 (31:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Do you know how cool you'll be as a teenager?
Jug breaking bad, my guy? Like, that's the show. But
it's funny that everyone's into dex though. That's hilarious.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Alan, this has been a delight. Where could folks find
your stuff right now? Plugs plugs, plugs plug us.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
Yes, all right, so right now I'm writing my own
newsletter What's Alan Watching. You can find it very simply
at What's Alan Watching dot com. I'm recapping a bunch
of shows, including At the Moment, Slow Horses, The Lowdown,
and The Chair Company. I'm going to be recapping Pluribus
every week, and again I'm not allowed to say if
I liked it, but I'm going to be writing about
every episode, so you might want to read. I'm reviewing
(31:54):
lots of stuff. I'm doing essays, I'm doing interviews, all
kinds of things. So you know, it's basically taking all
the stuff I was doing at Rolling Stone in some
of my other homes and doing it by myself straight
to you. You know, there's no middleman, So that's right there.
And I've and I've written books on breaking Bad, Better
call Saul, The Sopranos, the best shows of all time,
(32:16):
that's called TV. The book so and Terriers is in there,
by the way. That's the hundredth show out of one hundred.
So there's lots of different content from me out there.
And I'm not hard to find because there's only twelve
people in the world named Stepenwall and I'm the only
one who's writing.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
So kay love Yay, thank you so much, Alan, so much.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Alan.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
It's absolute pleasure, guys, thank you.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
For having me.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And now it's think Galactus. It's Friday. Let's wrap up
our episode by talking about the one thing we're excited
to read, play, watch, or listen to this weekend.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Ian We're bringing them in.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
I'm excited to do a little Predator series rewatch this weekend.
Bad Lands is coming out next week, so I'm gonna
rewatch the mainline movies. I'm not doing a VP, but
I'm gonna do Predator, Predator to pray for sure, and
then maybe maybe Predators the one with oh Man with
(33:24):
uh Tofa Grace. So yeah, I think I'm gonna watch
watch those this weekend and get hyped for Prey or
for bad Lands next week.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Ooh, I love that Tofa Grace reveal in that one.
That was so good. Look, I'm just saying past a
VP sign and let that maybe you'll rewatch it. Maybe
it's it's good Man, it's good. It's not as bad
as people say. Jason, what are you most excited for
this weekend?
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Wow? I have to I have to turn in a
manuscript for my book on December first. Wow. Edited So
I'm looking forward to just making progress on that this weekend.
It's been a really process. As anyone who's ever written
anything will know, the first part of writing, which is
(34:07):
when you sit down and just write. The first draft
is the worst, and it's the worst and it is
so bad. It's hard sometimes to do it because it's
so terrible. But the editing process is kind of fun
because now I'm like, oh, what, you know what? That
part does suck, but like, here's good. Here, this was good.
(34:28):
That was pretty good. You forget what you wrote and
you're like, oh wait, this is that actually pretty good?
So I'm at the stage where I'm like, you know, revising, rewriting,
applying editors notes to stuff that I've written, and that
part has been kind of fun and I'm eager to
continue doing that. Rosie, what about you.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
I'm gonna follow you with that because I love that
you chose that. And also we got to say, what's
the book called, Jason, so people can pre order if
they did not bad working sad androids. It's really good, guys.
I am also going to be finishing a a draft
of my next book, which has not yet been announced,
(35:05):
but is in the realm of things that you guys
already know that I like, so I too will be
working on that this weekend. Well, also probably just you know,
watching some fun Halloween stuff. Oh and if you're listening
to this on Friday you're in the LA area, we
are going to be doing free trick or treating all
day save no ice in the you can come into
(35:29):
the inside of Craft Market at the Port of La
Crafted at the Port of La and your kids can
trickle treat from eleven am till six pm. So I
will be doing that too. So it's going to be
a fun Halloween weekend and me and Jason will both
be working working, working to finish these drafts so that
people can read them and enjoy them.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Well that's it for this episode. Thanks for listening. Back
tomorrow with the biggest news of the week. Bye x
Ray Vision is hosted by Jason Young and Rosie Knight
and is a production of iHeart Podcast.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Our executive producers are Joel Monique and Aaron Kaufman.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Our supervising producer is Abu Zafar.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Our producers are Common Laurent Dean Jonathan, and Faye wag.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Our theme song is by Brian Vasquez. With alternate theme
songs by Aaron Kaufman.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Special thanks to Soul Rubin, Chris Lord, Kenny Goodman, and Heidi,
our discord moderator,
Hosts And Creators
Jason Concepcion
Rosie Knight
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.