Episodes
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New episode out now! We watched an episode from the second season of Psych, titled “Black and Tan: A Crime of Fashion”. We love how fun and quippy the show is, utilizing the familiar hyper-observant-detective trope in a new-ish way. We dig into the character relationships, discussing the balance and strength of Shawn and Gus’ friendship as well as the father-son relationship of Shawn and Henry and how it evolves—although we do also believe everyone in the show needs therapy. We love Psych’s early adoption of meta references, enjoy the consistent bits, wonder how Gus has time for his hobbies, and really appreciate the multiple homage episodes and their casting of ‘80s and ‘90s cult film guest stars. Katy is on crab TikTok, Carrie shares an excellent grilled cheese-based metaphor, Maddy would love an arcade birthday, and Mack tells a wild misheard lyrics story. We also do a collective Doofenshmirtz impression, decide who the least problematic Beatle is, appreciate Shawn’s relationship advice, and list shows that were filmed in Vancouver. Listen to hear more about ephemeral fame, New Zealand accents, sexualized restaurant names, and ‘80s music. Enjoy! (You hear about Pluto? That’s messed up.)
TW: police, eating disorders
Show Notes/References:
Psych Wiki
Psych Pineapple website
List of Pineapple Appearances
Katy meant Lesley Ann Warren, not Lesley Ann Howard
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Bonjour! New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the French crime show Candice Renoir. We discuss our enjoyment of Candice and her approach to policing, drawing on her intuition and skills as both a professional and a mother, and how that causes strife within the team she is placed in charge of. We talk about the challenges in understanding some of the nuances in a different language and culture, but how that also made it fun. We touch on the somewhat mysterious and confusing hierarchy used by police and military units, discuss the pros and cons of doing procedural television for multiple seasons, and try to pronounce French names and terms with varying success. Katy sneaks in a Seinfeld reference, Carrie has read this whole show, Maddy tells a fun hospital story about weird brains, and Mack got Inception-ed by Aretha Franklin. We also believe being called “Barbie” is not an insult, wonder how much fandom can really influence media, enjoy foreign media’s depiction of Americans, and discover Discord is amazing for pun-based comedy. We touch on gay Star Wars characters, Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 marking the passage of time, Columbo, and the marimba. Apprécier!
TW: Child abuse, sex work, suicide, fatphobia, misogyny
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Missing episodes?
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Extra special episode out now! For this year’s holiday treat, Quizmaster Mack designed a whole game show for us to play! We play four different games, each one tied to our podcast in some way. We confront how often we veer off topic, test our knowledge of Florida Man, see if we can tell what's been subtly changed in a plot synopsis, and guess weird facts about properties we will probably never cover. Katy realizes she talks about the World’s Fair a lot, Carrie got away with mispronunciation, Maddy is a dehydrated queen, and Mack airs some grievances. We also learn what is technically north of Florida, why paleontologists lick things, and how Mary-Kate and Ashley always travel. Listen to hear Mack being a clever (and tricksy) game-maker, who bet on the fact that we don’t listen to each other well or retain information-and won! And after the games, we have a familiar Casemas treat! Enjoy, and happy holidays!
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Show Notes:
The music used within the games is all by Kevin MacLeod. Website YouTube
Happy Happy Game Show, The Show Must Be Go, Corncob, Quirky Dog, Aunt Tagonist, Scheming Weasel, and Running Fanfare Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
(Spoiler alert!) Mack immediately forgot the last game was double points and only counted single ones. The outcome is the same either way, but the true point count is Maddy with 16, Carrie with 26, and Katy with 30.
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New episode out NOW! We’re shaking things up for the month of December. It’s the third of four brand new episodes along the same theme: the game Crack the Case. It’s Crack The Casemas!
Crack the Case is a Milton Bradley party game that came out in 1993 where players ask yes or no questions in order to solve a mystery. We’re finally putting our detective skills to the test!
Maddy hosts week three, where we discuss poor city planning, have a few false starts, and it gets very apparent we’re siblings. Katy loves CSI, Carrie shares her perfect mansion location, Maddy has very specific sock questions, and Mack makes some gross jokes. There’s a callback to last week’s episode, and a small preview of an upcoming one!
Give it a listen! Let us know if YOU solve it before we do!
TW: Death by gas
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New episode out now! We spent some time with the Belcher family and watched 2022’s The Bob’s Burgers Movie. We cover the dynamics of the Belchers and how Bob and Linda’s relationship with each other and their children is so great, love the town they live in and how it is full of a community of weirdos who support each other, think that the children feel like real kids and they also make great detectives, and really enjoy the voice talent. We loved that although it felt very like the show in how it included asides, daydreams, and fun musical numbers, it had an elevated quality, a more involved plot with a mystery, and still utilized hand drawn animation. Katy got scared watching Jaws by herself in the dark, Carrie has many tickets to the orchestra, Maddy did not find cars important as a baby, and Mack is a ground down 30-year-old. We talk about being grossed out by skeleton teeth falling IN YOUR MOUTH, delve into the complexities of fantasies and daydreams, decide yet again Carrie should never watch The Thing, and share our favorite childhood toys we still have kicking around. We also cover rich people, Kurt Russell’s hotness, nice teenage boys, the reality of Stars Hollow, and spear guns. (Also we have confirmed Hornsley’s birthday is March 31st). Enjoy!
TW: Capitalism, misogyny, economic disparity, animal harm depicted in film
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New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the ‘90s British mystery series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, titled “The Bearded Lady”. We discuss the character of Hetty and how she feels a little bit different than other characters who fit the “older lady who solves mysteries” description, and have differing opinions on whether or not we even like her. We try to figure out what actually happened in the episode with varying success, wonder if audiences are treated more with kid gloves nowadays, get confused by science experiments, and disagree on whether Dominic Monaghan has an “English cheekiness” quality but enjoyed him as the teen sidekick anyway. Katy tries to make excuses for Hetty and fails, Carrie does not want anyone in her home, Maddy harkens back to MapQuest days, and Mack shares a childhood memory. We also make fun of our mental scripts for hosting, would not put anything past the ruling class, reminisce about watching LOST live on air, and love libraries. Listen to hear more about Bluey, children being used by detectives, shrimp paste, and Scooby-Doo. Enjoy!
TW: Scientific experimentation without consent, hormonal changes, difficulties of being an unhoused person, censorship of trans people, mention of human sterilization
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New episode out now! We have a slightly different encounter with the figure of Agatha Christie in the Doctor Who episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp”. We talk about the Doctor and his relationship with Donna, truly enjoy the actor’s chemistry throughout the show, and uncover how much this episode utilized tropes that came directly from both Christie’s books and the adaptations of her stories. We discuss the way Doctor Who depicts real people throughout history, and how well this depiction of Agatha Christie may have compared to the real person and her real-life struggles. We also debate insect anatomy when the insect is also an alien, have a discussion about the limitations and ability of the TARDIS for language translation, and discover we all stopped watching the show around the same time without realizing. Katy mixes up her Shakespeare plays, Carrie makes a Transformers reference, Maddy flashes back to her 2009 fashion choices, and Mack shares a fairly gross detail about facial hair. We experience in real time the drawbacks to using AI, ponder the goals of pants, have some light debates about what constitutes a monster for certain romance novels, and dislike how mysteries involving sci-fi or the supernatural put the viewer at a disadvantage as we lack the usual tools to follow along. We also touch on the Ghoul Boys, charming CGI, symmetrical white males, and TARDIS impersonations. Enjoy! PS there are some Doctor Who spoilers concerning more recent iterations so be warned!
TW: Racism, insects, unexpected loss of pregnancy
NOTES:
The podcast Katy mentioned is called The Swinging Christies, Spotify link here. Katy meant Much Ado About Nothing, not The Taming of the Shrew. David Tennant and Catherine Tate starred in a production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Wyndham's Theatre in 2011. The house filming location was Llansannor Court in Wales but does not seem to have been used for any Jane Austen adaptations. -
New episode out now! We revisit the world of Alfred Hitchcock with 1954’s Dial M For Murder. We talk about the visual style of the film and how it was influenced by the decision to shoot with a new 3-D camera rig, are impressed by the use of shadows and score to increase the suspense, enjoyed watching Tony evolve his plan when things went wrong, and discuss the first appearance of both the stereotypical “Hitchcock blonde” and Grace Kelly in particular in his films. We touch on the similarities we see between the film and other Hitchcock movies as well as Columbo and Poirot, try to figure out where we’ve seen the actors before, and admit we kinda wanted to see the murder succeed just to see a satisfying plan come together. Katy cannot pronounce names or remember things, Carrie knows a real finger when she sees one, Maddy has to plan very carefully when going to a movie, and Mack is the Keymaster. We also discuss new terms for a secret male lover, ponder the ubiquity of a pencil-thin mustache in these noir films, and compare a scene from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to one of an English judge ordering the death penalty . We touch on movie theater soda blends, Mouse Trap, auditing your keyring, and the evolution of the car selling process. Enjoy! And special thanks to Jason for compiling a very helpful dossier- find him on Letterboxd under JKHenson89 here!
TW: Capital punishment, gaslighting
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Extra special episode out now! For this year’s holiday treat, Quizmaster Mack designed a whole game show for us to play - again! We play four different games, each one tied to our podcast in some way. We play Aside From That again to confront how often we veer off topic, make guesses about sequels to things we covered, see if we can tell what show a piece of generic background music came from, and learn about off-the-wall mystery media we probably will not be covering. Katy subsists on chemicals, Carrie only knows some Peanuts characters, Maddy gets upset again about medical misrepresentation, and Mack hates The Good Dinosaur. We also air a few grievances, learn what emesis means, reveal some embarrassing facts, and learn a super cool spy trick Carrie may or may not have done. Listen to hear Mack being a clever and delightful game show host, who has also created an incredible musical world- in more ways than one! And after the games, we have a familiar Casemas treat! Enjoy, and happy holidays!
TW: Child death, modern day sex pests
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New episode out now! We watched the pilot episode of the British mystery show The Last Detective, starring Peter Davison as DC “Dangerous” Davies. We talk about the main character and how his whole vibe seemed to be just “normal” and “nice”, and how he utilizes that vibe to get people to really talk to him. We have a discussion about the evolution of British vs American humor and debate whether this show can be labeled a comedy in any way or more a “dramatic cop show with small comedy elements”. We enjoy how it explored the real trauma a family goes through when the worst happens, and appreciated how it portrayed the messiness, randomness, and complexity implicit in human nature. Katy forgot about the Roman Empire, Carrie shares a fun fact about Mormans, Maddy was actually compelled, and Mack worries about remembering where he was at all times. We also talk about council estates (again), learn some Doctor Who family connections, wonder if you can eat fruit from a green burial, and get jealous at European transit. Listen to hear more about Madonna music rights, JSTOR, tithing, Carrie laughs, and gender swapping RPG campaigns. Enjoy!
TW: Chris Hardwick, generational trauma, sexual assault, cancer
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New episode out now! We revisit the world of Thomas Harris with the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs. We get into the dynamics of Clarice and Hannibal and how their relationship is portrayed, commending both actors for their work, but wish we saw more of Clarice’s internal journey. We admire the cinematography and sets, with the camera’s POV of Clarice being both compelling and unnerving, and talk about the realities of the cells that were created to hold Hannibal. We again discuss how the depiction of Buffalo Bill explores fear mongering about trans people but is not a representation of actual trans people, think that Hannibal almost evolved into a caricature through pop culture, debate the genre of this film, and still hate Chilton. We touch on the rise of mainstream true crime, wonder if the growing prevalence of violence in media may explain how we responded differently to the film than our parents, and learn about various inspirations Anthony Hopkins used for his portrayal. Katy acted heroically by putting a package on the porch, Carrie paid close attention to details in Baldur’s Gate 3, Maddy lives out a meme in real life, and Mack shares a fun fact about a Buzz Lightyear toy. We also get disappointed by the lack of flaying, wonder if bug enthusiasts can be endearing, and have a very long discussion about where Hannibal kept the pen. Listen to hear more about cornfields, Emperor Palpatine, bee unions, bald eagle noises, and practical advice to keep you out of the ER. Enjoy!
TW: Serial killers, body mutilation, cannibalism, gender reaffirming surgery, outdated transgender terminology, misrepresentation of the transgender experience, fear mongering about trans people, misogyny, law enforcement power dynamics, mental institutions, insects
Show Notes:
CBS did produce a show about Clarice Starling, called Clarice. It ran for one season in 2021; there was an attempt to move to Paramount+ for a second season but it didn't happen. Katy meant she gets Jodie Foster confused with Holly Hunter, not Helen Hunt. She gets Holly Hunter confused with Helen Hunt. She does NOT get Jodie Foster confused with Helen Hunt. -
New episode out now! We watched the mystery-adjacent coming-of-age film Now and Then (1995). We discuss the more nuanced depiction of girlhood and the evolution of female friendships, talk about growing up in the 1970s and how the world has changed, lament how the film was not as popular with critics like similar films with boys, and discuss how it touches on the difficulties of confronting your younger self and coping mechanisms around those who knew you growing up. We also talk about our changing relationship with the film over the last few decades, are impressed by the big hitter ‘90s cast but especially the girls, cover the detective work they actually do, and reveal that the excellent soundtrack has burned itself into our subconscious. Katy got into Dave Matthews Band to be cool, Carrie really loves a drum, Maddy draws the line at dresses over pants, and Mack recites some poetry. We reminisce about our own childhoods, begrudgingly admit our dad has some good music taste, comment on fashion trends of the 1990s, and still don’t understand some of the movie’s references. We also talk about great swears, 1970s television, red rover, lesbians, pushing people into water, and Grinch 2000. And one of us has seen this film more than 30 times but missed that there’s a whole ghost in it - give it a listen to learn who! Enjoy!
TW: Anorexia, childhood trauma, fatphobia, diet culture, generational trauma, body dysmorphia, grief, faking an accidental drowning, Vietnam War, government misinformation, divorce
Show Notes:
‘Now and Then’ at 25: Girlhood Finally Taken Seriously article (Unfortunately behind the NYT paywall but still good if you can read it) -
New episode out now, and it’s our 100th episode! We celebrate by finally playing a board game together, the 1975 game 221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game. With a board similar to Clue, we read a mystery card at the start (in this instance, “The Adventure of the Unholy Man”) and then roll the die to travel throughout London’s different locations and pick up clues. We did encounter some expected challenges turning a board game into an audio medium (we recorded this in person! All together! In a large room!), so please allow us some grace in departing from our normal superb audio quality. We did try to cover up the person reading their clue to the listener without the other three hearing by humming songs, and it mostly worked. Katy is statistically significant, Carrie tries and fails to be sincere, Maddy knows about Hamlet exclusively through The Lion King, and Mack needs to look out for Enrique Iglesias. We do not believe in the honor system among siblings, stress we don’t cheat at Clue and are just very observant, think that Mom likes us all equally but for different reasons, and have a minor argument about who actually won. We also dig into our musical history by humming Vivaldi, Muppet songs, Chappell Roan, Star Wars, Beethoven, CCR, The Phantom of the Opera, and more. We do recommend listening with headphones as the audio quality is not our usual standard, but our goal was more to celebrate together and enjoy each other's company (ew). Have fun listening and being a fly on the wall at an O’Brien game night!
Show Notes:
Spotify Playlist of the songs we hum! Board Game Geek entry for the game can be found here -
New episode out now! We delve into the strange dreamscape of David Lynch’s 1986 film Blue Velvet. We discuss how the movie was conceived mostly through thoughts and feelings, and while it feels like a somewhat creepy nostalgia-tinted stream of consciousness, it has a fairly straightforward mystery plot after it all plays out. We reaffirm that Lynch is “still weird” and has his subversive way of examining the world, wonder which drugs were involved in making the movie, enjoy the nebulous pocket universe of a 1950s/1980s time period, and really understand how it received a polarized reception from critics and movie fans alike. We were emotionally unprepared for the film but had a good discussion debating the themes of “traumatized innocence”, misogyny, perversion, generational trauma, and men being creeps. Katy tells a story about the first time she saw Top Gun, Carrie shares a fact about a pickled ear in a jar, Maddy is a connoisseur of cute butts, and Mack gives some important tips to keep in mind when visiting Bunker Hill. We also talk about weird de-aging CGI, speculate on a Lynchian Return of the Jedi, try impressions of a famous bird, and share our favorite cheap beers. We would like to give a special thank you to Jason Henson, a friend of Carrie’s, for his dossier of great information on the movie! Thank you Jason! Enjoy the episode listeners!
TW: Sexual assault, domestic abuse, rape, drug use, voyeurism, coerced sex work, trafficking, misogyny, stalking, body mutilation, bullying, police corruption
Show Notes and Sources:
David Lynch Theater YouTube
Laura Dern Song Video (the Laura Dern part begins 2:05): Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles Take The Stage | 2020 Spirit Awards
Tumblr post Katy mentioned about the changes in film lighting techniques and practice: here
“Blue Velvet: AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID LYNCH” by Laurent Bouzereau and David Lynch, from Cinéaste , 1987, Vol. 15, No. 3 (1987), p. 39. JSTOR link here
Jason Henson’s Letterboxd
Jason’s Sources for Carrie’s dossier:
Wild Card with Rachel Martin from NPR: David Lynch says he 'died a death' over the way his 'Dune' film turned out
"Eraserhead is my most Spiritual Film" - David Lynch
Wikipedia for Ronnie Rocket
IndieWire article by Jamie Righetti: “‘Blue Velvet’ Remembered: Isabella Rossellini and Kyle MacLachlan Praise David Lynch’s On-Set Environment”
Wikipedia for Ingrid Bergman about her relationship with Roberto Rossellini here
Interview Magazine Dennis Hopper Part Two By Peter M. Brant and Tony Shafrazi
The News Observer New NC film grant program comes with strings attached By Colin Campbell
NYT contemporary review by Janet Maslin
Blue Velvet | Review by Pauline Kael
Washington Post contemporary review By Paul Attanasio
The 2022 edition of Sight & Sound Magazine’s Greatest Films of All Time poll
Box Office Mojo info
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New episode out now! We cover the season two episode of Elementary “Dead Clade Walking”, starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as a modern-day Holmes and Watson living in New York City. We talk about this version of the duo compared to the books, and how the characters and their dynamic were adapted to become a CBS procedural. We appreciate the show’s treatment of addiction and how it affects the characters in short and long term ways, and discuss how in this particular episode the mystery was almost secondary to Sherlock’s struggles and growth as a sponsor. We enjoy the realistic and thought-out mannerisms imbued into the characters, think the wardrobe choices are excellent, are relieved by the lack of romance, and love that Sherlock remains a drama queen. Katy brags again about her single semester of geology, Carrie thinks paleontologists can’t be attractive or it’s suspicious, Maddy makes a great Lord of the Rings joke no one catches, and Mack shares his fossilization grift. We also reveal our family’s version of the Irish Goodbye, discuss the nonsense within but occasional necessity for academia, learn about dinosaurs and their relative time within the geological world, and get judgemental about shallot cutting techniques. Listen for more about learning languages, Sue the T. rex, trepanation as a metaphor, John Noble’s filmography, cyclops myths, and the legacy of Styrofoam. Enjoy!
TW: Drug addiction and recovery, autism spectrum, early taxidermy
Show Notes:
2017 Scientific American article “Dinosaurs and the Anti-Shrink-Wrapping Revolution”
2013 Atlas Obscura article “An Overstuffed Taxidermy Walrus Comes Home” about the Horniman Walrus. The museum’s object page is linked here.
2024 Discover Magazine Article “One-Eyed-Looking Mammoth Fossils May Have Inspired Origins of the Cyclops”
From Wikipedia: “The Lion of Gripsholm Castle is a notable example of a poorly performed taxidermy located in Gripsholm Castle, Sweden. The lion is badly stuffed and is considered to have a comically deformed face”.
2011 Mental Floss article “The Lion of Gripsholm Castle”
2011 Buzzfeed article “Hilariously Bad Lion Taxidermy”
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New episode out now! It’s an epic one - we all played the entirety of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, a 2021 update of the popular 2019 game where you play an amnesiac detective coming off a three-day bender trying to solve a murder in war-ravaged Revachol. We cover the gameplay and how you essentially had to embrace failure, and how the choices you make in the dialogue weave a tapestry of interactions and side quests that made us question our politics, morals, and even our existential existence. We talk about how all the characters were shades of gray and were not all morally bad or good, discuss the division between plot and story and the journey you went on as Harry, and thought that Kim Kitsuragi was the absolute best. We also compare our individual play strategies and what stats and trophies we ended up with, get surprised that our emotions could lie to us, and were ultimately frustrated with the eventual reveal of the killer even though that was also somewhat the point. Katy questioned her own reality, Carrie gets sad about a car, Maddy sings a number of times, and Mack doesn’t want to live an examined life. We also play around with some voice acting, get excited about teleportation, question governmental power, and learn the class war is never over. Listen to hear more about smelling gum wrappers, cryptids, Maddy testing Tim, communism, cool swords, and doing drugs. HARDCORE!
TW: Racism, homophobia, drug use, child abuse, fatphobia, rape, nuclear war, slurs, suicide, termination of pregnancy, communism, fascism, classism, alcoholism
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Zoinks! There's a new episode out now! We revisit Mystery Inc. with the 2002 live-action film, Scooby-Doo. We learn about the original script and story and how much it differed from the final product, wonder if Scooby wasn't depicted well or just had bad CGI, love the real sets and production design, and again discuss the queer subtext of the gang. We get into the extreme 2000s of it all, including the push for hetero-normative relationships and capital F Feminism, the generic racism, the extreme gelled hair, and Sugar Ray. We commend the actors/casting and think they did an excellent job with a sub-par script, making the cartoon characters feel real but not too real, and again praise Matthew Lillard in particular. Katy shares a Bob’s Burgers theory, Carrie adds a movie to her “Never” list, Maddy thought the music was banging, and Mack is confident he could make a disco skull. We also recover some repressed memories, try not to (and fail) to bring up Buffy, test out some impressions, and discuss the odd attention to wig and hair choices. Listen to hear more about Hot Dog Water, Canada’s 2002 music charts, Greek mythology, Barbie, and Bones. Jinkies!
TW: Homophobia, casual racism, generalized depiction of both “tiki” and voodoo culture
SHOW NOTES:
Canada's Top 200 Alternative Albums of 2002 from Jamshobiz -
New episode out now! We delve into the world of Monk with the season 4 episode “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut”. We discuss the character of Adrian Monk, propose the idea that the show exists in a slightly different reality, debate how it balances representation vs accuracy vs commercialism, and believe the long-term success hinged on the incredible talents of Tony Shalhoub (and an excellent theme song). We get into how the show portrays living with OCD and the situational depiction of the disorder; we cover varied opinions from people who live with it and wonder at the intentions of the writers and the studio along with the acting and directing choices. We appreciate that Monk goes to therapy and like that we see him react and then reflect, think the villain Wagner has horrible taste in cocktails but a pretty great alibi, love Captain Stottlemeyer (and all his roles), and are unenthused by the character of Natalie. Katy coins a new word, Carrie dusts off her psychology degree, Maddy believes children are evil beasts, and Mack is a Spy Kids franchise connoisseur. We also wonder if we would recognize an astronaut out and about in the street, cannot imagine owning a house, get mad at the inaccurate use of barbiturates, and reflect on the majesty of 2000s children’s movies. Give it a listen to hear about laser pointers, Daddy Captain, YouTube compilations, garage doors, and men failing upward. Enjoy!
TW: Pop culture/ incomplete depictions of obsessive-compulsive disorder/OCD, mental health issues, suicide, domestic abuse, slave catching as the foundation for modern American policing, Henry Kissinger, 2008 economic crisis
Show Notes:
International OCD Foundation Educational Resources
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health OCD Resources (Canada)
OCD UK (UK)
Anxiety & Depression Association of America
Useful Online Resources from The Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt
BeyondOCD.org
Behind the Police podcast from Robert Evans
The Mary Sue article “As Someone With OCD, I Have Complicated Feelings About the Return of ‘Monk’” by Sarah Barrett
Psychology Today article “Why "Monk" Stunk” by Fletcher Wortmann
The Mighty article “What I Want to Tell Tony Shalhoub From 'Monk' as Someone With OCD” by Emily N.
Reddit thread “If you have OCD, what do you think Monk portrays well? What do you think they got wrong or left out?”
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New episode out now! We cover the first episode of Prime Suspect 1973 (or Prime Suspect: Tennison if you’re American), a 2017 prequel series about the early days of Jane Tennison’s law enforcement career. We enjoyed the more nuanced take it had regarding many things, including how the detectives treated drug users, how they presented the autopsy scene, and the time the show spent on the grief of the family. We discuss the differences in how the women of the police force are treated versus the men, talk about how they establish “good cop” Len Bradfield and the “bad cops” of the other detectives, love the character of Morgan and how competent she is, and continue to not understand London police organization. We love the 1970s setting and think it really adds a whole other level to the show; the costumes, set decoration, and especially the excellent music selection really enhanced the vibe. Katy points out multiple obvious things, Carrie was not impressed by the wigs, Maddy leads a moment of silence, and Mack thought there were too many greasy white boys. We also discuss the trope of a quirky medical examiner and how shows try to deal with the reality of a dead body, get excited about radios and ticker tape, learn Carrie was right about London buildings being cleaner, and do not approve of puking on screen. Listen to hear more about bleached Henry Cavill, British accents, Scone Palace, Night Court, and more! Plus, try to figure out which one of us had Covid while recording, which one was hungover, and which one had a few audio dropouts fixed in post! Enjoy!
TW: Drug addiction, sex work, sex work of a minor, murder of a sex worker, police abuse, misogyny, quality of low income housing, Grenfell Tower fire
Show Notes:
It should be noted that one theory as to why the police force seemed to be more delicate/nonchalant about the drug use and methadone clinic is that this does take place both in the UK and pre-Reagan and the “War On Drugs”, which very much criminalized and villainized drug use, especially in communities of lower income. The focus shifted to criminalization and prison rather than any sort of addiction treatment or rehabilitation.
One possible origin of the quirky coroner/medical examiner is the Canadian show Wojeck that aired from 1966-1968, about a “coroner who regularly fights moral injustices raised by the deaths he investigated”. According to Wikipedia this was the first Western TV series to feature forensic pathology as the main investigative resource for crime solving. This show then inspired Quincy, M.E., a popular American show that aired from 1976-1983 about a LA County medical examiner, who was more quirky than the coroner character in Wojeck.
About the Grenfell Tower fire from Wikipedia: “On 14 June 2017, a high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London, at 00:54 BST and burned for 60 hours. Seventy people died at the scene, and two people died later in hospital, with more than 70 injured and 223 escaping”. More details here from Wikipedia and here from the BBC.
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New episode out now! We watched the pilot episode of the 1980’s dramedy Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. We enjoy the chemistry and visual comedy work of the two leads and think they were both excellent, discuss the prevalence of the banter and how it dominates the dialogue of the show, learn a little bit about the production struggles, and call out the many recognizable guest stars who make an appearance. We talk about how this was “appointment TV” for so many people and how it remains a top show on many “Best Of” lists, absolutely love the ‘80s lifestyles and hair, and wonder if Bruce Willis’ contemporary charm helped David seem not as creepy in his initial stalker-ish and pushy behavior. We also cover the somewhat confusing mystery plot, make guesses at what 1980s computers can do, and realize we cannot compare everything to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Katy misinterprets an apparently common phrase, Carrie tries to be cool with new lingo, Maddy fixates on the butts, and Mack finds certain driving practices unforgivable. We also discuss proper diamond storage, make many Friends and Murder She Wrote references, learn about Orson Welles’ last role, and believe we should protect furries to save the internet. Listen to hear more about misunderstanding tax write-offs, barefoot running, ladder physics, confusing “Maddy” for “Maddy”, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Enjoy!
TW: Nazis, Holocaust diamonds, Woody Allen, misogyny
Show Notes:
“Why Downtown Los Angeles’s Architecture Is So Diverse | Walking Tour - Architectural Digest” Video
IndieWire article “‘Moonlighting’ Dangled Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd Off a Building for Its Very First Episode — Here’s How”
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