From this week, we're sticking to a Tuesday night, listeners

Sarah : Greetings, nerds. This is being a nerd. I'm your host, Sarah Belmont, and with me, as always, is our Mr. Producer, Will Polk How are you doing tonight, Will?

Will: Doing very well, Sarah. How are you doing this Tuesday evening?

Sarah : I know I was kicking myself last week because as soon as we stopped recording, I thought to myself, oh, we didn't mention anything about how we're changing our schedule next. So from this week, and for the next month and a half at least, or next two months at least, we're sticking to a Tuesday night, listeners, just because of when Loki drops. And, we're also going to be starting to cover Gen V, their first season. as I like to put it, one Piece Rules apply to Gen V, where we know that multiple episodes are currently out, but tonight we're only covering episode one. And then for the next few weeks, we'll be covering two episodes leading up to the finale, where we'll cover just the finale. so I'm going to call it one piece Rules.

Will: Yeah, that's the one piece rules. Yeah, I like the One Piece Rules, because as we were talking about before the show, it's good that we're both going at the same pace instead of watching someone being ahead or the person being behind and stuff. Sort of like a lot of the people who got the screeners for Loki.

Sarah : So many reactions, like reactors got those freaking screeners they were giving away like candy, apparently.

Will: Yeah, I know. I got to step up our social game so we can get on the list for these screeners.

Sarah : I don't know the way they explain what happens in the first four episodes, or not explain, because they weren't supposed to be talking about those. But they alluded to what they alluded to. I'm glad that I only know for sure what happened in the first episode because exactly, they got weeks to wait until they finally finished the season. I think we're sitting pretty, where we're at with, the road with weeks to come on the show.

Will: Agreed, agreed.

Netflix has announced that the Crown final season will premiere mid next month

Sarah : But before we get into Loki, there is one little bit of news, and I'm only bringing up because I think I have mentioned the show every season that it's come out. And it has been announced that the Crown final season was set to premiere mid next month. and it'll drop its first half of the episodes, and then in December it'll drop the second half. and we'll finally wrap up the Crown after, I want to say six seasons.

Will: five or six. Yeah, that sounds about, yeah, Netflix is doing the, I guess the Stranger Things release model this time. And I think they've done it with maybe another show. Boy. Yeah, they're dropping the first four and then the back six. first 4, November 16, and then, December 14 for the remainder. But, yeah, I haven't made it through the last season of the crown. I kind of dropped off of it. but I'll finish up and then try to be able to watch this final season.

Sarah : Yeah, I did watch the latest season, was not my favorite. I miss the younger version of both Prince Charles and, Princess Diana. The fourth season is arguably the best season of the show. I just was fascinated. But the first season is also really definitely I wouldn't say it's the most consistent. And so since it's the final season, it can either be on par with some of our better seasons, or it can just be a dud. Like we're wrapping things up. This is history. A retelling of history. So we do know what happens. and I don't know how many more scandalous things granted, I'm sure here's, now that I'm thinking about it, I bet you, also why they're doing the half break is they're going to, have Princess Diana die as the last episode of the first half.

Will: Oh, yeah.

Sarah : And then the fallout will be the second half of the season.

Will: Yeah, that's a good point. You called it and market down here, folks. that's what's going to happen with this.

Sarah : Well, granted, I told you all the way back in season one, if they really want to earn my respect, how they would end it is, they kill her. Her death occurs in the final episode, to tie into the opening scene of, is it the yeah, the Queen. Because for some reason I remember the opening scene of that movie and, Queen Elizabeth literally gets the call that Diana is dead. And that's how that movie begins. M. That would be really interesting if they do.

Will: That would be and also, now that Queen Elizabeth has passed, if they did do any modifications, to the show. But I think it was already in the can, when she passed or maybe in production. So I guess we'll find out in December.

Sarah : Yeah. Yes, we will.

Will: I really enjoyed the first episode of Loki season two

Sarah : All right, so enough about shows ending. We are going to talk about shows beginnings now, as we finally see the first episode of Loki season two. Arguably the best MCU show we have seen to date. Will, why don't you start? What is some of your overall thoughts about this first episode?

Will: First episode, really, really enjoyed it. I watched it Friday and I think I sent you, a DM shortly after watching it. And, how much I said that the MCU, whenever an MCU is on, it's on. This was a reminder after a very rocky 2023 with the, MCU not only in the theaters, but also Disney Plus shows, this show really to me, it is the best of the Disney Plus shows, without a doubt. And it's actually, I think the first one to actually have a second, and rightfully so and I think what was so good, not only was the story picked up right where we left off from season one, but I think what really struck me was just the tone, how well it was shot. The cinematography was just I really loved the look of the show. And also from the retro aesthetic, and with the TVA, the camera angles, obviously the performances, everything about this show, I was just like, it's like a warm security blanket. I'm back. I feel nice with the MCU again, because I was freely just about done after Secret Invasion, so really enjoyed his first episode.

Sarah : Yeah, no, to start off with your point, I was taken aback, because I unfortunately didn't, for some reason, go back and watch any of season one. although last year, we all know how many times I watched the first episode and last episode of that season. So I felt like I knew what was happening. But I still and this was intended, felt so disoriented during at least the first half of this episode. And it's not a disoriented. Like, nothing is making sense. It's just like, oh, I'm feeling like loki. and that's why I say it's intended, because he is literally being pulled between past, present, and future in the best way. it doesn't look the best way. but, yeah, it was so well done. But I felt disoriented, which is surprising, considering the choice to literally pick up right where we left it. There wasn't a time jump pun intended. There wasn't any break. It was literally right where we stopped. And yet you were disoriented. Because I remember my response or my reaction to the ending of the first season, and I think I said, oh, they pulled a Planet of the Apes.

Will: Yes, he did.

Sarah : Okay. In this episode, it's proven they did not, because he first went back in time to the past, which I did not see it. And he doesn't travel into the future until, I want to say, about a quarter to halfway through this episode. and I think that's part of the brilliance with some of these choices is I think the writers knew everyone was automatically going to think, oh, he traveled to the future. So it's disorienting to realize, oh, he's in the past. Wait a second. What's going on? I love that choice. And I thought that there was just so many good choices. and I like the new mystery. but, what else will yeah.

With Loki traveling through the past, I was wondering if it's intentional

Will: To your point about the past and traveling through the past, if I have to nitpick that's one of the knits not in a more just they address it later in the episode. But, with him traveling to the past, I was wondering if it was like whenever we run an OB later, he remembers all the things that happened in the past into the present. but whenever Loki is in the past there at the beginning, and travels jumps to the present. The folks in the TBA control room don't remember encountering Loki in the past, so I was just wondering if they were like holding it there, or if it was one of those things where he was on another branch. So it's a nitpick, but it didn't.

Sarah : I'm confused. Didn't they try to make the point that it's the same thing that's going on with Mobius? Where it's all of the memory wiping that occurred?

Will: Yes, that's right. Thanks for filling that in. Yeah, I had forgotten that point. It was the memory wipes that I guess Rinslayer did and others. now that you say that, that makes sense why the folks in the TVA control room did not remember the incident where the monitor fell down in a car. Like the Attack of the Clones moment did not stick with everyone.

Sarah : Not even Mobius in the past. Mobius like, I don't know who you are, and coming from the know, he should have known, during the first season, but he mean to your point. yeah, and I think that part of the confusion about that, because I've heard other people mention it too, is because they didn't hit you over the head with it. This show really makes you think about it. and they're subtle with it things. They're not going to, telegraph some of these major plot points, which I can appreciate, too, even though my nitpick will. I'm going to just flat out say it. Did I fully understand what was happening during all of the stuff with the loom and all of the stakes? I mean, I got the big stakes. Either Mobius gets all of his flesh ripped from his body, or Loki basically dies and is lost in time forever. But I didn't really understand the device and what was supposed to happen and all of that. It was so convoluted and you lost me. But I was very entertained.

Will: Yeah, I watched it twice. The first time to me, it was also very convoluted. And I was like, okay, what's going on here? Second time I managed to, I think, understand what was going on there, with the, I guess, temporal aura extractor. As a Star Trek fan with Technobevel, I was like Chef's Kiss with the Techno bevel in this episode, because they were making shit up left and right as far as like quantum temporal mechanics and all that kind of stuff. but I think I really managed to piece it together, and especially with the whole point of Loki having to prune himself and what Mobius was doing when he went out on the platform to try to blend all the various branches back together.

Sarah : Right. I do like the concept of the loom, though. just because what again, they subtly did with that is they took this very, science fictiony techno grumble. But it made sense to me. It's like, yeah, of course, up until now, they've literally been trying to protect this single, timeline that is crafted together as the merging of all of the timelines. So if that's unraveling, then this whole thing is going to be on the brink of exploding. And what I think it parallels is what's actually happening with our central characters, Mobius, Loki, is it D five.

Will: B 15?

Sarah : Yeah. Where up until now, they've understood like, the rules were clear to them. And now, even though they want free will and they want to give others free will, they don't really know what that means and they don't know what the consequences of it will mean. So now they're setting up this interesting, season drive of, okay, I have free will. I understand what's going on. No one's pulling my strings. So do I make this choice for others or do I protect it? Is going to be interesting how they explore free will this season.

Will: Yeah. And I think this show really was sort of kicking off the whole multiverse concept in the MCU, along with some of the other things, movies from it with Kang and He Who Remains and all that. But I think one of the geniuses about this show is they really drill it down, as you said, to really explore what does it mean as far as free will? What does it mean to be things being predestined? and I thought about that, particularly when Mobius is talking about the jet ski and thinking back to season one, in the newspaper, the magazine article and stuff. It was a funny way they did it too. Jesus is a brand like Kleenex. But it does get to that point as far as just like what you were saying, is that philosophical choice? And I think that's why the show hits on. Like as I said earlier, when MCU is on with these bigger themes like what we saw in Civil War and even like the exploration of grief in WandaVision, that's when the MCU excels and why it's had the longevity. That it has that I think some of the other projects, on Disney Plus, quite frankly, are just kind of bridge things to set up other movies. Whereas this show really is like we're going to tell a story here, not worry about, yes, it will set things up, but it's done in a way that makes you, as you said, think.

Sarah : Yeah, I can't agree more with you because I think about Way Home that's really the first time where we got the multiverse, if I'm not mistaken. I think that came before Loki season one, and that movie dealt with grief, dealt with other stuff. But if you compare no Way Home with Quantum, media where Quantum mania used so much, took the multiverse and just focused so much on the spectacle that, the motivations of the characters, the overall story of growth and family and love all got lost because it was just about oh, my God. We're going to explore quantum mania and going into the quantum zone and so much spectacle. Isn't this cool? And it's like, things can be cool, but also can emotionally engage you at the same time. And a few MCU projects have done that successfully. And then there are a few that totally miss the point altogether.

I'm not surprised that I like Loki season two right now

Sarah : but Loki season, I'm not surprised that I like Loki season two right now, just because I'm such a fan of the first.

Will: You're right. And I think I didn't get a chance to go back and rewatch season one as you planned to do so as well. But, when I was watching the episode one of season two, I was struck how much of it came back to me, I guess, as far as how memorable the series actually is. yeah. So, you know, so like, when I heard, you know, Renslayer disappearing and thinking about all that, when we did get the recordings of her and King, I guess He Who Remains, talking

Sarah : Sorry, was that in the past or the present?

Will: That was when Loki was, I believe in the past room, if I recall. because he heard the back end of the recording, then he wrote a roll it back and then heard her full conversation. Right. hearing that and thinking about He Who Remains and Renslayer's potential relationship there, were they in cahoots? Especially what we learned when Sylvie and Loki did finally get to the end of time. and this extrashit that Rinslayer had taken against Mobius back in season one, that's definitely one of those threads, no pun intended, that I think we're definitely going to get some exploration in this season.

Sarah : Yeah. No, she it, was interesting, or it was a smart choice to not show her at all in this episode yet where she is, what she has done. She's a big mystery that they're kicking off the season with. which I like. And those recordings were very interesting just because of the, all you heard was the voice and just the way they were talking to each other. The sexual attention was there.

Will: Oh, it totally was.

Sarah : Also, in my mind, I'm thinking, like, well, we know from season one she felt some kind of weird, undying loyalty to him. but I wouldn't be surprised though, if she also encountered or had memory wipes done to her just like everyone else. And that's why she was able to get away with this idea of like, I don't know what's going on. No, I know something's going on because in my mind, I think they did have a relationship. There was love there. And even though he chose to wipe her memory, like, everyone else that connection you can't wipe. so call me a romantic, but I think maybe that's something. But I wouldn't be surprised if no, she was in and on the whole time. I, think that would be a less interesting way, to go about it. But we'll see. We didn't see her. We didn't see Miss minutes. We saw a lot of the judges. we're not all on the same team yet. We still got some conspiring about what to do, which makes sense. I mean, it's chaos right now. and no one really knows what to do. We spent some time with the judges. we met a good judge and a bad judge, and one who was just sleeping the whole oh, you know what has been missing in the MCU? Let me tell you, Will. What has been missing is I forgot about the brilliant chemistry between Owen Wilson and Tom Heddleston. Yeah, they're so good.

Will: They are, yeah. And to add to that, Obi, speaking of chemistry, felt right into that triangle. And Hugh Kwan just loved he. Yeah, that's like, my new favorite character.

Sarah : Yeah. I mean, I like him. He's not a part of my triangle yet.

Will: Okay. Yeah. He felt in my triangle.

Sarah : I'm sorry. There's just something about Owen and Tom going at it in these just I'm like, no others are needed. However, others can come and play, too. That's totally cool. As long as every now and then I get at least a two minute scene with just those two.

I like the way between the past and the present with this episode

Will: Yeah, it's, you know, the introduction of OB in this. I, was wondering, because I clearly saw him in the cast, but what role he was playing. Again, I like the way between the past and the present with that. And again, this is a show that you really do have that paying attention to detail is key. Sometimes the very obvious things, like in the past, he did not have glasses. In the present, he does. But also just how they figured out the time slipping, and, figured out that actually, the normal rules of the TVA now aren't aren't applying and being able to loki telling Obi something, and then 400 years later, obi is just like, oh, closing a temporal loop, I guess. I really like the way that all sort of unfolded, because with time travel and those kind of things, we've seen plenty of examples where it makes no sense or it just goes off the rails. But I really like the way they use these causality loops in this episode.

Sarah : What I didn't understand, and potentially nitpick, but I've only seen the episode once, and you've seen it twice, so please correct me if I'm wrong. they're in the present, and Obi, once he sees it occur, he immediately says, that's time. Right, right. So but he doesn't. How does he know that?

Will: Because, if I recall, Loki tells him that 400 years in the past.

Sarah : Right. But he knew it was time slipping before that happened. because how it plays out with the other stuff is it's like Loki tells him something and then, he remembers it in the but there was no memory. It went right into it in the present.

Will: Well, I think it's more of his role in the TVA. He's sort of like the It guy who just I think he's the fixer because in the past we saw the little work order and stuff. Yeah. So I think that's how he knows about the concept of time slipping.

Sarah : Yeah. Then they had to figure out how to solve it. As much as I like how this was done, m, I guess I would have to rewatch it very carefully because I still think that they allowed present obi to know a little bit more than he should have. Based just on the get, I get this impression that he knew just a little bit too much, and also didn't know some things because he knew what it was. He didn't know how to fix it.

Will: Right.

Sarah : But in the past he knew how to fix it. But I don't know. And also Loki wasn't there to tell obi, I'm pretty sure, coined it as time slipping right after he saw Loki disappear. And then in the past, when Loki appears, OB, like they don't say, oh, I'm time slipping, because Loki doesn't hear that.

Will: Yeah, that's a good point. Even on the rewatch. Yeah. Don't know the answer to that. I don't. That's one of those outstanding I mean, that's an outstanding question. I think that they may have to explore a little bit more, or maybe they may not.

This episode sets up mysteries for how choices made in the season one finale affect future

Will: Because that's the other thing about this episode, too, with sending Mobius out on that mission, to do the extraction and all that kind of stuff. They didn't draw it out for over four episodes and then quickly have a quick resolution. I mean, they resolved this part of the arc in this episode.

Sarah : Oh, yeah. I don't think they're going to go back and explain that at all. I think they're hitting the ground running. They needed to, figure out a way to bring Loki back to present day. Also setting up mysteries for how the choices made in the season one finale affect both the past and the present. And that's another brilliant reason to have this time slipping MacGuffin occurs so that we can toy with that.

There was something ominous about that sequence in the future with the phone

Sarah : Like, okay, now we're jumping to the future. Who's calling the phone? Why is Sylvie stuck in an elevator? Why is it so like, there's something I wouldn't say sinister, but there was something very, go ahead, I was.

Will: Just letting you finish up your go.

Sarah : Yeah, there was just something very ominous about that whole sequence in the future with the phone and with Sylvie. now, I did not do my due diligence, and I did not watch the post credit scene. so Will, why don't you tell me what happens in the post credit scene?

Will: Yeah, so before I do that, to your point about something sinister. Whenever we did get Loki getting Pruned from behind, I wonder if that know, theories are probably starting to rumble out there as far as who that was who Pruned, know, I wonder if it was Renslayer or somebody else. especially given that we saw Sylvie on that elevator, when the phone is ringing. but as far as there was a mid credit, basically we end up after we find Sylvie and they make a point to say that it was a branched line ah, in 1982, ah, in a town in Oklahoma and she ends up going into a McDonald's. and of course when she's there, she tries to order funny little line where she's like I don't want anything with a face on it or that kind of thing. And the kid officer will try our Chicken McNuggets. And she's like I want to try everything. But then she looks around the McDonald's and has a very weary look on her face. because she's hearing some of the conversations. And it was almost like she had a sense of longing. And also just a sense of weariness where she's just tired of running. Because we know at the end of season one, she does kill He Who remains. And then I think they both end up getting kicked into the time doorway. And so when she comes out of the time doorway, it is in Oklahoma. So that was the

Sarah : Interesting. Because she kicks Loki through it, right. but then she kills him. She kills he who remains. And all we see is her look out the window and start to see the breaking of the timeline. But I don't think we see her stepping through.

Will: Yeah, I have to go back and look again. But she does come out of one of those portals. Whatever, she in the mid credit in this episode. And then we fade to black, for next week.

Sarah : Yeah, interesting. Well, yeah, next week we're definitely going to get more Sylvie because it's going to be about her I would imagine it's going to be more about her side of the story. while continuing with our trio. Because Loki and Mobius and Obi have to go find Sylvie. Plus we have the bad judge looking for Moby as well. Or not Moby for Sylvie as.

Will: Cause I mean I know the one judge was basically stopped all the Pruning. But General Docs, she definitely is ah, in X five, basically want to continue their old mission. As we were talking about earlier, I definitely was getting some serial and deidre from andor vibes from them as well, with those two characters. but they're going to continue the old mission. Like I said, I think off to a great start and looking forward to next week's episode, or actually episode coming in a couple of days.

Sarah : Yes, a few more days.

All right, well, that leads us into Gen V. I went into this show with low expectations

Sarah : All right, well, that leads us into Gen V. and we're only talking about the first episode because we honestly haven't watched the rest.

Will: Our one piece rules.

Sarah : One piece rules. Oh, my God. But this is not one piece, man. This is not one piece. This is blood. I will admit, I think I maybe saw one trailer for Gen V, like, months ago. I haven't really been following them, so everything was really new. The characters, the bloody powers, was all new to me. And I went into this show with low expectations. That kind of got heightened because I started hearing good things about it. but this is a good start. This is a really good start. Clearly, in the boys universe, like, without a doubt, in the boys universe, the tone is still there, yet we are dealing with young adults. However, they're just as stupid as the older adults we deal with on the boys. and I told you this, too, because I know you were dragging your feet about watching this show, but it's rated RX men. That's the way to sum this up. That's what we're dealing with here. no, we don't see Homelander, and I doubt we'll get him. And we don't really have an established big bad guy. We definitely have a mystery, though, that's occurring.

Will: I was pleasantly entertained by this episode

Sarah : But, Will, what are your thoughts about, gen v?

Will: Yeah, as you noted, and even I shared with you over weekend, I did drag my feet as far as this because, I thought it was going to be it's a spin off, but I was worried that it was going to be derivative of the boys in a bad way. And I will admit that I was pleasantly entertained by this episode. there were some moments that I did feel like, okay, you know, they took the normal boys shock value and amped it up a bit to the point where I'm just sort of like, okay, if you do it too much, it's starting to lose its effectiveness.

Sarah : we didn't need to see the dick, okay? We really did. We did not need to see that. Everything was implied. We watched her get small. That was all we needed.

Will: Yeah, whenever she got small, I was thinking, she's going to climb into the dick and it's going to blow up again. Like, we saw into Poise, I think. Was that hero gasm? that and also just the blood.

Will: I came into this knowing nothing about Marie's blood powers

Will: Starting off with Marie. I guess she's one of our lead protagonists in this series. And, we get our introduction to her at, least formally, because I guess eagle eyed viewers figured out that Huey actually saw. Her, on the computer screen, I guess, in season three of the, she has her first period, and that's when she realizes that she's a soup, but she has these powers. And we get a very bloody introduction to her where she accidentally kills her parents. And I was kind of like, yeah. And I was kind of like I was kind of cold at that moment. I was I was like, okay.

Sarah : First of all, it's a new show. Ah, new characters. So they choose, I'm right there with you, Will. I'm right there with you, where I'm watching this. And I'm like, well, I know she has her period. okay, again, really went into this knowing nothing. I did not know she had blood powers. So me, I'm like, Why are we doing this? Oh. Now I understand why. Okay. Yeah. This is the boys universe, for sure. And then I kept thinking about Game of Thrones or House of Dragon, because what is with it? With, TV right now, like House of Dragon, we saw three very horrific births of children. And now we start Gen V with a very vicious menstrual cycle. It was a lot. But then after that, they ease you back in, they take it down a notch, and then the next thing you know, we see cricket on a dick. And those aren't the best parts of the boys, by any means, but, they get away with it because everything else sets up this oddly grounded but unique world. Like Sam, I think, might end up being my favorite character on this show. I find that character fascinating. What a bold choice, to do this, to have this character characters to have them. and I was really glad because you learn pretty quickly. You have Golden Boy as number one, and you have Sam as number two. And although they change genders, whenever they want, you're like, well, how is that a superpower? And that's why I like how by the end of it, you get not only Sam showing their powers, but against Golden Boy, so you could see why they are number two. So I really appreciate that. And also, marie? Yeah. Were you born yesterday? Because this is the business and blood powers is not. I was thinking that, too. I'm like, she's never going to how do you advertise it, exactly?

Will: Even though we did learn that she can use the powers to save someone, too. But yeah, to your point about the I know we started off with the shock value stuff, and it's the boy, so you got to start there.

The Boys is a phenomenal show because it holds up the mirror to society

Will: But I think the bigger thing that this series, which why we love it so much, is the commentary that it takes on so many things with Marie, when we first introduced to her as eight years in the past. And it's when A Train is, the first black man to be, on The Seven when I saw that. And you think about atrain's Journey, in the Boys principal show, I was just like, the manipulation of vought and manipulation of media and creating false narratives, even though, for whatever ends, I was like, oh, yeah. So even though we had on the one hand, I was just like at first, I was like, oh, yeah, this is my show. Literally, in the first ten minutes of the episode, we get why the Boys is such a genius. It's just a phenomenal show because we get the commentary that it holds up the mirror to society. But then on the other hand, you get the crazy ass, the killer menstrual cycle, literally.

Sarah : And then you get almost a bridge too far. a reminder. This is a rated R show. Yeah. Like we need a reminder or even two reminders. Yeah. I like that because I also like how that is such a brief moment. And then you have all the blood and you're trying to get over the shock value. Fast forward a few scenes and then Maurice starts explains, I forget to who, but brings up the fact her, I think it was to Golden Boy, midway through the episode. Okay, we're going to get into a nitpick. But before I do, explains to him what happened to her parents. And also that they kind of killed themselves, okay. Because they fed their kids, they fed them the juice, they gave them the vot thing, wanted to see what happened. And well, you know what? And then ironically, your little girl comes of age and then she kills you with her own blood. Maybe that's why they get away with it. I won't say this about the cricket scene, because that was just them being like, this is a university based show, but set in the Boys world. But there's a weird way with some of these antics that if you look into them, there actually are still doing that commentary that you were talking about before. And the irony and the dramatic irony of it all.

Will: Yeah. Because them M feeding her being the Soup Juice and her dad sitting there like, idolizing the Seven, they bought into it. And also, I can't help but think, like, it's like the crazy soccer parents and doing all these things. And then they got done in, by the hype and stuff.

Sarah : And it wasn't just them, because now Marie is off to college and wants to be the first black woman in the Seven.

Will: Yes. And then learning the hard lessons of where 90% of the kids that are at that school are going to be doing song and dance, only the top ten percenters or whatever, actually make it actually get an actual contract. And again, it just really gets into the lore of the show when they talk about The Soups earning a contract for the city. So it reminds you about the corporate nature of vault and just things like that, where again, it doesn't have to beat you over the head. I mean, you can just a well written show with ah, those simple lines remind you of what universe you're in.

Sarah : Yeah. And then just as easily, a few simple lines can remind me, like, what are the writers doing?

Scene between Marie and M made me mad because it felt forced

Sarah : to go back to the scene between Marie and M. this scene made me mad because A, they go to a party. She is not invited to that party by Golden Boy. Okay. They say hi to each other. The very next thing we see, she's outside, he comes over privately to give, her a drink, I think. And then it's just them. And the next thing you know, she lies and then she's sorry she lied and just tells her whole life story to him. Again, she was not invited to the party by him. Okay? She was invited by the other guy, Andre.

Will: Believe Andre.

Sarah : M yet? Yeah, these two have to talk to set up, basically what happens at the end of the episode in a way, but they I just felt like a it was forced. I didn't really understand, like, I don't understand why all of a sudden with a simple high, suddenly you were telling the stranger your entire life story, a story that you've avoided telling everyone else, including Emma Cricket. especially if you're just going to kill Golden Boy at the end of the episode. Like, what the heck?

Will: Or is he, or is he? I don't know. Yeah, we'll find out as we progress in this series.

Sarah : Yeah, that was just my nitpick, where I was like, I don't understand the writing here. How did we get here? Yeah, party just started and now we're having a very private conversation. Cool.

Will: Yeah. I guess even though I agree with you. But I think from about that midpoint on is when I really started to getting settled in with this series. obviously Andre hitting on the girl that goes south really fast, but.

Sarah : I didn't see that coming. I saw him do the trick and then I'm like, oh shit. No. I was more like, we're in the boys. This is the boys universe.

Will: I was thinking like, okay, if it's like deep.

Emma, aka Cricket, appears in the first episode of The Boys

Sarah : Okay, as we continue, on this episode, first, what are your overall thoughts about Emma, aka Cricket?

Will: She's interesting. I don't know what to make of her yet, to be honest. I will say it was very interesting, because I know they had the trigger warning disclaimer at the beginning of the episode. We did see with self harm and some other things. I thought it was very interesting that she had to throw up, to use her powers.

Will: I don't want to get into eating disorder land, but it did seem like that was some of the vibe I was getting from her utilization of her powers. especially some of the other and I guess it's more just some of the other things that were happening with this character and her interactions, social media and other things like that. I just felt like there were some undercurrents of things there that, especially when we see her use her powers. That was kind of the vibe I was getting there. but I may be overthinking it, but that's where I was coming from.

Sarah : No, I don't. The first time we see her, she's on camera, and playing her part, and you get this impression, actually, or at least I did, that she likes it. She likes her powers. She's using it for views. She's a social media person. and then she becomes Marie's. Confidant she becomes like, Marie's best friend, like somebody for Marie to talk to. I'm like, okay, I'm understanding the role of this there. And again, we should see these things coming. Like what? We've survived three, four seasons of The Boys. We should know this will not everything is bright and shiny. So then we see how she gets her powers. And there is a shame. There is a ritualist. And I think that's where you're getting all of these eating disorder vibes from, which is great commentary about that type of thing. And also when she was looking at all of those comments at the end of the episode about her videos as Cricket, there was shame, which is totally different from how we first introduced her, because there was pride there, and there was like, oh, this is what I do. I'm having fun. This is me. Confidant and then we see the other side of it, where she's just focused on all everything negative people are saying about her on screen.

Will: And even, like, whenever she was with the hook up there, when the guy was like, do your thing, whatever he was talking about is kink. That dark side, not only from the dark side of the social media, but also now even on dates, now even on a hookup, that shame the darkness where she was just like, were there were so many levels that were going on. Emma yeah.

Sarah : It's also like, oh, he doesn't want to be with me, he wants to be with Cricket. Like that alter ego type thing going on there that I'm sure Soups have to deal with, because of their powers, because they're unique to anyone else. yeah, I think the more we talk about her as a character, the more surprising it is to think about how three dimensional they made her to be within the span of this first episode. and she's not the main character, so that's interesting.

Will: I think there is a deeper mystery here. The woods are still a very big mystery

Sarah : The other thing I wanted to get your thoughts on was, the woods golden boy, his story and his obviously, like, what are the woods and why do you think Golden Boy did what he did at the end of the episode?

Will: So the woods reminds me, I don't know if Golden Boy is like Homelander, where he know like a vaught laboratory somewhere. he had a brother. He has a brother. I'm thinking that I think he and his family was groomed to be this kid and Brickenhoff the criminology professor and the dean of the school, they're all part of the whole Vault Network. So, I think there is something that we got some glimpses of. As you noted, there is a deeper mystery here. and so I think they were definitely dropping little breadcrumbs as far as what the bigger story point is going to be for this season as far as what's going on with these folks. And then as far as Golden Boy committing suicide at the end there like, one, I assume that he is gone for the season. Like you, I haven't really watched hardly any of the trailers other than maybe the first one or second one. So I don't know if Patrick Schwarzenegger is going to be in the series for war to one episode or not. I haven't cheated and looked on IMDb.

Sarah : I may okay, unintentionally, I was trying to get the name of a character, I saw it. But yeah, I think for me, I don't know what the woods is. The woods is still a very big mystery. But what I do think I'm picking up on is, because in my knit conversation we talked about earlier, I believe he refers to his brother and it was in past tense, meaning, he died. So my theory is Bricknoff and parents colluded, and made, for whatever reason, made the decision to make up the story that Golden Boy killed his own brother. And so Golden Boy is growing up believing that A, he did that. And so now he's like, I want to use my powers for good and all this stuff. And so that's what makes him buy into this whole idea of being a hero. but now in present day, he starts A, having these dreams about the woods and B hearing his brother calling to him because I think the brother is the kid we see get locked up in the woods. Like halfway through that, Marie sees Andre, sees, and I think why they locked him up is I wonder if there was some kind of telepathic connection power being there's. There's something about the brother's powers and I don't know, they could have been twins. So maybe that's another, thing. There's definitely a reason why I definitely think they're brothers. And there was a decision to lock one up and keep one out. And for some reason he blamed Bricknoff and decided to kill him. And then when faced with like a killing him squaring off with Sam almost hurting Marie, which who knows where that connection came from. Good Lord. decides, like, he can't do this because he thinks he killed his brother. So I think there was some manipulation. I will state right now, it will take a lot for me to a believe and buy into killing him at the end of this episode and then bringing him back later. I don't know what you're doing with stakes, but overall, very good ending sequence. And like I told you, I'm like, I watched it, and then I was just mad I couldn't watch the second episode.

Will: I had the same feeling. I was like, I'm ready to go. Take it.

Sarah : Yeah, you're like, I'm on board now.

Will: I'm on board. Yeah, I was by the end of the episode, I'm like, okay.

Sarah : Ah.

Will: Going in with low expectations, actually, I think, was a good thing. I'm on board. And I was, like, toying with the notion of, like, should we change our rule for the week?

Sarah : But you held out and you held out strong. And now we can watch two episodes and, start to get a little caught up. we'll be caught up soon enough. And, on that note, Will, why don't you tell our listeners where they can find you?

Will: Yes, you can find me on X, formerly known as Twitter. Ah. At willmpolk. Willmpolk.

Sarah : And you can find me there too, at Sjvaumont S-J-B-E-L-M-O-N-T. Please follow our crew on Twitter at scene and nerdfront us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and threads at scene underscore N underscore Nerd, and visit our website, WW sennernerdpodcast.com. But most importantly, rate. Follow and comment on Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Good night. Geek out. You're welcome.