This week the word is wizard. First the nerds discuss their favorite wizards at length, which leads to them both sharing stories from their early LARP game experiences. Then they talk about Bill and Ted Face the Music without getting too spoilery. Lastly, Keith gives some high-level thoughts about Doom Patrol season 2 and the first 3 episodes of Lovecraft Country.
BLOOPER WARNING: contains bloopers.
This week the word is malinger. First the guys discuss what the word actually means, then they share memories of malingering, including the time Keith when was trapped in a closet while staying home from school. Next they discuss the 3rd episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Keith talks about work stuff and games he’s playing, and the challenge of making Bingo cards for Lovecraft Country. Then Andy talks about the newest Parsely game he’s writing, and asks Keith to describe what he remembers about a game idea they pitched in the final days of their time together at Magnet, which would have been called the Secret City. Keith also talks about how those ideas helped inspire work he did later on Crossroads and Over the Edge. After the lowering the spoiler curtain, Andy gives his thoughts on Season 2 of the Umbrella Academy.
SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.
This week the word is game. The nerds discuss the technical definition of a game vs. various unusual games and play activities. Is it a game or just collaborative story-telling experience? They also discuss their own preferences in games, strategy vs. tactical games, etc. Then they lower the spoiler curtain to discuss the first two episodes of Star Trek Lower Decks, the first episode of Lovecraft Country, season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, and a movie called Radioactive.
SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.
This week the word is Sandwiches. The nerds talk about the technical definition of a sandwich, how they approach the eating of a sandwich, viewpoints on crust, etc. Other topics include pie, Hamilton, and the history of the Colossal Cave adventure game. Then they resume their in-depth discussions of the book, Life’s Lottery.
SPOILER WARNING: contains book spoilers.
This week the word is Loop. The nerds talk about various stories in which characters relive the same day, including Groundhog Day, 12:01, Edge of Tomorrow, and, after lowering the spoiler curtain, Palm Springs and Russian Doll. They also continue their discussions of the book, Life’s Lottery.
SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.
This week the word is PublicDomain. The nerds talk about various aspects of Intellectual Property law, in particular discussing how a court ruling has affected portrayals of Sherlock Holmes. They also talk about Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and touch on work stuff, before bringing down the spoiler curtain to discuss the book, Life’s Lottery, and second season episodes of Homecoming and the Twilight Zone.
SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.
This week the word is unfinished. The nerds talk about various stories that don’t have endings vs those with neatly tied-up endings, and how some projects are better left unfinished. Then they discuss Keith’s tombstone story from episode 148, since this show was actually recorded on the infamous date of June 23, 2020. Then Andy talks about having just watched Dunkirk, which Keith talked about in episode 148. Next they re-visit last week’s discussions of Star Trek 6, specifically the scene involving a phaser in the ship’s galley. Andy describes a book called The Sea People, and Keith talks about the Lady Astronaut series. Lastly they lower the spoiler curtain to discuss season 2 of Homecoming so far, as well as other shows they’ve each been watching.
SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.
This week the word is changes. First they talk about how the Romulans were changed to be the Klingons during the development of Star Trek 3, and other ways in which key elements of on-going story franchises have changed and evolved over time. Keith talks about how changes to the way werewolfism was dealt with in the rules to D&D impacted the design of Eberron. Other topics they mention include Life’s Lottery, The Butterfly Effect, and The Doom Patrol. Then they lower the vintage spoiler curtain to discuss Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country at length.
VINTAGE SPOILER WARNING: contains vintage spoilers.
This week the word is chess. The nerds share memories of chess games, stories about the chess master Paul Morphy, chess themed games they’ve each worked on, and even the musical called Chess. Then they lower the vintage spoiler curtain to discuss Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier at length.
SPOILER WARNING: contains vintage spoilers.
This week the word is change. The nerds talk about how the world has changed because of the current crisis, and about change in general. Moving on to media, they discuss a variety of different shows they’ve recently started watching, or re-watching. Lastly, they lower the vintage spoiler curtain to discuss Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock at length.
SPOILER WARNING: contains vintage spoilers.