Breaking for the Metaphorical Summer

Over the last six years, we’ve had a lot of fun talking about some of our favorite television shows. We’ve created more than 260 podcast episodes with hundreds of hours of content discussing themes, characters, plots, and cultural impacts of some of the best sci-fi and fantasy stories to be made in the last quarter century.

Now that we’ve reached the end of our initial goal – the introduction of Doctor Who and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to each other – we are going to take some time to assess where we are and how we’d like to move forward. Rest assured: We are going to move forward. Both of us want to continue discussing the shows that are meaningful to us and so many others.

But we also want to step back to consider some of the things we have learned these last six years. When we started out, neither of us knew anything about podcasting, building up an online audience, or the best way to convey our thoughts and ideas about the shows we love to the world. We have learned a lot in the interim, and we want to make sure that we are incorporating what we’ve learned to make our collaboration as enjoyable as possible – for both our audience and ourselves.

We also need to acknowledge that the last six years have brought significant changes to our personal lives, and the demands on our time are very different than they were when we started our little podcast. Over the last six years, each of us has moved, changed jobs, graduated from Signum University’s master’s degree program, and taken on various other roles, responsibilities, and personal obligations. These things have left us with less time to accomplish everything we want in any given day, week, month, or year. Given these changes, we want to make sure that we are giving our conversations the thought, time, and attention they deserve.

With all that in mind, we are taking the next few months to recharge, reconsider, and revamp the nature of the “Kat & Curt” collaboration. Consider it a summer break of sorts. We hope to see you again when we return next season!

Episode 264 – You Take the Thirty Thousand On the Left

Episode discussed: Angel 5×22 Not Fade Away

Not Fade Away

Written by Joss Whedon & Jeffrey Bell; Directed by Jeffrey Bell

Angel and friends make their move against The Circle of the Black Thorn. Discussion points include:

• The end of all things
• The fate of Angel’s soul
• Harmony’s turn
• Tolkien’s “long defeat” or not?
• Lonely battles
• Wesley’s end and Lorne’s exit
• The fight’s just beginning
• Further adventures in the comics
• Cultural impacts
• Favorite arcs and episodes

Episode 263 – Every Revolutionary Has Blood On His Hands

Episodes discussed: Angel 5×21 Power Play and The Fades Episode 6

Time Stamp: Fades starts 1:01:00

Power Play

Written by David Fury; Directed by James A. Contner

Angel makes a dangerous move. Discussion points include:

• Angel’s gambit
• Stumbling into the Deep State
• Angel’s murder
• Fighting the long defeat
• The subtext becomes text
• Everyone else’s reactions

The Fades Episode 6

Written by Jack Thorne; Directed by Tom Shankland

Paul’s visions unfold. Discussion points include:

• The treatment of secondary characters
• Mark and Sarah…whoops, Vicky
• What makes Alice tick?
• The wings pay off
• Hope and despair
• Emphatic non-resolution

Next time: Angel 5×22 Not Fade Away.

Episode 262 – I Didn’t Come Back to be a Monster

Episodes discussed: The Fades Episode 5 and Angel 5×20 The Girl in Question

Time Stamp: Angel starts 1:02:12

The Fades Episode 5

Written by Jack Thorne; Directed by Tom Shankland

The town evacuates as the Fades take over. Discussion points include:

• Accelerated storytelling
• The passage of time
• Why are the Fades so angry?
• Paul’s obliterating power
• Neil targets Mac
• Sarah and Neil

The Girl in Question

Written by Steven S. DeKnight & Drew Goddard; Directed by David Greenwalt

Angel and Spike track Buffy to Rome. Discussion points include:

• Spike and Angel’s adventures in Italy
• The Immortal
• The retcon
• Suave Andrew
• Wolfram & Hart, Rome
• Illyria plays Fred

Next time: Angel 5×21 Power Play and The Fades Episode 6.

Episode 261 – I Kill You, That’s How This Ends

Episodes discussed: Angel 5×19 Time Bomb and The Fades Episode  4

Time Stamp: Fades starts 1:03:20

Time Bomb

Written by Ben Edlund; Directed by Vern Gillum

Illyria explodes and time unravels. Discussion points include:

• Rescuing Gunn
• Imposter syndrome
• The demonic messiah
• “No master but your own ambition”
• Unstuck in time
• Angel’s executive decision

The Fades Episode 4

Written by Jack Thorne; Directed by Tom Shankland

A brain-dead Paul awakens as a Fade. Discussion points include:

• Mark and Sarah
• Family grief
• Paul is (mostly) dead
• Reborn in blood
• Trust and betrayal
• Paul’s resurrection

Next time: The Fades Episode 5 and Angel 5×20 The Girl in Question.

Episode 260 – I Was Right Not to Have Doubted

Episodes discussed: The Fades Episode 3 and Angel 5×18 Origin

Time Stamp: Angel starts 159:50

The Fades Episode 3

Written by Jack Thorne; Directed by Farren Blackburn

Paul struggles to keep his two lives balanced. Discussion points include:

• An Angelic gets his wings
• The missing father
• Helen’s theology
• The unwritten code
• Friends and allies
• Paul’s predicament

Origin

Written by Drew Goddard; Directed by Terrence O’Hara

A memory-altered Connor unexpectedly shows up at Wolfram & Hart. Discussion points include:

• More teenagers getting hit by trucks!
• Connor’s new life
• Wesley gets his head back in the game
• Trust broken again
• Living with the truth
• Connor’s choice

Next time: Angel 5×19 Time Bomb The Fades Episode  4.

Episode 259 – Just Don’t Leave Me Behind, Okay?

Episodes discussed: Angel 5×17 Underneath and The Fades Episode 2

Time Stamp: Fades starts 1:10:50

Underneath

Written by Sarah Fain & Elizabeth Craft; Directed by Skip Schoolnik

The gang breaks Lindsey out of limbo. Discussion points include:

• Cast notes
• Spike becomes a full member of the team
• Lorne’s disillusionment
• Suburban Gothic
• Eve & Marcus
• Wes & Illyria

The Fades Episode 2

Written by Jack Thorne; Directed by Farren Blackburn

Paul learns more about his powers and his place among the Fades and the Angelics. Discussion points include:

• The Angelics
• “There’s always and exhaust port”
• Anna the Mean Girl
• Fade mythology
• Paul’s state of mind
• Sarah’s motivation

Next time: The Fades Episode 3 and Angel 5×18 Origin.

Episode 258 – Death Doesn’t Have to be the End

Episodes discussed: The Fades Episode 1 and Angel 5×16 Shells

Time Stamp: Angel starts 1:02:20

The Fades

Written by Jack Thorne; Directed by Farren Blackburn

A geeky British teenager discovers his supernatural powers. Discussion points include:

• Introducing the show and the talent
• What are “the fades”?
• Sara’s failure to ascend
• Neil, Helen & co.
• Mac & Paul
• Anna & Jay

Shells

Written and Directed by Steven S. DeKnight

The gang grapple with Illyria, the demon inhabiting Fred’s body. Discussion points include:

• The finality of this death
• Willow’s in the Himalayas (maybe)
• Illyria
• Fred’s shell
• Wesley’s mercy runs out
• Spike’s motivation

Next time: Angel 5×16 Underneath and The Fades Episode 2.

Episode 257 – Of Course the Cavemen Win

Episodes discussed: Angel 5×15 A Hole in the World and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 1×7 A Spell to End Magic in England

Time Stamp: JSMN starts 1:31:30

A Hole in the World

Written and Directed by Joss Whedon

Fred becomes infected by a mysterious demonic sarcophagus. Discussion points include:

• A Fred-shaped hole in our hearts
• The cavemen vs astronauts debate
• Knox’s plan
• Why doesn’t it work?
• Fred is everyone’s favorite
• Fred’s bitter end

A Spell to End Magic in England

Written by Peter Harness; Directed by Toby Haynes

Strange and Norrell unite to bring down the Gentleman. Discussion points include:

• Flooded with magic
• The awful Mr. Lascelles
• The Nameless Slave
• The Gentleman’s defeat
• Strange and Norrell’s fate
• The spinoff adventures of Childermass & Vinculus

Next time: The Fades Episode 1 and Angel 5×16 Shells.

Episode 256 – Self-Esteem Is For Everybody

Episodes discussed: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 1×6 The Black Tower and Angel 5×14 Smile Time

Time Stamp: Angel starts 1:08:10

The Black Tower

Written by Peter Harness; Directed by Toby Haynes

Jonathan finally manages to contact the Gentleman. Discussion points include:

• The vanishing books
• The romance of madness
• The Greysteels and the crazy cat lady
• Drawlight’s mission
• Summoning the fairy
• The Gentleman’s revenge and Vinculus’ fate

Arabella

Story by Joss Whedon & Ben Edlund; Teleplay and Direction by Ben Edlund;

The puppet episode. ‘Nuff said. Discussion points include:

• A classic!
• Parody is the sincerest form of flattery
• Evil Sesame Street
• Hey, Nina’s back!
• Acute Flowers for Algernon Syndrome
• Fred & Wes

Next time: Angel 5×15 A Hole in the World and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 1×7 A Spell to End Magic in England.