This was originally a Patreon-exclusive episode, but we're now making it available to everyone as a sampling of what we do on our Patreon, and because we really loved this conversation! Get more content like this right now by signing up here! Before getting into our conversation on Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep," we took a few minutes to discuss "es…

Charlyn and Fyx are back after a spring/early summer of gardening, isolation, and depression! We apologize for having such a long gap since our last podcast, and we hope you can bear with us as we try to get back on track. In this episode, we discuss the fun and cheeky Knives Out, its relationship to the mystery stories that have gone before, and t…

This week we watched and discussed Alice Wu’s acclaimed film The Half of It. We think you should watch it, too! We discuss the elegant way Wu has woven together some very relatable and sometimes uncomfortable lessons about growing up. Enjoy our discussion on the critical dividends of discomfort and taking risks, the intersectionality of characters,…

We’re taking a break with this pre-recorded episode. In October 2020, we indulged in a re-watch and discussion of the comforting, but also emotionally complex Pixar film. Charlyn, in particular, loves this movie. We hope you enjoy our (mostly Charlyn’s) appreciative acknowledgement of the many references to real-life brain anatomy, neural processes…

We just can't wait for Season 3! For this episode, we explore the bizarre yet realistic family dynamics of The Umbrella Academy, dig into the opportunities seized by setting season two in the 1960s, and speculate on what might be coming next. Music is by Mike Bassington. You can find more of his work here: https://www.facebook.com/Mikebassingtonmus…

This was originally a Patreon-exclusive episode, but we're now making it available to everyone as a sampling of what we do on our Patreon, and because we really loved this conversation! Get more content like this right now by signing up here! Before delving into our conversation on Warm Bodies, we took some time to discuss the movie Solo. We touch …

This week, Faefyx and Charlyn revisit The Mandalorian after watching Season 2. We discuss the different ways the identity of 'Mandalorian' is claimed and attributed in this season, as well as implications of those identities on what it means to be Mandalorian. We also delve into the relationship between this story and the larger Star Wars Universe …

It’s another seasonal episode! This time we delve into a holiday classic: the slapstick-heavy, and yet surprisingly sad Macaulay Culkin vehicle, Home Alone. This one bears revisiting as an adult; we get into why this film hits us completely differently as grown-ups with its effective representation of what a child believes it’s like to be an adult.…

We’re getting into the holiday spirit with the record-breaking, LGBTQ-centered holiday rom-com Happiest Season! Enjoy an exploration of the nuanced depiction of the sometimes-messy coming-out process, our thoughts on some of the story elements used to bring this story to life, and what we think about this as a holiday romantic comedy. Music is by M…

In a follow-up to our episode on Avatar: The Last Airbender, we discuss Korra as a protagonist, the show’s relationship with the status quo, and the use of the spirit world as a storytelling medium. We also question whether some arcs really earn the emotional payoff they’re going for. Music is by Mike Bassington. You can find more of his work here:…

It's been one year since the very first episode of Unramblings, where we embarked on our journey to The Overlook Hotel with Stephen King's The Shining. For this anniversary episode, we're visiting with Dan Torrance again with Stephen King's Doctor Sleep, the sequel to his classic novel. We discuss intergenerational patterns, the role of alcohol in …

Before we release our anniversary episode on Doctor Sleep, we wanted to move our first episode, The Shining, back up in the queue with a fresh intro for those who might have missed our debut. If you have the time, it's relevant for the Doctor Sleep episode, and it's a nice reminder of how far we've come, especially as far as audio quality. In the f…

Just in time for Halloween, we’ve made an Addams Family episode! We discuss the overarching Addams Family conceit and how it's been adapted for different decades and mediums, and get into why we think this kooky family continues to capture our imaginations after 90 years. Plus, our thoughts on which iterations are the best and why! Music is by Mike…

It’s spooky season, so we’re immersing ourselves in appropriately weird and dark media, like the 2013 dark comedy/teen rom-com/zombie movie – yes, you read all those categories correctly – Warm Bodies! We delve into the messages of this film – but not too far, because this movie is not shy with what it wants to say. Enjoy our breakdown of how the m…

This week, Charlyn and Fyx delve into the mind-bending TV series Legion. We examine what the narrative and the storytelling have to say about our perceptions of reality, whether “good” and “bad” are too simplistic when looking at character growth here, and speculate on whether the plot was devised merely to justify including the songs they wanted t…

This is a nice light episode that just deals with trauma, isolation, and issues of institutional indoctrination and conformity! Okay, so it isn’t light at all, but we throw a couple of jokes in there, and the source material makes the heaviness sort of unavoidable. Ultimately, we thought that talking about fascism and feeling isolated from everyone…

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We get to a ‘Big Question’ in each episode, but we’re really tackling the *BIG questions* with A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. this week. This one’s heavy, folks. Even for us. Expect conversation on whether humans are doomed to bring about their own suffering, whether knowledge always leads to our destruction, and if there is a ca…

Since every day is exactly the same these days, we’re leaning in and talking about time loops! This episode is mostly about Palm Springs, a Lonely Island Production, but also somewhat about Groundhog Day and Russian Doll. We talk about why it feels like Palm Springs is responding to Groundhog Day in particular, and why time loops are such a thing i…

Charlyn and Faefyx take on the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, “The Final Empire” (originally published as “Mistborn”), in the first of an ongoing series. Tune in for discussions on classism tied to racism, the use of religions and an intriguing magic system in storytelling, and hear Faefyx make probably incorrect predictions for…

This week we tackle the Broadway sensation Hamilton. We discuss the way that seeing the live production (on streaming) changed how we perceived certain parts of the narrative, how the staging and blocking adds to the storytelling, and the nature of Burr as an antagonist. We also question what the musical says about ego and legacy, push back against…

We’re jumping on the bandwagon! This week we’re talking about Avatar: The Last Airbender. And it is actually a lighter episode this time, finally… We talk about the show’s messages around the value of diverse perspectives, the cost of divorcing yourself from the world, and Fire Nation exceptionalism. And of course, it wouldn’t be an episode of Unra…

The depressing subject matter train keeps on rolling! Instead of talking about toxic, extractive, colonial-feudal systems, we’re talking about the toxicity of a world in which all the messaging says you have to be either a perpetrator of violence or a victim of it. Yay? The Last of Us is dark in a different way; a great, character-driven story that…

We’re back and tackling more depressing subject matter than ever! Last time you joined us, we talked about the surprising themes and messages around the toxicity of extractive, colonial-feudal systems contained within a delightful and progressive children’s cartoon; this time we’re still talking about the toxicity of those systems, but in the signi…

In the second of our Steven Universe episodes, we zoom out and get into how the show tackles ideas of colonialism, oppression, and the dehumanizing effects of living in a society that only values you to the extent that it values your job. Not that we would know anything about that… The references on economic and social mobility, Citizens United, an…

In the first episode in this two-part series, Charlyn and Mark delve into issues of identity raised in the Steven Universe world. We get into how the show conveys healthy messages for kids and adults alike through its relatable alien-rock-based creatures from another world, we discuss how music is used in the show, ask why some of the episodes are …

Charlyn & Mark try to lighten things up for you with a fun-filled discussion of Onward, Disney-Pixar’s recent film about two grieving brothers desperately trying to find an artifact that will let them spend a day with their father, who tragically died years before…Wait… That sounds sad and emotional, doesn’t it? Well, we tried! It’s a kid’s movie…a…

Charlyn & Mark discuss Angela Carter’s 1979 short story collection, The Bloody Chamber. Highlights include very unsexy sex, terrible people, why that ‘nice guy’ is a werewolf, and why our culture has been on a fairytale subversion kick for the last 50+ years. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, on Twitter at @UnramblingsPod, and on ou…

In this episode, Charlyn & Mark discuss Pixar’s adorable WALL-E. We hope you enjoy this ramble about capitalism (of course!), storytelling with mute protagonists (again!), and messaging for two different audiences as we pull at the loose plot threads of the metaphorical sweater that is Pixar’s delightful WALL-E. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at…

In this episode, Charlyn & Mark review and then ramble about Birds of Prey, which you should definitely check out while it’s still in theatres (not a sponsor)—do your part to combat sexist narratives about female-fronted films in the movie industry! We get into what we think this film has to say about the female experience, masculinity as neocoloni…

This week Charlyn & Mark discuss The Good Place! We hope you enjoy our rambling thoughts on why this show is such a phenomenon, whose parents are the worst, and philosophy as an unconventional storytelling device. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, on Twitter at @UnramblingsPod, and on our website at MarkCollington.com/Unramblings. E…

This week Charlyn & Mark talk about the first video game of the show, Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn! Hear all about how one nihilistic, entitled asshole screws over humanity, why being smart isn’t good enough, and our hot takes on the ships teased in the gameplay. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, on Twitter at @UnramblingsPod,…

This week Charlyn & Mark discuss Seveneves by Neal Stephenson! We focus on human adaption and resilience for survival, the power of the individual/the individual as representation of a group, and the relationship between social media and cannibalism. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, on Twitter at @UnramblingsPod, and on our website…

This week Charlyn & Mark discuss season 1 of Russian Doll! We get in way over our heads discussing the time, relativity, and the many-worlds theory, we unpack the heaps of baggage carried through the show, and we judge Alan for not knowing his girlfriend’s thesis subject. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, on Twitter at @UnramblingsP…

We hope you enjoy our rambling about why The Mandalorian is basically an escort quest, storytelling with a faceless protagonist, and what it means to be a Mandalorian. If you’ve been missing our chats about toxic masculinity and colonialism, you’re in luck! Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, on Twitter at @UnramblingsPod, and on our …

Charlyn and Mark get into what they love and what they hate about the Veronica Mars TV series. Highlights include: why you shouldn’t want to be Veronica; praising a character arc that goes from “shitbag homme fatal” to decent human being; Mark throwing some shade, and Charlyn providing our most extensive content warning to date! Find us on Facebook…

Charlyn and Mark talk through Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep” and the birth of the hardboiled detective. Here they dwell on corruption, moral vs. ethical vs. legal, the power of wealth, and forgetting to have all of your corpses properly accounted for. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, and on Twitter at @UnramblingsPod. Email us …

In this week’s episode, Charlyn and Mark discuss the hazy cosmic jive of David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.” Topics include alien language barriers, the nature of celebrity, and why you shouldn’t drink before a public toast. If you enjoy our show, please rate and subscribe wherever you listen (especially i…

In this seasonal episode. Charlyn and Mark discuss othering, bad neighbors, and the Whos' sun-cult. Show notes: This article talks about some of the issues with Dr. Seuss that we touch on at the beginning of the episode. We do talk about Santa in this episode, so it may not be best for certain young listeners.…

Charlyn and Mark discuss capitalism, empathy, and spontaneous deliveries of unreasonably-sized turkeys in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and "The Muppets Christmas Carol." Show notes: You can read the entirety of "A Christmas Carol" here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm由Unramblings

Charlyn & Mark discuss Ursula Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness," touching on gender, patriotism, and folktales. If you enjoy the show, please rate and subscribe wherever you listen (especially if that place is Apple Podcasts). Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Unramblings, and on Twitter at @UnramblingsPod. Email us with feedback, questions,…

This week, Charlyn & Mark talk about the perfect mid-holiday season movie: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Highlights include discussion of leadership in Halloween Town, cultural appropriation, and musical storytelling. If you enjoy our show, please rate and subscribe wherever you listen (especially if that place is Apple Podcasts). Fi…

In this episode, Charlyn and Mark discuss the storytelling elements, trends, and implications of several murder ballads. Highlights include murder, folktales, and a dulcitone solo! (We’ll do something a little lighter next week). You can find a Spotify playlist of the songs we discuss in this episode here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ScrFrTp…

In this episode, Charlyn and Mark discuss American Gods by Neil Gaiman alongside Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Meddling divine beings abound! Next week (November 27th, 2019) we'll be discussing murder ballads! As promised in the episode, here are the links to the Spotify playlists we put together in advance of the episode: Unrambli…

In the first episode of Unramblings, Charlyn and Mark discuss Stephen King's novel "The Shining," the adaptation to film by Stanley Kubrick, and Hallorann's snowcat delivery service. Thank you for joining us for this especially long first episode. If you found this tolerable, please rate and subscribe! You can also find us here: - Facebook & Instag…