Geek Culture Appreciation Team

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2uUhvIv Six Week Catch-Up: Jermaine buys a brand-new Jeep Compass! "All you've gotta do is touch the door-handles and they magically unlock! I love it!" Robert visits Montana, watches the World Cup with friends, and attends his Rabbi's retirement dinner. Nerdy News: 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Bombs With $150M Global Debut Jermaine: "Totally suffered from franchise fatigue. Rian Johnson also needs to be fired and wiped from this earth! Why'd he kill Luke Skywalker?! Since I've been an adult and had my own money, I've never not wanted to see a new Star Wars. But I did not want to see this movie." Robert: "I second that! For you, dear listener, Jermaine & I sacrificed our bodies upon the heap of bad movie-going. Aside from itself being mediocre, Solo also suffered from the SJW hangover that's plagued the new trilogy (VII & VIII)." Jenny: "This trailer looked like hot garbage. But I don't listen to the reviews. I liked this movie. This was meant to be a fan fiction type thing." Reviews: Solo: A Star Wars Story Jermaine: "Bad pacing and no reason for the action. Very boring movie, from beginning to end. I walked in with the lowest of expectations and this movie didn't even clear those. If you are a fan of Star Wars, check it out. Donald Glover as Lando was great. If you're not a fan, don't talk about how great this movie is-- you might get beat up in public!" Robert: "Not to mention, there are no stakes because you know nothing can happen to Han or Chewy. The only scene people cared about was watching Han & Chewy make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. I didn't care about Woody Harrelson, Mother of Dragons, Vision, or any of the other people in this movie. Hell no, I don't recommend this movie." Jenny: "Hearing you guys talk about it is making me change my opinion of the movie! I had zero expectations walking in and walked out thinking, 'Meh-- not the worst movie I've ever seen.' I recommend if it's on Netflix." Incredibles 2 Robert: "I'm so tired of this 'War on Men' that's currently being waged in the current culture. I'm tired of men being the butt of everyone's jokes-- men can't cook, clean, or raise children at home? How is this funny? Also, I think there's a false equivalency here: Parenting, as important as it is, is nowhere near as difficult or as danger as crime-fighting. Saving billions of innocent lives from Screen-Slaver who wants to enslave mankind and achieve world domination is more important than raising a single family, isn't it? I'm not going to recommend this movie but I think people will enjoy it." Jermaine: "As a new father, a person who doesn't get sleep, that is very real though. Parenting is a 24-hour job. I had problems the stereotype of Frozone's wife as the angry black woman. I also didn't care for the new superhero characters. I also loved Jack-Jack's relationship with Edna. Also, wouldn't a panic room have a phone in it? I recommend this movie! Dash is my favorite character." Jenny: "I really liked this movie! I loved Samuel L. Jackson and the baby. But this storyline doesn't make sense to me following the old one. Why didn't they just close their eyes? Also, the new superheroes reminded me of X-Force in Deadpool 2. I recommend this movie-- it's stood up to being what it needed be. I think everyone will enjoy it, especially if you enjoyed the originals." Recommendations: Robert recommends Forrest Gump-- "This is a great movie. Forrest has an IQ of 65 but still manages to somehow be at the most important moments in human history. All the people who have dreams and are planners all fail miserably. But Forrest who has no plans at all ends up being the most successful. Great commentary on how life actually works." Jenny loves playing Overcooked-- "You gotta get an order and cook all the stuff. I love it to bits! It's multiplayer and you can play it co-op." Jermaine: "All gamers are not created equally!"

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2MSWzrT One Month Catch-Up: Jermaine thinks about returning to school, goes back to work, and has a baby girl-- "She's awesome, gorgeous, and has strong lungs!" Jenny babysits six kids, ages 1-8-- "It was a long day! Will never do again! (Haha, just kidding.)" Trailer Talk: Bumblebee Jenny: "Why is Bumblebee a VW Bug? Also, the girl is wearing so much makeup I totally didn't believe that she was a teenager; totally looks like she's in her twenties. I'm totally age-shaming her. Two stars. Specifically because this trailer doesn't explain anything!" Robert: "Yeah, isn't Bumblebee a Camaro? I was confused. Also, I totally agree with Jenny-- Hailee Steinfeld is totally unbelievable as a teen. This feels like the Transformers franchise being reset for the beeper-bopper crowd. 1.5 stars. Where is Michael 'The Best Movie Maker Ever' Bay?" Jermaine: "I'm so mad at Michael Bay for ruining an entire generation for lying to them about Transformers. I'm a huge sucker for coming-of-age tales but I'm not into this. Why? I'm happy to see the Michael Bay stink removed. No more racist robots! I believe in Travis Knight! 3.5 stars. Slightly excited for this!" Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Robert: "This one I like! It reboots Spiderman with an Afro-Latino protagonist but not by totally ignoring Peter Parker. I love that Parker is weaved into the story as an older mentor figure to Miles Morales. Five stars." Jenny: "The animation is spectacular! I love the dad-jokes and how this movie is funny without being cheesy and lame. 4.5 stars." Jermaine: "I like when Jenny reviews things it's basically like Robert's reviews but just with a female stuck in there. Jenny completes the 'People-Rainbow' on GCA! I also love the snappy dialogue in this movie. Five stars." Review - Deadpool 2 Jermaine: "Josh Brolin is having a stellar year! Fantastic as Cable. I really enjoyed the first Deadpool but it was ruined for me because the trailer revealed so much. I love that within the first five minutes the entire X-Force team got killed. I love all the set pieces. My kinda comedy! Domino was fantastic too and Fire Fist befriending Juggernaut was great. The CGI was terrible though. I fully recommend." Jenny: "I love the interplay between the serious Colossus and Deadpool who takes nothing seriously. I liked the jail scene and everything, really. I recommend; good times!" Robert: "I enjoyed what I saw but it was pretty much what I expected. I love X-Force dying the way they did though-- that was absolutely hilarious. Brad Pitt's half-a-second cameo being electrocuted made my day too. Recommend." Recommendations: Jenny recommends The Hitman's Bodyguard-- "I'm the last person on earth to watch this but Samuel L Jackson and Ryan Reynolds are super worth it!" Robert loves PK-- "It's an alien movie about an alien that lands in India; it's a great satire about Hinduism's polytheistic religions, released in 2014. I totally recommend people watch more foreign films to gain a broader perspectives." Jermaine plays a new game, Battle Chef Brigade-- "You gotta hunt the animals, kill them, bring them back to the kitchen, and cook them. I love this game!" Credits: "From our family's to yours, keep you pants dry, your dreams wet, and remember: hugs not drugs."

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2klo3dm Trailer Talk: Venom Robert: "Venom feels like exactly like the same villain as Doctor Octopus and every single other villain we've ever seen in a Spiderman movie. Just like Green Goblin and Doc Ock, the villain's guy torn between good and evil. Also, reminds of Spawn. Let's please not review this movie when it releases. Zero stars." Jermaine: "This movie feels like it's gonna be like Ang Lee's Hulk back in 2003. Most of the movie is about the guy discovering his own powers with way too much talking. I like Tom Hard but this isn't a good trailer. They're totally changing the story. This looks like they're just changing things for the sake of changing it. I'm like a grandma giving out candy when it comes to stars but I give it TWO stars." Jenny: "Watching this trailer I was wondering, where's Spiderman? This trailer reminded me of the Hulk. Venom doesn't make sense with Spiderman! I have zero expectations so maybe it'll be really good? Two stars." Reviews: Krypton Jenny: "I'm not a fan of Superman. I really like this show because it's among equals and not about Superman being all super. I was really surprised; this series blew my mind by how much I liked it. It's like Back to the Future." Robert: "I totally agree with Jenny. The best part about Krypton is how far away it's divorced from Superman." Jermaine: "Jenny and Robert do not speak for GCA whatsoever. Robert's just a random-hire we had come in to fit some seats. You know what Batman needs? A therapist." Lost in Space Jenny: "Why is Will Robinson just wandering into the forest? Would you be logging everything if you're on an alien planet? Also, if it were really that cold, it wouldn't be raining! If I'm not pulled in by the second episode, it's not worth it. I don't recommend it." Robert: "Wouldn't people who are sent into space as humanity's last home be, I don't know, smarter? Why does the dad need to drag his kid to the volcano to identify magnesium? Also, why isn't that dumb crate locked down at the beginning of the movie? They have a space station that can fly across the galaxy but can't properly lock down a crate? I don't recommend this show; stay far, far away!" Jermaine: "I love this show! It does a great job of showing the feeling of being lost and helpless. I remember watching the original Lost in Space when I was a kid which was campy, cheesy movie. This is more serious. I think it's a really good rendition! Also, I've never hated anyone as much as I hate Parker Posey. She's so devious! I recommend this show!" Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Crazy Ex-Girlfriend-- "I was never gonna watch this but then Netflix, my friends, and my sister asked me to watch it. And I love it! I've watched the first three seasons!" Robert learns a ton from Netflix's Wild Wild Country-- "For anyone interested in the utopia that Osho, the Indian guru, tried to set up in Oregon in 1981. A fascinating true story!" Jenny loves using TeamSnap-- "It's a terrific app that helps us organize our softball events. It's a paid-app but is totally worth it! Totally different than free apps which all suck." Credits: "There's a superhero in all of us. We just need the courage to put on the cape."

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2wsDgC8 Two Week Catch-Up: Robert discovers Kroger Fuel Rewards-- "If you stack up all of the digital coupons right, you can pump gas for as cheap as four cents a gallon!" Nerdy News: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Gets Grilled by Congress Over Privacy Issues Robert: "Assuming Facebook doesn't reveal my personal details to outsiders, I'm totally okay with them tracking and reselling all of my internet traffic data. It's not your data! It's Facebook's! You agreed to the million-page-long Terms of Service. You're not the customer; you're the product-- be prepared for your data to be sold and resold ad infinitum." Jermaine: "I'm not fine with my data being resold to third-parties I don't know about! At what point does one single company have too much power, information, and control?" Jenny: "Your personal information's all already out there. Folks sign the privacy statement-- what are you expecting? I have a 'trash-email' I use to sign up for websites. The websites get nothing!" Trailer Talk: Ant-Man & the Wasp Jenny: "When they shrink the building, wouldn't all the pipes underneath explode with water? How about all of the electrical and plumbing? 3.5 stars." Robert: "I'm with Jenny! Being a silly, superhero movie doesn't exonerate you from having to be internally consistent with the laws of your own universe! Three stars." Jermaine: "I think you guys are thinking too hard about this. The movie's about a guy who can shrink. I'm excited for this! This is Marvel's version of a heist movie and I love that genre. Paul Rudd and Michael Pena are hilarious. Four stars!" Review: Avengers: Infinity War Jermaine: "This a Thanos-movie, not an Avengers-movie. There are 71 characters in this movie! This movie accomplished something for me that hasn't happened since The Empire Strikes Back. Despite all the negative things that happened at the end, it gave me the hope I needed. Brilliantly crafted. Also, think of Thor's people-- only 12.5% of them remain at this point! Recommend." Robert: "I agree as a technical achievement, Infinity War is unprecedented. But there are no stakes! We know Black Panther and Spiderman are returning alive. C'mon-- they've got sequels in the works! No way Disney's leaving billions of dollars on the table! I begrudgingly recommend watching this movie." Jenny: "I don't want to watch movies with you! You're heartless! You've gotta use character knowledge-- not meta-knowledge! With so many stars, I was worried with everything coming together. Also, would there be enough time to highlight all the individual characters? I love this movie; go see this movie. I totally recommend." Recommendations: Jermaine plays A Way Out with Chris-- "It's a great, innovative co-op game that allows you to really create a bond with your partner. We blew through this game in two days!" Robert reads Last Year by Robert Charles Wilson-- "A time travel'ish novel where people from the future can travel back in time to the Civil War era. Lots of compelling ideas and I love RCW!" Jenny watches Sword Art Online-- "A little dated in its animation but it's just fabulous, especially for people who play MMOs. Terrific writing and easy to watch; I totally recommend it." Credits: "Evacuate the city. Engage our defenses. And get this man a shield."

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2Hsf6gq Three Week Catch-Up: Robert signs up for library cards at the Cincinnati Public Library and Mason Public Library Nerdy News: Netflix Wants to Buy Its Own Theaters Jenny: "Horrible idea. I would never pay additional money for a movie I could just watch for less at home." Robert: "I think there's potential and promise here. Some TV series nowadays, like Game of Thrones, are such pure spectacles these days with mega-blockbuster Hollywood budgets that they're on par with whatever's released in theaters." Jermaine: "I hate the movie, Mother! It's a total waste of time. I don't even wish I had those two hours back. I just wish those two hours were deleted from my life. Worst movie I've ever seen." Trailer Talk: Incredibles 2 Jenny: "With this trailer it's hitting the mark. It's not pretending to be something it's not. I'm excited! I don't see dads being offended by it. But if they made a movie about a woman going to work and a whole bunch of things going wrong, it'd be a total faux-pas. Five stars." Robert: "This movie feels very Scandinavian to me. I like how the traditional gender roles are reversed-- where the dad needs to stay at home with the kids and the woman is out being the bread-winner. But why am I so okay with the man being made the fool? 4.5 stars." Jermaine: "I think it's because men are in a position of power. That's why it's okay to make fun of them. That's such a good point though. I'm gonna put on my hater-pants and give it four stars." Review: Ready Player One Jenny: "I went in with low expectations but I loved it! There are some plot holes though-- they didn't focus on the outside world. Who grows the food? I liked the CGI. I really like it. One of the best movies I've seen this year. Recommend." Jermaine: "I've seen this movie twice. I'm still unsure where I am. The book was a total homage to the 80s but the movie only has a sprinkling of it. I hated I-R0k in the movie. And the love story between Art3mis and Percival is way cut down in the movie. I felt this movie was a whole bunch of lost opportunities. Still, recommend." Robert: "I've never seen The Shining and was totally lost during that sequence. I totally sympathize with the challenges of adapting a 300-page book into a 2.5-hour movie. I thought it was surprisingly faithful adaption though. Mark Rylance is a total revelation in this. I think his portrayal as an anti-social nerdy nerd is perfect. Recommend." Recommendations: Jermaine loves playing the new God of War-- "It is fantastic. The story and voice-acting is phenomenal. Stop and turn off the podcast, go downstairs to your Playstation, and download God of War. You're welcome." Robert enjoys reading Head On by John Scalzi-- "A lot like the Bruce Willis movie, Surrogates, from a while back. Good world-building, characters, and dialogue." Jenny watches Saiki K--"Just love it. Can't say enough good things about it. It's dubbed and has great character development. It's about a teenage boy in high school who has psychic powers!" Credits: “People who live in glass houses should shut the f--- up.”

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2F12JBN Two Week Catch-Up: Robert moves to Cincinnati, OH Jenny visits America Nerdy News: Cannes Festival Bans Netflix Robert: "Spielberg is making an impassioned argument that the Oscars and Cannes are meant to extol the traditional 'theater-going experience'-- it's all about celebrating the common, collective human experience that ties society together. It's about keeping the social fabric strong!" Jenny: "Nah, it's all about the Benjamins!" Jermaine: "If it's about art, let everyone compete!" Darrell: "It's all about the existing power structure wanting to keep control and keeping the newcomers out." Trailer Talk: Deadpool 2 Jermaine: "I love all the breaking of the fourth wall. I'm worried about director David Leitch. His only feature so far, Atomic Blonde, wasn't so great. But this is Ryan Reynolds's baby-- I trust the man. Five stars." Darrell: "I think being cryogenically frozen should be a thing so I can be put to sleep now and just be woken up to see it. I'm excited-- I'm ready to see this one. The first Deadpool is my favorite superhero movie. Five stars." Jenny: "Deadpool is a genre all its own. It's just so good! It's funny, it's entertaining! You're not gonna hesitate to see this. Also, Terry Crews! I like Terry Crews! Five stars." Robert: "I liked Deadpool a lot but the question is-- can it continue its novelty into this second installment? Also, I can't believe it, but I actually agree with Jermaine on this one-- Captain America: Winter Solider is an absolutely profound movie. Four stars." Review: Black Panther Robert: "A 1.25-billion global box office-- that's what I think of this movie. Black Panther really caught fire because it caught the current cultural zeitgeist (Black Lives Matter, etc). Also, Michael B. Jordan is an amazing villain-- an incredibly compelling and sympathetic character. I recommend it." Jenny: "I had very little expectations for this movie but I ended up liking it lots! It's a good movie but I didn't like the end fight scene between the two women scientists and Killmonger. How are they keeping up with him? It's solid, I recommend it." Darrell: "Klaw was killed way too quickly! They could've totally let him get away and have him return later as a villain! Also, I loved M'Baku. So funny when he was talking to Everett and threatening to eat him! Recommend." Jermaine: "I thought Klaw was a red herring-- I think they killed Killmonger way too quickly! I loved that this movie showed Africa and African Americans in a positive light. Instead of everything being war-torn and poor, Africans were shown as rich and well-educated. Recommend." Recommendations: Jermaine recommends watching the new Tomb Raider-- "It's fun! Really good pacing and they take scenes directly from the videogame. I really enjoyed it." Darrell uses the Powerbeats3 Wireless all day long-- "They also have a quick-charge feature-- five minutes of charging gets you an hour of listening time!" Jenny watches Coco with the kids-- "Great family values. Super-cute and super-good. Skeptical going in but loved it coming out. Great family entertainment." Robert loves Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams on Amazon Prime-- "Really high production values in the vein of Black Mirror. Really thought-provoking! Definitely watch the first episode, Real Life." Credits: "You are a good man with a good heart, and it's hard for a good man to be king."

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2ENqQUC Seven Week Catch-Up: Jermaine valiantly tries to convince someone that earth's not flat. Nerdy News: Uber Self-Driving Car Kills Woman in Arizona Jermaine: "To me this feels like an over-reaction and it pisses me off. I drive an hour to work every day and I need my automated car. How many people got killed that day by people behind the wheel? I still want autonomous driving cars! I'm sorry, I blame her for being hit. I don't feel Uber should've paid the family anything. And I feel all autonomous vehicles should be reinstated." Darrell: "She wasn't using the crosswalk. Upon looking at the video, I would've hit the woman. They are in the shadows and it's pitch-black." Jenny: "It seems like a bad scenario no matter who was driving. I agree the pedestrian is in the wrong." Trailer Talk: Cobra Kai Darrell: "I'm all in! I don't see it going far but I'm in. After the nostalgia factor wears out, what's gonna make me stay? 3.5 stars." Jermaine: "I don't know how good the fight scenes are gonna be because it's YouTube Red. It has all the great 80's tropes. Dripping nostalgia. Hard five stars. I don't see this being bad!" Jenny: "I didn't really like the originals. They were super-cheesy. I'll watch it but I'd never pay for it. I mean-- they're old. Get over it! 3.5 stars." Review: The Alienist Jenny: "I really liked it! I found the show to be filmed very dark though-- as in I couldn't see anything. I recommend it." Darrell: "It too me a minute to get into this show because I don't really care for that time period. I recommend it with a caveat-- you gotta just sit down and watch it past the first episode." Jermaine: "This show strikes a chord with me. Normally I don't like serious procedurals. I was surprised I enjoyed this show though! I recommend it." Recommendations: Jenny recommends The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood-- "The timeline's a little jarred up but it's good! DON'T WATCH the Netflix live-action version. I totally un-recommend that!" Darrell buys the new Samsung Galaxy S9-- "I love the dual-aperture camera and its slow-mo feature! It's fast, amazing, and lasts all day!" Jermaine loves Sea of Thieves-- "It's been savaged by the critics but it's just such a blast. It's all about the stories that you create with your friends. Game is fantastic." Credits: "The only way to know how strong you are is to keep testing your limits."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2pezVAM One Week Catch-Up: Jenny plans to visit the USA to find running water, keep the moose at bay, get away from the snow and igloos, and to go shopping with her mom. Jermaine celebrates his annual Birthday Bowl extravaganza with board games & booze in the Poconos, passes out drunk and misses half of the Super Bowl, and asks if you can be pregnant and compete in a sport, does that count as an Olympic sport? Robert visits White Sulphur Springs with Shaza and celebrates returning to America. Trailer Talk: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Jenny: "I love how the trailer starts with the song. Watching this I couldn't help but wonder-- 'how is this a good idea?' I like the start of this trailer though-- it looks good. I feel the T-Rex is misunderstood. He's a good guy! In every movie, the T-Rex always saves the humans! Not good enough to be four stars but this brings back the nostalgia. 3.75 stars." Jermaine: "Doesn't this kinda story always ends in screaming & yelling? I thought the first one was okay but I'm not sure if I'm in. I'm not that excited about this. Nothing about this trailer stands out to me. I want to see the dinosaurs brought over to where the humans are. I'm not super-jazzed about this but I've never seen a Jurassic Park I didn't like. Every Jurassic Park is watchable. Also 3.75 stars." Robert: "I'm all for relocating the dinosaurs to save them from an exploding volcano but don't ship them to any already-populated areas! Surprisingly, I'm not that excited about this movie-- it feels like a cash-grab to me. Also, logically, this movie doesn't make much sense to me-- do they construct a large Noah's Ark to ferry the dinosaurs away from danger? This movie makes no sense to me. 1.75 stars." Mission Impossible: Fallout Jermaine: "At this point, every mission always goes wrong. Over-the-top action scenes-- I love it! Also, Henry Cavil-- yes! Those punches look so vicious! Four stars." Jenny: "Tom Cruise's face looks like it's fallen and aged. A tad chubby. I've never been let down by M:I (except by M:I III). I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan but I've never seen him in a movie I didn't like. Trailer might have given away too much but it looks good. 3.75 stars." Robert: "I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Superman is the villain in this one! I love it! I also like how this movie seems to bend the formula on the usual M:I story. 4.25 stars-- I like it!" Solo: A Star Wars Story Jermaine: "This is directed by Ron Howard who is the man. That said, meh. Dong Lover's casting in this is the only good thing. Young Han Solo also looks nothing like Han Solo. Also, where are my light sabers? I can see laser guns anywhere! I'm not gonna see this. Oh wait, Emilia Clarke eyebrows-- I love me some of that. 2.87 stars." "Also: Luke should have NEVER died in The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson messed that up big-time." Jenny: "I'm not a big Star Wars person but I thought this movie's casting is terrible. It's trying to be old and retro. Strangely, since I have no expectations, this movie could actually be good. Three stars." Robert: "It's simply too much too soon for me. Didn't we just get a Star Wars movie? I was unimpressed. Ridiculous! Three for three! I've agreed with Jermaine on every single trailer this week. No conflict! Such a boring show! 0.75 stars."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2BrTLPJ Seven Week Catch-Up: Robert attends a ThanksChristmas gathering with the church group, celebrates a last hurrah before leaving Taiwan, and returns to America. Jenny replaces her phone with a new Galaxy A5 after shattering her old phone and receives a $150 Best Buy gift card. Jermaine gets glasses and purchases an Ancestry.com pack and receives the results-- "I'm 40% Ivory Coast Ghanan and 20% Nigerian. I'm not from Panama!" Nerdy News: SpaceX successfully launches the Falcon Heavy Rocket Robert: "At this moment as we speak, Elon Musk's cherry red, 2008 Tesla Roadster with a mannequin driver dubbed Starman is currently floating through space towards Mars." Reviews: Black Lightning Jermaine: "It's the first time I've seen two black, lesbian women kissing and the show didn't make it a big thing! Very smart. Also, I loved it's not an origin story! It's more about family with superhero'ing on the side. The superhero bits are the worst and everything else is great. I fully recommend this show-- one of the better CW shows I've seen." Jenny: "As a white woman from Canada, it made be wonder if what I was watching was realistic. Are black people really pulled over like that by cops for no reason? It seems so wrong. My beef with this show is that the fighting scenes are the worst and that costume is the cheesiest I've ever seen. May be a little mean for my crew in the hood (the means streets of Maple Ridge!) but I recommend." Robert: "If you have special gifts, are you obligated to a higher bar and responsibility to improve society? Or can you turn your back on all the people who you could help and just focus on raising your own family? It's a campy show but I recommend." Altered Carbon Robert: "I love this show. The world itself is a character. It's noir, techno-punk, and Blade Runner meets Total Recall. What happens in the world when humans can live forever? Absolutely recommend." Jenny: "I had a hard time watching and following this show. Also, why is there so much nudity in this show? Very distracting. Aside from that, I love the show's concepts and enjoy its newness. Recommend." Jermaine: "Likewise, why's all the random nudity necessary? It's off-putting. Also, did they change Asians halfway through the show? Asian people should be angrier! The first two episodes are terrible but stick with it and it all sews together. It's tasty! Like sweet candy! Recommend but you gotta watch past the first two episodes." Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Monster Hunter: World-- "A Japanese game that's come to the US. You lay traps to catch monsters-- so much fun!" Robert listens to More Perfect, a new podcast from the makers of Radiolab-- "Really profound. A deep dive into really significant SCOTUS decisions in the history of the US." Jenny watches Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee-- "I'm not a car person but I love celebrities doing such normal-looking things and getting coffee." Credits: “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2BOT7JF Three Week Catch-Up: Robert discusses politics and socioeconomics with a friend from church over brunch and discovers Jermaine's dream job growing up was to make video games. Jenny travels up to Whistler without the kids and fixes the brakes on her car with Terry in the freezing cold. Team effort! Jermaine gets addicted to Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs, finds himself still knee-deep raiding in Destiny 2, and listens to the K-Pop group, BtS, like crazy. Trailer Talk: Avengers - Infinity War Jenny: "I think it looks really good but I'm concerned about bringing in the Guardians of the Galaxy. A strong 4.5 stars." Jermaine: "This trailer made my skin tingle. This is the most excited for a trailer I have ever been my entire life. No trailer has ever made me tingle the way this trailer has. There is no way for this movie to live up to expectations. There's no way I'm gonna like the movie enough. I'm too hyped for it. I have seen this trailer at least ten times. Thirteen stars." Robert: "I am apparently a big flaming meteorite of hate. Meh, it wasn't bad, I guess. I am simply in awe of the shameless, commercial, crossover spectacle. Disney has mastered the art of taking people's money. Peter Parker stares out the bus window and sees a giant floating doodad in the sky. Great. Four stars." Review: Star Wars - The Last Jedi Jenny: "I did not feel the pain when Luke ______ but I did hear the fans gasp. Also, I can’t get over Snape’s lightsaber. He’s gonna hurt himself! This is my favorite Star Wars movie that I've ever seen. I recommend." Jermaine: "There are fans rating this movie one star. In what world is this a one-star movie? You can't judge a movie based on your own fan theories and missed expectations. The audience is simply ignorant-- Rey's parentage and Emperor Snoke are all red herrings! I am thoroughly impressed with this movie, I recommend it." Robert: "Yeah, that 'Princess Leia in Space' scene did nothing for me. I have huge problems with this movie (cough, astro-projection) but at this point I feel if you wish to belong to society, you simply must watch Star Wars." Recommendations: Jermaine recommends HQ Trivia-- "At 3p and 10p EST everyday, if you can answer twelve trivia questions, you can split $15,000 with all the winners!" Robert loves HBO's shortly-lived series, The Newsroom-- "Aaron Sorkin is a genius. Super, hyper-liberal but still fun to watch." Jenny enjoys Elf-- "Great for adults and kids; a really good Christmas movie!" Credits: "The greatest teacher, failure is."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2ieAPtg One Week Catch-Up: Jenny watches Star Wars: The Force Awakens. "Kylo Ren looks like a young Snape! Totally from Harry Potter! And why do Storm Troopers even bother wearing the plastic guards? Useless! They all get one hit and die anyways." Robert begins reading Artemis by Andy Weir & celebrates Thanksgiving lunch with church after Sunday service with turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry pie. Jermaine reads Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson & smokes his first turkey. Nerdy News: EA Kills Microtransactions for Star Wars: Battlefront 2 Jenny: "Sixty bucks to buy Vader? On top of already buying the game? And pouring in so many additional hours? Forget it! Dead on arrival!" Jermaine: "Reddit went insane. EA is totally in the wrong on this one. EA also took away the 'cancel' button to prevent gamers from canceling their pre-order! So sleazy!" Robert: "What's the big deal? No one's forcing you to buy and play it. If you don't like the game then just don't buy it." Trailer Talk - Game Night Jenny: "It seems like a version of murder mystery for nerds. It has the potential to be pretty okay. Not worth twenty bucks to see in theater but I'll watch it on Netflix. Three stars." Jermaine: "It's going to be a horrible good movie. Jason Bateman plays the exact same kinda character in every movie! I think it'll be fun but I'm not gonna watch it. Three stars." Robert: "This is a real sign to me nerd and geekdom has truly arrived and gone fully mainstream. It'll be fine but I won't watch it either. Two stars." Review - The Punisher Robert: "This celebration of vigilante justice and gun culture is problematic for me. I think it's too real and therefore it hits too close to home for me. Villains are whoever we envision them to be. Don't recommend." "Also, is torture legitimate and justified in times of warfare?" Jermaine: "Bad guys in The Punisher are cartoonishly evil and over the top-- that's what makes this work. I like the 'Rambo-comes-home-and-needs-to-fit-back-into-society' story. Also, I hate Karen. She's my second most hated character right after Iron Fist! That said, I recommend the show. It's phenomenal!" "It's not what you do in easy times that matters, it's what you do when times are hard. It's super-simple for me." Jenny: "I don't like the realistic fighting gore, like when he's breaking legs. TV makes it too glorious! It took me two episodes to get sold on it but I'm in! I agree that the soldier-coming-home story is good. Very well done, recommend." "You can see from Frank's side who the good and bad guys are but you don't see the other side. You don't have the whole picture; you're only seeing a piece of the pie." Recommendations: Jermaine watches Tiger & Bunny on Netflix-- "The more people you save, the more points you get! Who'll be the best superhero?" Jenny enjoys Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond-- "A really good watch if you're a Jim Carey fan and if you enjoyed Man on the Moon." Robert loves rewatching The West Wing-- "The love of my life! Especially the first four seasons with Aaron Sorkin as chief writer." Credits: "Those who do evil to others, the killers, the rapists, psychos, sadists, you will come to know me well, Frank Castle had said. Call me The Punisher."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2zIne8E Two Week Catch-Up: Robert watches a ton of West Wing and finishes his communal watching of Stranger Things 2 with his church group. Jenny goes through all of her Christmas shopping and takes her kids to jump on trampolines at Extreme Air Park. Jermaine does secret stuff he can't discuss on the podcast because he has entities he needs to answer to. Nerdy News: Disney demands of 65% of theater proceeds to screen Star Wars: The Last Jedi Jermaine: "That IP is license to print money. It feels like extortion, right?" Jenny: "That's not fair! For little companies that's a big amount of money! Also, theaters should drop ticket prices to five bucks and make popcorn $20." Robert: "Disney owns Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. Theater chains could just band together to boycott the movie too. America is the cradle of capitalism and free-market enterprise-- no one is forced to screen Star Wars." The FCC plans to kill net neutrality next month Jermaine: "It'll kill innovation and invention!" Robert: "I'll play devil's advocate-- the providers paid for the pipes! They dug up the ground and laid fiber and coax! They launched the satellites! Why can't they charge based on what content they allow through? Also, killing net neutrality will allow for product differentiation which'll lead to more competition and innovation!" Review - Justice League Jenny: "It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I guess that's the beauty of having no expectations. CGI was bad. Also, I'm a huge Batman fan and I don't think Batman had the right personality in this movie. Surprisingly, I recommend." Jermaine: "Yeah, CGI definitely not great but not so much to be distracting. That said, I liked this movie was lighter, brighter, and funnier. Ray Fisher as Cyborg was amazing. Steppenwolf was the worst part of this movie-- 'Superman whooped him like he stole something!' I thoroughly enjoyed this movie; I liked the fan service." Robert: "Parademons are basically just Age of Ultron robot minions. Flash was just X-Men/Avenger's Quicksilver + Tom Holland's Spiderman. And Steppenwolf was the most useless villain ever, a poor man's Ultron. A perfectly mediocre movie. Watch if it's free and you have absolutely nothing better to do." Credits: "Do you bleed?"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2hveuXR Three Week Catch-Up: Robert rewatches episodes of West Wing, flies to Hong Kong for a day to renew his 90-day-visa-exempt status in Taiwan, and discovers the difference between 1.2 billion Catholics and 900 million Protestants in Christianity. Jenny vacations to Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA, visits a women's retreat in south Washington, and catches up with a border guard friend from high school at the Canada/USA crossing. Jermaine calls out Gandhi for bad behavior, works nights on call, attends a wine glass painting class, joins a Python boot camp to learn programming, temporarily forfeits his phone at a bar to raise money for an ALS charity, and visits a lot of Halloween parties dressed as Jughead from Riverdale. Nerdy News: Disney announces the launch of its own streaming platform in 2019 Jermaine: "Hulu is awesome and does anyone actually use Amazon Prime for streaming?" Jenny: "I don't use any of the other services; Netflix is good enough for me for everything." Robert: "Netflix and Spotify are completely dependent on the kindness and goodwill of their licencors to keep licensing them material." Trailer Talk - New Mutants Jermaine: "I'm not going to go see this but it doesn't look like a bad movie. They having powers detracted for me because they're not in danger and aren't so helpless. That's what puts fear in me for horror movies. Three stars." Jenny: "It reminded me of fan-fiction. It's someone taking the X-Men universe and rolling it into the horror genre. Three stars." Robert: "This is what happens when you try to milk every last possible dime out of your franchise. This is rampant commercialism of sprawling franchises gone horribly wrong. Zero stars." Review - Stranger Things, Season 2 Jermaine: "The hype-train ruined it for me for season 1. It never came together for me. Now I understand the world though, Stranger Things is intriguing as heck. I love these kids. 100% recommendation." Jenny: "I was disappointed with the first season. It was okay. I had no expectations for this second season and then I found out-- 'Haha! It's better than nothing!' I recommend it!" Robert: "Communal group watching of TV shows is the best ever. The Duffer brothers are excellent at instilling dread and ominous feeling. Total recommendation." Recommendations: Jermaine reads The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett-- "A world where demons come out of the ground and kill people! I am so enamored. I burned through it in three days." Robert garners insight into the perspective of women by reading up on girlsaskguys.com-- "It's an interesting place to get opinions from both genders!" Jenny watches Judah Friedlander: America is the Greatest Country in the United States-- "I've watched it three times and it's fantastically funny." Credits: "It's finger-lickin' good!"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2gKQUWT Two Week Catch-Up: Robert spends a lot of time reading about politics on Google Newsstand and about Supreme Court cases. Can Masterpiece Cakeshop refuse to bake a cake for a gay couple's wedding? The Piano Guys' decision to perform at President Trump's inauguration. Jenny celebrates her daughter's second birthday & takes five-year old kids on field trips to pumpkin patches. Jermaine travels to San Francisco, Boston, Nova Scotia, Maine, New Brunswick, and discovers that he can take ramen noodles onto planes. Nerdy News: Giant Robot Duel: Japan vs USA Jermaine: "Did you see that first punch by Japan? It took 30 minutes to get there. America was still hit by it. This was such a disappointing failure. Here's what we're gonna do-- I'm gonna start a crowdfunded project, people please send me money, and I'm just gonna set it on fire. That's what this was." Also: "Man, did you see that Pacific Rim 2 trailer?" Robert: "America totally cheated! Team USA built two robots! I feel bad for Japan which got owned by America's giant chainsaw robot-- giant fighting mechs are in Japan's cultural DNA." Jenny: "I was totally expecting a better mech assault. Also, the guy commentator was way too enthused. The fight didn't match at all what was being described." Trailer Talk: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Jenny: "When my parents were first dating, they walked out of the theater during the first Star Wars. I just can't get into this franchise. Didn't bother seeing the last one and probably won't see this one. The trailer looks awesome though. I give it five stars but I'm just not gonna go see it." Jermaine: "And that's why America is totally superior to Canada. One word: Laser-swords. Finally, it about time we see how strong Jedi can get using the Force. There is no way this movie is going to disappoint me. Five stars." Robert: "Star Wars is more a cinematic, character-oriented space opera. Star Trek, in my humble opinion, is an infinitely more compelling product. A solid trailer, four stars." Reviews: Star Trek: Discovery Jenny: "The went away from Monster-of-the-Episode format! And what did they do to the Klingons? It looks really futuristic. It's supposed to look cheesy! Ugh, and Klingon subtitles! I'm too lazy to read now. Recommend." Jermaine: "As long as I think of it as just a sci-fi action show, I like it. It's not Star Trek but I fully recommend if you watch the past the second episode." Robert: "Star Trek is supposed to be about ideas. Meh, I recommend it if you have nothing better to do. There are worse ways to pass your time." The Orville Robert: "I love this show so much! I was so surprised! It's the spiritual successor of Star Trek! This is a thinking person's show. Raises compelling questions about contemporary social issues. Unfettered recommendation from me." Jermaine: "It's a show about people! A lot of the time, it's just a bunch of guys going to a new area and seeing what happens. I thoroughly enjoy this show." Jenny: "The first mate being the captain's ex isn't my favorite but I love that she is so risque. She had me howling at certain parts. I recommend it." Recommendations: Jermaine recommends the RAVPower FileHubPlus -- "Fan-freaking-tastic! It's a traveling file server you can use anywhere!" Robert replaces his Dropbox subscription with a Microsoft Office 365 subscription-- "It gives you Office for a year, 1TB of OneDrive, and 60 minutes of Skype service each month." Jenny watches Big Mouth-- "It's very rude but good. Not for a younger audience. Everything it talks about everyone can relate too. I laughed and cringed a lot." Credits: "Live long and prosper and may the Force be with you."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2xFovvZ One Month Catch-Up: Robert gets a really bad cold, complains about Taiwan's weak OTC medicine, and dislikes the single-payer healthcare system in Taiwan Jermaine works nights, sleeps a lot, waits in the cold, cold wind to wait for the SNES Classic, plays Destiny 2, binges Greenhouse Academy, and visits a haunted house Jenny enjoys It and watches her oldest son win at American football Nerdy News: EU Suppresses Anti-Piracy Report Jermaine: "Studios simply need to make good movies. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and word-of-mouth make or break a movie nowadays." Robert: "But who determines what is good? One man's garbage is another man's treasure. Look at Transformers 4, Inhumans, etc." Jenny: "It's just like a book-- if it's entertaining you're going to keep reading." Russian Defense Company Unveils One-Person Flying Car Jenny: "It seems super-cool but what about birds? What about people who fly and text?" Jermaine: "I think I'd be up for this if it were automated. Also-- I want to see smart car-compliant highways." Robert: "I don't even trust people driving yet. I'm in no rush to see people flying. Also, let's get automated driving down first before automated flying for mass transit." Trailer Talk: Tomb Raider Jenny: "It looks good. I'm not a fan myself but I think it has a place. Four stars." Jermaine: "It looks fun. The other ones got bogged down in politics. This one's more character-based! Heroine. Bad guy. I don't understand how you can't get a videogame movie right. All the characters and stories are already done for you. Three stars." Robert: "It feels too gritty to me. Why so serious? Where's the fun, playfulness, and silliness? Seems generic. One star." The Punisher Robert: "Put on your lover pants! What makes a well-intentioned person go completely off the rails and become a psychopathic serial killer? So fascinating. 4.5 stars!" Jermaine: "The trailer uses the music perfectly. Berthal feels like the Punisher to me. A throwback to the 1980s commando which I love. 5 stars." Jenny: "The trailer looks fantastic! Berthal is a very good actor. Reminds me of John Wick. Simple but still awesome and fun. 4.5 stars." Review - Kingsman: Golden Circle Jenny: "My expectations were too high. It was fine, but not as good as I'd hoped. I had zero expectations for the first one and it was SO good. This one, I didn't like the lasso. And that ski lift was so dumb. That said, recommend." Jermaine: "That car chase was amazing. Vaughn films with so much style. Movie drips with style. Certain scenes were too slow and made no sense. I definitely recommend." Robert: "The meat grinder scene bothered me. Elton John's flying sidekick was amazing though! There are definitely problems and it's not as good as the first one but I recommend." ​​ Recommendations: Jermaine plays 4-5 hours a day of Destiny 2 - "I can't get enough of the game and can't tear myself away!" Jenny recommends It - "It was surprisingly good! Another 80s throwback that's currently hot these days." Robert watches The Classroom of the Elite-- "What if your total worth in society was ranked by a point total at the end of every month calculated by a system you don't know the rules to? So great!" Credits: "To see your world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower. Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, An eternity in an hour." Too much bathos in the MCU! "Batman v Superman: The Fundamental Flaw"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2jry1wd Two Week Catch-Up: Robert reads Game of Thrones & Clash of Kings & watches The Hitman's Bodyguard & American Made Jermaine complains about Nintendo, works a ton, and discovers that Game of Thrones is a television show-- he binge-watches the entire series over Labor Day weekend-- "It is sweet, delicious candy!" Jenny buys a new headset and mouse, plays World of Warships, and sends the kids back to school Darrell takes two days off of work, watches The Strain, The League, Shooter, and is excited about Salvation Nerdy News: Very few US workers worried about tech making their jobs obsolete Robert: "What about automated kiosks and tellers?" Jermaine: "You gotta watch out for inflation!" Jenny: "Higher wages lead to higher prices for everything!" Darrell: "How are you going to get millionaires and billionaires to go for this?" Movie theater company stocks plunge Jermaine: "The movie companies need to innovate and take advantage of technology! Also, the decreasing quality of movies certainly don't help" Darrell: "There's not a captive audience waiting for you to release stuff. Also, China's box office increased 24%!" Robert: "How can theater chains better monetize their unique selling proposition? The big screens, surround sound, and comfortable seats." Jenny: "The technology at home is just so much better too. Here in Canada, Cineplex streams new movies directly into your home!" Reviews: Death Note - Anime Robert: "Death Note is a masterpiece. It's consistently ranked as the top anime that people who don't even like anime need to watch. The moral complexity and ambiguity are fun to think about for me. Recommend!" Jermaine: "What moral ambiguity? I didn't get that! To me, that kid is a nut bag. He is cuckoo for Coca Puffs. 100% Recommend." Jenny: "I smell some serious kind of crazy. The justice system works. Why do you need to go around killing people in jail? Recommend." Darrell: "If you cross Light in any way, you have a chance of dying. Definitely recommend." Death Note - Netflix Jermaine: "First half of the movie the worst movie I've ever seen. Second half picks up considerably. What works in anime just can't work in an American movie. I don't recommend." Jenny: "Two completely different worlds. Reminded me of Kill Bill Vol 1 + 2. I don't recommend." Darrell: "This should have never been Americanized. It was a poor idea from beginning to end. It's a movie. Don't compare it to the anime. I liked the character, L, in the movie though and found his quirkiness endearing. I recommend with the caveat, do not expect the anime." Robert: "If you approach the movie without thinking at all of the anime, I think it works. Movie is very stylishly done. Also, in the American version, the girlfriend role has been strongly empowered compared to the anime characterization. Recommend. I think it's as good as it possibly could've been." Recommendations: Jermaine reads Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe-- "Reminds me of Patrick Rothfuss. Great character building, so good." Jenny plays Dominion-- "It's a lot of fun and quick. Every time you play it, it's a different game!" Darrell recommends The Hitman's Bodyguard-- "Though it has mixed reviews, I enjoyed it. Great comedy with over-the-top language. SLJ is a thousand years old though!" Robert watches American Made-- "Based on a true story! There comes a moment in all of our lives where we need to choose between the mundane and the extraordinary." Credits: Dark Warrior Duck "I can't develop feelings. That's how most idiots screw up."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2wPzQYO Three Week Catch-Up: Jenny adds a second monitor to her computer setup, watches the solar eclipse, and successfully moves her new television from Oregon to back home in Canada. Darrell works tirelessly for seventeen days straight without realizing it and buys a new Honda CRV. Robert returns from Vietnam ("living and eating there was super dirt-cheap!") and visits Kaohsiung back in Taiwan to try to sleep and eat better to improve his health. Nerdy News: MoviePass Conjures Up a Storm with AMC After Dropping Monthly Subscription Price to $9.95 Darrell: "I'm a fan, I'm totally in. It's such a good deal!" Jenny: "I have kids so I don't have the money to have someone watch them all the time. Data concerns aside, I'd be totally in if they have it here in Canada." Robert: "The idea is MoviePass would collect viewer demographic data on all ticket-buyers and then sell that data to interested third-parties to serve up advertisements." James Damore Fired From Google After "Allegedly Sexist" Ten-Page Memo Leaked to Public Jenny: "Let's say Damore's observations are correct-- are women being more 'emotionally sensitive' than men a bad thing? What's wrong with that? It doesn't mean women are any lesser than men." On Affirmative Action: "I don't want to be called in just as the 'diversity candidate.' I want to admitted based on my qualifications alone." Darrell: "I don't believe Damore's observations are true. He paints with too broad a brush. It's up to the company but personally, if he worked for me, I wouldn't have fired him. People are entitled to have their own opinions. I don't see this as being very harmful." On Affirmative Action: "It was well-intentioned in its time but there are problems. It's not perfect. I would like to eliminate it but I need to see more data. Hiring should be done on pure skills and merits." Robert: "Anecdotally, I found Damore's observations about 'fundamental population differences between men and women' to align with my own personal experiences. I also don't agree Damore should've been fired though." On Affirmative Action: "If I were ever a parent, I would be angry if my kid were docked points for being Asian. Just cause 'my kind of people' were historically successful, why should I or my family be punished?" Trailer Talk: Inhumans Jenny: "It didn't look good, it didn't look bad. I'm glad it's a series and not a movie. I don't think it'll last though; the story's been told. The giant time-travelling dog kinda threw me too. Has a Heroes vibe. Three stars." Darrell: "It looked very generic to me. It doesn't look like it's gonna last either. It does look like it has the potential to be interesting. Three stars." Robert: "Iwan Rheon who plays Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones is in this! I'm in - three stars." A Wrinkle in Time Jenny: "Trailer seemed very scattered, jumping all over the place. This movie doesn't come out 'til next March though; why is it coming out now? Four stars." Darrell: "I liked this one a little more. It's got a star-studded cast and Oprah Winfrey narrating it. I'm kinda excited to see what this is gonna be! Four stars." Robert: "It didn't draw me in. Just seemed weird, an offbeat movie. I'm a big fan of kid-lit though. Three stars." Recommendations: Jenny recommends Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them-- "I watched in glorious 4k on my new TV! Not what I expected but I liked it as much as Harry Potter." Darrell watches Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-- "Whether you agree with him or not, it's hilarious. You'll be angry, you'll laugh, you'll learn. Very well written." Robert reads Game of Thrones, the book-- "Last time I recommended the HBO show, this time I recommend the book! As Time magazine writes: George R.R. Martin is the American Tolkien!" Credits: "Believing takes practice."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2wjw6Q6 Two Week Catch-Up: Robert falls sick, catches up on House of Cards, watches Game of Thrones seasons 4-7, and prepares to visit Vietnam because his Taiwanese visa has expired Darrell works seventeen days straight and is told to go home because he's worked too much! Jermaine calls Baby Driver a musical and loves Jamie Foxx and Clive Owen Jenny visits Oregon (no sales tax!) with family to buy a television and to celebrate their anniversary Nerdy News: Dark Tower Plagued By Post-Production Problems Jermaine: "It's now cut to 88 minutes! I don't think this bodes well. Too many cooks in the kitchen. I lower my score to two stars. The director should have final say." Jenny: "I'm not excited about the sheer amount of cuts. It's now a really short movie!" Robert: "This is what happens when you have 'competing power centers with veto rights' handle the post-production of a movie!" Darrell: "Maybe other films do this but we just don't hear about it?" HBO's Newly Announced Confederate Riles Controversy Robert: "Do you have to be a member of the persecuted class to write/world-build? Also, why is Man in the High Castle okay and Confederate not?" Jermaine: "According to television, black people didn't exist until the 80s. Slavery hits closer to home than Nazism. I'm gonna make a movie called, 'Half-Asian-Black-Dude in an Internment Camp.'" Jenny: "I think the reason it's so controversial is because it's so fresh." Darrell: "In response, Amazon's making another show about slavery called Black America." Trailer Talk: Bright Jenny: "I am SUPER excited about this Sci-Fi. Will Smith looks so old in this movie! It looks very good. I haven't seen a bad Will Smith movie." Jermaine: "I'm excited about this based on just the director (David Ayer - End of Watch) and Will Smith. Everything about this just speaks to me." Robert: "I like Will Smith fine but I don't like this buddy-buddy cop procedural drama. Not at all excited for this. Is this the beginning of the end for Netflix?" Darrell: "The first sneak peak we watched was terrible but I've come around. I'm excited for this!" Death Note Jermaine: "Another example of white-washing! If you have the ability to act and you don't, are you responsible? Why is this a movie and not a TV series? I would need to know the exact future before using a Death Note. Four stars based on Willem Dafoe's character." Robert: "Well, the law-enforcement person, L, has been recast as a black guy. Is that black-washing? Bottom line is that all Asians have been erased to be non-Asians. Asian-Erasing! Movie seems to completely miss the moral profundity and conundrums that made the original manga so compelling. Also, what would you do if you received a Death Note? One-star." Darrell: "Look at what movies are becoming-- Trash-Formers, The Fast and the Curious. There's a dumbing-down of all movies." Jenny: "Reminded me a lot of Final Destination. Would you give a Death Note to anyone else? Three-stars." Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Factorio-- "It is so much fun! There is so many things you can do. It is freakin' fantastic. Definitely check it out." Jenny loves Castelvania-- "It was a little dark but you gotta get past the first episode. I'm saddened it was only four episodes. Awesome concept." Darrell watches I'm Sorry-- "It's for anyone who likes The League and Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's funny!" Robert binge-watches Game of Thrones-- "I got turned off at the end of season 3 because of the dragons and ice-zombies. But season 4 ratchets up the kingdom politics, backstabbing, palace-intrigue, and devious machinations."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2tlF12o Five Week Catch-Up: Robert unfortunately regresses and falls sick again, watches all of Westworld and GLOW, and visits Liphao with Shaza to ride Taiwan's largest Ferris Wheel Jermaine races and crashes drones, goes crazy on Prime day, assembles patio furniture in his yard, and hates Gaston in the new live-action Beauty and the Beast Darrell works a lot and transitions into a new job and watches the movie, Shooter Jenny celebrates Canada Day with the country's 150th birthday with family, grows fruits and veggies in her garden Nerdy News: Robert shares news of Photobucket resorting to extortion, questions software warranty policy in this new age of increasingly frequent cyber-attacks, and loves some Whole Foods with his Amazon Jermaine points out that AI is replacing radiologists Darrell finds it incredible that R2D2 sells for 2.75 million dollars at auction Jenny breaks the gender barrier with Dr. Who's 13th doctor, Jody Whittaker Reviews: GLOW Robert: "Alison Brie looked so old in this show. If you're curious about the 1980s, I recommend." Jermaine: "A strong representation of the 1980s. I loved the Welfare Queen. If you like Orange is the New Black, I recommend." Darrell: "It's an average show but has appeal. I liked Cherry and Liberty Belle. Yes, recommend." Jenny: "I watched it and didn't hate my time watching it. I'd recommend to the right audience." Spiderman: Homecoming Robert: "I wanted the villain to win! Go Michael Keaton! If you already like the MCU, you're gonna like this movie, probably." Jermaine: "I also liked Michael Keaton because he was down-to-earth. He was scary without being comical-scary. I recommend." Darrell: "There are a lot of stars in this movie. There's a little too much Tony Stark but I loved everything about this movie. Recommend." Jenny: "Peter Parker was helpless in this movie, he felt very young. I liked it! Recommend." Recommendations: Robert recommends Westworld-- "For anyone's who ever been curious about android and the nature of human consciousness." Jermaine loves The Lies of Locke Lamora-- "A fantastic coming of age story about an orphan who joins a family of thieves." Darrell likes King Arthur-- "A young babe in the woods is raised by a gang of prostitutes and is a great coming-of-age story." Jenny enjoys the CGI in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales-- "I was pleasantly surprised! Very good. Not as good as the first but a good watch!" Credits: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2shb8fS 50th Anniversary Retrospective: Jermaine: "No, I thought this was gonna be two or three weeks. That no one was gonna care. And that'd be the end of it." Darrell: "I like the debates we have. Like if it's a villain or not a villain. That's my favorite part of the show." Jermaine: "I feel like Robert is a WWE bad guy-- over-the-top and ridiculously evil." Jenny: "I just got here!" Robert: "Robot-racism. That one day our robot overlords will look back on this show and will use your testimony, Sir, Mr. Jermaine, as evidence for why our human race should be unduly exterminated. People like Jermaine give us humans a bad name." Jermaine: "I will be the uprising that the world needs to stop this robot oppression!" Nerdy News: Jermaine shares super-sad news of Adam West passing away at age, 88. Robert celebrates the coming of the end of humanity with Google DeepMind's AlphaGo's 3-0 win over the #1 human champion, Ke-Jie. Darrell talks about the new iPads that Apple just released-- "Shrunk bevels and a new 10.5" screen-size!" Jenny loves that Universal Studios Japan is launching a real-life Super Mario Land theme-park-- "There's gonna be a Mario Kart ride!" Trailer Talk - Black Panther: Darrell: "Why are they showing me this trailer now? It doesn't even come out until next year. They don't need to show me this trailer and I already want to see the movie now. 4.9 stars, I have high expectations." Jermaine: "Black Panther was by far my favorite character in the Avengers. He's something we haven't seen in the Marvel Universe. Wakanda is gonna be the first time you see Africa in a good light that you don't normally see. Africa is normally always shown as the worn-torn land of drug lords. This could be a good change of pace. I'm writing it down! Five stars-- it's gonna be off the hook, son!" Jenny: "I liked it! Looks interesting. Will definitely go and see it. It looks really good, the trailer dragged me right into it. 4.5 stars. Something new, something fresh." Robert: "I feel like I'm being left out. Women have Catwoman, Elektra, and Jessica Jones. African Americans --black people-- have Luke Cage and Black Panther. But people like me --Asian people-- have no Asian superheroes! Three stars." Review - Wonder Woman: Jermaine: "I really wanted the 1960s Wonder Woman music at least just once, but I never heard it! Every time there was not a fight scene going on, I was bored. I recommend; take your little girl to go see it." Jenny: "I recommend 95% of it but some of the terrible CG made me angry. It was a big build-up that should've led to something better. Also, was it Captain America, Indiana Jones, or Wonder Woman who saved the world from World War I? Wonder Woman is positive female role model, I loved it. 100% recommend." Darrell: "The Harry Potter guy was a terrible Ares. First half of the movie was great but the second part left a lot to be desired. Still, I recommend." Robert: "Gal Gadot looks absolutely perfect and glamorous in every frame of this movie. Her hair is perfectly coiffed, her skin is radiant. I felt like this movie was objectifying women. I don't think this was a good movie but it gets bonus points for featuring a woman as the main hero. I recommend this movie because of Chris Pine." Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Tekken 7-- "If you were a person who played Tekken back in the day, the game has changed completely. But the last two bosses are super-cheap!" Robert recommends the SwiftKey keyboard GUI for Android phones-- "It's so smart! The predictive language prompts are amazing." Darrell upgrades his gaming headset on his computer to the Sades 902 that has 7.1 surround sound-- "It's super-loud, is USB, and I'm super-impressed with it." Jenny recommends the board-game, Pandemic-- "It's a great game if you wanna sit down, play a cooperative game, and save the world."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2s9zurE Two Week Catch-Up: Jermaine goes to a birthday party, buys a twelve-foot hot dog ("street-meat") at a street festival, plays Overwatch, and loves Riverdale Darrell works a lot every day and plays Black Desert Online Jenny returns from Oregon to visit friends by driving twelve hours with kids (a 7, 4, and a 1-year old!) Nerdy News: Jermaine seizes the moment with DJI's new Mavic drone Darrell likes T-Mobile's "Digits" plan which allows you to use your phone plan on other devices Jenny shares news that Google is too poor to obtain gender-gap wage data for its employees Fall TV Previews 2017: The Crossing Jermaine: "I'm super-interested in the concept but I don't think it's got longevity. It'll turn into a 'Monster-of-the-week' show. Three stars." Darrell: "Is that Steve Zahn? Playing a serious role? Looking forward to seeing his acting chops! 3.5 stars." Jenny: "I liked it! I think it can be pretty good but it could be long and then just ends. Four stars." Deception Jermaine: "This reminds me of Castle. Just instead of a writer, it's a magician. I'll thoroughly enjoy this show. Five stars." Darrell: "It's not gonna last. It's got a good leading guy but that's it. This should be a movie, not a TV show. 3.5 stars." Jenny: "The premise of this show is stupid. How can you use magic to solve crimes? 2.5 stars." Star Trek - Discovery Jermaine: "This trailer looked a little boring but it's got Michelle Yeoh who I love. I really like the feel of the show; it's got the feel of the JJ Abrams's reboot. Four stars." Darrell: "This trailer showed me nothing. You've gotta at least pique my interest! Four stars just because it's Star Trek." Jenny: "I'm not a big fan of Star Trek, trailer was boring. I like Jean-Luc Picard. Personally, not interested. Three stars." The Orville Jermaine: "I feel this is going to cross into 'too-silly' for me to watch from week-to-week. Three stars. I'm wear hater-pants!" Darrell: "If the show's like the trailer, I'm in. I can see this being funny. Especially since his ex-wife is his second in command. Four stars. It has potential." Jenny: "I loved it. I think it'll either be awesome or it'll suck really bad. Either way, I'm in. Five stars. I'm definitely going to watch it." The Gifted Jermaine: "I like that they actually show people using powers. Like a darker version of Heroes. 4.5 stars." Darrell: "I'm completely out on X-Men. None of the people are likable. I'm putting on my hater pants. I have zero hope for this show. Two stars." Jenny: "It has potential. If it follows Heroes, I can see myself liking it. Three stars." The Good Doctor Jermaine: "I feel this is going to be a border-line superhero show. All of the 3-D visualizations look silly to me. Feels cheesy. I don't know if the show's gonna last. Four stars though." Darrell: "My favorite trailer. This could work, I'm all in. I give it a good 4.5 stars." Jenny: "I like doctor shows! It's by the creators of House. Trailer dragged me right in. Five stars. Loved it, loved it, loved it." Recommendations: Jermaine signs back up for Loot Crate and is over the moon for it. Darrell loves Brooklyn Nine-Nine-- "Great writing, great chemistry, awesome." Jenny watches Going in Style-- "I really liked it, I recommend it." Credits: "If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2pLnbnw Two Week Catch-Up: Robert breaks his touchscreen laptop with the Windows 10 Creator's Update, helps Shaza find Children's Hospital volunteerships in the US, & contemplates returning to America if his health continues to improve Jermaine goes back and plays more Zelda & Mario Kart and watches Fist Fight, Brockmire, & Get Out Darrell takes a day off, watches The Founder, & pushes a 74-rift on Diablo III Nerdy News: Jermaine announces Deadpool, a new adult-rated comedy being show-run by Donald Glover on FX Robert witnesses the WannaCry ransomware cyber-apocalypse that rocks the world & celebrates LAX's new terminal for rich people and celebrities Darrell likes Linksys's new router which lets people use Wi-Fi and cable modem as the same device Trailer Talk: Blade Runner 2049 Jermaine: "I feel this trailer would have meant so much to me if I'd actually seen the original. Very concise trailer; had no idea what was going on. Three stars." Robert: "Ryan Gosling is so gorgeous. That said, Harrison Ford should just retire-- he's way past his prime. Two stars." Darrell: "It wasn't quite forgettable but it wasn't like OMG, I have to see this. Two stars." The Dark Tower Jermaine: "Yeah! Reloads. That speech at the end is epic. It got me really hyped to see the movie. Five stars." Darrell: "I don't want to see the reloads. I saw too much in this trailer. That said, five stars." Robert: "The reloads were awesome! Matthew McConaughey looks deliciously villainous in this movie. Five stars." Review - Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2 Jermaine: "I liked Baby Groot! So many toys! Merchandising heaven. Music not as good as the original though. Recommend." Robert: "Chris Pratt is so gorgeous in this movie. And when Chris Pratt turns into Pac-Man while fighting Kurt Russell? SO GOOD. Recommend." Darrell: "When Rocket Raccoon takes out all of the bad-guys single-handedly? So great, my favorite scene. Recommend." Recommendations: Robert thoroughly enjoys Billions Season 2 - "So good. Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti are miraculous. I love watching people act so deliciously bad." Jermaine reads Red Rising by Pierce Brown - "Kinda like Hunger Games but more racist. Check it out!" Darrell learns a lot from The Founder - "It follows Ray Kroc and tells the story of McDonald's. Very factual and informative." Credits: "You can't stop what's coming. Death always wins."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2oT3AkS Two Week Catch-Up: Robert watches The Beauty & the Beast with a friend, visits her some more on campus, and travels to Kenting with his church bible group Darrell watches The Neighbors 2, Get Out, and celebrates his 17th wedding anniversary Jermaine watches 13 Hours and enjoys a TV show Darrell's never told him about, The Newsroom Jenny takes on a fourth kid from her cousin and celebrates her cousin's 35th birthday party Nerdy News: Robert celebrates the future with air-free bicycle tires Darrell goes full-retro with the Nokia 3310 Jenny shares news that it's now possible to use Wi-Fi signals to peer through walls Jermaine warns of possible incoming writer's strike Trailer Talk: Cloak & Dagger Robert: "I less than care. If it weren't for today's GCA show, this property wouldn't have even popped up on my radar. No stars whatsoever. Nonexistent stars." Darrell: "I'm in. One for the teener-boppers. Four stars." Jermaine: "Horrible trailer. I love the coming-of-age story though. Great bubble-gum television. Toss in superheroes? I'm in. Five stars." Jenny: "I'm all for teen-angst. I was pleasantly surprised. Three stars." Kingsman: The Golden Circle Robert: "Let this day go down in history where I officially revise my position-- I think I actually don't dislike superhero movies. Yes, I actually like this trailer despite it being a superhero film. Four stars." Darrell: "Samuel L. Jackson's character annoyed me. Also, this trailer showed me too much. Four stars." Jermaine: "A fresh take on an old genre. I love the origin story of the original. I don't know where this installment is going. Five stars." Jenny: "Samuel L. Jackson was amazing. Didn't even need to watch the trailer and I'm in. Five stars." Review - The Full-Time Wife Escapist Robert: "Asia is the land of repressed. Gives great insight into the values of the eastern world. Recommend." Darrell: "It's so slow I wanted to claw my eyes out. I recommend with a ten-minute caveat." Jermaine: "I enjoyed it overall. But very slow pacing. I recommend waiting for the American equivalent to hit North American shores." Jenny: "It didn't offend me! I think Mikuri-san was super-cute and I loved her to pieces. I liked the show-- it is a little slow but I'd recommend to a specific audience, for example, to a lot of my girlfriends." Recommendations: Jermaine loves 13 Hours-- "The CIA and I do not get along. We are not friends. Good combination of an action movie and a war movie." Robert recommends When Harry Met Sally-- "If you have a good female friend, never ever have shenanigans with her in the bedroom-- it changes everything." Jenny wishes she could binge-watch 13 Reasons Why more-- "I've been totally sucked in. I love it, it's really good." Darrell watches Shots Fired-- "A black police officer shoots a young white female in New Orleans, lots of racial tension. Great show." Credits: "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." The IT Crowd - "Moss loses his cool" "My Way" by Frank Sinatra

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2paNnpF Two-and-a-Half Week Catch-Up: Robert battles illness, continues with more Chinese tutoring and piano practicing, and believes in paying for services Darrell begins reading Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings and works a ton Jermaine watches the new Power Rangers movie ("as soon as it's morphin' time, movie turns into hot steaming garbage") and goes home for a surprise 10th anniversary party Nerdy News: Robert geeks out with Lenovo's Thinkpad X1 Gen 5 release ("Thunderbolt! USB-C! Thinner bezels!") Darrell observes that Amazon's stock value is twice that of Walmart's Jermaine shares the tragic news that Nintendo is discontinuing the NES Classic Reviews: In the Badlands - Season 2 Robert: "Spectacular Kung-Fu. Makes Iron Fist look even worse. I love the world-building. Recommend." Jermaine: "Phenomenal violence. So good. I like all the concurrently running story lines. Recommend." Darrell: "What's the role of the Master? Why are the monks being nice? Recommend." Fate of the Furious Robert: "Vin Dissel jumps his muscle car over a nuclear submarine. Enough said. Total recommendation without reservation." Jermaine: "You can play with physics a little bit. But how do you remote-control cars which are ancient? Also, Tyrese was hilarious in this movie. It's a fun movie. But it's not a good movie. Recommend." Darrell: "Tyrese was ridiculous in this movie. Every time the audience laughed, I face-palmed. Fate of the Infuriating. I don't recommend. If you don't like the series, keep your money." Recommendations: Robert loves The Full-Time Wife Escapist-- "Not all women want to save the world; some want to just stay in the kitchen and cook!" Darrell recommends Brockmire-- "Premise based on a true story-- a baseball announcer has a meltdown during a public broadcast. Hilarious." Jermaine reads A Warrior's Path: The Castes and Outcastes by Davis Ashura-- "A society learns that racism holds back their society and how they're forced into changing." Credits: "I live my life a quarter-mile at a time." The Rock, Shaq, men and mountains

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2oaBf8J Two Week Catch-Up: Robert continues to learn piano for a friend, visits her on campus, learns about Christianity, and works on a special project for GCA fans everywhere (as a friend!) Darrell watches Fist Fight & Adulterers and watches her daughter perform in her Senior Showcase Jermaine hurts himself going to the gym, gets judgmental in Python class, reads books, and looks forward to seeing the new Power Rangers movie Jenny enjoys spring break, plays Warface, Smite, and the new Zelda game on her Wii U Nerdy News: Robert excites fans everywhere with Blizzard releasing Starcraft Remastered this coming summer Darrell looks forwards to shopping at the new augmented reality store coming from Amazon Jenny wows the world with news of a 17-year-old in Britain who corrects NASA's mistake Jermaine finds it dubious that a surgeon will be performing head transplants by early 2017 Trailer Talk: Justice League Robert: "Wow, this trailer was really dark cinematically, I could barely see what was going on. Not enough Batman! I don't care about any of the others. One star." Darrell: "A shameless cash-grab. Forced humor. Forced humor poses. Hot garbage. Negative five stars." Jermaine: "Man, Cyborg looks so stupid. That said, I liked the levity and the jokes. This is what a superhero movie should be all about! Five stars." Jenny: "Not all that thrilled. The less I see of Wonder Woman is better. She's one of my least favorite characters. I hate how she's wearing no clothes. Two stars. Reviews: Iron Fist Jermaine: "I like this show is lighter. But the Kung-Fu is so bad. Why wouldn't you get a guy who actually knows martial arts? Script feels rushed. I can't recommend because I don't know who'd like it." Darrell: "Meh most the time. I don't like any of the characters. Their decisions are terrible. Too soon to tell." Robert: "Pacing is SO slow. Fighting is atrocious. Am sad that they didn't cast an Asian main actor. Enough density in Danny Rand to fill a black hole. Recommended? Hell no." Jenny: "You think Danny would have a little more common sense. No recommendation from me." Samurai Jack - Season Five Jermaine: "First show was just fun nonsense violence. I liked it a lot. The action and fighting in this show is so interesting and engrossing. This is how you do a reboot. I'm over the moon for this show. Recommend." Darrell: "Started slow but it picked up. I enjoyed it and I can see myself watching it. Recommend." Robert: "I love how somber this show is and all the psychological suffering. Wacky and goofy. Very existential. Recommend." Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Zelda: Breath of the Wild-- "Manages to capture the spirit of Zelda but still bring it into the future." Darrell loves Fist Fight-- "Has a lot of funny parts, a decent storyline and holds itself together pretty well." Robert supports his friend who's just launched youareadmirable.com-- "Like Emerson said, 'Everyone you meet is your superior and you can learn something from them.'" Jenny dives into Black Mirror-- "I've really enjoyed it. It's really creepy and twisted. I love the concept and it really makes you think." Credits: "My mission is noble, my heart is pure. I have nothing to fear."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2mn1nI4 Three Week Catch-Up: Jermaine stands in line for the Nintendo Switch starting at 4pm (third in line!), enjoys building community and friendships while in line, supports Minorities for Trump (MoT), enjoys lying to people for fun, attends a WWE event, and enjoys an eleven-course meal at Arden in Milwaukee Robert learns a piano song to impress a friend and plans a train trip to visit her on campus ninety minutes away Darrell works a lot, plays zero games, and watches Logan, Weiner, & Fist Fight (really good!) Nerdy News: Jermaine shows what happens when a man and woman switch names for two weeks at work Robert finds Virginia exciting because starting on July 1, robot drones there will be allowed to make deliveries Darrell hovers and surfs with the SCORPION, built by Russians to change the future Reviews: Weiner Jermaine: "He was doing a great job. I'd vote for him, but he's a garbage person. Sexting is still emotional cheating" Robert: "It's a shame that society treats people who are different so badly. Extramarital and physical affairs are fine, but sexting is 'too weird' to be accepted. If his wife accepts it, why did he have to resign? Why was the public so enraged?" Darrell: "The man clearly has no impulse control. Even if his wife had accepted his behavior, I think he'd still be forced to resign" Logan Jermaine: "Ailing Professor X was a tragic relationship-- gave Logan's life purpose. A great R-rated movie-- really grounded the movie. Loved seeing Wolverine slice and dice everyone in slow motion" Robert: "Dafne Keen (X-23) is amazing. Absolutely excellent. This movie's a western with people who just happen to have limited superhero powers. A great noir film" Darrell: "I was touched by the death scenes-- thought they had real emotional impact. I didn't think technology was sufficiently advanced in 2029 though. Why aren't there drones flying around everywhere? Recommendations: Jermaine recommends the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks-- "Don't get attached to anyone though, people will be killed in an instant" Robert really enjoys Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Peter Berg-- "A great way to learn more about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing" Darrell watches Santa Clarita Diet featuring Timothy Olyphant and Drew Barrymore-- "It's fun, it's awesome, it's weird, it's drama. You gotta watch it" Credits: "Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long." "Tale as Old as Time" piano cover by Joel Sandberg

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2llMWoX Three Week Catch-Up: Jermaine gets sick and does a whole lotta nothing, watches iBoy and The Arrival and feels like garbage Robert flies back to the United States, sees doctors, takes care of taxes, and goes on a whirlwind tour to see friends Darrell checks out Akame ga Kill, works a lot, and buys the smartwatch Gear S2 and the Gear VR helmet Nerdy News: Jermaine shares news that used cars are still connected to their smartphone apps and cannot be reset Robert wonders how bad The Batman movie must be for Ben Affleck to want to drop out of entirely Darrell applauds an Italian architect who's trying to build a vertical forest in China to counteract the country's growing pollution Trailer Talk: Iron Fist Jermaine: "Feels 'samey-samey' and 'been there, done that'-- four stars" Robert: "The formula works for me, I'm excited. I love billionaire playboys with alternate identities. Five stars" Darrell: "I think it has a lot potential, I just hope they capitalize on it. 3.5 stars" The Belko Experiment Jermaine: "The Purge with a terrible director. The premise feels ways more serious than the budget. There's no way this movie's gonna make money 0.5 stars" Robert: "I like watching straight people be put into incredibly twisted situations. Reveals the true heart of man. Three stars" Darrell: "Royal Rumble mixed with The Purge. This movie's gonna make money. Four stars" Review - John Wick: Chapter 2 Jermaine: "The first ten minutes of the movie made no sense. I love that there are rules to this movie. I love the world-building in this movie. 100% Recommend" Robert: "Loved the first ten minutes. Last ten minutes sets up for John Wick 3. More of the same which is great. 100% Recommend" Darrell: "First ten minutes didn't bother me. The last ten minutes bothered me the most. 100% Recommend" Recommendations: Jermaine shares We are Legion. We are Bob by Dennis Taylor-- "If you like science fiction, you will love this book" Robert recommends the Fitbit Charge 2-- "Makes you more fit and it can measure sleep! I sleep like twelve hours a night. You're supposed to take 10,000 steps a day" Darrell likes OJ: Made in America-- "9.0 on IMDB. Watch it." Credits: "Remember you stabbed the devil in the back. To him this isn't vengeance, it is justice."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2jDqo5s Three Week Catch-Up: Robert celebrates the Lunar New Year (Year of the Chicken) with his cousins-in-law, practices more Chinese, and continues to learn piano Darrell works, works, works, plays Diablo III, watches a colleague get promoted, and takes care of family Jermaine goes out of town for work in Milwaukee, hangs out with friends, meets a violinist at open-mic, and catches back up on television Nerdy News: Darrell geeks out with a tempered glass LCD side for his monster iBuyPower machine-- "A second monitor for your desktop computer!" Jermaine stirs controversy with news of stem-cell research helping a quadriplegic get his life back - "I'm done with that nonsense. If you're stupid to me, you're stupid. I'm calling you out on it" Robert shares dismaying news of President Trump's Muslim-majority country ban-- "What's the world coming to?" Trailer Talk: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Jermaine: "I'm sorta excited for this. Good action. Four stars" Darrell: "This looks really good! Looks like it could be slow in some parts though. Four stars" Robert: "Why is there rock music being set to knights riding on horses? Why am I hearing rap while I see dragons on-screen? One star" iBoy Jermaine: "A thinking man's tale. The premise is ridiculous but I'm still going to watch it. 2.5 stars" Darrell: "I'll give it a chance. I had a problem with the zooming-in on anatomy though. Is he able to download apps into his brain? 2.5 stars" Robert: "People interested in this clearly don't understand how biology works. One star" Review - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Jermaine: "Robert, you bought a Lego set, put three pieces together, and then said 'Oh, I'm done with this.' Recommend" Darrell: "All the individual threads weave together! I wholeheartedly recommend" Robert: "This series does not pass the 'Robert-five-minute-test' rule. I can't believe I watched ninety minutes of this. Do not recommend" Recommendations: Jermaine loves Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - "Earth gets destroyed to make way for an intergalactic bypass" and Hajime No Ippo - "A boxing coming of age anime" Darrell recommends Limitless-- "Go watch it. I like that it's different" Robert likes Amagi Brilliant Park-- "A complete narcissist needs to save a dilapidated theme park-- very amusing" Credits: “There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened.”

Show notes: https://blog.gcateam.com/2017/01/041-retrisode-armageddon-count-of-monte.html Two Week Catch-Up: Robert begins learning Chinese and piano, & gets into a bicycle accident by hitting a stationary motorcycle Darrell survives snow storms & watches A Fish Called Wanda Jermaine falls behind on television and plays tons of videogames including Titanfall 2, ESO Online, Diablo III Nerdy News Jermaine shares news from CES with the latest gadgets and gizmos Robert likes the new Lenovo X1 Carbon 5th Generation - "A 14" computer in a 13" package!" Darrell shares Kingdom Death Monster and news that NES Classic has been hacked - sixty games now available! Retro-Reviews: Equilibrium Jermaine: "Action holds up! How is it that no one can shoot Christian Bale? This movie had no budget. Still, recommend" Robert: "Acting was stilted but I can't believe they landed this A-list cast. Love the ideas. Recommend" Darrell: "I've never had a helmet on and be hurt. How does that work? At the end, it all gets reduced to classic movie trope. Still, recommend" The Count of Monte Cristo Jermaine: "Jacopo is the best. If you like Jim Caviezel, this is his quintessential movie. Recommend" Robert: "Acting was splendid. Writing was splendid. Movie was terrific. Recommend" Darrell: "If you like good movies, just watch it. Recommend" Armageddon Jermaine: "CG holds up. Acting bad. Story bad. First hour bad. All black people stereotypes. Still, recommend" Robert: "Execution is perfect. This movie is flawless. Most spectacular movie ever made. Recommend" Darrell: "It's a journey. So star-studded. Everyone's in this movie. Why is Bruce Willis shooting a gun on an oil rig? Recommend" Recommendations: Jermaine: Troll Hunters - "One of the first humans to fight trolls" Robert: The Class President is a Maid - "The high school class president secretly works at a maid cafe. Craziness ensues" Darrell: Shooter - "A marine sniper who returns from war and is framed" Credits: "But I being poor only have my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2igusan Two Week Catch-Up: Robert lives in Taiwan, plans to start learning how to read and write Chinese, and thinks about taking on learning the piano to play anime theme songs Jermaine builds a Nintendo Classis with a Raspberry Pi, watches Magnificent Seven, and can't get into Fairy Tail Darrell does a lot of work, buys his kids cellphones for Christmas, and watches Eli Stone Nerdy News: Jermaine shares saddening news that Carrie Fisher has passed Robert thinks Mark Zuckerberg a genius for building an AI to control his home Darrell finds PlayTable awfully impressive - "It can recognize dice rolls!" Trailer Talk: War for the Planet of the Apes Jermaine: "I don't understand why the humans don't just bomb all the apes. Two stars, no 3.5 stars" Darrell: "I'm intrigued to see what they're going to do. Looking to see how they expand on the ape characters. 3.5 stars" Robert: "It takes everything that's glorious about the previous Ape movies and dumps all over it. One star" The Fate of the Furious Jermaine: "I need some substance to my explosions. I need some reasoning and story. Four stars" Darrell: "If you added all the previous movies, I maybe like one? Two stars" Robert: "Amazing. Everything I wanted an F&F sequel to be. You have a submarine chasing race cars in the arctic tundra. Glorious. 102 stars" Review - Rogue One Jermaine: "I love, love this movie. Had low expectations but it totally blew me away. 100% recommend" Darrell: "Alan Tudyk was amazing in this movie. K2-- hilarious. I could do without the opening ten minutes of the movie though. Recommend" Robert: "So many contrivances in this movie. Things are just awfully convenient. Still, I recommend" Recommendations: Jermaine recommends White Rabbit Project - "It's like Myth Busters but without the build phases" Darrell finishes the first season of Eli Stone. The man's a cut-throat lawyer who lives in a world of big cases who wins by any means necessary. But then he has a brain tumor that shows him the future Robert watches Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name) - "An excellent movie that mingles the supernatural with romance. A boy and a girl find themselves switching bodies. Shenanigans ensue"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2hjtw1r Two Week Catch-Up: Robert plans to flee the country and leave for Taiwan, watches more anime, & takes long walks at the mall Darrell plays Witcher 3 & vows to begin reading Jermaine studies to regain knowledge & plays board games with friends Nerdy News: Robert distributes Google DeepMind's training platform to the masses Jermaine shares news of the end of jobs with Amazon Go (and 60,000 workers lose their jobs in China) Darrell watches Yahoo! View now Hulu has gone the way of the pay - TV shows, movies, and anime! Trailer Talk: The Mummy Jermaine: "Anything with Tom Cruise, I love! I feel like there'll be a giant light in the sky. 3.5 stars" Darrell: "Didn't show too much! I like. Four stars" Robert: "Not excited at all. Even for a summer movie. Half a star" Spiderman: Homecoming Jermaine: "He actually sounds like he's from New York. RDJ looks awesome. Five stars" Darrell: "Like that Spiderman has a mentor now. 4.5 stars" Robert: "I like the humor. Feels like the movies have gotten progressively funnier and more kid-like. Three stars" Review - Kubo and the Two Strings Jermaine: "All the Asian people were voiced by white people! I love the story. Kubo's life is so sad though. Felt so bad for him. Starts low, ends low. Recommend" Darrell: "Was Kubo doing magic? Are the paper origami really coming to life? Why are the monkey and beetle making googly ideas to each other? Recommend, but it's not a small children movie" Robert: "What a gorgeous movie! Couldn't believe it was stop-animation. Still, the story was lacking. Just wasn't my kinda movie, no recommendation" Recommendations: Jermaine reads The Never Hero by T Ellery Hodges - "A hero prepares for his journey!" Robert loves the harem genre with Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches Darrell recommends Yahoo! View - "Covers many different genres!" Credits: "I have many leather-bound books." "If you must blink, do it now."

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2gtYN1e Three Week Catch-Up: Jermaine makes macaroni and cheese, sails to Mexico on a cruise without internet, ATVs in Belize, and nearly wins at lip-sync battle (video will not be shared!) Darrell spends time with extended family for Thanksgiving and gets a lot of work done Robert follows the election returns, finds three-pointers amazing, and looks forward to Code Geass's 10th-year aniversary Nerdy News: Jermaine shares news of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere's Universe becoming a cinematic universe Robert celebrates the third season in the Code Geass universe being announced for release Darrell fascinates everyone with the invention of Adidas's biodegradable shoes Trailer Talk: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Jermaine: "This looks absolutely terrible. It's gonna be the next Jupiter Ascending and will be bogged down in its own writing. Two stars" Darrell: "Basically looks like The Fifth Element. Very generic. Unimpressed. Two stars" Robert: "Not excited. I guess I'm an alien-racist? Didn't like the way they looked. CGI looks positively horrible. One star" Reviews: Mars: Episode 1 Robert: "Man, going to Mars looks impossible. I can't believe we're able to get off the face of the planet at all. Recommend" Darrell: "I recommend with caveats - don't go in with high expectations. Recommend" Jermaine: "I also recommend. Good documentary mix with slightly disappointing live-action parts" Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them Jermaine: "After first twenty minutes, movie finally congeals as jello. The CGI in this movie is spectacular. Good casting all around. Recommend" Robert: "I love the period setting and how this movie is aimed towards adults. Love that it's Americanized. Recommend" Darrell: "Not a children's movie. Definitely an adult movie. Also, how aren't animals escaping from the suitcase left and right? Makes no sense. Recommend" Recommendations: Jermaine: "I was on the cruise and had to watch something. Wrecked is so good!" Robert: "Can't get enough of Code Geass: Akito the Exiled and the comforting slide-of-life show Working!!" Darrell: "Am very happy with my new Samsung Galaxy S7. 24-hour battery life!"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2eybvtS Note: There were unfortunately some audio recording issues with this episode. They'll definitely be corrected and cleaned up for next time. Apologies! Two Week Catch-Up: Robert watches his 26th straight week of anime and grapples with election doldrums Jermaine encourages Trump supporters to vote on Nov 28, breaks the Cubs' 108-year-old curse, watches more anime, and endorses Funimation Darrell looks forward to voting on Tuesday, watches Longmire, and proudly watches his daughters dance Nerdy News: Robert shares Tesla's vision of a beautiful solar-roof future Darrell subscribes to Lin Manuel Miranda's Twitter feed Jermaine reports that Blizzard has launched a pro-sports league solely for Overwatch Trailer Talk: Passengers Jermaine: "My paradise is no traffic and no lines. Could be a sleeper hit for me depending on how they play the relationship between Chris Pratt and J. Law. 3.5 stars" Robert: "It didn't feel obvious to me that the main male lead should be Chris Pratt. I feel it could've been any generic actor. 3.5 stars" Darrell: "The human psyche is just not to be built alone. I like what I see. Four stars" Mars Jermaine: "Everyone wants to go to Paris. Everyone wants to visit space. I was in space, son! Five stars" Robert: "Sign me up! What's great are the real-life documentary segments weaved into the story. Looking forward to this. Five stars" Darrell: "I don't wanna go to space. I'd rather visit the Bahamas. I don't wanna be somewhere you need a suit to enjoy the environment. Four stars" Review - Doctor Strange Jermaine: "I love this movie. I wished they explained 'time' more though. Also, while there's whitewashing of the Ancient One, I recommend" Robert: "Ugh. I think I'm biased with extreme prejudice. Movie too psychedelic for me. I recommend if you're a Benedict Cumberbatch or Rachel McAdams fan" Darrell: "The bad guy was more powerful than time? How does he break outta the time-reverse? How does that even make sense? I recommend though" Recommendations: Jermaine watches Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - "Not that much fighting, but there's a great snowball effect of battle scenes" Robert recommends Attack on Titan - "Top-notch quality all-around. Can't go wrong. Extremely violent though" Darrell praises the extensive research Lin Manuel Miranda did for preparing for the Hamilton musical Credits: "You have been weighed. You have been measured. You have been found wanting" "You'll Be Back" by Jonathan Groff from Hamilton: An American Musical

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2ecRMR8 Two Week Catch-Up: Jermaine visits Vegas & loves magic, goes full-ham on Diablo III Season 8, & plays/streams Osiris - "Your every move is magnified!" Robert does more volunteer work for Wonderlust, celebrates Jeannette Rankin - the first congresswoman ever elected to congress, and watches his 24th straight week of anime Darrell follows football, works a ton, joins Jermaine in playing more Diablo III, & watches Luke Cage & Atlanta Nerdy News: Robert wonders how on earth Samsung Galaxy Note 7s are catching on fire - airports around the world freak out Jermaine has a ton of questions about the new Nintendo Switch & is saddened if Nintendo's leaving the home market Darrell finds Tim Miller leaving the Deadpool sequel over creative differences to be depressing Trailer Talk: Logan Jermaine: "Even as a big comic book fan, I am not excited. Three stars" Darrell: "I like the song. Not enough to whet my whistle though. Three stars" Robert: "Not excited at all whatsoever the tiniest bit. 1.5 stars" John Wick: Chapter 2 Jermaine: "Directed by a stuntman! Looks fantastic. Five stars" Darrell: "It's like Equilibrium! Can't get deeper than that! Ten stars" Robert: "Kung-Fu choreography but with guns. Most exciting trailer of the year for me. Five stars" Review - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Jermaine: "Overall, good pacing. I did not hate it, even slightly enjoyed it. Do not recommend though" Darrell: "Transitions didn't make sense. I almost fell asleep. Do not recommend" Robert: "I did fall asleep. This movie commits the ultimate sin: it was boring. So bad. Run the other way from this movie" Recommendations: Darrell recommends This Is Us - "Well written show! Definitely check it out" Robert loves "love triangles" in The Pet Girl of Sakura Hall - "Also illustrates the differences between geniuses and normal people" Jermaine plays San Juan - "Build production buildings! Build cities! Forty-five minutes to play" Credits: "Well, John wasn't exactly the bogey man. He was the one you sent to kill the eff'ing bogey man" "Pet na Kanojotachi Kimi ga Yume wo Tsuretekita" from The Pet Girl of Sakura Hall

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2dF4xoE Two Week Catch-Up: Jermaine loves the TV show, Pitch, raids in WoW, goes apple-picking, & catches up with Rosewood, Flash, and Arrow Robert watches nearly three seasons of Bakuman, volunteers to do some scheduling work for Wonderlust, & tries fixing his watch which ends in disaster Darrell works crazy hours, loses at Fantasy Football, watches Black-ish, Atlanta, Last Man on Earth, & Rosewood Nerdy News: Jermaine tests the boundaries of laziness with Nike's self-tightening shoes Robert marvels at the "IT-guy-gone-superhero" in Netflix's Ironfist Darrell climbs the futuristic augmented-reality rock wall Trailer Talk: Power Rangers Jermaine: "Had lowest of low expectations but this actually doesn't look bad! Three stars" Robert: "Wow. This excited me way more than I thought possible. Childhood nostalgia (& maybe dinosaurs?) also bumps it up half-a-notch. Four stars" Darrell: "My ideal trailer! Didn't show too much and still drew me in. 3.5 stars" Reviews: Designated Survivor Jermaine: "I love this show. Go President Bauer! Ten-star recommendation" Robert: "Eh, meh? I have mixed impressions of this show. If you like West Wing, not so much. If you like 24, go for it." Darrell: "Recommend with caveats. Show promise but is a show still trying to find its legs" Luke Cage Darrell: "A great, slow-burn show. There's only one race: The human race. Recommend" Jermaine: "Right, do not generalize. Recommend" Robert: "Presents a vertical slice of what Harlem did actually once upon a time look like. Great anthropological, educational study. Recommend" Recommendations: Jermaine recommends the board game Antidote-- "You've got about a 1/10 chance of surviving" Robert feels overwhelming inspiration & determination in the anime, Bakuman-- "For anyone who wants to be driven, this is the show for you" Darrell finds a wedding date with Mike & Dave-- "Two brothers who are party animals size up for their sister's wedding. It's outta control" Credits: "You know why everyone wants to be the king? Cause of the crown" "Date A Live Intro" from Date A Live

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2d1SsLx Nerdy News: Robert shares news of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card which has swept the internet by storm Darrell shows us the future with a real-life transforming BMW Jermaine goes to the Toy Hall of Fame Darrell votes for Swing & Uno Jermaine votes for Pinball, Dungeons & Dragons, & Nerf Robert votes for Nerf & Dungeons & Dragons Reviews: Lethal Weapon Jermaine: "Terrible trailer, great show. Watched the first episode and am in love with the show. Mark my words: This is going to be first show renewed by Fox this season" Darrell: "I was wondering if Damon Wayans had the gravitas... and he does!" Robert: "What sacrilege. Desecrates a classic of classics. A large negative score" Timeless Jermaine: "I love that a black person goes back in time. Let's be honest-- wasn't a good time for black people. I don't know if it's going to be a good show though. 3.5 stars" Darrell: "This trailer followed a lot of different threads they could pull. I hope it's not all over the place. 2.5 - 3 stars" Robert: "Combines two of my favorite elements: It's a period piece and time travel. 4/5 stars" Frequency Jermaine: "I'm glad they stuck with the original creator of this show. That said, I don't like this show. I hope they focus on the Sci-Fi and not the drama. Two stars" Darrell: "It has 'Captain Cancellation' in it-- Mekhi Phifer so I'm worried. But I don't know. I fear it might now have lasting power. Three stars" Robert: "I was surprised the movie spun off into a TV franchise. I hope this show has legs. I love any show that plays with time like this. Four stars" Westworld Jermaine: "Anthony Hopkins! Love the interaction. So excited. I love the wild west setting. Nothing looks fun about this show. Looks like a horrible world. Darkness. Bleak. Five stars" Darrell: "Almost feels like it has a movie quality to it. The trailer seemed like a chore to watch. Jury is still out. Two stars" Robert: "Ugh, reminds me of Assassin's Nonsense. 1.5 stars" Designated Survivor Jermaine: "First 20 minutes was meh, but man-- this show gets good. Still, should have showed people dying-- didn't feel it. Wasn't moved. Four stars" Darrell: "I like seeing Keifer Sutherland play this role. Seems very plausible to real life. Looking forward to this show. Feels like it's gonna be a slow-burn. #1 show. 4-4.5 stars" Robert: "I love the Capitol building blowing up, but the father/daughter relationship was too cutesy. 3-3.5 stars" Estimated "Show of the Season:" Jermaine: Lethal Weapon Darrell: Designated Survivor Robert: Timeless Recommendations: Robert strikes gold with Eureka Seven-- "A 14-year old boy becomes the 'Chosen One' to pilot the uber-awesome mech to save the world. So good" Jermaine finishes the first season of My Hero Academia after being "tainted by Robert's Anime filth" Darrell loves avoiding traps & water, and pushing crates in Playdead's Limbo Credits: "I'm getting too old for this"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2cRcj0g Three Week Catch-Up: Robert continues his ninth week of anime watching spree and gets back into the 1998 classic, Starcraft Jermaine drops big bucks on Board Game Bento, jumps back into into World of Warcraft: Legion, & becomes a chef in Food Wars! Darrell finishes Tomb Raider, Saints Row the Fourth (ending: amazing), and GTA 5 Nerdy News: Jermaine joins the internet in outrage as Apple releases the iPhone 7 with no headphone jack Robert finds Sony's audacity bedazzling with their decision to release a non 4k Blu-ray PS4 Darrell bristles at DC simply shameless cashing in on the Batman franchise Reviews: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Darrell: "All over the place but I do recommend" Robert: "YES." Jermaine: "Funimation is hot garbage. Good anime but unbelievable licencor-- couldn't even buy all episodes" Stranger Things Robert: "Though I wasn't a product of the 80s, I enjoy the playfulness. Recommend" Darrell: "Makes me appreciate where we are now. Recommend" Jermaine: "I normally enjoy tearing things apart, but this was really good. Recommend" Recommendations: Jermaine lays down the law with Superhero Beat Downs Robert goes back to school with The Irregular at Magical High School Darrell double-recommends Hamilton and Donald Glover's new show, Atlanta Credits: Sound effects from FX Sounds "You can't change the world without getting you hands dirty" "The Secret Ingredient Called Victory" from Food Wars!

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2bv6EJ1 Two Week Catch-Up: Robert learns how to water the lawn & continues his anime spree with Food Wars! Darrell brings his kids to Suicide Squad, begins the draft for his Final Fantasy league, watches 10 Cloverfield Lane, & plays more Diablo Jermaine listens to the Suicide Squad soundtrack, plays Tricky Towers, & gets a "Slip 'n Slide" for the kids Nerdy News: Robert shares news that Ford vows to go "full-autonomous" by 2021 Jermaine joins millions in the public outcry over Black Desert's newfound "pay-to-play" model Darrell backs Google in its resistance of removing Reddit streaming links Trailer Talk: The Arrival Robert: "Why is it always 'there's only one person who can save the world?' Totally unrealistic & unconvincing - 2.5 stars" Jermaine: "Wow. I was super-hyped for this movie but the more we discussed it, the more I disliked it - three stars" Darrell: "Why her? Why does she take off the mask? Why is there a canary there? Three stars" Kong: Skull Island Jermaine: "Is Samuel L. Jackson even really in this movie? Two stars" Darrell: "Projectile Palm Trees! Four stars" Robert: "Yeah! Also, I might just go for Tom Hiddleston. Three stars" Review - Suicide Squad Jermaine: "Giant building, giant light in the sky - race towards the building. Recommend" Darrell: "I enjoyed the movie. It had flaws and holes but that's what made me like it. Recommend" Robert: "Why do the villains all have hearts of gold? What nonsense. Whatever the complete opposite of a recommendation is, I give this movie" Recommendations: Darrell highly recommends the Hamilton soundtrack -- "Been listening nonstop!" Robert plays Volleyball with Haikyuu! -- "Speed lines everywhere! Flaming fireball punch!" Jermaine loves Hearthstone - One night in Karazhan -- "I can't believe I haven't recommended this yet" Credits: "It wasn't airplanes, it was beauty that killed the beast" "Haikyuu! theme song" by Hayashi Yuki from Haikyuu!

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2ase03H Two Week Catch-Up: Jermaine plays Starbound & Diablo & helps his niece & nephew work on writing & learning coding Darrell watches more Pushing Daisies, plays more Pokemon Go, & enjoys a wonderful staycation birthday Robert volunteers to work a booth at Sweet Pea & learns more Ruby on Rails Nerdy News: Jermaine shows us the future with China's new floating bus Robert shares news of Tesla buying out Solar City for a cool $2.6 billion Darrell petitions to shut down Rotten Tomatoes over negative reviews Review: Jason Boring Jermaine: "I think I dozed off once or twice during the movie" Darrell: "SO boring. Futility in motion" Robert: "Exactly the same as the last three (four?) installments. Absolutely insipid" The Killing Joke Jermaine: "I recommend the final forty-five minutes-- ignore the first half-hour" Darrell: "What an abrupt ending! It just ends with a non-funny, nonsense joke" Robert: "Ugh. Completely violates everything I hold sacred about Batman. Stay away" Recommendations: Jermaine reads Super Powereds & finds the books remarkable Robert loves seasons one and two of Code Geass & hails Area 11's bid for freedom Darrell recommends Pushing Daisies - "Superb writing, smart, funny-- the whole package" Credits: "It's not important who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me" "Madder Sky" - Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2am3Uxv Two Week Catch-Up: Robert brushes up on his PHP, starts learning Ruby on Rails, & visits Seattle for a doctor's appointment Darrell plays Pokemon Go, watches Pushing Daisies, & plans to see the new Ghostbusters Jermaine coins the neologism, "The GCA Effect" & plays more World of Warcraft & Overwatch Nerdy News: Jermaine shares news of Valve cracking down on betting in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Darrell shows the world the future with 7-Eleven's first Slurpee delivery via drone Robert wonders why the rest of the world gets CBS's new Star Trek while the USA & Canada miss out Trailer Talk: Wonder Woman Darrell: "I don't like the way the lasso of truth looked. Otherwise, am excited! 4.5 stars" Robert: "I was so bored watching this. One star" Jermaine: "I don't know if I like them setting it in the WWI/WWII era. Don't really care for period-based locale - three stars" Jason Bourne Jermaine: "I love Greengrass as a director - he always conveys the danger and stakes of the situation. Four stars" Darrell: "Well-choreographed violence! Looks like more of the same which I like! Four stars" Robert: "Bleh. More of the same? Nothing great, nothing terrible. Three stars" Review - Star Trek Beyond Jermaine: "I'm over the moon for this movie! All about the crew and exploring new planets. Highly recommend" Robert: "Wow. Everything Jermaine liked about this movie, I disliked. Meh, it was decent" Darrell: "What is it with the Enterprise always being destroyed? Seriously, why does Kirk get all these brand new, sparkling ships that he just wrecks every one?" Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Pokemon Go - "But pay attention! Use your head when wandering about" Robert falls in love with Your Lie in April, an anime about a pianist falling for a violinist & of timeless childhood friendship Darrell praises the late Anton Yelchin in Odd Thomas - "Good story, good action, a great homage to Anton" Credits: "I ain't afraid of no ghosts" "Friend A" from Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Show notes: http://bit.ly/2a1Oobr Two Week Catch-Up: Robert buys a PS4 to play Tetris & finds it BUGGY, tries to learn to play the piano, thinks James Wan is a genius, and starts watching Code Geass Darrell enjoys being "man alone in the world" with the family away, goes to Popstar, congratulates Cleveland on a hard-won victory, and plays Evolved Jermaine games on Twitch, water slides at Wisconsin Dells, and feels Pokemon Go is "the best thing ever" Nerdy News: Robert celebrates Verizon implementing "data carry-over" and ending overages Darrell can't believe a woman wins a lawsuit against Microsoft over Windows 10 Jermaine shares saddening news of Tesla's first auto-pilot fatality Review: ID4: Resurgence Darrell: "President Crazy Beard just walks onto the Presidential Stage? What the heck? This movie's a mess" Jermaine: "No protocol. Apparently anything goes! What a disaster" Robert: "Shameless, pandering commercialism aside, why did we blow the friendly spaceship out of the sky? This movie is an atrocious affront to cinema everywhere - even Jeff Goldblum can't save it. Negative ninety stars" Warcraft: The Beginning Darrell: "Great CGI and good storytelling. I recommend with caveats" Robert: "A solid choice for fans of the game, I think. Qualified recommendation" Jermaine: " Did I just see the king rush headfirst into battle? What nonsense is this? Why is everything so shiny? Why are the colors so vibrant? Hell no, no recommendation" The group also debates thoughts around this summer's highest grossing blockbuster Recommendations: Robert discovers anime for the first time and loves My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Darrell cheers the Android app, N7 Player, for being able to access everything on his phone Jermaine reunites with a long-lost love, Prison Break - "Holy crap that show holds up! Burned through the first season (23 episodes at 42 minutes a piece) in three days!" Credits: "To infinity and beyond!" "Yukitoki" by Nagi Yanagi

Show notes: http://bit.ly/296puHf Two Week Catch-Up: Darrell builds a new iBuyPower PC, follows the NBA finals, and wishes everyone a happy Father's Day Brandon celebrates his Dad's 60th birthday & plays Overwatch Jermaine plays more Overwatch, watches the new Warcraft movie, and almost recommends seeing Now You See Me 2 Nerdy News: Darrell celebrates nostalgia with the Smart Boy which changes any smartphone into old-school gaming goodness Brandon announces Samsung release the Batman Edition of the Galaxy S7 Jermaine brings more bad news for human workers everywhere with Amazon's new fleet of robot workers E3: Nintendo Nintendo does the tree house setup again where they sit and have a conversation. Zelda and Pokemon announced Microsoft Xbox One S exclusively gets Gears of War 4, Killer Instinct Season 3, Forza Horizon 3, and Recore Final Fantasy XV comes to Xbox Sony God of War, Days Gone, and the Last Guardian drops Oct 25 Brandon likes For Honor, Recore, and Forza 4/Gran Turismo Jermaine looks forward to Sea of Thieves, Ghost Recon Wild Lands, and Zelda: Breath of the Wild ("I watched two hours of gameplay!") Darrell wants to play Gears of War 4, Last Guardian, and God of War Recommendations: Darrell thoroughly enjoys his new iBuyPower machine & recommends without reservation Jermaine reads Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw - "Takes place during medieval times that covers a surprising topic!" Brandon loves AMC's Feed the Beast & David Schwimmer whose friend's a world-class chef that runs from the mob Credits: "All your base belongs to us"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1t0DREn Two Week Catch-Up: Robert sells and gives away all his worldly possessions, rediscovers a little thing called Facebook, and vows to "one day walk El Camino de Santiago" Darrell plays Overwatch, attends a family wedding to show support and care, and gets a new PC Jermaine hangs out with friends from San Francisco, plays a tons of board games, does Karaoke & realizes he's destined to become a famous pop star Nerdy News: Robert shares sad news that people actually don't want driving cars-- "people fear it's the next Skynet!" Jermaine announces news of Netflix becoming the exclusive provider of Disney "pay-per-view" movies Darrell shows that no one is safe when it comes to electronic currency Review - Houdini & Doyle Jermaine: "Man, that constable is super-pretty. Also, Michael Weston is totally miscast. Still, I recommend the show" Robert: "Despite myself, I enjoyed this show way more than I thought I would. Impressed!" Darrell: "Reminds me of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell-- also, I agree this is a good format for a mini-series-- I recommend" Trailer Talk: The Accountant Darrell: "I just don't like Ben Affleck. Good actor. Great Bruce Wayne. But I just don't like the guy. He is mashed potatoes without margarine. French fries without salt. He is a carbon substance that simply holds space. Still, trailer's exciting! Five stars" Jermaine: "How do you not care for Ben Affleck? Ben Aflleck has fantastic movies. Er, disregarding Daredevil. Five stars" Robert: "Man, an OCD guy is the main protagonist-- sign me up. Also, why has Affleck been so unjustly maligned? Four stars" Assassin's Nonsense Robert: "Zero stars. Oh my god. What did I just watch? And I love Michael Fassbender" Jermaine: "Whhhhhhhhhhhhhy? This videogame movie could have been awesome. Why do they ruin movies like this? 2.5 stars" Darrell: "I'm curious about all the action set pieces. Doesn't look terrible, but doesn't look good. Three stars" Recommendations: Darrell recommends Person of Interest-- "Jesus is the best actor ever" Robert shares a terrifying video of augmented VR lenses gone horribly wrong Jermaine plays Incan Gold with friends-- "a great board game that balances greed vs karma!"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1spI3hg Two Week Catch-Up: Robert reintegrates with human society and volunteers to go campaigning by knocking door-to-door Darrell follows the NBA and discovers a guy who starts watching hockey for the very first time - "White people been hiding hockey from us for years!" Jermaine declares his love for the Chicago Cubs, hates on the White Sox, & thoroughly enjoys Blizzard's Overwatch Nerdy News: Robert shares news of Hulu debuting "Hulu Live" - no more waiting! Certain TV shows are going to start streaming the same-day Jermaine retells a story of woe & tragedy regarding Lyft - "Hot garbage - never using it again!" Darrell finds absolutely unbelievable the story of how a 24-year-old crumbles a 126-year-old statue in Portugal by climbing atop it to take a selfie Trailer Talk: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Jermaine: "Trailer looks great but director David Yates's betrayed me before - four stars" Darrell: "Yes! Looks beautiful and whimsical - love the palette & how it's 'perfectly imperfect' - five stars" Robert: "I'm all aboard! Combines two of my all-time favorites: HP & New York circa the 1940s! Five stars" Doctor Strange Jermaine: "The Teacher is supposed to be Asian! How is Tilda Swinton Asian? Unbelievable, 4-5 stars" Darrell: "Reminded me a lot of western samurai stories - I'm game! Five stars" Robert: "Considering this is another Marvel property, it's miraculous I'm giving it any stars at all. Kudos for not looking like a superhero movie - 3.5 stars" Review - Captain America: Civil War Jermaine: "Full 100% recommendation - this is what Batman v Superman should have been!" Darrell: "I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, totally recommend. Go Captain America!" Robert: "Man, what's it like to be Steve Rogers, to be in a minority of one? How to do what you believe is right when everyone you love and respect is telling you exactly the opposite?" Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Blizzard's Overwatch - "Non-stop fun! Polished as only Blizzard can do" Robert reads The Golem & the Jinni by Helene Wecker - "Fantastic writing about Jewish mysticism" Darrell champions indefatigable optimism & enthusiasm with The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1SOPW5f Two Week Catch-Up: Robert reads up on the history of political philosophy, learns about Israel, works on his taxes, & "gives up on the female-kind" Jermaine watches the Rush Hour TV show, learns "programming for iOS" via Coursera, reserves a Model 3, & proclaims to children everywhere: "Kids, quit all your jobs and go do what you love" Darrell gets hooked on The Division too, watches The Detour, & says, "I'm a Carolina fan but man, if you gotta lose, I don't mind losing to that shot" Nerdy News: Robert summarizes the NCAA in three minutes on YouTube & shares the inspiring story of adopted brothers who battle for the championship Jermaine finds Oculus Rift's incompetence in fulfilling orders & HTC's ineptitude in taking money completely flabbergasting Darrell shows everyone the future with Samsung's new 'smart' augmented reality contact lenses Trailer Talk: BFG Jermaine: "Man, once it comes out, we'll talk about the deep government roots that are in this book. I have a HUGE issue there - 3.5-4 stars" Robert: "What the heck, a massive subplot's entirely missing in this trailer - three stars" Darrell: "Ah, silly me to think new intellectual property's being made in 2016 - four stars" Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Jermaine: "I really enjoyed the trailer - not a single lightsaber! But. . . . everyone's now British? Whatever. It's Star Wars. Five stars" Darrell: "Man, calm down internet. So what the main protagonist's a woman? Five stars" Robert: "Oh my god. It has begun. This is the perpetual franchise I've been terrified of this entire time - one star" Review - Daredevil Season Two Robert: "The Punisher is my hero. This is what happens when you lose everything that gives you meaning in a harsh & meaningless world" Jermaine: "Dude, whatever. That person's just 'kray-kray'-- you can't go around hanging people from meat hooks!" Darrell: "Thug Foggy is my favorite Foggy ever! Also, J-- man, you gotta watch the whole season! Tune in next time folks!" Recommendations: Jermaine promotes lifelong learning with Coursera-- "you can add it to the bottom of a LinkedIn profile!" Darrell recommends Get Hard with Will Farrell & Kevin Hart-- "vulgar, funny, & with lots of sight gags" Robert praises Amazon's recommendation algorithm & finds London's secret world of escort services fascinating Credits: "Toto, I have that feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/237UsTR Two Week Catch-Up: Robert delves further into Reform Judaism & its differences from historical orthodoxy Darrell roots for his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels & enjoys the return of Psych, Castle, & Quantico Jermaine spends sixty hours on The Division & returns to Blizzard's Hearthstone - "it's a thinking game!" Nerdy News: Robert believes in "upholding rules" & proves yet again why democracy is for fools Darrell "encourages voting fraud" (when it comes to naming boats) & Jermaine sides with Trump on aversion towards a GOP brokered convention Darrell cheers Microsoft's decision to play nicely with others Jermaine's fantasy dream comes true now he finally gets his chance to dress up like Princess Leia Trailer Talk: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Jermaine: "I love Tim Burton! Or wait, I actually. . . . don't? I kinda wanna see it if the wife wants to see it? 3.5 stars" Robert: "Ugh, so torn. I'm still waiting for the next great 'kid-lit' franchise that's a smashing success & this most definitively, sadly, is not it. Also, that scary monster thing as the end looks straight outta Resident Evil - two stars" Darrell: "It feels like Spiderwick Chronicles, Nanny McPhee, & Silent Hill all mushed together - 3.5 stars" Ben Hur Jermaine: "Ah, the brother who's betrayed, returns, & horseback-rides his way back into the heart of the people! Four stars" Robert: "My dream. . . . Morgan Freeman one day recording my voicemail message. Also-- chariot battles. . . . it's about freaking time. . . . though I suspect this is the remake no one wants - 2.5 stars" Darrell: "Meh, I dunno the history - 2.5-3 stars?" Review - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Darrell: "Enjoyable movie but Mark Zuckerberg's like Lex Joker here-- miscast of the century. Batman's also supposed to be a super-genius! How does he not see Zuck's conspiracy from a million miles away?" Jermaine: "Why the hell is Batman haphazardly committing wanton murder left & right? Why-oh-why is Superman manipulated so easily? Good god, heaven almighty, this was HOT GARBAGE" Robert: "Whatever. When people try to kill you, you kill them back! An absolute cinematic masterpiece with profound philosophical heft. Batfleck's Bruce Wayne is the quintessential hero of our times, the eternally tortured soul asking the hard questions & doing what is necessary-- truly: a shining role model for us all. Also: CrossFit!" Recommendations: Jermaine punches his way to total & absolute victory with One-Punch Man Robert strongly feels that "by golly, this is how movies ought end!" Darrell mourns the passing of Phife Dawg & "celebrates the life he lived" with A Tribe Called Quest: The Love Movement Album Credits: Sound effects from FX Sounds "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1RPbuUG Two Week Catch-Up: Robert reads more books for book clubs, is abandoned by all his friends in town, discovers the wonderfulness of old people, & joins the local synagogue Darrell watches Meisha Tate knock out Holly Holm in UFC & follows the new show Underground on WGN Jermaine hitches his political allegiance to the Donald Trump bandwagon & goes "full videogame addict" with Space Engineers & The Division Nerdy News: Robert celebrates Google DeepMind's AlphaGo 4-1 victory over humanity Darrell reports Google's first car crash, cheers Google's Atlas robot, discusses "the immorality of robot-abuse," & considers this "the beginning of the end" Robert cites "the greatness of inter-generational living" & the fact that 33% of Japan is above 60 & 25% above 65 Jermaine worships Amazon's Alexa & outfits his smart-home with Wi-Fi light bulbs Trailer Talk: Ghostbusters Darrell likes this reboot & feels it a "new spin on a good idea" - three stars Jermaine thinks this movie should really be called "Ghost Fighters" - three stars Robert finds pink sludge terrifying & "loves the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man" - 3.5 stars Daredevil - Season Two Jermaine: "I'm a half-measure guy but I wanna see the darker half of superheroes. Five stars" Robert: "OMG. Daredevil is a pansy & I'm on Team Punisher all the way - actions & decisions have consequences! SIX STARS!!" Darrell: "First half is lackluster but it gains momentum! Definitely looking forward to the Punisher though. Five stars" Review: Deadpool The group universally recommends: "So much fourth-wall breakage. . . . unlike any superhero film ever seen before!" Recommendations: Jermaine loves hunting terrorists with friends in The Division Robert applauds Andrew Groen's Empire of Eve: A History of the Great Empires - "It's mesmerizing so many real people live the majority of their real lives in this virtual world" Darrell recommends Firefly - "Joss Whedon's masterpiece space western" "I'm mad as hell & I'm not gonna take it anymore" -- Howard Beale / Peter Finch in Network (1976)

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1QBCuqh Two Week Catch-Up: Robert joins book clubs in town in search of his "true self" Darrell watches lots of TV & enjoys Little Shop of Horrors Jermaine travels to Wisconsin & plays tons of The Division & Grab Nerdy News: Darrell hearts the FCC for fighting for consumer rights Jermaine stands up for the internet - "Everyone now has a voice!" The internet saddens Robert - "Everyone now has their own facts : (" Robert sides with the FBI in its demands for Apple's cooperation Jermaine finds Deadpool's box office weekend take completely mind-boggling Trailer Talk: 10 Cloverfield Lane Robert: "Definitely not my cup of tea but she's the daughter of John McClane! Three stars" Darrell: "Reminded me of Tomorrowland-- but I'll watch it. 2.5 - 3 stars" Jermaine: "It's Bad Robot! They do good things. And looks WAY better than Cloverfield. Three stars" Hardcore Henry Jermaine: "Trailer was fun! But I don't know if I could stomach 90 minutes of this. Four stars" "Also, this is the director who brought us the Portal short film!" Robert: "Oh man, trying to follow this trailer made me physically ill. Two stars" Darrell: "I'm curious more so than excited. Three stars" Review: X-Files Jermaine: "This is basically the tenth season of the X-Files. You are seriously gonna be super-lost if you're a newcomer" Robert: "What is going on? Man, I was so confused" Darrell: "Eh, I liked parts of it. They take so many side-turns & turns though. So convoluted" Recommendations: Darrell champions the local library with Hoopla Robert wonks out with Vox's The Weeds podcast Jermaine finds crack in Kingdom Rush "All those moments will be lost in time. . . like tears in rain" -- Roy Batty / Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner (1982)

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1TrqXd6 Two Week Catch-Up: Darrell thoroughly enjoys watching the Carolina Panthers demolish both Seattle and Arizona & also watches Lucky Man, the "slowest show in the world" Robert touts the wonders of modern medicine & reads Michael Lewis's Flash Boys & Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind-- "When you're brilliant, apparently you can do anything you want" Jermaine loves Aaron Rogers & celebrates his birthday by watching TV & playing video games all day-- "If I never achieve anything ever again, I'll be a happy man" Also: Robert aptly summarizes the Isle of Jermaine in a nutshell Nerdy News: Robert (Hogwarts graduate, H '08!) finds great joy in the grand revealing of North America's Ilvermorny Jermaine knows all the nations of the world America #1 in European geography! Darrell announces the release of Samsung's Galaxy S7 & confesses to once upon a time watching The FP Jermaine champions the robot revolution of lettuce-farming to feed all the world's impoverished Trailer Talk: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Darrell: "This is the perfect trailer-- doesn't reveal too much! Am excited! Four stars" Robert: "Ugh, this was a bad trailer. But this is BBC! Also-- What if countries had magic? Four stars" Jermaine: "Ugh, this trailer was garbage. 3.5 stars" Now You See Me 2 Jermaine: "This isn't magic! Watch this CG card flap in the air! Two stars" "Also, this is the director that brought us The LXD. . . ." Darrell: "Made me a little excited, didn't show too much, I'm onboard! 3.5 - 4 stars" Robert: "Potter working w/ Muggle Magicians! YES. Four stars" Review - The Magicians Jermaine: "Uh, for anyone who hasn't read the books, this TV series makes absolutely NO sense" Robert: "What gives us magic isn't talent. It's pain. SO GOOD" Darrell: "I don't care about anyone except for maybe Julia. Ugh, everyone's just making dumb decisions!" And yet. . . . somehow, the group still universally recommends the show-- everyone should watch! Recommendations: Robert recommends PBS's Mercy Street, the American Downtown Abbey & finds current events unfolding in Iowa & New Hampshire positively flabbergasting Jermaine loves reading Jim Butcher's Codex of Alera series Darrell suggests an alternative for Facebook on Android to save system memory “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary” -- John Keating / Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society (1989)

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1WVYoUj Two Week Catch-Up: Jermaine grows old & throws out his back five days Under the weather, Robert begins writing his life story in order to stay sane Discussing this year's Oscars, Darrell & Jermaine champion "Will of the People!" while Robert asks, "Really?" Nerdy News: Robert & the group find the passing of Alan Rickman a tremendous loss Jermaine loves Die Hard Darrell casts his vote for Galaxy Quest Robert remembers fondly for Snape & Love Actually Jermaine condemns Apple, Samsung, & Sony for exploiting children to manufacture iPhones Darrell shares news of Google offering free Wi-Fi in Mumbai-- "Free information for everyone!" Review - Billions Jermaine: "I am NOT a fan. Everyone's always scheming! It's just about morally bankrupt people seeing who can be more self-serving & terrible" Robert: "GREATEST SHOW EVER. YES!! (We do live in a crazy world though)" Darrell: "I enjoyed it. Very well-written. You must pay attention to every minute though. Keeps you hooked on what's gonna happen next" Trailer Talk: London has Fallen Darrell: "Looks better than Olympus has Fallen (but man, White House Down was GOOD). 3.5 stars" Jermaine: "Dude, I love this trailer. Explosions galore. Man with a gun. . . . against the world. But I'm scared I've been tricked again. Bleh. Two stars" Robert: "Basically Air Force One, but in London! YES. 4.5 stars" Recommendations: Darrell enjoys The Glades on AE Robert rereads Michael Lewis's The Big Short & thinks thinks 1941 Japan: Countdown to Infamy a fascinating look at the Land of the Rising Sun on the eve of WWII Jermaine recommends Slashdot for everyone's inner-nerd

Show notes: http://bit.ly/1ROEZWc Two-Week Catch-Up: Jermaine outlines the manifold dangers of winning the lottery & remains skeptical Shanara Chronicles will last long on the air Darrell roots for his football team ("Go Panthers!") & also starts on Edenstar Robert unlocks two life achievements six weeks to thirty & discovers tap water Nerdy News: Darrell offers fashion advice for men who live on the edge & recommends CamCard for folks trying to keep track of business cards Robert geeks out on Lenovo's 2016 refresh of the X1 line announced at CES & thinks the 'ThinkPad WiGig Dock' is definitely the future of wireless connectivity Jermaine finds Oculus Rift's $600 retail price an absolute travesty & a sure-fire sign that it's gonna be a complete commercial failure Mid-Winter TV Preview 2016: Second Chance Jermaine: "I like the 'monster-of-the-week' format-- four stars" Darrell: "I have concerns about how they keep the story going every week? 3.5 stars" Robert: "Ah, a tale of redemption & rehabilitation. . . . compelling. Four stars" Colony Jermaine: "I love Josh Holloway but Josh Holloway does not make good shows. But-- USA has that magic, man. Three stars" Darrell: "Seemed very ho-hum. Never sucked me in. No chemistry between the leads. Never made me feel his plight. 2.5 stars" Robert: "Complete garbage. Garbage garbage garbage. What a profoundly selfish dude. I want him to FAIL & then summary executions all around. We need FEWER people like him in this world. ZERO stars" The Magicians Jermaine: "I'm over the moon excited for this. . . . totally giggling & geeking out. Four stars" Darrell: "The books were good-- this looks like it's something that could actually happen in the real world. But man, the language-- especially for a cable network show! Four stars" Robert: "I do have concerns but this series holds a special place in my heart. 4.5 stars" Legends of Tomorrow Darrell: "I couldn't possibly care less about this series. One Schrute buck" Robert: "Man, this show looks stupid. Half a star" Jermaine: "Call me crazy but there's superheroes using superpowers! Love it. Five Stanley nickels" Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Happy Endings-- "Basically the adult version of Friends!" Darrell loves Quantico & eagerly awaits its return from mid-season break Robert finds hope in the dark, despairing world of Black Mirror's third season & discovers Ad Block software for Google Chrome