Ranking Thrones

Jamie and Evan begin a new podcast series, Double Features. Jamie and Evan will chat about two movies that have surprising common themes. This week, we dive into the Glicked Phenomenon. We touch on the similarities to Barbenheimer. Evan shares some personal connections with Oz. Jamie goes on about Ridley Scott's consistently ridiculous amount of artistic license. All of this and a love of a surprise cameo.

James and Evan dive deep into what may become a standout episode for Westeros. Listen to how big of a Trekkie Evan is, comparisons to Catelyn Stark, debating the innocence of Henry I of England, and Season 4 predictions? All this and more.

Jamie and Evan get deep in episodes 2 and 3 of House of the Dragon. Jamie continues to make comparisons to Shakespeare and real historical figures. Meanwhile, Evan is fascinated by Daemon and thrilled by the Bracken-Blackwood presentation. Celebrating the magnificent performances by Tom Glynn-Carney, Eve Best, and others. All this and more as we dive deep into the latest two episodes of House of the Dragon.

James and Evan cover the debut of Season 2 of House of the Dragon! Listen to everything from the overall thoughts, historical parallels, Miguel Sapochnik's exit, and more!

James and Evan dive deep to compare the first season of Game of Thrones to the first season of House of the Dragon. Which is easier to get into as a show. Did some parts of Game of Thrones not age greatly? Also speculation for season 2 of House of the Dragon. All this and a discussion of how Rings of Power perfectly emodies JRR Tolkein and traditional prequels to the more avant garde House of the Dragon.

Evan and James team-up to chat about episodes 6-10 of House of the Dragon. We cover Hollywood's insane casting for age, Rhaenys and Corlys' relationship being the best marriage in Westeros? All this and a discussion of nepotism and Doctor Who.

James and Evan meet-up to discuss the first half of Season 1 of House of the Dragon. How does this first half of the season compare to Season 7 of Game of Thrones? Love to Emily Carey's underrated performance. Amazing direction for a scene. Gender roles and the strength of Milly Alcock. Love to Eve Best as Rhaenys. Evan has a hot take on Daemon and much more!

Jamie & Evan analyze the two debut King's of Westeros in the first seasons of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Mark Addy's legendary turn as Robert the Usurper, and Paddy Considine's harrowing turn as Viserys the Peaceful. A king in the shadow of an evil tyrant haunted by his past, while another is living in the shadow of one of the greatest kings and is obsessed with the future. We get into snubbed Emmy nominations, Michael Scott, and adaptation choices as we analyze these two great characters and performances.

Alex and Jamie finish off the York Tetralogy with four adaptations of Richard III. We discuss how vastly different the play reads in isolation compared to being the fourth chapter of a Tetralogy. Listen to discussion of Return of the Jedi, Oliver's camp, the Hobbit movies, and the Abdication Crisis.

Alex and Jamie continue their deep dive into the BBC's York Tetralogy. Henry VI Part 3 is the most action-packed Shakespeare play with 4 onstage battles. Join us as we dive into parallels to Titus Andronicus, the tragedy of Henry VI, the vital origins of Richard III, the magnificent performance of Julia Foster as Margaret, and the nature of revenge stories.

Alex returns to chat with Jamie about Jane Howell's adaptations of Henry VI Part 1 and 2 for the BBC's Television Shakespeare Series. We get into the mixed quality of the BBC Shakespeare series, a surprisingly good Wikipedia page, historical accuracy vs storytelling, the co-authorship debate, Solo: A Star Wars Story, great performances, cast doubling and of course the magnificence of Jack Cade.

Known as the Sea Snake, Corlys Velaryon would make Nine Legendary journeys across the sea. He would briefly become the richest Lord of Westeros. He would also marry Princess Rhaenys, the daughter of the heir to the Iron Throne. He would soon become embroiled in the Dance of the Dragons, becoming the only man to serve as Hand of the Queen. Will he stand as one of the greatest Hands of the King, or will he be a figure of infamy amidst one of the darkest moments in Westerosi history? This episode was recorded prior to the airing of the first season of House of the Dragon.

Rogar Baratheon would stand against the tyranny of Maegor the Cruel and help to make young Prince Jaehaerys the King. Rogar Baratheon would become Hand of the King and one of the most powerful Hand's of Westerosi history. How will he measure as Hand of the King to James and Evan?

Evan and James team-up once more in this series to review the Hands of the King. In our inaugural episode we discuss the first Hand of the King, Orys Baratheon. The bastard half-brother of Aegon the Conqueror would command the land forces of Aegon's Conquest. He would supplant House Durran for his own House. But is he truly worthy of being known as a Stag? Or is he simply a name in the legend of Aegon.

Galen joins James to chat about Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece Spirited Away. They get into the beauty of 2D animation, the themes of maturity, Buddhism, communism, all this and a discussion of live-action Disney remakes.

James and Evan meet-up to chat about the first two episodes of House of the Dragons. We note the historical parallels, adaptation choices, and analyze the parallels and strengths of numerous characters. All of this and a discussion of the most controversial choice and presentation.

Toniiiiight, Jamie is joined by the Shakespeare Online Rep's Lucy to chat about the two movie adaptations of West Side Story. We dive deep into the controversial aspects of the original 1961 film, the greatness that is Rita Moreno, the complexity of Sondheim's lyrics, the brilliance of "America" and how it relates to the immigrant experience, all of this and a small tangent about Dune.

The Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre is a Discord Server that meets bi-weekly to read works of Shakespeare and other magnificent authors. We are a group that is a mix of professional actors and Shakespeare enthusiasts. For our first publicly available performance, we present Shakespeare's underrated historical drama Richard II. King Richard has reigned for years, but his increasingly tyrannical ways puts him in opposition with his lords, including his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. Follow the story of the mercurial Richard as he struggles to

Jamie sits down with friend and huge fan of Stephen King's It, Rainey. We get into the most infamous scene from the original novel, the cosmic space turtle. We touch upon the beloved 1990s miniseries and how Tim Curry compares to Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise. We also touch of course on the movies, and the controversial twist of It Chapter Two. Come join us, you'll float too...

Cosplay icon @carmillajo drops by to chat about The Nightmare Before Christmas. We talk about how this is NOT a Tim Burton movie despite what people think. Is this movie a metaphor for Tim Burton's relationship to Disney? Is this a metaphor for cultural appropriation? Is the message of the movie anti-Disney? All this and a discussion of anime.

In honor of Halloween, Jamie dives deep into some Halloween classics. Debuting this new podcast, musical veteran Elena comes to chat about Little Shop of Horrors. Get ready for everything from the original Roger Corman movie, Hallmark Christmas movies, the merits of Russell Crowe in Les Miserables, making deals with the Devil, and speculation on the Little Shop remake. Please join us, and please don't feed the plants.

Bailey comes back and she and James go into the legendary Shakespeare spiritual adaptation, The Lion King. How much is The Lion King the story of Hamlet? Is Disney actually less wish-fulfillment fantasy than people believe? All this, and how Hakuna Matataa may be a metaphor for being a teenager. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ranking-thrones/support

After James and Evan have spent hours debating and analyzing George RR Martin's fantasy history, James has brought on the hosts of a real history podcast. Graham Duke and Ali Hood of the phenomenal podcast Rex Factor come to discuss Robert Baratheon. We talk about the real-life inspiration behind Robert in Edward IV and Henry IV. Are the mistakes of Robert so bad compared to what most real kings did? All this, and Rex Factor answering all the questions you always wanted them to answer. Rex Factor | Reviewing all the Kings and Queens of England & Scotland (wordpress.com) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ranking-thrones/support

Host's log: Phil returns to boldly go into a deep dive of three unique episodes from Star Trek: The Original Series that were all inspired by the plot of Shakespeare's plays. Elaan of Troyius: Kirk and the Enterprise have to transport this haughty Princess to her arranged marriage. But can Kirk tame this beautiful woman, or will her feminine wiles and Klingon attacks mean the end? Inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, are the outfits France Nuyen wears a little much? Does this episode age well? Catspaw: Star Trek's Halloween episode has Kirk and the Enterprise receive an ominous warning after the death of a redshirt. Ignoring the warning of three witches Kirk, Spock and McCoy go to a seemingly haunted castle and meet two fickle magicians. Is this really a Macbeth episode of Star Trek? Do the old effects distract? The Conscience of the King: Kirk is told that a Shakespearean actor may be an escaped war criminal. Kirk investigates while struggling with doubt and wooing the war criminal's daughter. We discuss the episode's relation to Hamlet, the significance of genre entertainment and the episode's relation to the Nuremberg trials. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ranking-thrones/support

They say that Shakespeare's work is immortal and universal. Akira Kurosawa proves that with his adaptation of Macbeth into feudal Japan with the masterpiece Throne of Blood. Guest Phil joins Jamie in discussing how well Kurosawa translates the story of Macbeth. The two get into the cross-cultural similarities and differences as well as the phenomenal performances and cinematography. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ranking-thrones/support

Bailey returns to chat about the Macbeth film starring the one and only Sir Patrick Stewart. We speak about the modernization, the symbolism and more in this week's episode! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ranking-thrones/support

Alex returns to complete our 3-part analysis of The Hollow Crown. But rather than simply talk about Thea Sharrock's magnificent film, we broaden and speak about the two famous films by Sir Laurence Olivier and Sir Kenneth Branagh. Each adaptation of Henry V is a masterpiece that highlights different aspects of the text and bring Shakespeare's play and characters in wholly different light. Join us as we go once more unto the breach. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ranking-thrones/support

Continuing our in-depth analysis on The Hollow Crown, Alex returns to talk about one of the best showcases of Shakespeare. We analyze the historical basis for the play, Falstaff, why there was a sequel and the character of Hal. All this and Minions in this week's episode. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In 2012, BBC created an adaptation of the Henriad. The first and arguably greatest in the tetralogy is Richard II. Directed by Rupert Goold and starring Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear. Alex rejoins as he and Jamie discuss their love of the play, Shakespeare at the zenith of his craft and why is Richard II not as popular a play. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Friend of the podcast Gorgo of the Online Shakespeare Repetory joins to talk about Joseph Mankiewicz's Julius Caesar. We get into the politics of the play and Shakespeare, the Academy Award nominated Marlon Brando and more! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

James and Evan dive deep into the Civil War between Caesar and Pompey. Find out how Pompey beat Caesar and still lost the war. Our intro to Cleopatra. And Octavian and Caesar's relationship. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

James and Evan begin a miniseries exploring the life of Rome's first Emperor on the month named after him. In the year Gaius Octavian was born a Civil War was imminent. How the crisis came about and its resolution would be the perfect setting for the rise of Augustus. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Jamie finally does the episode he has dreaded, Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet. Thankfully his guests Vicki and Alex insisted that they could only talk about the movie if they compared it to the vastly superior Franco Zefereli film. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Steven Attewell and Jim McGeehin come back to Ranking Thrones to address why Robert Baratheon was able to end the Targaryen Dynasty while Daemon Blackfyre failed? What advantages did Robert have over Daemon? Also, how many historical parallels can we cram into one podcast? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

James watches Coriolanus for the first time and speaks with his guest, Amy about National Theatre Live's production starring Tom Hiddelston (Loki). We discuss how it is based on a period of Roman history almost never dramatized, regional accents, Occupy Wall Street and Plutarch. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Ranking Thrones and upcoming podcast Civil Wars co-host Evan joins Shakespeare Onscreen to chat about National Theatre Live's Antony & Cleopatra starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo. We remember our days of college, how accurate the play is and how the colorblind casting is more historically accurate than one may believe. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This episode I am joined with the wonderful hosts of The Bicks Pod who are covering Shakespeare's plays and wider topics related to the Bard. They chose Justin Kurzel's Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotiliard. We discuss sex-position, the fascinating adaptation choices made by the director and color filters in this week's episode! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Bailey joins James to chat about Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing. Is Shakespeare's play more relevant in the MeToo era? What do we think about Keanu Reeves, and more. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The debut of a new podcast where I chat with a guest about filmed adaptations of Shakespeare. This week we cover the 1990s Get Over It. Is it a forgettable 90s comedy or a flawed masterpiece? All of this and a brief discussion of LA LA Land. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Something is rotten in the state of Westeros. Jim and James conclude their History of Westeros with the death of the Targaryen dynasty, the honor of the Kingsguard and the false promise of Robert. Three Spring Princes turn out to be false. In particular Jim and James wonder what Rhaegar was thinking? Art from The World of Ice & Fire --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In honor of May the Fourth, James and Evan go through all 5 of the new Star Wars movies. Can James say nice things about TFA? How many characters can they name from Rogue One? How divided are James and Evan of The Last Jedi? Is Solo a love story? All this and a lot of talk about behind the scenes in this deep dive into the new Star Wars movies. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In the next chapter on the History of Westeros, Jim McGeehin and Steven Attewell join James on the Blackfyre Rebellions. Who was the brother that Bloodraven loved? Why did the Rebellions continue, and the decline of the Targaryen dynasty and the tarnishing of the Blackfyre cause. Art from the World of Ice & Fire --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

After the Targaryens destroyed their basis of power, the question now was what their rule would be based on? Jim and James explore the varied attempts to overcome a dragon-free Westeros. Art by Naomi Makes Art --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Ranking Thrones has covered the Dance of the Dragons across 8 episodes. But now Jim and James go in depth for 3 hours on the lead-up to and the clash of the Targaryens. James shows his defense of Rhaenyra while Jim holds all in contempt. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Jim McGeehin joins to chat about the history of Westeros from a broader perspective. In this series James and Jim analyze the trends of Kingship. In this episode they cover Aegon's style of Kingship and how his sons parroted aspects of their father. We also discuss the unsung significance of Visenya and more! Art by Amok --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In our first and only time we will be discussing a show version of a King. We dive into D&D's portrayal of Tommen I. The poor good hearted boy that became King in a time of war. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

For the first time since Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror, there was a King in the North. Allied with the Riverlands who pledged fealty to Robb Stark, Robb forged a new crown and went to war against Tywin Lannister. Robb would astonish all as one of the greatest generals since Daeron the Young Dragon. Unfortunately though, Robb's prowess in combat was equaled by his mistakes in politics. What do Evan and James think of the final Claimant? Is he a Direwolf? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Evan is out this week but we have on Jim McGeehin of Wars & Politics of Ice & Fire to discuss Daeron II. We have discussed the most polarizing king from the Black and Red Dragon perspective, now Jim comes from a fair-minded and skeptical perspective to Daeron's legacy. Come for a magnificent hot take on the Red Dragon.  The Panel discussed: Targaryen Politics in Post-Dragon Westeros --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

I'm sorry, we tried but we cannot lie, we hate this guy. Balon Greyjoy would twice take the Crown of Salt & Rock. Both times would end horrendously for himself and his people. We examine just how shortsighted and idiotic his attempts to take the crown were. Also, we examine the insidious nature of his entire ideology.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Renly Baratheon was the youngest brother of Robert I. After the death of Robert and the execution of Ned Stark, Renly would be the first man to declare himself King in defiance of Joffrey. Renly would command the largest force in Westeros and the breadbasket of the Realm. Unfortunately beyond good looks and charm there was little of substance in Renly. What do Evan and James think of the Copper King? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Was Viserys III the victim of a horrible childhood and the pressure of restoring his dynasty? Or was Viserys always the son of the Mad King? Evan and James tackle the Targaryen Prince from the east that vexed Robert. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app