Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Prepping the notes for this episode was unusually difficult. Cam said that he's never felt this conflicted about a game before. Doom: The Dark Ages lives in the shadow of multiple, inescapable influences — from Halo to Gears of War to God of War and even the other modern Doom sequels — but it's also a great standalone game. After discussing all the unfavorable comparisons that those influences invite, we zoom out to analyze Doom: The Dark Ages on its own terms. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! How has it taken us five years to do an episode on an Elder Scrolls game? Luckily, the new Oblivion Remaster has arrived to fix all that. Cam reflects on the heroic fantasy ideal, Bethesda's charming jank, the pitfalls of modern gaming, accidental vampirism, and the collaborative wonder of a game that makes the audience feel like they're simultaneously playing, creating, and living the ultimate expression of the fantasy genre. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! We're diving back into the MCU to analyze Thunderbolts* as an allegorical pandemic-era period piece. This is an unusually personal discussion of mental health, lost time, and the unironic power of friendship. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! What's this? A polarizing story about art and excess starring the Weeknd that is equally self-indulgent and self-loathing? That's right, as the world's foremost defenders of The Idol, we're back to discuss Hurry Up Tomorrow. In this episode, Cam wrestles with Abel's self-sabotaging self-promotion, toys with that ambiguous ending, unpacks an avalanche of influences, and breaks down the uncomfortable, familiar sense of embarrassment he felt while watching this film. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! What's the best Doom game? Well, that might be a trick question. In this episode, Cam argues that ‘The Ancient Gods' — the overlooked two-part expansion to Doom Eternal — might just be the best entry in the franchise. With massive story implications, fascinating gameplay evolutions, and a running length that rivals all the modern mainline entries, The Ancient Gods is a stealth sequel in the proud tradition of Halo: ODST and Gears 5: Hivebusters. Rip, tear, and spread the word! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Five years after the wildly divisive ‘Doom Eternal' was released, Cam has given the game a second chance — and fallen in love with it. This discussion charts his history with the franchise, the frustrations of that first playthrough, and the unique combat rhythm that turned a simple demon killing formula into a wildly addictive white knuckle chess match. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Don't believe the marketing, this body horror remix of Cinderella has a lot more in common with our favorite Jane Austen adaptations than it does with The Substance. Our discussion of The Ugly Stepsister centers around the tragic, almost universal sympathy that the film imbues within the central cast. How does this character focus affect the film's body horror? How is empathy twisted and weaponized throughout the story? How accurate is all of this surreal brutality to the reality of the female experience? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Revenge of the Sith is not just the most climactic and sweeping and melodramatic Star Wars film, it's also perhaps the most tragic entry — and that's where we come in. We analyze the film by tracing it's roots through three giants in the field, starting with Lord of the Rings and an avalanche of Gollum / Anakin parallels, moving on to Macbeth and the realization that the Jedi masters are the three witches, and finishing with a Doctor Faustus framing that almost redeems Anakin as a lone Faustus in an endless sea of Mephistopheles. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Rewatching House of Cards in 2025 is a fascinating and uneven experience — because the titular house never seems to fall. This episode traces the Watergate-like ‘Underwood Exposé' that simmers just below the surface for seventy-three episodes, but never arrives. It's a reflection on implicit promises to the audience, shifting focus, and botched endings (with some Richard III sprinkled on top). LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Despite their wildly different tones, House of Cards and The West Wing are shockingly similar. We run through ten eerie similarities between the two shows before opening up the discussion to figure out when and why House of Cards became an accidental remake of The West Wing. We then analyze the attitudes and eras that shaped each show and consider them as deeply intertwined, transitional period pieces. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This grand finale of our chapter-by-chapter coverage of the first A Song of Ice and Fire novel is a deep-dive retrospective of all the major thoughts, theories, and literary analysis we've brought to the world of Westeros. We work together to cover each and every POV character and our most fruitful overarching umbrella theories. Grab a crust of bread and horn of ale – and dig in – there's a lot to get to! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Sinners is a fantastic drama, a killer horror movie, and a great vampire story - but it's something else too. Cam argues that the film feels almost like a blues biopic, going beyond Sammie's story to chart the story of the genre itself. Using plot analysis and personal anecdotes, we investigate the magic and myth of Ryan Coogler's latest masterpiece. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! A Game of Thrones ends with a massive curveball that threatens to totally upend the philosophy of life and death we've been tracking for 73 chapters. We work together to unravel these cycles of life, death, and rebirth and ultimately recalibrate the binary conflict at the center of this series. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! After hundreds of hours, ups, downs, delights, and disappointments, The Light & Darkness saga of Destiny 2 is finally done. Cam is happy to report that The Final Shape is not only a great expansion, but also a great ending to this epic, sweeping, and messy story. Join us for a discussion of character-focused gameplay, staggering art direction, and the overwhelming, emotional, 12-player finale mission, ‘Excision'. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! So many chapters of this book have felt like ghost stories, but this is something else entirely. Cam argues that Catelyn's final chapter brutally resolves the central conflict between the living and the dead. Maggie questions Catelyn's capacity to adapt in a rapidly changing world. Littlefinger's tongue makes an unwelcome appearance. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The Woman in the Yard is the best Blumhouse movie since Insidious. Why? Its relentless and bold family drama, unflinching negotiation of tough topics, and scrappy, indie spirit that only ever makes it feel more creative and inspired. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The final Jon chapter poses a challenging question about his direwolf, Ghost: is he a loyal dog, an attentive wolf, or a superior reasoning intellect on the level of Tolkien's dragons? Cam chases down these provocations while Maggie considers Jon's larger breaking point as he considers desertion. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Does a book have to be “necessary” to be worth reading? Maggie explores this idea in our spoiler-free discussion of the latest installment in the Hunger Games series, Sunrise on the Reaping. Topics include fan service, recurring narrative structures, the age of legacy prequels, and the trappings of continuity. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The final Tyrion chapter reads like both a reversal of fortunes and a funeral procession. Cam is tracking five of these eerie coincidences, while Maggie is comparing the inverse mythologies and realities of Robb Stark and Tywin Lannister. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Everyone's afraid of something, and nothing scares Cam more than freaky old people. The Rule of Jenny Pen introduces us to a brand-new subgenre: nursing home horror. John Lithgow is more terrifying than any slasher villain you can think of, and this movie might have more to say about mortality than any film in recent memory. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This chapter features the richest dream sequence of the book so far, and some of the most provocative fodder for our philosophy of death discussions. Maggie explores the mantras emanating out of these kaleidoscopic dreams. Cam considers the three belabored deaths that have defined this novel – Robert, Ned, and now Khal Drogo – for all of their uncomfortable similarities and damning implications. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! We love Game of Thrones, we love The Witcher, we love The Lord of the Rings – but fantasy can be many things, including super silly stylized schlock. In the Lost Lands is the most fun you'll have with a fantasy film this year. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! What is the effect of the near constant mirage of George R. R. Martin killing off his protagonist? In this episode we examine this question from both the readers' and the characters' perspectives. Maggie zooms into Sansa's disillusionment and disassociation to find her skills of adaptation developing in the margins. Cam realizes that all the heads on spikes are a violent cherry on top of this novel's endless meditations on Macbeth. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! February's onslaught of new horror comedies got us thinking about the trickiest and most rewarding subgenre of horror. Despite their modern sensibilities, they all feel like throwbacks or reactions to earlier eras. Are horror comedies always riffing on established tropes and aesthetics? Are there any non-referential modern horror comedies? What is the identity of original horror comedies in the 2020s? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This chapter has a little something for both of us. Maggie gets to talk about dreams and Cam gets to lose himself in the endless rabbit warren of philosophy. But it all comes down to this: is it really the dearly departed Ned Stark who visits his kids in their dreams? What would this spiritual confirmation mean for the supernatural aspect of this world? Souls, the afterlife, ghosts – it's all up for grabs now. And what's all this suddenly about the children of the forest? Are they a way for Bran to process his grief, or a tease of what's to come in his long and winding journey? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The fifth Dune novel feels like a master of the craft finishing his central story and then just continuing to explore the world he created. This is another swirling, violent meditation on inescapable cycles of history, with an ever greater focus on the concept of manufactured immortality. Heretics of Dune is both the least essential and the most impassioned book in the series. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Spoiler alert: Ned Stark is finally dead. The chapter we've all been waiting for and dreading is finally here, and this episode tackles the one question that we're both consumed by. Why does he die in an Arya chapter, instead of a Sansa chapter, or - you know - an Eddard chapter. Lighting our way towards an answer is a whole cavalcade of thoughts, theories, and literary analysis. Let's dig in! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Billions is the best show you haven't seen — and that's either because it aired on Showtime or because you assumed it was a Succession clone. Our mission in this episode is to correct these impressions, because not only is Billions nothing like Succession, it is also the hidden gem of prestige television dramas. Topics include: episodic storytelling, rewatchability, signature dialogue styles, scope vs. scale, and revised comparisons to Mad Men / The Sopranos. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! As we race towards the finale of A Game of Thrones, the supernatural elements are coming out to play. This chapter alone gives us blood magic, fatal prophecies, and dancing witches. Cam follows these threads to finally uncover what might be the root of this novel's constant Macbeth echoes. Maggie takes a look at the curious role that fear plays in this chapter, as it variously induces Dany's labor and separates her from everyone around her. We also consider the continued specter of Jon Snow across these pages. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Season of Witchcraft is all about ‘fun factor,' from the campy purple aesthetic to the loot piñata gameplay. The classes are better than ever too, as Maggie rolls her third Rogue and Cam makes his triumphant, dreaded return to the Barbarian. But there's a tension underlying this season that complicates our experience: the constant, escalating grind through Headhunts. This latest installment of our ongoing Diablo IV coverage zooms out to consider the state of the game, the committed casual experience, and how the game could continue to improve! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Another week, another battle, another curveball! Cam's analyzing the subversive, pointedly indirect way that GRRM stages his battles. Maggie takes a look at the ongoing bad luck of the Starks for its historical and religious implications. Are they actually cursed? Have they been forsaken by the Old Gods? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Happy Valentine's Day, it's time to discuss the messiest love triangle of the decade! Cam argues that Challengers is an intricate restaging of Shakespeare's Macbeth — where no one is allowed to die. This wrinkle presents fresh insights about both works of art, and some creative character mapping reveals an unexpected, revelatory Lady Macbeth hiding in plain sight. Maggie analyzes the strategic deployment of color through the film, as it both clarifies and complicates the relationships between our three characters. She also takes a close look at the film's music and sound design, arguing that they act as a stand-in for absent characters and unrequited passions. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Despite winning the battle, the big loser of this chapter is Tywin Lannister. His money, power, and more “civilized” brand of evil undercut his wins and guarantee his family's losses. Our discussion catalogues these failures and the seeds of mistrust that have broken the house that should easily dominate the Seven Kingdoms. In the chaos of battle, last week's Dothraki horrors are quietly displaced from Tyrion's mountain men into his innermost circle. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Strap in folks, this might be the most disturbing, fascinating, and unforgettable horror movies we've ever covered on the show. Our discussion of Red Rooms starts with comparisons to Funny Games before spiraling through audience complicity, weaponized curiosity, the joy of impossible questions, a celebration of uncomfortable art, and Maggie's personal history with the true crime genre that this film is skewering. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The fire and ice cross pollination continues this week. Daenerys gets her first Macbeth theory, we reconsider the rules of Targaryen checkpoints, and an uncomfortable but unmistakable line from The Lord of the Rings leads us to entirely reevaluate Dany. Stay after the credits for an old school classic “Second Breakfast” segment, where we discuss our experience at the Candlelight Rings & Dragons concert. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Move over Diablo IV, there's a new sheriff in town. Cam has been marathoning Path of Exile 2 since it launched into Early Access, and we've got so much to talk about! Massive quality of life changes from the first game (and Diablo), overhauled leveling systems, electrifying boss fights, fantastically tuned difficulty, stunning graphics, and a full breakdown of all six (!) excellent classes await! As John Lennon once sang, “imagine actually being able to pause a game in 2025!” LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The story of A Song of Ice and Fire is perfectly encapsulated in the character of Jon Snow. The conflict, coexistence, and intertwining of these two opposing forces are essential to Jon and his story. This chapter is full of symbols that encourage us to contemplate this struggle of identity within Jon: Maggie examines the contrast between the fiery burns of Jon's right hand and the shaky but honor-bound duties of his left, while Cam reconsiders the direwolf as the Stark's mascot, and suggests that the raven might serve as a more truthful sigil. Maester Aemon remains ever-present in the backdrop of this chapter (and throughout Jon's story) – but as an example, or a warning? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! True to our name, we decided to give Robert Eggers' Nosferatu a second chance. While we emerged from our first viewing fairly united in our opinions, this second viewing brought us to vastly different places, and this episode is our chance to unpack those together. For Cam, the film felt much more vibrant, both in its visuals (thanks, digital projection!) and in its continuation of Eggers' favorite themes, including temptation, lust, Faustian contracts, messy relationships, animal omens, and commitment to period. For Maggie, this second viewing seemed to double down on her frustrations with the film. The hollowness that we identified in our first episode creeps in again here, but this time we understand it a little better: through Ellen's fraught relationship with Orlok, and the way the film directs us to experience it. Our discussion concludes in a fixation on a central question: does Ellen love Orlok? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Comparison may be the thief of joy, but it makes for a pretty good podcast. Maggie's investigating a parallel between Catelyn and Sansa that illuminates the lessons and limits of brute force willpower. Cam is rolling up the last four chapters to reveal a recurring structure that lets us peek behind the curtain at the real power players of each storyline. The uneasy similarities between Ned and Robb make us question the sheer survivability of principle in Westeros. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Star ratings, tomato scores, letter grades, thumbs up or thumbs down – we tend to view most works of art through binary, objective lenses like these. And while reviews do have their value, they've never been our goal here on the show. Every week we welcome our listeners with “thoughts, theories, and literary analysis”, and this episode is our chance to dive deep into that mission statement. We discuss reviewers we genuinely enjoy and respect, the pitfalls of reviews as a whole, the value of open-ended discussion and ideas, and what it is we're trying to do instead. We love doing these conceptual episodes – sit back and enjoy! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The stars have alighted in this very special episode of Second Breakfast as we accidentally work together to form one massive theory about the avalanche of echoes crushing poor Ned Stark. After we catalogue these eerie similarities, we ask the more important question: so what? What is the point of all these dozens of distillation echoes? The answer takes us to a shockingly simple and powerful place. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The War of the Rohirrim threads the needle magnificently, bringing something fresh and new to the Lord of the Rings franchise while proudly honoring what came before it. After our initial impressions, we do some spotlight analysis on the film's standout characters, Hera and Helm, and close with a reflection on the titanic expectations we had in the months leading up to this release. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The King is dead, long live the King. Joffrey's first day in power leads Cam on a spiraling journey through Macbeth's ghost of Banquo scene and the Ship of Theseus as he tries to make sense of all the uneasy parallels being drawn between Robert Baratheon and his brutal son. Maggie keys into the missing tapestries in the throne room to decipher the Lannisters' view of prophecy. Ned rots in the dungeon. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! As the year winds down, it's finally time to crown our favorite works of art from the year that was 2024! As ever, we have two categories: our favorite works of art that released this year and our favorite works of art that we discovered this year. Four awards, two nominations, one blowout episode! See you in 2025!   LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com   Check out our discussions on the works of art mentioned in this year's Brekkies:   The Substance: https://youtu.be/YzmKoP0spcI  Oddity: https://youtu.be/ml7eZp5Df2E Longlegs: Episode 1 (“Longlegs Remixes Horror Classics”): https://youtu.be/ipV8lwWsbk8 Episode 2 (“Longlegs isn't Satan, he's Mephistopheles”): https://youtu.be/FALrlapZjsY The Vourdalak: https://youtu.be/EVtgk43tN4A Jack White's No Name: Episode 1 (“Jack White's NO NAME: A Bootleg Masterpiece): https://youtu.be/l5zJerS_-FI Episode 2 (“Overthinking Jack White Album Covers”): https://youtu.be/AIVttVIH7DU Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy: https://www.patreon.com/posts/106504094?utm_campaign=postshare_creator Fire & Blood series: https://www.patreon.com/posts/103114220?utm_campaign=postshare_creator God (Girl) of War: https://youtu.be/0-983cMvMoU God Emperor of Dune: https://youtu.be/X_k6Cc_JL7w

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In this episode, we're chasing one burning question: why didn't Robert Eggers' Nosferatu work for us? The answer takes us on a long journey through editing, cross-cutting, overstuffed ensembles, mechanical villains, and the many challenges of the source material. We also consider the lineage of the original Nosferatu and celebrate this new version's homage to color washing. Cam takes a moment to break down the film's remarkably deft Faustus fake-out, and we work through a cascade of (loaded) echoes from across Robert Eggers' filmography, before closing with some reflections about this month-long retrospective. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Is Tywin Lannister the 'Big Bad' of Game of Thrones? Is he the series' ultimate strategist and mastermind, and if so, then where does it all go wrong? Why does he never sit the Iron Throne? We're diving into all of these questions today, alongside a long-awaited new installment of Maggie's Bird Corner, Cam's Russian Nesting Doll theory, and more than a little time spent comparing Westeros with the world of Succession. Happy Christmas! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Our Robert Eggers Retrospective series concludes with The Northman. Revisiting this film after two years, Cam discovers that instead of just being 'Viking Hamlet,' the film is actually a freeform hybrid of Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Doctor Faustus. Maggie tracks the strands of fate that connect these doomed characters, and the stylistic departures of Eggers' third film. Together, we chart echoes from across every project in his filmography and close with a deep discussion of The Northman as a revenge story. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Our first Stark reunion is as fleeting as it is fruitful. Maggie chases the spoken and unspoken fear permeating this chapter, while Cam explores the uneasy comparisons between Robb's fledgling campaign and Robert Baratheon's legendary rebellion in the wake of the king's death and Ned's imprisonment. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

A behind-the-scenes exploration of Cam's latest audio drama / novel, Lemon Tarts in Space! In this interview, Maggie interviews Cam about the intricate mechanics of producing an audio drama, from finding the perfect take of each line to developing your instincts as an editor and the overwhelming, delicate work of volume leveling. This is the most daunting step of the creative process, where you have to find all the needles in the haystack and reassemble your initial vision inside someone else's ears.   LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com   00:00 Introduction: Post-Production 01:15 Mechanics & Mistakes 08:47 Part of the Creative Process 10:48 Finding the Final Draft 17:03 Trusting Your Instincts 18:31 Foley Work as Subtext 21:46 Fiction From Scratch 23:54 Recurring Problems 26:43 Endless Experimentation 28:14 Authenticity vs. Accuracy 30:51 Exit Interview 34:29 Closing Thoughts

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This is the episode we've been waiting to do since the very beginning of Second Breakfast. The Witch is our favorite film of all time, and today we're going to dig deep and find out why. Spoiler alert: it's a magical medley of the power of suggestion, curveball slasher structure, mutually assured destruction, and a beautifully binary / reversible theology. Come for the cavalcade of theological grindstones, fresh observations, and echoes from throughout Robert Eggers' legendary filmography, stay for Maggie's absolutely blockbuster theory about the shattering of the ten commandments. And yes, there's a little Doctor Faustus thrown in for good measure, alongside some rumination on The Godfather and The Exorcist. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Woohoo! Cam's latest novel / audio drama (Lemon Tarts in Space!) is available right now, right here! This is the first Targaryen checkpoint that looks to the past as much as it previews the future. Maggie tracks the theme of cross-pollination to find some surprising parallels between Dany and Sansa, and resolves her running theory of childhood and children's perspectives. Cam follows the narrowing of scope in this chapter and the broadening of sigils to become almost allegorical – Dany is starting to act like a dragon. We consider the explicit imagery of nostalgic wine being poisoned in terms of homecomings, scattered futures, and denied destinies. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com