Superfeed! from The Incomparable

Is a place overseas if you don’t have to go over a sea to get there? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Breaking down our day at Comerica Park, surrounded by hundreds or thousands of Magnums — and a few loyal listeners! Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr.

Author (and friend of the show) Samuel Garza Bernstein is back with another story about the characters who were central to Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond. His new book, Roddy McDowall: An Actor’s Life - From “How Green Was My Valley” to “Lassie” to “Planet of the Apes” is the story of a child star who became a great friend and beloved member to many in the Hollywood community. We spoke with Sam in 2024 when his Joan Crawford book was published. Shelly Brisbin with Samuel Garza Bernstein.

We’ve had a spooky vision! It’s your “Magnum, podcast” season finale live from Detroit on Magnum Day weekend! Your hosts introduce segments… in person! We differ on the quality of this episode, which a majority of our hosts really liked! Is it the prototypical Magnum episode, or is the psychic woo-woo too much? Is this a secret backdoor pilot? Is that how journalism works? We get to the bottom of it! [Last show of the season. But see you next year and we have some special plans in the meantime!] Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr.

Buy some flowers and get ready to profess your feelings—we’re here to talk about “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” in which Tom Holland’s Peter gets to be a sad sack who is saving New York while his personal life has fallen completely apart. There are surprising character reveals, unsurprising character twists (well, at least Peter was surprised), interesting guest-star choices, and a lot of themes involving the dangers of letting yourself become isolated. Jason Snell with James Thomson, Moisés Chiullán and Ben Rice McCarthy.

This podcast is presented in vivid black-and-white, as we discuss a Strange New World visit that reminds us a lot of a TOS episode—but without the bright colors designed to sell color television sets in the 1960s. Una ponders space doppelgangers, M’Benga enjoys a selection of hats and coats, and Uhura gets the mind probe. Gratuitous Klingon guest stars! Confusing sci-fi rules! And if you haven’t seen “Casablanca,” well… Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s time for Crossing The Line. Jason finally asks Lyla point blank: Is your name Lyla or Tyra, I can never remember? No, he asks her if she’s cheating on him with Riggins. (“Yes.”) Plus Matt asks Julie Taylor out. Coach and Tami are thrilled, is a lie I just wrote in this episode description. Sound confusing? Don’t worry. Brian and Lex are here. We’ll all go Sorkin’ In It together. (And to think, you were worried this was a show all about football‽) Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

We’re back at Nelson Road, where some things have changed and some are exactly the same. Some familiar faces, some new faces, and some faces not there anymore. We start to get a peek into the challenges Ted and the gang will be up against this year, but as Chip, Kathy, and Brian are happy to say, it feels like we’re in good hands. Chip Sudderth and Brian Warren with Kathy Campbell.

Hey, it’s the one with Ernest Borgnine! He’s a wrestler down on his luck, which means we have to turn to Phil to get a read on the wrestling nonsense in this episode. Sit down next to me on the same side of the sushi table, Mag, real natural like. Detroit Death Grip Dept.: We will be in Detroit THIS SUNDAY, August 16, for Magnum P.I. Day at the Detroit Tigers. We are going to try to meet listeners post-game at Union Assembly near the stadium. Failing that, email us at magnum@theincomparable.com if you’re going to be around and we’ll try to let you know where we are. Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr.

In this conclusion to Shard of the Accursed, the party makes a lot of noise, one character gets possessed, and several players read their character sheets. Tony Sindelar with Annette Wierstra, Chip Sudderth, James Thomson, Kathy Campbell and Monty Ashley.

“Ted Lasso” is back, and we’re ready for a healthy dose of optimism and hope. Chip, Kathy, and Brian have assembled as the “Crystal Cats” to discuss the new season and what we’re looking forward to. This season opener comes with a few surprises, some familiar faces, and lots of barbecue sauce. I hope you’re as excited as we are. Oklahoma? Chip Sudderth and Brian Warren with Kathy Campbell.

We’re off to outer space this week with the new Supergirl movie. Kara is out on a bender when adventure calls. Krypto, her super-dog, gets poisoned by generic space-baddies and she sets off on a quest to both cure Krypto and her own sense of malaise. Read along to find out what we think of it all. Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English.

If you can’t hear part of this episode it’s because that part was in parentheses. Thanks to (Listener) Charlie for sending in this question. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Put on your summer best and board a ferry to New England’s hottest tourist destination! It’s time for us to discuss “Widow’s Bay,” a funny horror story about the mayor and other denizens of a cursed island. Of course there’s a creepy clown, and a slasher, and a dark secret that goes back centuries. Of course Stephen Root is wild-eyed! Once you visit Widow’s Bay, you’ll never want to leave… which is good, because you might not be able to. Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Tony Sindelar and Monty Ashley.

It’s time for the next spin on the genre wheel, as “Strange New worlds” lurches from horror to comedy. Dave Foley is a weird alien with a weird pleasure planet. There’s a thin strand of plot and a Star Trek take on “The Hangover.” Pike gets a lot of tattoos! There’s Klingon karaoke! Someone’s wearing a Mugato suit! Most importantly, Scotty and Ortegas learn to understand each other and Spock bonds with an imaginary—or is he?—Jim Kirk. Also, prompted by the last two weeks’ genre whipsaw, Scott and Jason have deep thoughts about what we like, why we like it, and how we process stuff that doesn’t fit in our definition of the thing we like. Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Texas lightning? You gotta get inside when that happens. Oh, wait, it’s just the nickname of some con artist who claims to be a spy? Magnum wears a tuxedo and plays high-stakes poker? This episode forces Phil to introduce a very popular new segment, “That’s not how it works!” The segment recurs. A lot. Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr.

Which detective is better, Edgar Allan Poe’s Auguste Dupin or Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes? I mean it’s obviously Holmes but that won’t stop Jacob Haller discussing two genre defining stories, Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) and Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” (1892). John McCoy with Jacob Haller.

In the return of the choose-your-edition edition of Random Pursuit, we bring back the same players with their same chosen editions, but this time we make sure they get more questions from their chosen edition. This is helpful…to some players… Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky with Dan Moren, Jason Snell, Kirsten Goruk, Monty Ashley and Shelly Brisbin.

In this episode, a nice ghost helps out, we learn the origin of the shard, and the party sleeps with the dead. Tony Sindelar with Annette Wierstra, Chip Sudderth, James Thomson, Kathy Campbell and Monty Ashley.

This week Dan is on assignment and John and Guy are left to fend for themselves. We’re back covering My Adventures with Superman and, hoo boy, does the Man of Steel get his metal tested in this set of episodes. After that we do a little Superhero Sweep and call it a day after not being able to remember anyone’s name. Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English.

Boo! It’s a spooky situation as Kirk, Spock, and La’an encounter a dead starship and face their worst fears. How did we, as non-horror fans, like the episode? That might be the scariest reveal of all. Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

Listener Joseph is unclear about where rafts fit into the whole boat hierarchy. We also toss some kayaks, canoes, and submarines into the water. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Here is an early film by David Lean about a chance encounter at a train station that leads to complicated feelings for both parties. It’s “Brief Encounter.” Ceilia Johnson (ever heard of ‘er?) gives a nuanced, emotional performance. And the film is very real and down-to-earth, despite the intensity of the relationships depicted. It’s a love story, if you’re interested in genre things, but there’s plenty for cinephiles to appreciate as well. Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard and Annette Wierstra.

It’s one of the best “Star Trek” movies, a classic Dad Movie, and the start of a franchise that never really started. It’s “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” in which oceans have become battlefields and privateer ships lurk like horror-movie monsters. Don’t get attached to any of those nice young sailors! Jason Snell with Steven Schapansky, Philip Michaels and Brian Warren.

Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Alfred Hitchcock. OK, I’m pretty much done. What else shall I say? WWII intrigue, a love story, a well-played villain. These are also things I could say. Also, the length of the kiss between Grant and Bergman put the Production Code office all in a tizzy. Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard, David J. Loehr, Annette Wierstra, Randy Dotinga and Philip Mozolak.

Why are we here at this waterfall? Who has a gun? FLASHBACK! It’s a very silly episode that we admire for its silliness and lament for its laziness. Also, when are baseball games played? Talk about a flashback… Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr.

It’s homecoming! Which isn’t surprising, since this episode is called “Homecoming”! Coach invites Jason to the game, assuming Jason can free up time from stressing about whether Lyla and Riggins are up to something. (Spoiler: They are.) Smash sweats a college scout. And Tyra and Billy throw a party. Will this episode be a home run or a double fault? SPORTS! Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Listener Steven makes a lot of assumptions about what games are card games, but we set him straight. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

In this episode, after Plan A for breaking the curse didn’t work as expected, the party scrambles for a Plan B. Plan B almost gets them killed. Tony Sindelar with Annette Wierstra, Chip Sudderth, James Thomson, Kathy Campbell and Monty Ashley.

We ain’t in Kansas anymore, bub! Our attention returns to the next three episode of X-Men ‘97 where we finish up the Rise of Apolocypse arc. spend some time with the Stab Squad, and then visit the Holodeck where things go as you’d expect. Then, in our Super Hero Sweep segment, we discuss the Avengers: Doomsday tailer. Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English.

Non-linearly begin and end your journey across a wide range of cursed islands! We discuss Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” a film now in theatres and a story that’s (nearly) 3,000 years old! Pig sculpting! Lotus eating! Horrible horse hiding! Were we the sea people all along? That’s a tale as old as time. Jason Snell with Brian Warren, Glenn Fleishman, Kathy Campbell and Moisés Chiullán.

Scott and Jason are back to answer your most important Star Trek and horse-related questions! And they’re so excited they could punch a dinosaur! We break down the pulp-SF-flavored Season 4 premiere of “Strange New Worlds,” featuring martians and dinos and also a bonus jerk Vulcan! Scott McNulty and Jason Snell.

It’s the final edition of Lions, Towers & Trek, wherein we feature someone from Star Trek: The Original Series in a film they made before the show. Here’s DeForest Kelley’s film debut; a rare lead role for him. DK is a man suspected of a crime, who must rely on his disjointed memories and his cop brother-in-law to learn what happened. Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman, Micheline Maynard and David J. Loehr.

Time for zany action as Magnum goes undercover as a stock boy at a convenience store! And what does this all have to do with the colorful set of senior citizens who are about to be evicted from their run-down retirement home? Can a charity Bingo game save the day? What about a pickled egg? Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr.

Your favorite (and perhaps only) podcast game show about making connections to various words returns, with a battle between the Pacific Northwest and Big Oil Country(ies)! Nobody stare directly at Glenn’s mind. What are names, but words that are attached to people? These words mean something, somehow, but it will take a lot of time and effort to figure it out. Puzzle written by Lex Friedman. Thanks a lot, Lex. Jason Snell with Glenn Fleishman, Kathy Campbell, Shelly Brisbin and Annette Wierstra.

In this episode, K’ronng has a cunning plan, J’osh spots the goal before anyone else, Jaee looks like a guard (but taller), Teebee does invisible parkour, and Tink twirls and sprays blood. Tony Sindelar with Annette Wierstra, Chip Sudderth, James Thomson, Kathy Campbell and Monty Ashley.

This week we hop-universes and find ourselves back in Metroplis for season three of My Adventures with Superman. Clark and pals are back as a bunch of Superman-esque types start to appear. It’s a bunch of good fun and laughs and, with any luck, there won’t have a Gambit crossover. Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English.

Our awards shortlist book club rolls on with a selection of books we’re much more receptive to: “A Drop of Corruption” by Robert Jackson Bennett, “The Raven Scholar” by Antonia Hodgson, and The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty, Heather Berberet and Paul Weimer.

If you’ve watched Star Trek, you’ve probably had your share of “I know that person” moments, when it comes to guest stars. So let us consider Ricardo Montalbån, long before he was Khan in Star Trek’s “Space Seed” episode, or the same character in the best of all Trek movies, “Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan”. Ricardo had a career in MGM musicals, though not primarily as a singer. Here is one, about the meta of making a movie that’s not too dissimilar from the movie we’re watching. Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels, Micheline Maynard, Nathan Alderman and David J. Loehr.

We avoided this episode because we thought it was going to be a sad episode about internment camps. But while the damage done to Japanese-Americans in World War II is definitely discussed, there are also wild car accidents, classic Magnum takes to the camera, optimal Magnum-Higgins bickering, and Macho Taco! Is this a core episode of “Magnum”? Follow the Kool-Aid Man. Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr.

There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our podcasts. First-time co-host Tim Read discusses William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet (c. 1600). John McCoy with Tim Read.

In this new adventure, the Keys need to perform a reverse heist! Along the way they meet an adorable playwright and a couple of improv goblins who keep slapping each other like two nine-year-olds in the back of a station wagon. Tony Sindelar with Annette Wierstra, Chip Sudderth, James Thomson, Kathy Campbell and Monty Ashley.