The Toy Department

In Episode 454, Madden and Kolsky poo-poo Derek’s birthday before hustling through: The latest from Top Chef: Carolinas (1:45) where there was too much mayo for one of our hosts and too much heat for some of the chefs… Netflix’s new action show Man on Fire (19:50) and all the things it gets right… HBO’s new drama Half Man (21:15), from the creator of the highly-acclaimed Baby Reindeer, and how it’s very well done but relentlessly traumatic… Apple TV+’s new show Widow’s Bay (34:10) and whether it can truly be called a mystery or whether it’s a comedy or what the heck is generally happening here… NBA Playoff thoughts (43:10) after a wild first round and a big upset at the start of the second round… Homework for next week (1:08:35), including: the next episode of Top Chef, GARY (Hulu’s surprise drop from The Bear universe), BBC’s Lord of the Flies adaptation on Netflix, and the new Noah Kahan documentary Out of Body (also on Netflix), plus—of course—more playoff hoops…

In Episode 453, Madden and Kolsky react to another missed show countdown before diving right into: The long-awaited and pretty weird Restaurant Wars episode of Top Chef: Carolinas (1:15) and the outlook for the remainder of the season… Netflix’s new series This Is A Gardening Show (24:05), which is DEFINITELY a gardening show, but also a Zach Galifianakis show, and rather delightful if you’re into that sort of thing… The new Sandler Family comedy Roommates (29:00) and how it’s a pretty good version of a particular type of Netflix fodder… Glen Powell’s The Running Man (35:15) and how it’s a little more self-serious than our hosts would hope, particularly from director Edgar Wright… A few sports thoughts (46:20) as the NBA rolls along through the first round of playoff action… Homework for next week (56:30), including: the next episode of Top Chef, the new HBO show Half Man from the creator of Baby Reindeer, the new Apple TV+ show Widow’s Bay, Netflix’s new Man on Fire series, and much more playoff basketball…

In Episode 452, Madden and Kolsky are HAVING A WEIRD DAY, independently and also together, complete with technological difficulties as they attempt to fully attend to: The most recent episode of Top Chef (1:05), featuring weird departures and weirder returns and the weirdest quickfire challenge… The return of the Netflix series Beef (23:30) for its second season, and what distinguishes the anthology-style series from its first go-round… Apple TV+’s new Elle Fanning vehicle Margo’s Got Money Troubles (28:15), its somewhat unexpected delights, and how Apple seems to be doing much of its best work in the complicated comedy zone… Sports thoughts—on Chelsea and Arsenal competing in Premier League misery (34:35) and a so-far-so-good first round of NBA Playoff action (42:25)… Homework for next week (47:00), including: the next episode of Top Chef, the new Netflix series This Is A Gardening Show (with Zach Galifianakis), the new movie Roommates (also on Netflix), Glen Powell’s The Running Man on Amazon Prime, and much more playoff basketball…

In Episode 451, Madden and Kolsky are up late for a special after-dark edition, so don't worry if everyone sounds a little punchy as they chat about:

In Episode 450, Madden and Kolsky return from an extended, travel-filled layoff to get into:

In Episode 449, Madden and Kolsky have a brief and unfortunate conversation about Arsenal's star-in-the-making Max Dowman before putting soccer away to discuss:

In Episode 448, Madden and Kolsky are arriving on Wednesdays for the foreseeable future, as they respond to:

In Episode 447, Madden and Kolsky address an upcoming pod schedule change before wading through:

In Episode 446, Madden and Kolsky briefly discuss Derek's homework apology before (angrily) diving right into:

In Episode 445, Madden and Kolsky briefly address the results of the Toy Department Derby (if it can be so called) before moving into:

In Episode 444, Madden and Kolsky have a breezy chat about whether or not they'll have a breezy chat about some not-so-breezy content (does that make sense?) before having an [arguably breezy] chat about:

In Episode 443, Madden and Kolsky discuss the various challenges presented by the sub-zero temperatures they're experiencing before launching into:

In Episode 442, Madden and Kolsky are FINALLY back after a LOOOOONG winter break to bring you the best in pop culture conversation, specifically regarding:

In Episode 441, Madden and Kolsky are in a REAL time crunch, so after briefly addressing Kolsky's predictable failure with a specific (Jeff Buckley-sized) portion of the homework, it's right into:

In Episode 440, Madden and Kolsky have a lot to discuss and very little time, so it's right into:

In Episode 439, Madden and Kolsky get started with Derek issuing the dreaded short-show curse before a futile attempt to break it while discussing:

In Episode 438, Madden and Kolsky get right down to business to avoid Kolsky's scheduling conflicts:

In Episode 437, Madden and Kolsky hurry through an intro after Derek applies the dreaded short-show curse, so they can get to:

In Episode 436, Madden and Kolsky must address Derek's continued truancy at the movie theater before they can get deeper into:

In Episode 435, Madden and Kolsky return from an extended absence with Derek running on fumes to discuss:

In Episode 434, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek's upcoming trip to Austin City Limits before zeroing in on:

In Episode 433, Madden and Kolsky literally discuss the weather before they finally get into it with:

In Episode 432, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek's imminent vacation to Vegas, and general Vegas strategy, before diving into:

In Episode 431, Madden and Kolsky discuss their IRL meet-up between podcasts before getting down to brass tacks on:

In Episode 430, Madden and Kolsky are chomping at the bit after a week off, so it's right on into:

In Episode 429, Madden and Kolsky get into their relative appreciation of getting pounded with heavy metal before they buckle down on:

In Episode 428, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek's visit to Chicago and assign some extra homework that they forgot about before locking into:

In Episode 427, Madden and Kolsky chat a bit about Kolsky's new recording setup (which did not work as well as hoped) and recent oral surgery before homing in on:

In Episode 426, Madden and Kolsky spend entirely too long on Kolsky's new cold brew coffee formula before shaking it off to discuss:

In Episode 425, Madden and Kolsky wish everyone a Happy Juneteenth before jumping into a holiday recording with:

In Episode 424, Madden and Kolsky are aiming for a short show, so it's more or less right into:

In Episode 423, Madden and Kolsky make haste with pleasantries and hustle their way through:

In Episode 422, Madden and Kolsky have a quick Chelsea FC digression before they dive on in to:

In Episode 421, Madden and Kolsky return after too long of a break to get into a wealth of pop culture, some of it very excellent, at least whatever they can remember of:

In Episode 420, Madden and Kolsky get into some dentistry (and periodontistry?) before circling around to:

In Episode 419, Madden and Kolsky are squeezing a taping into a naptime, so it's right on into:

In Episode 418, Madden and Kolsky return from an unscheduled absence to revisit the world of pop culture, blasting through:

In Episode 417, Madden and Kolsky get right down to business because Kolsky has important activities to get to (specifically a 3-year-old's dance performance):

In Episode 416, Madden and Kolsky get into the transition from winter to spring and the many traps this season presents before shifting over to:

In Episode 415, Madden and Kolsky briefly recount Derek's London experience before diving into:

In Episode 414, Madden and Kolsky are pressed for time after missing last week, so it's some quick pleasantries and right into:

In Episode 413, Madden and Kolsky give you everything they've got about the Super Bowl (which amounts to approximately 47 seconds of content) before locking in on:

In Episode 412, Madden and Kolsky have a quick chat about vacations and the city of New Orleans before focusing in on:

In Episode 411, Madden and Kolsky spend some time whining about the cold weather and their various maladies before sucking it up and getting to:

In Episode 410, Madden and Kolsky are both suffering from a little case of winter doldrums, but buck up after a few minutes of whining to get into:

In Episode 409, Madden and Kolsky have a quick post-holiday catch-up before diving right into:

In Episode 408, Madden and Kolsky catch up after a week off, including a brief description of Kolsky's London Getaway, before locking in on:

In Episode 407, Madden and Kolsky return after an extended break and before another one, and now need to apologize to everyone who may be offended by a bumpy open and the loss of Kolsky's primary microphone after approximately seven minutes, but nevertheless pursue conversations about:

In Episode 406, Madden and Kolsky spend a few minutes discussing mixtapes with an air of nostalgia before they lock into:

In Episode 405, Madden and Kolsky are on the clock and in their feelings, so it's a sprint through:

In Episode 404, Madden and Kolsky hit the ground running after an off-air election conversation with a little Halloween recap before getting into: