Think Twice is a weekly Magic: the Gathering podcast hosted by Ali Aintrazi and Justin Parnell that looks at a variety of topics from dual and occasionally opposing points of view. Ali and Justin primarily discuss the world revolving around Magic, but touch on movies, music, other games, general pop…
magic the gathering, movie reviews, lore, pop culture, skip, discussion, highly recommend, definitely, topics, keep up the good, hosts, enjoy, talk, great, entertaining, amazing, show, work, awesome.
Listeners of Think Twice MTG that love the show mention: mtg podcast,A quick update for those of you who don't follow us on Social media!
Crimson Vow is right around the corner, and Stephen and Justin have been hard at work to come up with the best and most accurate predictions for the continuation of our trip to Innistrad. Then Justin finally picks a movie for Stephen to watch, as he claims to suffer through Netflix's "The Guilty." 00:15 - The Week That Was 8:59 - Crimson Vow Wild Predictions 1:10:39 - Netflix Movie Review: "The Guilty" 1:06:55 - The Wrap Up
The October Superdrop has arrived for Secret Lair, but Stephen hates secrets so he wanted to tell you all about it. What Secret Lairs are the best value for now and later? Then the guys head to the movies to watch Sony's not-exactly-MCU superhero-ish "Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage." 00:15 - The Week That Was 22:23 - October Superdrop // Secret Lair and the Future 1:10:39 - Movie Review: "Venom 2" 1:38:47 - The Wrap Up
It's Cube updating time as Jon and Justin talking about the new toys for each of their Cubes from Midnight Hunt. Then the guys head to Netflix for the stylistic action rollercoaster, "Kate." Lucky Paper's Cube Prospective: https://luckypaper.co/articles/cube-prospective-innistrad-midnight-hunt/ 00:15 - The Week That Was 18:34 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Cube Additions 1:18:50 - Netflix Movie Review: "Kate" 1:53:00 - The Wrap Up
Jon comes back just in time for Innistrad: Midnight Hunt 5 Top 5s! What are the best DFCs, flavor wins, and Stephen-Green cards as guessed by Jon and Justin? Then the guys suffer through the atrocious "Malignant" on HBO Max, before giving an impromptu and lengthy discussion about the banning of Golos. 00:15 - The Week That Was 13:36 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt 5 Top 5s 1:01:15 - HBOMax Movie Review: "Malignant" 1:35:17 - The Wrap Up
After a week away being at GenCon, Stephen and Justin return with tales from the trip, a look into what impact cards from Midnight Hunt will make it to a Commander game near you, and the long-awaited review of Netflix's "Beckett," starring John David Washington as Beckett, in the movie Beckett. 00:15 - The Week That Was 19:08 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Commander Review 1:07:58 - Movie Review: "Beckett" 1:37:42 - The Wrap Up
The Midnight Hunt train keeps rolling with previews, both new cards and awesome reprints. Then Jon and Justin head to the theater to watch the newest entry in the MCU, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:30 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Previews Part 2 1:07:23 - Movie Review: "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" 2:00:08 - The Wrap Up
The Midnight Hunt is on with our third return to the plane of Innistrad! Jon and Justin just watched the big reveal for Magic's newest set, and go over their favorite cards and mechanics in this first look. Then the guys head to Netflix for a more... aged comic book movie, "The Losers." 00:15 - The Week That Was 13:15 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Previews 1:04:35 - Netflix Review: "The Losers" 1:35:25 - The Wrap Up
Magic's massive announcement day for 2022 has arrived, and Stephen and Justin break down every single product coming to Magic over the next 16 months. What's each of their favorites, and what are the concerns going into next year? 00:15 - The Week That Was 20:23 - 2021 Showcase Magic Announcement 1:46:17 - The Wrap Up
It has arrived! Stephen had a chance to play with Justin's brand new 540 card Cube, and tell all of his favorite decks to draft and what this session brought forth. Then the guys check out the first season of Disney+'s acclaimed MCU show, "Loki." 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:46 - Cube Performance Testing 53:08 - Disney+ Review: "Loki S1" 1:25:57 - The Wrap Up
Even though Jumpstart: Historic Horizons got delayed, Jon and Justin still have thoughts on the rollout, best new cards, and most fun additions to Historic! Then the guys head over to HBO Max to check out the DCCCU's latest (and greatest?), "The Suicide Squad." 00:15 - The Week That Was 15:33 - Jumpstart Historic Horizons 1:02:06 - HBOMax Review: "The Suicide Squad" 1:45:21 - The Wrap Up
Think Twice turns another page in it's book as producer Jon Choi steps in front of the mic to begin his journey as new cohost of the podcast, and the guys immediately jump in to their joint favorite format in magic, Cube draft! Then Justin steps out of his comfort zone as they head to Netflix to watch a summer love anime, "Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop." Justin's Cube: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/parnellcube Jonathan's Cube: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/choicube 00:15 - The Week That Was 13:37 - Cube Updates: AFR Edition 1:05:49 - Netflix Review: "Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop" 1:43:36 - The Wrap Up
The wait is over as Stephen and Justin finally talk 5 Top 5s for Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, with all of the Dungeons, Dragons, and flavor texts you can handle. Then the guys finally catch 2012's subtitled, action phenomenon, "The Raid: Redemption." 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:14 - 5 Top 5s: AFR Edition 1:04:30 - Movie Review: "THE RAID: REDEMPTION" 1:42:07 - The Wrap Up
Stephen and Justin have had a chance to play with the new Adventure in the Forgotten Realms Commander Decks, and go through the highs and lows of each one. Then the guys welcome everyone to THE JAM with HBO Max's "Space Jam: A New Legacy." 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:40 - AFC Card Review 59:20 - HBOMax Review: "Space Jam: A New Legacy" 1:37:21 - The Wrap Up
In Ali Aintrazi's final episode of Think Twice, the inaugural cohost reviews the MCU's return to cinema with "Black Widow" before answering questions posed by listeners and recalling some of his favorite moments in his four years on the podcast. 00:15 - The Week That Was 20:34 - Disney+ Review: "Black Widow" 54:33 - Ali's Goodbye (for Now)! 1:27:04 - The Wrap Up
Ali and Justin have played Arena's "Mirror, Mirror" event, and boy do they have a lot of thoughts on Magic's first attempt at live game balancing. Then the guys check out Season 2 of the Netflix animated anthology series, "Love, Death + Robots." 00:15 - The Week That Was 24:48 - Mirror Mirror Event & Card Design 50:53 - Netflix Review: "Love, Death, and Robots Season 2" 1:21:02 - The Wrap Up
In a rare treat, Ali, Stephen and Justin join forces for an Episode 200 special where they tell stories of how they all met, their favorite moments, and much more. And finally, the three head to the Land of the Dead to cover "Coco," on Disney+. 00:15 - The Week That Was 29:40 - Behind the Scenes of Think Twice 1:11:26 - Disney+ Review: "Coco" 1:48:48 - The Wrap Up
Modern Horizons 2 has Stephen's Modern juices flowing, and he wants to share all of his juices with everyone this week and he dives back into Magic's most popular 60 card format. Then the guys finally venture over to Amazon Prime to talk about the critically acclaimed animated series, "Invincible." 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:08 - Getting Back into Modern 46:28 - TV Show Review: "Invincible" 1:26:43 - The Wrap Up
Stephen returns to the pod fresh off of opening tons of Modern Horizons 2 packs strictly to research 5 Top 5s for today's oversized episode. Come listen to Stephen and Justin talk about all of the best cards from Magic's newest all-star set! 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:47 - 5 Top 5s: Modern Horizon 2 1:45:31 - The Wrap Up
While living in the in between time with Modern Horizons 2 being released digitally but not yet in paper, Ali gives into temptation and talks about all of the cards he wants to brew around on Magic Online with Modern's newest set. Then the guys head to the movies for the first time in fifteen months(!) to check out the horror-thriller, "A Quiet Place Part 2." 00:15 - The Week That Was 18:07 - Modern Horizon 2 to Brew 59:07 - Movie Review: "A Quiet Place Part II" 1:33:36 - The Wrap Up
Ali is still venturing abroad in London, and tells us stories about his trip before diving in to all of his brews with the new toys in Historic Anthology V on MTG Arena. Then the guys head to Netflix to check out the animated family adventure, "The Mitchells vs. The Machines." 00:15 - The Week That Was 18:20 - Historic Anthologies V 52:08 - Netflix Movie Review: "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" 1:23:22 - The Wrap Up
With Modern Horizons 2 on the... horizon... variants for Magic are all the rage, and Stephen let's out some of his on the subject. Then the guys say viva Las Vegas to Zach Snyder's new Netflix zombie heist(!), "Army of the Dead." 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:03 - Card Variants in Magic 52:22 - Netflix Movie Review: "Army of the Dead" 1:33:30 - The Wrap Up
Stephen and Justin have put a ton of drafts into Strixhaven limited! What did they find out, and what can you take away for future limited formats? Then the guys step through a turnstile to review Christopher Nolan's 2020 film on HBO Max, "Tenet." 00:15 - The Week That Was 14:27 - Strixhaven Limited Lessons 1:08:06 - HBOMax Movie Review: "TENET" 1:54:33 - The Wrap Up
Arena's newest entry to it's Historic format is here alongside Strixhaven, the Mystical Archive. Does it scratch the itch of a big impact that previous Historic Anthology entries have failed to? Then the guys head to Outworld to find out if HBO Max's "Mortal Kombat" is everything it promises to be. 00:15 - The Week That Was 14:04 - Impact of the Mystical Archive 1:04:28 - HBOMax Movie Review: "Mortal Combat" 1:36:03 - The Wrap Up
5 Top 5s returns, just in time for Strixhaven! We even have a special guest that we can't seem get to leave. Then we just back over to Disney+ for the second return this year to the MCU with "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." 00:15 - The Week That Was 12:46 - 5 Top 5s Strixhaven Edition 1:13:17 - Disney+ TV Review: "The Falcon & The Winter Soldier" 1:39:06 - The Wrap Up
Strixhaven provides a ton of Commander goodies, and Stephen and Justin go over all of their favorites. Then, in a twist of Stephen not suggesting a movie, the guys head to Netflix to experience Nic Cage's "Jiu Jitsu" (actual jiu jitsu not included). 00:15 - The Week That Was 8:28 - Strixhaven Picks for Commander 1:10:56 - Netflix Movie Review: "Jiu Jitsu" 1:48:26 - The Wrap Up
Stephen and Justin have played with all of the Commander 2021 Preconstructed decks, and talk about all the next decks and their favorite cards! Then, the long-awaited "Godzilla vs. Kong" finally hit HBO Max- does it live up to the hype? 00:15 - The Week That Was 14:12 - Commander 2021 Review 1:17:41 - HBO Max Movie Review: "Godzilla vs Kong" 1:53:13 - The Wrap Up
Ali and Justin have just arrived on campus, and share some thoughts about the look and feel of Strixhaven. Then, it's been over a year in the making but Magic's first MMO (or ARPG?) has arrived in Magic: Legends, and the guys have put in dozens of hours just to tell you what they think. 00:15 - The Week That Was 12:21 - Strixhaven, By Flavor 35:16 - Game First Impressions: "Magic: Legends" 1:19:21 - The Wrap Up
Filmed directly before Magic's big Strixhaven reveal, Stephen and Justin make the most outlandish and ridiculous predictions they can about Magic's newest venture. How many did they get right? And in a Think Twice first, the guys review a (non-Magic) science fiction novel, James S. A. Corey's "Leviathan Wakes." 00:15 - The Week That Was 12:00 - Wild Strixhaven Guesses 45:30 - Book Review: "Leviathan Wakes" 1:39:31 - The Wrap Up
Stephen and Justin take a trip down memory lane to hit every corner of Time Spiral Remastered - best and worst picks, what this means for the future of Remastered sets, and of course the Timeshifted slot. Then the guys head over to Netflix and try not to fume over "I Care A Lot." 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:59 - Time Spiral Remastered Review 1:13:50 - Netflix Review: "I Care A Lot" 1:47:32 - The Wrap Up
The fourth Historic Anthology has been released, and Ali and Justin find more than meets the eye as they review all 25 cards included. Then the wait is finally over as the MCU returns with Disney+'s "WandaVision." Pickles: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sam-s-Choice-Hot-Spicy-Maple-Bourbon-Fresh-Pack-Pickle-Chips-24-fl-oz/54802264 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:38 - Historic Anthology 4 Review 1:11:35 - Disney+ Review: "Wandavision" 1:47:32 - The Wrap Up
Ali and Justin have been putting in tons of time with Historic since the well timed death of Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath. What are the most fun decks, what cards need more love, and what should we be hoping for in Historic Anthology IV? Then the guys head over to Disney+ to talk the latest and greatest in Pixar Animation, "Soul." 00:15 - The Week That Was 19:42 - Historic Decks + Anthology III guesses 1:09:55 - Disney+ Review: Soul 1:40:38 - The Wrap Up
Stephen and Justin are caught up in the fancy card craze as they each design five of their favorite cards in exactly the style and frame they want. Then they head to Netflix to catch South Korea's first space blockbuster, "Space Sweepers." 00:15 - The Week That Was 13:49 - Cards That Need Special Printings 47:27 - Netflix Review: Space Sweepers 1:28:47 - The Wrap Up
Stephen and Justin have had time to check out all of the preconstructed Commander decks for the last year, and break them all down by price, value, design and more, while looking ahead to what Strixhaven may offer. Then the guys head to HBO Max to determine if "The Little Things" will indeed get you caught. 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:46 - CMDR Precons 54:05 - The Little Things 1:28:33 - The Wrap Up
Ali and Justin have had time to play with Kaldheim, and clear their slate to give a massive 5 Top 5s episode for Magic's newest frozen plane. 00:15 - The Week That Was 18:49 - 5 Top 5s: Kaldheim 1:13:58 - Question of the Week
Ali spent almost a full day playing Kaldheim Standard during the Early Access event, and has tons to share on the new set! What worked, what didn't, favorite cards and spiciest brews! 00:15 - The Week That Was 13:05 -Kaldheim First Impressions 1:15:12 - Question of the Week & Wrap Up
Stephen and Justin check out some severely underplayed cards in Commander and try to make a case for why they should be making it as a part of your 99 more often. Then. Stephen "demanded" Justin watch Netflix's new action flick, "Outside the Wire." 00:15 - The Week That Was 17:14 - Underplayed Commander Cards 1:04:35 - Netflix Review: "Outside the Wire" 1:36:58 - Question of the Week
Stephen suits up just in time to see Kaldheim in all it's glory, and gives his first impressions for Commander. Then the guys finally make their way to the last two episode of the second season of Disney+'s "The Mandolorian." 00:15 - The Week That Was 08:12 - Kaldheim Commander Review 1:09:30 - Show Review: "The Mandolorian" S2E7-8 1:38:01 - Question of the Week
Kaldheim is here-ish, and Ali and Justin give their first impressions of cards that caught their eye, all of the themes, mechanics, and flavor tidbits. Then the guys head to their home cinemas to catch DC's latest superhero flick on HBO Max, "Wonder Woman 84." 00:15 - The Week That Was 14:03 - Kaldheim Previews So Far 1:00:45 - Movie Review: "Wonder Woman 1984" 1:38:01 - Question of the Week
Ali and Justin strap in and make tons of bold predictions (revelations?) about Magic in 2021. Then the guys head to Amazon Prime to watch the first three episodes of the anthology series "Electric Dreams." 00:15 - The Week That Was 7:25 - Bold Revelations for 2021 38:27 - Electric Dreams, Ep 1-3 1:13:23 - Question of the Week
As is Think Twice tradition, Ali, Stephen and Justin are all back to review the most notable things in both Magic and Pop Culture for the tumultuous year of 2020.
You asked, they answered! Ali, Stephen and Justin collected question from the Think Twice Discord server and Twitter and spill the beans on everything from Lego Magic sets, to favorite hot sauce, to their choice of entrance music, and a whole lot more. Happy Holidays everyone!
Stephen and Justin spend this episode waxing nostalgia and got back to their Magic playing childhood and relive what their experiences from the early 2000's. Then the guys each pick three movies from earlier in life they could relive for the first time. 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:37 - Magic in 2002 1:05:58 - Top 3 Movies Wish To Watch 1st Time 1:46:25 - Question of the Week
We've had one full year of Secret Lairs for Magic, so what do Stephen and Justin think about where we are with them now? Then the guys break down episodes 4-6 of Disney+'s "The Mandolorian." 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:10 - Secret Lair Year 1: A Year In Review 1:11:45 - Disney+ Show Review: "The Mandalorian" S2E4-6 1:51:23 - Question of the Week
Ali and Justin have noticed the downward trend of the amount of Magic content being consumed, and try to identify why and what would fix it. Then Ali gets Justin to watch Pixar's "Inside Out" for the first time. 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:18 - Twitch Viewership in Magic 47:13 - Disney+ Movie Review: "Inside Out" 1:25:23 - Question of the Week
Ali is back and ready to talk Historic on Arena- best decks, what should change, and why innovation seems stifled. Then Justin gets Ali to watch 1994's beloved "The Shawshank Redemption" for the first time. 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:31 - Kaladesh Remastered in Historic 54:27 - Movie Review: The Shawshank Redemption 1:25:23 - Question of the Week
Even though Commander Legends just release, Stephen and Justin remain unsatisfied and go down the laundry list of things they would like to see in the format. Then the guys venture over to Disney+ to check out the first three episodes of the second season of "The Mandalorian." 00:15 - The Week That Was 9:51 - What We Want in Commander Next 49:13 - Disney+ TV Review: The Mandalorian S2E1-3 1:23:00 - Question of the Week
In the longest Think Twice episode ever, Stephen and Justin cover a metric ton of cards for a very special 5 Top 5s all about Commander Legends. 00:15 - The Week That Was 11:10 - Top 5 Top 5s (Kinda): Commander Legends 2:15:31 - Question of the Week
Ali returns from his long trip to London to regale us his tale, and catch up on where Standard has gone in the wake of recent bannings. Then the guys compare notes for the entirety of Season 2 of Amazon Prime's, "The Boys." 00:15 - The Week That Was 20:16 - The NEW NEW Standard 54:53 - Amazon TV Series: The Boys S2 1:29:08 - Question of the Week
Producer Jon Choi steps from behind the shadows into the cohost chair to talk with Justin about Commander Cubes, Commander Legends limited, and early favorites from Magic's newest set. Then the guys head to Netflix just in time for Halloween with South Korea's newest (and timeliest) zombie flick, "#Alive." 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:38 - Commander Legends/Commander Cube 1:09:50 - Netflix Movie: #Alive 1:48:11 - Question of the Week
With Ali overseas and Stephen on the mend, Justin had to go to the top of the Mythic ranks on Arena and grab the Master of Midrange, John Roberts II, aka JDoubleR2. In this special episode, John talks about his everything he keeps in mind when he's making his way to the Mythic ranks on Arena. Then the guys talk about music that means a lot to them, and how language in that music impacts them. 00:15 - The Week That Was 10:06 - Mythic Mindset 50:09 - Language in Music 1:22:02 - Question of the Week