Every other week, Jay Russo and Sean McGurr discuss the characters, connections, and deeper meanings of Stephen King’s magnum opus, The Dark Tower. Primary attention will be paid to the books, but we anticipate talking about related Dark Tower comic books, novels, and short stories.
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Listeners of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came: A Podcast about Stephen King and His Books that love the show mention: dark tower series, thankee sai, long days and pleasant, gunslinger, stephen king, food for thought, plot, decision, two guys, disagree, balanced, spent, stand, reading, catch, years ago, missed, new favorite, enjoying, hosts.
The Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came: A Podcast about Stephen King and His Books is a must-listen for any Stephen King fan. As someone who recently delved into the world of Stephen King books, I was searching for a podcast that could accompany my reading journey. This podcast exceeded my expectations and provided the perfect company as I made my way through King's novels.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the genuine laughter and humor that emanates from the hosts. The discussions are not only insightful but also incredibly entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times during each episode. Additionally, the analysis of King's works is superb. The hosts delve deep into the themes, characters, and subtext of each book, presenting fresh perspectives and ideas that I had never considered before.
Furthermore, I appreciate how this podcast covers not only The Dark Tower series but also King's other works. It offers a comprehensive exploration of King's universe, allowing listeners to discover connections between different books and gain a deeper understanding of his overarching themes.
However, there were some minor drawbacks to this podcast. Occasionally, I found myself disagreeing with the hosts' opinions or interpretations, which led me to talk back to my car radio as if they could hear me. This may say more about me than it does about them, but it does highlight their relatable and engaging style that draws in listeners and makes them feel like friends.
In conclusion, The Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came: A Podcast about Stephen King and His Books is an incredibly fun podcast that provides insightful analysis alongside laughs and camaraderie. Whether you're a die-hard Dark Tower fan or simply enjoy exploring Stephen King's vast literary universe, this podcast will be an enjoyable companion on your journey through his books. Give it a listen and get ready to say "true" while diving into the world of King with these two fantastic hosts.
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Talisman, Part 3, “A Collision of Worlds,” chapters 27-33, and Interlude. Introduction (00:00) The power of storytelling (01:31) A collision of worlds (11:37) Late world building (22:41) Dark Tower Thinnies (28:58) Yuck-King It Up (30:07) Fun Stuff (34:13) Other Worlds Than … Continue reading Ep. 156 The Talisman, Part 3, chapters 27-33 and Interlude →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is an excerpt of our discussion of the 1977 short story “The Cat from Hell.” To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower. Buy merch at store.twoguystothedarktowercame.com. Send your questions, comments, … Continue reading Bonus Episode 45 – “The Cat From Hell” (Patreon Clip) →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Talisman, Part 3, “A Collision of Worlds,” chapters 20-26. Introduction (00:00) The Sunlight Home (01:47) The Territories are a reflection of our world (13:56) Sacrifice is necessary along a hero's journey (20:14) Dark Tower Thinnies (24:31) Yuck-King It Up (27:04) Fun … Continue reading Ep. 155 The Talisman, Part 3, chapters 20-26 →
Greetings, constant listeners! Thank you so much for listening to our show. You may have noticed we have missed our regularly scheduled publish dates. Everything is OK, but there has been a lot going on in our personal lives. So, we are going to take a hiatus. We have all the Talisman episodes recorded and … Continue reading Hiatus Announcement →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Talisman, Part 2, “The Road of Trials,” Chapters 14-19. Introduction (00:13) Cool world building (02:06) Too much “Y” and not enough “A” (12:36) Dark Tower Thinnies (20:19) Yuck-King it Up (25:39) Fun Stuff (27:21) Other Worlds than These (31:52) Outro (37:09) … Continue reading Ep. 154 The Talisman, Part 2, chapters 14-19 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Talisman, Part II, chapters 6-13. Introduction (00:00) Struggling with the book (01:45) Jack's first trial (05:54) Jack's dad in the Territories (14:01) Dark Tower Thinnies (19:52) Yuck-King It Up (23:06) Fun Stuff (25:54) Other Worlds Than These topics (31:21): Jay: Succession … Continue reading Ep. 153 The Talisman, Part 2, chapters 6-13 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Talisman, Part 1, “Jack Lights Out.” Introduction (00:13) Recap (00:50) Publication/Our history (01:57) Things are getting started (07:30) Jack's relationships (13:24) Dark Tower Thinnies (20:30) Yuck-King it Up (23:34) Thank you, Patrons! (24:54) Fun Stuff (25:42) Other Worlds than These (32:07) … Continue reading Ep. 152 The Talisman, Part 1, chapters 1-5 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Carrie, Part 3, “Wreckage,” and our final thoughts on the novel. Introduction (00:13) Ending structure is not great (01:49) Ending writing is good (07:55) Dark Tower Thinnies (12:20) Yuck King It Up (13:41) Reviews (15:43) Our thoughts (20:05) Fun Stuff (20:48) Other … Continue reading Ep. 151 Carrie, Part 3 →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is an excerpt of our discussion of the 1983 film The Dead Zone. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower. Buy merch at store.twoguystothedarktowercame.com. Send your questions, comments, and ideas … Continue reading Bonus Episode 43 – The Dead Zone adaptation (Patreon Clip) →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Carrie, Part 2, “Prom Night.” Introduction (00:13) Recap (00:49) Carrie's powers (02:13) If Carrie didn't die (07:48) King's characters (12:50) Dark Tower Thinnies (24:02) Yuck-King it Up (26:57) Fun Stuff (29:19) Other Worlds than These (36:45) Outro (40:59) Leave us an Apple … Continue reading Ep. 150 Carrie, Part 2 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Carrie, Part 1. Introduction (00:13) Publication history (01:34) Book structure (08:17) Women run the show (18:45) Scapegoats (22:24) Dark Tower Thinnies (26:06) Yuck-King It Up (32:32) Thank you, Patrons! (33:57) Fun Stuff (35:06) Other Worlds Than These (41:27) Outro (47:08) Leave us … Continue reading Ep. 149 Carrie, Part 1 →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is an excerpt of our discussion of the short story “Harvey's Dream” found in the Just After Sunset collection. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower. Buy merch at … Continue reading Bonus Episode 42 – Harvey's Dream (Patreon Clip) →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Dead Zone, chapters 24-28 and our final thoughts. Introduction (00:00) A man on borrowed time, not outside of time (01:23) Three questions about morality (06:49) It has to do (16:44) Dark Tower Thinnies (21:15) YuckKing It Up (22:29) Fun Stuff (26:50) … Continue reading Ep. 148 The Dead Zone, chapters 24-28 and final thoughts →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Dead Zone, chapters 17-23. Introduction (00:00) The Laughing Tiger (01:41) Johnny asks the question (09:01) Johnny is falling apart (19:20) Dark Tower Thinnies (27:01) No Yuck-King It up (32:08) Fun Stuff (34:08) Other Worlds Than These (43:35) Top 10 Awesome Christopher … Continue reading Ep. 147 The Dead Zone, chapters 17-23 →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of The Simpsons episode, “Not It.” To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Dead Zone, Chapters 13-16. Introduction (00:13) Recap (00:49) Johnny and Sarah make love (01:07) The Castle Rock Strangler (08:41) The horror of Johnny's power (16:22) Connections (20:04) Dark Tower Thinnies (24:24) Thank you, Patrons! (26:11) Fun Stuff (26:36) Other Worlds than … Continue reading Ep. 146 The Dead Zone, chapters 13-16 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Dead Zone, chapters 6-12. Introduction (00:13) Man out of time (01:36) Curse or Duty of Responsibility? (10:17) Dark Tower Thinnies (19:37) Yuck-King it Up (22:57) Fun Stuff (26:13) Other Worlds than These (31:59) Jay: Two Tarantino monologues: True Romance (1993); Pulp Fiction (1994) Sean: Two … Continue reading Ep. 145 The Dead Zone, chapters 6-12 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Dead Zone, the Prologue and chapters 1-5. Introduction (00:13) Publication history (02:07) Structure and timing of book (06:34) King's treatment of women, especially mothers (16:35) Fate and (wheel of) Fortune (22:19) Dark Tower Thinnies (25:57) Yuck-King It Up (29:47) Fun Stuff … Continue reading Ep. 144 The Dead Zone, chapters 1-5 →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the short story “Uncle Otto's Truck.” To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the short story “Lunch at the Gotham Cafe.” To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
Greetings, constant listeners! We are giving you a heads up that we will be taking a short hiatus. The show will return, so stay subscribed to the feed and all of our social media for updates. While we're on hiatus, we'll be planning which books, movies, tv, and other related materials to cover next. So … Continue reading Hiatus Announcement →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the 2019 movie, Doctor Sleep. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Doctor Sleep, Part 4 “Roof O' the World” and “Until You Sleep.” Introduction (00:00) Life is a wheel (01:35) Recovery and redemption (07:49) Dark Tower Thinnies (15:21) Yuck-King It Up (18:11) Reviews and final thoughts (21:01) Fun Stuff (26:34) Other Worlds Than … Continue reading Ep. 143 Doctor Sleep, Part 4, “Roof O' the World” and “Until You Sleep” →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the short story “The Road Virus Heads North” from the Everything's Eventual collection. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Doctor Sleep, Part 3, “Matters of Life and Death.” Introduction (00:00) Uncle Dan (01:28) Don't underestimate the rubes (07:59) Death is a miracle (15:34) Connections to The Shining (20:05) Dark Tower Thinnies (24:55) Yuck-King It Up (25:39) Fun Stuff (30:12) Revenge of … Continue reading Ep. 142 Doctor Sleep, Part 3, “Matters of Life and Death” →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Doctor Sleep, Part 2, “Empty Devils.” Introduction (00:12) A real page turner (01:15) Bad news for Dan (05:25) Connections and continuations from The Shining (12:55) Dark Tower Thinnies (18:26) Yuck-King it Up (23:02) Patrons and iTunes reviews (24:15) Fun Stuff (26:34) Other … Continue reading Ep. 141 Doctor Sleep, Part 2, “Empty Devils” →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the short story “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away” from the Everything's Eventual collection. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a … Continue reading Bonus Episode 36 – “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away” (Patreon Clip) →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the unpublished prologue to The Shining, “Before the Play.” To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Doctor Sleep, Part 1, “Abra.” Introduction (00:00) Eternal life vs. a good life (04:02) A dream within a dream (11:40) The Shining connections (19:06) Dark Tower Thinnies (26:31) Yuck-King It Up (31:18) Fun Stuff (32:46) Wet Hot American Summer, “I'm just sick … Continue reading Ep. 140 Doctor Sleep, Part 1, “Abra” →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Doctor Sleep, “Prefatory Matters.” Introduction (00:13) Publication History (01:26) Connections and continuations from The Shining (04:25) Overcoming trauma (09:39) Dark Tower Thinnies (16:44) Yuck-King it Up (17:38) Thank you, Patrons! (19:32) Fun Stuff (20:18) Other Worlds than These (23:05) Outro (25:52) Leave … Continue reading Ep. 139 Doctor Sleep, “Prefatory Matters” →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore the 1980 adaptation The Shining. Introduction (00:13) Recap (00:50) Adaptation (02:09) Mirrors (12:53) Crazy theories (19:19) ←!! Dark Tower Thinnies (28:26) Yuck-King it Up (29:26) Thank you, Patrons! (31:24) Fun Stuff (32:04) Critical reception and box office success (36:29) Other Worlds than … Continue reading Ep. 138 – “The Shining” (1980) Movie →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Shining, Part 5, Matters of Life and Death. Introduction (00:00) Surprisingly happy ending (01:23) Why Jack? (12:00) Death makes life worth living (19:29) Dark Tower Thinnies (25:03) Yuck-King It Up (28:08) Fun Stuff (30:32) Final thoughts (38:46) Other Worlds Than These … Continue reading Ep. 137 The Shining, Part 5, “Matters of Life and Death” →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Shining, Part Four: Snowbound. Introduction (00:13) Sins of the father (01:52) Jack's gaslighting (12:37) Shit just got real (16:50) Dark Tower Thinnies (21:36) Yuck-King It Up (23:38) Thank you, Patrons! (27:10) Fun Stuff (27:54) Other Worlds Than These (34:53) Jay: “The … Continue reading Ep. 136 The Shining, Part 4, “Snowbound” →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the short story “L.T.'s Theory of Pets” found in Everything's Eventual. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the short story “1408” found in Everything's Eventual. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Shining, chapters Part 3, Chapters 19-25. Introduction (00:00) Descriptive chapter names (02:12) Jack's self-sabotage (04:35) Danny is a lot like his father (16:33) Amping up the gothic (22:13) Dark Tower Thinnies (24:49) Yuck-King It Up (26:01) Fun Stuff (28:53) Other Worlds … Continue reading Ep. 135 The Shining, Part 3, Chapters 19-25 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Shining, Part 3, Chapters 14-18. Introduction (00:00) Great writing, not so good exposition (1:30) Is Jack a madman? (12:05) Dark Tower Thinnies (23:52) Yuck-King It Up (27:41) Fun Stuff (30:06) Other Worlds Than These (36:05) Sean: The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman … Continue reading Ep. 134 The Shining, Part 3, Chapters 14-18 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Shining, Part 2, “Closing Day.” Introduction (00:13) The Shining (01:34) The players (06:14) Gothic table setting (14:10) Dark Tower Thinnies (20:01) Yuck-King It Up (21:05) Fun Stuff (22:53) Other Worlds Than These (30:37) Outro (33:40) Leave us an Apple Podcasts review! … Continue reading Ep. 133 The Shining, Part 2, “Closing Day” →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore The Shining, Part 1, “Prefatory Matters.” Introduction (00:00) Book Introduction (1:38) Our coverage (7:09) Prefatory Matters (9:55) Autobiographical? (21:22) Influences (29:00) Dark Tower Thinnies (30:26) Yuck-King It Up (33:58) Fun Stuff (35:53) Other Worlds Than These (43:13) Sean: Winning Time on HBOMax … Continue reading Ep. 132 The Shining, Part 1, “Prefatory Matters” →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Christine, chapters 48-51 and the Epilogue. Introduction (00:13) This story ends in tragedy (01:47) The LeBay resolution ? (09:06) Dark Tower Thinnies (19:00) ← what!? Yuck-King it Up (21:15) Fun Stuff (23:05) Reviews and wrap-up (28:22) Final thoughts (31:37) Other Worlds than … Continue reading Ep. 131 Christine, Chapters 48-51 & Wrap-up →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the 1983 movie adaptation of Christine, directed by John Carpenter. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the 1999 movie adaptation of The Green Mile, directed by Frank Darabont. To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower. Starring: Tom … Continue reading Bonus Episode 31 – “The Green Mile” Movie (Patreon Clip) →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Christine, chapters 43-47. Introduction (00:00) Another narrative switch (01:34) Dennis is a cypher (06:38) Making connections (11:37) Dark Tower Thinnies (19:19) WHA!? Look at the time! Yuck-King It Up (24:10) Fun Stuff (27:21) Sia “Cheap Thrills” Other Worlds Than These (34:46) Jay: … Continue reading Ep. 130 Christine, Chapters 43-47 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Christine, chapters 35-42. Introduction (00:13) The Darnell character is cool (01:21) Character motivations (08:18) Dark Tower Thinnies (20:20) Yuck-King It Up (23:12) Thank you, Patrons! (24:54) Fun Stuff (25:30) Other Worlds Than These (30:44) Outro (35:01) Leave us an Apple Podcasts review! … Continue reading Ep. 129 Christine, Chapters 35-42 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Christine, chapters 20-34. Introduction (00:00) Change in narrative structure (01:42) Christine is a hell of a drug (08:18) Is it the car, LeBay, or both (16:25) Dark Tower Thinnies (22:18) Yuck-King it Up (22:40) Fun Stuff (26:04) Other Worlds Than These (36:04) … Continue reading Ep. 128 Christine, Chapters 20-34 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Christine, chapters 12-19. Introduction (00:13) Times (02:44) High school is messed up (10:34) Dark Tower Thinnies (20:25) Yuck-King it Up (24:57) Fun Stuff (28:13) Other Worlds Than These (33:48) Outro (38:50) Leave us an Apple Podcasts review! Support our show at Patreon.com/twoguysdarktower. … Continue reading Ep. 127 Christine, Chapters 12-19 →
A new bonus episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came is live for all of our Patrons. What follows is a short excerpt of our discussion of the TV adaptation of “Desperation.” To get the whole episode and support our show, become a patron at patreon.com/twoguysdarktower.
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Christine, the Prologue and chapters 1-11. Introduction (00:00) Publication history (02:24) Worst to Best: Stephen King Cover Art The creeping knowledge of death (09:10) Christine and Arnie (19:28) This is a rock and roll story (26:02) Christine Playlist Dark Tower Thinnies (34:13) … Continue reading Ep. 126 Christine, Prologue & Chapters 1-11 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Desperation, Part 5: Highway 50: Excused Early. Introduction (00:13) Recap (00:45) A bible epic ending (01:14) God is love (07:51) Thank you, Patrons! (16:21) Fun Stuff (17:12) Final thoughts on Desperation (23:46) Other Worlds Than These (30:07) Outro (34:08) Leave us an … Continue reading Ep. 125 Desperation, Part 5 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Desperation, Part 4 The China Pit: God Is Cruel. Introduction (00:00) This book holds up! (01:46) God is cruel (07:04) More connections (16:32) Dark Tower Thinnies (19:23) Yuck-King It Up (26:24) Fun Stuff (30:21) Other Worlds Than These (35:43) Outro (39:23) Leave … Continue reading Ep. 124 Desperation, Part 4 →
In this episode of Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came, we explore Desperation, Part III – The American West: Legendary Shadows. Introduction (00:12) Recap (00:45) King's title conventions (01:36) The spiritual state of unbelief (12:51) The Connection Zone (25:09) Dark Tower Thinnies (32:02) Yuck-King It Up (34:16) Thank you, Patrons! (36:20) Fun Stuff (36:45) … Continue reading Ep. 123 Desperation, Part 3 →
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