The Incomparable

70: At the Time, They Were Just Average Height

2011-12-11T23:09:20Z

It turns out we all like They Might Be Giants! So we did an entire episode about geeky music. We pick favorite TMBG songs, and then bring up some other geeky tracks we love by Fountains of Wayne, Moxy Früvous, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

See episode 70

69: Love Conquers All, But So Do Guns

2011-12-05T23:07:46Z

Break out your gaming laptop and pass the ammunition: It’s time to discuss Neal Stephenson’s “REAMDE.” Why does the book’s plot take a hard left turn halfway through? Why does Stephenson struggle to write endings—and does he succeed this time? Is this book about family, the victory of the outsider, or blowing things up? (Can’t it be all three?)

See episode 69

68: Jedi Weekend

2011-11-25T19:45:03Z

Gather some bounty hunters and warm up the carbon freezer! It’s time for the conclusion of our epic discussion of “The Empire Strikes Back.” We dissect the evolution of the Han-Leia relationship, the truly playful nature of Yoda and the importance of Dagobah, Vader’s agenda and his crunchy gloves, and Luke’s continuing adventures with garbage.

Episode 68 (87 minutes, 40 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell, John Siracusa, Dan Moren, Serenity Caldwell.

67: Darth Vader's Office is Really Weird

2011-11-20T16:07:42Z

Launch your probe droids and cut open your Tauntaun! It’s time for part one of our two-part discussion of “The Empire Strikes Back.” Does Han Solo just want to be loved? Is Chewie sabotaging the Falcon on purpose? Why is snowy Hoth the setting? Why is Ben Kenobi a man of few words? Who’s scruffy-lookin’? And what is the purpose for Darth Vader’s clamshell office, anyway?

Episode 67 (84 minutes, 39 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell, John Siracusa, Dan Moren, Serenity Caldwell.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

66: Regular People Like Us

2011-11-14T17:33:46Z

Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” is a sci-fi novel that’s chock full of references to 1980s culture. But is it a good book, or are the references all that it’s got going for it? What will John Hughes movies be like in the future? And what do Cline, P.G. Wodehouse, and Umberto Eco have in common?

Episode 66 (60 minutes, 27.5 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

The Incomparable participants: Scott McNulty, Serenity Caldwell, John Siracusa, Dan Moren, and Monty Ashley. This episode was edited by Greg Knauss.

Buy the book on Amazon.com.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

65: Maine is Purgatory

2011-11-06T18:34:44Z

A new TV season is here! We analyze the new shows, plus some returning favorites. Among our targets: Revenge, Homeland, Terra Nova, Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Person of Interest, American Horror Story, Ringer, A Gifted Man, Boss, and returning shows The Walking Dead, Fringe, Community, Supernatural, Haven, and Dexter. Also: Why does Scott McNulty think every show is Prime Suspect?

Episode 65 (80 minutes, 38 MB enhanced AAC) is live and direct on 5by5.tv. An MP3 version is also available.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Lisa Schmeiser, John Siracusa, Dan Moren, and Ben Boychuk.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

64: Ghosts Cause Cancer

2011-10-30T19:18:58Z

When you want to get in the Halloween spirit, who you gonna call? Join us in celebrating 1984’s supernatural comedy classic, “Ghostbusters.” Are ghosts a serious environmental hazard requiring the intervention of the EPA? Why do the Ghostbusters transform from college professors into blue-collar plumbers when they put on their jump suits? Is Roasted Terror Dog with Human Nougat the worst candy ever devised? And which one of our panelists attended a cat-themed bat mitzvah in the same ballroom destroyed by the Ghostbusters?

Episode 64 (82 minutes, 38 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell with Serenity Caldwell, Dan Moren, and Ben Boychuk.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

63: Like a Good Book Exploded

2011-10-27T16:58:00Z

Is “The Wise Man’s Fear” a rich fantasy novel about storytelling and myth-making, or is it a collection of good story elements scattered across an overlong plot? Could it be both? Ninjas! Off-camera shipwrecks! Board games! Sexism! Off-camera courtroom drama! Discursions within digressions within framing sequences! Join us as we discuss yet another 1000-page fantasy novel, the sequel to “The Name of the Wind.”

Episode 63 (48 minutes, 22 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

Click here to buy the book on Amazon.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell with Serenity Caldwell, Dan Moren, John Siracusa, and Scott McNulty.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

62: The Pig is Chekhov's Gun

2011-10-23T20:31:21Z

We discuss “A Dance With Dragons,” the latest 1000-page installment in George R.R. Martin’s bestselling “Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy series. Is this series going to end well? Which parts of this book were good, and which just treaded water? Would adding Klingons have helped? Why are trees the Westeros equivalent of security cameras? These are the sorts of questions you ask deep in the middle of a long fantasy series.

Episode 62 (45 minutes, 21 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

Click here to buy the book on Amazon.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell with Serenity Caldwell, Dan Moren, and Scott McNulty.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

61: Number Ones

2011-10-15T14:25:44Z

Our Comic Book Club tackles the topic of #1 issues, especially those in DC’s recent relaunch. We recommend some books and talk about some of our favorite Number Ones. Also we touch on a few of the controversial #1 DC issues and question whether DC is really trying to reach a new audience or just pander to the old one.

Episode 61 (60 minutes, 27 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell with Lisa Schmeiser, Jason Brightman, and guests Dan Benjamin and Faith Korpi.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

60: Thanks For Everything... Now Go Die

2011-10-08T00:26:23Z

Why do secret agents wear make-up under their eyepatches? When do text messages not properly convey thanks for saving the universe? Are the Cybermen the worst villians ever? We wrap up the sixth season of “Doctor Who” with discussion of the last three episodes as well as the season as a whole.

Episode 60 (66 minutes, 32 MB MP3) is live and direct on 5by5.tv.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell, Dan Moren, Scott McNulty, Serenity Caldwell, John Siracusa, and Glenn Fleishman.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

59: Flitting is in (TV Fantasy Pitches)

2011-10-02T23:45:23Z

We conclude our TV Fantasy Draft with the unveiling of our series pitches. Vampire and ghost detectives! Star Trek meets the West Wing! A sitcom starring a robot and an omnipotent being! A gritty techno-drama. A psychedelic series set on a Zeppelin! And John Siracusa’s pitch seems awfully familiar somehow.

Episode 59 (82 minutes, 39 MB MP3) is live and direct at 5by5.tv.

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell, Dan Moren, Scott McNulty, Serenity Caldwell, John Siracusa, and Steve Lutz. Special guest star: Glenn Fleishman.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

58: Greyskull Anonymous (TV Fantasy Draft)

2011-09-24T01:56:58Z

Who are the best TV characters of all time? Six people set out to draft teams of 10 characters each, from which they would form some of the strangest TV cases ever seen. Will Captain Kirk, Columbo, and The Fonz end up on the same show? Perhaps the craziest episode we’ve ever done highlights dozens of our favorite characters from TV history.

Episode 58 (74 minutes, 30 MB MP3)

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell, Dan Moren, Scott McNulty, Serenity Caldwell, John Siracusa, and Steve Lutz.

Credit for this Atrocity: It’s Glenn Fleishman’s fault. Listen to supplemental podcast 55a to hear the origin.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

Complete team rosters follow. DO NOT LOOK UNTIL YOU’VE HEARD THE EPISODE. IT WILL RUIN A LOT OF THE FUN.

John Siracusa

River Song, Doctor Who
Daisy, Spaced
Jack Shephard, Lost
Joan, Mad Men
Han Solo, The Star Wars Christmas Special
Echo, Dollhouse
Hank, Terriers
Sawyer, Lost
Khal Drogo, Game of Thrones
Tywin Lannister, Game of Thrones

Scott McNulty

The Doctor (David Tennant), Doctor Who
Q, Star Trek
Columbo
Tom Servo, MST3K
Mearth, Mork & Mindy
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
McGyver
Jose Chung, The X Files/Millennium
Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls
Space Ghost, Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Dan Moren

Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel
Wendy Watson, The Middleman
Jim Rockford, The Rockford Files
Fauxlivia Dunham, Fringe
Kolchack: The Night Stalker
Shawn Spencer, Psych
Mick St. John, Moonlight
Nick Knight, Forever Knight
Maddie Hayes, Moonlighting
Spenser, Spenser: For Hire

Steve Lutz

Anthony Fremont, The Twilight Zone
Benjamin Linus, Lost
Larry Dallas, Three’s Company
Skeletor, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
GOB Bluth, Arrested Development
Dr. House, House M.D.
Rudy Huxtable, The Cosby Show
Little Murray Sparkles, Sesame Street
The Fonz, Happy Days
Crazy Jim, Taxi

Serenity Caldwell

Natalie, Sports Night
King Silas, Kings
Castiel, Supernatural
Young Indiana Jones (age 10), Young Indiana Jones
Dr. Tom Jackman, Jekyll
Logan, Dark Angel
Manservant Neville, The Middleman
Andromeda A.I., Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda
Danny Tripp, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Colin the Dog, Spaced

Jason Snell

Capt. Kirk, Star Trek
Hawkeye Pierce, MASH
Willow Rosenberg, Buffy
Jeff Murdoch, Coupling
Thomas Magnum, Magnum P.I.
Kaylee, Firefly
Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld
Veronica Mars
Omar Little, The Wire
Charlie Brown, Peanuts

Glenn Fleishman (autopicked)

Kara Thrace, Battlestar Galactica
Lwaxana Troi, Star Trek: TNG
Chuck, Pushing Daisies
Steve Urkel, Family Matters
Becca Valentine, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda
Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
Gumby, animated or Saturday Night Live (you pick)
B.A. Baracas, The A-Team
Daniel Faraday, Lost
Jimmy McNulty, The Wire

57: Weird Subplots About Fondue

2011-09-18T15:56:52Z

This past summer’s superhero movies are in the spotlight! Are the gods just aliens? When are mutant strippers unrealistic? Why would you beat up people after costing them their jobs? And why do the Stark boys enjoy themselves—and cheesy foodstuffs—so much? Our esteemed panel breaks down how “Captain America,” “Thor,” “X-Men: First Class,” and “Green Lantern” fared.

Episode 57 (61 minutes, 25 MB MP3)

The Incomparable participants: Jason Snell, Dan Moren, Monty Ashley, and Tony Sindelar.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

56: Let Me in the Frickin' TARDIS!

2011-09-12T06:26:24Z

Press the Green Anchor button and jump into a parallel timestream: it’s time to talk “Doctor Who.” In this flash episode we deconstruct the two most recent episodes, “Night Terrors” and “The Girl Who Waited.” And here’s a hint: we liked one of them way more than the other.

Episode 56 (58 minutes, 21 MB MP3)

The Incomparable participants (Green Anchor): Jason Snell, Scott McNulty, John Siracusa, and Glenn Fleishman. The Incomparable participants (Red Waterfall): Dan Moren, Serenity Caldwell.

When Jason laughs about how we don’t edit the flash podcasts, you can laugh back. This episode was actually edited a bit, though still mostly presented as recorded on Skype.

To subscribe to this podcast, add http://feeds.feedburner.com/incomparablepodcast to your podcast tool of choice, or click here to subscribe in iTunes.

The Incomparable Theme Song composed by the incomparable Christopher Breen.

The Incomparable

70: At the Time, They Were Just Average Height

69: Love Conquers All, But So Do Guns

68: Jedi Weekend

Links

67: Darth Vader's Office is Really Weird

66: Regular People Like Us

65: Maine is Purgatory

64: Ghosts Cause Cancer

63: Like a Good Book Exploded

62: The Pig is Chekhov's Gun

61: Number Ones

60: Thanks For Everything... Now Go Die

59: Flitting is in (TV Fantasy Pitches)

58: Greyskull Anonymous (TV Fantasy Draft)

John Siracusa

Scott McNulty

Dan Moren

Steve Lutz

Serenity Caldwell

Jason Snell

Glenn Fleishman (autopicked)

57: Weird Subplots About Fondue

56: Let Me in the Frickin' TARDIS!