The Incomparable Mothership

More than three decades since the Wheel of Time book series began, it’s arrived as a TV series on Prime Video. We discuss the first season with the help of our resident Wheel of Time book expert and three non-book-readers. How much is or isn’t it the “next Game of Thrones?” Why would it need to be be? And how does a book series that was wildly progressive for the 1990s approach a modern audience? "The Wheel of Time" season 1 Moisés Chiullán with Glenn Fleishman, John Siracusa and Kathy Campbell Referenced Works The Wheel of Time Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Hot dog! It’s time for our annual look back at the year gone by. And it was certainly a year! Some of us caught up on stuff, while others who usually abandon their lists as winter turns to spring decided not to bother making lists at all! As is traditional, our panelists and listeners pick favorite Incomparable episodes and moments in this episode. Did the best moment of the year happen in last year’s clip show? Are there multiple clip loops running now? Has The Incomparable finally ground Jason down into mush? The answers are within! 2021 year in review and clip show Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Dan Moren, David J. Loehr, Monty Ashley and Moisés Chiullán Show Notes & Links Our picks: Steve - Ted Lasso (TV), One Cut of the Dead (Film), Persona 4 Golden (VG) Erika - Covert Affairs (TV), Local Podcasts Jean - Dune (Film), WandaVision (TV), Vera Stanhope series (audiobooks) Dan - No Time To Die (Film), Leverage: Redemption (TV), The Mask of Mirrors (book), Learned League (game) David - In The Heights (Film), Only Murders in the Building (TV), Murder Under Her Skin (Books) Monty - RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars S6E3 (TV), Malignant (Movie), Cyberpunk 2077 (VG) Moises - Metroid Dread (VG), The Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (documentary), What We Do in the Shadows (TV), For All Mankind (TV), Killing Eve (TV), Search Party, The Other Two Jason - Piranesi (Book), For All Mankind/Hacks (TV), Promising Young Woman (Film) Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Merry Kilmas to all who celebrate the works of Val Kilmer! This year, our Kilmas selection is “The Saint,” a very 90s spy movie featuring surprise sweater reveals, tension-free water pipe escapes, and a wide collection of accents, wigs, and pseudonyms—all from Val Kilmer, of course. Kilmas: "The Saint" Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Dan Moren, David J. Loehr, Jean MacDonald and Moisés Chiullán Referenced Works The Saint Val Kilmer Show Notes & Links Edited by Steven Schapansky. Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We watched all eight hours of the Disney+ documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” and now we’re going to talk about it. Toast, vests, London Bobbies sucking on their chin straps, Debbie the receptionist, Paul as “second boss”, Yoko’s knitting, George Harrison’s pinstripes, and most importantly, the amazing view of a bunch of musical geniuses having a very difficult time creating anything at all. "The Beatles: Get Back" Jason Snell with Steven Schapansky, Monty Ashley, Guy English and Amy Gruber Referenced Works The Beatles: Get Back Show Notes & Links Edited by Steven Schapansky. The Talk Show: "John Was the Problem" Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Grab your Tamagotchi Baby Monitor, because it’s time to discuss “Doctor Who: Flux,” a six-episode season that had a lot of plot, a lot of characters, and a lot of questions, many of them unanswered! We discuss what worked this season and what didn’t, anticipate the 2022 run of specials to end Jodie Whitaker’s era, and ponder what Modern Doctor Who looks like when Russell T Davies takes over the show (again) in 2023. "Doctor Who: Flux" Jason Snell with Steven Schapansky, Erika Ensign, James Thomson and Antony Johnston Referenced Works Doctor Who [Amazon] Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We discuss Marvel’s weird and epic “Eternals,” which breaks a lot of Marvel-movie conventions while attempting to tell a different kind of story with a whole lot of new characters. It’s full of interesting choices, some of which pay off, while others end up amounting to not very much. "Eternals" Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Quinn Rose and Chip Sudderth Referenced Works Eternals Marvel Cinematic Universe Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We’ve gathered the family around the table to celebrate F’sgiving, a thing we just made up in which we care enough to watch a film featuring F. Murray Abraham. In this case it’s “Last Action Hero,” a movie that Wikipedia claims is a cult classic. We don’t know about that, but it certainly is unjustly maligned. This is a big, loud action movie that is also a parody and celebration of big, loud action movies. Sure, it’s got its flaws—we’re looking at you, kid—but there’s a whole lot to like. "Last Action Hero" Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Erika Ensign, Steve Lutz and David J. Loehr Referenced Works Last Action Hero [Amazon] Show Notes & Links Unjustly Maligned: "Last Action Hero" Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Put on your stillsuit and prepare your sand compactor. We’re venturing out into the uncharted deserts of Arrakis with “Dune,” Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic take on the oft-filmed Frank Herbert novel. We do some comparing and contrasting with David Lynch’s version, question whether this adaptation is for fans for for people who know nothing about “Dune”, and basically stare at a bunch of big spaceships hanging in the air. Denis Villeneuve knows what we like. "Dune" (2021) Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Jean MacDonald and Joe Rosensteel Referenced Works Dune (2021) Dune (1984) [Amazon] Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Buy those bongos and make it a 30-piece drum set, because legendary one-season wonder “Freaks and Geeks” is finally available to stream. This is an amazing show with a fantastic cast about a bunch of geeks and burnouts in Michigan in the early 1980s. It’s a sweet and funny and awkward and painful story about growing up and trying to figure out who you are, while everyone else in the world wants to label you and make sure you never forget your label. We discuss our favorite ancillary characters, the richness of the world of “Freaks and Geeks”, and how upon rewatching the show 20 years later, we have gained even more appreciation for Mr. and Mrs. Weir. "Freaks and Geeks" Jason Snell with Tiff Arment, Steve Lutz, Annette Wierstra and Marco Arment Sponsors The Intrazone, by Microsoft SharePoint: Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast about SharePoint, OneDrive and related tech within Microsoft 365. Referenced Works Freaks and Geeks Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Just in time for Halloween, our mega-sized Old Movie Club meets up in a spooky haunted house to discuss two horror-comedies that honor their source material more than you might think — it’s 1948’s “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” and 1974’s “Young Frankenstein.” We learn that werewolves can fly, quoting film dialogue on the playground can be cruel, and in the end it turns out that none of us are the doctor—we’re the monster. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" and "Young Frankenstein" Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Monty Ashley, Steve Lutz, Shelly Brisbin, Moisés Chiullán, Dr. Drang and David J. Loehr Sponsors Ladder: Flexible life insurance in minutes. Referenced Works Young Frankenstein Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.