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Fever Dream Harder

Fever Dream Harder

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A NOT-CAST [ , ] FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES: While there is no episode this week, our hosts were able to get together for a quick check-in and an even quicker discussion about the insanity that is Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding: Director’s Cut.

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Coma Chameleon” (29 November 2019): Where Andrew discusses his time playing Death Stranding.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

In That Order

In That Order

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LA-LI-LU-LE-LAND OF THE FREE: On this fourth of July, our hosts celebrate American independence by reflecting on the properties that really got them thinking about the American identity––specifically, the Metal Gear Solid series and Andor.

TOPICS:

(00:00) Intro – Happy 4th of July! Don’t use fireworks, please.
(03:30) Metal Gear Solid–the most patriotic video game?
(13:00) September 11 and the new model of American patriotism
(17:42) How the Metal Gear Solid games probed American values
(23:35) Andor and America
(27:25) How did Hideo Kojima tap into the American ethos?
(00:00) Outro – Final Fantasy and Magic: the Gathering
(00:00) Outtakes

RELEVANT LINKS:

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

  • “Metal Gear Solid Main Theme” by Harry Gregson-Williams (from the soundtrack to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
Episodic Episodes

Episodic Episodes

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WEEK IN GEEK: This week, Andrew watches Poker Face on Peacock and finds a surprisingly compelling heir to Columbo, while D. Bethel dives back into the North Sea to find terrors unknown in the Siren’s Rest DLC for the game Still Wakes the Deep.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – Kurtzman and Orci
(03:21) Andrew’s WiG: Poker Face
(13:52) D.’s WiG: Siren’s Rest DLC
(26:02) Outro – Star Trek Adventures RPG and Heroes Con
(31:34) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Arias In Embers” (21 June 2019): Where Andrew first plays Star Trek Adventures.
  • “States of Play” (30 August 2019): Where Andrew first discusses playing Oxygen Not Included.
  • “The Beef Sleeps” (13 December 2024): Where D. Bethel discusses Still Wakes the Deep.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Ten-Dollar Friend

Ten-Dollar Friend

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DEFEATING THE WIZARDS: Nerd news broke this week when Critical Role announced that they made two new hires––Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford––both who happen to be veteran designers who recently left the Dungeons & Dragons franchise at Wizards of the Coast (WotC). Our hosts talk about that move and how it may (or may not) impact the TTRPG industry.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – Critical Role’s New Hires
(13:19) RPGs changing with the times
(32:04) Multiplayer DnD
(41:06) Outro – Poo Poo Pictures
(44:56) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Open Awesome License” (13 January 2023): Where our hosts discuss WotC’s major revision to its Open Game License, to the dismay of many people (and companies).
  • “Do the Laugh” (27 January 2023): Where Andrew updates us on the aftermath of WotC’s OGL revision.
  • “Keyboard Blades” (6 June 2025): Where Andrew talks about the release of Critical Role’s original RPG, Daggerheart.

RELEVANT LINKS:

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Keyboard Blades

Keyboard Blades

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THE EDGE OF THE BLADE: In the midst of his Fear the Walking Dead watch-through, Andrew rediscovers the wonder and majesty of the actor (and musician and politician) Ruben Blades.

DOCTOR WHO: [WARNING: the discussion contains SPOILERS] Our hosts discuss the second season (series 15) of Doctor Who, showcasing the Fifteenth Doctor (as played by Ncuti Gatwa) struggling to get his displaced companion, Belinda Chandra, back home to Earth. It had a lot of great stories and a lot of surprises and a lot of ties back to the previous season; our hosts discuss all the angles.

NEW REALMS OF NERD: D. Bethel briefly discusses his foray in to mechanical keyboards and is reasonably perplexed by the experience.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – The Rediscovery of Ruben Blades
(06:19) Doctor Who, season 2 is done!
(08:38) What these two seasons did differently
(21:14) Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth (?) Doctor
(26:30) More cameos of old Doctors (and companions), please
(31:43) A genuinely surprising regeneration?!
(42:51) Outro – Dan buys a new keyboard
(46:10) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Nerd Intervention” (28 June 2024): Where our hosts discuss season 1 of Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa’s first season on the show.
  • “Turn on the Window” (9 May 2025): Where our hosts discuss the season 2 episode of Doctor Who, “Lucky Day,” and all the discomfort its story and characters bring.

RELEVANT LINKS:

  • Keychron Q11 – The mechanical keyboard D. bought to make his digital art process less physically painful.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

The Lake Effect

The Lake Effect

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THE LAST CRUSADE: With the completion of Indiana Jones & The Great Circle now in his rearview, D. Bethel shares some final thoughts on what ended up being a surprisingly enjoyable and innovated game.

CHANGING THE GAME: Andrew dives deep into new TTRPG ventures with the extremely referential but fun Outgunned Adventure and finds a lot to like in Daggerheart, the new RPG system from Critical Role.

TOPICS:
(0:00:00) Intro – Final thoughts on Indiana Jones & The Great Circle
(0:09:36) Andrew plays Outgunned Adventure
(0:15:09) Andrew checks out Critical Role’s Daggerheart
(1:01:45) Outro – The intersection of Star Trek and Cheers
(1:04:00) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Open Awesome License” (13 January 2023): Where Andrew walks us through the Wizard of the Coast’s strange decision to change its approach to its Open Game License.
  • “Sausageria” (29 December 2023): Where D. Bethel names the most recent Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny, as his “Thing of the Year: 2023.”

RELEVANT LINKS:

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Andrew Day

Andrew Day

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HE’S THE ONE THAT SITS: Our hosts start with the sadness and address the recent passing of actor George Wendt, whose Cheers character, Norm Peterson, (along with his bar buddy, Cliff Claven, played by John Ratzenberger) really resonated with viewers as the quintessential everyman.

THE MAYONNAISE CAMPAIGN: Andrew wrapped up the Dungeons & Dragons campaign he had started earlier in the year and has some closing thoughts after spending some time with this new edition of the game.

THE WALKINGS DEAD: A kind of two-in-one, Andrew takes inspiration for his own short campaign of the tabletop RPG of The Walking Dead by starting to watch the first spinoff show, Fear the Walking Dead, due to its setting on the west coast of the United States.

THE LEGACY OF PIP & JANE BAKER: Our hosts wrap by discussing a short lived and *possibly* relevant character to the new season of Doctor Who, the malevolent Time Lady, The Rani.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – RIP George Wendt
(08:17) Andrew finishes Dungeons & Dragons
(20:47) Andrew starts watching Fear the Walking Dead
(28:51) Andrew starts a campaign in The Walking Dead tabletop RPG
(31:06) D. Bethel finished Indiana Jones & The Great Circle
(34:24) Outro – Doctor Who & The Rani
(39:08) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Ear COVID” (16 February 2024): Where Andrew started the D&D campaign that he finishes in this week’s episode.
  • “The Rolling Dead” (11 April 2025): Where Andrew tires out the The Walking Dead ttrpg for the first time.

RELEVANT LINKS:

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Turn on the Window

Turn on the Window

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RIDICULOUS REMAKES: D. Bethel goes off on “live action” remakes of beloved animated movies––Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon––that genuinely seem unnecessary.

DOCTOR WHO: With the first half of season 2 (series 15) of Doctor Who done, our hosts talk about what it’s doing differently from the previous season before zooming in specifically on the most recent unsettling and surprisingly profound episode, “Lucky Day.”

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – What are they doing with these “live action” remakes anyway?
(05:11) Doctor Who, season 2 (series 15) episode: “Lucky Day”
(36:32) Outro – D. finally heard the Wilhelm Scream in Indiana Jones & The Great Circle
(37:32) Outtakes

RELEVANT LINKS:

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Nerd Intervention” (28 June 2024): Where our hosts reflect on the previous season of Doctor Who.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Theme Song Detectives

Theme Song Detectives

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It’s been nearly a month with lots of things happening, under our hosts’ control and not, but they check back in this week with some overview of life stuff as well as nerdy and geeky stuff.

WEEKS IN GEEK: Andrew finds a lot to like in the recent MCU-Disney+ show, Daredevil: Born Again, continuing the series from its run on Netflix. He also returns to survival gaming with Far From Home’s Forever Skies. D. Bethel dips into new old sci-fi with the well-regarded series, The Expanse, but has been occupying his gaming time with Machinegames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN: The show wraps with a short remembrance of Jean Marsh, an incredibly expressive actress whose career ran decades. Our hosts, of course, remember her fondly for her dips into Doctor Who across the years (she even used to be married to the Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee) as well as her turn as the unforgettable villain, Queen Bavmorda, in Willow.

TOPICS:

(00:00) Intro – Where we’ve been
(02:06) D. Bethel’s Mister Rogersification
(05:25) Andrew’s WiG #1: Daredevil: Born Again
(13:44) Andrew’s WiG #2: Forever Skies
(24:03) D.’S WiG #1: The Expanse
(28:51) D.’s WiG #2: Indiana Jones & the Great Circle
(42:03) Outro – RIP Jean Marsh
(46:07) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “A Warm Heat” (23 June 2017): Where D. Bethel discusses the Machinegames’ reboot, Wolfenstein: The New Order.
  • “Whatever We Bring, We Bring It” (13 October 2017): Where D. Bethel discusses his time playing Machinegames’ Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
  • “It’s Always a Game” (08 February 2019): Where Andrew relates his experience with the survival game, Subnautica.
  • “Earl British” (25 September 2020): Where our hosts discuss Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda Softworks.
  • “Bear is Watching” (21 May 2021): Where Andrew plays the Subnautica sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero.
  • “The Soundness” (01 September 2023): Where Green Hell becomes Andrew’s survival game of choice.
  • “Nomanski” (24 November 2023): Survival goes to space as Andrew and D. Bethel discuss No Man’s Sky.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

The Rolling Dead

The Rolling Dead

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THE LEGEND OF DICK BRIMES: After dusting off the microphones, our hosts return for Andrew to tell a wild tale he experienced running a game of Free League’s The Walking Dead tabletop RPG.

HE WAS YOUR HUCKLEBERRY: Our hosts round out the show to quickly discuss the death of the mercurial actor, Val Kilmer. D. Bethel drew a tribute not so much to Kilmer as much as a character Kilmer played that means so much to him––Willow‘s Madmartigan.

TOPICS:

(00:00) Intro – Why the show went dark for three weeks
(02:51) AMC Presents The Walking Dead – The RPG
(11:20) The Mechanics of The Walking Dead
(22:15) Story time
(26:50) It’s a good game––why is no one talking about it?
(39:35) Outro – RIP Val Kilmer
(44:31) Outtakes

RELEVANT LINKS:

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Do the Laugh” (27 January 2023): Where Andrew talks about watching the first season of The Walking Dead.
  • “Cowboy Energy” (25 October 2024): Where our hosts walk through one of the foundational texts of zombie fiction, George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.
  • “The Sheng Long Distraction” (27 September 2024): Where Andrew buys a lot of The Walking Dead comics.
  • “My Nude Wall” (15 November 2024): Andrew gives an update on his watch-through of The Walking Dead.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC: