Episode 68: That's Incredible!

The arrival of Pixar’s long-awaited sequel to ‘The Incredibles’ has us itching to revisit the beloved family of superheroes. Turning a critical eye to the story of the Parr family and their secret identities, we’ll explore each character’s journey toward becoming fully actualized beings—with or without superpowers. For a kids’ movie, ‘The Incredibles’ digs into surprisingly mature subject matter, like suburban dissatisfaction, political ideologies, and gender roles. We’ll do our best to leave no stone unturned in this analysis. No capes!

Episode 67: Return Ye, Children of Men

Yes, the world may actually be going straight to hell. But what can we learn from the onslaught of inhuman behavior to the weakest of us happening at the American-Mexican border? To understand what makes immigrants enemies and how to combat the dehumanization of refugees, Derek and Laurel turn to the 2006 masterpiece of film, Children of Men directed by Alfonso Cuarón. While the movie may have had lackluster box-office sales, the artistic impact of a filmic world bent on militarizing its borders while on the brink of the apocalypse can tell us much about our own dilemmas. Content warning: this episode gets heavy—we discuss the realities and atrocities taking place at the border. Join us for a no-holds-barred discussion about real life imitating art, and the cost of giving up one’s humanity to save it.

Episode 66: Your Words Are Poison

We live in strange times, in which the truth and fantasy are sometimes blurred, sometimes synonymous. Here on the Midnight Myth, we often look to our stories are guides to cope with our troubled social, political, or moral questions. Today, we explore the theme of corruption through the iconic and epic fantasy series the Lord of the Rings. They say power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This holds true for the characters that populate Middle Earth, who struggle against evil magic jewelry, the ever-flowing tide of darkness, and seemingly innocuous--but insidious--language

Episode 65: What Ever Happened to Gary Cooper?

Eleven years after the iconic, genius, frustrating, scintillating, upsetting finale—the cut-to-black heard round the world, we’re jumping headfirst into the underworld of New Jersey crime, and into the den of the Sopranos. HBO’s critically acclaimed series captured viewers instantly by asking a simple question: what if a mob boss went to therapy? But instead of turning it into a punchline, the show used that springboard to open up questions about humanity, mental illness, family, and the American Dream. Now Derek and Laurel pull apart the characters, the influences, and the ultimate successes and failures of the series that brought epic, romantic stories back down to earth. Brief lessons on Italian Opera, the theatrical form Commedia dell’Arte, and the most famous thought experiment in quantum mechanics.

The Boomerangerang: Star Wars Edition

It’s good to be back in the studio with a new Boomerangerang—an all-game, all-debate, all-awesome back and forth starring your favorite Star Wars heroes, villains, and unexpected side characters. Join us as we explore the merits of Jar Jar Binks as a web developer, Admiral Holdo as an international diplomat, or Darth Vader as a travel agent. Pick a side, make an argument, and enjoy.

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We are moving to a new studio! Because of this, we're taking a week off. Fear not. We'll be back in two weeks with a brand new episode. In the meantime, follow us on social media for bonus content.

Episode 64: Way Down Below the Ocean

Once upon a time, way down below the ocean, there lived a little mermaid who longed to be part of a different world. This week, Derek and Laurel deconstruct one of the most beloved stories of all time, from its ancient mythic inspiration to its 19th Century origins—all the way to the classic Disney animated movie. We’ll break apart tragic themes and what it means to give a happy ending to a heartbreaking fairy tale, and explore the social hierarchies and family dynamics that make The Little Mermaid a perfect allegory for some of our worst fears. And, most importantly, everything comes back… to Plato.

Episode 63: A Balm in Gilead

How did we get here? Where are we going? The future may seem an abstract concept, a faraway thing, but every action we take, every word we set down in the present determines the outcomes and intricacies of our world to come. This week, we pull apart some of the religious references in Hulu’s hit series The Handmaid’s Tale to further understand the message the story is really telling. We’ll discuss Offred’s journey so far, what we’ve learned about Gileadian social structure, and the sacred texts upon which this new country is based. Under his eye.