Episode 140: None of This Is Bad | The Good Place, Moral Philosophy & Religion

Welcome. Everything is fine. NBC’s acclaimed philosophical comedy The Good Place came to an end recently, and we’re here to discuss the emotional series finale and the lasting legacy of the show. Having finally reached the real Good Place, Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason (along with architect Michael and not-a-girl/not-a-robot Janet) have overseen the creation of an entirely new afterlife system. In the finale, “Whenever You’re Ready,” the show grapples head-on with the most difficult questions of existence. What happens after we die? What does it mean to live a good and happy life? Can people really improve, and how? In this installment of the Midnight Myth, we’ll also grapple with these questions of morality, spirituality, and Maximum Derek.

We’ll look for insight in Buddhism, Virgil’s The Aeneid, Aristotelian virtue ethics, and other tentpoles of moral philosophy. Will we find the forking answer to lasting peace? Maybe. But until then, take it sleazy.

*Spoilers for Seasons 1-4 of The Good Place!*

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Episode 139B: Those Who Wander | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring pt. 2

Part two of a two-parter on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.

Hearken now to the conclusion of our conversation on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Last week, we discussed the start of Frodo’s journey, the strange characters who lurk in old forests, and the shifting boundaries and morals of Middle-Earth. This week, we’ll drill down on some key moments in Fellowship, particularly the Council of Elrond at Rivendell and the meeting with Galadriel in Lothlorien. We’ll explore Frodo Baggins’ character growth through his choices, and discuss Tolkien’s depiction of mankind through Boromir. How did Tolkien’s scholarship in medieval literature influence his writing? How does the War of the Ring apply to the modern international experience? All this and more as we continue our journey through the Third Age of Middle-Earth.

Stay tuned for future episodes on The Two Towers & The Return of the King, as well as details on an upcoming Lord of the Rings Giveaway!

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Episode 139A: One Pod to Rule Them All | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring pt. 1

Part one of a two-parter on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.

One ring to rule them all… The Midnight Myth Podcast returns once more to the land of Middle Earth as we embark on a quest to explore J.R.R. Tolkien’s massively influential book series The Lord of the Rings. In this ongoing series, we’ll reread The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, discussing each book as a work of art and history. In this first installment, we discuss key moments in The Fellowship of the Ring, from the auspicious meeting with Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest to the crossing of the threshold into Lothlorien. We’ll talk about language and literacy in Middle Earth, the means by which history is communicated, and the significance of cultural difference in a world that’s breaking down. We’ll share some insights from the Peter Jackson film adaptations, but hew closest to Tolkien’s original text.

Keep listening to our Lord of the Rings episodes for more information about our upcoming LORD OF THE RINGS GIVEAWAY!

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Episode 138: The Laughing Place | Castle Rock S2, Puritan History & The Old Testament

An ancient evil lurks underneath the seemingly idyllic New England villages of Castle Rock and ‘Salem’s Lot. In this episode of the Midnight Myth, we’ll discuss Season 2 of Hulu’s Castle Rock, the anthology series set in the universe of Stephen King’s writing. This season mashes up characters and locations from Misery, Salem’s Lot, Stand By Me, and more to create a complex portrait of communities in transition. We explore parallels to the Book of Genesis in the Bible—especially the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—and explore the rise of Puritanism in 16th-18th century England and the American colonies. Sometimes, you just have to worship a demonic angel for food.

This is an exciting discussion that ties in with our ongoing podcast project, The Wheel of Ka, a quest to understand Stephen King’s fantasy series, The Dark Tower. Say thank ya!

PSA: Beware men in cloaks bearing baskets of fruit. They only want one thing.

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Episode 137: Communism Is Just a Red Herring | Clue (1985), Whodunits & McCarthyism

You’re probably wondering why we’ve gathered you all here today. Assume your alias, join us for champagne in the billiard room, and all will be revealed… This week, we’re discussing the outrageous 1985 black comedy Clue—the best movie based on a board game. This wacky film is equal parts sex farce and murder mystery, with a cast so star-studded it lights up any cable TV lineup. Through the jokes and conventions of Clue, we’ll explore the history of the Whodunit genre—especially the works of Agatha Christie—and its oft-overlooked ties to politics and social commentary. The characters in Clue may say Communism is just a red herring, but we’ll also reveal the significance of McCarthyism, the Red Scare, and blacklisting in the movie.

Most importantly, we’ll reveal who did it, and where, and with what.

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(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode 11, Song of Susannah Part Two

Hello Fellow Travelers on the Path of the Beam, Derek and Steve are back at the next installment of the Wheel of Ka, talking the last half of Song of Susannah. Ever wonder if that sweet smelling dark looking BBQ place on the city block next to you is actually sheltering inter-dimensional monsters who are feasting on human flesh? Welcome to the Dixie Pig of episodes as your Ka-Tet breaks down the characters, scenarios and situations of Roland, Eddie, Jake and of course Susannah, can I get a God-Bomb?

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Episode 136: Revenge of the Giant Face | Inglourious Basterds, Alternate History & Revenge Tragedy

Once upon a time in… the Midnight Myth Podcast studio, Derek and Laurel took on their first study of Quentin Tarantino with his 2009 masterpiece Inglourious Basterds. This alternate history of World War 2 paints a bloody picture of power and revenge in Nazi-occupied France. We follow two independent assassination plots on Hitler and the German high command, which converge, of all places, in a cinema. In this episode, Derek & Laurel interpret Inglourious Basterds as, by turns, a fairy tale, a Western, and a classical or Elizabethan revenge drama. We’ll discuss why Seneca the Younger was Ancient Rome’s version of Quentin Tarantino. We'll learn why QT likened Shosanna to Joan of Arc. We’ll dig into the ethical quandaries presented by this movie’s very existence. We’ll really put the music into “Enzo Gorlomi.” And we’ll barely scratch the surface.

Recommended further reading.listening:
A fantastic collection of essays on Inglourious Basterds can be previewed here.
Read Sheldon Roth’s essay, My Son Killed Adolf Hitler, here.
A pretty good list of the cinematic and intertextual references in Inglourious Basterds.
The untold stories of women in film get a closeup in this story from Film School Rejects.
My Favorite Murder did a great episode on Hannie Schaft and the Oversteegen Sisters, teenage assassins who took on the Nazis (AKA real-life Shosanna/Basterds).

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Episode 135: This Is the Way | The Mandalorian, Westerns & Ancient History

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, some wars were fought, a Jedi rose, and grand destinies were revealed. But what was happening just outside of that orbit? How did the many races and species of the galaxy fare when all was said and done? Disney Plus’s new Star Wars show The Mandalorian asks these questions, and gives us a few answers. We follow a lone bounty hunter from an ancient culture through worlds familiar and new on his unexpected quest. In this episode of the Midnight Myth, we explore the influence of the Western film genre—in particular the Spaghetti Western—on The Mandalorian, and discuss the similarities and differences of the mysterious Mandalorian culture to that of Ancient Sparta. This is the way.

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